Sunday, October 6, 2019
Art history, native american art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Art history, native american art - Essay Example This paper will discuss the native history of American art. Native American art comprises of oil, pottery, basketry, wood, leather and water or sand paintings (Phillips and Berlo 10). The creativity that is involved in American art is regarded as sacred and limitless. According to the Americans, the use of art is continually identified as a form of expression. Their artistic works present their love for the environment. In their native way of life, the Americans considered art as a symbol. They usually made their artwork through the use of materials such as fabric, clay, feathers and rocks among others. In the Native American lifestyle, basket weaving was regarded as the most popular form of artistic work (Phillips and Berlo 13). In this case, basket weaving served a twofold purpose. Most of the American artists used corn husks and reeds to make complex woven baskets. Thereafter, the material was dyed to create tribal art on the basket. The final product was a beautiful, artistic piece of work that was also used as a normal basket. The weaving practice was quite prevalent in the Native American era, since; women would spend hours weaving to create colorful baskets. In most cases, the baskets were made from vegetable fibers (Phillips and Berlo 13). Moreover, there were other materials that were used in weaving of the baskets. The most common materials that were used apart from vegetable fibers include cedar bark, native grass and ivory carvings. The material used in making the basket defined the type of basket being made. Recently, weaving leads to ecological activism. Individuals from the Navajo tribe were well conversant with the weaving practice. They even made blankets from woven reeds. Most literary scholars assert that, the Native Americans were the first individuals to design beautiful implements. Furthermore, every artistic object they made entailed a detailed rationale. They developed different forms of artistic
Friday, October 4, 2019
CONFLICT OF LAWS IN BUSINESS & COMMERCE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words
CONFLICT OF LAWS IN BUSINESS & COMMERCE - Essay Example This report will first provide a brief explanation of basic issues that arise in reference to the enforcement of foreign judgments in England and then apply them in the context of the four different instances where damages have been levied on Pulman Technics by foreign courts. A dispute over a foreign judgment may involve one of three elements (a) whether the Court which issued the judgment has the necessary jurisdiction (b) choice of law applicable in those judgments and (c) recognition and enforcement of judgments (Clarkson and Hill, 2007:131). Foreign judgments are recognized and given effect to by courts in other countries, because the recognition of foreign judgments is one of the essential elements of private international law on the basis of res judicata provisions. Through the application of the full faith and credit doctrine, courts do recognize the judgments delivered by other courts functioning within a competent jurisdiction. The Theory of obligation rests on the premise that if the original courtââ¬â¢s assumption of jurisdiction was in order, then it should prima facie be recognizable in England.(Clarkson and Hill, 2007: 133) In the case of judgments that have been passed within countries that are a part of the Brussels Convention, such judgments would be enforceable in England, provided they are not repugnant to the principles of morality and fairness advocated under English law.In the case of foreign judgments passed in countries that are not a part of the Brussels Convention and where no reciprocal enforcement treaties exist, the action to enforce the judgment must be brought under common law rules. The matter of consent will be established if there is a contractual clause allowing jurisdiction to the foreign court, or if there is a voluntary appearance by the judgment-debtor. (Clarkson and Hill, 2007:136). A defendant must have been present in the foreign country where action is being brought against him or her and in the event,
Thursday, October 3, 2019
I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King Essay Example for Free
I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King Essay ââ¬Å"I have a dreamâ⬠was a speech delivered on August 28, 1963 by Martin Luther King in Lincoln Memorial Washington D. C. Martin Luther Kingââ¬â¢s role or position in his speech is that of an illustrator, or a mediator of peace and equality. He becomes one of those people who have seen the light and wanted to share this light to those other individuals who are still in the dark. He wanted or dreamed of a community wherein racial discrimination is no longer an issue. His ideal community is where everybody is free, no biases for either black or white people nor black or white community. He is in a position as to persuade the people to become more vigilant in watching their freedom and in receiving or wanting equality and justice. He also wanted each and every people to understand that oneââ¬â¢s freedom or destiny is bound to the other. Because of this, he wanted everybody to properly exercise civil rights and must not prevent people from using this privilege. Generally, the intended audience of the speech is the black people, and also those who are not such as the white people, but are living with black people or in black communities. However, everybody can read or listen to his speech or statement because of the underlying principles included in his speech and his dreams or ideals can be utilized or preferred as a model for civil rights. ââ¬Å"I have a dreamâ⬠greatly inspires and effectively infuses its point of view to its audience, transforming dreams into reality and despair into hope; we dream of being free, and we become free because of this dream. Martin Luther King was prompted to write or make the statement or speech because of the continuing slavery that entangles each and every people, especially for the black people or communities. In addition to this, the belief and treatment or actions of the black people against the white people had alarmed the author to write or make this speech to the public. According to Martin Luther King, the slavery of the black people may have been released or abolished because of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. However, nowadays or 100 years later, this freedom from slavery is still ambiguous and it does not exist. In addition to this, Martin Luther King believes that there are still a lot of people who are experiencing police brutality and social discrimination. In addition to this, he thinks that the rights and privileges which were given to the people, especially the black people, is not properly implemented or received by the black communities. Martin Luther King takes on the affirmative side or in favor for equality amongst the black people and also the white people. He clearly shows or supports his stand through several examples and emphasis on his words or statements. Martin Luther King claims that every individual should learn to respect and give what is right to their neighbors. He is aware that there are people who are still suffering beyond the hands of law. He reasons this out by giving examples of those who were misunderstood, brutally beaten indiscriminately and provides logic as to why dreaming is an important part in oneââ¬â¢s body. Martin Luther King is qualified to be a speaker or author of such paper because of his records and performance not only as a politician but also an individual who greatly cares for justice and freedom. I believe that the assumptions, ideas or claims of Martin Luther King are correct and good, with some deviances especially through the use of audio, video or format or instructions at more school. He was able to provide examples of real life situations where the civil rights of an individual becomes hindered. In addition to this, the audio and video formats are very much entertaining and at the same time, inform the audience of the predicaments of equality or justice in nations or communities. However, there are some claims or dreams which are somehow impossible to attain such as complete equality and freedom from prejudice from all countries or states. Being able to read Martin Luther Kingââ¬â¢s work, my perspective before to ignore claims and evidences and become settled in what the community gives me, had greatly changed. As such, the degree of my trust towards Martin Luther King did increase due to his great speech which is definitely eye-opening. The author has refutations that include the fulfillment of his dream or conditions in order to achieve a country, state or community. He also refutes the fact that freedom is already complete. The refutations made by Martin Luther King are really effective. In addition to this, he uses great emphasis on his words and greatly touches the sympathy of those who are listening to his speech. He was able to clearly state his dreams, one after the other and manage to state options or categories which would fulfill his dreams. His last statement ââ¬Å"Free at last! Free at last! â⬠gives hopes and restore the faith which people have for change and better living. As an individual who had already received the light from Martin Luther King, my desire for helping other people and providing equality or non-biased reactions had increased. My hopes for a better communication and media for spreading the word of the real scenario on freedom and equality also increased because of the persuasive message or speech delivered by Martin Luther King, Somehow, a part of me already wants to do something in order to help and at least be able to create balance within communities. In addition to this, his metaphor of a ring, representing one goal, and fingers representing the people, is really amazing and in reality lightens my belief. I thought that we are already saved, but the paper of Martin Luther King had taught me well. Works Cited Jr. , Dr. Martin Luther King. American Rhetric: Martin Luther King Jr. : I Have a Dream. Atlanta, 2008. February 11, 2008. Intellectual Properties Management. http://www. americanrhetoric. com/speeches/mlkihaveadream. htm.
