EPI Publications
(May 2010)
May's Swail Letter features a report on trends in international student enrollment. Plenty of data and research to back up some interesting findings. Plus, Dr. Swail's comments and analysis on the current international student enrollment figures.
(April 2010)
This edition of Student Success features an interview with the President of the University of Maryland, Freeman Hrabowski. EPI President & CEO, Dr. Watson Scott Swail, comments on EPI's recent move to Washington D.C. Preview coverage of the 2010 National Capitol Summit is paired with a recap of the 2009 summit. This issue also features the 2009 Student Retention Awards.
Graduating At-Risk Students: A Cross-Sector Analysis
(February 2010)
Watson Scott Swail
This report, conducted for the Imagine America Foundation, uses data from the US Department of Education’s Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS) Survey and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) to compare and contrast completion and persistence rates of students attending proprietary (career colleges) institutions versus other institutional sectors. Copies of the publication are available for purchase from IAF at www.imagine-america.org.
The Post-Secondary Student Support Program: An
Examination of Alternative Delivery Mechanisms
(November 2009)
Alex Usher
This report was researched and written by the Educational Policy Institute for the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC). EPI was contracted by INAC to examine the department's Post-Secondary Student Support Program (PSSSP) and analyse the advantages and disadvantages of both the existing system of program delivery and a trio of alternative delivery mechanisms. This report does not issue any recommendation with respect to a preferred model of program delivery; rather, it attempts to lay out the challenges involved with different mechanisms in a consistent and fair manner, and allow readers to draw their own conclusions with respect to the feasibility and desirability of each option.
Leveling the Playing Field for All Schools, Including Career Colleges, from Career Education Review
(August 2009)
Watson Scott Swail, Nancy Broff, and Jenny Faubert
This article from the Career Education Review (August 2009) previews a future Imagine America Foundation report which outlines the outcomes of career college students versus students at other institution sectors and types. In summary, the research—done by the Educational Policy Institute shows that career colleges do a good job of helping students persist and attain a degree, especially viewed in light of the risks or challenges presented by their students.
Making Decisions about Teacher Professional Development: Practices in 8 Alabama School Districts
(October 2009)
Patricia Moore Shaffer & Watson Scott Swail
This report was researched and written by the Educational Policy Institute for Southeast Regional Education Lab (SERVE). The SERVE Center contracted the Educational Policy Institute to describe the evidential bases for administrators’ decisions about professional development as reported by a small sample of small and medium-sized school districts in the State of Alabama. The work was collaboratively designed by SERVE, EPI, and the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) to improve understanding of current decision-making practices.
MEASURING UP(October 2009)
Watson Scott Swail, Sarah Jaeschke, and Chris Rasmussen
This report by the Educational Policy Institute and the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) provides an analysis of the 2008 Measuring Up report with specific emphasis on the midwestern member states of the MHEC. Funding for this report was provided by the National Center for Public Policy in Higher Education.
The Changing Academic Profession – An International Survey
(September 2009)
Ian Dobson
The (CAP) survey was conducted in 25 countries and was the largest and most extensive survey of academic staff yet undertaken. It sought to assess the characteristics of academic staff and their work. The survey deployed a common instrument, population definition and sampling approach. Survey data have been compiled by Germany’s University of Kassel and a number of indicators defined. These include relative academic salaries; job satisfaction; propensity for job change; opportunity for research; contract conditions; and workload. The research briefing that compares national responses can be down-loaded HERE.
UNESCO: Ten Years Back and Ten Years Forward:(May 2009)
Alex Usher
This paper by Alex Usher was presented at the UNESCO Forum on Higher Education in the Europe Region: Access, Values, Quality and Competitiveness, on May 22, 2009 in Bucharest, Romania. The paper focuses on recent developments in European higher education with a lens as to what the near future holds.
(April 2009)
This edition of Student Success features and interview with the “invincible” Vince Papale and a special commentary by EPI President & CEO, Dr. Watson Scott Swail, on his visit with Liz McCartney of the St. Bernard Project - a non-profit organization that is working to rebuild the ninth ward in New Orleans. Both Vince Papale and Liz McCartney will be keynote speakers at our upcoming RETENTION 2009 conference in New Orleans this May. Also featured in this edition of Student Success is an essay by Dr. Kristen Betts on Online Education and Student Success.
On the Brink: How the Recession of 2009 Will Affect Post-Secondary Education
(February 2009)
Alex Usher and Ryan Dunn
In the midst of a global recession, post-secondary education (PSE) in Canada is about to face significant challenges. This report outlines the likely main impacts of the recession on the Canadian PSE sector, namely rising costs, more students, and declining revenue. In addition to discussing the predicament the system will find itself in over both the short and long-term, the report suggests a series of measures that governments can take to help institutions survive the worst of the crisis.
