High school grades are an important and widely used
measure of the achievement of students in secondary education. As such, they
are important to the admissions decisions of selective admissions colleges.
They are also important to financial aid decisions in those institutions that
practice preferential aid packaging - those colleges that offer more grant aid
and less loans to financially needy students that the institution finds
especially attractive and wants to enroll. In some states, high school grades
determine eligibility for state merit-based scholarship programs. But not all
types of students get the best
high school grades required for selective college admission, financial aid packages
weighted with scholarships instead of loans, and access to state-financed merit
based scholarship assistance. Our analysis of data finds that:
measure of the achievement of students in secondary education. As such, they
are important to the admissions decisions of selective admissions colleges.
They are also important to financial aid decisions in those institutions that
practice preferential aid packaging - those colleges that offer more grant aid
and less loans to financially needy students that the institution finds
especially attractive and wants to enroll. In some states, high school grades
determine eligibility for state merit-based scholarship programs. But not all
types of students get the best
high school grades required for selective college admission, financial aid packages
weighted with scholarships instead of loans, and access to state-financed merit
based scholarship assistance. Our analysis of data finds that:
- Females
are more likely than males to get the best high school grades.
are more likely than males to get the best high school grades.
- Students
from families with incomes of more than $70,000 per year are more likely to get
good high school grades than are students from families with incomes below
$39,000 per year. - Students from families with college-educated parents are
more likely to get the best high school grades than are students whose parents
have a high school education or
less.
from families with incomes of more than $70,000 per year are more likely to get
good high school grades than are students from families with incomes below
$39,000 per year. - Students from families with college-educated parents are
more likely to get the best high school grades than are students whose parents
have a high school education or
less.
In this
analysis, we examine the relationship between high school grades and background
characteristics of college freshmen. What we find is that high school grades
are awarded neither uniformly nor randomly across different groups of high
school students who enroll in college. Some groups of college freshmen are more
likely to report good high school grades
than are other students. Because of the differences in high school grade
distribution across different groups of college freshmen, different groups face
hurdles of different heights in college admission and financial aid. Some
policy and decision makers and program administrators may be comfortable with
these differences. Others may be struggling to level the playing field at the
critical transition between high school and college. Regardless of one's
position on these differences, we believe it important that those making
decisions regarding the educational opportunities made available to young
people be aware of the differential impact of their decisions on different
groups of students. Admissions and financial aid decisions favoring students
with high school grades of B or better distinctly favor females over males,
Asians and whites over blacks and Chicanos, those from wealthy families over
those from poor families, those with college
educated parents over those whose parents do not have college educations,
those with two parents over those whose parents do not live together or one or
both are dead and those attending more
academically selective institutions over those attending less selective
institutions. We recommend that high school students taking coursework to
prepare for college take 4 years of English, 3 years each of mathematics,
science and social studies, and 1/2 year of computer science. Subsequent
studies have shown an increase in graduating high school seniors completing the
new curriculum from 13 percent in 2002 to 47 percent by 2014. These data have
been reported by gender, race/ ethnicity, urbanicity, control of school and parental educational attainment. More
recently we updated our previous analysis of academic core course taking of
those college-bound high school seniors who take the ACT Test.
Between 2004 and 2012 the proportion completing this curriculum increased from
38 to 59 percent. Again, we reported these data by gender, race/ethnicity and
family income. The survey data are limited to first-time, full-time college
freshmen. They best describe freshmen starting out in 4-year colleges and universities. They are less complete when
describing community college enrollments because these institutions typically
enroll much older undergraduates than do 4-year colleges and universities. But
even here, these data provide useful comparative information on an important
part of the community college student body as well. The analyses summarized
here describe the high school grades
of college freshmen grouped in terms of several background variables:
analysis, we examine the relationship between high school grades and background
characteristics of college freshmen. What we find is that high school grades
are awarded neither uniformly nor randomly across different groups of high
school students who enroll in college. Some groups of college freshmen are more
likely to report good high school grades
than are other students. Because of the differences in high school grade
distribution across different groups of college freshmen, different groups face
hurdles of different heights in college admission and financial aid. Some
policy and decision makers and program administrators may be comfortable with
these differences. Others may be struggling to level the playing field at the
critical transition between high school and college. Regardless of one's
position on these differences, we believe it important that those making
decisions regarding the educational opportunities made available to young
people be aware of the differential impact of their decisions on different
groups of students. Admissions and financial aid decisions favoring students
with high school grades of B or better distinctly favor females over males,
Asians and whites over blacks and Chicanos, those from wealthy families over
those from poor families, those with college
educated parents over those whose parents do not have college educations,
those with two parents over those whose parents do not live together or one or
both are dead and those attending more
academically selective institutions over those attending less selective
institutions. We recommend that high school students taking coursework to
prepare for college take 4 years of English, 3 years each of mathematics,
science and social studies, and 1/2 year of computer science. Subsequent
studies have shown an increase in graduating high school seniors completing the
new curriculum from 13 percent in 2002 to 47 percent by 2014. These data have
been reported by gender, race/ ethnicity, urbanicity, control of school and parental educational attainment. More
recently we updated our previous analysis of academic core course taking of
those college-bound high school seniors who take the ACT Test.
