Promoting Higher Graduation Rates

A new report from the Southern Regional Education Board analyzes the practices at public colleges and universities that have higher graduation rates than comparable institutions, and suggests that there are specific policies that make their successes possible. The report notes that these colleges include institutions that educate many disadvantaged students, not just those who attended the best high schools. Among the policies recommended in the report:

• An emphasis on making graduation part of "the campus culture."
• Considering graduation rate success in the selection and evaluation of the president and top administrators.
• Charging a team of officials to focus on graduation rates.
• Requiring students to pick a major and developing an "individual graduation plan" by the end of freshman year.
• Developing and maintaining systems for monitoring student progress.