“You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him discover it in himself.” — Galileo Galilei

Graduation Rates and Impact

It All Depends on What You Count — University of Chicago Magazine, Mar/Apr 2008

Citing Nobel Laureate James Heckman, graduation rates produced by the U.S. Department of Education are greatly affected by decisions on who to count, such as convicted prisoners. A chart included in the Mar/Apr 2008 issue points to a declining graduation rate for both whites and blacks born after 1966. For more information and background, see Heckman’s recent posting on Vox, The declining American high school graduation rate: Evidence, sources, and consequences.

Higher Ed Forced to Reconfigure – Washington Post, 3/10/08

Declining high school graduation rates mean fewer college applicants, and a vastly different pool of candidates – a new reality for many institutions of higher education in the United States that have grown accustomed to having a surplus of interested prospects from a fairly homogenous population. The article, which appeared in the WaPo’s Education section, includes this prediction from Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, president emeritus and professor of public service at George Washington University. "There will be more Hispanics, more African Americans, more Chinese, Indians, Pakistanis, Koreans. I anticipate that the most common last name in the freshman class will be Kim."

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Recently Released

Belfield, C.R and Henry M. Lewin. The Price We Pay: Economic and Social Consequences of Inadequate Education. Brookings Institution Press. 2007. ISBN: 978-0-8157-0863-6.

The authors believe that improving educational outcomes for at-risk youth is more than a noble goal – it is an investment with higher yields than costs. The book is divided into three main areas: assessment, quantification, and areas for reform. Belfield is assistant professor of economics at Queens College-CUNY, and Lewin is William H. Kilpatrick Professor of Economics and Education at Columbia University.

Conference Calendar

AASA Legislative Advocacy Conference – April 16-18, 2008, Washington, DC.

National Council of State Legislators Legislative Summit – July 22-26, 2008, New Orleans, LA.

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