|
What is the problem?
Achievement gaps in elementary and secondary schools
receive much attention. However, stubbornly large and growing gaps
also exist at the other end of the educational pipeline: college.
Demographic trends suggest that the nation’s college-age
population and workforce will include more and more students who
currently are the least prepared to enroll in college, and who face
a higher dropout risk.
Trends: College access & completion
Over the last 30 years, college enrollment has more
than doubled. More than 14 million students now participate in some
form of postsecondary education. Despite these dramatic enrollment
increases, there are wide disparities in college access and
completion according to:
- Socio-economic status
- Race
- Ethnicity
Today, white adults in their late 20s are twice as
likely to have earned at least a bachelor’s degree as
African-American and Latino students of the same age. Students from
high-income families who complete high school are considerably more
likely to go to college immediately after high school (77%) than
their peers from low-income families (46%).
These differences in college enrollment mirror
differences in courses taken and student academic preparation.
According to a recent U.S. Department of Education study, in 1992
only 47% of African-American and 53% of Latino high school graduates
were academically qualified for college – compared to 68% of white
students.
Helping more students into (and through) college
Fortunately, we know quite a bit about why some
students enroll and succeed in college, while others do not.
Research has shown that strong, positive parent
and peer influences greatly increase the chance of college
enrollment for low-income and minority youth.
Also, research by Clifford Adelman (U.S. Department
of Education) shows that the quality and intensity of the secondary
school curriculum is the strongest predictor of college degree
completion for low-income and minority youth.
In sum, existing research suggests three critical
factors to address in order to improve gaps in college enrollment
rates:
- High educational aspirations: In order to close the
achievement gap, more students must desire to attend college.
Intervention on this front must start earlier than high school.
High school graduates whose parents did not attend college tend
to report lower educational aspirations than their peers as
early as eighth grade. Low educational aspirations affect
students’ curricular choices, as well as their selection of
peer groups.
- Strong academic preparation: A clear policy lever is to
make universally required high-school courses more rigorous.
Low-income and ethnic minority students are least likely to
enroll in a college-preparatory curriculum, so this effort
should address the courses that all student must take.
- Financial support. Many low-income students simply
cannot afford to go to college without scholarship support and
reduced tuition options. However, despite the significant
financial aid available, college "sticker prices"
remain a barrier to first-generation students. Rising college
costs coupled with flat or declining family incomes have created
unmet financial needs – ranging from $3200 (for students
attending public two-year colleges) to $6200 (for students
attending private four-year colleges).
(Top of this page)
Closing the Achievement Gap
NGA Center for Best Practices
Hall of States, 444 N. Capitol St., Washington, D.C. 20001-1512
Telephone: (202) 624-5300 | webmaster: webmaster@nga.org
|
