For 8 years Washington State has operated a performance funding policy, the Student Achievement Initiative (SAI). The policy allocates appropriations to the state's 34 community and technical colleges based on points earned through student achievement of college-readiness, retention, and completion milestones. Grounded in a conceptual framework of…

Over the years, a number of interventions aimed at increasing student engagement and performance have been implemented in higher education. Some of these, labeled high-impact practices (HIPs), when done well, have led to documented evidence of student success. Two approaches that have been identified as HIPs--first-year seminars and learning…

Understanding how educational practitioners make sense of and subsequently implement policy has been an increasingly important objective of the K-12 research community. This study extends this research into higher education via an in-depth case study of an urban public 2-year technical college. Drawing on sensemaking theory and critical policy…

High school graduates continue to enter post-secondary education lacking in basic mathematical skills and thus not academically prepared to enroll in college-level mathematics courses (ACT, 2010). Although it can be argued that those mathematical concepts should have been mastered in grades K-12, educating those students in basic skills…

Explains "purpose design," a planning and problem-solving strategy involving determination of planning purposes, generation and selection of solutions, specification of solution details, implementation, and evaluation. Describes the application of purpose design to the planning of an alumni association at Black Hawk College, a community…

Discusses the history and purpose of the case study method used to stimulate in-class discussion. Advocates the use of the guided case study method to ensure that substantive discussions take place and provides nine steps for using the method. Includes a sample case study worksheet. (11 citations) (BCY)

This case study of the acquisition and utilization of microcomputers for administrative purposes at Chipola Junior College, Florida focuses on the reactions of faculty and staff. After a brief review of the college's prior microcomputing activities from 1981 to 1985, the report is divided into four major sections: (1) how administrators involved…

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)

Discusses technostress--i.e., stress brought on by changes in technology--in libraries and media centers. Case studies are presented that show stress in community college libraries caused by the rapid implementation of new technologies; coping strategies for librarians and media specialists are discussed; and strategies for managers are suggested.…

Highlights the development and implementation of a multifaceted program at Middlesex Community College in Massachusetts. The program, which includes curriculum changes, new student organizations, international student fellowships, and orientation activities, was designed to create a more inclusive campus environment. Presents findings concerning…

Part of an effort to increase the capacity of local citizens to address critical issues facing their communities, this paper reports on a project to develop and test a replicable process for organizing community forums at community colleges. Following introductory remarks, the first section discusses the role of the community college in community…

This second of two monographs dealing with comprehensive institutional planning is directed at institutional representatives involved in the planning process at two-year colleges. It contains (1) information on a step-by-step approach to developing and implementing a comprehensive planning process (chapters 1-3) and (2) a case study of planning…

A study examined how three Oklahoma institutions (Langston University, Tulsa Community College, University of Central Oklahoma) implemented a specific remedial education policy enacted by the state coordinating board for certain students. The analysis demonstrates how institutional actors ascribed sense to the goals, assumptions, and expectations…

The 1995-96 evaluation of tech prep in Washington consisted of the following activities: an analysis of survey data collected from all 22 tech prep consortia in the state, case studies of 7 tech prep consortia, and an analysis of student survey data collected from more than 2,000 students in 4 high schools in the 7 consortia. The study found that…

Miami-Dade Community College's (MDCC's) implementation and assessment of computer software as a part of Project SYNERGY, a multi-institutional project funded by the International Business Machines (IBM) Corporation designed to seek technological solutions for helping students underprepared in reading, writing and mathematics, is described in this…