Tag Archives: Graduation Rates

Why do so many students drop out of college? And what can be done about it?

For generations, few colleges paid much attention to students who left short of a degree. That attitude started to shift in the last two decades as federal statistics revealed a little more than half of students graduated. More than 3 million students will graduate from U.S. high schools this month, and two-thirds of them will head […]
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The power of information: More data on Pell Grants could help bridge the graduation gap

Huge blind spots exist in our understanding of Pell Grant recipients’ completion trends and patterns. In September 2015, the Education Trust released The Pell Partnership, a project that collected, shared and analyzed graduation rates and gaps for Pell Grant recipients — low-income and working-class families who receive federal need-based aid — and their peers at […]
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Oregon has one of shortest school years, lowest graduation rates in U.S.

Washington students go to school the equivalent of an entire school year longer than Oregon kids, due to Oregon’s shorter school years. What does that mean for graduation rates? Source: Oregon has one of shortest school years, lowest graduation rates in U.S.

Smith’s school tour continues

HEPPNER, Oregon – Oregon Rep. Greg Smith (R-Heppner) is continuing a tour of the state’s school districts to determine what’s needed to help public school students. He’s a member of the Oregon Legislature’s Joint Interim Committee on Student Success. Source: Smith’s school tour continues

Rethinking financial aid: Small grants make a big difference in college completion

More schools are finding that even a few hundred dollars at the right time can help ensure students in need stay on track for a diploma. Students across the country are walking across the stage this month to accept college diplomas, marking one of the most consequential achievements of their lives. Yet far too many […]
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Why graduation rates lag for low-income college students

New data show that less than half of all Pell Grant recipients graduate on time – a reality that one scholar attributes to the unique barriers faced by low-income students. As college students nationwide prepare for graduation, a new analysis has shown that just under half of all those who receive Pell Grants – the federal government’s […]
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Leonhardt: The growing college graduation gap

First, some good news: In recent decades, students from modest backgrounds have flooded onto college campuses. At many high schools where going to college was once exotic, it’s now normal. When I visit these high schools, I see college pennants all over the hallways, intended to send a message: College is for you, too. Source: […]
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Oregon lawmakers shortchange schools at kids’ expense

A plan to raise our state’s high school graduation rate to an acceptable percentage does exist. It’s called the Quality Education Model. Initially written in 1999 by the Quality Education Commission, it has been modified over the years and was rewritten in 2016 under the chairmanship of Colt Gill — former Bethel School District superintendent […]
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My View: PDX Bridge helps youth cross to college

Oregon needs an education system that puts our students on equal footing with the highest-performing states, but we must make sure that our most vulnerable youth are not left behind. We are heartened by the news that Oregon’s on-time high school graduation rate increased to 77 percent in 2016-17 and, in particular, that the achievement […]
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Grad rates climb high countywide

Seven high schools part of the Malheur Education Service District have overall seen an increase in graduation rates over the past five years. Data released recently by the Oregon Department of Education on graduation rates for all school districts within the state, and later compiled and tabulated by the service district, shows the upward trend […]
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