American Education in the Last Decade

Are you currently a high school or a college student? Are you planning on going back to school in the near future or you are an adult learner? Do you have children or nephews who are students in pre-schools or grade schools? Maybe you are simply curious about the current issues in the American education.

Then you might be interested in the following information.

Each year, as mandated by congress, the National Center for Education Statistics collects and analyzes data dealing with the state of the American education and submits it to the Department of Education. The statistics are then put together in The Condition of Education publication.

This publication includes various indicators of current developments and trends in the American education, which are supposed to be “valid, timely, unbiased, and relevant.” Some issues dealt with are enrollment, student achievement, dropout rate, degree attainment, and educational financing.

Want to know more?

You can access their website through http://www.FirstGov.gov to find The Condition of Education reports from 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004. The website is frequently updated.

Here are some highlights from the current Condition of Education 2004, the latest progress report.

College Financing

• The price of college and the amount of financial aid students receive have both increased during the 1990's.
• There was an increase in the percentage of full-time undergraduates who received financial aid (consisting primarily of grants, student loans, or both). Between 1990 and 2000, the percentage of full-time dependent undergraduates receiving aid in the form of grants increased from 45 to 57 percent.
• The increase in grant aid was not enough to fully offset college price increases . Use of student loans also went up, with the percentage of borrowers among full-time, dependent undergraduates rising from 30 to 45 percent.

Student Achievement

• There have been some improvements in the academic performance of students, but not in all grades and subjects, whereas other achievement factors have remained steady.
• The annual rate of dropping out of high school declined during the 1970s and 1980s, but remained unchanged for all income groups during the 1990s.
• The bachelor's degree completion rates have remained steady over time as 53 percent of students earn a bachelor's degree within 5 years. However, the likelihood of still being enrolled for a bachelor's degree at the end of 5 years has increased.
• Women have earned more than half of all bachelor's degrees every year since 1981–82, making substantial gains education.

College Enrollment

The undergraduate enrollment has and will continue increase in the next ten years , with enrollments rising faster in 4-year institutions than 2-year institutions, and also among full-time students compared with part-time students, and among women compared with men. Distance education at postsecondary institutions has increased.