New Resource Explains Free College Terminology
Reports & Tools
New Resource Explains Free College Terminology
Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) has released a new resource on free college. Free College 101 defines the terms that are important in the debate over policies, programs, and proposals that address tuition-free and debt-free higher education. Various free-college proposals differ, but they all aim to make college more affordable for students and their families. The push for free college is a recognition that, for the vast majority of young Americans, at least some college education is necessary to have a good job and reach the middle class.
The Bermuda Triad: Where Accountability Goes to Die (Angela Henderson)
This report examines the system of shared accountability that devolves into a game of hot potato, with no one member of the program integrity triad willing to take serious action against an institution of higher education that falls short of its standards until other members of the triad have stepped up. In its examination, the report asks the question: Who is supposed to be protecting students and taxpayers?
Gaining Ground: Findings from the Dana Center Mathematics Pathways Impact Study (Angela Henderson)
This report presents the findings of a study of a popular math pathways innovation, the Dana Center Mathematics Pathways. It examines the effects of the implementation of the DCMP’s curricular models, which entail changes in both math content and instructional methods in developmental education and college-level courses while also accelerating developmental students’ progress into college-level math.
U.S. Releases Earnings Data for Thousands of College Programs (Angela Henderson)
The U.S. Department of Education released first-year earnings data for thousands of college programs. Some see a way to judge programs' value, while others question the data's value.
Can Colleges Launch Data Science Programs Fast Enough? (Angela Henderson)
Colleges are struggling to keep up with the growing demand for data scientists as increasing numbers of jobs requiring data science skills are going unfilled.
Will Online Learning Help 4-year Colleges Weather the Next Recession? (Angela Henderson)
Colleges that can scale their distance programs will be better prepared in the event of another downturn that sends more adults back to school.
New National Science Foundation Report (Eric Atchison)
The National Science Foundation has released a report using FY 2018 Higher Education Research & Development. Funding of higher education research and development increased across all funding sources in FY 2018, marking the third straight year of steady growth.
Emerging Trends
Biggest Movers Online
The proportion of all enrolled college students who took at least one online class continued to rise, edging up to 34.7 percent in fall 2018 from 33.1 percent the previous year. The rate of increase appears to be slowing ever so slightly, although online education remains the main driver of growth in postsecondary enrollments. (Source: Inside Higher Ed)
Policy Watch
Accreditation and State Authorization for Distance Education Rules (Eric Atchison)
The U.S. Department of Education on Thursday published its final rules for accreditation and state authorization for distance education, which it says will foster innovation and reduce the regulatory burden on colleges and accreditors.
NCES Updates
2012/17 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study
The National Center for Education Statistics has released the 2012/17 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:12/17) on DataLab. This study follows a nationally representative sample of first-time beginning undergraduates for six years. The codebook is available here. The First Look report was released earlier this year.
This Week in IPEDS: Winter 2018-19 and Spring 2019 Provisional Data Released
NCES has released provisional data findings from the IPEDS Winter 2018-19 and Spring 2019 collection. These collections include the following survey data: Graduation Rates for Selected Cohorts, 2010-15; Outcome Measures for cohort year 2010-11; Student Financial Aid in Postsecondary Institutions, Academic Year 2017-18; Admissions in Postsecondary Institutions, Fall 2018; Enrollment, Fall 2018; Finance, Fiscal Year 2018; Employees in Postsecondary Education, Fall 2018; and Academic Libraries, Fiscal Year 2018. Data are currently available through the IPEDS Use the Data Page.
This Week in IPEDS: Data Feedback Reports (DFRs)
The 2019 IPEDS Data Feedback Report links were e-mailed to keyholders and coordinators on Wednesday, December 11, 2019. This year, two links were sent: one for a PDF version and another for an HTML version. The PDF version was the same format as sent in previous years, and can be downloaded and printed. The HTML version is accessible on-line and is compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Emailing of DFR links to institution executives is currently scheduled for Thursday, December 19, 2019.
New Data Release on Bachelor’s Degree Recipients, 1 Year Later
The 2016/17 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B:16/17) data are now publicly available for analysis in DataLab. B&B:16/17 is the first release of data for this study of a nationally representative sample of bachelor’s degree recipients who were surveyed 2 times, their final year enrolled before bachelor’s degree attainment and 1 year after graduation. These data include information about student demographics, undergraduate enrollment experiences, and postbaccalaureate enrollment and employment outcomes for approximately 19,500 respondents. A First Look report using B&B:16/17 data was released in July 2019.