Beyond the Sticker Shock 2008: A Closer Look at Canadian Tuition Fees
(October 2008)
EPI Canada
This publication is an updated version of EPI's 2006 publication "Beyond the Sticker Price", which tracks changes over time in the net cost of tuition, taking into account inflation and various forms of tax credits. The study finds that taking these factors into account, average tuition across Canada was no higher in 2007-08 than it was in 1999-2000.
2008 Canadian Federal Election: Party Platform Analysis
(October 2008)
EPI Canada
This publication provides an analysis on pertinent education issues from the perspective of the political parties vying for the electorate in this year's federal election on October 16 2008.
Investing for the Future: Post-Secondary Issues and the Canadian Federal Election
(September 2008)
EPI Canada
This publication provides data on crtiical education issues related to the Canadian Federal Election on October 16 2008.
Producing Indicators of Institutional Quality in Ontario Universities and(July 2008)
EPI Canada
This paper was produced for the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario to sketch out how an expanded system of quality indicators could be created. The paper looks at the kinds of data demanded by different stakeholder groups, the kinds of data that might go into a system of quality indicators, its current availability, and the kinds of changes in data collection and reporting that would be required in order to make these indicators truly comparable. Finally, the paper concludes with an outline of key decisions with respect to choosing a data production and management model recommendations for the data architecture.
Student Mobility & Credit Transfer: A National and Global Survey
(June 2008)
Sean Junor and Alex Usher
This publication takes a look at the expanding issue of student mobility from a Canadian and international perspective. The first half of the paper centers on student mobility and what it means to the post-secondary system. The second half of the paper examines how post-secondary education credits act as a form of knowledge “currency” and how the issue of credit recognition is best seen as a policy issue which requires the “exchange” of one institution’s credits into a currency that other institutions can freely accept.
Engaging Faculty and Staff: An Imperative for Fostering Retention, Advising, and Smart Borrowing
(February 2008)
Watson Scott Swail with Rebecca Mullen, Hyniea Gardner, and Jeremy Reed
This joint publication of TG and EPI provides an overview of the student departure/retention process, focusing on evidenced-based practices in engaging faculty and staff, strategies for student advising, and information on early warning systems. The purpose of the publication is to provide a hands-on resource for college and university stakeholders in the field.
Commentary 2007(February 2008)
Watson Scott Swail & Alex Usher
Commentary 2007 is a compendium of weekly commentaries written by EPI President W. Scott Swail and Vice President and Director of EPI Canada Alex Usher for EPI's Week in Review, emailed out to subscribers every Friday. The commentaries are classified into five categories: Academic Preparation, Postsecondary Education Policy, Financial Aid, International Policy and Practice, Institutional Quality, and Miscellaneous.
The No Child Left Behind Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Act: A Progress Report
(January 2008)
Watson Scott Swail (EPI) & Betsy Brand (AYPF)
This report by the National Council on Disability (NCD) documents trends in academic achievement of students with disabilities and also the successes and barriers achieved by states,school districts, and other stakeholders as a result of the implementation of No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The report was researched and written by the Educational Policy Institute and the American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF).
To read the press release, click here. Print copies may be obtained from NCD by faxing requests to Stacey Brown at 202-272-2022 or by e-mail(sbrown@ncd.gov).
(January 2008)
TG & EPI
TG and the Council for the Management of Educational Finance have issued a second edition of “A Clear and Present Danger to Institutional and Student Success: A training model for embedding student loan default aversion within strategic enrollment management.” The training model is offered as a guide to help schools support academic and financial success among students through early and sustained intervention and education; to encourage entire campus participation and support in promoting wise borrowing decisions by students; and to help institutions develop systemic default aversion efforts within strategic enrollment management. To read the press release, click here.
(December 2007)
Watson Scott Swail, Ronald C. Willis, & Rebecca M. Mullen
This report provides an analysis of the 16 presidential candidates with a focus on educational issues.
Missouri Students and the Pathways to College
(November 2007)
Watson Scott Swail & Sarah Hosford
This report presents analysis of a series of over 30 focus groups conducted in Missouri as part of a large-scale initiative by an anonymous Missouri organization. The focus groups included 7th, 9th, and 11th-grade students and concerns their attitudes toward college and the future.
