We explore the effects of a statewide policy change that increased the number of high school math courses required for admission to four-year public universities in North Carolina. Using data on cohorts of eighth-grade students from 1999 to 2006, we exploit variation by district over time in the math course-taking environment encountered by…

When California adopted its new mathematics standards at the turn of this century, state leaders raised the expectations for its K-12 students, including encouraging them to take Algebra I in 8th grade. This brief looks at how California's high school students are meeting the state's high academic standards in math. It focuses on access to and…

Parents of Illinois eighth graders were surveyed to determine their knowledge about college admission requirements, costs, their plans to meet those costs, and their knowledge of financial aid in planning for their child's education beyond high school. Parents surveyed were from 30 schools that represented the following settings: Chicago suburban,…