Lindsey Luebchow: All Publications, Events and Press

Academic March Madness

Ron Tang — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 06:36:00 -0400

If you've watched any of the televised men's college basketball tournament this year, you've been bombarded by NCAA commercials that declare: "There are 380,000 NCAA student athletes... and just about every one of them will go pro in something other than sports."

It's an uplifting tagline, but there's a catch. In order to "go pro in something other than sports," that athlete needs a college degree. And far too many male athletes in top-tier Division I basketball programs never graduate.

The teams… more

Lindsey Luebchow in Cleveland Plain Dealer | DC Group Ranks NCAA Teams by Players' Graduation Rates

Communications — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 00:28:00 -0400

New America in the News:

Cleveland Plain Dealer | Washington Group Ranks NCAA Teams by Players' Graduation Rates

Forget wins and losses. Disregard the strength of schedule. Pay no attention to margins of victory.

Call it March madness, but what if the teams in this year's NCAA men's basketball tournament were ranked by diplomas rather than dunks?

That's a rite the Washington, D.C.-based New America Foundation celebrates each spring. Earlier this week, the nonprofit public policy institute released its own tournament bracket that has to do… more

Lindsey Luebchow on WTOP Radio in DC | Top B-Ball Shools Have Poor Grad Rates

Communications — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 06:11:00 -0400

New America in the News:

WTOP Radio in DC | Top B-Ball Shools Have Poor Grad Rates

New America Foundation Education Policy Analyst Lindsey Luebchow discussed the Annual Academic Sweet Sixteen bracket results with WTOP Radio in DC. Also, Luebchow's comments on the NCAA teams' academic ranking appeared on CBS Radio's nationally broadcast morning show (3/27/08). Following these hits, the Los Angeles Times published Luebchow's op-ed "Academic March Madness."

Lindsey Luebchow writes for New America's Ed Money Watch and… more

New America Foundation in Chronicle of Higher Education | 'President Bush: A Friend of Higher Education After All?'

Communications — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 17:00:00 -0500

New America in the News:

President Bush: A Friend of Higher Education After All? (The Chronicle of Higher Education, subcription only) ... Mr. Bush has, however, given researchers, and their colleagues throughout higher education, something else of value: money. The president has been "highly successful" in winning increases for higher education from Congress, according to an analysis published last month by the New America Foundation, a Washington-based research and advocacy group that is often critical of the Bush administration. more

The Bush Education Budget Legacy

Education Policy — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 12:20:00 -0500

Next week, President George W. Bush will submit his eighth and final budget request to the Congress. How has he fared with respect to education budget proposals thus far? Answer: although President Bush made the No Child Left Behind Act, which deals with elementary and secondary education, the hallmark of his education policy, from a federal education budget standpoint, the Bush administration’s most lasting legacy thus far is in higher education. The New America Foundation’s Federal Education Budget Project evaluated all the Bush administration's past budget requests and finds that the Bush administration has had relatively little success in enacting its elementary and secondary education budget proposals, but has seen enacted nearly all of its higher education budget proposals, including a major increase in Pell Grant program funding.

Key Findings:

For higher education policy, President Bush successfully used the budget and appropriations process to advance significant reforms. Congress enacted virtually all of the President’s higher education budget proposals, including recently shifting more than $20 billion in taxpayer subsidies from federal student loan providers to increased student financial aid, particularly in the form of larger Pell Grants.
Funding for key federal elementary and secondary education programs increased significantly during President Bush’s tenure in office. In nominal terms, No Child Left Behind Act Title I grant funding is $5.1 billion higher (59 percent) in 2008 than in 2001. Funding for state special education grants under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is $4.6 billion (73 percent) higher than in 2001.
However, with the exception of budget proposals directly linked to the No Child Left Behind Act, President Bush’s efforts to drive elementary and secondary education policy changes, such as his school voucher and high school reform proposals, through the budget and appropriations process have been largely unsuccessful. Further, Congress has ignored nearly all of the President’s proposals to eliminate funding for many small, categorical elementary and secondary education programs.

Minority Recruitment: Athletics Success, Admissions Failure

Education Policy — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 14:14:00 -0500

Diversity and minority recruitment are hot button words in most four year college admissions offices. There are congratulations when enrollment demographics show greater racial diversity, and there is consternation when minority numbers drop.

But are college admissions office recruitment efforts working? Colleges will, in a knee-jerk fashion, say: yes, look at our racial and ethnic percentages! College access for minorities is a reality here! But how much is minority recruitment in admissions offices really contributing to the… more

College Football PR 101: Academic Bonuses

Education Policy — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 16:48:00 -0500

When Louisiana State University coach Les Miles was carried off the field after winning the National Championship game last night, his smile likely reflected more than the pure joy of winning. Miles had already garnered $400,000 in football bonuses for making it to the game. After winning the title, his contract states that his total salary will be adjusted to at least the third-highest salary in all of Division I football— which will boost it by about $1.15… more

When Redshirting Goes Wrong: Boston College Fans Take Note

Education Policy — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 14:20:00 -0500

The professionalization of college athletics is a thorny issue, one that we addressed in a recent blog post on Boston College’s current football team. We pointed out that many of the elite players on BC’s football team this year, such as star quarterback Matt Ryan, are no longer really students because they have already graduated and are spending minimal time in the classroom. Without the "student" part of student-athlete, we argued, these football players become exclusively money-making and media-attracting devices for their school and skirt… more

A Matter of Degrees

adminn — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 15:53:00 -0500

As the college football season nears its final showdown between Ohio State and LSU, the media-stoked frenzy over which teams were selected for the Bowl Championship Series has reached a fever pitch.

