ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Integrating the Functions of Institutional Research, Institutional Effectiveness, and Information Management. Professional File. Number 126, Summer 2012
Author: Posey, James T.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Institutional Research,Organizational Effectiveness,Information Management,Accreditation (Institutions),Models,Strategic Planning,Evaluation,Colleges,Universities

The objective of this paper is to identify common essential information and data needs of colleges and universities and to suggest a model to integrate these data needs into one office or department. The paper suggests there are five major data and information foundations that are essential to the effective functioning of an institution: (a) accreditation support; (b) analytical reporting; (c) assessment; (d) data management and reporting; and (e) planning and scanning. Additionally, this paper presents the top five tasks within each of the five major foundations and offers insight on methods and best practices to organize and accomplish these tasks. The paper is not designed to provide an in-depth coverage of each data foundation. The following are appended: (1) Committee Report--Gap Analysis/Audit of Standards for Regional Accreditation; and (2) Accreditation Status Update. [For &quot;Conducting Focus Groups with College Students: Strategies to Ensure Success. Professional File. Number 127, Fall 2012,&quot; see ED573089.]
Conducting Focus Groups with College Students: Strategies to Ensure Success. Professional File. Number 127, Fall 2012
Author: Billups, Felice D.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Focus Groups,College Students,Student Characteristics,Institutional Research,Interviews,Interaction,Research Design

Institutional researchers (IRs) are often asked to conduct focus groups as an efficient way to address an institutional concern or problem. Typically, IR professionals depend on external consultants and specialists to conduct these group interviews for them; however, due to recent resource constraints (staffing, budgets), they are increasingly assuming responsibility for conducting the focus group sessions themselves. Institutional researchers require specialized skills in order to engage college students in this type of group interviewing; college students present specific characteristics and preferences that require careful consideration. As student research programs continue to expand and support campus decision-making, it is important that practitioners develop the necessary skills to effectively plan and conduct focus groups with college students. While some researchers have discussed the challenges of conducting focus groups with children and teens, few studies highlight the methods required to work effectively with college students. This paper is intended to assist practitioners by recommending practical interviewing strategies, with particular emphasis on the opportunities and challenges encountered when working with this unique population. [For &quot;Integrating the Functions of Institutional Research, Institutional Effectiveness, and Information Management. Professional File. Number 126, Summer 2012,&quot; see ED573088.]
Unrealized Educational Expectations a Growing or Diminishing Gender Gap? It Depends on Your Definition. Professional File. Article 134, Fall 2013
Author: Seifert, Tricia A.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Collected Works - Serial
Subjects: Gender Differences,Expectation,Enrollment Trends,College Attendance,College Bound Students,Intention,High School Graduates,Racial Differences,Socioeconomic Status,Longitudinal Studies,National Surveys,Statistical Analysis,Grade 12,Postsecondary Education

Past research has examined the widening gender gaps in college expectations and enrollment in the United States in which more women than men expect to continue their education and enroll in postsecondary institutions. A discrepancy exists between students' expectations and their enrollment behavior: more students expect to attend college than actually enroll. This discrepancy--effectively students' unrealized expectations and the commensurate gender gap--has recently gained the attention of the educational research community, but with inconsistent results. This inconclusiveness may be due in part to different operational definitions, assumptions, and/ or methods researchers have used in analyzing this phenomenon. Using 35 years of nationally representative data from American high school graduates and two operational definitions for unrealized expectations, we explore how the gender gap has changed over time by race and socioeconomic status. We find the two operational definitions of unrealized expectations yield results that differ in direction and magnitude. These findings demonstrate that operational definitions of fundamental constructs can change the results and conclusions and recommendations made, particularly as these relate to educational expectation formation and realization. The paper concludes by asserting the value of using multiple operational definitions to best represent the complexity of educational phenomena. [For &quot;A Case Study to Examine Peer Grouping and Aspirant Selection. Professional File. Article 132, Fall 2013,&quot; see ED573093. For &quot;Tracking the Discount: Tuition Discount Rates, Net Tuition Revenue, and Efforts to Inform Institutional Practices. Professional File. Article 133, Fall 2013,&quot; see ED573092.]
Disaggregating the Truth: A Re-Analysis of the Costs and Benefits of Michigan's Public Universities. Professional File. Number 125, Summer 2012
Author: Daun-Barnett, Nathan J.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Public Colleges,Cost Effectiveness,State Aid,Educational Finance,Economic Development,Income,Expenditure per Student,Tuition,Student Costs,Student Personnel Services,College Instruction,Research,Human Capital,Brain Drain

