ERIC ED522317: Measuring Up 2004: The State Report Card on Higher Education. Nevada

2004·0.21 MB·English

by  ERIC

MEASURING UP
2004
THE STATE REPORT CARD
ON HIGHER EDUCATION
NEVADA
WHAT IS MEASURING UP?
This state report card is derived from Measuring Up 2004, the that the state’s population has attained. For more information
national report card for higher education. Its purpose is to provide about this, see page 12 of this state report card.
the public and policymakers with information to assess and
In four of the performance categories—preparation, participation,
improve postsecondary education in each state. Measuring Up
completion, and benefits—grades are calculated by comparing
2004is the third in a series of biennial report cards.
each state’s current performance to that of the best-performing
Measuring Up 2004evaluates states on their performance in states. This provides a basis for assessing and comparing each
higher education because it is the states that are primarily respon- state’s performance in the national context and encourages each
sible for educational access and quality in the United States. In this state to “measure up” to the highest performing states.
report card, “higher education” refers to all education and training
In the affordability category, however, the nation as a whole is
beyond high school, including all public and private, two- and
“measuring down.” That is, even in the best-performing states,
four-year, for-profit and nonprofit institutions.
higher education has become lessrather than moreaffordable
The report card grades states in six overall performance categories: when the costs of attending college are considered in relation to
family income. As a result, grades in the affordability category
(cid:2)Preparation:How adequately are students in each state
are calculated by comparing each state’s current results to the
being prepared for education and training beyond high school?
performance of the top states a decade ago. This enables policy-
(cid:2) Participation:Do state residents have sufficient opportu- makers to examine their state’s results in relation to other states,
nities to enroll in education and training beyond high school? while also encouraging improved performance over time. A glance
at the table of state grades on page 15 reveals that the affordability
(cid:2)Affordability:How affordable is higher education for
category is the only one in which no state receives an A.
students and their families?
Measuring Up 2004also compares each state’s current results with
(cid:2)Completion:Do students make progress toward and
its own performance a decade ago. Although this historical infor-
complete their certificates and degrees in a timely manner?
mation is not graded, it is offered to allow states to examine their
(cid:2) Benefits:What benefits does the state receive as a result improvements and declines in performance. In gathering informa-
of having a highly educated population? tion for this period, information from 1992—or the closest year
available—is compared with the most recently available data. All
(cid:2) Learning:What is known about student learning as a
information was collected from national, reliable sources, including
result of education and training beyond high school?
the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Education.
Each state receives a grade in each performance category, and the (For more information about grading, data collection, and sources,
grades are based on the state’s performance on several indicators, please see the technical report at www.highereducation.org.)
or quantitative measures, in each category. Most states receive an
This state report card begins by summarizing the state’s perform-
“Incomplete” in learning because there are no common bench-
ance today compared with ten years ago, and by presenting key
marks that allow for state-by-state comparisons in learning. Five
policy questions that these results suggest for the state. Next, the
states, however, receive a “Plus” in learning to highlight their
state’s performance in each category is described in greater detail,
work in developing measures to evaluate the state’s educational
followed by additional contextual information.
capital—that is, the reservoir of high-level knowledge and skills
A Snapshot of Improvement Over the Past Decade
High school graduates are, in general, better prepared for college Completion:37 states improved on more than half of the
today than their peers were a decade ago. However, most states, indicators; 9 improved on some of the indicators; 4 declined
and the nation as a whole, have made little progress in translating on every indicator.
these gains into improvements at the college level.
Benefits:41 states improved on more than half of the indicators;
Preparation:44 states improved on more than half of the 8 improved on some of the indicators; 1 declined on every indicator.
indicators; 6 improved on some of the indicators.
Learning:45 states receive an “Incomplete”; 5 states (Illinois,
Participation:8 states improved on more than half of the Kentucky, Nevada, Oklahoma, and South Carolina) receive a
indicators; 23 improved on some of the indicators; 19 declined “Plus.”
on every indicator.