Meaning And Definition Of Business Process Reengineering Information Technology Essay
Meaning And Definition Of Business Process Reengineering Information Technology Essay The main of preparing and presenting this report is to understand about the concept what business process engineering is, and how it benefited the companies in reduction on process time and costs. Another objective is to evaluate how business process reengineering enhances the capabilities and working capacities of companies. This Research will also involve the Research of those factors that companies use to develop business process reengineering a more profitable one. Meaning and definition of Business Process Reengineering-BPR: In business processes reengineering all the outdated processes of the business are redesigned along with the connected systems and entitys structures with an aim to reach at a remarkable performance level along with business improvements. The corporate basis for creating these changes possibly will comprise deprived performance in terms of competition, financial aspects and reduction of market share of emerging market opportunities. Business process reengineering just not mean to introduction of new technology, automation, reorganization, and downsizing of business process etc but also involve change assessment various business components such as culture, entity, technology, processes and strategies. According to M. Hammer (2003) in his book reengineering corporation defines BPR as: Fundamental rethinking and radical redesign of business processes to bring about dramatic improvements in performance. Whereas, according to Davenport and short (1990), business process reengineering is Analysis and design of workflows and processes within and between entities And according to Teng et al. (1994), business process reengineering is: Critical analysis and radical redesign of existing business processes to achieve breakthrough improvements in performance measures. M. Hammer (2003), spotlight is on radical and fundamental of business process reengineering. Similarly according to him another process improvement technique is Continuous process Improvement (CPI), that mainly gives importance to measurable and small type of modifications in an entitys existing systems and processes. Continuous process improvement includes its foundations in following six sigma and total quality management (TQM) solutions similar to those of Motorola Inc. VARIOUS MYTHS OF BPR: The most accepted management theory has produced supplementary myths than realistic tactics of business process reengineering. Business process reengineering-BPR is in the industry from 1990s, but still BPR is generally get the wrong idea and always associated with ABC, quality, client/server computing, downsizing, and numerous other management change processes in the past decades. On the basis of having conversations through interviews with higher than 20 companies, and 35 reengineering initiatives, etc Davenport Studded (1990) identify seven reengineering myths: Reengineering novelty myth: in spite of having familiar concept reengineering, but is now merged with the latest concepts and brings a synthesis in business. However these combinations of components were not seen ever before. Clean slate myth: Clean slate change is hardly ever found in reality, despite of Davenport and Stoddards (1994) black sheet of paper and M. hammers (1990) catchphrase Dont automate, obliterate!. These phrases were used in design more often than not needs a blank check for execution is completed over some phased projects. Furthermore, it is assisted by groundwork conclusions of Jarvenpaa and Stoddard (1995) that gone opposing to Michael Hammer (1990). According to Michael Hammer reengineering be capable of bringing radical besides, a innovative process of change that may not be viable under specified cost and risks of those innovative processes Information systems Leadership myth: with contrary to greatly hyped leadership role, Information system is usually seen as a co-worker inside a cross-functional group i.e. commonly leaded by a non information system plan leader and a non information system business supporter that got good command over various processes which are to be redesigned. Top-Down Design myth: project implementation and putting it to start the newly redesigned processes extremely depend on working partners. Therefore, involvement of members and further critically approval and possession, the lowland roots stage is crucial for thriving business process reengineering-BPR. Reengineering VS transformation: According to Adams (1984), Entitys transformation system or process is defined as, Profound, fundamental changes in thought and action, which create an irreversible discontinuity in experience of a system whereas, business process reengineering is a process of contributing to entitys transformation system. But any how BPR not means the same as transformation. Engineerings Permanence myth: according to the researchers Davenport and Stoddard (1994), they hypothesize that reengineering has gone high in United States during1994 and may possibly turn into integrated process with greatly broader entitys experience such as another combination of thoughts that comprise awareness of reengineering. Relationship between companies and its customers and importance of business process engineering: The relationship between a company and its customers is not limited to just the buying and selling of a product or service. It has gained new dimensions and expanded from the buying and selling of products and services to a whole range of business practices form customer service, consulting and pricing to production and distribution. Customers have become increasingly selective due to the availability of a wide range of products and services. These changes in the market place have forced companies to rethink about their business processes. Business process reengineering (BPR) makes companies more customers focused and responsive to changes in the market place. These results are achieved by reshaping the corporate structure around the business processes. Business process reengineering (BPR) achieves this transformation, not by automation of the business processes, but by rethinking the companys tasks in a holistic and process oriented manner. Figure: Business as a system Money People Facilities Material Information Information Workflow Output Input Raw materials, Operations, Finished goods, Components, Processes Services Source: Vinod Kumar Garg and N.K Venkitakrishnan, (2002), Enterprise resource planning: concepts and practice, prentice hall, p.28 Business process reengineering and information technology: The increasing use of information technology in businesses has compelled organizations to go for business process reengineering because the implementation of information technology necessitates significant changes in business processes. These changes allow organizations to take full advantage of the benefits offered by information technology. The relationship between business process reengineering (BPR) and information technology cannot be underestimated. For instance, Wal-Mart would not have been able to reengineer its processes for procurement and distribution of its mass-market retail goods without information technology. Michael Hammer (1990), think information technology as main support to business process reengineering-BPR that he thinks as radical change. According to Hammer (1990) the use of Information technology to face hypothesis inborn in project processes which have been present ever since earlier than arrival of present supercomputers and telecommunications technology. Michael hammer also criticize that at the central processing unit of reengineering is idea of Discontinuous thinking or recognizing and breaking away from outdated rules and fundamental assumptions underlying operationsà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦ se rules of work design are based on assumptions about technology, people, and entitys goals that no longer hold, Michael Hammer (1990) Michael Hammer (1990) recommended the following reengineering principles. They are: Organization may not be around tasks but it should be around outcomes Those should involve in implementation process who actually rely on the perform output of the process Consider processing of information task addicted to actual tasks which responsible for information production Take care of geographically detached resources as despite the fact that they will be centralized as they are Connect the activities that are parallel rather than integrating their outcomes Keep judgment point at actual place of work, and create control up on the process; and Gather and collect information once and at the starting place. BPR Implementation methodology: The various stages that a typical BPR implementation program goes through are: Identify the needs for the BPR package: The first stage involves the identification of the needs to be satisfied