A Practical Guide to Strategic Enrollment Management Planning in Higher Education
(November 2007)
R.B. Wilkinson, James Taylor, Ange Peterson, and Maria de Lourdes Machado-Taylor
This guidebook provides a multi-step process for enrollment managers to follow in order to facilitate strategic enrollment management planning in all types of postsecondary educational institutions. It draws heavily from the practical experiences of the authors, the literature base on strategic planning as well as actual institutional strategic planning experiences
(November 2007)
This edition of Student Success features an interview with John Gardner, a feature story by the University of Toronto's Peter Dietsche, a book review of Three Cups of Tea, and a report from the field on the National Capitol Summit on Latino Students and Educational Opportunity.
The IT Education Bubble: An Analysis of University Students Statistics 2002-2005
(October 2007)
Ian Dobson
Conducted with the support of The Australian Council of Deans of Science, this publication looks at who is studying information technology in Australia, where they are studying it, and how they are studying IT, using data from the Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST).
An Annotated Bibliography of Latino Educational Research
(October 2007)
Paul Baumann, Alberto Cabrera, and Watson Scott Swail
This publication lists 59 recent research studies on a variety of Latino educational issues. The bibliography was compiled in partnership with the College of Education, Univeristy of Maryland, College Park.
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(September 2007)
Watson Scott Swail & Alex Usher
Each week, the Educational Policy Institute releases The Week in Review, a newsy review of educational issues. In addition, EPI's President and Vice President offer a commentary on timely issues. This publication includes the commentaries from 2006.
Mining Labour Market Transition Project - Final Report
(September 2007)
EPI Canada
The Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR) contracted the Educational Policy Institute to examine labour market transition options, documented key stakeholder talent management strategies dealing with individuals from declining industries and identified transition opportunities for the mining industry. The report is part of the Council’s overall workforce strategy to increase workforce management awareness in the mining sector.
The End of Need-Based Student Financial Aid in Canada?
(August 2007)
Sean Junor and Alex Usher
This report provides an outline of changes in the Canadian student financial assistance system over the past 15 years. Commissioned by the Canadian Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (CASFAA), The End of Need-Based Student Financial Aid in Canada? examines the most recent net tuition prices, explores recent student aid policy decisions in each jurisdiction, identifies what target groups (if any) are identified to receive aid and catalogues what students actually benefit.
Sustaining Science: University Science in the Twenty-First Century
(August 2007)
Ian Dobson
This report by EPI's Australian Director Ian Dobson provides an analysis and commentary on trends in Australian university enrolments in science based on the latest available statistics. The focus of this study is the period 2002 to 2005, the years during which the Australian Department of Education, Science & Training (DEST) current methodologies for counting students and classifying courses and subjects have been in force. This report was written for the The Australian Council of Deans of Science (ACDS), which has been concerned about aspects of the trends shown by science enrolments for at least the past decade.
POLICY PERSPECTIVES. After Michigan, What? Next Steps for Affirmative Action
(February 2007)
John Brooks Slaughter
This edition of Policy Perspectives features commentary from Dr. John Brooks Slaughter, the president of the National Action Council on Minorities in Engineering (NACME), and former Director of the National Science Foundation. Dr. Slaughter looks takes a historical look at affirmative action and posits what may be to come.
(February 2007)
This edition of Student Success features an interview with Stedman Graham about his efforts to help students succeed in life. As well, EPI President Watson Scott Swail discusses Campus Climate and Students of Color, and our Best Practice showcases the 2006 Annual Student Retention Award Winner, University of Connecticut.
Apples-to-Apples: Towards a Pan-Canadian Common University Data Set
(November 2006)
Sean Junor, Miram Kramer, Alex Usher
This document outlines the difficulties in obtaining common, comparable data about Canadian Universities and provides a possible template for the creation of a Canadian Common Data Set.
Part III Of Our Three Part Series: The Buy-In Challenge
(September 2006)
Dr. Watson Scott Swail
This is the third of three parts in our Institutional Strategies Series. The first article in our March issue outlined the barriers to student retention, both from the extant literature and also from interviews and surveys we’ve conducted through our workshops around the US and Canada. The second part focused on programs and strategies that appear to either help OR hinder student retention on campus. In this issue we will discuss the inherent difficulties in getting buy-in on our campuses—all campuses—from faculty, staff, administration, and yes, students.
Beyond the Sticker Price - A Closer Look at Canadian Tuition Fees
(August 2006)
Alex Usher
The Educational Policy Institute today released a report entitled Beyond the Sticker Price, which looks at what Canadian families actually pay for university education after various inflation and various subsidies are taken into account. The surprising conclusion? Average net tuition across Canada is no higher now than it was seven years ago. The study also revealed that students receiving grants – that is, poorer students – had not benefited to the same extent because the average value of grants were decreasing. In fact, while wealthier students without grants saw their tuition drop slightly, poorer students with grants have seen a $500 tuition increase in recent years.
