Association of American Publishers Highlights How Technology Helps to Address College Dropout Crisis
States Could Save up to $2.3 Billion With Course Redesign and Interactive Course Materials
WASHINGTON, Oct. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- The Association of American Publishers (AAP) pledged to continue its collaboration with the higher education community to help students and universities reduce colleges' dropout rates following the release of a report emphasizing the true economic costs of college freshman attrition.
In a report released this week, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) found that state and federal governments spend more than $9 billion - including $6.2 billion in state appropriations – to support students at four-year colleges and universities who leave school before their sophomore year.
"America's textbook publishers will continue to partner with the education community to make sure our focus remains on helping students succeed, lower students' costs and reduce the per-pupil cost for instruction," said Tom Allen, president and CEO of AAP. "In recent years publishers have increased their work with educators and administrators to create new and unique ways for students to think and learn creatively, to collaborate with their classmates and professors, and to utilize the latest technologies."
Allen cited efforts by textbook publishers to help faculty keep students engaged by using the latest technologies to both maximize learning and keep costs down.
"The number, variety and quality of technology-driven course materials have exploded over the last five years," Allen said. "This year, more than half of all students are expected to use these high-tech course materials in their classes."
Allen also noted the efforts of third-party non-profits, such as the National Center for Academic Transformation (NCAT), that are using course redesigns and the latest course material technologies to lower the cost for instruction by an average of 37 percent while decreasing student dropout rates by as much as 34 percent. Higher education publishers are providing the majority of the interactive course materials and technologies that are employed by NCAT in its redesigned classrooms.
"If these cost-cutting measures could be replicated nationwide, state governments could save as much as $2.3 billion of the $6.2 billion in funding cited in the AIR report," Allen said.
"Publishers now offer more learning alternatives than at any time in history," Allen said. "They are helping to remedy the college dropout crisis by working to educate educators and policymakers on ways to reduce students' costs, improve student success and lower schools' cost per pupil for instruction."
To learn more about how publishers are helping students succeed, go to http://www.solutionsforstudentsuccess.org.
The Association of American Publishers
The Association of American Publishers is the national trade association of the U.S. book publishing industry. AAP's more than 300 members include most of the major commercial publishers in the United States, as well as smaller and non-profit publishers, university presses and scholarly societies. AAP's Higher Education group represents the needs and interests of member publishers who produce instructional materials including textbooks and digital products and services for the post-secondary educational market.
SOURCE The Association of American Publishers
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