This paper evaluates the performance of engineering institutions in graduating minority freshmen. The four indices identified include: (1) the total number and proportion of minority graduates; (2) the proportion of full-time minority freshmen who earned a bachelor's degree in engineering; (3) the retention rate of minorities relative to the…

This document presents data collected from all American engineering colleges for the academic year 1990-91 on minority enrollment and graduation rates by gender. The objective in analyzing the data was to determine what gender-specific engineering education issues should be considered in pursuing the goal of increased minority participation. To…

Minority engineering programs (MEPs) were established in the late 1970s to recruit minority students to engineering education and reduce their dropout rate. MEPs at 20 engineering schools were examined in relation to institutional environment; pre-enrollment activities; and services that encourage community building, provide academic support, and…

This theme issue includes four articles on racism in colleges and public schools and on strategies to build ethnic and racial tolerance. "Affirmative Action: Not a Thing of the Past" (Linda Cantu) reviews the history of affirmative action and its positive effects on Hispanic and Black enrollment in higher education, discusses current efforts to…

Produced between July 1996 and June 1997, the seven research briefs collected in this document highlight findings from institutional research conducted at Florida's St. Petersburg Junior College (SPJC). The reports cover the following topics: (1) student retention between fall 1995 and spring 1996, finding that part-time students and those between…

Enrollments in city public schools over the last 20 years are reviewed and analyzed. Enrollment in the member cities of the Great City Schools (GCS) declined at twice the national rate between 1970 and 1990, at 23.1% versus 10.2%. The composition of urban school enrollment also changed dramatically. The Anglo American share of GCS enrollment…

The numbers of students receiving a high school diploma in New Jersey and differences in graduation rates for males and females and for minority and non-minority students are examined. Conclusions are based on graduation totals reported by the school districts. In the country as a whole, 71% of all students receive a high school diploma by age 18…

Fall 1990 headcount enrollment statistics were gathered for three St. Petersburg Junior College (SPJC) (Florida) campuses (i.e., Clearwater, Tarpon Springs, and St. Petersburg) and compared with data for the previous 3 years. Focusing on degree credit enrollments, the study found that: (1) the total number of students increased collegewide from…

This paper provides demographic information on California preschool-age children and their preschool attendance. Data sections, with tables, are: (1) "Number of Children Not in Pre-School or Kindergarten"; (2) "Latino, Asian, and African American Children Are Less Likely To Have Gone to Pre-School"; and (3) "Children of…

This report provides a statistical profile of today's college students disaggregated by sector, namely students at public two-year colleges, public four-year colleges, independent four-year colleges, and graduate students at public and private universities. It found that about 41 percent of community college students and 10 percent of four-year…

The Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP) provides tax support for children from low-income families to attend private schools. It is administered by the Wisconsin State Department of Public Instruction, although lack of administrative support for the program has been apparent. In addition, the Superintendent of Public Instruction has expressed…

Since 1870, the federal government has gathered data about students, teachers, schools, and education funding. The U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) annually publishes a statistical report on the status and progress of education in the United States. The "Condition of Education" includes data and…

This brief, based on a presentation by New York City Board of Education member Dr. Luis Reyes, describes the work and findings of the Latino Commission on Educational Reform, a special commission of the Board. In an effort to gather information for 1990-91 on Latino students in New York City schools, the Commission found that: Latino students…

This theme issue focuses on issues related to high Texas dropout rates among Hispanic and other minority group students and on dropout prevention strategies. "School Finance Inequities Mean Schools Are Not Ready To Teach" (Maria Robledo Montecel) deplores the recent Texas Supreme Court ruling that state educational funding is…

This document is a compilation of the first 18 issues of a newsletter on public policy and postsecondary education opportunity trends. Each monthly issue contains one or two main articles providing an analysis of research on trends in postsecondary education. The major articles in these issues are: (1) "Equity of Higher Education Opportunity:…