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Descriptors:
Higher Education; Educational Opportunities; Federal Legislation; Disclosure; Undergraduate Students; Graduation Rate; Classification; Sex; Race; Ethnicity; Grants; Student Loan Programs; Two Year Colleges; Compliance (Legal); Confidentiality; Privacy; Statistical Data; School Statistics; Educational Indicators

Abstract:
The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA) requires that Title IV degree-granting institutions disclose annually the graduation rates of first-time, full-time degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduate students, disaggregated by gender, each major racial/ethnic subgroup, and receipt or non-receipt of a federal Pell grant or subsidized Stafford loan. The law requires that this information be made available, through appropriate publications, mail, or electronic media, to current and prospective students. All 4-year degree-granting institutions are expected to implement this mandated disclosure requirement immediately upon HEOA enactment, but a provision of the law requires this disclosure requirement to apply to 2-year degree-granting institutions beginning in the academic year 2011-12 (HEOA Section 488(a)(3)). The public disclosure of graduation rate data, while important, potentially risks disclosure of personally identifiable information. The challenge of meeting disclosure requirements lies in releasing as much information as required by the law, while also meeting legal requirements to protect each student's privacy under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (34 CFR Section 99.3). Recognizing this, HEOA states that disaggregated graduation rates are to be disclosed only "if the number of students in subgroups is sufficient to yield statistically reliable information and reporting will not reveal personally identifiable information about an individual student. If such number is not sufficient for such purposes, then the institution shall note that the institution enrolled too few of such students to so disclose or report with confidence and confidentiality" (HEOA Section 488(a)(3)). The purpose of this brief is to provide technical guidance to Title IV 2-year degree-granting institutions in meeting the statutory disclosure requirement related to graduation rates while minimizing the risk of revealing the graduation status of individual students. Adapted from "Statistical Methods for Protecting Personally Identifiable Information in Aggregate Reporting" (Seastrom 2010b), this brief includes a summary of key definitions, a brief discussion of background information, a review of current disclosure practices used by institutions, and a discussion of some practices for balancing disclosure and confidentiality. The brief concludes with a set of recommended rules that post-secondary institutions can apply to disclosure of graduation rate data required by the HEOA. It is important to emphasize that disclosure rules described in this brief aim only to meet the requirements of HEOA for disclosure of graduation rates. These rules may not apply to other disclosure or reporting requirements. (Contains 6 tables and 13 footnotes. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Vocational Education; Secondary Education; Skilled Workers; Employment Opportunities; Labor Market; Tables (Data); Graduation; High School Graduates; Postsecondary Education; Education Work Relationship; Occupations; Consumer Science; Job Skills; Job Training; Credits

Abstract:
Career and technical education (CTE) is a significant component of high school education. For the last several decades, more than 90 percent of public high school graduates have earned at least some credits in CTE, with graduates from the class of 2005 earning an average of 4.0 CTE credits (Hudson and Laird 2009; Levesque 2003; Levesque et al. 2008; Tuma 1996). As demand for a high-skill workforce has increased, reforms have focused on changing high school CTE from an alternative to the college preparatory curriculum to an educational pathway for all students that connects high schools, colleges, and the workforce (Kazis 2005; Lekes et al. 2007; Silverberg et al. 2004). This set of Issue Tables provides information on the transition of CTE participants into postsecondary education and the labor market during the first 2 years after their high school graduation. In these tables, CTE participants are identified based on the courses they took in high school. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) classifies the courses listed in high school transcripts into various subject areas (mathematics, science, social studies, and so on) using the Secondary School Taxonomy (SST) (Bradby and Hudson 2007). The SST divides CTE into three major categories--family and consumer sciences education, general labor market preparation, and occupational education, with occupational education further divided into 21 specific occupational areas (business management, marketing, manufacturing, and so on). To ensure adequate samples for the analysis presented here, the 21 occupational program areas in the SST are aggregated into the following 12 broad areas: (1) agriculture and natural resources; (2) business; (3) communications and design; (4) computer and information sciences; (5) construction and architecture; (6) consumer and culinary services; (7) engineering technologies; (8) health sciences; (9) manufacturing; (10) marketing; (11) public services; and (12) repair and transportation. The Issue Tables focus on occupational coursetaking because this is the part of the CTE curriculum that provides students with the technical skills necessary for entering the labor market, and it is also the largest of the three CTE curricular areas. The tables include information on graduates who earned different numbers of occupational credits, and on occupational concentrators. Occupational concentrators are defined in two ways: students who earned at least 2.0 credits in any one of the 12 occupational areas listed above, and students who earned at least 3.0 credits in any one of the 12 occupational areas. Table 1 presents the percentage of students from the class of 2004 who concentrated in occupational education during high school and who earned different numbers of occupational credits. Table 2 displays data on the transition of CTE students into postsecondary education and the labor force within 2 years after high school graduation. Tables 3 through 6 provide information about students who enrolled in postsecondary education, with a focus on their enrollment characteristics, persistence, and undergraduate major. Tables 7 through 10 present data on CTE students' employment, including their labor force status, average hourly wage, and occupation. Table 11 shows the percentage of CTE concentrators who were pursuing a major or an occupation related to their high school CTE concentration area. A glossary is included. (Contains 13 tables, 1 exhibit, and 4 endnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Student Characteristics; Profiles; Graduate Students; Professional Education; Enrollment; Masters Degrees; Doctoral Degrees; Masters Programs; Doctoral Programs; Institutional Characteristics; Full Time Students; Part Time Students; Student Employment; Distance Education; Educational Trends