Grants for Students: What They Are, How They Work
(August 2006)
Alex Usher
In this sweeping review of work on financial assistance and access to education, Alex Usher argues that grants are required to entice low-income students into post-secondary education because a variety of factors, both real and perceived, lead them to underestimate its true long-term financial benefits. While this analysis provides strong analytical support for targeted grants to low-income students, it also strongly suggests that students from higher-income families, who are better-prepared for post-secondary education, are far less price-sensitive and consequently in much less need of non-repayable aid such as tax credits.
(July 2006)
Sean Junor and Alex Usher
A recent report by the Educational Policy Institute suggests that rising interest rates and planned aid reductions are about to cause an $800-million financial hole in the country’s student financial aid programs. It also outlines the possibility that the Government of Canada may abandon the field of student financial assistance as part of a general program of “rebalancing”. While this may or may not be a good thing for students, the report stresses that who delivers aid is ultimately of less importance than how much aid is delivered, and urges policymakers to remain focused on fixing the programs’ collective $800-million hole rather than be distracted by federal-provincial issues.
Innovation and Differentiation in Canada's Post-secondary Institutions
(June 2006)
Robert Crocker and Alex Usher
In this report published by Canadian Policy Research Networks, Robert Crocker of Atlantic Evaluation and Research Consultants, and Alex Usher of the Educational Policy Institute, argue that provincial and federal governments must take steps to encourage research and innovation in teaching and learning if Canada is to maintain its human capital edge over rapidly emerging international competitors.
The full report is available from CPRN's website here.
Part II: Institutional Strategies
Strategies to Increase Student Success
(May 2006)
Watson Scott Swail, Ed.D
This is the second of three parts in our Institutional Strategies Series. The first article in our March issue outlined the barriers to student retention, both from the extant literature and also from interviews and surveys we’ve conducted through our workshops around the US and Canada. This edition’s discussion focuses on programs and strategies that appear to either help OR hinder student retention on campus. In our June issue we will discuss the inherent difficulties in getting buy-in on our campuses—all campuses—from faculty, staff, administration, and yes, students.
Beyond the 49th Parallel
The Affordability of Public University Education
(March 2006)
Kim Steele and Alex Usher
A follow-up to Dr. Watson Scott Swail’s 2004 report on the affordability of University education in Canada and the United States, this study updates the data by two years, includes data on loan remission and tax credits, and, crucially, ranks all fifty states and ten provinces using six different measures of affordability as well as a composite, overall affordability ranking. Top spot in the affordability rankings goes to New Hampshire; the bottom spot to Nova Scotia.
A Report from Ed Fund
California Trends in Student Aid: 1994-95 to 2003-04
(March 2006)
Watson Scott Swail, Ed.D
The California Student Aid Commission and EdFund released the report California Trends in Student Aid: 1994-95 to 2003-04. The report, written by the Educational Policy Institute, documents all available student financial aid and the relative cost of attending postsecondary education to students in the Golden State.
Student Success Part I.
Institutional Strategies. A New Three-Part Series
(March 2006)
Watson Scott Swail, Ed.D.
Over the course of the next issues of “Student Success,” we will explore three questions about retention on our college campuses. Part I will look at the barriers to student retention, both from the extant literature, but also from interviews and surveys we’ve conducted through our workshops around the US and Canada. Part II will focus on programs and strategies that appear to either help OR hinder student retention on campus. Ultimately, we all want answers. This discussion will provide some core issues for understanding what matters. Finally, Part III will discuss the inherent difficulties in getting buy-in on our campuses—all campuses—from faculty, staff, administration, and yes, students.
World of Difference: A Global Survey of University League Tables.
(February 2006)
Alex Usher and Massimo Savino
A major report on international higher education, A World of Difference: A Global Comparison of University League Tables, shows that while many countries have tried to emulate US News and World Report’s attempt to rank universities, the lack of agreement about what constitutes “quality” in higher education has led to a multiplicity of different – and perhaps conflicting – standards in league tables.
Seven Guiding Questions for Student Retention
(January 2006)
Watson Scott Swail, Ed.D.
Keeping students in school seems harder than it should be. Today’s students appear to be less prepared, have more emotional baggage, and have a different set of expectations than prior cohorts. It’s arguable whether any or all of this is true, but for the average campus professional, it seems so.
Student Support in Australia: When Will the Government Improve It?
(December 2005)
Ian R. Dobson
In June 2005, the Australian Senate Education, Workplace Relations, and Education References Committee released “Student Income Support,” a report that reviewed the issue of costs associated with attending higher education in Australia. In this EPI report, Dr. Ian Dobson discusses the 15 recommendations on how government can help students pay for higher education.
GLOBAL DEBT PATTERNS: An International Comparison of Student Loan Burdens and Repayment Condition
(September 2005)
Alex Usher
This report compares student loan repayment conditions and debt management programs in eight countries. Global Debt Patterns: an International Comparison of Student Loan Burdens and Repayment Conditions focuses on the debt burdens that students face and the strategies employed in each country to deal withstudent debt. To read the press release, click here.
Focus on Results: An Academic Impact Analysis of the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) (August 2005)
Adriane Williams & Watson Scott Swail
This report was conducted for the KIPP Foundation to provide an independent audit of their school-level data. Preliminary findings suggest that KIPP charter schools are doing significantly better than average in academic achievement in reading, language, and mathematics on norm-referenced tests. To read the press release, click here.
Reframing the Student Loan Costing Debate
(July 2005)
Fred Galloway & Hoke Wilson
This report suggests that the competition between the two US federal student loan programs, the Federal Family Educational Loan (FFEL) Program and the Direct Student Loan (DSL) Program, saves federal taxpayer millions of dollars each year.
Written by University of San Diego professor Fred Galloway and Macro International researcher Hoke Wilson, the report provides a history of the federal loan system and an analysis of the financial impact of the FFEL and DSL programs.
A Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing
(July 2005)
Alex Usher
This report finds that children from lower-income families may not be attending university because of serious misperceptions about the cost and value of post-secondary education.
“Survey data shows that people from low-income backgrounds, on average, think that the costs of university outweigh the benefits,” said the report’s author and EPI Vice-President Alex Usher. “Based on this, it is no surprise that we see such low participation rates among poorer youth – they are simply making rational decisions on the basis of bad information.”
Education and Human Resources in the FY2006 Budget
(June 2005)
Watson Scott Swail, Daryl Chubin, Shirley Malcom, and Kathryn Grogan
EPI was contracted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) to write a chapter on the 2006 federal budget and its implications for science and education. This chapter provides an overview of the President's budget.
(June 2005)
Watson Scott Swail & Adriane Williams
This brief, prepared for the Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL) and the Pathways to College Network, describe how NCLB and the Pathways Framework can be partnered when developing and evaluating comprehensive programs for schools interested in preparing children not just for the next grade, but for the next steps in their educational careers. The paper lays out the conditions under which the Pathways Framework can be most effective and how those conditions
relate to NCLB.
No Merit in these Scholarships (June 2005)Fay Vincent
This first edition of EPI's Policy Perspectives was written by Mr. Fay Vincent, a former Major League Baseball Commissioner and University Trustee. Mr. Vincent, a Yale law graduate and a former trustee at Williams College, Carleton College, and Fairfield University, takes a look at the escalating issue of increased merit-based aid in lieu of aid to deserving students from low-income families. "To my mind, merit-based aid betrays the original goal of helping worthy but disadvantaged students," says Vincent."It spends donors' money in a way they may not intend, and it invests college resources in short-term promotional advantage instead of lasting improvements of substance."
Is More Better? The Impact of Postsecondary Education on the Economic and Social Well-Being of American Society (May 2005)Adriane Williams & Watson Scott Swail
This report, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, looks at the economic and non-economic impacts of higher education on individuals and society as a whole. According to the report, college graduates receive higher wages, are more likely to be employed, and when unemployed, likely to find new jobs faster. As well, graduates receive social returns to education, including increased life expectancy and better general health, improved quality of life for self and offspring and increased social status. The report concludes that higher education can best serve the nation by targeting low-income and other historically-underrepresented groups.
Global Higher Education Rankings 2005 (April 2005)Alex Usher & Amy Cervenan
The Global Higher Education Rankings 2005 represents the first systematic and rigorous exploration of the affordability and accessibility of higher education within an international comparative context. The rankings gather available, comparable data on student costs, resources, and opportunities in terms of higher education.
Latino Students & the Educational Pipeline (April 2005)Watson Scott Swail, Alberto F. Cabrera, Chul Lee, and Adriane Williams
This report series documents the progress of Latino students from eighth grade to the workforce. Supported by a grant from Lumina Foundation for Education, EPI analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Education's National Educational Longitudinal Study (NELS), which first surveyed eighth-grade students in 1988 with followup surveys in 1990, 1992, 1994, and a final followup survey in 2000, eight years after scheduled high school graduation.
Part I of the study looks at the 1988 8th-grade class and what happened to them by 2000.
Part II compares BA recipients with high school graduates.
And Part III focuses on a multiple regression analysis of the major factors which impede the road to a bachelor's degree for Latino students.
Measuring the Quality of Post-Secondary Education: Concepts, Current Practices and a Strategic Plan (April 2005)Ross Finnie & Alex Usher
In this report published by Canadian Policy Research Networks (CPRN) authors Finnie and Usher assess current practice in Canada and abroad, review the range of factors affecting PSE quality and outcomes, and propose a conceptual framework for improving quality measurement. The conceptual framework captures the PSE experience as a story of inputs and outputs, within a narrative of beginning characteristics, learning inputs, learning outputs, and final outcomes.
The Role of Counseling in Increasing Academic Opportunity in Missouri (March 2005)Watson Scott Swail
This report, written for the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority (MOHELA), presents findings from a review of counseling literature and interviews conducted by EPI of high school counselors in Missouri.
Much Ado About a Very Small Idea (January 2005)Alex Usher
A new study published today by the Educational Policy Institute (EPI) challenges conventional wisdom on income-contingent repayment of student loans (ICRs) by suggesting that the Canada Student Loans Program (CSLP) already has most of the elements of income-contingency the country could ever want or need and that wholesale revisions to the program are probably unnecessary.
The Affordability of University Education (December 2004)Watson Scott Swail
The Affordability of University Education looks at the relative affordability of public university education in the United States and Canada. Prepared under contract to the Montreal-based Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation, the report compares all 50 US states and 10 Canadian provinces on postsecondary access, student financial aid, tuition and fee charges, and overall net cost of attendance for the years 1999-01. (572KB).
Value Added: The Costs and Benefits of College Preparatory Programs (November 2004)Watson Scott Swail
This report considers issues related to the complex proposition that the cost of early intervention program delivery is directly and positively tied to the ability of programs to successfully enable students to get into college. As part of this discussion, the author touches on how these programs are funded and introduces cost analysis as a method of evaluating the impact of these programs. To increase the clarity of the discussion, real examples of cost analysis from the literature are provided. (315KB).
A New Measuring Stick: Is Access to Higher Education in Canada Equitable? (September 2004)Alex Usher
This report is the first to attempt to quantify how well different jurisdictions fare in terms of ensuring equitable access to university to students from different socio-economic backgrounds, through use of the Educational Equity Index (EEI). The EEI measures the relative degree of social stratification of the university student population by looking at the proportion of students whose fathers have university credentials and comparing it to the proportion of the overall male population aged 45-64 with university
Changes in Tuition Policy: Natural Policy Experiments in Five Countries (August 2004)Watson Scott Swail & Donald E. Heller
This international study reviews tuition and fee policy changes and strategies in 5 countries and 9 jurisdictions. Funded by the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation and conducted by the Educational Policy Institute, the purpose of this review is to gain an insight into the impact of various tuition policies around the world in terms of enrolment, participation, and tuition pricing. Analysis of these data will help formulate a research-based opinion as to the impact of the stated policies. (629KB) or on the icon below. To view the press release, click here.
Meeting the Need: A new Architecture for Canada's Student Financial Aid System (August 2004)Ross Finnie, Alex Usher, & Hans Vossensteyn
The Institute for Research on Public Policy, a Montreal-based organizaiton, released Meeting the Need: A New Architecture for Canada's Student Financial Aid System earlier today. The report was co-authored by EPI Vice President Alex Usher for the institute for Research on Public Policy, a Montreal-based organization. The report examines the current Canadian system of student financial aid and explores government approaches in other countries and jurisdictions. Usher and co-authors Ross Finnie of Queen's University in Kingston and Hans Vossensteyn of the Centre for Higher Education Policy Studies (CHEPS) in the Netherlands, present alternatives to the current Canadian reality.
Latino Youth and the Pathway to College (June 2004)Watson Scott Swail, Alberto Cabrera, and Chul Lee
Prepared under contract to the Pew Hispanic Institute, Latino Youth and the Pathway to College uses data from the U.S. Department of Education's National Educational Longitudinal Study (NELS), which first surveyed eighth-grade students in 1988 with followup surveys in 1990, 1992, 1994, and a final followup survey in 2000, eight years after scheduled high school graduation.
The study found that, for every 1,000 eighth grade students who are of Hispanic origin, 142 earn a bachelor's degree within 8 years of scheduled high school graduation. By comparison, 318 White students-more than double the number of Latino students-achieve the same outcome. (315KB). To download the press release, click here.
Improving Educational Outcomes for Students with Disabilities (May 2004)Watson Scott Swail & Betsy Brand
The National Council on Disability (NCD), a non-partisan independent federal agency that makes recommendations to the President and Congress on issues affecting Americans with disabilities, released a report in May 2004 that looks at the impact of Congress' No Child Left Behind Act on the postsecondary opportunities for students with disabilities.
The report, written by the American Youth Policy Forum and the Educational Policy Institute, was commissioned by NCD to assist policy leaders and stakeholders in identifying, disseminating, and aligning evidence-based outcome producing practices with the Federal Government's commitment to leaving no child behind in the attainment of a free appropriate public education. This paper is a precursor to a more detailed analysis that NCD will be conducting in coming months to provide additional input and recommendations to Congress and the Administration. (315KB).
Work-Based Learning & Higher Education (May 2004)Watson Scott Swail & Eva Kampits
The Educational Policy Institute (EPI), in Association with the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), released a report in May 2004 regarding work-based learning and university-level education in the United States.
Work-Based Learning & Higher Education: A Research Perspective, supported through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, presents findings of a national survey administered to first-year students at eight (8) four-year institutions in the U.S. regarding their work-based learning experiences during high school. These data were then combined with a subsequent transcript analysis that included university grade point average, credits earned, and student persistence. (375KB). To view the press release, click here.
I Love You, Brad, But You Reduce My Student Loan Eligibility (May 2004)Alex Usher
This report concludes that many Canadian Student Loan Programs actively penalize married students by refusing sufficient aid to those whose spouses do not come up with thousands or even tens of dollars in contributions every year. "Current student aid rules are punitive and confiscatory with respect to married students," said report author and EPI Vice-President Alex Usher. "It is very difficult for a student with a working spouse to obtain a sufficiently large student loan to permit them to pursue their studies, and this needs to change." (392KB). To view the press release, click here.
Are the Poor Needy? Are the Needy Poor? The Distribution of Loans and Grants by Family Income Quartile in Canada (May 2004)Alex Usher
This report, along with the compendium report "Who Gets What?," documents financial aid issues for poor students in Canada, and who gets what aid in the system. (479KB)
Who Gets What? The Distribution of Government Subsidies for Post-Secondary Education in Canada (May 2004)Alex Usher
This study is one part of a two-part inquiry into subsidies for post-secondary education in Canada. A second study, which looks more specifically at needbased assistance, also available from the Educational Policy Institute, is entitled Are the Poor Needy? Are the Needy Poor? The Distribution of Student Loans and Grants by Family Income Quartile in Canada.(383KB)
The More Things Change: Undergraduate Student Living Standards After 40 Years of the Canada Student Loan Program (March 2004)Amy Cervenan and Alex Usher
This research report conducted by EPI Canada reviews 40 years of data on the primary student loan program in Canada. (26 pages, 331KB). Click here to download the press release.
Retaining Minority Students in Higher Education (November 2003)Watson Scott Swail with Kenneth Redd and Laura Perna
This publication focuses on the reasons why students of color do not persist at the postsecondary level at rates similar to white and Asian students, and provides useful tools for administrators and other educational leaders to improve retention on college campuses. Part I provides background on the political and practical issues facing campuses, Part II looks at why students leave college, Part III provides a theoretical model of student retention and a framework to guide institutional leaders during the development of a retention plan at their institution, and Part IV looks at implementation and leadership issues. Appendices includes an annotated reference of retention programs across the U.S., plus an extended annotated bibliography of useful readings.
Trends in Student Aid and College Pricing FLORIDA, 1997-98 to 2001-02 (September 2003)Watson Scott Swail
This research report was conducted by EPI for the Florida Council on Education Policy, Research, and Improvement (CEPRI) and includes data and analysis based on a state-wide survey of postsecondary institutions. (87 pages, 529KB). Click here to download the press release.