For more information about improvement, please see Measuring
Affordability:2 states improved on more than half of the Up 2004: The National Report Card on Higher Educationat
indicators; 31 improved on some of the indicators; 17 declined www.highereducation.org.
on every indicator.
2
Measuring Up 2004
NEVADA A Decade Ago and Today
Nevada is the lowest performing state in the proportion of young decreased substantially over the past decade, in contrast to a
adults with a high school certificate, and in the likelihood of nationwide increase on this measure.
students enrolling in college by age 19. However, the state has
made some improvements, over the past decade, in enrolling (cid:2)A small percentage of 8th graders take algebra.
students in college immediately after high school. Continued
progress in improving schools and enrolling young people in (cid:2)The state’s 8th graders perform very poorly on national
higher education is imperative as the state faces steep increases— assessments in math, science, reading, and writing. Over the
the highest in the country—in the numbers of young people past few years, the percentage of 8th graders performing well in
graduating from high school. reading has decreased—more than the nationwide decline on
this measure.
Strengths
(cid:2)Compared with their peers in other states, Nevada’s low-income
Participation
8th graders perform very poorly on national assessments in math.
(cid:2)A large percentage of working-age adults are enrolled part-time
in college-level education or training. However, this percentage has
(cid:2)Relatively few Nevada students take and perform well on
decreased over the past decade, dropping more than the nationwide
Advanced Placement tests.
decline on this measure.
Completion
(cid:2)A large percentage of first-year students at four-year colleges and
universities return for their second year. Over the past decade,
Nevada has improved on this measure more than any other state.
(cid:2)Over the past decade, Nevada has narrowed the gap between
whites and all minority ethnic groups in the proportion of students
completing certificates and degrees relative to the number enrolled.
However, this gap remains large. D
Weaknesses C
Preparation
F
(cid:2)Nevada is one of the lowest performing states in the percentage
of young people earning a high school credential.
F
(cid:2)Small proportions of high school students enroll in upper-level
–
C
math and science. The proportion enrolling in science has
+
Improvement
Over Past
Decade
Preparation Participation Affordability Completion Benefits Learning
3 Measuring Up 2004
NEVADA A Decade Ago and Today
Participation Policy Questions
(cid:2)Compared with other states, the likelihood of Nevada 9th graders (cid:2)Can higher education build upon partnerships with K–12
enrolling in college within four years is very low. Two factors schools to improve student achievement and preparation for
underlie this poor performance. Relatively few students graduate college?
from high school, and relatively few enroll in college.
(cid:2)Can Nevada increase the proportion of students who finish high
Affordability school within four years?
(cid:2)Net college costs for low- and middle-income students to attend
public two- or four-year colleges represent about 40% of their (cid:2)Can Nevada provide college opportunities for the increasing
annual income. (Net college costs equal tuition, room, and board numbers of high school students expected to graduate and enroll
minus financial aid.) in college?
Completion (cid:2)Can the state maintain its use of the General Education
(cid:2)A fairly small proportion of first-time, full-time college students Development (GED) credential to improve the educational
attainment of its residents?
complete a bachelor’s degree within six years of entering college.
(cid:2)A small proportion of students complete certificates and degrees (cid:2)Can Nevada encourage more young and working-age adults
to enroll in higher education?
relative to the number enrolled.
(cid:2)Nevada’s Millennium Scholarship Program provides funds for
Benefits
students to enroll in higher education based largely on academic
(cid:2)Compared with other states, a small proportion of Nevada
performance in high school. Can the state develop financial aid
residents have a bachelor’s degree.
programs focusing on students’ financial need in order to ensure
access to college for all qualified students?
(cid:2)Over the past decade, the gap has widened between whites and
minority ethnic groups in the percentage that have a bachelor’s
degree.