Between 2004 and 2012 the proportion completing this curriculum increased from
38 to 59 percent. Again, we reported these data by gender, race/ethnicity and
family income. The survey data are limited to first-time, full-time college
freshmen. They best describe freshmen starting out in 4-year colleges and universities. They are less complete when
describing community college enrollments because these institutions typically
enroll much older undergraduates than do 4-year colleges and universities. But
even here, these data provide useful comparative information on an important
part of the community college student body as well. The analyses summarized
here describe the high school grades
of college freshmen grouped in terms of several background variables:
- Gender
-
Race/ethnicity
Race/ethnicity
- Parental
income
income
- Parental
education
education
- Parental
status
status
In addition,
we describe very generally the grade profiles of freshmen entering higher
education institutions by control, type and academic selectivity. The results of this analysis should not
surprise those within higher education
whose responsibilities cover admission, financial aid and student support
services to students. What is not clear, however, is that public policy makers
are aware of this information. Does the growth in high school grade averages
among college freshmen reflect greater achievement? The SAT and ACT data on high school seniors who took these tests are not
confirming in this regard. The renorming of the ACT Assessment makes
comparisons over this span of time difficult, but here too average ACT
composite scores appear to have declined between 2002 and 2012. Roughly
speaking, under the more recent scoring system, the ACT composite score appears
to have declined from about 21.9 to 20.8. The most obvious explanation for the
disparity between rising high school
grades and declining college admissions test scores is substantial high
school grade inflation over the last 30 years. Over the 30 year period the
difference between males and females on high school achievement as measured by
high school grade averages has narrowed substantially. High school grade
averages are also strongly related to the educational
attainment of the freshman's father and mother. The proportion of college
freshmen with high school grade averages of B or better was lowest - at less
than 60 percent - where the father and mother had grammar school educations or
less. About 79 percent of the freshmen whose parents had at least some post baccalaureate education reported
high school grade averages of B or better in 2012. This pattern becomes even
more pronounced when we focus on the proportion of freshmen reporting high
school grades of A or better. College freshmen who come from 2-parent families
report higher high school grade averages
than do freshmen from other parental situations. Where the parents lived
together, 74.6 percent reported high school grade averages of B or better.
Where the parents did not live together, 64.5 percent reported B or better high
school grades. Where one or both parents were dead, 60.3 percent had B or
better high school grade averages. When both parents lived together, freshmen
were nearly twice as likely as freshmen from other families to report high
school grade averages of A- or higher. The socio-economic sorting processes
that begin before K-12 education are further accentuated by the sorting
processes of college admission and financial aid. Students with the best high
school grade averages do not distribute themselves randomly across higher education institutions. They are
concentrated in some types of institutions and mixed with students with lesser
records of academic achievement from high school in other types of
institutions. At one end of this spectrum, 98 percent of all freshmen entering highly selective private universities
report that they had high school grade averages of B or better. At the other
end of the spectrum, 49 percent of those entering public black colleges had
accumulated B or better grade averages in high school. Obviously, the most academically selective colleges
and universities are likely to attract the greatest concentrations of freshmen
with the strongest high school grades. But beyond academic selectivity, universities - both public and private
-attract freshmen with the strongest high school achievement records. And
generally 2-year colleges attract freshmen with the most diverse records of
high school grades. We have also examined changes in the proportion of college
freshmen with high school grades of B or better by institutional control, type
and academic selectivity. We have chosen the period between 2002 and 2012
during which to measure this change primarily because of the sharp cutbacks in
federal and state investment in higher
educational opportunity during this period. The institutions that gained
the most in proportion of freshmen with high school grades of B or better were
black colleges - both private and public - and institutions of medium academic
selectivity. During this same period the largest losers were 2-year colleges,
both public and private. A possible interpretation of this shift is that some
students with high school grade averages of B or better shifted their
enrollments from 2-year colleges to 4-year colleges with medium academic
selectivity criteria.
