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The College Dropout Scandal
Higher education today faces a host of challenges, from quality to cost. But too little attention gets paid to a startling four out of ten students -- that's more than ten percent of the entire population - -who start college drop out. The situation is particularly dire for black and Latino students, those from poor families, and those who are first in their families to attend college.
In The College Dropout Scandal , David Kirp outlines the scale of the problem and shows that it's fixable - -we already have the tools to boost graduation rates and shrink the achievement gap. Many college administrators know what has to be done, but many of them are not doing the job - -the dropout rate hasn't decreased for decades. It's not elite schools like Harvard or Williams who are setting the example, but places like City University of New York and Long Beach State, which are doing the hard work to assure that more students have a better education and a diploma. As in his New York Times columns, Kirp relies on vivid, on-the-ground reporting, conversations with campus leaders, faculty and students, as well as cogent overviews of cutting-edge research to identify the institutional reforms--like using big data to quickly identify at-risk students and get them the support they need -- and the behavioral strategies -- from nudges to mindset changes - -that have been proven to work.
Through engaging stories that shine a light on an underappreciated problem in colleges today, David Kirp's hopeful book will prompt colleges to make student success a top priority and push more students across the finish line, keeping their hopes of achieving the American Dream alive.
In The College Dropout Scandal , David Kirp outlines the scale of the problem and shows that it's fixable - -we already have the tools to boost graduation rates and shrink the achievement gap. Many college administrators know what has to be done, but many of them are not doing the job - -the dropout rate hasn't decreased for decades. It's not elite schools like Harvard or Williams who are setting the example, but places like City University of New York and Long Beach State, which are doing the hard work to assure that more students have a better education and a diploma. As in his New York Times columns, Kirp relies on vivid, on-the-ground reporting, conversations with campus leaders, faculty and students, as well as cogent overviews of cutting-edge research to identify the institutional reforms--like using big data to quickly identify at-risk students and get them the support they need -- and the behavioral strategies -- from nudges to mindset changes - -that have been proven to work.
Through engaging stories that shine a light on an underappreciated problem in colleges today, David Kirp's hopeful book will prompt colleges to make student success a top priority and push more students across the finish line, keeping their hopes of achieving the American Dream alive.
- GenresNonfictionEducation
184 pages, Hardcover
Published August 1, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 28, 2019
To appreciate this and related books, consider the problem that it addresses. The easiest way to identify It is to note that when most, if not all, large universities report their graduation rates, they do so in terms of six year rather than four year graduation rates. So if a school reports a six year rate of fifty percent, that means that of the kids starting at a school in a given year, only half of them have finished and obtained a degree after six years. Once you have spent six years paying tuition, borrowing as needed, working to support yourself, and generally doing without a regular life, your chances of graduating in subsequent year diminish rather than increase. The process of getting a college degree does not age well. Then consider that students do not earn extra credit with employers by staying in school for a longer time rather than going through in four years.
What about credit for time served? Is completing three years of school without receiving a degree worth a comparable amount of premium if you quit? Guess again. Getting a degree is a process that needs to be completed if any real value is to be obtained.
This is the scandal - large number of students (and parents) are paying lots of tuition and borrowing lots of money for a product that a large number of them fail to obtain. ...and then the students who fail to graduate are the ones to get blamed for being underprepared and poor in work habits. Sure, there is a need for standards, but don’t the colleges have any responsibilities in this? This is especially clear if one examines the social and economic backgrounds of those who finish versus those who do not. This problem is the flip side of the problem of increasing access to college for disadvantaged students. It raises the question of how to keep these students once they attend. This has led to numerous and often large pilot projects on “student success” and some notable successes, such as at UT Austin and Georgia State in Atlanta.
