Library

Reports: Post-secondary education

Data and Technology in Action: Community Colleges Advancing Economic Mobility
Urban Institute, U.S. Partnership on Mobility from Poverty, February 2025, 81 pp.
This report consists of case studies of four community colleges deploying promising data and technology practices to improve economic outcomes for their students. more info >

A National Profile of Youth and Young Adults
Annie E. Casey Foundation, October 2024
Presents data related to more than 60 indicators on the health and well-being of young people ages 14 to 24, including employment, poverty, education, health, mental health, and family and community issues. Many of the indicators are available by race and ethnicity, and are also provided by state and, in some cases, by territory, city and congressional district. more info >

The Condition of Education 2024
National Center for Education Statistics, May 2024, 46 pp.
Annual report that summarizes trends in education. Indicators include educational attainment, earnings and unemployment rates by educational attainment, families living in poverty, early childhood education participation, English language learners, children and youth with disabilities, and postsecondary enrollment. more info >

A National Scan of Policies, Practices, and Systems Affecting Young People
MDRC, April 2024, 145 pp.
This evidence-focused scan looks at the landscape of programs and practices relevant to young people who are most disconnected from education, training, or employment opportunities in their communities due to obstacles related to poverty, racial inequality, or system navigation. more info >

Race for Results: Building a Pathway to Opportunity for All Children
The Annie E. Casey Foundation, January 2024, 51 pp.
This report uses the Race for Results Index, a collection of data presented by racial and ethnic groups and by state, to examine progress and disparities related to child and youth wellbeing. Indicators address early childhood, academic achievement, teen parenting, higher education, and family characteristics. more info >

Undermeasuring: College and Career Readiness Indicators May Not Reflect College and Career Outcomes
Alliance for Excellent Education, February 2023, 4 pp.
This report compares statewide college and career readiness rates with college enrollment and college remediation rates for a cohort of high school students for all 50 states and Washington, DC. This comparison shed light on racial disparities in readiness and enrollment rates, and gaps between post-secondary readiness and outcomes, some of which are related to how readiness is measured. more info >

Toward Ending the Monolithic View of "Undererpresented Students:" Why Higher Education Must Account for Racial, Ethnic, and Economic Variations in Barriers to Equity
Western Interstate Commisssion for Higher Education, September 2022, 68 pp.
This report synthesizes commentary, research, and programmatic activity on how higher education has grappled with disaggregating and using student data to confront and close equity gaps for particular student populations in order to advance high-level evidence-based conversation about equity and learning in U.S. colleges and universities. more info >

Midwestern Higher Education Compact: Annual Report to the Member States, 2020-2021
Midwest Higher Education Compact, February 2022, 10 pp.
Annual report including performance indicators for postsecondary education in Minnesota, North Dakota, and other midwestern states. Includes data on rates of enrollment, degree completion, and state investments in postsecondary education. more info >

Investing in the Well-Being and Well- Becoming of America’s Young People: Recommendations for Philanthropy, Policy, and Practice
Youth Transition Funders Group, May 2021, 16 pp.
This paper examines the relationship between racial just and well-being, presenting a framework across five key domains to highlight the roles and responsibilities of families, communities, private sector partners, and public systems to support the well-being of youth and young adults. more info >

Why Expanded Student Supports Can Improve Community College Outcomes and Boost Skill Attainment
Brookings Institute, April 2021, 10 pp.
This brief explores the idea that expanded student supports might be the key to improving student outcomes at community colleges. A growing body of evidence showing that comprehensive student support programs lead to increased persistence and completion among low-income students at community colleges. more info >

Evidence-Based Practices to Support College and Career Readiness in High School Early-College High School
American Institutes for Research, September 2019, 6 pp.
This brief is part of a series by the College and Career Readiness and Success Center highlighting evidence-based practices that promote college and career readiness in high schools. more info >

Lessons for Employer-School Partnerships to Provide Meaningful Youth Employment Opportunities
Child Trends, June 2019, 6 pp.
Examines an initiative to promote career- and college-readiness among high school students and improve student outcomes. This brief focuses on lessons learned in providing students with real work experiences and exploring the role that employer partners play in implementation. more info >

State of the Heartland: Factbook 2018
Brookings Institute, November 2018, 110 pp.
This report benchmarks the performance of the 19-state American “Heartland” on 26 socioeconomic measures and is intended to help Heartland leaders and citizens better comprehend the region’s current trajectory at a time of rapid economic and social change. more info >

The Rising Cost of Not Going to College
Pew Research Center, February 2014, 65 pp.
Presents results from a survey and study comparing college graduates to those with less education. The study found that young college graduates are outperforming their peers with less education on a number of economic and career attainment measures. more info >

What Does It Really Mean to Be College and Work Ready?
National Center on Education and the Economy, May 2013, 24 pp.
A study of the English and math required for success in the first year of community college. more info >

Web sites

Education Commission of the States
Educational information covering early learning, K-12, and postsecondary. The issue sites include summaries of the facts, what states are doing, programs and practice, and sources of additional information on topics such as school readiness, assessment, at-risk students, charter schools, child abuse, educational attainment, mentoring, teaching, and many more. more info >

ERIC Database (Education Resources Information Center)
Database of education research. more info >

Jobs for the Future
Research on the educational and economic advancement of youth and adults. more info >

MDRC
A social policy research organization that works to improve the well-being of low-income people. Many reports are available on-line. more info >

Prosperity Now Scorecard
Ranks the 50 states and the District of Columbia on performance measures in the areas of Financial Security, Business Development, Homeownership, Health Care and Education. more info >