This study responds to a national conversation about the role that Career Technical Education (CTE) might play in meeting workforce demand for soft skills. It is challenging for CTE programs to offer soft skills for several reasons. Both educators and employers tend to associate CTE with hard skills, or technical skills and therefore the programs…

The New York City P-TECH 9-14 schools are an educational model that ties together the secondary, higher education, and workforce systems to improve outcomes across domains. The distinguishing feature of the model is a partnership among a high school, a community college, and one or more employer partners that focuses on preparing students for both…

The New York City P-TECH 9-14 schools are an educational model that ties together the secondary, higher education, and workforce systems to improve outcomes across domains. The distinguishing feature of the model is a partnership among a high school, a community college, and one or more employer partners that focuses on preparing students for both…

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…

Spurred by a demand to prepare more American workers for middle-class jobs in high technology industries, funders are investing aggressively in large-scale partnerships between community college workforce educators and employers. Despite such investments, however, few broadly usable insights have been gleaned about effective partnership and…

The Economic and Workforce Development Program (EWD) aims to support California's economy by aligning community college educational programs with workforce development needs. The program connects employers and community college educators through a network of workforce training resources and partnerships called "Doing What Matters for Jobs and…

California's dynamic economy depends on having a large and skilled workforce; consequently, the state must continually support and refine efforts to provide workers with employer-valued competencies. Given the wide range of regional and state needs across this vast state, ensuring that the workforce has the training to keep up with labor market…

This issue of "Assessment Update" presents the following articles: (1) A "Wisdom of Crowds" Approach to Outcomes Assessment (Gregory Burton); (2) Editor's Notes: Collective Assessment and DQP Follow-Up (Trudy W. Banta); (3) Satisfaction with Data Management Systems in Standards-Based Alignment (Brett Everhart and Jeanne M.…

In an effort to meet the need for a more comprehensive program evaluation, staff at Moraine Valley Community College developed a questionnaire and interview schedule to obtain feedback from employers concerning career programs. Questionnaires were sent to all employers who hired graduates of occupational programs between 1969-71; over 80% returned…

This annual newsletter contains updates on the latest CCRC research, new publications and details of upcoming presentations at major conferences. The feature article in this issue, "Addressing the Needs of Underprepared Students," by Thomas Bailey, summarizes the discussion found in the paper "Challenge and Opportunity: Rethinking…

In response to requests by the Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board for a systematic approach to student outcomes assessment, and in an effort to identify potential areas for improving the quality of community college education, the State Board for Community College Education conducted a vocational outcomes study in 1989. The study…

All entering freshmen at Bronx Community College (BCC), in New York, are required to enroll in an orientation/career development course which is taught by counselors and helps students with college procedures, curriculum choices, and occupational goals. To assess the college's career counseling services, a study was conducted to determine the…

The Tex-SIS Follow-up system Employer Follow-up Survey involved four Texas community colleges, providing a statewide composite of employer data on the competency of occupational/technical graduates. The mailing list for prospective survey participants was derived from occupational/technical graduates' responses to a survey conducted in 1975-76. A…

In the summer of 2001, College of the Canyons (California) conducted of study of registered nursing (RN) and licensed vocational nursing (LVN) alumni, as well as their employers, to assess satisfaction with the preparation and training they received through the College's nursing programs. Out of the 89 invited nursing alumni, 33 surveys were…

A study evaluated Delta College's associate degree nursing program with results showing that there was no relationship between grade point averages, State Board Examination scores, and job performance of nursing graduates as rated by physicians and supervising nurses. Strengths and weaknesses identified in job performances were greatly influenced…