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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

Learning gain in higher education

This research explores the concept of learning gain, as well as current national and international practice, to investigate whether a measure of learning gain could be used in England.

Mar 24, 2015
Testimony

Higher-Education Benefits for Post-9/11 Military Service Members and Veterans

Many types of federal educational benefits are available to U.S. veterans. However, there are many ways Congress can ensure long-term viability of assistance, thus improving access to affordable higher education for the post-9/11 generation and their families.

Mar 17, 2015
Report

Admissions Process at West Point Proves Effective at Predicting Student Outcomes

Given the limited information that is known about high school graduates, the application scores used by the U.S. Military Academy at West Point do a good job of predicting graduation outcomes. Some scores are also significantly associated with higher probability of officer promotion.

Mar 12, 2015
News Release

California Mental Health Prevention Effort Is Showing Positive Early Results

An effort to improve mental health prevention and early intervention in California is showing positive early results for programs targeted at reducing stigma and discrimination, educating the public about suicide prevention, and improving the mental health of students.

Feb 24, 2015
Report

Improving Federal Educational Assistance Programs for U.S. Service Members

Federal educational assistance programs offer U.S. military personnel many pathways to obtaining college degrees. But service members may require assistance navigating the disparate programs and sources of information available to them.

Feb 23, 2015
Journal Article

Early Life Adversity and Adult Biological Risk Profiles

Authors determine whether there is a relationship between early life adversity (ELA) and biological parameters known to predict health risks and to examine the extent to which circumstances in midlife mediate this relationship.

Feb 19, 2015
Journal Article

Governing Education and Training Systems in England: Some Lessons from the United States

Recent changes in education and training policy in England continue to focus on creating a 'demand-led' system in an environment where public funds are dwindling and where more responsibility is being devolved away from central government.

Feb 16, 2015
Report

Using Workforce Information for Degree Program Planning in Texas

This report describes current practices in using workforce information for degree program planning, analyzes options for using workforce information, recommends promising practices, describes new data tools, and applies these tools.

Feb 11, 2015
Report

California Mental Health Prevention Effort Is Showing Positive Early Results

An effort to improve mental health prevention and early intervention in California is showing positive early results for programs targeted at reducing stigma and discrimination, educating the public about suicide prevention, and improving the mental health of students.

Feb 3, 2015
Report

Mental Health Trainings in California's Higher Education System Are Associated with Increased Confidence and Likelihood to Intervene with and Refer Students

Reports on an evaluation of California mental health trainings offered to staff and students in California's higher education system.

Feb 2, 2015
Blog

State of the Union 2015: Clarion Calls on Terrorism, Cyber, Education, and More

The agenda President Barack Obama outlined in his State of the Union address can perhaps best be characterized as broad, mirroring the range of diverse and emerging issues facing the U.S. in 2015.

Jan 21, 2015
Report

Advancing the Careers of Military Spouses

Military spouses face challenges related to military life that can make it difficult for them to maintain and develop careers. The My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) scholarship is one program designed to help them, but only one in five eligible spouses reported using it.

Jan 21, 2015
Commentary

America's College Promise: Meeting the Higher Education Challenge

President Obama's proposal to cover the costs of two years of community college offers hope to many American students, but two key challenges should be addressed: meeting the needs of underprepared students and devising a system to smooth the transfer of credits from one institution to another.

Jan 19, 2015
Report

California College and University Collaborations: Facilitators, Challenges, and Impact on Student Mental Health

Reports on an evaluation of student mental health collaboration activities among California higher education systems, community agencies, and county mental health.

Jan 19, 2015
Commentary

Cost of College in the United States

For middle- to lower-income families in the U.S., in particular, the costs associated with attending a four-year university are becoming nearly impossible to bear. More and more students are ending up with significant debt after graduating from college, putting financial pressure on them at the outset of their professional careers.

Jan 16, 2015
Commentary

College Ratings and Affordable Education

There are reasons to believe American students from the middle- and lower-income tiers aren't making affordable college choices. Can a new ratings system help them make better, more affordable decisions?

Dec 24, 2014
Commentary

Measuring Impact: How Australia and the UK Are Tackling Research Assessment

The UK is the first country to attempt to allocate funding based on the wider societal impact of research, and in 2012, a subset of higher education institutions in Australia ran a small-scale pilot exercise to assess impact and understand the potential challenges of the process. What can be learned by comparing the UK and Australian approaches?

Dec 8, 2014
Journal Article

What to Make of Percent Plans, Automatic Admissions, and College Outcomes

Attending a selective college is seen as a way for students to gain access to opportunities that are otherwise difficult to obtain. The Texas Top Ten Percent Plan is intended to increase this access, especially for students in underserved populations, but research shows that gaps still exist in selective college attendance and completion by race and socioeconomic status.

Dec 8, 2014
Research Brief

New Haven Promise: An Early Look at College Preparation, Access, and Enrollment of New Haven Public School Students (2010–2013)

This brief highlights findings of a study of early progress of New Haven Promise, a place-based scholarship program focusing on college preparation, access, and enrollment.

Nov 21, 2014
Research Brief

What Does it Take to Transform An Urban School System?

Meeting proficiency standards, reducing the dropout rate, and preparing students to attend and succeed in college are common goals among school districts. The School Change Initiative and New Haven Promise Scholarship Program have generated promising outcomes for the New Haven Public School District, but opportunities to improve remain.

Nov 21, 2014

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RAND Topic:
Postsecondary Education

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