Virtual universities have developed considerably over the past decade, particularly on the African continent. They provide a way to deal with the considerable need to educate a large young population, but the lack of physical space can be a drawback that prevents students from succeeding and increasing dropout compared to a more traditional…

This paper evaluates whether student loans given to poor students at a large university in Peru are effective in reducing the time-to-degree. It uses a methodology that avoids the "selection problem" because the students voluntarily request a loan depending on their economic situation. The econometric results confirm the negative effect…

First-generation female students in community colleges are dropping out and withdrawing from college at an alarming rate. There are women who are administrators and leaders in these institutions who were once first-generation college students. The research gleaned first-hand experiences from participants who were first-generation females. These…

This analysis presents the public costs of high school dropouts in Oregon. It examines how dropouts in the state dramatically impact state finances through reduced tax revenues, increased Medicaid costs, and high incarceration rates. This study describes how much high school dropouts cost Oregon's tax-payers each year, and how much could be saved…

High school dropouts fare substantially worse than their peers on a wide variety of long-term economic outcomes. On average, a dropout earns less money, is more likely to be in jail, is less healthy, is less likely to be married, and is unhappier than a high school graduate. But despite this growing education gap, dropout rates have remained…

Purpose: The purpose of this research brief was to examine the economic costs of incarceration versus education in the juvenile population in Tennessee. Methodology: State and national level data was reviewed in terms of the economic and social costs associated with incarcerating versus educating juveniles. Disparity rates between…

This study compared differences in diploma and graduation dropout rates among students with and without disabilities, analyzed differences in various graduation-types by disabilities, and offered recommendations to improve graduation rates through evidence-based practices. The geographic catchment area of this study was limited to twelve Southern…

The United States has long been a model for accessible, affordable education, as exemplified by the country's public universities. And yet less than 60 percent of the students entering American universities today are graduating. Why is this happening, and what can be done? "Crossing the Finish Line" provides the most detailed exploration…

This report builds upon a series of National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reports on high school dropout and completion rates that began in 1988. It presents estimates of rates in 2007, provides data about trends in dropout and completion rates over the last 3 decades (1972-2007), and examines the characteristics of high school dropouts…

Used longitudinal data from the National Survey of Children to examine factors explaining the higher school dropout and lower high school graduation rates in socioeconomically distressed communities. Results suggest that educational performance of peers is a key mechanism linking neighborhood disadvantage to youth educational attainment. Some of…

In this paper, the author discusses the recent National Center for Education Statistics study of students from the 1998 eighth-grade who had dropped out. The study found a surprisingly high percentage of these students had managed to obtain further education. The study defined a dropout as a student absent from school for four consecutive weeks or…

This report focuses on the education of Latinos in Arizona, offering a global overview of the complex, multifaceted problems that contribute to the generalized disenfranchisement of this group. Data portray the current status of the education of Arizona's preK-16 Hispanics. The report is based on longitudinal and comparative and disaggregated…

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) prepares an annual report on dropouts in Texas public schools. This report includes state summaries of the annual dropout rate, longitudinal secondary school completion/student status rates, and state attrition rates. Out of 1,849,690 students attending grades 7-12 in Texas public schools during 2001-2002, 16,622…

There is a divide in Maryland's schools. Although the state's high school graduation rate is above the national average, its urban school districts have suffered from years of decline. In 2007, the Baltimore city school district's graduation rate was only 35 percent, compared to 81.5 percent in Baltimore's suburbs and 76 percent statewide. The…

The data tables and listings in this report provide secondary school dropout data at the state and district levels as a supplement to Secondary School Completion and Dropouts in Texas Public Schools, 1999-00. This supplement includes annual dropout rates calculated under the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) definition and rates…