Abstract:
Enrollment in graduate and first-professional education in the United States has increased in recent years--from about 2 million students in fall 1995 to more than 2.6 million students in fall 2007 (Snyder, Dillow, and Hoffman 2009, tables 206 and 207). Increasing enrollments overall raise questions regarding the types of students entering graduate and first-professional schools: is the profile of the typical graduate or first-professional student changing too? One example of such change is the rising enrollment of female students: from 1995 to 2007, the percentage of women among all graduate and first-professional students rose from 54 to 59 percent (Snyder, Dillow, and Hoffman 2009, tables 206 and 207). The Web Tables presented here use data from the 1995-96, 1999-2000, 2003-04, and 2007-08 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) to examine trends in the profiles of graduate and first-professional students from 1995-96 to 2007-08. These tables group students by their graduate degree level: master's, doctoral, and first-professional, and examine how their demographic and enrollment characteristics have changed over time. Table 1 provides an overview of change in the distribution of graduate and first-professional students by graduate level and degree program. Table 2 examines trends in graduate and first-professional enrollment in different types of institutions. Tables 3 through 8 illustrate trends for selected student demographic characteristics such as age, sex, race/ethnicity, marital/dependent status, citizenship, and parental education. Tables 3 and 4 focus on master's students, tables 5 and 6 on doctoral students, and tables 7 and 8 on first-professional students. Tables 9 through 14 show trends for student enrollment characteristics including time of entry into graduate education, attendance status, enrollment in distance education courses and degree programs, and employment intensity while enrolled. Tables 9 and 10 focus on master's students, tables 11 and 12 on doctoral students, and tables 13 and 14 on first-professional students. A glossary is included. (Contains 28 tables and 3 endnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Undergraduate Students; Undergraduate Study; Postsecondary Education; Enrollment Trends; Student Characteristics; Marital Status; Distance Education; Parent Background; College Attendance; Community Services; Service Learning; Student Employment

Abstract:
From 1995-96 to 2007-08, the number of students enrolled in undergraduate education in the United States grew from about 16.7 million to 21 million. These Web Tables provide information on undergraduates during the 1995-96, 1999-2000, 2003-04, and 2007-08 academic years. Estimates are presented for all undergraduates and for undergraduates who attended public 2- and 4-year, private nonprofit, and for-profit institutions by student and enrollment characteristics, hours worked while enrolled, and community service activities. The tables are grouped into three sections. Section 1 presents estimates by selected student characteristics. The tables look at undergraduates' enrollment by age, gender, race/ethnicity, dependency status, marital status and parenthood, income, citizenship, type of high school attended, and parent education. Section 2 focuses on undergraduates' postsecondary enrollment and attendance. The tables display estimates by institution and program level, attendance intensity, in-state attendance, participation in distance education, remedial coursetaking, and attendance at more than one institution. Undergraduate major fields of study are presented for undergraduates who attended public and nonprofit 4-year institutions or were in an associate's degree program at a public 2-year institution. Section 3 looks at undergraduates' work and community service. The tables provide information about students' work intensity while enrolled, average and median hours worked per week, primary role as a student or an employee, participation in community service activities, and the average and median hours volunteered per month. A glossary is included. (Contains 30 tables and 2 endnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
High Schools; High School Seniors; College Attendance; College Applicants; Tables (Data); Longitudinal Studies; Parent Aspiration; Parent Attitudes; Academic Aspiration; Educational Attainment; Student Attitudes; Two Year Colleges; Higher Education; Parent Child Relationship; Student Characteristics; Family Characteristics; Institutional Characteristics; Statistical Data