This book is a solid summary and translation on recent research on student success in college as well as a good summary of different variants of the programs at different types of colleges and universities ranging from junior colleges to large state universities and even top tier liberal arts school. The style is sparse and to the point and explains both the theories behind student success research and multiple cases of how this research has been replicated and scaled. It is a combination research summary and a “how to” book. The core is to get underprepared largely minority working up to full capacities by combining high standards, valuable courses, and persistent encouragement, guidance, and support for at risk students.
This is a fine book and tightly written, unlike many comparable volumes. It provides a good look at the problem as well as a view of different solutions. There are lots of references to those who wish to go deeper as well.
The key to the book, however, and the secret for solving the problem is that there is no secret. To make any of these programs work will take a commitment to investing time and effort and then managing the program and its eventual larger scale roll out with skill. That is OK. Colleges are nominally trying to get their graduates to go out into the world and do great things. Colleges themselves can practice what they preach and “walk the walk” by doing the same to do well by their students. It would be a good start.
What about credit for time served? Is completing three years of school without receiving a degree worth a comparable amount of premium if you quit? Guess again. Getting a degree is a process that needs to be completed if any real value is to be obtained.
This is the scandal - large number of students (and parents) are paying lots of tuition and borrowing lots of money for a product that a large number of them fail to obtain. ...and then the students who fail to graduate are the ones to get blamed for being underprepared and poor in work habits. Sure, there is a need for standards, but don’t the colleges have any responsibilities in this? This is especially clear if one examines the social and economic backgrounds of those who finish versus those who do not. This problem is the flip side of the problem of increasing access to college for disadvantaged students. It raises the question of how to keep these students once they attend. This has led to numerous and often large pilot projects on “student success” and some notable successes, such as at UT Austin and Georgia State in Atlanta.
This book is a solid summary and translation on recent research on student success in college as well as a good summary of different variants of the programs at different types of colleges and universities ranging from junior colleges to large state universities and even top tier liberal arts school. The style is sparse and to the point and explains both the theories behind student success research and multiple cases of how this research has been replicated and scaled. It is a combination research summary and a “how to” book. The core is to get underprepared largely minority working up to full capacities by combining high standards, valuable courses, and persistent encouragement, guidance, and support for at risk students.
This is a fine book and tightly written, unlike many comparable volumes. It provides a good look at the problem as well as a view of different solutions. There are lots of references to those who wish to go deeper as well.
The key to the book, however, and the secret for solving the problem is that there is no secret. To make any of these programs work will take a commitment to investing time and effort and then managing the program and its eventual larger scale roll out with skill. That is OK. Colleges are nominally trying to get their graduates to go out into the world and do great things. Colleges themselves can practice what they preach and “walk the walk” by doing the same to do well by their students. It would be a good start.
April 25, 2024
had to read for a class but had me captivated the whole time. so frustrating to see there are solutions to be helping these students that are so accessible but no one seems to care enough to have discussions about them! 🥲😵💫
March 28, 2020
Before I left public school teaching in 2002, the district I worked for had implemented, at a low level, a plan to mentor potential dropouts. Kirp’s book argues for the need to have American universities tackle the same problem, citing the fact that, nationwide, colleges and universities support a 40% dropout rate. The rate is even higher among community colleges: 60% of students drop out before completing an associate degree.
Kirp visits a number of universities who have implemented innovative programs to retain more students: Georgia State University, the joint campuses of the University of Central Florida and Valencia College, the University of Texas, and an “elite” school, Amherst College. His research indicates that, in some cases, small adjustments can allow a student to finish a degree. One helpful practice is to provide small grants (not loans) during the last semester or two; it can make the difference of finishing or not. Another is for the institution to provide professional advisors (not professors) whose job it is to keep tabs on students, particularly those at risk of dropping out; students cannot escape contact. The institutions have even provided experiences that help students to think positively about themselves. Some forward-thinking professors use the Internet to provide lecture material to be read on the students’ own time; then they use class time to work more actively together. Other places provide accelerated tutoring to catch students up in, say, math in the period of one semester without having to slow down the student’s advancement through a program.
