The goal of this brief is to examine the extent to which different school choice policies have been implemented in rural communities, identify the barriers, and provide recommendations for policymakers looking to expand access to school choice in rural communities. The school choice policies discussed in this brief include: (1) Charter schools;…

Creating smart, coherent education policy is painstaking work; there are technical, budgetary, and political challenges at almost every turn. But it is some of the most important work that state leaders can undertake. As Ohioans prepared to elect a new governor in late 2018, we at the Fordham Institute began rolling out a set of policy proposals…

A differentiated fee structure, which varies with the status of the student, and the purpose of taking courses is proposed as a solution to the fiscal dilemma facing public community colleges. Postulates priorities for services and costs. (MB)

Nothing is dearer to community colleges than the belief that they can and should serve all eligible people who seek admittance. For decades, the "open door" community college has been an often-used, much-revered metaphor for equal opportunity in higher education. In this article, the author emphasizes that open access to community colleges is…

Describes issues affecting the open door policies of community colleges in light of funding cutbacks. Suggests that the central challenges for community colleges will include linking noncredit workforce development programs to the regular college curriculum and ensuring ease of transfer among secondary schools and community colleges. (16…

Although the community college is a product of the publicly subsidized move to mass higher education during the 25 years following World War II, it now faces a more stringent fiscal environment that severely challenges its comprehensive, multipurpose character. Funding in the current era of consolidation entails an examination and reconciliation…

This paper describes the use of tuition tax credits and vouchers as political alternatives of choice and competition in a progressive society. School and public administration theorists identify two distinct finance models: the rational and the political. The first part of this paper examines and describes these two models. The next part…

The dilemma of maintaining academic standards as well as open access policies is discussed in this paper with respect to the causes of and possible solutions to the problem. Trends leading to the standards/open access dilemma are first considered, including the dominant belief in the 1950's that education served to select and groom the most…

Describes a national study of community college funding conditions at the state level, which ascertained whether individual institutions had implemented or were considering enrollment limitations resulting from budget shortfalls. Although a majority of states reported declining state support and increasing enrollments, few college leaders reported…

This document argues that for the 1.8 million students attending the 731 rural community colleges in the United States, the community college is often the only option for higher education. However, both access and excellence for rural students are being negatively impacted by recent federal and state policy that has decreased funding to community…

The third in a series of reports examining the impact of student charges on the goals of open access and educational quality in California's community colleges, this report considers alternatives for maintaining access and quality, the conditions under which student charges should be imposed, and the structures and levels of student charges. Part…

This report examines key questions related to the provision of educational opportunities by community colleges to those who are able to benefit from the experience. Chapter I discusses the different meanings of educational access and explains how different implications for public policy stem from various definitions and standards. Chapter II…

The objectives of this study of the county colleges in New Jersey were to: (1) examine their mission, governance, and financing; (2) determine whether philosophies and operating mechanisms of a period of expansion would provide sufficient support and direction for the future; and (3) make recommendations based upon the study. In addition to…