In community colleges in the United States, graduation rates remain frustratingly low. Students face many challenges, including the financial costs of attending college; the demands of school, work, and family; complex institutional systems; underfunded student support services; and insufficient preparation for college-level work. To address these…

This Educational Leadership Portfolio (ELP) documents my exploratory study of the feasibility of developing a new associate level (A.A.S) degree program. While this study and plan is designed to serve as a guide for any two-year or community college thinking of developing such a program, many of the artifacts in this study are written specifically…

This booklet outlines the process used by Elgin Community College to custom design training for business and industry. The implementation of the process, beginning with the initial request for training, is addressed rather than how the service is marketed. The booklet is divided into the following six sections: introduction, Illinois State Board…

In what has become a major new trend in adult education, community colleges, seeking to attract new students, have started labor studies courses. Unions often support the programs and pay for members to attend but the programs are controlled by the colleges. Focus is on such a program at Manhattan Community College. (JMD)

Defines school-business partnerships and reviews changes in such partnerships over the past 25 years. Provides steps to building effective partnerships for school-to-work activities: review the school's mission; select partners that will bring strength to the relationship; set clearly defined, realistic goals; maintain the partnership; and…

Defines youth and adult apprenticeships as key elements in school-to-work transition. Describes key characteristics of apprenticeship programs and the nature of exemplary programs, including a table of characteristics of 12 model programs. Discusses current changes in such programs to meet employer and student needs. Offers suggestions for…

Emphasizing the central role of community colleges in workforce development, this two-part monograph reviews the status of workforce development initiatives at the national, state, and local levels and provides descriptions of 10 exemplary programs at community colleges across North America. The first part focuses on the status of and operating…

A unit on submerged arc welding (SAW) was developed and integrated into the welding program at Seattle Central Community College (Washington) during the period December 1983 through May 1984. During this time, 10 major users of SAW in the area were contacted and mailed questionnaires. Follow up consisted of telephone calls and personal contact as…

Over the last six years, corporation-community college partnerships have played an increasingly important role in educational and industrial growth. The automotive industry has been at the forefront of this trend and has recognized the contributions that community colleges can make in meeting the educational needs of industry. One example is the…

Reviews the Boeing Tech Prep Program, an associate degree program combining high school and community college vocational and academic curricula. Describes the three phases of the program's development: the provision of seed grants to schools, the development of an associate degree program, and the institution of an internship program. (MAB)

The role of mentoring in the 2 + 2 Instrumentation and Control (I&C) articulation project between the Leander Independent School District (LISD) and Austin Community College (ACC) is discussed in this document. Following a brief history of the origin and function of the mentor, the paper explains the need for the mentoring system in the I&C…

Prompted by requirements of the 1990 Perkins Act and a growing dissatisfaction among employers with college graduates' skill levels, many schools have undertaken curricular reform through tech prep and school-to-work, with most of the efforts working toward the integration of academic content into vocational programs. In general, however, tech…

This paper explores why comprehensive high schools should consider implementing tech prep and what they need to know about tech prep programs. It first presents 14 principles of high school-community college articulation (the basis for tech prep). Following these principles, the paper explores the history of tech prep, definitions by Congress, and…

Since 1987, Dutchess Community College (DCC), in New York, and IBM Corporation have been forging a partnership which revolves around the Manufacturing Technical Training School (MTTS), a program designed to enhance the skills and education of IBM's production workforce. MTTS's three-phase curriculum has evolved to include the changing training…

Metropolitan College is a distinctive and innovative business-education partnership that provides educational opportunities to many Kentucky residents who would otherwise be unable to attend college. The program also provides significant, tangible benefits to the business and education partners, as well as to the local and statewide community.…