Measuring Up 2004: The State Report Card on Higher Education. Wyoming
Author: National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education
Date: 2004-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Higher Education,Postsecondary Education,Comparative Analysis,Performance Factors,Educational Improvement,Educational Change,College Preparation,Enrollment,Access to Education,Paying for College,Student Costs,Academic Persistence,Time to Degree,Graduation Rate,Educational Attainment,Outcomes of Education,Education Work Relationship,Economic Impact,Academic Achievement,Achievement Rating,Educational Indicators,Educational Assessment

This state report card is derived from &quot;Measuring Up 2004,&quot; the national report card for higher education. Its purpose is to provide the public and policymakers with information to assess and improve postsecondary education in each state. &quot;Measuring Up 2004&quot; is the third in a series of biennial report cards. The report card grades states in six overall performance categories: (1) Preparation: How adequately are students in each state being prepared for education and training beyond high school?; (2) Participation: Do state residents have sufficient opportunities to enroll in education and training beyond high school?; (3) Affordability: How affordable is higher education for students and their families?; (4) Completion: Do students make progress toward and complete their certificates and degrees in a timely manner?; (5) Benefits: What benefits does the state receive as a result of having a highly educated population?; and (6) Learning: What is known about student learning as a result of education and training beyond high school? This state report card begins by summarizing the state's performance today compared with ten years ago, and by presenting key policy questions that these results suggest for the state. Next, the state's performance in each category is described in greater detail, followed by additional contextual information. Findings for Wyoming include: (1) Despite notable improvement over the past decade, Wyoming has struggled to prepare students to succeed in college. This year Wyoming receives a C+ in preparation because other states performed better; (2) Wyoming, over the past decade, has seen a drop-off in the number of students enrolling in higher education. Despite that decline, Wyoming earns a B in participation this year; (3) Over the past decade, Wyoming has seen a striking decline in its provision of affordable higher education opportunities. This year Wyoming is one of many states to receive an F in affordability; (4) Over the past decade, Wyoming has seen a notable improvement in the number of students who earn their certificates or degrees in a timely manner. Wyoming receives a B+ in completion this year; (5) Despite improvement over the past decade, Wyoming still does not reap many of the benefits of having a highly educated population. This year Wyoming receives a D in benefits; and (6) Like most states, Wyoming received an Incomplete in learning because there are no comparable data that would allow for meaningful state-by-state comparisons in learning. The Incomplete in this category highlights a gap in the ability to measure each state's educational capital--the reservoir of high-level knowledge and skills that benefit each state. [For &quot;Measuring Up 2004: The National Report Card on Higher Education,&quot; see ED508096.]