In essence, Kirp asserts that because of the great expense involved in
attending college now, institutions of higher education owe their students something better than the old sink-or-swim or trial-by-fire approaches of the past. They should meet halfway these bright students who have met the entrance qualifications and make sure they have every opportunity to finish their schooling. Although I attended a small, private school (a half a century ago) and found great comfort in attending small classes led by professors who were highly accessible, with the practices mentioned above, I might have succeeded at an even higher level. There were times that I felt like dropping out, and only the military draft, the threat of being sent to Vietnam, kept me in school. I wound up getting a degree in music that I only used tangentially to earn a living until I left the field entirely at age thirty. Professor Kirp’s book is one all college professors and administrators should read and consider. After all, in corporate parlance, students are the “business” of higher education: their “clients.” They should be given every opportunity to succeed.
Kirp visits a number of universities who have implemented innovative programs to retain more students: Georgia State University, the joint campuses of the University of Central Florida and Valencia College, the University of Texas, and an “elite” school, Amherst College. His research indicates that, in some cases, small adjustments can allow a student to finish a degree. One helpful practice is to provide small grants (not loans) during the last semester or two; it can make the difference of finishing or not. Another is for the institution to provide professional advisors (not professors) whose job it is to keep tabs on students, particularly those at risk of dropping out; students cannot escape contact. The institutions have even provided experiences that help students to think positively about themselves. Some forward-thinking professors use the Internet to provide lecture material to be read on the students’ own time; then they use class time to work more actively together. Other places provide accelerated tutoring to catch students up in, say, math in the period of one semester without having to slow down the student’s advancement through a program.
In essence, Kirp asserts that because of the great expense involved in
attending college now, institutions of higher education owe their students something better than the old sink-or-swim or trial-by-fire approaches of the past. They should meet halfway these bright students who have met the entrance qualifications and make sure they have every opportunity to finish their schooling. Although I attended a small, private school (a half a century ago) and found great comfort in attending small classes led by professors who were highly accessible, with the practices mentioned above, I might have succeeded at an even higher level. There were times that I felt like dropping out, and only the military draft, the threat of being sent to Vietnam, kept me in school. I wound up getting a degree in music that I only used tangentially to earn a living until I left the field entirely at age thirty. Professor Kirp’s book is one all college professors and administrators should read and consider. After all, in corporate parlance, students are the “business” of higher education: their “clients.” They should be given every opportunity to succeed.
March 10, 2026
a very lovely reflection about how the higher education previously failed its students and the leaders working to reform it
December 10, 2019
I'm ready for the online discussion tomorrow armed with a book full of underlining and margin notes. This is an important read for the modern day college administrator. It's ideas are key to unlocking the economic disparity that plagues the nation.
I don't, however, see the problem as a scandal. To do so implies evil intent. Rather, and as the final chapter indicates, it is a problem of inertia. People would like to change. They see the problem. They also just as quickly see the kind of effort required to be successful.
The kind of change required means bucking massive, national conventional wisdom. It's hard. It requires a zealot who is comfortable being called a jerk and a dictator by wealthy and/or politically powerful people who can affect the trajectory of a career. It requires a complete refusal to 'drink the US News and World Koolaid.' It requires late nights, total dedication and years of long, hard days.
But the book contains some hope. There are bright spots. The book highlights a few. And because I'm an insider, I know there are many other small, equally unknown schools out there who are focused on and dedicated to student success.
With time, perhaps a tipping point can be reached. As these schools become successful, more will realize the importance of going against conventional wisdom. I'm hopeful. I'm not sure I will live long enough to see the point at which the tide turns. So for now, like Moses, I will fight the good fight, persevere and have faith that one day America will once again embrace the idea that 'everyone can learn anything under the right conditions' and that educating is less about fine tuning and more about 'distance traveled.'
An important book that is making a solid attempt to provide the reader with Valencia College President Sandy Sanger's Change Cocktail: 'One part despair and three parts hope.' A good read.