we describe very generally the grade profiles of freshmen entering higher
education institutions by control, type and academic selectivity. The results of this analysis should not
surprise those within higher education
whose responsibilities cover admission, financial aid and student support
services to students. What is not clear, however, is that public policy makers
are aware of this information. Does the growth in high school grade averages
among college freshmen reflect greater achievement? The SAT and ACT data on high school seniors who took these tests are not
confirming in this regard. The renorming of the ACT Assessment makes
comparisons over this span of time difficult, but here too average ACT
composite scores appear to have declined between 2002 and 2012. Roughly
speaking, under the more recent scoring system, the ACT composite score appears
to have declined from about 21.9 to 20.8. The most obvious explanation for the
disparity between rising high school
grades and declining college admissions test scores is substantial high
school grade inflation over the last 30 years. Over the 30 year period the
difference between males and females on high school achievement as measured by
high school grade averages has narrowed substantially. High school grade
averages are also strongly related to the educational
attainment of the freshman's father and mother. The proportion of college
freshmen with high school grade averages of B or better was lowest - at less
than 60 percent - where the father and mother had grammar school educations or
less. About 79 percent of the freshmen whose parents had at least some post baccalaureate education reported
high school grade averages of B or better in 2012. This pattern becomes even
more pronounced when we focus on the proportion of freshmen reporting high
school grades of A or better. College freshmen who come from 2-parent families
report higher high school grade averages
than do freshmen from other parental situations. Where the parents lived
together, 74.6 percent reported high school grade averages of B or better.
Where the parents did not live together, 64.5 percent reported B or better high
school grades. Where one or both parents were dead, 60.3 percent had B or
better high school grade averages. When both parents lived together, freshmen
were nearly twice as likely as freshmen from other families to report high
school grade averages of A- or higher. The socio-economic sorting processes
that begin before K-12 education are further accentuated by the sorting
processes of college admission and financial aid. Students with the best high
school grade averages do not distribute themselves randomly across higher education institutions. They are
concentrated in some types of institutions and mixed with students with lesser
records of academic achievement from high school in other types of
institutions. At one end of this spectrum, 98 percent of all freshmen entering highly selective private universities
report that they had high school grade averages of B or better. At the other
end of the spectrum, 49 percent of those entering public black colleges had
accumulated B or better grade averages in high school. Obviously, the most academically selective colleges
and universities are likely to attract the greatest concentrations of freshmen
with the strongest high school grades. But beyond academic selectivity, universities - both public and private
-attract freshmen with the strongest high school achievement records. And
generally 2-year colleges attract freshmen with the most diverse records of
high school grades. We have also examined changes in the proportion of college
freshmen with high school grades of B or better by institutional control, type
and academic selectivity. We have chosen the period between 2002 and 2012
during which to measure this change primarily because of the sharp cutbacks in
federal and state investment in higher
educational opportunity during this period. The institutions that gained
the most in proportion of freshmen with high school grades of B or better were
black colleges - both private and public - and institutions of medium academic
selectivity. During this same period the largest losers were 2-year colleges,
both public and private. A possible interpretation of this shift is that some
students with high school grade averages of B or better shifted their
enrollments from 2-year colleges to 4-year colleges with medium academic
selectivity criteria.
Conclusions
This analysis
has sought to illustrate the differential effects of admissions and financial
aid decisions on students with varying levels of high school grades. Admissions
and financial aid policies that favor students with strong records of high school
achievement also
favor students from some backgrounds more than others. Significantly, these are
background characteristics that students are born with. They are not
characteristics over which students have personal control and may therefore be
held accountable for in admissions and financial aid policy and decisions.
has sought to illustrate the differential effects of admissions and financial
aid decisions on students with varying levels of high school grades. Admissions
and financial aid policies that favor students with strong records of high school
achievement also
favor students from some backgrounds more than others. Significantly, these are
background characteristics that students are born with. They are not
characteristics over which students have personal control and may therefore be
held accountable for in admissions and financial aid policy and decisions.
Using B or
better high school grades as a reference for such decisions:
better high school grades as a reference for such decisions:
- Females
are favored over males.
are favored over males.
- Asians and
whites are favored over blacks, Chicanos, American Indians and Puerto Ricans.
whites are favored over blacks, Chicanos, American Indians and Puerto Ricans.
- Students
with college-educated parents are favored over other students whose parents
have a high school education or
less.
with college-educated parents are favored over other students whose parents
have a high school education or
less.
- Students
from 2-parent families are favored over students living with one parent or where
one or both parents are dead.
from 2-parent families are favored over students living with one parent or where
one or both parents are dead.
- Students
from families with incomes over $70,000 per year are favored over students from
families with lesser incomes.
from families with incomes over $70,000 per year are favored over students from
families with lesser incomes.
Now that you
know this, are you still comfortable with admissions and financial aid
decisions based on high school achievement?
know this, are you still comfortable with admissions and financial aid
decisions based on high school achievement?