Abstract:
Increasing numbers of students expect to attend college after high school (U.S. Department of Education 2006). This set of Issue Tables, the second in a series examining students' preparation for college, draws on data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:02) to highlight postsecondary expectations and plans among the senior class of 2003-04. The following provides a summary of this set of Issue Tables: Tables 1 and 2 examine the highest level of education that students expected to attain and that parents expected students to attain. Tables 3 to 5 examine students' postsecondary plans. Table 6 looks at the opinions of students' parents, school staff, and friends about going to college after high school; table 7 shows how frequently students discussed going to college with their parents; and table 8 presents the number of students' friends planning to attend a 2- or 4-year college after high school. Estimates in all tables are shown for all students and by a wide range of student, family, and high school characteristics. A glossary is included. (Contains 8 tables and 2 footnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
High Schools; College Entrance Examinations; High School Seniors; College Attendance; College Preparation; Student Financial Aid; Tables (Data); College Applicants; Statistical Data; Family Income; Student Characteristics; Institutional Characteristics; Expectation

Abstract:
Preparing to attend a postsecondary institution often involves many steps. In addition to academic preparation, high school students who plan to pursue postsecondary education must apply for admission to a college. For those who want to attend a 4-year institution, most also need to take a college entrance examination and obtain financial aid information. This set of Issue Tables, one of a series examining students' preparation for college, draws on data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:02) to examine the extent to which the senior class of 2003-04 took or planned to take these steps toward postsecondary enrollment. The following provides a summary of this set of Issue Tables. Table 1 shows the percentage of seniors who took or planned to take the College Board Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test (PSAT), or college entrance examinations such as the College Board Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) and American College Test (ACT). Tables 2 and 3 explore high school seniors' preparation in more detail. Tables 4 and 5 examine high school seniors' college application activities. Table 6 restricts the sample to 2004 high school seniors who applied to college as of 2006 and examines the selectivity of the postsecondary institutions to which they applied. Estimates in all tables are shown for all specified students in the high school senior class of 2004 and by a wide range of student, family, and high school characteristics. A glossary is included. (Contains 6 tables and 2 footnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Statistical Data; Engineering; Sciences; Elementary Secondary Education; Higher Education; Mathematics Education; Science Education; Engineering Education; Labor Force; Scientists; Technical Occupations; Research and Development; Global Approach; Industry; Science and Society; Scientific Attitudes; Foreign Countries

Abstract:
"Science and Engineering Indicators" (SEI) is first and foremost a volume of record comprising the major high-quality quantitative data on the U.S. and international science and engineering enterprise. SEI is factual and policy neutral. It does not offer policy options, and it does not make policy recommendations. SEI employs a variety of presentation styles--tables, figures, narrative text, bulleted text, Web-based links, highlights, introductions, conclusions, reference lists--to make the data accessible to readers with different information needs and different information-processing preferences. The data are "indicators." Indicators are quantitative representations that might reasonably be thought to provide summary information bearing on the scope, quality, and vitality of the science and engineering enterprise. The indicators reported in SEI are intended to contribute to an understanding of the current environment and to inform the development of future policies. SEI includes seven chapters that follow a generally consistent pattern; an eighth chapter, on state indicators, presented in a unique format; and an overview that precedes these eight chapters. The chapter titles are: (1) Elementary and Secondary Education; (2) Higher Education in Science and Engineering; (3) Science and Engineering Labor Force; (4) Research and Development: National Trends and International Linkages; (5) Academic Research and Development; (6) Industry, Technology, and the Global Marketplace; (7) Science and Technology: Public Attitudes and Understanding; and (8) State Indicators. An appendix volume, available online at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/indicators/, contains detailed data tables keyed to each of the eight chapters. SEI includes a list of abbreviations/acronyms and an index. Each chapter consists of contents and lists of sidebars, text tables, and figures; highlights; introduction (chapter overview and chapter organization); a narrative synthesis of data and related contextual information; conclusion; notes; glossary; and references. [For the related reports, see "Key Science and Engineering Indicators: 2010 Digest" (ED514059) and "Globalization of Science and Engineering Research: A Companion to the Science and Engineering Indicators 2010" (ED514062).] Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Majors (Students); Foreign Students; Postsecondary Education; Low Income; Pacific Islanders; Family Characteristics; Educational Attainment; Science Interests; Global Approach; High School Graduates; Undergraduate Study; Engineering Education; Science Education; Mathematics Education; Technical Education; Parent Background; Family Income; Longitudinal Studies; Computer Science Education; Gender Differences; English (Second Language); Academic Persistence; Outcomes of Education

