Education Working Paper No. 3  September 2003 Public High School Graduation and College Readiness Rates in the United States What the Press Said: It's Elementary by Jay P. Greene & Marcus A. Winters, National Review Online, 5-12-04 College Diversity: Fix the Pipeline First by Jay P. Greene and Greg Forster, Washington Post, January 7, 2004 College Diversity: Fix the K-12 Pipeline First by Jay P. Greene and Greg Forster, Salt Lake Tribune, January 18, 2004 Fixing the Diversity Pipeline by Jay P. Greene and Greg Forster, Daily Camera (Boulder, Co.), January 18, 2004 Indiana's graduation rate doesn't add by Jay P. Greene and Greg Forster, Indianapolis Star Op-Ed, 9-21-03 New York Dropouts Uncounted by Jay P. Greene, New York Sun, 9-17-03 Houston isn't alone when it comes to dropouts by Jay P. Greene and Greg Forster, Houston Chronicle, 9-16-03 Analysis: Graduation-rate figures flawed World Peace Herald, DC - Dec 9, 2004 Tougher requirements for graduation unlikely DesMoinesRegister.com, IA - 12-7-04 Roosevelt eyes Bush's dropout plan Newsday 11-5-04 Students unprepared for college Frontiersman (subscription), AK Candidates agree on improving schools: Who will do the best job? Indianapolis Star, IN Somehow, people seem to afford it - Monday, Sept. 20, 2004 The Missoulian, MT, 8-19-04 Our school system deserves a regional solution Cleveland Free Times, OH, 8-26-04 A Defense Of Home Schooling American Daily, OH, 8-24-04 Kerry plan won't aid access to college Myrtle Beach Sun News, SC, 8-24-04 Kerry's plan won't put more Americans in college The Union Leader, NH, 8-24-04 Failing Public Schools American Daily, OH, 8-24-04 Kerry's plan won't help poor students Tallahassee Democrat, FL, 8-24-04 Kerry Student Aid Plan Seen As Failing The Poor The Frontrunner, 8-18-04 Dropout rates may be worse than reported The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO - Aug 14, 2004 Education levels still trouble W. Virginia Huntington Herald Dispatch, WV - Jul 10, 2004 04 Seniors’ Failure Rate Reported At 4 % Leesburg Today, VA - Jul 9, 2004 Bill Cosby was politically incorrect, but honest South Florida Sun-Sentinel, FL, 7-5-04 Graduation Rates at All-Time High Insight on the News, DC, 7-5-04 From A to G: Shaping up California's high schools Sacramento Bee June 16, 2004 Schools trying to increase grad rate Chattanooga Times Free Press (Tennessee) June 16, 2004 Study: Stellar high school performers failing college Ithaca Journal, NY - June 14, 2004 The challenge to strengthen schools and produce well-educated ... Indianapolis Star, IN - June 13, 2004 A trade for the future Grads and others turn to apprenticeships ... Oregonian, OR - June 13, 2004 Districts despair over dropouts The BYU Newsnet, UT, June 9, 2004 Prince Valiant was a first-read Denver Post, COm June 6, 2004 Minority graduation is a top goal for district Des Moines Register June 1, 2004 More students seek higher education Des Moines Register June 1, 2004 Superintendent Debate: Do We Need Big Tests? Washington Post - Jun 1, 2004 Figures don't add up on graduation rates Indianapolis Star, IN - May 29, 2004 The class of 2004, The News & Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina) May 28, 2004 Church Services Dodge City Daily Globe, KS Elite Universities Eye Economic Affirmative Action NPR (audio) State numbers use complicated formula The Jackson Citizen-Patriot, MI - May 22, 2004 Achievement gap can put educational equality out of reach Monterey County Herald, CA Achievement gap can put educational equality out of reach Charlotte Observer (subscription), NC Achievement gap can put educational equality out of reach Kansas City Star (subscription), MO Achievement gap can put educational equality out of reach San Luis Obispo Tribune, CA Achievement gap can put educational equality out of reach Kentucky.com, KY Achievement gap can put educational equality out of reach The State, SC Achievement gap can put educational equality out of reach Pioneer Press, MN Achievement gap can put educational equality out of reach Duluth News Tribune, MN Achievement gap can put educational equality out of reach Macon Telegraph, GA Achievement gap can put educational equality out of reach Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, GA Achievement gap can put educational equality out of reach Tallahassee.com, FL Achievement gap can put educational equality out of reach Myrtle Beach Sun News, SC Achievement gap can put educational equality out of reach Centre Daily Times, PA Achievement gap can put educational equality out of reach Bradenton Herald, FL Achievement gap can put educational equality out of reach San Jose Mercury News (subscription), CA Achievement gap can put educational equality out of reach Grand Forks Herald, ND Achievement gap can put educational equality out of reach Biloxi Sun Herald, MS Achievement gap threatens to put educational equality out of ... Kansas City Star (subscription), MO Kerry Sees Crisis in US High Schools Los Angeles Times (subscription), CA, May 4, 2004 