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Presented at the Advanced Placement Annual Conference (APAC) in Las Vegas, NV in July 2013. This presentation reviews new research examining the AP® experience of Hispanic graduates over the past decade. Topics include an in-depth look at the AP Spanish Language and Culture gateway hypothesis and trends in family characteristics such as parent education, income, and language background. In addition, this presentation reviews recent changes to race and ethnicity data collection and reporting and the implications for analyzing and interpreting AP data trends as schools, districts, and states work to close equity gaps in AP participation and performance.

In this session presented at the Middle States Regional Forum (February 2013), experts working with national data presented trends in higher education from a forward-looking perspective. Senior researchers from the College Board provided trends using SAT, AP, and Net Price Calculator data. The research director of the National Student Clearinghouse offered new insight into the trends in enrollment and persistence of transfer students. Finally, the director of the Center for Higher Education Management Systems Information Center provided information from national data systems to help higher education policymakers and analysts understand the return on investment in higher education and potential for gainful employment. [The following slide presentations are presented within this slide deck: (1) Landscape of Higher Education: Net Price (Greg Perfetto); (2) The Changing Landscape Postsecondary Pathways (Douglas T. Shapiro); and (3) The College Completion Agenda: From "Education for Education's Sake" to Return on Investment and Gainful Employment (Patrick J. Kelly).]

There are many changes occurring in higher education, and often it is difficult to see trends nationally. In this presentation, experts working with national data present trends in higher education from a forward-looking perspective. Senior researchers from the College Board provide trends using College Board SAT and AP data, as well as new research around Net Price Calculators. The director of the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems Information Center provides information from national data systems that can help higher education policymakers and analysts. The research director of the National Student Clearinghouse offers trends in enrollment and persistence, with a special focus on transfer students. [The following slide presentations are presented within this slide deck: (1) Landscape of Higher Education: Net Price (Greg Perfetto); (2) The Changing Landscape of How We Understand Postsecondary Pathways--With a Focus on Transfer Students and Persistence Anywhere (Don Hossler); and (3) The College Completion Agenda: From "Education for Education's Sake" to Return on Investment and Gainful Employment (Patrick J. Kelly).

Presented at the Advanced Placement Annual Conference (APAC) in Lake Buena Vista, FL in July 2012. This presentation reviews concepts central to achieving equitable AP access and success for all willing and academically prepared students. We analyze trends in participation and performance by race/ethnicity from the AP Report to the Nation and consider the ethics of data in order to understand challenges to interpretation as well as behavioral consequences of various metrics. The intended audience is AP Coordinators, school administrators, and those who recognize the importance of building equity from the ground up.

Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) in New Orleans, LA in April 2011. The first study evaluated the level of interest in engineering as students approached the end of high school and explored the degree to which the academic preparation of these students shaped the engineering pipeline over a tenyear period. The second analyzed a recent graduating class in order to understand various pathways that students took toward or away from engineering as they progressed through high school. Several paths emerged, including students who demonstrated stable interest across time, students who became interested in engineering, and students who turned toward other majors by the end of high school. Groups differed with regard to demographic characteristics, test scores, academic background, and math and science self-efficacy.

When the Commission on Access, Admissions and Success in Higher Education (subsequently referred to as the commission) convened in fall 2008, the educational landscape was facing a number of issues that the commission's members recognized as formidable challenges to those students who aspire to enroll and succeed in college. Summarizing the commission's 2008 report, "Coming to Our Senses: Education and the American Future," college and high school completion rates had dropped dramatically; the proportion of adults with postsecondary credentials was not keeping pace with other industrialized nations; and significant disparities existed for low-income and minority students. As such, the commission was faced with two key questions: What must be done to improve the nation's educational system, and how will individuals know if the changes that are made are successful? Echoing the findings of other key educational policymakers, the commission declared that it is critical--and thus should be a primary goal--that 55 percent of the nation's young adults attain an associate degree or higher. The commission further offered a 10-part action plan in the form of 10 recommendations. The commission noted that these recommendations are so important they must be measured on a regular basis to help us understand the state of the educational landscape in the nation and how it changes over time. This report is designed to illustrate the degree to which the nation is moving toward--or away from--taking the necessary steps for ensuring an educated and enlightened citizenry. Data Book is appended. (Contains 218 figures and 68 footnotes.) [For "The College Completion Agenda: 2010 Progress Report," see ED522548.]