For more than 50 years, human capital theory has been the cornerstone for understanding the value of investing in individuals' productive capacities in terms of both personal social and economic gain and the collective benefits that accrue to society. Vedder and Denhart (2007) challenge the hypothesis that public investment in higher education fuels economic growth. In their analysis focusing specifically on the state of Michigan, they ask two separate questions: (1) Have Michigan's public universities suffered from four years of declining state appropriations?; and (2) Does investment in higher education influence state economic growth? The report concludes that public university revenues increased during that period and that, overall, state appropriations for higher education are negatively related to economic growth. A re-analysis suggests the opposite: Michigan's public universities have suffered from declining state support, which has resulted in higher tuition to students and declining spending on instruction and support services. Higher education stimulates economic growth in ways different than those discussed by Vedder and Denhart. The findings relative to economic growth are misleading, but they point to an important reality facing higher education that should not be ignored--expenditures per FTE (full-time equivalent) are rising faster than inflation, and this may need to be addressed. [For &quot;Michigan Higher Education: Facts and Fiction. Policy Brief. No. S2007-08&quot; (Vedder and Denhart 2007), see ED502197.]
Tracking the Discount: Tuition Discount Rates, Net Tuition Revenue, and Efforts to Inform Institutional Practices. Professional File. Article 133, Fall 2013
Author: Davis, Natalie Pullaro
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Collected Works - Serial
Subjects: Tuition,Merit Scholarships,Grants,Undergraduate Students,Student Financial Aid,Student Costs,Private Colleges,Income,Enrollment Influences,Institutional Characteristics,School Surveys,College Freshmen,Institutional Research

This article uses findings from the 2012 Tuition Discounting Study (TDS) conducted by the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) to provide a framework for institutional researchers to develop and adapt their own custom tuition discounting definitions and formulas. Under tuition discounting, colleges and universities use a portion of their gross tuition and fee revenue dollars to provide academic merit scholarships and other grants to reduce undergraduate students' tuition and fee charges. Higher education institutions typically use discounting to attract undergraduates who would otherwise be unable or unwilling to pay to enroll. Although discounting practices are often used successfully, they have the potential to erode net tuition revenue (gross tuition and fees--grant aid) in some circumstances. Institutional researchers and others on campus should continually monitor their enrollment and tuition and fee prices to gauge their institutions' competitiveness in the market. The article begins with a detailed description of tuition discounting and then uses data from the TDS to answer five research questions: (1) What is the annual tuition discount rate at 4-year private colleges and universities?; (2) What revenue sources are used to fund institutional grants?; (3) Has the rising discount rate led to increasing net tuition and fee revenue at private colleges and universities?; (4) What effect has discounting had on overall enrollments of undergraduate students and on enrollments at different types of institutions (small, comprehensive/doctoral, and research institutions)?; and (5) What share of institutional grant dollars is used to meet students' demonstrated financial need? The article concludes with advice for institutional research offices that want to use the data and trends presented as a basis for analyzing trends in institutional grant aid and net tuition revenue at their own campuses. [For &quot;A Case Study to Examine Peer Grouping and Aspirant Selection. Professional File. Article 132, Fall 2013,&quot; see ED573093. For &quot;Unrealized Educational Expectations a Growing or Diminishing Gender Gap? It Depends on Your Definition. Professional File. Article 134, Fall 2013,&quot; see ED573090.]
A Case Study to Examine Peer Grouping and Aspirant Selection. Professional File. Article 132, Fall 2013
Author: D'Allegro, Mary Lou
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Collected Works - Serial
Subjects: Private Colleges,Case Studies,Mixed Methods Research,Institutional Characteristics,Institutions,Selection,Multivariate Analysis,Data Collection,Selection Tools

Peer selection based on the similarity of a couple of institutional parameters, by itself, is insufficient. Several other considerations, including clarity of purpose, alignment of institutional information to that purpose, identification of appropriate statistical procedures, review of preliminary peer sets, and the application of additional metrics need to be part of the process. At the heart of the paper is a detailed description of a mixed-methods approach deployed to identify institutional peer and aspirant groups for a private nonprofit 4-year liberal arts college. As part of the methodology, an aspirant index is proposed and explained by the authors. This coefficient is applied to a preliminary set of institutions to further refine the aspirant list. This paper inventories the methods documented in other research and resources that can be used to select peers. This compendium is intended to inform customized amalgamation of methods that could potentially augment future peer selection endeavors and benchmarking studies. The following are appended: (1) Data Elements Used for Peer and Aspirant Selection: Time Frame, Indicator Type, and Source; (2) Data Element Used for Peer and Aspirant Selection: Descriptions; (3) Siena College Peers and Aspirant Lists; and (4) Peer Selection Websites. [For &quot;Tracking the Discount: Tuition Discount Rates, Net Tuition Revenue, and Efforts to Inform Institutional Practices. Professional File. Article 133, Fall 2013,&quot; see ED573092. For &quot;Unrealized Educational Expectations a Growing or Diminishing Gender Gap? It Depends on Your Definition. Professional File. Article 134, Fall 2013,&quot; see ED573090.]
A Tale of Two Economies: 2016 Higher Education Legislative Activity in the West. Policy Insights
Author: Sedney, Christina
Date: 2016-11-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Higher Education,Educational Legislation,Economic Impact,Economic Factors,Trend Analysis,Cost Effectiveness,Paying for College,Teacher Shortage,Evidence,Investment,State Legislation,State Aid,Finance Reform