I don't, however, see the problem as a scandal. To do so implies evil intent. Rather, and as the final chapter indicates, it is a problem of inertia. People would like to change. They see the problem. They also just as quickly see the kind of effort required to be successful.
The kind of change required means bucking massive, national conventional wisdom. It's hard. It requires a zealot who is comfortable being called a jerk and a dictator by wealthy and/or politically powerful people who can affect the trajectory of a career. It requires a complete refusal to 'drink the US News and World Koolaid.' It requires late nights, total dedication and years of long, hard days.
But the book contains some hope. There are bright spots. The book highlights a few. And because I'm an insider, I know there are many other small, equally unknown schools out there who are focused on and dedicated to student success.
With time, perhaps a tipping point can be reached. As these schools become successful, more will realize the importance of going against conventional wisdom. I'm hopeful. I'm not sure I will live long enough to see the point at which the tide turns. So for now, like Moses, I will fight the good fight, persevere and have faith that one day America will once again embrace the idea that 'everyone can learn anything under the right conditions' and that educating is less about fine tuning and more about 'distance traveled.'
An important book that is making a solid attempt to provide the reader with Valencia College President Sandy Sanger's Change Cocktail: 'One part despair and three parts hope.' A good read.
January 7, 2021
The book had a few insights but was mostly fluff and common sense. Long story short - if you actually prioritize teaching and undergraduate success, you'll get more of that. Everything in the book is blindingly obvious to anyone who has actually been a student (Ivy, community, or otherwise) but I suppose if you spend enough time in academia the obvious becomes fascinating enough to merit an Oxford publication.
There are a few good aspects of the book, the biggest of which is that it has specific examples of programs that have had measurable success in increasing student retention and grad rates. The book is short and its scope is well contained, and you can read it in an afternoon. Anyone interested in improving student outcomes could use the book as a starting place.
Now then...
I wouldn't say the book is bad, but it does have a long list of downsides. First is that it is replete with admin jargon. You'll read a lot about game changing initiatives, the redefining of familiar concepts, and how heroic leaders are implementing purpose-built programs that embody the 6 P's and show how Scale x Excellent = Impact. The book even notes how students make fun of this rhetoric, although stops short of full self awareness. Perhaps it shouldn't be surprising that the book has an unusual number of typos.
The book also spends a lot of time on the efforts of specific presidents and deans, although the personalities run together after the second case study due to the similarities between each one. For example, many universities don't prioritize teaching, so it's not surprising that many teachers are bad. But one initiative tied $7,500 bonus pay to improved student outcomes in class, and to nobody's surprise it resulted in better performance. Imagine that, being paid to do the job students are paying you to do! Other modifications include changing the wording of emails to be nicer and fostering a more can-do academic spirit rather than a sink-or-swim culture.
Faculty often get short-shrift, and the success of some initiatives comes with a side of "I told you so" from the admins who implemented it. However, the faculty raise a big question that requires no PhD to ask, and the book ignores it as the elephant in the room.
How much is a college supposed to compensate for failed social and cultural milieus that so many students hail from? The horrible K-12 system grants diplomas to students who fail at writing and basic algebra, and many students referenced in the book are single teen mothers or ex-cons. The book didn't state the obvious - nobody can expect such students to compete with those who came from decent or even great schools who are unencumbered by children, criminal records, and grinding poverty (as distinct from regular loan debt). Kirp assures us that standards are not lowered, but his telling of "honors" programs whose students have lower GPAs than their peers and summer programs aimed at teaching basic math tell the real story.
Another aspect of the book I didn't like was its condescending attitudes towards minorities that seems to be in style these days. The book opens with a tale of a very well qualified black freshman who, rather than studying, stays up on the phone talking to his girlfriend trying to convince her not to break up with him, fails his calculus test the next day as a result, and then promptly drops out. His mom picks him up the next day saying, "I told you so, they don't care." Rather than respond by saying, "What did you expect? Calculus is hard for everyone, everyone has to study really hard, dropping out at the first sign of trouble is an extreme overreaction," the admins take the anecdote as a sign of their own failing! The white man's burden is strong in this book, and the subsequent pages use the term "minority" interchangeably for less-than, always needing special programs, support, and so forth that white students, naturally, do not need.
