Report: Higher Education Lagging
Arkansas Improving, But Graded Low
Last updated Tuesday, December 2, 2008 10:44 PM CST in News
By Dan Craft
THE MORNING NEWS
FAYETTEVILLE -- Higher education in Arkansas is improving, but still doesn't make the grade, according to a national report card for colleges and universities.
The state scored no higher than a C- in five categories, although the report by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education said Arkansas is improving in four of the categories. Preparation and completion rated C-, while participation and benefits to the state rated D+.
Preparation is determined by the number of high schoolers taking Advanced Placement tests, high school graduation rates, remedial class rates for college freshmen and similar factors. Participation is determined by the number of potential college students in the state population compared to total enrollments, while completion looks at six-year graduation rates and student retention. Benefit to the state is determined by projecting additional productivity and economic impact of a higher-educated work force.
The state received an F in affordability, as did nearly the entire country. Forty-nine states failed that category -- California got a C -- and only New York and Tennessee showed improvement.
The report is based on data from the 2006-07 school year, and does not factor in a state lottery approved by voters last month that will support scholarships, said Patrick Kelly, a spokesman for the center.
NorthWest Arkansas Community College is doing better than the state in most areas, said John Tuthill, the school's associate vice president for learning. The preparation grade is probably an accurate reflection of the college's situation, he said.
"We do see a lot of students who need remedial work in math. There are some who need remedial English as well, but more in math. It's frustrating for everybody, from us to the student to the state," he said. "I'd say a C- is pretty accurate."
The state's C- in completion also applies well to the college's situation, although some students at the community college never intend to complete a degree there, but to transfer or build credits, Tuthill said.
"I'd prefer to look at success by measuring whether they got what they wanted from their time here, but that's not how it works, unfortunately," he said.
The college beats the state's D+ marks in participation and benefit, and community colleges in general are a cheaper alternative to four-year schools, making affordability less of an issue, Tuthill said.
"We're a bargain. Community colleges are an opportunity for affordable, quality education, even for students who are working or otherwise limited to part-time studies," he said. "We're certainly more important to this community than a D+."
University of Arkansas officials had not seen the report Tuesday evening.
"It sounds like they're mentioning some things we've been pointing out for a while, but without seeing the report, I can't say much specific about it," said Tysen Kendig, a university spokesman.
The top five states in each category set a benchmark against which other states are indexed, then graded on a 90-80-70-60 grading scale. Improvement in each state is determined by comparing current data for that state against similar numbers from the late 1990s.
The national report card first graded Arkansas in 2006.
At A Glance
Arkansas Higher Education Report Card
Category 2008 2006
Preparation C- D+
Participation D+ C
Affordability F F
Completion C- C
Benefits D+ C
Source: Staff Report
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