Over the last decade, policymakers, educators, and researchers have increasingly sought to understand community college policies and practices that promote students' success. This effort has been partly driven by an increased emphasis on outcome accountability, but it has also promoted a productive discussion about improving institutional…

A study investigated the influence on critical-thinking skills of part-time and full-time student status. Subjects were 2,076 first-year students at 2- and 4-year colleges. Full-time students developed a higher level of critical-thinking skills than did part-time students, even controlling for other factors. Full-time two-year college students…

Married mothers and their husbands were interviewed at the beginning and end of the women's first year of enrollment in a university to study changes in marital happiness when women return to school. Marital happiness declined over the year among couples in which wives were enrolled as full-time students. (Author/MLW)

A graduation efficiency index for colleges and universities is computed by subtracting transfer credits from minimum degree credit requirements, dividing remainder by the sum of a student's enrollment census day credits. Analysis of results for University of Washington bachelor's degree recipients, show nontransfers graduated with more efficiency…