144. MVCAP fyi

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1. Grief Interrupts an Idyllic Freshman Year, by Ann Derry - http://nyti.ms/hEfnhZ

"You can spend four years preparing for college, get into the college of your choice, set off on your big adventure, and yet your life can change permanently along the way."

2. Information Unstacks the Deck, by Dan Berrett - Inside Higher Ed: http://bit.ly/gbv053

‎"Bridget Terry Long, professor of education and economics at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, says that, while the economic benefits of a postsecondary degree have been well documented, the escalating price tag and rates of default on student loans make the prospect of attending college an increasingly risky proposition. “Giving students and their families better information would enable them to avoid unworthy college investments that would leave them with substantial debt and little in the form of skills,” Long writes in her paper, "Grading Higher Education: Giving Consumers the Information They Need."

3. New Data, No Better Results, by Doug Lederman - Inside Higher Ed: http://bit.ly/e6RpZO

"Men and women graduated at roughly comparable rates, but there were significant differences by race: 45.5 percent of Asian students had earned bachelor's degrees in six years, compared to 36.4 percent of white students, 16.9 percent of Hispanic, 16.7 percent of black, and 27.3 percent of mixed race students."

4. University of Phoenix Lays Off 700 http://www.freep.com/article/20101130/BUSINESS07/101130017/1002/business/University-of-Phoenix-lays-off-700-nationwide

"The Phoenix-based company expects new-student enrollments to decline roughly 40% in the current quarter, which ends Nov. 30, as it changes the way it compensates admissions counselors and introduces new student orientation meetings. The meetings are designed to ensure that a larger proportion of beginning students are qualified to complete their degree programs but also might result in some dropouts."

5. The 10 Brainiest Cities: Portfolio Study - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/01/the-10-brainiest-cities-p_n_790503.html#s196031

"Which American cities boast the most cerebral residents? According to Portfolio, Boulder, Colo. takes the No. 1 spot. Using new American Community Survey data, Portfolio assessed the average level of higher education obtained by the residents of 200 cities, coupled with their relative earning power of adults who live in them."

6. More Students with Disabilities Attending College, Volunteering, by Christina Samuels - http://t.co/3mpo08X via @educationweek

‎"The researchers compared student information gathered in 1990 to reports gathered in 2005. According to the report, within four years of leaving high school, 46 percent of young adults in 2005 were reported to have enrolled in a postsecondary school versus 26 percent in 1990. The gains spanned across a broad range of postsecondary programs: an 18 percentage-point increase in community college enrollment, a 13 percentage-point increase in postsecondary vocational, business, or technical school enrollment and a 9 percentage-point difference in enrollment at four-year universities."

7. A Mission to Transform Baltimore’s Beaten Schools, by Sabrina Tavernise - http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/02/education/02baltimore.html?_r=1&hp

"Not everyone likes Dr. Alonso’s methods, and many find that his brassy self-confidence can grate. But few are arguing with his results. Since he was hired, the dropout rate has fallen by half, more students are graduating and for the first time in many years, the system has gained students instead of losing them."

8. Half of All First-Time Students Earn Credentials Within 6 Years, by Beckie Supiano - http://chronicle.com/article/Half-of-All-First-Time/125585/

"By the end of the six-year period, 9 percent of the students earned certificates, 9 percent associate degrees, and 31 percent bachelor's degrees. The numbers are similar to those of the last cohort the department followed, which began college in 1995-6.
Among students who began at public two-year colleges, 9 percent earned certificates, 14 percent associate degrees, and 12 percent bachelor's degrees. Among those who began at four-year colleges, 2 percent received certificates, 5 percent associate degrees, and 58 percent bachelor's degrees."

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