The book is ultimately a prosaic collection of common sense suggestions written in the typical style of an elite college professor trying ever so hard to say the right admin, academic, and social justice buzzwords.
There are a few good aspects of the book, the biggest of which is that it has specific examples of programs that have had measurable success in increasing student retention and grad rates. The book is short and its scope is well contained, and you can read it in an afternoon. Anyone interested in improving student outcomes could use the book as a starting place.
Now then...
I wouldn't say the book is bad, but it does have a long list of downsides. First is that it is replete with admin jargon. You'll read a lot about game changing initiatives, the redefining of familiar concepts, and how heroic leaders are implementing purpose-built programs that embody the 6 P's and show how Scale x Excellent = Impact. The book even notes how students make fun of this rhetoric, although stops short of full self awareness. Perhaps it shouldn't be surprising that the book has an unusual number of typos.
The book also spends a lot of time on the efforts of specific presidents and deans, although the personalities run together after the second case study due to the similarities between each one. For example, many universities don't prioritize teaching, so it's not surprising that many teachers are bad. But one initiative tied $7,500 bonus pay to improved student outcomes in class, and to nobody's surprise it resulted in better performance. Imagine that, being paid to do the job students are paying you to do! Other modifications include changing the wording of emails to be nicer and fostering a more can-do academic spirit rather than a sink-or-swim culture.
Faculty often get short-shrift, and the success of some initiatives comes with a side of "I told you so" from the admins who implemented it. However, the faculty raise a big question that requires no PhD to ask, and the book ignores it as the elephant in the room.
How much is a college supposed to compensate for failed social and cultural milieus that so many students hail from? The horrible K-12 system grants diplomas to students who fail at writing and basic algebra, and many students referenced in the book are single teen mothers or ex-cons. The book didn't state the obvious - nobody can expect such students to compete with those who came from decent or even great schools who are unencumbered by children, criminal records, and grinding poverty (as distinct from regular loan debt). Kirp assures us that standards are not lowered, but his telling of "honors" programs whose students have lower GPAs than their peers and summer programs aimed at teaching basic math tell the real story.
Another aspect of the book I didn't like was its condescending attitudes towards minorities that seems to be in style these days. The book opens with a tale of a very well qualified black freshman who, rather than studying, stays up on the phone talking to his girlfriend trying to convince her not to break up with him, fails his calculus test the next day as a result, and then promptly drops out. His mom picks him up the next day saying, "I told you so, they don't care." Rather than respond by saying, "What did you expect? Calculus is hard for everyone, everyone has to study really hard, dropping out at the first sign of trouble is an extreme overreaction," the admins take the anecdote as a sign of their own failing! The white man's burden is strong in this book, and the subsequent pages use the term "minority" interchangeably for less-than, always needing special programs, support, and so forth that white students, naturally, do not need.
The book is ultimately a prosaic collection of common sense suggestions written in the typical style of an elite college professor trying ever so hard to say the right admin, academic, and social justice buzzwords.
March 15, 2021
I'd give this a four for how much I enjoyed it, but a five for how strongly I believe people (especially in higher ed) should read it. That said, I was skeptical because of the click-bait title (which is explained in a one-off sentence in the final chapter--there is no "scandal"; rather, the situation is scandalous and the book succeeds in shocking the reader). The book hits its stride in the middle (chapters 2-7) as it delves into cases of exceptional colleges and universities succeeding in increasing graduation rates (and lowering dropout rates).
