The Research Catalogue
New Findings and Insights on Institutional Practices and Academic Success

This is a digest of sources on issues addressed by the AAAS Capacity Center. It is updated periodically, sometimes with commentary. Web links, some accessible only to subscribers, are provided wherever possible, though we cannot assure their viability.

Report on Reports – National Reports: Recommendations for Urgent Action , Project Kaleidoscope Volume IV: What Works, What Matters, What Lasts, Feb. 1, 2006, http://www.pkal.org/documents/ReportonReportsII_NationalReports.cfm

PKAL's 2006 "Report on Reports II" summarizes a selection of reports issued in the last 36 months presenting arguments and specific recommendations for immediate action by stakeholder communities. Part I and Part II present five reports by the leading national groups calling for the need for structural change, and reports from educational associations and disciplinary communities, respectively. This report is "intended to remind those already committed of the continued urgency of this work, and to alert emerging leaders about the critical challenges and opportunities facing our society." It "also provides a set of benchmarks against which each of us can measure our progress – if, how, and where we are making a difference."

Are Parents and Students Ready for More Math and Science?, Reality Check 2006 Issue No.1, Education Insights at Public Agenda, www.publicagenda.org/research/pdfs/rc0601.pdf

"U.S. leadership in science and technology is at risk unless high schools do more to train and nurture a whole new generation of young American scientists, engineers, and mathematicians." This report summarizes families' attitudes about high school reform and math and science education. The number of parents who worry about whether local schools teach enough math and science has declined since the mid-90s. While neither parents nor students underestimate the importance of these subjects, research suggests that leaders working for major high school reform view the issue from very different starting points. Based on Reality Check surveys, though there are no significant disparities in attitudes between girls and boys, minorities feel differently on the subject than do white students. Reformers "need to help American families understand the economic and educational challenges the country faces and involve them in strategies to find effective solutions."

The Link Between High School Reform and College Access and Success for Low-Income and Minority Youth , M. Martinez and S. Klopott, American Youth Policy Forum and Pathways to College Network, 2005, www.aypf.org/publications/HSReformCollegeAccessandSuccess.pdf
www.pathwaystocollege.net/webarticles/pdf/hsreform_long.pdf

Despite the growing number of college enrollments over the last 20 years, high school graduates lack preparedness for post-secondary education. This publication provides an in-depth review of school reform research that presents evidence of college preparation for all students. It examines the predictors of college-going behavior and how they have been addressed within the high school reform movement. The report then draws out the promising practices from existing reform initiatives and makes recommendations. Four practices have been identified as having the greatest potential to improve college access for underserved minority and low-income students. From these, 7 recommendations concerning the future of high school reform are made.

Doctorate Recipients from United State Universities: Summary Report 2004 , T.B. Hoffer et. al, National Opinion Research Center, 2005, www.norc.uchicago.edu/issues/docdata.htm

This annual report gives the results of data collected in the Survey of Earned Doctorates, conducted for six federal agencies. This report reviews overall trends in research doctorates awarded by U.S. universities, including data on the numbers of doctorate recipients reporting disabilities and the time taken to complete the doctorate degree.