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.

Key Drivers of Educational Value: The Emergence of Educational ROI, Eduventures, December 2006, http://www.eduventures.com

Incoming college students consider career preparation the most crucial factor in determining the value of their post-secondary education, especially with the continuing rise of tuition rates. A survey of 6,200 enrolling freshmen reveals the leading drivers of education value as professional preparation (72%), strength of the academic program (62%), and affordability (47%). However, many universities focus on marketing their institutional success in terms of grades and test scores, rather than on the success of their job-placement efforts.

Tough Choices or Tough Times, The Report on the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce, National Center on Education and the Economy, 2007, www.skillscommission.org/executive.htm

The report calls for a complete revamping of the educational system to ensure that America can remain a global leader. Two major components of the report would most directly affect higher education. The commission has called for a state agency to handle all recruiting of teachers, focusing on grabbing college students from the top-third. This agency would also control all funds of teaching education. High school would be dramatically altered by allowing 16 year old students apply to college once they have passed a board exam.

Professional Women and Minorities, A Total Human Resources Data Compendium, 16th edition, Nathan E. Bell, Nicole M. Di Fabio, and Lisa M. Frehill, Commission of Professionals in Science and Technology, November 2006, http://www.cpst.org/hrdata/pages/blubpwm16.cfm

Published biennially, this detailed reference book contains a wealth of current and historical data on the status of women and minorities in science and engineering education. This compendium contains data in 350 tables and charts on the general population, pre-college education, enrollments, degrees, the workforce, and international education and employment broken out by field, sex, and race/ethnicity. While a lag still remains between white men and women and minorities in education and employment, both groups have been closing this gap over the last 40 years. However, women have been making greater progress than minorities. For example, women earned 50.4% of bachelor’s degrees in 2004, doubling their share from 1966, while minorities earned 16.4%.

Math and Science Education and United States Competitiveness: Does the Public Care?, http://www.solutionsforourfuture.org/site/DocServer/Global_Competitiveness_Executive_Summary.pdf?docID=641

While policy-makers and opinion leaders have proposed to meet the challenges of maintaining U.S. competitiveness "by focusing on enhancing human capital in STEM fields, the public has a different view of the challenge and the potential solutions." National survey results show that while Americans regard math and science education as vital for maintaining our global competitiveness, they are unclear of its importance after graduation. The study also reveals strong support for policies intended to bolster American competitiveness through the cultivation of talent in the STEM fields and recognize the significant role of K-12 education