Student Assistance the American Way (February 2003)Lawrence E. Gladieux
Written for an audience of non-American educators, the former director of the College Board's Washington Office provides an insightful analysis into the workings of U.S student aid policy that is of interest to education policy watchers both in and out of the U.S.(16 pages, 581KB)
The California Dream and Its Future: Indicators of Educational and Economic Opportunity in the Golden State (2001)Lawrence E. Gladieux and Watson Scott Swail
The California Dream and Its Future is an indepth analysis of economic and educational indicators in the nation's largest state. The report concludes that low-income students are bearing a larger burden in paying for college than middle- and higher-income families, even though they receive considerable financial aid. Mirroring the finding on low-income students, the report found that affluent students are better prepared for college and are more likely to receive a degree than those from other socio-economic groups. Sponsored by EdFund, this report was released in September 2001. (78 pages, 995kB)
Outreach Handbook Essays (2001)Watson Scott Swail, Lawrence E. Gladieux, and John B. Lee
This pdf file contains two essays written for the College Board's Outreach Program Handbook 2001. The first essay, Educational Opportunity and the Role of Pre-College Outreach Programs, provides a discussion of the importance of early intervention programs on motivating and preparing historically underrepresented students for higher education. A View of the Landscape provides analysis of data collected through the National Survey of Outreach Programs, a large-scale project developed and directed by Dr. Swail. (31 pages, 510KB)
Distance Education & Accreditation-Riding a Tide Of Opportunity School-to-Work and the SAT (2001)Watson Scott Swail and Eva Kampits
This chapter from the New Directions in Higher Education Sourcebook (2001) Making the Connection Between Accreditation and Learning Outcomes provides insight into the changing world of higher education and the issues of quality control in the U.S. and beyond. This chapter focuses on a likely evolutionary path that identifies the accreditation resources and processes necessary to respond to change in educational-delivery systems with an appropriate system of quality assurance. The chapter concludes with a list of questions rather than answers to help guide future investigation and action in accreditation.
Ensuring Student Loan Repayment (2000)Watson Scott Swail and others
On October 2-4, 2000, the Office of Student Financial Aid at the US Department of Education sponsored a meeting of officials from FFEL guarantors, lenders, and servicers to Washington, DC to discuss what could be done to further reduce the loan default rates of institutions and students. EPI's Watson Scott Swail, then a senior researcher at SRI International, moderated several of the sessions and also served as one of the primary writers of this monograph, released in 2001 by the Department (57 pages, 849KB)
The Role of Early Intervention in Education Reform and Sponsors of Early Intervention Programs (2000)Watson Scott Swail, David M. Roth, Laura W. Perna, and Robert H. Fenske
The Fall 2000 issue of the ERIC Review contained two articles co-authored by Watson Scott Swail. The first, with David Roth of Occidental College, discussed the challenges facing educators and policymakers to ensure that appropriate safety nets are in place to catch at-risk students at the secondary level. The second piece, with Perna and Fenske, describes the types of organizations and initiatives that support early intervention programs and contains a profile that illustrates this support.
Certification and Teacher Preparation in the United States (2000)Watson Scott Swail and David Roth
This paper was written for the Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL) to help provide a wider lens through which one might view the significant teacher-shortage dilemmas that affect schools and communities in the Pacific. The paper into three sections. Part I provides a perspective of the challenges facing teacher education, recruitment, and quality in the United States. Part II focuses on issues of certification and licensure, with a specific look at the alternative and emergency certification issues across the nation. Finally, Part III provides recommendations with respect to the conditions and critical teacher-quality issues of the Pacific Island entities.
Higher Education and the New Demographics: Questions for Policy (July - August 2002)Watson Scott Swail, Ed.D.
For much of the last half of the 20th century, federal and state policies have focused on opening the doors of higher education to the under-served populations of America. The result has been a qualified success: more students from all backgrounds are attending college than ever before, but large gaps still exist in who goes where and who completes degree programs.
Institutional Retention Strategies at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Their Effects on Cohort Default Rates: 1987 - 1995 (1999)Fred J. Galloway and Watson Scott Swail
This study focuses on an analysis of the factors that significantly affect the cohort default rates at HBCUs, and on the potential for reducing these rates. It is hoped that findings from the analysis will help pave the way for further analysis, and ultimately develop a better understanding of which institutional practices have greater success in reducing the higher default rates for these colleges and universities. Published by the Sallie Mae Education Institute.
The Virtual University & Issues of Equity
and Access for the Next Generation Educational Opportunity (1998)Lawrence E. Gladieux and Watson Scott Swail
This report grew out of a paper prepared for the Conference on Lifelong Learning sponsored by the Programme on Institutional Management in Higher Edu-cation (IMHE) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris, France in September 1998. The report poses the question of whether the potential of the latest information technologies for expanding opportunities for postsecondary education is and can be fulfilled, and concludes that the result of the new technologies may be to deepen the divide between educational haves and have-nots, and that the market-place alone will not fix the problem. A special data update collected one year after this report was published is added on the end of the report.
Financial Aid is Not Enough (1998)Lawrence E. Gladieux and Watson Scott Swail
Published in the College Board Review in Summer 1998, this publication provides data and analysis asserting that financial aid is an important factor in college access and persistence. However, other factors, including academic preparation, are pivotal to ultimate success at the postsecondary level. This article provides data on who goes to college, who goes where, and who completes, and asks the question "Why haven't we done better?" The authors conclude with a discussion of public policy and the responsibilities of higher education in rectifying the inequities in access.