|
|
Better Data as a Remedy to Low U.S. Graduation Rates
by Thomas J. <http://www.tcrecord.org/AuthorDisplay.asp?aid=19353>
Hochstettler - October 06, 2006
Imagine a refrigerator manufacturer whose product failed to keep food cold
roughly half the time, or an accountant who got the numbers right at only a
50 percent rate. Both, of course, would be out of business very quickly.
Data on the nation's higher education system-a system whose "product" is far
more fundamental to our national future than any refrigerator-indicates that
our colleges and universities are graduating only 51 percent of our students
within five years of their entry. More startling yet, the Education Trust
finds that 50 U.S. colleges have a six-year graduation rate below 20
percent.
The comparison between a refrigerator and a college education is imperfect,
to say the least. But few would defend failure rates of this magnitude. That
is why I find it surprising, and certainly frustrating, that many in higher
education are opposing a proposed national database about student progress
and outcomes that I believe would do much to help us diagnose performance
shortcomings in higher education and, better yet, fix them.
The issue of a database has been the subject of public debate since its
proposal by the so-called Spellings Commission earlier this year. As part
of a sweeping proposal to reform American higher education, the federal
commission is urging the establishment of a privacy-protected information
clearinghouse to track students as they pursue their varied paths through
the higher education system and into the workforce. The commission's
proposal, importantly, specifies that data on individual students will not
be matched with social security numbers or other personal identifiers, thus
ensuring that Uncle Sam does not learn what classes a student took or
dropped, or how well he or she performed in them. The basic concept is to
apply to our college and university system the same rigorous information
gathering and analysis that we expect of our faculties and students in the
scholarly work they undertake.
Students are falling through the cracks, and-surprising for an enterprise
such as ours-we have done very little to understand the reasons. Why do
students drop out? Where do they go when they do? What factors in primary
and secondary school, beyond GPAs, class rankings, and standardized test
scores, best predict their success or failure in college? Other than large
endowments and hyper-selectivity, what common ingredients are shared by
colleges that graduate students at rates better than 90 percent? What impact
does students' educational experience have on their success or failure after
graduation?
We are at present ill-equipped to answer these questions. Without basic
information, both individual institutions and society lack the tools to
assess how the system is working, how it is failing, and how it might be
improved.
Much of my colleagues' criticism of the Spellings Commission database
centers on the perception that we can't trust the federal government with
such sensitive information. Privacy concerns are understandable,
particularly in a time when politicians have demonstrated a willingness to
overlook basic American liberties to protect national security or make
political points, depending on one's perspective. Yet I believe the solution
to that problem is not to squander an opportunity to gather much-needed data
on our sector but, rather, to establish such checks and balances within our
political and judicial systems as will ensure that such information remains
inviolate.
Moreover, those objecting to the database have not, to this point, explained
how the Spellings Commission proposal represents a dramatic departure from
federal data collection projects that have been underway for decades and are
familiar to us all. Most notable among them is FAFSA-the Free Application
for Federal Student Aid-which requires aid applicants to provide their
Social Security and driver's license numbers as well as information on their
families' income and assets.
Where some see the proposed database as a Big Brother peering over our and
our students' shoulders, I see a potential for a robust (and
privacy-protected) set of metrics that would yield essential data with
tremendous potential for advancing our individual institutions and for
identifying with greater precision those areas where our national education
policy needs to be strengthened. Where some see the specter of government
intrusion, I see the possibility of transforming our current separate data
reporting schemes into a streamlined system that is beneficial to students
and useful to faculty and administrators. Such a system could help us bring
much needed improvements to graduation rates, to be sure, and accomplish so
much more for our students and the country.
We can be sure that other countries are collecting such data and putting
them to good use-countries that have designs on matching, and surpassing
America as the home of the world's best higher education system.
Having worked as a college administrator in Germany, I know that data on
student progress and outcomes are carefully tracked and studied in that
country. The 19 European countries party to the Bologna Declaration-among
them the Czech Republic, Sweden, and Turkey-are not only collecting such
student information, but also sharing it with each other as part of their
commitment to reciprocity in their university systems. Other would-be,
long-term rivals to American supremacy in higher education-China and India,
for example-are certain to be gathering such intelligence and putting it to
good use. The consequences for national security and economic
competitiveness are both obvious and profoundly important.
Could a database such as that proposed by the Spellings Commission help us
improve low graduation rates? Certainly yes-that, and much more. It is time
that those of us leading our colleges and universities stop imagining
ourselves above scrutiny and devote ourselves to the task of improving our
contribution to our students and the nation.