by adopting the BPR package. Once these needs are identified, organizations can evaluate how ERP implementation can help satisfy these needs. Transforming the labor and machinery based productivity into knowledge and information based productivity can be the examples of the needs that a BPR can satisfy. Evaluating the as-is situation of the business: The next stage involves the identification of various processes involved in the working of the organization. Then, the detailed processes in business activities should be listed. Process mapping can be helpful in detailing the processes. It provides information about the time taken to complete a process, the number of decision points, the number of reporting points and flow of information, etc. Decisions about the desired would-Be situations for the business: once the structure of the current processes is identified, the next stage involves the identification of the desired attributes for each of the processes. Performance standards are set for each process by using benchmarking techniques. Benchmarking ensures that the desired organizational attributes are comparable with the best business practices in the industry. Reengineering of business processes to achieve the desired results: in order to achieve these desired standards in business processes, organizations need to reengineer their current processes. The objectives of business process reengineering including reducing the process cycle time, reducing the number of decision points, optimizing the information flow between different functions and departments, etc. CASE STUDY: A Study on business process reengineering by Prosci The following are the details of a study conducted by Prosci on BPR: The areas of chosen for conducting the research? What should be reengineered, what is going to be reengineered and why? Which alternative advancements/approaches are working? Vital do and dont activities Choosing a best team from alternatives Necessities required for approval of a project PARTICIPANTS OF RESEARCH What processes are targets for Reengineering? Client service was the major commonly reengineered process during the 1997 and 1999, except by fewer of a percentage. Services related to computers and telecommunication almost two times in rate, stirring it from 5th to 2nd mainly embattled business taken for processes reengineering. Are business process reengineering-BPR projects successful? Research members confirm to a large extent in general projected improvements as of their business process reengineering-BPR projects in 1997 or 1999 and now in 2002. More than 50% i.e. (54%) of members likely improvements of over 30% achieved. Furthermore to the anticipated greater improvements, Research members also got success in their projects after implementation of BPR. With reference to the study, 113 Research members are accomplished to compare project in opposition to preliminary set objectives. More than 73% meet up or go beyond their goals, among them almost i.e. 47% approximately of Research members got their project inside 10 percent. Why are certain teams successful? According to the Members of research there were various factors that are responsible for success of their team. Among those the above 3 factors are given below: Dedication and strong commitment towards completion of the project with 100% success Maximum support from top level management and conversion of support into actions Everyone shared a common and clear vision towards the goals and objectives. The team got a single understanding and focus point for success of the project. What did Top management do to encourage project success? Showing outcomes from report of the year 1999, those teams got heavy success which was highly supported by top management. The projects were greatly possible to end with the over and above the organizations success expectations. The failure companies senior managers failed to give sufficient visible involvement in their organizational reengineering project. à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦ not staying involved enough after the initial phase, assuming that everyone in the entity understood their vision and strategy. An irresistible greater part of the teams had support to their teams from the senior and sponsor managers or executives in the project implementation and the majority rated that the involvement of their seniors use as excellent. What were the problems faced while implementing BPR? Poorly defined business process Rushed deadlines Many complex tasks Only one major milestone Silence from the upper management The wrong team members Unmotivated teams Communication breakdown BUSINESS PROCESS REENGINEERING AND COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE: To gain competitive advantage, organizations should understand the scope of a particular market and identify the various inherent differences between various markets. They need to understand what is required to become qualifiers and order-winners. Qualifiers are the most basic attributes that an organization must possess before any customers will decide to deal with them. For instance, ISO standards have become on e of the key qualifiers for any organization with global markets. Qualifiers provide the initial impetus to customers to deal with an organization but, in order to close a deal, organizations must have order-winners. The order-winners could be price advantage, quality, etc. BPR enables the organizations to optimize and organize different qualifiers and order-winners by redesigning the complete processes so as to gain competitive advantage in the market. Some of the order-winners and qualifiers, which apply to most companies, are discussed below: Price: As price is one of the key order-winners in most markets, the BPR package can help identify the cost centers and assist in redesigning processes to reduce production costs. Setting up tough cost targets and putting in place a rigorous monitoring system can help a company become cost-efficient. Therefore, BPR implementation should focus on the areas in which significant costs are involved so that appropriate resource allocations can be made and management attention can be focused on them. When a company uses price reduction as an order-winner, it should also change its corporate strategy accordingly. It needs to assess changes in lead-times, investment implications and cost-reduction potential in several areas. Without assessing these factors, the changes in the strategy will be inappropriate. Delivery reliability and speed: Delivery reliability has also become one of the criteria on which customers judge an organizations competitiveness. BPR can make more efficient the procurement and distribution activities and reduce the process lead time involved in purchasing the raw materials and distribution of finished products. BPR helps to reduce the time in coordinating activities among all the entities of the supply chain through the smooth flow of information between them. With the help of BPR, the lead time required to process an order is reduced significantly. The need to provide information to customers and suppliers has forced BPR vendors to implement their applications with e-commerce also. Quality: The concept of quality no longer denotes just a state of being free from defects. Today, quality encapsulates many dimensions like performance, features, reliability, conformance, durability, serviceability and aesthetics. BPR by its redesigning capabilities can bridge the gap between the existing process and the implementation of the best process can help an organization achieve its quality objectives. Product range: In todays competitive world, organizations need to provide products in different shapes and sizes that satisfy the requirements of the different segments of the markets. They need a variety of products in their product line. But as the product range increase, the cost and time of production increases due to the modification of production process to accommodate the changes required for each product range. BPR, through reducing the process defects and be making the old labor and machinery system to knowledge and information systems, help in integrating the functionalities and a common database, enhances the capabilities that assists organizations in this direction. KEY GUIDE LINES TO BE FOLLOWED: Important guidelines that an organization must follow in Business Process Reengineering to make it more efficient and profitable: Business process reengineering is different from other IT systems/models in that its implementation is not restricted to a single functional domain. In order to take full advantage of the profitable benefits of the BPR package, organizations may/need to follow the guidelines given below: Define corporate needs and culture: In order to implement a BPR system successfully, a complete overhaul of the business organization is needed. Organizations should assess their readiness for change and the possibility of the implementing change in the organization. The