Because of where I teach, a lot of this is sort of "well, duh" to me, but I gained a lot of insight in other ideas for improving student success and was prompted to reflect on how my school could do better (and why we don't do so great at some things). I also found the scaling of retention methods to huge universities and private elite colleges interesting, as one generally assumes that four-year colleges, smaller schools, and so on the ones that emphasize and are leading the charge in improving teaching quality, equity issues, and so on.
Obviously a read for teachers, obviously a read for administrators, but an important read for students and the general public as well. The perception of higher ed needs polishing to apply the means to the significant ends that Kirp demonstrates work for students. If people believe that college and university are only for those who can pay, if people don't see a problem in the huge achievement gap between Black and Latino students compared to White students, if people don't see a problem in the huge achievement gap between poorer and wealthier students, then no one is going to support these crucial changes and one of college's primary functions will continue to be to sort the population into haves and have-nots and to reproduce existing social conditions. For me, it always comes back to this question of whether you want an educated population. Don't we want the most educated population we can have? (Some people say no, seriously.) The benefits are innumerable from economic to social mobility to social justice to self-worth. Expand access to education and help the people who need it most to get there, stay there, and get out of there with a valuable degree.
Because of where I teach, a lot of this is sort of "well, duh" to me, but I gained a lot of insight in other ideas for improving student success and was prompted to reflect on how my school could do better (and why we don't do so great at some things). I also found the scaling of retention methods to huge universities and private elite colleges interesting, as one generally assumes that four-year colleges, smaller schools, and so on the ones that emphasize and are leading the charge in improving teaching quality, equity issues, and so on.
Obviously a read for teachers, obviously a read for administrators, but an important read for students and the general public as well. The perception of higher ed needs polishing to apply the means to the significant ends that Kirp demonstrates work for students. If people believe that college and university are only for those who can pay, if people don't see a problem in the huge achievement gap between Black and Latino students compared to White students, if people don't see a problem in the huge achievement gap between poorer and wealthier students, then no one is going to support these crucial changes and one of college's primary functions will continue to be to sort the population into haves and have-nots and to reproduce existing social conditions. For me, it always comes back to this question of whether you want an educated population. Don't we want the most educated population we can have? (Some people say no, seriously.) The benefits are innumerable from economic to social mobility to social justice to self-worth. Expand access to education and help the people who need it most to get there, stay there, and get out of there with a valuable degree.
December 24, 2019
The College Dropout Scandal by David Kirp looks at the issue of students who are not completing college and what can be done about it. Following the examples of some of the biggest names in College Retention like University of Georgia, Valencia College, and University of Central Florida he focuses in on what can be done to make students successful. From data mining, to nudges (just in time communication in the medium students want) to personal advising relationships (the thing that makes the biggest difference). Kirp addresses what has changed in the higher ed landscape as to why these are needed form greater socioeconomic disparity in entering classes to varying education levels leaving high schools. Finding the way for students to succeed is what will save the colleges of the future. The experiments of the CUNY system and the UT system are well documented here and how the right mix of aid combined with advising can produce wildly successful students where only failure existed before. Finally, he addresses the private schools in the form of Amherst who have the advising but don’t necessarily address how to help students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds fit into the blue blood WASP elite.
As some other reviewers have noted this is not an expansive book. It glosses over the war on budgets and the defunding of the Alaskan system and severe cuts legislatures are issuing as part of their war on higher education. It also does not pay any attention to female students and the ways in which sexual assault has impacted their college experience. That being said it is still a good primer and if you are new to the debate there is a lot of good information here.
As some other reviewers have noted this is not an expansive book. It glosses over the war on budgets and the defunding of the Alaskan system and severe cuts legislatures are issuing as part of their war on higher education. It also does not pay any attention to female students and the ways in which sexual assault has impacted their college experience. That being said it is still a good primer and if you are new to the debate there is a lot of good information here.
January 28, 2020
David Kirp clearly argues and shares proven solutions for reducing the huge numbers of students that dropout of colleges and universities without a degree, burdened with debt and their dreams of economic mobility shattered. Nearly four million students drop out a year - WOW! Yes, "this is not just a policy problem but a moral issue as well."