Measuring Up 2004 4
PREPARATION 2004 Nevada
2004 Improvement
Grade Over Decade
Despite improvement over the past decade, Nevada continues to struggle in
D preparing students to succeed in college. This year Nevada receives a D in
preparation because other states performed better.
Graded Information
NEVADA
Top
(cid:2)Nevada is among the poorest-perform- PREPARATION
States
ing states in the percentage of young A Decade
2004 2004
adults earning a high school diploma or Ago
General Education Development (GED)
High School Completion (20%)
diploma by age 24.
18- to 24-year-olds with a high school credential 82% 82%* 94%
(cid:2)Compared with other states, very small
K–12 Course Taking (35%)
proportions of high school students are
9th to 12th graders taking at least one upper-level
enrolled in upper-level math (32%) and 29% 32% 59%
math course
science (20%).
9th to 12th graders taking at least one upper-level
22% 20% 41%
science course
(cid:2)A very small proportion (13%) of 8th
8th grade students taking algebra 7% 13% 35%
graders take algebra.
12th graders taking at least one upper-level
n/a n/a 66%
math course
(cid:2)Eighth graders perform very poorly on
national assessments in math, science, K–12 Student Achievement (35%)
reading, and writing, indicating that they 8th graders scoring at or above “proficient” on
are not very well prepared to succeed in the national assessment exam:
challenging high school courses. in math n/a 20% 36%
in reading 24% 21% 39%
(cid:2)Compared with their peers in other
in science n/a 23% 42%
states, low-income 8th graders perform
in writing 17% 16% 41%
very poorly on national assessments in
Low-income 8th graders scoring at or above
math.
“proficient” on the national assessment exam n/a 10% 23%
in math
(cid:2)Extremely small proportions of 11th
Number of scores in the top 20% nationally on
and 12th graders score well on Advanced SAT/ACT college entrance exam per 1,000 high 132 171 227
Placement tests, and only fair proportions school graduates
score well on college entrance exams. Number of scores that are 3 or higher on an
Advanced Placement subject test per 1,000 high 49 102 219
(cid:2)Sixty-one percent of secondary school school juniors and seniors
students are taught by qualified teachers,
Teacher Quality (10%)
which is only average compared with
7th to 12th graders taught by teachers with
top-performing states.
52% 61% 81%
a major in their subject
*Seventy-four percent of 18- to 24-year-olds have a regular high school diploma; 8% have a GED.
Note: Indicators in italics are new for 2004.
5 Measuring Up 2004
PREPARATION 2004 Nevada
Change in Graded Measures Other Key Facts
(cid:2)Over the past decade, the proportion (cid:2)Blacks and Native Americans in the 9th to
of high school students enrolled in upper- 12th grades are about half as likely as whites
level science has decreased substantially. to enroll in upper-level science and math.
Hispanics in the 9th to 12th grades are only
(cid:2)The proportion of 8th graders taking about one-third as likely as whites to enroll
algebra has almost doubled in the same in upper-level science and math.
period, but the state’s current performance
on this measure is very poor compared (cid:2)Young adults from minority ethnic groups
with other states. are two-thirds as likely as whites to earn a
high school credential.
(cid:2)During the past few years, the percent-
age of 8th graders performing well on (cid:2)Among young adults, 8% receive a GED
national assessments in reading has rather than a high school diploma, one of
declined. the highest percentages in the nation.
(cid:2)Over the past decade, the proportions of (cid:2)About 15% of children under age 18 live
11th and 12th graders taking and scoring in poverty, compared with a national rate
well on Advanced Placement exams have of 17%.
more than doubled, although the state’s
current performance on this measure is (cid:2)Policymakers and state residents do
very low relative to other states. not have access to important information
about 12th graders taking upper-level math
because the state did not report the data by
grade level.
The preparation category measures how well a state’s K–12 schools prepare students for education and training beyond high school.
The opportunities that residents have to enroll in and benefit from higher education depend heavily on the performance of their state’s
K–12 educational system.
