Dive Brief:
- The District of Columbia Public Schools collects comprehensive data about its graduates’ success in colleges across the country and uses that data to advise current students about where to go.
- According to U.S. News & World Report, the district meets with principals, counselors and other representatives from every school each summer to go over four- and six-year graduation rates for its former students at every college in the country, sending the same information to the colleges.
- While some other urban districts collect completion data for local or state schools, many don’t do anything like it at all — but DC school leaders have found some colleges to be receptive to making changes that better support grads, and families seem to be acknowledging the data in school choices.
Dive Insight:
Much of the existing information and advice about colleges is based in a vacuum, missing important details that would help low-income and first-generation students make better decisions about college. That was a core criticism of the Obama administration’s College Scorecard. It showed lower graduation rates at some historically black colleges that actually do better when it comes to educating certain subgroups than nearby state schools. These colleges graduate a disproportionate number of black students, even when their high enrollment of black students is taken into account.
Students who are lucky enough to participate in college readiness programs run by nonprofits often get this information about graduation rates for their specific subgroup, whether it be first-generation status or high school. More districts must take it upon themselves to provide similarly tailored counseling to all students. College access without a good chance at success is no longer good enough.