In 2016, there was an increasingly dramatic divergence between state economies in the West. Most states in the region benefited from an ongoing economic recovery, but states reliant on the energy sector for tax revenues were hit hard by the global decline in oil prices. This resulted in varying budget situations in legislatures across the West--outlined in this &quot;Policy Insights&quot;--with certain states dealing with significant cuts to higher education while others were in a position to make a wealth of new investments. Despite the region's varied economic outlook, common themes did emerge. These included a focus on affordability and accelerated learning options, continued support of military-connected students, investing in evidence-based student success initiatives, and proposed solutions for addressing teacher shortages. The brief concludes with a section on issues to watch in the region, ranging from data privacy to guns on campus.
Wyoming Community College Commission Agency 5 Year Strategic Plan, 2014-2018
Author: Wyoming Community College Commission
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Community Colleges,Strategic Planning,Educational Administration,Budgets,Budgeting,Reports,Data Collection,Access to Information,College Readiness,Career Readiness,Adult Education,Family Literacy,High School Equivalency Programs,State Aid,Tuition,Student Financial Aid

In 2009, the Wyoming Community College Commission was tasked to create a blue-ribbon panel that would forge a Strategic Plan for the Community College System as a whole. This 5 year strategic plan will serve as a road map moving forward, barring any new legislative, commission or federal requirements that may require a change in the agency's internal priorities and focus. This strategic plan focuses on the five sections that have been established to better serve those entities which rely on the commission for funding, management, reports and direction as well as meet the 34 objectives and goals specified in Wyoming Statutes 21-18-202. These sections are: Administration and Budget, Business Analytics and Support, College &amp; Career Readiness, State Tuition Assistance Program Management and a new section to the commission, Research and Policy. This strategic plan is broken into a review of each section's mission statement, responsibilities, recent achievements, short term goals and long term plans.
Wyoming Community College Commission Agency 5 Year Strategic Plan, 2015-2019
Author: Wyoming Community College Commission
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Community Colleges,Strategic Planning,Educational Administration,Budgets,Budgeting,Reports,Data Collection,Access to Information,College Readiness,Career Readiness,Adult Education,Family Literacy,High School Equivalency Programs,State Aid,Tuition,Student Financial Aid

In 2009, the Wyoming Community College Commission was tasked to create a blue-ribbon panel that would forge a Strategic Plan for the Community College System as a whole. This 5 year strategic plan will serve as a road map moving forward, barring any new legislative, commission or federal requirements that may require a change in the agency's internal priorities and focus. This strategic plan focuses on the four sections that have been established to better serve those entities which rely on the Commission for funding, management, reports and direction, as well as meet the 34 objectives and goals specified in Wyoming Statutes 21-18-202. These sections are: Administration and Budget; Business Analytics and Support; College &amp; Career Readiness; and State Tuition Assistance Program Management. This strategic plan is broken into a review of each section's mission statement, responsibilities, recent achievements, short-term goals and long-term plans. [For the 2014-2018 plan, see ED573095.]
Academic Credit for Prior Learning: 2016 Progress Report
Author: Washington Student Achievement Council
Date: 2017-01-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: College Credits,Prior Learning,College Students,Knowledge Level,Career Development,Educational Attainment,State Legislation,Educational Policy,Experience,Military Service,Veterans,Committees,School Community Relationship,School Business Relationship,Alignment (Education),Data Collection,Data Analysis

