This special issue of Research in Comparative and International Education investigates the spread and development of two-year and community college institutions worldwide. While not all post-secondary education falls within the scope or definition of community colleges, both post-secondary and community college education tend to serve the needs of…

Examines the extent to which urban community colleges are able to develop new programs for welfare recipients under welfare reform. Reports that, according to a survey of New York City's community colleges, although the policy environment has dampened new programming for welfare recipients among these institutions, some exemplary programs have…

A study was conducted to determine whether the strategies and tactics employed in the implementation and continuation of well-established honors programs at selected community colleges followed the five stages that Martorana and Kuhns identified as phases in the life cycle of academic innovation (i.e., exploration, formulation, trial, refinement,…

Examines information about honors programs and curricula in 38 community colleges. Explains why colleges have honors programs, what their goals are, and how they accomplish them. Honors programs encourage excellence but need balanced evaluative studies to succeed. Contains 51 references. (KC)

Reviews current literature related to self-directed learning, highlighting six competencies important for its successful implementation. Reviews critiques of self-directed learning and describes hurdles to implementation at community colleges related to quality control, teachers' roles, and institutional image. Provides suggestions for overcoming…

Discusses the changing nature of vocational education in the community college, offers models and strategies for organizing and delivering vocational education, and presents evidence on program effectiveness and outcomes associated with student participation. Notes that for some vocational education approaches--for example, tech prep--little is…

Examines the eight models for general education programming presented in this volume, highlighting patterns found in the articles. Indicates that the programs emphasize communication skills, an appreciation for diversity, technological and mathematical literacy, the development of moral reasoning skills, and the improvement of student critical…

Reporting literature from the ERIC system, highlights issues and concerns regarding minority student retention and learning success within community colleges. Discusses factors contributing to declining retention rates and effective programming strategies designed to address continued participation of students of color. (KS)

Presents a review of current ERIC documents concerning student assessment practices at community colleges and related issues. Discusses external pressures and challenges for assessment, frameworks and techniques in use, and the importance of recognizing student diversity and maintaining institutional support for assessment efforts. (44 citations)…

The growing demand for colleges and universities to be accountable to their publics and the recognition that assessment is of little value without a systematic planning effort have led many institutions to turn to the concept of Total Quality Management (TQM). This pamphlet discusses the process of adapting TQM to a typical community college, a…

Reasons for the long-range success of the Los Angeles Community College District's evaluation system for its handicap program are explored in this report, using a force field analysis of facilitating and restraining factors. First, introductory material cites previous reports exploring various aspects of the evaluation system. Next, the following…

Through a chronological review of the writings of Howard Y. McClusky, this paper examines the concept of the community council, an integrating agency which unites community resources and organizations for the provision of adult education. After introductory material discussing McClusky's pioneering work in the field of community education, the…

The service learning instructional methodology integrates community service with academic instruction and seeks to address local needs and develop students academic skills, sense of civic responsibility, and commitment to the community. The following elements are important for effectively organizing a community college service learning program:…

As state governments and the public demand greater accountability from community and technical colleges, increasing focus is placed on the concept of assessing student academic achievement. To be effective, assessment processes should provide institutions with information that helps develop specific plans for improving operations. While processes…

Drawing from an analysis of more than 50 documents related to the need for technical education and training in Texas, and from interviews with 29 individuals knowledgeable about the state's technical education and training, this report assesses the current statewide capacity to to adequately train the workforce that is the expected requirement for…