Measuring Up 2004 6
PARTICIPATION 2004 Nevada
2004 Improvement
Grade Over Decade
Over the past decade, Nevada has made no notable progress in enrolling
C students in higher education. This year Nevada receives a C in partici-
pation.
Graded Information
NEVADA Top
(cid:2)Compared with other states, the PARTICIPATION
States
chance of Nevada high school students A Decade
2004 2004
enrolling in college by age 19 is very Ago
low, because few students graduate from
Young Adults (60%)
high school and enroll in college.
Chance for college by age 19 23% 28% 52%
(cid:2)However, a large percentage of 18- to 24-year-olds enrolled in college 29% 28% 40%
working-age adults (ages 25 to 49) are
Working-Age Adults (40%)
enrolled part-time in college-level
25- to 49-year-olds enrolled part-time in any type
education or training.
of postsecondary education 5.4% 4.5% 5.4%
Change in Graded Measures
(cid:2)Over the past decade, the chance of Other Key Facts (cid:2)In Nevada, 523 more students are leaving
enrolling in college by age 19 has the state than are entering to attend college.
(cid:2)The state’s population is projected to
increased by 19%—one of the steepest About 19% of Nevada high school graduates
grow by 17% from 2000 to 2015, compared
increases among the states on this who go to college attend college out of state.
with a national rate of 13%. During approx-
measure. Although a slightly smaller
imately the same period, the number of
percentage of students graduate from
high school graduates is projected to more
high school within four years, more of
than double.
those who graduate enroll in college.
Nevada’s current performance on this
(cid:2)About 14% of the adult population has
measure remains very low relative to
less than a high school diploma or its
other states.
equivalent, a rate that matches that of
the nation as a whole.
(cid:2)Over the past decade, the percentage
of working-age adults who are enrolled
part-time in education or training
beyond high school has declined by 17%,
compared with a nationwide decline of
11%.
The participation category addresses the opportunities for state residents to enroll in higher education. A strong grade in participation
generally indicates that state residents have high individual expectations for education and that the state provides enough spaces and
types of educational programs for its residents.
7 Measuring Up 2004
AFFORDABILITY 2004 Nevada
2004 Improvement
Grade Over Decade
The affordability of higher education in Nevada has declined substantially
F over the past decade. This year Nevada is one of many states to receive an
F in affordability.
Graded Information
NEVADA
Top States
(cid:2) Compared with best-performing states, AFFORDABILITY
A Decade
families in Nevada devote a large share A Decade
2004
Ago
of family income, even after financial Ago
aid, to attend public two- and four-year
Family Ability to Pay (50%)
colleges and universities, which enroll
93% of college students in the state. Percent of income (average of all income groups)
needed to pay for college expenses minus
financial aid:
(cid:2)The state makes no investment in
at community colleges 25% 25% 15%
need-based financial aid.
at public 4-year colleges/universities 27% 27% 16%
(cid:2)Undergraduate students borrowed on at private 4-year colleges/universities 36% 48% 32%
average $3,490 in 2003.
Strategies for Affordability (40%)
State investment in need-based financial aid as
Other Key Facts 2% 0% 89%
compared to the federal investment
(cid:2)In Nevada, 55% of students are At lowest-priced colleges, the share of income
8% 10% 7%
enrolled in community colleges and that the poorest families need to pay for tuition
38% in public four-year colleges and
Reliance on Loans (10%)
universities.
Average loan amount that undergraduate students
$2,857 $3,490 $2,619
borrow each year
Note: In the affordability category, the lower the figures the better the performance for all indicators except for
“State investment in need-based financial aid.”
The affordability category measures whether students and families can afford to pay for higher education, given income levels, financial
aid, and the types of colleges and universities in the state.