level of difficulty in bringing about change depends on the amount of change involved. Project leaders should assess the level of difficulty they are likely to face. The top management should provide complete support for the implementation of the BPR package. Implementing a BPR package may also involves the redefinition of the roles of different functional departments, and the authority and responsibility of individuals throughout the organization. Complete business process change: The organization should be aware of the required changes in business process and skills and attitudes for BPR implementation. It may have the willingness to adopt changes but may not be able to assess the implications of the changes. Therefore, the organization should undergo a brief business process redesigns exercise before the actual implementation. The redesigning exercise should be carried out on the basis of the structure of the BPR package, so that there is no mismatch between the required functionalities and the functionalities provided by the BPR package. Communicate across the organization: Communication allows different entities involved or affected by BPR implementation to be aware of its effects on their jobs. Proper communication optimizes the implementation process, as the employees are aware of what is required of them. Besides, feedback provides the management with information needed to allay the concerns of the employees. Communication should not overstate or understate the functionalities of the new system. Overstating the functionalities would raise employees expectations unrealistically, while understating them may leave employees unprepared for the changes required for BPR implementation. Provide strong leadership: Strong leadership is an important success factor in implementing a BPR package. The difference between and informal support and active leadership can be the difference between the success and the failure. Therefore, the members of the steering committee members should be able to understand the business redesign and integration. Though these may be complicated processes, the right modeling tools can help them make simpler to follow. The steering team should be trained in process mapping and reengineering methodology and it should be fully involved in the process redesign so that it can guide the team members (implementation team) properly. Select a balanced team: The size and complexity of BPR implementation and maintenance necessitates a balanced team of professionals. In general, the BPR implementation team consists of personnel from IT, finance, marketing, sales and production. Most companies hire external BPR consultants who provide information about the operational aspects of the new BPR system and assist the internal team. Select a good method of implementation: As the implementation of a BPR package involves the participation of all the departments, a proper sequence of steps should be identified to define the implementation process. Project leader should set the milestones to be achieved in the various phases of the implementation and review progress continuously against the milestones. They should define clearly the scope of the project and develop the work breakdown structure (WBS), and estimate the time required to complete each activity identified in the WBS. This will help them reach a realistic project plan. They need to ensure that there is no compromise with the quality of the new process/system. Organization-wide training: BPR is a complex and organization wide system that requires some amount of training so that full advantage of the capabilities of the new process can be taken. The steering team should be trained in process analysis and redesign. The staff in the information technology department should be made aware of the package architecture, design and configuration. Functional managers should learn how the new process performs and how it can be useful in the decision-making process. The training varies across the different levels, and is based on the requirements of the persons using the new system or process. CONCLUSIONS: The term Business process reengineering-BPR, has an imperfect records in the past. But became popular in 1990s beginning, conversely, tactics and advancements was not completely be aware or nor valued. A lot of time, upgrading projects tagged with the name Business Process Reengineering-BPR be inadequately designed and implemented. Organizations and their employees get embarrassed at consideration of an additional Business process reengineering-BPR familiarity. The concept BPR is less utilized, and modified lot of times from the actual business process reengineering-BPR that was earlier exists. An organization operating in a competitive environment needs to have competitive advantage over others to attract and retain business. This can happen when different organizational functions develop strategies that complement the corporate strategy. An organizations competitive advantage can be defined by service quality, responsiveness and ability to satisfy customers needs and wants. In spite of this mistreatment of put into practice and imperfect name, applications of business process redesigning, connected technology and entitys structure is further accepted these days than past. Organizations go on with to reconsider and basically transform system they conduct operations. Cutthroat competitive force and a slow-moving market offer efficient techniques for entities motivated to work as efficiently and professionally as feasible.
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
Racial Theme in Faulknerââ¬â¢s Light in August Essay -- Faulkner Light in
Racial Theme in Faulknerââ¬â¢s Light in August One theme that I really noticed was stressed throughout Faulknerââ¬â¢s Light in August was the theme of race. Joe Christmasââ¬â¢ mixed race is a central issue all through the novel. The reader is continually brought back to the fact that he is half black, especially during his affair with Johanna Burden. Johanna (and Faulkner) always makes his racial status known while Johanna and Joe are making love by Johannaââ¬â¢s gasping ââ¬Å"Negro! Negro! Negro!â⬠(260). It is intriguing that while Johannaââ¬â¢s father believed that the white race was cursed by the ââ¬ËWhite Manââ¬â¢s Burdenââ¬â¢, the duty to help lift the black race to a higher status, and that blacks would never be on the same level as whites, and yet she lost her virginity to a half-black man. Why would she wait her whole life, devoting herself to virginity to help the black people, and then suddenly give herself up to a man her father failed to believe was worthy? What was it about Joe Christmas t hat made Johanna want to give herself up to him? Was it because he was of mixed race that made him such an attract...
Israel and Syria :: Threats to World Peace
Next week's peace talks between Israel and Syria are expected to focus on the future of the Golan Heights -- strategic land that Israel captured from its Arab neighbor in the 1967 Middle East war. Israeli and Syrian leaders agreed Wednesday to resume their negotiations, which broke off in 1996. The talks are to pick up where they left off nearly four years ago. Analysts say Syria and Israel were close to agreement then. During the renewed negotiations, Israel is expected to insist on security guarantees in its northern territory in exchange for the return of the Golan Heights. Syria might be called upon to demilitarize the area to ensure that goal. U.S. President Bill Clinton announced the resumption of talks at a news conference Wednesday. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa plan to meet for two days next week in Washington, before returning to the Middle East for more negotiations. The breakthrough came after U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright met Tuesday with Syrian President Hafez Assad in the Syrian capital of Damascus; she met Wednesday with Barak in Jerusalem. VIDEO Watch U.S. President Bill Clinton give his opening remarks at his Wednesday news conference (December 8) QuickTime Play Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K AUDIO Listen to Clinton's statement on the Mideast peace process 2.5 MB/4.07 min. AIFF or WAV sound ALSO Albright takes work break to stroll in Manger Square MESSAGE BOARD Mideast peace Major issues in dispute between Israel and Syria: How much territory Israel will relinguish. Syria demands all of the Golan Heights, a high ground overlooking northeastern Israel that Syria lost in the 1967 war. Syria also is seeking territory stretching to the Sea of Galilee. Whether Syria will agree to normal diplomatic relations with Israel, including an exchange of ambassadors. The timing of the Israel pullback and whether it will be undertaken in stages. Security arrangements after a pullback. The Golan Heights have served as a protective barrier for Israel and it is seeking substitute arrangements, including an early warning system of imminent attack. From The Associated Press . . .
