New England Board of Higher Education » National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS)

Trends & Indicators: High School Success

Shoshana Akins — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Updated April 2012 ...

New England public schools were expected to award more than 147,000 high school diplomas in 2008-09.
Fully 78% of New England 9th-graders graduate from high school in the "normal" four years time, compared with 70% nationally.
Nearly a dozen foreign countries outperform the U.S. in the percentage of 25- to 34-year-olds with a high school credential.
Nationally, Latino youth represented 22% of the K-12 public school population and 15%
of the overall U.S. population in 2010, according to a new report from Excelencia in Education.

Figure HSS 1: Public High School Graduation Rates, 2009

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Source: New England Board of Higher education analysis of U.S. Department of Education data: Fall 2005 Freshmen and Projected 2008-09 High School Graduates.

Figure HSS 2: New England High School Graduation Rates by Race/Ethnicity and Gender, 2008

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Source: New England Board of Higher Education analysis of Editorial Projects in Education (EPE).

Figure HSS 3: High School Attainment Rates for 25- to 34-Year-Olds in OECD and Partner Countries, 2009

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Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Education at a Glance; OECD Indicators, 2009, Table A1.2a., Indicator A1.

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Number of HS Grads Dropping in NE States

John O. Harney — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 16:31:42 +0000

The number of new high school graduates will plunge in the New England states between now and 2020, according to a new report by the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) and the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS).

The report Not Just Kid Stuff Anymore: The Economic Imperative for More Adults to Complete College forecasts no national growth in the number of high school graduates and declines in the New England states.

Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire are among 13 states nationally that will have 5% to 10% fewer new high school graduates over the decade. Connecticut and Rhode Island are among five that will have 10% to 15% fewer, and Vermont is one of two nationally that will see declines of about 20%.

"Helping workers weather economic downturns, helping employers meet their needs for skilled workers, and competing internationally for high-skilled, high-wage jobs are all important goals that will require we help many more adults complete college credentials," says the study.

Among implications, the study notes: "Congress, state governments, and colleges can all support adult credential completion by recognizing that adult students are a substantial and growing share of the undergraduate student population and adjusting policies accordingly. In particular, it is critical that federal student aid be responsive to the needs of adults who often must juggle work, family and school responsibilities and who are on their own financially."