In a global society and economy, education and training is essential to a nation's competitiveness and to the standard of living of its people. The need to open the doors of higher or further education beyond the relatively limited enrollments in elite and selective universities has spawned a movement to develop or expand institutions that are…

Building on their important findings in "The Source of the River," the authors now probe even more deeply into minority underachievement at the college level. "Taming the River" examines the academic and social dynamics of different ethnic groups during the first two years of college. Focusing on racial differences in academic performance, the…

Diversity is said to bring about a host of educational benefits, yet on campus or off, things aren't working out the way diversity experts planned. In this article, the author reviews recent research challenging the "contact hypothesis," which asserts that putting individuals of disparate cultural backgrounds in the classroom and other…

Previous reports by the Center for Evaluation & Education Policy (CEEP) on higher education have dealt with topics such as trends in college remediation courses (Plucker, Wongsarpigoon, & Houser, 2003), post-secondary credit-based transition programs (Plucker, Chieu, & Zaman, 2006), university sponsorship of charter schools (Plucker et…

College-bound students in Japan undergo a process of intense preparation known as "examination hell." An extreme manifestation of "examination hell" is the "ronin" phenomenon. Typically 30% of students choose the "ronin" option under which they spend years in addition to high school preparing for the next…

The National Commission on Asian American and Pacific Islander Research in Education (CARE), consisting of a national commission, an advisory board, and a research team at New York University, aims to engage realistic and actionable discussions about the mobility and educational opportunities for AAPIs and how distinctions of race, ethnicity,…

There are still 10 English local educational authorities (LEAs) that are wholly selective and a further 10 with some grammar and secondary modern schools. This article examines the academic performance of pupils in secondary modern schools and the funding of these schools using national data sets matching pupils' performance at Key Stage 2 and…

Many institutions of higher education increasingly are concerned with retention and graduation rates. Focusing on private Baccalaureate Liberal and General colleges and universities, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between institutional selectivity and institutional expenditures and retention and graduation rates. Framed…

Selective higher education institutions using race-sensitive criteria as a basis for admissions risk litigation by nonminority applicants with impressive test scores and class rank who find themselves denied admission. Are the benefits of a diverse student body worth the risk? In an ever increasingly diverse population, this paper concludes the…

In this essay, Rebecca Zwick confronts the controversy surrounding the use of standardized tests in college admissions. She examines the degree to which the SAT and its lesser known cousin, the ACT, limit access to college, particularly for racial and ethnic minorities, and considers two alternative admissions policies that do not involve tests:…

In British Columbia, demand from qualified students exceeds the supply of available spaces in degree programs. In this context, this review of the existing policies, practices, and trends affecting student admissions in British Columbia was undertaken with a focus on transfer students. Researchers also surveyed more than 18,000 former students. In…

A study in New York City examined the 1987 entering Educational Options high school class, the first group admitted under a revised admissions policy designed to increase access to specialized high school programs for students whose academic performance might otherwise have precluded their admission. The revised admissions policy mandated that…

College and university student populations have changed due to the increased participation of nontraditional students. Admission policies and creative academic support programs in higher education that do not have negative effects on any particular group will aid in the recruitment and retention of students from diverse cultures. (DF)

Graduates of the service academies operated by the Army, Navy, and Air Force currently make up approximately 18 percent of the officer corps for the nation's armed services. The academies represent the military's most expensive source of new officers. The Department of Defense (DOD) pays the full cost of a student's 4-year education at the…

Argues that the current re-evaluation of racial preferences is unlikely to make a complete victory for either side of the affirmative action debate. Many types of compromise are possible, six of which are described. Suggests the courts should limit themselves to principled decision making in cases involving racial preference. (SLD)