Cite This Article as: Teachers College Record, Date Published: October 06,
2006
http://www.tcrecord.org <http://www.tcrecord.org/Home.asp> ID Number:
12775, Date Accessed: 10/9/2006 9:20:53 AM
Source: http://www.tcrecord.org/PrintContent.asp?ContentID=12775
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To access the LRNASST-L archives or User Guide, or to change your
subscription options (including subscribe/unsubscribe), point your web browser to
http://www.lists.ufl.edu/archives/lrnasst-l.html
To contact the LRNASST-L owner, email [log in to unmask]
|
|
|
Archives |
January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011, Week 3 January 2011, Week 2 January 2011, Week 1 January 2011 December 2010, Week 5 December 2010, Week 4 December 2010, Week 3 December 2010, Week 2 December 2010, Week 1 November 2010, Week 5 November 2010, Week 4 November 2010, Week 3 November 2010, Week 2 November 2010, Week 1 October 2010, Week 5 October 2010, Week 4 October 2010, Week 3 October 2010, Week 2 October 2010, Week 1 September 2010, Week 5 September 2010, Week 4 September 2010, Week 3 September 2010, Week 2 September 2010, Week 1 August 2010, Week 5 August 2010, Week 4 August 2010, Week 3 August 2010, Week 2 August 2010, Week 1 July 2010, Week 5 July 2010, Week 4 July 2010, Week 3 July 2010, Week 2 July 2010, Week 1 June 2010, Week 5 June 2010, Week 4 June 2010, Week 3 June 2010, Week 2 June 2010, Week 1 May 2010, Week 4 May 2010, Week 3 May 2010, Week 2 May 2010, Week 1 April 2010, Week 5 April 2010, Week 4 April 2010, Week 3 April 2010, Week 2 April 2010, Week 1 March 2010, Week 5 March 2010, Week 4 March 2010, Week 3 March 2010, Week 2 March 2010, Week 1 February 2010, Week 4 February 2010, Week 3 February 2010, Week 2 February 2010, Week 1 January 2010, Week 5 January 2010, Week 4 January 2010, Week 3 January 2010, Week 2 January 2010, Week 1 December 2009, Week 5 December 2009, Week 4 December 2009, Week 3 December 2009, Week 2 December 2009, Week 1 November 2009, Week 5 November 2009, Week 4 November 2009, Week 3 November 2009, Week 2 November 2009, Week 1 October 2009, Week 5 October 2009, Week 4 October 2009, Week 3 October 2009, Week 2 October 2009, Week 1 September 2009, Week 5 September 2009, Week 4 September 2009, Week 3 September 2009, Week 2 September 2009, Week 1 August 2009, Week 5 August 2009, Week 4 August 2009, Week 3 August 2009, Week 2 August 2009, Week 1 July 2009, Week 5 July 2009, Week 4 July 2009, Week 3 July 2009, Week 2 July 2009, Week 1 June 2009, Week 5 June 2009, Week 4 June 2009, Week 3 June 2009, Week 2 June 2009, Week 1 May 2009, Week 5 May 2009, Week 4 May 2009, Week 3 May 2009, Week 2 May 2009, Week 1 April 2009, Week 5 April 2009, Week 4 April 2009, Week 3 April 2009, Week 2 April 2009, Week 1 March 2009, Week 5 March 2009, Week 4 March 2009, Week 3 March 2009, Week 2 March 2009, Week 1 February 2009, Week 4 February 2009, Week 3 February 2009, Week 2 February 2009, Week 1 January 2009, Week 5 January 2009, Week 4 January 2009, Week 3 January 2009, Week 2 January 2009, Week 1 December 2008, Week 5 December 2008, Week 4 December 2008, Week 3 December 2008, Week 2 December 2008, Week 1 November 2008, Week 5 November 2008, Week 4 November 2008, Week 3 November 2008, Week 2 November 2008, Week 1 October 2008, Week 5 October 2008, Week 4 October 2008, Week 3 October 2008, Week 2 October 2008, Week 1 September 2008, Week 5 September 2008, Week 4 September 2008, Week 3 September 2008, Week 2 September 2008, Week 1 August 2008, Week 5 August 2008, Week 4 August 2008, Week 3 August 2008, Week 2 August 2008, Week 1 July 2008, Week 5 July 2008, Week 4 July 2008, Week 3 July 2008, Week 2 July 2008, Week 1 June 2008, Week 5 June 2008, Week 4 June 2008, Week 3 June 2008, Week 2 June 2008, Week 1 May 2008, Week 5 May 2008, Week 4 May 2008, Week 3 May 2008, Week 2 May 2008, Week 1 April 2008, Week 5 April 2008, Week 4 April 2008, Week 3 April 2008, Week 2 April 2008, Week 1 March 2008, Week 5 March 2008, Week 4 March 2008, Week 3 March 2008, Week 2 March 2008, Week 1 February 2008, Week 5 February 2008, Week 4 February 2008, Week 3 February 2008, Week 2 February 2008, Week 1 January 2008, Week 5 January 2008, Week 4 January 2008, Week 3 January 2008, Week 2 January 2008, Week 1 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003 December 2002 November 2002 October 2002 September 2002 August 2002 July 2002 June 2002 May 2002 April 2002 March 2002 February 2002 January 2002 December 2001 November 2001 October 2001 September 2001 August 2001 July 2001 June 2001 May 2001 April 2001 March 2001 February 2001 January 2001 December 2000 November 2000 October 2000 September 2000 August 2000 July 2000 June 2000 May 2000 April 2000 March 2000 February 2000 January 2000 December 1999 November 1999 October 1999 September 1999 August 1999 July 1999 June 1999 May 1999 April 1999 March 1999 February 1999 January 1999 December 1998 November 1998 October 1998 September 1998 August 1998 July 1998 June 1998 May 1998 April 1998 March 1998 February 1998 January 1998 December 1997 November 1997 October 1997 September 1997 August 1997 July 1997 June 1997 May 1997 April 1997 March 1997 February 1997 January 1997 December 1996 November 1996 October 1996 September 1996 August 1996 July 1996 June 1996 May 1996 April 1996 March 1996 February 1996 January 1996 December 1995 November 1995 October 1995 September 1995 August 1995 July 1995 June 1995 May 1995 April 1995 March 1995 February 1995 January 1995
|
|