Students come to college with skills and knowledge acquired through work, military, and other experiences. Academic credit for prior learning is awarded when a student's prior learning is assessed and found to be the equivalent of specific college course outcomes, and when the award of credit is consistent with the policies of the institution. Awarding academic credit for prior learning: (1) Honors students' knowledge and skills; (2) Strengthens connections between work and college; (3) Accelerates students' progress toward career pathways; and (4) Helps Washington meet statewide educational attainment goals. For the 2015-16 academic year, Washington public and independent colleges and universities awarded 224,998 academic quarter credits based on prior learning, which applied toward certificates or degrees. This represents 5,000 annual full-time equivalent students. This report presents: (1) What is Academic Credit for Prior Learning?; (2) Foundational Legislation; (3) Workgroup; (4) Progress on Legislative Goals.; and (5) Recommended Actions. The following are appended: (1) RCW 28B.77.230; and (2) List of institutions.
2017-19 Strategic Action Plan
Author: Washington Student Achievement Council
Date: 2016-12-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Educational Objectives,Labor Force Development,Economic Factors,Educational Attainment,High School Graduates,High School Equivalency Programs,Adults,Postsecondary Education,College Graduates,Strategic Planning,Barriers,Disproportionate Representation,Educational Finance,Access to Education,College Readiness,Career Readiness,Paying for College,Educational Quality,Educational Innovation,Student Needs,Supply and Demand,Labor Market,Grants,State Aid,Work Study Programs

Education is the catalyst for families, communities, and businesses to thrive. While Washington's employers report a growing need for a more educated workforce in order to stay competitive, many individuals need higher levels of education to obtain work that can support themselves and their families. Washington's Roadmap goals identify the long-term education needs of our individuals and our economy. The 2014 Legislature approved the following ten-year goals for educational attainment: (1) By 2023, all adults in Washington, ages 25-44, will have a high school diploma or equivalent; and (2) By 2023, at least 70 percent of Washington adults, ages 25-44, will have a postsecondary credential. This report presents the following in relation to the 2017-19 Strategic Action Plan: (1) Key Challenges; (2) Strategies to Increase Attainment; (3) Outcomes; and (4) WSAC 2017-19 Strategic Action Plan Priorities.
Translating Research into Policy to Increase Equity in Higher Education: Lessons Learned from the ASHE-WICHE Collaborative. Policy Insights
Author: Flores, Stella M.
Date: 2016-10-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Higher Education,Equal Education,Research and Development,Theory Practice Relationship,Educational Policy,State Policy,Financial Support,Educational Finance,Dual Enrollment,Student Financial Aid,Remedial Instruction,College Readiness

Challenges to closing the gap between findings from academic research and effective policymaking are not new, and they will not be solved overnight. However, as the entire education sector faces mounting pressure to provide high-quality education under tightening fiscal constraints, all while demonstrating improving student outcomes, the time may finally be right for a renewed spirit of collaboration between higher education researchers and policymakers. This &quot;Policy Insights&quot; is just one component of a partnership between the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) and the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) focused on how to better connect rigorous higher education research and appropriate state-level policy. This brief examines why research is not currently more influential in policymaking; how those in the academy can develop a cross-sector, state-level research agenda that is more likely to affect policy change; what policy areas are well-suited for collaboration between policymakers and researchers to increase equity and inclusion within postsecondary education; and what action steps can be taken by those in academe and the policy arena to improve the links between educational research and policy.
Coordinating Postsecondary Education and the Public Workforce System in Workforce Planning. Policy Insights
Author: Bransberger, Peace
Date: 2015-10-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Postsecondary Education,Labor Force Development,Federal Legislation,Federal Programs,Federal Aid,Adult Programs,Dislocated Workers,Partnerships in Education,Youth Programs,Adult Education,Governing Boards,Low Income Students,Statewide Planning,Alignment (Education),Career Development,Community Colleges,Educational Attainment,School Business Relationship,Outcome Measures,Employment

In July 2014, President Obama signed into law the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), a major restructuring and modernization of U.S. workforce development programs originally created through the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), which had been awaiting reauthorization for more than a decade. This brief provides an overview of key components of WIOA that are most relevant for state postsecondary education planners and leaders as they address issues of educational attainment and workforce skill needs, particularly among lower-income or less-skilled segments of their state. Among the legislation's most notable features are the facets that pave the way for states to make greater use of cross-system partnerships, career pathway models, performance measurement and data-driven improvement, and other mechanisms for bringing their workforce training and higher education agendas into better alignment. Much of this activity will play out at the local level, but state higher education leaders can be instrumental in facilitating the engagement of their institutions with these partnerships at both the state and local levels. Additionally, community colleges in particular will want to pursue a broader dialogue with public workforce agencies because changes in WIOA make postsecondary training a more immediate possibility for workforce customers than was previously the case. This brief presents specific opportunities for forging stronger links between the public workforce and postsecondary education systems and examples of states that are making progress on that front.