Penn State is in the Alamo Bowl, with less money and media attention. But if team academic performance were considered by the BCS, Penn State would have fared much better.

Over all, the academic performance of big-time college football is dismal. Only 56 percent of Division I-A… more

Lindsey Luebchow in The Modesto Bee on Academic BCS

Communications — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 17:55:00 -0500

New America in the News:

...Since coming into existence in 1906, the NCAA has struggled with its basic charter -- identifying and maintaining the correct balance between athletics and academics.In recent years, the NCAA has established the Academic Progress Rate (APR), which creates a baseline measurement of retention and graduation rates its member schools must meet or risk the forfeiture of scholarships.One might question the logic of taking away scholarships from underachieving athletic programs, but that's another matter.And obviously,… more

WTOP Radio Interviews Lindsey Luebchow on ABCS

Communications — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 17:45:00 -0500

New America in the News:

After New America's Higher Ed Watch.Org and ESPN released the Academic Bowl Championship Series (ABCS), the Education Program’s Lindsey Luebchow was interviewed by WTOP radio. Please check out the attachment for the mp3 recording of the interview.

Evaluating Jock Majors and College Quality

Education Policy — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 17:37:00 -0500

Yesterday, Higher Ed Watch unveiled its first "Academic Bowl Championship Series" poll, which ranked the current top teams in college football using academic instead of athletic indicators. In developing the Academic BCS poll, we took advantage of all of the data that is publicly available on college athletes’ academic performance: graduation rates and the NCAA’s "Academic Progress Rates."

That’s right, there are only two academic data points available for college athletes… more

ESPN Features Academic Bowl Championship Series, Lindsey Luebchow

Communications — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 13:31:00 -0500

New America in the News:

In a few days, hooded figures manipulating mysterious computer formulas will announce the final BCS standings and the lineup for college football's prestigious bowl games. Records, opponents, conference affiliations, polls and, it always seems, the phases of the moons of Saturn will be taken into account. But what if academics were factored in, too? What if there were an A/BCS -- an Academics-Included Bowl Championship Series?

I put that question to Lindsey Luebchow, a policy analyst of the New America Foundation… more

Academic Bowl Championship Series

Education Policy — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 12:01:00 -0500

At the end of every college football season, there’s an uproar about the "Bowl Championship Series" (BCS) formula that decides which teams get to play for the National Championship and in various bowl games. This year is no different—sports commentators are in a tizzy about which teams will get picked by the formula in the final BCS ranking next Sunday. Get ready for the final weeks of moaning and groaning about why certain components… more

At Boston College, Blurring the Student-Athlete-Professional Line

Education Policy — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 12:08:00 -0500

Last week, we highlighted a couple of big-time college football teams struggling on the field but excelling in the classroom. We suggested it might be difficult, if not impossible, for teams to maintain stellar athletic and academic records given the time constraints and pressures on student-athletes. Are there examples of big-time football schools that are having both athletic and academic success this season?

The most obvious answer is Boston College.… more

In Nebraska, A’s in the Classroom Might Get You Fired

Education Policy — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 15:03:00 -0400

Two weeks ago, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln fired its athletic director, Steve Pederson, after the football team started the season 4-3 overall and 1-2 in the Big 12 conference. Following three more losses, Nebraska’s perennially dominant football team has now been outscored 150 to 59 by Big 12 opponents in its past four games. Chancellor Harvey Perlman had seen enough, and pulled the plug on Pederson only three months after extending his contract for five years.… more

Accountability for All...Except the Department of Education

Education Policy — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 11:43:00 -0400

The Department of Education loves to talk the talk about accountability. But when it comes to walking the walk, it’s failing—and pretty spectacularly.

Case #1

Front and center is the Department’s handling of a student loan subsidy payment scandal. In an interview with the Washington Post published this weekend, Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings admitted that the Department of Education is accountable for overpaying student lenders hundreds of millions of dollars in improper 9.5 percent loan subsidy payments. Spellings has said… more

Are Tax Deductions for College Athletics Worth the Price?

Education Policy — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 14:50:00 -0400

Last year, oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens broke the all-time record for gift-giving to a university athletics program when he donated $165 million to Oklahoma State University, his alma mater. Not only did OSU's sports program benefit, but Pickens himself received a large subsidy from the government because he was able to deduct that contribution from his income taxes.

Donations to college athletics programs are tax-exempt because government officials have long believed that college… more

Searching for Effective Football Penalties in the NCAA

Education Policy — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 06:41:00 -0400

Yesterday, we highlighted the poor performance of college football players in the classroom and discussed the NCAA’s academic reform efforts. After this season, the NCAA will have finished collecting all of its academic progress rate (APR) data on Division I colleges and is slated to implement a full range of penalties for underperforming teams. Approximately 40 percent of college football teams are in danger of losing scholarships next year. What remains to be seen is whether… more

Academic Progress for Football Players: Is the NCAA For Real?

Education Policy — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 14:38:00 -0400

As the college football season kicks into high gear, it’s hard not to get caught up in or at least be exposed to the insane promotion of big-time college athletics. Many of us watch and read around-the-clock media commentary that glorifies college football players for their on-field accomplishments and generates a religious-like fervor for each week’s game.

As coaches and ESPN commentators go on and on about… more