Happy Graduation.

High school graduation is often considered the first step into a life of new beginnings, independence, and quasi-adulthood. It is a time of celebration, a time to recognize that all of those years of hard work have paid off. Of course, there are graduation presents from family members to reward all of that work and congratulate the graduate for beginning of the rest of their lives. My graduation present, though, is something I hope I never find a use for. [excerpt

Mock Graduation Diploma

While teaching at Linfield College, Dr. Bob Jones participated in a summer research course at the Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies, studying radioisotopes. Dr. Jones was awarded a mock diploma from Old Bremsstrahlung University as a Dabbler in Radio-Isotope Procedure - the highest of three levels that could be awarded. This entitled him to use the credential DRIP after his name. Jones was a professor of physics at Linfield College from 1955-1987.https://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/lca_bobjones/1007/thumbnail.jp

Gay After Graduation

I first went public with my sexual orientation over Surge last spring–my last semester at Gettysburg before graduation. I was scared, but ultimately lucky to be met with support from my friends and family. People generally accepted my sexuality and then moved on. Actually, life went on so quickly that it took me some time to catch up. [excerpt

High Leverage Strategies to Address America's Dropout Crisis: A Guide for Funders

This guide is designed to help foundations identify investment opportunities that will have the greatest value in advancing efforts to increase graduation rates. There are many different approaches to increase the graduation rate, ranging from early learning opportunities to youth employment programs. Although members of YTFG make investments all along this continuum, our collaborative work has been to stem the tide of young people flowing out of our high schools without a diploma. The recommendations in this guide are based on our collective experiences as we work to increase the graduation rates of struggling students and those who fall off track to graduation

Getting Honest About Grad Rates: How States Play the Numbers and Students Lose

This report sharply criticizes the way states calculate and report graduation statistics. The analysis also rebukes the U.S. Department of Education for failing to exert leadership by demanding that states get honest about graduation rates. The Ed Trust analysis reveals disturbing patterns: Some states rely on ludicrous definitions of graduation rates. Others make little effort to accurately account for students who drop out of school. And others still provide no data at all. The final result: Extremely unreliable graduation-rate information that erodes public confidence in schools and their leadership and threatens to undermine the important work of high school reform

The Efficiency of Private Universities As Measured By Graduation Rates

It is well known that human capital is enhanced by graduation from a college or university. How efficient are such institutions in conveying this mark of human capital? Efficiency and productivity in private higher education is measured by using undergraduate graduation rates as the output, and demographic variables, the quality of the students, and the annual expenditures (adjusted for academic mission) as inputs. Tests of several models using OLS and stochastic frontier analysis confirm that private schools can increase their graduation rates by increasing focused expenditures and through more selective admissions. Estimated elasticities are reported and point toward increasing expenditures as the most responsive method. Estimate graduation efficiencies of 93.0, 91.5, and near 100% are also reported for four, five and six year graduation rates respectively. A rank correlation with the U S News and World Report 2008 rankings is consistent with our measure of relative efficiencies

Graduation Rates in Arkansas

In April 2014, the National Center for Education Statistics published a national report on state-level graduation rates in 2010-11 and 2011-12. The news was positive for the nation, as the national rate reached 80% for the first time, and for Arkansas, as students in the Natural State boasted higher than average rates in both years. While the statewide news was good, Arkansans may well be interested in the graduation rates of particular schools across the state

The Effects of Higher Admission Standards on NCAA Student-Athletes: An Analysis of Proposition 16

This study examines the effect of an increase in minimum admissions standards on college enrollment and graduation rates of student-athletes. In 1996, the NCAA enacted Proposition 16, which increased the admission standards for freshmen student-athletes at Division I schools in an effort to improve graduation rates. Results indicate that Proposition 16 increased graduation rates significantly for black student-athletes, and had no significant impact on graduation rates for white student-athletes. Results also indicate that graduation rates declined for black student-athletes at Division II schools, which may be driven by students transferring to Division I. As a result of the higher admission standard Division I schools changed recruiting patterns and relied less on freshmen student-athletes, particularly black student-athletes, to fill scholarships. Even though fewer black freshmen student-athletes enrolled in Division I schools, the overall number of black student-athletes did not change, suggesting that greater proportion of transfer students into Division I schools were black

Alternative Pathways to High School Graduation: An International Comparison

Evaluates alternative pathways to high school graduation -- such as school- or employment-based technical or vocational training programs -- in different countries, in terms of content, graduation requirements, inclusiveness, and outcomes