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Postsecondary Education

From community college courses to doctoral programs, postsecondary education encompasses all forms of schooling after completion of high school or its equivalent. RAND's research on postsecondary education programs and institutions throughout the world has been influential; research in Qatar, for instance, led to reform of the National University and a realignment of postsecondary education to societal needs.

Report

Effectiveness of Screened, Demand-Driven Job Training Programs for Disadvantaged Workers: An Evaluation of the New Orleans Career Pathway Training

The authors of this report examine the implementation and effectiveness of a New Orleans job training program that helped lower-skilled, unemployed, and underemployed individuals train for and find skilled jobs in particular industries.

Oct 17, 2019
Journal Article

College Attendance Type and Subsequent Alcohol and Marijuana Use in the U.S.

This study examines the associations between college attendance and subsequent alcohol and marijuana use behaviors at multiple ages during young adulthood and adulthood, while rigorously controlling for baseline differences by college type.

Sep 24, 2019
Blog

Synthetic Opioids, Mass Shootings, Prison Education: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap looks at fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, how to address mass shootings, higher education in prison, and more.

Aug 30, 2019
Report

Higher Education Programs in Prison Reduce Recidivism

Evidence shows that correctional education programs are effective—and cost-effective—at improving employment outcomes for participants and at helping to keep them from returning to prison. But given limited budgets, how can the long-term funding of these programs be sustained?

Aug 28, 2019
Periodical

RAND Review: September-October 2019

This issue spotlights a wargame designed for young women interested in national security; ethics in scientific research, particularly in areas such as artificial intelligence and machine learning; and community citizen science.

Aug 26, 2019
Report

Supporting College Enrollees Who Test at the Lowest Levels of Readiness: Lessons from Texas Community Colleges

Beginning in fall 2015, Texas policymakers recommended that colleges offer targeted supports to students who tested at the lowest levels on the state's placement exam. This report describes the reforms and their implementation by community colleges.

Aug 26, 2019
Blog

RAND's Summer Reading List for Congress

For busy staff, August's respite from back-to-back meetings, hearing preparation, and late votes is hard-earned. The summer recess also provides an opportunity to get ahead of issues that will resurface in the fall. To that end, we have compiled recent RAND research on topics likely to top the congressional agenda come September.

Aug 5, 2019
Commentary

How Work-Based Learning Can Bring Employers and Students Together

Work-based learning experiences help college grads better prepare for work. WBL programs often serve as a workforce pipeline for companies. WBL is also successful at the K-12 level and at "upskilling" adult workers. There are several ways Congress could foster and strengthen WBL.

Jul 24, 2019
Commentary

North Carolina Program Helps Former Prisoners Make It on the Outside

To avoid the all-too-common fate of ending up back in prison, incarcerated adults need skills and credentials they typically don't have. Helping them overcome the challenges of reentry is a net gain for them and for the communities to which they return.

Jul 11, 2019
Commentary

How Community Colleges Can Establish Better Partnerships with Employers

Career and technical education programs give students a chance to engage in learning relevant to their chosen fields and apply immediately for jobs. A strategic vision of collaboration between industry and community colleges can benefit all parties.

Jun 6, 2019
Commentary

Dual Enrollment for High Schoolers Can Expand Access to College—with Some Caveats

Targeted federal investments in high school and college dual enrollment programs can boost postsecondary access for students currently underrepresented in postsecondary education. But thoughtful implementation could be key to ensuring those students are successful in college.

Jun 6, 2019
Commentary

Federal Policy Might Encourage Innovation to Cut the Cost of College

A big factor in the rise of college costs is the traditional seat-time model requiring undergraduate students to spend a specified amount of time in classrooms, frequently with doctorally qualified faculty. But there are alternative models that could enable colleges and universities to offer degrees more efficiently and affordably.

Jun 5, 2019
Commentary

Income Share Agreements: What's Risky, What's Promising, and What We Still Need to Know

While policymakers debate options to address college affordability and the nation's mounting student loan debt, an alternative education financing model has been gaining ground in a handful of schools and state legislatures: the income share agreement. While terms vary from institution to institution, they are all based on the same premise: The more income a graduate makes, the more they will pay back.

Jun 5, 2019
Tool

Tools for Improving Corequisite Models: A Guide for College Practitioners

This toolkit acts as a guide to improvement strategies for teams of practitioners at colleges, providing them with the knowledge and tools they need to carry out rapid cycles of data-driven improvement to address issues they face on the ground.

May 28, 2019
Blog

Iran, Prison College Programs, Fentanyl: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on Iran's nonstate partners, lessons from a prison college program, what a fentanyl ban in China means for the U.S. opioid crisis, and more.

May 24, 2019
News Release

Creating Prison-Based College Program That Continues After Release Presents Challenges, but Can Have Success

Creating a prison-based program where incarcerated individuals can take college classes and then work toward a degree upon release can be successful, but many obstacles challenge the success of such efforts.

May 22, 2019
Report

Lessons from a Prison-Based College Program That Continues After Release

A prison-based program offered individuals college classes during the final two years of their incarceration and support for another two years after release to help them achieve their degree or certificate goal. How well did the program work?

May 22, 2019
Commentary

Addressing the College Completion Problem

More than half of students who enter college end up dropping out without ever completing a degree or certificate. Time and money are wasted without the benefits of a degree. While colleges are experimenting with novel techniques to boost completion rates, strategic support from the federal government could further these efforts.

May 9, 2019
Journal Article

Market Power and Price Discrimination in the US Market for Higher Education

We estimate an equilibrium model of private and public college competition and pricing using the NPSAS. We find substantial exercise of inefficient market power and, importantly, sizable variation by both college quality and student characteristics.

Feb 15, 2019
Research Brief

Educators and Employers Could Align Efforts to Fill STEM Jobs

Middle-skills STEM workers are in high demand in the oil and natural gas industry, but they need the proper training and credentials. Better collaboration between employers and colleges could bridge the gap between the skills and knowledge employers seek and what instructors emphasize.

Feb 7, 2019

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RAND Topic:
Postsecondary Education

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