May 22, 2014  Subscribe
Education
Social indicators predicting postsecondary success
Only about 59 percent of full-time, first-time students at four-year institutions complete such a degree within six years at the same school. Completion rates are even lower for those starting part-time, or at less than four-year schools (and planning to transfer). In a recent study funded by Lumina Foundation, we found that four social indicators are related to the odds of postsecondary completion: part-time status, having a child, number of transfers, and speaking with faculty about academic matters outside of class. Factors differ by institution type, age of student, and race and ethnicity. In this report, we recommend indicators, and data sources for monitoring these indicators, that can be used to improve completion rates.

 

Don't call them dropouts

Earning differentials by education level have increased in recent decades. This week, America's Promise Alliance released "Don't Call Them Dropouts," based on the largest mixed-methods study to date on this topic. The report and associated video share the stories of youth who left high school before graduating. Use in conjunction with indicators of high school non-completion from the Child Trends DataBank.

DataBank
Sleeping children

Evidence suggests that poor-quality sleep is more strongly related than sleep duration to daytime sleepiness and diminished functioning. Because it's easier to interpret, though, duration is often the focus in studies of the relation of sleep to other outcomes, such as school performance. Between 20 to 60 percent of teens report daytime sleepiness, and short sleep duration may be related to being overweight.

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