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
College Enrollment Essay
Income inequality has been increasing for the past 20 years. A substantial part of the increase in income differences can be explained by changes in the return to education. In dollar terms, 1973 college graduates earned 45 percent more than high school graduates; by 1994 they earned 65 percent more, based on real average hourly wages for college and high school graduates (Baumol and Blinder, 1997). The increasing income disparities between groups of differing educational attainment raises concern that access to postsecondary education (PSE) may not be as widespread as desired. President Clinton urged for the goal of universal college access in his 1997 State of the Union address, ââ¬Å"We must make the thirteenth and fourteenth years of educationââ¬âat least two years of collegeââ¬âjust as universal in America by the 21st century as a high school education is today, and we must open the doors of college to all Americans. â⬠Using data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS) and the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS), this study examines access to postsecondary education by individuals in different income and test score groups. While many studies have found a statistically significant effect of income on college enrollment,1 less attention has been paid to the effect of family income after controlling for student achievement. This study specifically addresses this issue. We also explore differences in the decision of whether or not to attend PSE or in the type of PSE attended. We are interested in whether students are substituting less expensive alternatives (such as public or 2-year institutions) for high cost institutions, or whether they are not attending PSE at all. However, we do not examine selectivity of institutions attended. Another goal of this study is to determine which factors, including high school experiences, are especially important in determining college enrollment patterns. Hossler and Maple (1993) find that information on individual background factors allows them to predict, with a high degree of accuracy, which ninth-graders will go to college. The emphasis in our study is on how 1 See, for example, Leslie and Brinkman (1987), Savoca (1990), Schwartz (1986), and Mortenson and Wu (1990). SECTION I. INTRODUCTION 1 MATHTECH, INC. early indicators, such as expectations and course-taking behavior in the eighth grade, are related to college attendance six years later. 2 Last, we explore whether financial aid availability is a critical factor in determining PSE attendance. The combined effects of shifting federal support from grants to loans, and college tuition increasing at a rate faster than inflation are expected to have a large impact on enrollment patterns for low income youth. This report examines knowledge of and attitudes toward financial aid, and the relationship between such factors and PSE attendance. We also examine the effect of financial aid receipt on PSE attendance. In summary, the main research questions addressed in this report are: 1. 2. 3. 4. What percentage of students attend PSE, and what types of PSE do they attend? How are income and test score related to who goes to college? What factors, including high school experiences, are especially important in determining college enrollment patterns? Is financial aid availability a critical factor for determining PSE attendance? The rest of the report proceeds as follows. Section II describes the literature on individual and institutional factors that affect PSE attendance. Section III provides an overview of the data used in this report. It describes the NELS data, the NPSAS data, samples and weights used in the study, and correction of standard errors for sampling techniques. Section IV examines who goes to college. The section highlights the main answers to the first two research questions posed above, in a univariate or multivariate framework. Section V examines factors related to PSE attendance. Section VI explores the importance of financial aid, including knowledge of financial aid, financial aid applications, and the relationship between being offered financial aid and PSE attendance. Last, we include a bibliography of cited references. The executive summary (at the beginning of the report) highlights our findings and provides policy implications. An NCES study, not yet released, has focused on the ââ¬Å"pipeline to higher educationâ⬠using the NELS data (NCES, 1997). SECTION I. INTRODUCTION 2 2 MATHTECH, INC. One subset of analysis for this study is the group of low income, high test score students. Low income, high test score students may have the potential to benefit greatly from PSE attendance and, therefore, we want to identify factors or constraints, particularly financial ones, that might limit the studentsââ¬â¢ educational opportunities beyond high school. SECTION I. INTRODUCTION 3 MATHTECH, INC. II. LITERATURE REVIEW Much of the research on college enrollment patterns is founded upon the ââ¬Å"human capitalâ⬠model Gary Becker advanced. According to this theory, one decides to enroll in college as an investment in future earning power. Individuals calculate the value of attending college by comparing costs (direct and indirect) with expected income gains, and they make the decision that will maximize their utility over the long term. To understand enrollment behavior according to this model, it is necessary to look at such factors as tuition levels, student financial aid, average wages for high school graduates, and the difference in lifetime earnings between high school and college graduates. Economists and others agree, however, that non-monetary factors also play a major part in the college enrollment decision. Sociologistsââ¬â¢ models of status attainment have suggested a number of background variables that join with economic factors to influence college plans. These include both personal traits (e. g. , academic ability) and interpersonal factors, such as the level of encouragement a student receives from parents and teachers. Hossler and Maple (1993) suggest that individual decisions on enrollment can be broken down into three stages: predisposition, search, and choice. According to their research, students who will ultimately attend college can be differentiated from those who will not as early as the ninth grade. Within the econometric and sociological models outlined above, the factors affecting enrollment in college can be divided into two general types: those specific to individual students, such as academic achievement and parental education levels, and those specific to educational or vocational alternatives, such as college tuition, financial aid, and unemployment levels. Studentsââ¬â¢ enrollment decisions can be viewed as jointly determined by their individual characteristics and the institutional or societal conditions that prevail. We first review individual traits that affect college enrollment, and then institutional determinants. SECTION II. LITERATURE REVIEW 4 MATHTECH, INC. A. INDIVIDUAL FACTORS THAT AFFECT COLLEGE ENROLLMENT Several studies have used data from the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 (NLS72), the National Longitudinal Survey of Labor Market Experience, Youth Cohort (NLSY), and the High School and Beyond Survey (HSB) to examine the factors affecting college enrollments. Manski and Wise (1983), Rouse (1994), and a number of others have used the variables included in these data sets to estimate multinomial logit models of enrollment decisions. Among the researchers, there seems to be considerable agreement regarding the individual traits that help to determine enrollment. These traits are discussed below. Manski and Wise (1983) presented a key point, namely that the enrollment process begins with the studentââ¬â¢s decision to apply to college. This is much more important than the decisions made by college admissions personnel, since most would-be college students are likely to be admitted to some postsecondary institution of average quality. Jackson (1988) reports that in 1972, more than 97 percent of college applicants were admitted to at least one of their top three choices. The factors of greatest interest, then, are those that cause the student to seek to enroll. Both Manski and Wise (1983) and Rouse (1994) find that individual traits such as achievement levels, high school class rank, and parental education levels are of primary importance in determining the likelihood of a studentââ¬â¢s applying to college. They state that higher family income levels increase the probability of application as well, but to a lesser extent. Manski and Wise also cite a ââ¬Å" ââ¬Ëpeerââ¬â¢ or high school quality effect,â⬠such that the larger the share of a high school seniorââ¬â¢s classmates who attend 4-year schools, the more likely he or she will be to do the same. A recent NCES report (1997) describes the relationship among six risk factors (such as changing schools two or more times) and PSE attendance rates. St. John and Noell (1989) and St. John (1990) draw similar conclusions from the NLS72 and HSB data sets. St. John and Noell state that certain ââ¬Å"social background variablesâ⬠appear to make college enrollment more likely. These include higher test scores, higher grades, higher SECTION II. LITERATURE REVIEW 5 MATHTECH, INC. maternal education levels,3 and family income, as cited by Manski and Wise and Rouse. Other key variables include participation in an academic track during high school and ââ¬Å"high postsecondary aspirations,â⬠as measured by studentsââ¬â¢ reporting of the highest level of schooling they expect to achieve. Hossler and Maple (1993) find that parental education levels have a stronger effect on enrollment plans than student ability or income level. Other background factors that researchers have found to be significant include the level of parental encouragement (Hossler, Braxton, and Coopersmith, 1989) and studentsââ¬â¢ own expectations about the college decision (Borus and Carpenter, 1984). Jackson (1988) concludes that test scores, grades, taking part in a college preparatory program, and attending a school with many college-going peers are the student attributes most important for college enrollment. Kohn, Manski, and Mundel (1976) report that parentsââ¬â¢ education level has a positive effect on a studentââ¬â¢s likelihood of enrollment, but state that this effect decreases as family income rises. A number of researchers have examined the effects of family income levels on college enrollment. Manski (1992:16) concludes that there are ââ¬Å"persistent patterns of stratification of college enrollments by income. â⬠Both Manski (1992) and Kane (1995) present census data for multi-year periods that show, for ascending income levels, a steadily increasing percentage of 18to 19-year-old dependent family members enrolled in college. Using the same data source, Clotfelter (1991) and Mortenson and Wu (1990) cite positive income effects for the 18- to 24year-old group as well. Hauser (1993) finds large family income effects on college enrollment for White and Hispanic families, but he finds no such effects for Black families. 3 St. John and Noell do not include paternal education levels as a variable in their study. Manski and Wise and Rouse consider maternal and paternal education levels as separate variables, but present their conclusions in terms of parental education levels as a whole. Most of the studies reviewed here do not distinguish between motherââ¬â¢s and fatherââ¬â¢s education levels. One exception is the study by Kohn, Manski and Mundel (1976). This study estimates a model using subsamples of the SCOPE survey from two different states. While one group shows that the fatherââ¬â¢s education level has a greater effect on the likelihood of college attendance than does the motherââ¬â¢s, the other group shows the motherââ¬â¢s education level as having a greater effect. SECTION II. LITERATURE REVIEW 6 MATHTECH, INC. B. INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS THAT AFFECT COLLEGE ENROLLMENT. In addition to the factors that operate at an individual level, researchers have found a variety of institutional factors, or factors pertaining to educational and vocational alternatives, that affect college enrollment levels. Manski and Wise (1983) include among these factors tuition level, ââ¬Å"quality of schoolâ⬠(as measured by the average combined SAT score of incoming freshmen), and the availability of government and institutional financial aid. Rouse (1994) examines the factor of proximity by estimating changes in enrollments that would result from decreasing the averageà distance to the nearest 2-year college. She also considers the effects of tuition levels and financial aid availability, as well unemployment rates, which serve as a measure of competing opportunities available to high school seniors. Tuition levels are another institutional factor with a significant effect on college enrollment. Leslie and Brinkman (1987) review 25 studies on this subject, and find a general consensus that a $100 increase in tuition nationwide, in 1982ââ¬â1983 academic year dollars, would result in a 6 percent decline in the college participation rate for the 18- to 24-year-old group. Savoca (1990) makes the point that high tuition levels may lessen postsecondary enrollments in the aggregate by discouraging some students from ever applying to college. The effects of tuition levels are moderated in many cases by the effects of financial aid. McPherson and Schapiro (1991) state that the variable of interest should be net cost, or tuition less financial aid. At the initial stages of the enrollment decision, however, students often lack information on their eligibility for financial aid and the amount of aid they would be likely to receive. Researchers have differing views regarding the effects of financial aid on enrollment at different types of institutions. Reyes (1994) finds that increases in financial aid positively affect both 2-year and 4-year college enrollment rates, based on information from the NLSY and HSB. Manski and Wise (1983), using the NLS72, conclude that financial aid affects studentsââ¬â¢ decisions to attend 2-year institutions, as opposed to not going to college at all. However, this study finds that enrollments at 4-year schools have little sensitivity to the availability of financial aid. Manski and Wise do not consider the effect of financial aid on the studentââ¬â¢s choice between a 2-year and a 4-year institution. SECTION II. LITERATURE REVIEW 7 MATHTECH, INC. Other researchers have compared the effects of decreasing tuition with the effects of increasing financial aid. Manski and Wise (1983) find that for those attending 2-year schools, an additional dollar of financial aid would be worth more than a one dollar reduction in tuition. St. John (1990:172) also finds that ââ¬Å"college applicantsâ⬠¦ [are] more responsive to changes in student aid than to changes in tuition,â⬠except for those in the upper income group. Kane (1995), however, argues that while financial aid increases may be more equitable because they are means tested, they are not as effective as decreases in tuition. This is a consequence of the complexity of the financial aid application process and the unwillingness of low income families to borrow to finance a college education. When studying the effect of tuition and financial aid on PSE enrollment, the group to be especially concerned about is low income students. Leslie and Brinkman (1987) and Savoca (1990) find that tuition levels affect enrollment decisions for low income students much more than for middle and upper income groups. By the same token, the availability of financial aid is a much more crucial factor for those at lower income levels. Orfield (1992) notes that the maximum Pell grant is less than one-fifth of the tuition at an elite university. Such a gap between aid and costs, he contends, may steer many low income students toward lower cost schools. Hearnââ¬â¢s 1991 study supports this hypothesis. He finds that when academic ability, achievement, and other factors are controlled for, lower income students are especially likely to choose institutions of lower selectivity. Schwartz (1985) finds that low income students are affected differently by publicly provided financial aid and aid supplied by institutions. He states that public grants tend to promote greater equity among income groups in college enrollment. Private grants, however, are often awarded on the basis of academic ability, and they tend to favor students who could afford to go to college without them. Clotfelter (1991) expresses the same concern about the effects of institutional aid. Manski and Wise (1983) note that even public aid is not always awarded where the need is greatest. They state that in 1979, 59 percent of Basic Educational Opportunity Grants were awarded to students who would probably have gone to college in the absence of such aid. Table 1 summarizes the data sources used in the studies mentioned here. SECTION II. LITERATURE REVIEW 8 MATHTECH, INC. Table 1 MAIN DATA SOURCES FOR WORKS CITED IN LITERATURE REVIEW STUDY Borus, Michael E.and Carpenter, Susan A. , ââ¬Å"Factors Associated with College Attendance of High-School Seniorsâ⬠(1984) Clotfelter, Charles T. , ââ¬Å"Demand for Undergraduate Educationâ⬠(1991) Hauser, Robert M. , ââ¬Å"Trends in College Entry among Whites, Blacks, and Hispanicsâ⬠(1993) Hearn, James C. , ââ¬Å"Academic and Nonacademic Influences on the College Destinations of 1980 High School Graduatesâ⬠(1991) Hossler, Don, Braxton, John and Coopersmith, Georgia, ââ¬Å"Understanding College Choiceâ⬠(1989). Hossler, Don and Maple, Sue, ââ¬Å"Being Undecided about Postsecondary Educationâ⬠(1993) Jackson, Gregory A., ââ¬Å"Did College Choice Change during the Seventies? â⬠(1988) Kane, Thomas, ââ¬Å"Rising Public College Tuition and College Entry: How Well Do Public Subsidies Promote Access to College? â⬠(1995) Kohn, Meir G. , Manski, Charles F. , and Mundel, David S. , ââ¬Å"An Empirical Investigation of Factors which Influence College-going Behaviorâ⬠(1976) Leslie, Larry L. , and Brinkman, Paul T. , ââ¬Å"Student Price Response in Higher Educationâ⬠(1987) Manski, Charles F. , and Wise, David A. , College Choice in America (1983) Manski, Charles F. , ââ¬Å"Income and Higher Educationâ⬠(1992) McPherson, Michael S., and Schapiro, Morton Owen, ââ¬Å"Does Student Aid Affect College Enrollment? New Evidence on a Persistent Controversyâ⬠(1991) Mortenson, Thomas G. , and Wu, Zhijun, ââ¬Å"High School Graduation and College Participation of Young Adults by Family Income Backgrounds 1970 to 1989â⬠(1990) National Center for Education Statistics. ââ¬Å"Confronting the Odds: Students At Risk and the Pipeline to Higher Educationâ⬠(1997). MAIN DATA SOURCES 1979 and 1980 National Longitudinal Surveys of Labor Market Experience, Youth Cohort (NLSY) Review of studies done by others, with data from Current Population Survey (CPS) and High. School and Beyond (HSB) CPS HSB, Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) data Review of studies done by others Cluster sample of 5,000 Indiana ninth graders National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 (NLS72), HSB NLSY, HSB, CPS School to College: Opportunities for Postsecondary Education (SCOPE) Survey Meta-analysis of studies done by others NLS72 NLS72, HSB, CPS Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) data, CPS HSB, Current Population Report, CPS NELS SECTION II. LITERATURE REVIEW. 9 MATHTECH, INC. STUDY Orfield, Gary, ââ¬Å"Money, Equity, and College Accessâ⬠(1992) Reyes, Suzanne, ââ¬Å"The College Enrollment Decision: The Role of the Guaranteed Student Loanâ⬠(1994) Rouse, Cecilia Elena, ââ¬Å"What to Do after High School: The Two-Year versus Four-Year College Enrollment Decisionâ⬠(1994) St. John, Edward P. , and Noell, Jay, ââ¬Å"The Effects of Student Financial Aid on Access to Higher Education: An Analysis of Progress with Special Consideration of Minority Enrollmentâ⬠(1989) St. John, Edward P., ââ¬Å"Price Response in Enrollment Decisions: An Analysis of the High School and Beyond Sophomore Cohortâ⬠(1990) Savoca, Elizabeth, ââ¬Å"Another Look at the Demand for Higher Education: Measuring the Price Sensitivity of the Decision to Apply to Collegeâ⬠(1990) Schwartz, J. Brad, ââ¬Å"Student Financial Aid and the College Enrollment Decision: The Effects of Public and Private Grants and Interest Subsidiesâ⬠(1985) Schwartz, J. Brad, ââ¬Å"Wealth Neutrality in Higher Education: The Effects of Student Grantsâ⬠(1986) MAIN DATA SOURCES Review of history of federal student financial aid programs NLSY, HSB NLSY, HSB, CPS. NLS72, HSB HSB NLS72 HSB, CPS HSB, CPS SECTION II. LITERATURE REVIEW 10 MATHTECH, INC. III. DATA A. NELS DATA While a number of studies have used data from the National Longitudinal Survey, Youth Cohort (NLSY), the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 (NLS72), and the High School and Beyond Survey (HSB) to examine the factors affecting college enrollments, this work effort is among the first to use NELS to analyze these types of issues. In 1988, NELS initially surveyed over 24,000 public and private school eighth graders throughout the United States. The nationally representative eighth grade cohort was tested in four subjects (mathematics, reading, science, and social studies). Two teachers of each student (representing two of the four subjects) were also surveyed, as was an administrator from each school. On average, each of the 1,052 participating schools was represented by 24 students and five teachers. Parents were also surveyed, providing researchers with detailed information on family background variables. Since 1988, the initial eighth grade cohort has been re-surveyed three times (and has been ââ¬Å"freshenedâ⬠with new sample members). The first follow-up of NELS (spring, 1990), included the same components as the base year study, with the exception of the parent survey, which was not implemented in the 1990 round. It also included a component on early dropouts (those who left school between the end of eighth grade and the end of 10th grade). The second follow-up (spring, 1992), repeated all components of the first follow-up study and also included a parent questionnaire. However, this time only one teacher of each student (either a mathematics or a science teacher) was asked to complete a teacher questionnaire. High school transcript data were also collected for these students. A subsample of the NELS:88 second follow-up sample was again followed-up in the spring of 1994, when most sample members had been out of high school for 2 years. In all, 14,915 students were surveyed, most through computer-assisted telephone interviewing. Major content areas for the third follow-up questionnaire were: education histories; work experience histories; work-related training; family formation; opinions and other experiences; occurrence or SECTION III. DATA 11 MATHTECH, INC. non-occurrence of significant life events; and income. Data collection for this wave began on February 4, and ended on August 13, 1994. At the time the data were collected, most of the respondents were 2 years out of high school. Table 2 summarizes the components of the different waves of the surveys. Table 2 OVERVIEW OF NELS NELS Components Grades included Cohort Base Year Spring term 1988 grade 8 students: questionnaire, tests questionnaire questionnaire two teachers per student (taken from reading, mathematics, science, or social studies) First Follow-up Spring term 1990 modal grade = sophomore students, dropouts: questionnaire, tests none questionnaire two teachers per student (taken from reading, mathematics, science, or social studies) Second Follow-up Spring term 1992 modal grade = senior students, dropouts: questionnaire, tests, H. S.à transcripts questionnaire questionnaire one teacher per student (taken from mathematics or science). Third Follow-up Spring 1994 H. S. + 2 years all individuals: questionnaire none none none Parents Principals Teachers B. NPSAS DATA Because the NELS database does not contain detailed information on financial aid, the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) database is used to supplement our study with additional financial aid information. This database is used to predict financial aid for the respondents in NELS based on demographic and other characteristics that are available in both databases. NPSAS is constructed specifically to provide information on financing of postsecondary education, so it is a good candidate for this use. This database surveys a nationally representative sample of undergraduate, graduate, and first-professional students attending less than 2-year, 2-year, 4-year, and doctoral granting institutions. Both students who receive and those who do not receive financial aid are surveyed. SECTION III. DATA 12 MATHTECH, INC. The 1993 NPSAS study collected information on more than 78,000 undergraduate and graduate students at about 1,100 institutions. To be eligible, students must have been enrolled between May 1, 1992 and April 30, 1993 at a postsecondary institution in the United States or Puerto Rico. The students had to be enrolled in courses for credit, and in a program of 3 months or longer. Also eligible for inclusion were students who received a bachelorââ¬â¢s degree between July 1, 1992 and June 30, 1993. Students who were enrolled in a GED program or who were also enrolled in high school were not included. C. SAMPLE AND WEIGHTS Of the 14,915 respondents in the third NELS follow-up, 13,120 are represented in all four waves of the NELS data. The remaining 1,795 respondents are either first follow-up ââ¬Å"freshenedâ⬠students,4 second follow-up freshened students,5 base-year ineligibles,6 or base-year eligible students who declined to participate in one or more of the survey waves, but who did participate in the third survey wave. The breakdown of these 1,795 respondents is as follows: 501 first follow-up freshened students, 102 second follow-up freshened students, 271 base-year ineligibles, and 921 base-year eligibles with missing survey waves. To take advantage of the longitudinal nature of the NELS data and to be consistent across models and issues in the report, we focus our work on the sample of 13,120 respondents represented in all four waves of the NELS data. Consequently, the weight used in our analyses, (ââ¬Å"F3PNLWTâ⬠) applies to sample members who completed questionnaires in all four rounds of NELS:88. As a result, the longitudinal analyses that we conduct, and the estimates that are produced in this study can only be used to make projections to the population of spring 1988 eighth graders. In the descriptive tables, all percentages are weighted using F3PNLWT, including the analyses with the high school transcript data. Those who were tenth graders in 1990 but were not in the base-year sampling frame, either because they were not in the country or because they were not in the eighth grade in the spring term of 1988. Those who were 12th graders in 1992 but were not in either the base year or first follow-up sampling frames, either because they were not in the country or because they were not in the eighth (10th) grade in the spring term of 1988 (1990). 6 5 4 Students excluded in 1988 due to linguistic, mental, or physical obstacles to participation. 13 SECTION III. DATA MATHTECH, INC. This sample includes dropouts, since the purpose of this study is to examine the overall question of what characteristics of eighth graders in 1988 are related to PSE attendance. We focus on early indicators, such as educational expectations and course-taking behavior in the eighth grade, and not on the ââ¬Å"pipelineâ⬠of high school experiences that a dropout would lack access to. However, the dropouts were not asked the same set of survey questions as the other respondents, and, therefore, some of the analysis does not include dropouts. For each of our tables or figures, we note whether or not the dropouts are included in the analysis. D. CORRECTED STANDARD ERRORS Because NELS data are collected through a multi-stage sampling scheme, calculation of standard errors through standard methods can understate these errors. The sampling technique used in NELS is a selection of schools, and then within schools, a selection of students. With this sampling method, the observations of different students may not be independent from one another. Stataâ⠢, the statistical software used for analysis in this report, corrects the standard errors for these sampling techniques. Except for multinomial logit models, for which this correction is not available, survey correction techniques are used, and we note whenever the corrections are not used. However, we have found that such corrections do not have a large effect on our results, and therefore, we present all results with confidence. E. VARIABLE DEFINITIONS. The appendix to this study contains definitions of the key variables used in our analysis. For each key variable, we describe how we constructed the variable and we list the names of the NELS variables used in the construction. SECTION III. DATA 14 MATHTECH, INC. IV. WHO GOES TO COLLEGE? A. WHAT PROPORTION OF STUDENTS ATTEND COLLEGE, AND WHAT TYPE OF COLLEGE DID THEY ATTEND? We begin our analysis by examining the demographics of postsecondary school choice and discussing our main findings regarding college attendance rates and types of postsecondary education (PSE) attended. As shown in Table 3, a majority of 1988 eighth graders attend some type of PSE by 1994. Overall, 62. 7 percent of the respondents attend PSE. (Note that in all of the tables in this report, all percentages are weighted. ) Students are most likely to attend a 4-year public or a less than 4-year public school. Approximately 24 percent of the students attend each of these types of schools. Next most common are 4-year private schools. Just over 11 percent of the respondents attend 4-year private schools. Only 4 percent of the respondents attend less than 4-year private schools. Thirty-seven percent of the respondents do not attend any type of PSE. Women are slightly more likely than men to attend PSE. While 60 percent of men attend PSE, 65 percent of women attend. Women are more likely than men to attend 4-year private schools and less than 4-year private schools. Native Americans, Blacks, and Hispanics are least likely to attend PSE and Asians and Pacific Islanders are most likely to attend PSE. Hispanics are most likely to attend less than 4year private schools. Students whose parents have higher education levels are much more likely to attend PSE. While only 33 percent of students whose parents have less than a high school education attend PSE, 90 percent of students whose parents have an advanced degree attend PSE. SECTION IV. WHO GOES TO COLLEGE? 15 MATHTECH, INC. Table 3 DEMOGRAPHICS OF POSTSECONDARY SCHOOL CHOICE1 No PSE 4-Year Public 4-Year Private.
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