Research shows that students who participate in dual enrollment are more likely than their peers to finish high school, enter college and complete a degree. This means dual enrollment can greatly benefit students in rural areas, which report lower college-going and postsecondary attainment rates than other locales. However, rural areas face unique…

One of the major developments in financing undergraduate education in the United States in the past 20 years has been the introduction of broad-based merit-aid programs by state governments. The typical program waives tuition and fees at public colleges and universities for state residents who have attained a respectable grade-point average…

This study explored the relationship between Hispanic students' enrollment in community colleges and their geographic location. As the majority of Hispanics in the United States is concentrated in four states (New York, Texas, Florida, and California), this study looked into the effect of residence in one of these four states on community college…

The Hispanic population in the United States is the fastest growing ethnic group. It is also one of the least-educated and poorest groups and one of the least researched nationally. The purpose of the study was to identify the variables that affect the persistence of Hispanic college students who begin their postsecondary educations at community…

Decreasing the high school dropout rate in the United States is gaining a great deal of national attention. One of the key strategies that has been identified to decrease dropout rate is to offer at-risk students alternatives to traditional school. This study contributed to our knowledge about alternative high schools for at-risk students by using…

The Breaking Through (BT) initiative promotes an expanded and enhanced role for community colleges in providing access to college for low-skilled adults. BT is uniquely important in its systematic integration of adult education, developmental/remedial education, professional-technical education (PTE), and career planning and preparation in…

Latinos/as in the United States are the fastest growing segment of the population. In light of this fact, many education researchers and practitioners have turned their attention towards efforts designed to develop an understanding of the Latino/a educational experience. Unfortunately, the research reveals that Latino youth have excessively low…

Increasing numbers of high school students across the United States are enrolled in college courses while still attending high school, partly attributed to the explosion of dual credit or dual enrollment programs. It is the difference in location for the delivery of the course and the status of the faculty member that often elicits the question,…

The purpose of "Focus" is to provide coverage of poverty-related research, events, and issues, and to acquaint a large audience with the work of the Institute for Research on Poverty by means of short essays on selected pieces of research. This issue contains the following articles: (1) The new global labor market (Richard B. Freeman);…