Kerry Unveils Plans on Graduation Rates, Teachers Education Week, 5-12-04 Charter schools flourishing The Daily Oklahoman, May 5, 2004 Education Increasingly Crucial For Job Search; Employment Gap Between Dropouts, College Grads Widens Charlotte Observer, May 8, 2004 Kerry Zeroes In on High School Dropout Levels Los Angeles Times (subscription) Kerry Calls for More Money to Cut School Dropout Rate New York Times Kerry Sees Crisis in High Schools ktla 5, United States Kerry Plan for 1 Million More Americans to Graduate High School U.S. Newswire (press release), DC James T Farrell's raucous, brilliant, and (not really) neoconnish ... The American Prospect Project taps 8 Oregon schools for overhauls Oregonian, OR Immigration nation Atlanta Journal Constitution, GA - Apr 23, 2004 For good policy, accurate data Rocky Mountain News, CO - Apr 10, 2004 Program helps boost graduation Pensacola News Journal, FL, 3-29-04 Jan Jarboe Russell: Pressure points show No Child Left Behind Act ... San Antonio Express, TX, 3-20-04 Ambitious but achievable goals, W.Va. educators are showing results with kids who lag, Charleston Daily Mail (West Virginia), 3-13-04 State dropout data misleading Birmingham News, 3-12-04 Minority dropout rate unacceptable, Myrtle Beach Sun News, 3-12-04 Tate Center taking aim at high school dropout rate, Charleston Regional Business Journal, 3-8-04 $5 Million Grant to Fund ‘Gear Up’ Program, PNN Online, 3-5-04 Fighting for freshmen; D.M. schools target ninth-graders to lower dropout rate, Des Moines Register, March 1, 2004 Are Nearly 50 Percent of Hispanic Students not Graduating? PHXNews, United States, 2-28-04 Minority Education Proves to be Diversity’s Achilles Heel Richmond Times Dispatch, 2-27-04 Jordan, Granite ranked No. 2 in nation Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City), 2-27-04 National survey lauds Utah school districts; Forbes 'Best Education'; Schools rate near top in Forbes survey Salt Lake Tribune (Utah), 2-26-04 SBC Foundation Makes $5M Grant to Fund National GEAR UP Program; Grant to Address College Readiness among Low-Income Students U.S. Newswire, 2-26-04 That's politics! United Press International, 2-26-04 School Districts Ranked Second Best in Country KSL-TV, UT, 2-26-04 National survey lauds Utah school districts Salt Lake Tribune, UT Our Failing Public Schools Political USA, LA - 2-7-04 REGION in brief Mansfield News Journal, OH, 2-23-04 Why we shouldn't sign off on letter of intent day hype The Oregonian, 2-16-04 Grad rate cited by White House Bush Outlines Job Training Program: $503 Million Plan Announced During State of the Union Address by William Branigin, Washington Post, 1-22-04 Study Probes Enrollment 'Bulge' in 9th Grade Education Week, 1-28-04 Study: Most High School Grads Don't Have What It Takes for College, USA Today, 9-17-03 Graduation Study Suggests That Some States Sharply Understate High School Dropout Rates, New York Times, 9-17-03 Reports show Jeb Bush as education governor he isn't, Florida Times Union Education, Clarion Ledger Throwing money at school frauds, Washington Times Findings: Students not ready for college Salt Lake Tribune Study Finds Most High School Grads Unready For College WABC-TV in NY W.Va. finally has a ranking to be happy about Beckley Register-Herald (WV) Study: Conn. graduation rates inflated Stamford Advocate (CT) Order, Disorder Fox News Study: Florida Ranks 50th In High-School Graduation Rates News4JAX State graduation rates are telling a woeful tale Florida Today Editorial Weekly laurels and laments Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Editorial School Graduates San Francisco Chronicle Proposed law would help raise graduation rates Christian Science Monitor State misleads public on graduation rates Rocky Mountain News Nevada gets poor grade on rate of graduates Las Vegas Sun Brief news stories from Las Vegas Reno Gazette Journal State ranks among worst in high school graduation rates Oak Ridger (TN) Grad rate exceeds national average Tulsa World Study Looks At High School Graduation Rate In R.I. Channel 10 Providence State grad rates differ from nation Lake City Reporter (FL) R.I. graduate rates in middle of nation Boston Globe Study: Conn. graduation rates inflated New York Newsday Black/white grad gap narrows but officials lament dropouts Boston Herald, 9-17-03 R.I. earns so-so grade for its rate of dropouts Providence Journal Think tank finds Florida has lowest graduation rate in nation Fort Myers News Press Report: Washington Graduation Rate 66% KIRO-TV Washington High School Graduation Rate At 66 Percent KOMO-TV Study questions Colorado high school graduation rate Casper Star Tribune Study: SC graduation rate 49th in US, college preparedness above avg. WIST – South Carolina TV South Carolina ranks 49th nationally in high school graduates WCIV - South Carolina TV Maine's graduation rate disputed by new study Portland Press Herald La. Hispanics lead in graduation rate New Orleans Times Picayune Report: S.C. ranks 49th