The mindset and focus of higher education has to shift to viewing students as customers and their success just as important, if not more so, than the institution's rankings. Gen Z is one of the smallest generations, and I believe as the applicant pool shrinks and institutions compete for fewer students, the focus on improving the student experience and student success will become paramount. I love the provocative statement that "no one gets fired because students are dropping out." Incentives matter, and creating the right reward system may help here.
Colleges and universities are complex political and economic environments. While the solutions presented are not a complete recipe for success, Kirp provides valuable insights about proven methods that can inform the development of a winning student success strategy and the march towards higher graduation rates.
The mindset and focus of higher education has to shift to viewing students as customers and their success just as important, if not more so, than the institution's rankings. Gen Z is one of the smallest generations, and I believe as the applicant pool shrinks and institutions compete for fewer students, the focus on improving the student experience and student success will become paramount. I love the provocative statement that "no one gets fired because students are dropping out." Incentives matter, and creating the right reward system may help here.
Colleges and universities are complex political and economic environments. While the solutions presented are not a complete recipe for success, Kirp provides valuable insights about proven methods that can inform the development of a winning student success strategy and the march towards higher graduation rates.
April 21, 2023
College president's book club read.
Overall a lot of great examples on how to retain students. There's no secret thing that works, but a combo of lots of things. Hiring lots of good advisors is really important, and my college definitely does not have those. There were many examples from many colleges, including my own, yay!
Two things that was lacking -
- the administrators who thought of the ideas surely thought of many ideas that also did not work. I'd love to know more about those too.
- there wasn't much discussion of the pushback they received and how they overcame it. Administrations/faculty/everyone hate change, and you can't do all of these things at every place because they won't be feasible. There isn't much talk of the roadblocks faced or how they were overcome.
Overall a lot of great examples on how to retain students. There's no secret thing that works, but a combo of lots of things. Hiring lots of good advisors is really important, and my college definitely does not have those. There were many examples from many colleges, including my own, yay!
Two things that was lacking -
- the administrators who thought of the ideas surely thought of many ideas that also did not work. I'd love to know more about those too.
- there wasn't much discussion of the pushback they received and how they overcame it. Administrations/faculty/everyone hate change, and you can't do all of these things at every place because they won't be feasible. There isn't much talk of the roadblocks faced or how they were overcome.
November 29, 2020
My office is reading The College Dropout Scandal together, which focuses on institutions that are finding ways to address the retention and graduation gap for students who are mostly first generation, low socioeconomic status, and students of color. Kirp in particular praises institutions that include a growth mindset training to help students overcome their initial failures in college, and data-driven resources for more individualized attention and advising to help these students truly feel supported and valued by their institutions. These are all good ideas, with specific examples for others to learn from. I definitely recommend this for my higher education friends.
April 26, 2020
Treating students as people, not merely numbers as well as focusing on student success is a critical element that is often underemphasized when looking at how schools succeed. The provocative title of this book belies the crisis of drop outs in the collegiate setting, and looks at a number of institutions that broke the trend line. Social justice begins with opportunity and overcoming structural impediments to success. This book shows a pathway to that end goal. Great read.
November 29, 2019
Excellent overview of the college student retention and success challenges and opportunities. The author provides concrete scenarios from institutions who have made impressive strides in improving graduation rates and bridging gaps. A must read for anyone working in higher ed.
June 23, 2020
Really interesting examples of colleges caring about student success. Good read for anyone working in higher ed, independently if you are directly working with students (hint hint: you all are) or not.
November 12, 2022
A reminder of the challenges of reshaping a higher education system that was built for the white, wealthy, and privileged. But some schools are doing it!
December 28, 2019
It's always interesting to read from a journalist perspective on what is happening in higher education. It's easier to analyze what is wrong especially when you have never sat across a desk talking to a student or discussing aid with a parent.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews