Public Policy and Inequality in Postsecondary Opportunity: Educational Statistics and the Failure of Education Reform

Abstract

For a quarter of a century, federal agencies have advocated reforming high schools as a means of improving college access. There have been two decades of statistical government reports documenting correlations between high school math courses and college enrolment. For more than a decade, states have been responding by raising math standards and requiring more math courses for graduation. Math scores on the SAT have risen slightly, as have the number of students taking the tests. Yet, college-enrolment rates by high school graduates have not improved this century, and racial inequality in enrolment has actually increased. The rising costs of college coupled with a decline in state and federal grants as a share of the net costs for low-income students provide the best explanations for the rising inequality. Given these ambiguities, government researchers should revise their methods of reporting on college access to include information on student-grant aid along with high school courses. Government officials should take responsibility for addressing financial inequalities for students who prepare for college.