nationally in high school graduates The State - South Carolina Study: S.C. No. 49 in graduates Myrtle Beach Sun News State ranks among worst in high school graduation rates WMC-TV Memphis Group: 68% in state graduate high school Denver Post Study: Colo. dropout rate higher than reported Denver Post Report: S.C. ranks 49th nationally in high school graduates Augusta Chronicle Report: S.C. ranks 49th nationally in high school graduates Sarasota Herald Tribune Only 35% of Iowa grads college-ready Des Moines Register Report says Iowa students not prepared for college Keokuk Gate City Daily Study: Connecticut Graduation Rates Inflated NBC30 State graduation rates questioned WFSB – Connecticut Study questions graduation claims WTNH – Connecticut ’Floridas graduation rates lowest in US WBBH – Florida Study: Florida Ranks 50th In High-School Graduation Rates WJXT – Jacksonville Study shows why race matters Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – Eugene Kane Column Report: Most Iowa Students Not Prepared For College KCCI – Iowa Less than half have courses for college Washington Times Study: High-School Graduation Rates Higher Than Expected WEWS-TV Cleveland State Ranks Among Worst In High School Graduation Rates WTVF -TV Nashville Colorado Graduates Unprepared For College, Study Says KMGH Denver 30% Don't Graduate on Time, Study Finds, Boston Globe, 9-17-03 HS Grad Rate Near Worst in Nation, The Daily News (New York), 9-17-03 A Study in College Preparation, Philadelphia Inquirer, 9-17-03 State Graduation Rate for Blacks Is Still Last in Nation, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, September 17, 2003 Report Blasts Colo. Education, Rocky Mountain News, 9-17-03 Study: State Underestimates Dropout Rate, Hartford Courant, 9-17-03 (registration required) Study Ranks State 39th in High School Graduation Rate, Seattle Post, 9-17-03 Iowa Ranks 3rd in Graduation Rate, Iowa City Press Citizen, 9-17-03 Many Public School Graduates Aren't College-Ready, Report Says, St. Louis Post Dispatch, 9-17-03 State's Dropout Rate Ranks 49th, Study Says, Greeneville News, 9-17-03 Minority Graduations Rank High, Oklahoma City Oklahoman, 9-17-03 (registration required) State Ranks 50th in Graduation Rate, Tallahassee Democrat, 9-17-03 Florida Tied for Last in Graduations, Florida Today, 9-17-03 1 in 4 Are College Ready, Study Says, Portland Oregonian, 9-17-03 (registration required) Study Ranks State Near Bottom in Graduating Public Students, Nashville Tennessean, 9-17-03 Study Ranks S.C. 49th in School Dropouts, Charleston Post and Currier, 9-17-03 Many Minority Students Ill-Prepared for College, Columbus Dispatch, 9-17-03 Grad Rate in Maine Disputed Bangor Daily News, 9-17-03 American Students Found Trailing Foreign Teenagers, Washington Times, 9-17-03 Graduation Rates Lag at City, State High Schools, New York Sun, 9-17-03 Dropout successes depend on who counts, Chicago Tribune, 9-17-03 (registration required)

EMAIL THIS | PRINTER FRIENDLY EWP 03 PDF (96 kb) WHAT THE PRESS SAID SUMMARY: Students who fail to graduate high school prepared to attend a four-year college are much less likely to gain full access to our country’s economic, political, and social opportunities. In this study, Manhattan Institute Senior Fellow Jay P. Greene, Ph.D., and Senior Research Associate Greg Forster, Ph.D., estimate the percentage of students in the public high school class of 2001 who actually possess the minimum qualifications for applying to four-year colleges. The study finds that, nationally, only 32% of students in the Class of 2001 were college ready, with significantly lower rates for black and Hispanic students. This suggests that the main reason these groups are underrepresented in college admissions is that they are not acquiring college-ready skills in the K-12 system, rather than inadequate financial aid or affirmative action policies. TABLE OF CONTENTS: Executive Summary About the Authors Acknowledgements About Education Working Papers Introduction Previous Research High School Graduation Rate College Readiness Rate Method High School Graduation Rate College Readiness Rate Comparison of Overall, College-Ready, and College-Entering Populations Results High School Graduation Rate College Readiness Rate Comparison of Overall, College-Ready, and College-Entering Populations Conclusion Endnotes References Appendix Table 1: High School Graduation Rate by State and Race Table 2: Ranking of States by High School Graduation Rate Table 3: Ranking of States by White High School Graduation Rate Table 4: Ranking of States by Black High School Graduation Rate Table 5: Ranking of States by Hispanic High School Graduation Rate Table 6: Ranking of States by Asian High School Graduation Rate Table 7: Ranking of States by American Indian High School Graduation Rate Table 8: Proportion of All Students Who Graduate with College-Ready Transcripts Table 9: College Readiness Rate Table 10: Comparison of Overall, College-Ready, and College-Entering Populations in 2000