College Readiness Study

The First Years Meet the Frames project investigates the influence of high school librarians on first-year college students' readiness for academic research, particularly amidst a national decline in school librarian positions. The project seeks to understand how information literacy skills acquired during K-12 education affect college students' academic performance, revealing significant gaps in research preparedness and addressing equity issues in access to information resources. Future studies will continue to explore the impact of librarianship on student learning outcomes and the necessity of collaboration between high school and academic librarians.

Valenza, J., & Dempsey, J. (2022). What's in a frame? Perspectives of high school librarians and first-year college students. College & Research Libraries News. https://doi.org/10.5860/CRLN.83.9.393

DACA Helps Undocumented Immigrants Attain Success

A new working paper released by the National Bureau of Economic Research argues that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program had a “significant impact” on the educational and life decisions of undocumented immigrant youth, resulting in a 45 percent decrease in teen birth rates, a 15 percent increase in high school graduation rates and a 20 percent increase in college enrollment rates. The researchers found differential effects by gender, with most of the gains in college enrollment concentrated among women. For men alone, the effect of DACA on college enrollment was not statistically significant.

Kuka, E., Shenhav, N., & Shih, K. (2018). Do human capital decisions respond to the returns to education?: NBER Working Paper No. 24315. Evidence from DACA. Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research. https://www.nber.org/papers/w24315

College Tuition Costs Rising Rapidly

According to a study by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, tuition at public colleges and universities has increased by at least a quarter over the past decade, more than that of private universities. Deep state funding cuts have had major consequences for public colleges and universities.  States (and to a lesser extent localities) provide roughly half of the revenue that can be used to support instruction at these schools. When this funding is cut, colleges and universities look to make up the difference with higher tuition levels, cuts to educational or other services, or both. The study states that responsible reinvestment can only occur, however, if policymakers make sound tax and budget decisions.  

Mitchell, M., & Leachman, M. (2015). Years of cuts threaten to put college out of reach for more students. Washington, D.C.: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. https://www.cbpp.org/research/state-budget-and-tax/years-of-cuts-threaten-to-put-college-out-of-reach-for-more-students