Measuring Up 2004 8
AFFORDABILITY 2004 Nevada
Community Public 4-year Private 4-year
colleges colleges/universities colleges/universities
A CLOSER LOOK AT
Average Percent Percent Percent
family of income of income of income
FAMILY ABILITY TO PAY Net Net Net
income needed to needed to needed to
college college college
pay net pay net pay net
cost* cost* cost*
college college college
cost cost cost
Income groups used to calculate 2004 family
ability to pay
20% of the population with the lowest income $15,080 $8,339 55% $8,921 59% $17,055 113%
20% of the population with lower-middle income $30,000 $8,643 29% $9,291 31% $16,627 55%
20% of the population with middle income $45,822 $8,827 19% $9,610 21% $15,720 34%
20% of the population with upper-middle income $67,850 $8,880 13% $9,753 14% $15,323 23%
20% of the population with the highest income $112,500 $8,879 8% $9,799 9% $16,279 14%
40% of the population with the lowest income $22,540 $8,491 38% $9,106 40% $16,841 75%
*Net college cost equals tuition, room, and board, minus financial aid.
Those who are striving to reach or stay (cid:2)If the same student were to attend a
in the middle class—the 40% of the public four-year college in the state, their
population with the lowest incomes— net cost to attend college would represent
earn on average $22,540 each year. about 40% of their income annually:
(cid:2)If a student from such a family were to Tuition, room, and board: $10,121
attend a community college in the state,
Financial aid received: –$ 1,015
their net cost to attend college would
Net college cost: $9,106
represent about 38% of their income
annually:
Percent of income: 40%
Tuition, room, and board: $8,901
Note
Financial aid received: –$ 410
The numbers shown for tuition, room,
Net college cost: $8,491
and board minus financial aid may not
exactly equal net college cost due to
Percent of income: 38%
rounding.
9 Measuring Up 2004
COMPLETION 2004 Nevada
2004 Improvement
Grade Over Decade
Although there has been substantial improvement over the past decade,
F the proportion of Nevada’s students earning a certificate or degree in a
timely manner is well below the national average. Nevada receives an F
in completion this year.
Graded Information
NEVADA
Top
(cid:2)Compared with other states, a fairly
COMPLETION
large percentage (49%) of first-year A Decade States
students in community colleges return Ago 2004 2004
for their second year.
Persistence (20%)
(cid:2)A large percentage—almost three- 1st year community college students returning
n/a 49% 63%
quarters—of freshmen at four-year their second year
colleges and universities return for their Freshmen at 4-year colleges/universities
sophomore year. returning their sophomore year 60% 73% 84%
Completion (80%)
(cid:2)Among first-time, full-time college
First-time, full-time students completing a
students, a fairly small percentage
bachelor’s degree within 6 years of college 38% 44% 64%
complete a bachelor’s degree within six
entrance
years of entering college.
Certificates, degrees, and diplomas awarded
at all colleges and universities per 100 7 9 21
(cid:2)Also, a very small proportion of undergraduate students
students complete certificates and degrees
relative to the number enrolled.
(cid:2)Over the past few years, the percentage of Other Key Facts
Change in Graded Measures
first-time, full-time college students earning
(cid:2)Over the past decade, Nevada has made
(cid:2)Over the past decade, Nevada has their bachelor’s degree within
progress in narrowing the gaps between
improved more than any other state six years of enrolling in college has
whites and all minority ethnic groups in the
in the percentage of first-year students increased.
proportion of students completing certifi-
at four-year colleges and universities
cates and degrees relative to the number
returning for their second year. (cid:2)Over the past decade, Nevada has been
enrolled. Nonetheless, Hispanic students are
one of the fastest improving states in the
only two-thirds as likely as white students to
proportion of students completing certifi-
complete certificates and degrees.
cates and degrees relative to the number
enrolled. However, Nevada’s current
performance on this measure remains
extremely low when compared with
other states.
The completion category addresses whether students continue through their educational programs and earn certificates or degrees in
a timely manner. Certificates and degrees from one- and two-year programs as well as the bachelor's degree are included.
Measuring Up 2004 10