This is the second of a series of reports on trends in national community college enrollments. National community college enrollments continue to decrease, with variations at the state and local levels. The report also examines completion rates published by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) based on institutional level reporting, and those…

The college completion agenda demands improved graduation rates among adult learners and prior learning assessment (PLA) is a promising solution. PLA permits students to earn college credit for knowledge acquired outside of higher education and is associated with improved student outcomes. The current study expanded the literature regarding adult…

In this thesis a prediction model using graduation rate as the performance indicator is obtained for community colleges for three cohort years, 2003, 2004, and 2005 in the states of California, Florida, and Michigan. Multiple Regression analysis, using an aggregate of seven predictor variables, was employed in determining this prediction model.…

Community colleges have always played a crucial role in providing access to college, especially for students with disabilities. At the same time the rate of completion is exceptionally low for this particular population (Belch, 2004). In order to improve persistence and achievement measurably, colleges may seek clues in successful transitions by…

Documenting student outcomes is a priority for higher education institutions. Federally-mandated graduation rates are often used as the sole measure of student success. However, this measure fails to document outcomes for students with multiple educational objectives and career paths. Driven by this challenge, the City Colleges of Chicago…

Community colleges are open-door institutions serving many students with academic, economic, and personal characteristics that can make college completion a challenge. Their graduation rates are low, but community college students do not always have earning a degree as their goal. While individual students may feel that their experience at a…

This report discusses measurement issues and their usefulness as indicators of student success at the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology of Ontario. The following sections are included: (1) executive summary; (2) introduction; (3) retention rates, which discusses a number of issues associated with defining and measuring graduation rates; (4)…

Compares segmentation modeling and logistic regression with regard to a longitudinal study of graduation rates at Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute. Suggests that segmentation modeling is as effective as the regression techniques in terms of predictive ability, but that segmentation modeling offers a distinct advantage in…

The primary purpose of the Eastern Iowa Community College District (EICCD) Program Evaluation Process is to ensure curricular relevance, instructional quality and the effective and efficient use of resources. Developed and pilot-tested on 38 vocational-technical programs, the model is being utilized by more than 120 technical and community…

Perhaps the two most vexing measurement issues in higher education research are how to obtain true transfer rates from community colleges to four-year universities and the correct formula for the measure of college student retention, regardless of institutional type. All colleges and universities are required to submit retention figures to federal…

This report summarizes Washington-statewide results achieved in the most recent academic year for which statewide data are available (in most cases, the 2005-2006 academic year). Data on results for individual four-year institutions, as well as a variety of background information and contextual data is presented separately in a comprehensive…