Dual enrollment programs across the nation have gained positive attention for increasing access to affordable higher education, elevating academic rigor, and encouraging timely degree completion. However, dual enrollment programs differ significantly in design. This study analyzed the college transfer sector of the Career and College Promise (CCP)…

This article is a comparative study of community colleges and global counterparts at 41 institutions in 25 countries. Policies from each country link completion of a college program to career entry and to advancement opportunities. National and institutional policies are being defined, benchmark data is being collected on goals in the process, and…

This study addressed the effectiveness of the North Carolina Career and College Promise (NCCCP) program using Conley's (2010) framework for college readiness in determining and promoting college readiness for students participating in the program at a rural North Carolina community college. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was used…

The community college baccalaureate and the university-center baccalaureate models are gaining traction in the state of California as alternatives to addressing the need for greater access to baccalaureate degree programs and to increase the baccalaureate-educated workforce. Little is known about the characteristics and factors associated with the…

The City University of New York's (CUNY's) Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) combines many of the ideas from a range of programs into a comprehensive model that requires students to attend school full-time, and provides supports and incentives for three years. ASAP's financial aid reforms, enhanced student services, and scheduling…

Previous studies have examined the curricula of information systems technology (IST) programs, and some have noted a discrepancy between the stated needs of industry and the skills and attributes of graduates of 4-year programs. In addition, gaps between the 2-year curricula and the perceived needs of employers have been noted. The purpose of this…

Policymakers, educators, and the public agree that postsecondary credentials are crucial for economic success, and high school graduates and displaced workers are increasingly seeking credentials at community colleges. Yet little attention has been paid to understanding how credentials align with employer needs and how community college programs…

The issue of teacher shortages across the state and nation, especially in rural areas, is a complex one. The disparity between the number of teachers produced and what is needed to fill classrooms across the nation in states where student populations are growing is exacerbated by issues of attrition of current educators. Mandates for production of…

For the past decade, MDRC has evaluated a number of interventions designed to improve the outcomes of community college students, including enhanced counseling, learning communities, and financial incentives. Encouragingly, many of these strategies have produced positive effects, affirming that changes in institutional practices and policies can…

Discussions of the barriers to completion in community colleges have largely focused on student success in introductory college-level math and English courses, and rightfully so, since these courses are typically required for degrees. However, there is a much broader range of courses that also serve as "gatekeepers" in the sense that they are…

With community colleges educating up to one-half of all U.S. undergraduates, more focus on internationalization is warranted in order to ensure student competitiveness in today's global labor pool. This ex post facto study of 2006 survey data from the American Council on Education (ACE) found a low level of internationalization occurring at most…

This research study explores and compares the career and technical education programs offered in a US community college and the vocational/career and technology education programs offered in a comparable Chinese postsecondary institution. The study sought to find positive transferable characteristics of the career and technical education programs…

Research demonstrates employers value international experiences when hiring employees. Community college students who do not have global or international experience risk being less valuable to employers than students who have such experience. With community colleges educating up to one-half of all U.S. undergraduates, more focus on…

There are numerous differences and similarities between community colleges and proprietary schools. Demographically, both institutional types serve high proportions of low-income and students of color. This study examines minority male (including African American, Hispanic, and Native American) satisfaction outcomes between institutional types.…

This document includes two technical appendices that accompany the full report, "English as a Second Language in California's Community Colleges." The two appendixes include: (1) Key terms, data and methods; and (2) Figures and tables. [These appendices were written with research support from Sergio Sanchez and Stephanie Pulles. For the…