AdmissionSight’s Post

Have you considered how algorithms predicting college student success can be rooted in racial bias, influencing decisions on admissions, budgeting, and student-success interventions? Specifically, these predictive models tend to forecast worse outcomes for Black and Brown students while overestimating the success potential of White and Asian students, as highlighted in a study by Denisa Gándara, Hadis Anahideh, Matthew Ison, and Lorenzo Picchiarini. This reveals a crucial issue within Higher Education where racial biases in algorithms may be hindering the admission and graduation rates of Black and Brown students. The rush for quick solutions in screening admissions applications and student success has led some to overlook the biases embedded in these systems. The mission of Apply to Graduate School aims to promote equity and accessibility in graduate education for all individuals. The findings of this study are directly relevant to the pursuit of fairness and inclusivity. To address this challenge, critical questions about racial bias must be raised before gathering and analyzing data. Institutions should also conduct a thorough examination of their data processes to uncover any underlying biases before investing in new software, strategic plans, or fundraising initiatives. If you would like to know more about how your program or institution can address equity in your recruitment and admissions process, please feel free to message me or comment below EQUITY. Explore the complete study linked #HigherEducation #Equity #Inclusivity #RacialBias #Algorithms #StudentSuccess #Diversity #Access #DataAnalysis

Excited to share American Institutes for Research's new IHEP-funded research paper exploring #postsecondary #equitable value. With co-author Adam Hearn, we examined earnings premiums for #communitycollege students. Read more about our key findings that an institution's #demographics are predictive of value, but so too are community-level characteristics (e.g., nearby 4-year colleges, employment sectors). You can read the full report or executive summary for a quick look: https://lnkd.in/ehAPVJWa

As part of the Elevating Equitable Value series, we're tackling questions around equitable student outcomes and the economic benefits of a college degree. This new research series offers insights for leaders seeking to improve postsecondary value, with the first three papers focusing on: - Faculty composition impact on student outcomes, especially at MSIs - Geographic variation and predictors of economic value in community colleges - Rural-serving institutions' economic value compared to urban and suburban counterparts Explore the data-driven findings: https://lnkd.in/eskdSh4x #highered #postsecvalue #data #RSI

IR colleagues - and data-friendly colleagues! Come learn more about our paper at this AIR webinar this Thursday: https://lnkd.in/gD_Dv4Y4. Hope to see you there! #racedatadisaggregation #equitymindeddata #AIRProfessionalFile #dataforwardleadership

A new report from the National Center for Education Statistics found that about 40% of high school graduates who enrolled in college or a certification program in 2013 hadn’t received a degree or credential eight years later. The study followed 23,000 students starting with their freshman year of high school in 2009. Though 74% enrolled in college after graduating, almost half didn’t receive any postsecondary credential by June 2021. They are the fifth group the NCES has tracked for postsecondary outcomes, but the first cohort it began tracking in ninth grade. The studies allow researchers and policymakers to have a better understanding of students’ educational experiences beyond high school. https://lnkd.in/gJ8rTf8W

Math scores of K-12 students in the U.S. plummeted during the COVID-19 pandemic. This should sound alarm bells. This country is in the midst of a STEM and data literacy crisis. We may not feel the effects now, but they will be felt immensely in the future. This crisis threatens our science and technology leadership as well as our economic security. Preparing today’s children to make tomorrow’s scientific breakthroughs for a better future requires a new national commitment. Read more in my latest op-ed with INFORMS Executive Director Elena Gerstmann, PhD, ACC, FASAE, CAE: https://lnkd.in/g_pNF5rU

Most Diverse Colleges Through independent research, Fahey Associates has identified UC Berkeley, NYU, MIT, UCLA, CMU, USC, Harvey Mudd, Georgia Tech, UC Riverside, and Rutgers as being among the most diverse colleges in the US based on a greater presence of multiple ethnic groups as opposed to a single majority. Our analysis sourced data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and measures the size of several ethnic groups across these schools. The pie chart below depicts the ethnic breakdown of the total student population (graduate and undergraduate) at these schools. Asian and white students constitute the greatest proportions, each group making up more than 25%. African-American/Black students comprise approximately 5%. Native and Pacific Islander students are the smallest groups on these campuses. At UC Riverside, Latinx and Asian students are the largest groups on campus at 39% and 37% respectively. MIT, UC Berkeley, and CMU also have large Asian student populations of roughly 35% at each school. Other schools with large Asian populations include UCSD (34%) and UCI (38%). These numbers are significantly higher than the 7% that Asian students comprise in the greater US undergraduate population. Larger Latinx populations can be found at UC Berkeley, Harvey Mudd, and UCLA at roughly 21%, equal to the undergraduate Latinx enrollment across the US. Of these colleges, Georgia Tech has the largest white population at 37%, followed by Rutgers (32%) and USC (30%). White students make up 50% of the undergraduate student population nationally. The largest African-American/Black populations are found at Georgia Tech, NYU, and MIT at 8% compared to the broader 12% Black undergraduate student population of the United States. Even at some of the most diverse schools in the country, African-American/Black, Native, and Pacific Islanders remain underrepresented in the broader student population.

This use case describes how UNT is leading the way in delivering equitable value and fostering exceptional student outcomes. As recognized by the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP), their strategic investments in data-informed decision-making and infrastructure are setting their students up for unparalleled success. ✨ Key Highlights: From 2016 to 2021, UNT saw a significant rise in graduation rates, with an inspiring increase from 52% to 59% overall. Hispanic students' graduation rates soared from 50% to 57% during this period, demonstrating their commitment to serving all students equitably. A decade after entering UNT, graduates earn a median salary of $58,372−nearly $17,000 above the break-even point on their college investment. 🚀 How did they achieve this? By nurturing a data-driven culture across campus through their Insights initiative, they've transformed their approach to problem-solving and strategic planning. This initiative not only improved graduation rates but also ensured students were well-prepared to thrive in the workforce. 🌐 This is more than numbers; it's about making a tangible difference in the lives of their students and paving the way for a brighter future. Their dedication to using data for good, fostering thoughtful collaboration, and enhancing their technological and analytical capabilities has positioned UNT as a leader in higher education. Read More Here: https://lnkd.in/g5CxXbtr #UniversityOfNorthTexas #HigherEducation #DataDrivenSuccess #StudentOutcomes #InclusiveExcellence #InnovationInEducation

Johns Hopkins University rose to No. 6 among national universities—its highest-ever position in the U.S. News & World Report rankings of the nation's best colleges for undergraduates :-O

I love this piece -- this quote concerning the work we do in education and the related research on student success: "Our work is difficult, and we need to face the reality that most of our ideas, hypotheses, and interventions will not stand up to empirical reality," in the interview with Mark Schneider Schneider. This quote as well: "The field is also beginning to face the problem that even after we identify practices and programs that “work,” we do not scale those interventions by moving from, say, 200 students in an experiment to 2,000 students in a school district to 2 million students in the nation. Without paying far more attention to scaling, we will never affect enough students to achieve our goal of creating a strong democratic citizenry capable of earning family-sustaining wages."