Aspirations

This brief challenges the need for a fourth year of high school, addressing the controversy around “senior year” and its tendency to draw out the high school experience. In proposing the topic of early graduation, the document outlines a number of policy approaches and their successful implementation in various states. Among these programs are scholarship incentives, dual enrollment, virtual classes, and proficiency-based credits.

This report presents information on demographics, course-taking, extracurricular activities, education and occupational aspirations, and life values of U.S. high school seniors studied between 1972-2004. The focus of this report is to present similarities and differences over time by observing seniors in 1972, 1980, 1992, and 2004.

This literature review explores the role of noncognitive factors in academic performance, which is measured by student GPA. The report develops an evidence-based conceptual framework from existing literature on noncognitive factors. The report also analyzes existing research to identify any gaps in knowledge in order to assist policymakers who wish to assess leverage points for improving student achievement. Additionally, it examines implications for student learning, presents case studies, and provides recommendations.

This evaluation of New Jersey GEAR UP assessed the quality of program implementation and outcomes of the program implementation in middle and high schools.

This study from the Stanford Institute for Higher Education Research found that the overwhelming majority (80%) of Hispanic and African American students surveyed planned to pursue some kind of post-secondary education, but misaligned K-16 systems are putting up barriers to college access. Furthermore, high school assessments do not measure the same skills and knowledge that colleges require for entry.

This evaluation of Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) showed statistically significant differences between AVID and comparison students on measures of enrollment in eighth grade algebra, language arts grades, school absences, and college attendance, favoring AVID students. 

This study assessed the relationship between high school students home environment and post-secondary aspirations. Data was obtained from the School Success Profile survey administered to middle and high school students. Analyses were limited to a sub-sample of more than 11,000 students from two states. All students in the sample were included based on their eligibility for free or reduced price lunch program. Parental support and parents' high behavioral and academic expectations were associated with greater aspirations.

This study evaluates the EXCEL program, a college access program, which promotes underrepresented youth attending a higher education institution by guaranteeing a scholarship to a sponsoring university and providing various enrichment activities. Eighty-three eighth grade students with a GPA of B and above and standardized test scores at grade level or above were randomly assigned to attend EXCEL or to a control group. Results revealed that students involved in the program were not significantly more likely to attend college than students in the control group.