ERIC Number: EJ1018024
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Mar
Pages: 25
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0952-8733
EISSN: N/A
Leading Indicators: Increasing Statewide Bachelor's Degree Completion Rates at 4-Year Public Institutions
Davidson, Jeffrey Cody
Higher Education Policy, v27 n1 p85-109 Mar 2014
For the United States to maintain national and global economic stability, colleges must graduate more students. Four-year completion rates have declined and less than one-third of full-time, degree-seeking students graduate in 4 years. Some researchers and policymakers have suggested "leading indicators" to track postsecondary educational achievement. This study examined the relationship between pre-college factors (e.g., socio-economic status, college readiness, race/ethnicity, etc.), leading indicators (e.g., earning 30 credits at the end of year one, continuous enrolment, summer course credit, etc.) and degree completion at Kentucky's 4-year public institutions. The results showed that the effects of some leading indicators varied based on pre-college factors. Overall, factors related to credit accumulation had the most impact on the likelihood of increasing graduation rates. Policy and practice should consider the impact of pre-college factors on the effectiveness of leading indicators to most efficiently increase degree completion rates.
Descriptors: Higher Education, Public Colleges, Graduation Rate, Time to Degree, Academic Degrees, Enrollment, College Credits, Educational Indicators, Bachelors Degrees, Socioeconomic Status, College Readiness, Race, Ethnicity
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Kentucky
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A