Eric Grodsky
Assistant Professor
Ph.D. 2002 University of Wisconsin-Madison
Room 1168 Social Sciences
tel.: 612-624-7548
email: egrodsky@umn.edu
Interest Areas
Sociology of Education; Stratification; Quantitative Methods
Current Research
- STEM in the New Millennium examines the effects of divergence in high school academic qualifications on post-secondary pathways. “Divergence” is defined as the degree of misalignment between math achievement test scores, grades and the course demands. Using a sample of youth who completed high school between 1992 and 2004, we will look at how divergence affects college attendance, selection of a science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) major, college completion and participation in a STEM field after degree completion.
- The Effects of Institutional Practices on Post-secondary Trajectories—Matriculation, Persistence and Time to Degree examines the effects of two interventions and one organizational feature of post-secondary institutions on student post-secondary trajectories. The interventions help students needing college-level reading or math remediation. One informs students of the need for remediation while in high school; the other assigns remedial courses in college based on performance on a single test. We also evaluate the effects of cohort size, course crowding and registration patterns on choice of major and time to degree.
- Equal Opportunity in Higher Education: The Past and Future of Proposition 209, co-edited with Michal Kurlaender, this volume aggregates empirical research papers and policy commentaries evaluating the effects of legally abolishing affirmative action in higher education. It then explores the potential of legally permissible alternatives in higher education to maintain racial/ethnic diversity.
Recent Publications
"Diversification and Inequality in Higher Education: A Comparison between Israel and the United States,” with Hanna Ayalon, Adam Gamoran and Abraham Yogev. 2008. Sociology of Education 81 (3):211-241.
“Social Stratification and Testing in American Education,” with John Robert Warren and Erika Felts. Forthcoming. Annual Review of Sociology.
“The Declining Significance of Race in College Admission Decisions,” with Demetra Kalogrides. Forthcoming. American Journal of Education.
“State High School Exit Examinations and Post-Secondary Labor Market Outcomes,” with John Robert Warren and Jennifer C. Lee. 2008. Sociology of Education 81(1): 77-107.
“Sponsored Mobility in Higher Education.” 2007. American Journal of Sociology 112: 1662-1712.
“Real and Imagined Barriers to College Entry: Perception of Cost,” with Melanie Jones. 2007. Social Science Research 36(2): 745-766.
“The United States: Changes in Higher Education and Social Stratification,” with Josipa Roksa, Richard Arum and Adam Gamoran. 2007. Chapter in Social Stratification in Higher Education, Y. Shavit, A. Gamoran and R. Arum, eds. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.