American Institutes for Research Experts Play a Major Role in “The Condition of Education 2011” Report

Washington, D.C. – A team of experts from the American Institutes for Research (AIR) played a key role in writing and producing "The Condition of Education 2011." The congressionally mandated annual report offers a detailed account of all aspects of U.S. education, from early childhood education and student achievement to postsecondary education and school environment. Released by the federal National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) on May 26, 2011, the report was submitted to Congress and the President of the United States.

AIR analysts authored two-thirds of the indicators found in the report by working with data from complex survey designs, conducting statistical analysis and testing, and writing key findings. AIR, which designed and produced the report, also developed tools to centralize communication among authors and reviewers.

Documented trends found in the report include enrollment rates in all levels of the education system, achievement in reading and mathematics, high school graduation rates, immediate transition to college, and employment outcomes of graduates. The report incorporates indicators in six main areas:

• closer look at postsecondary education by institution level and control;
• participation in education;
• learner outcomes;
• student effort and educational progress;
• the contexts of elementary and secondary education; and
• the contexts of postsecondary education.

Because the Condition annually dedicates a section to a particular issue that spans multiple indicators, the 2011 report features a closer look at postsecondary education. It examines the growth of enrollment and degrees conferred, the use of distance education, student financing, and persistence and outcomes of students, and examined the differences between public, private not-for-profit, and the private for-profit institutions.

Among many findings, the closer look indicates that full-time students of four-year private for-profit institutions took larger loan amounts in larger numbers, defaulted at higher rates, and had lower retention and graduation rates than full-time students at four-year public and private for-profit institutions. In contrast, full-time students of two-year private for-profit institutions had higher retention and graduation rates than full-time students of two-year public and private for-profit institutions.

The full report is available online at http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/.

About AIR
Established in 1946, with headquarters in Washington, D.C., the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance both domestically and internationally in the areas of health, education, and workforce productivity. For more information, visit www.air.org.

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