Abstract:
Rising concern about America's ability to maintain its competitive position in the global economy has renewed interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. To understand who enters into and completes undergraduate programs in STEM fields, this report examined data from three major national studies: the 1995-96 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:96/01); the 2003-04 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:04); and the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002/06 (ELS:02/06). STEM fields, as defined in this study, include mathematics, natural sciences (including physical sciences and biological/agricultural sciences), engineering/engineering technologies, and computer/information sciences. This study used students' reported major field of study to identify STEM entrants and considered a STEM entrant anyone who reported a major in a STEM field at any time during his or her postsecondary enrollment. Looking only at single points in time, STEM majors accounted for 14 percent of all undergraduates enrolled in U.S. postsecondary education in 2003-04 and 15 percent of 2003-04 high school graduates who were enrolled in postsecondary education in 2006. In general, the percentage of students entering STEM fields was higher among male students, younger and dependent students, Asian/Pacific Islander students, foreign students or those who spoke a language other than English as a child, and students with more advantaged family background characteristics and strong academic preparation than among their counterparts who did not have these characteristics. After 6 years of initial college enrollment, STEM entrants generally did better than non-STEM entrants in terms of bachelor's degree attainment and overall persistence. Although students in various STEM fields were generally alike in terms of their demographic, academic, and enrollment characteristics and their outcomes, those entering computer/information sciences differed in many respects. According to the BPS data, older students, students from low-income families, and those less academically prepared enrolled in computer/information sciences more often than did their peers who were younger, from high-income families, or more academically prepared. Additionally, compared to other STEM students, a larger percentage of computer/information sciences majors attended public 2-year institutions, enrolled in sub-baccalaureate programs, and attended classes exclusively part-time. A Technical Notes section describes data sources, study samples, weights, and derived variables used for this report. It also includes a crosswalk for the specific contents of the STEM categorization for various major fields of study. (Contains 2 figures and 8 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Enrollment Trends; Access to Education; Postsecondary Education; Student Financial Aid; Part Time Students; Undergraduate Students; Longitudinal Studies; Educational Research; Academic Persistence; Graduation; Outcomes of Education; Student Characteristics; Correlation; Student Attitudes; Racial Differences; Educational Attainment; Parent Influence; Gender Differences; Family Income; Remedial Instruction; Student Employment; Majors (Students)

Abstract:
After dramatic growth between 1970 and 1990, part-time students have formed a large and stable segment of the undergraduate population in U.S. postsecondary institutions (Hussar 2005). In fall 2004, approximately 5.5 million undergraduates were enrolled part time, making up 37 percent of the undergraduate enrollment in all degree-granting postsecondary institutions (U.S. Department of Education 2006). While part-time enrollment benefits postsecondary students in that it lowers their costs, increases their access, and offers them more flexibility, it provides no guarantee of academic success. In fact, part-time enrollment is often associated with certain behaviors (e.g., interrupting enrollment, working excessively) that may deter students from finishing their degree (Berkner, He, and Cataldi 2002; Carroll 1989; O'Toole, Stratton, and Wetzel 2003). Although it is difficult to determine whether the growth in part-time enrollment has brought about more benefits or limitations to individuals and institutions (Davies 1999; McCormick, Geis, and Vergun 1995), ongoing research on the associations between part-time enrollment and postsecondary outcomes helps advance our understanding of this issue. This report uses data from the 2003-04 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:2004) to provide a profile of part-time undergraduates enrolled in U.S. postsecondary institutions in 2003-04. It also uses longitudinal data from a nationally representative sample in the 1996/01 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:96/01) to examine associations between part-time enrollment and education outcomes (i.e., persistence and degree completion) 6 years after beginning postsecondary education. While providing an overall picture of part-time students, this report also takes a closer look at a subgroup of part-time students who exhibited some characteristics commonly found among full-time students. A relevant question is why these students chose to attend part time even though they may have been able to attend full time given their characteristics. Although this report cannot fully address this question, a descriptive look at this subgroup helps determine whether and how these students behaved differently from their full-time counterparts and other part-time peers in postsecondary education and what factors were related to degree completion. Appended are: (1) Glossary; and (2) Technical Notes and Methodology. (Contains 20 tables, 14 figures, and 12 footnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Graduate Study; Longitudinal Studies; Enrollment; Masters Degrees; Doctoral Degrees; Professional Education; Academic Persistence; Correlation; Full Time Students; Time to Degree; Student Characteristics

Abstract:
The report uses longitudinal data from the 1992-93 Baccalaureate and Beyond Study (B&B:93/03) to examine the characteristics related to graduate degree enrollment, persistence, and completion among 1992-93 bachelor's degree recipients. About 40 percent of 1992-93 bachelor's degree recipients had enrolled in a graduate degree program by 2003. On average, most students waited between 2 and 3 years to enroll for the first time in a graduate degree program, and among those who enrolled between 1993 and 2003, some 62 percent had earned at least one graduate degree by 2003. Master's degree students took an average of 3 years to complete their degree, first-professional students took about 4 years, and doctoral students took more than 5 years. After controlling for a wide range of relevant variables, several enrollment characteristics retained a significant relationship with graduate degree persistence and completion. Rates of persistence and completion were higher among students who entered graduate school immediately after earning a bachelor's degree, who attended full time and enrolled continuously, and who enrolled in multiple graduate degree programs. Appended are: (1) Glossary; and (2) Technical Notes and Methodology. (Contains 32 tables, 7 figures, and 12 footnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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