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…

In today's labor market, students increasingly need greater levels of postsecondary education and training to enter or advance in many industries. Meanwhile, employers are calling for the education system to better align with industry needs, as their demands for a skilled workforce continue to rise. In response to the increasing emphasis for…

The annual number of certificates awarded by community colleges has increased dramatically, but relatively little research has been conducted on the economic benefits of certificates in the labor market. Based on detailed student-level information from matched college transcript and employment data in two states, this article estimates the…

As the need for educated workers in the workforce grows at the national and state level, educating low-skilled adults is one way of addressing the skills gap. Adult education programs offer low-skilled adults an opportunity to increase basic academic skills and prepare for college and career. Today, transitioning students from adult education…

Acting as the lead agency for the "National STEM Consortium" (NSC), Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) engaged Hezel Associates to provide an independent program and impact evaluation of the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL)-funded STEM certificate initiative. This report is comprehensive and covers the findings from all 4 years of the…

High-tenured displaced workers often experience significant earnings losses that persist for the rest of their working lives. A well-targeted training initiative has the potential to substantially reduce permanent earnings losses for those displaced workers who have the academic preparation, work experience, and interest to complete high-return…

This qualitative study identified key factors associated with exemplar service-learning programs at six community colleges across the United States. The purpose of this case study was to determine why these programs have sustained over time and to better understand how administrators and faculty meet shifting demands for service-learning. The…

California's education system--the largest in the United States--is an essential resource for ensuring strong economic growth in the state. The Career Technical Education Pathways Initiative (referred to as the Initiative in this report), which became law in 2005, brings together community colleges, K-12 school districts, employers, organized…

As America enters the information age, industry will require a more knowledgeable work force, many new occupations will be introduced and old ones eliminated, and the nature of each occupation will be evolutionary. Information skills -- finding information, reading it, analyzing it, interpreting it, applying it, and communicating it -- will become…

In April 1989, a 3-year follow-up study was conducted of students who completed a career program at Johnson County Community College (JCCC),in Kansas, during the 1985-86 academic year to obtain information on their career and educational experiences over an extended period of time. The 385 former students surveyed included career program…

A follow-up study was conducted at William Rainey Harper College (WRHC) to evaluate and obtain externally required information about the dietetic technician program. Surveys were mailed to all 47 of the students who graduated from the program between 1980 and 1982 to obtain information on their employment status, job title, length of service,…

A follow-up study was conducted at William Rainey Harper College (WRHC) to evaluate and obtain externally required information about the dietetic technician program. Surveys were mailed to the 13 students who graduated from the program between spring 1990 and fall 1992 requesting information on their employment status, job title, length of…

In 1987-88, Gateway Technical College (GTC) in Racine, Wisconsin developed a model for identifying programs as potential candidates for either an in-depth evaluation or program audit. In order to facilitate program comparisons, the model applies the same evaluation criteria to all programs. The criteria, which were selected to match the concerns…

The goal of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC) electronics program between 1995-1999 by answering the following questions: (1) did the students find employment in an electronics-related career upon graduation? (2) did they feel that the program provided them with an adequate level of…

This report provides information from graduates of selected occupational programs regarding the effectiveness of their Illinois community college experience. The study surveyed a pool of 2,190 occupational program graduates, which yielded a usable response rate of 58.6%. The majority of graduate respondents (64.5%) came from programs in four…