In a 2008 working paper published by the U.S. Agency for International Development, the authors lamented that, despite billions of dollars in investment in global education initiatives, access to education had been improved in targeted areas, but the return on investment with regards to learning outcomes was "much less impressive"…

Over the past decade, policymakers, educators, and administrators in community colleges and other broad-access postsecondary institutions have focused on reforming developmental education practices, including how students are assessed as needing additional academic support. Concurrent with widespread changes in practice, researchers have engaged…

The Alaska Performance Scholarship is beginning its eighth year, rewarding students who strive to excel in high school and continue their education in degree and certificate programs. Since the program began in 2011: (1) 17,148 high school students have completed the eligibility requirements for APS; and (2) 7,630 students have used the…

Higher education is a key driver of economic growth and individual opportunity in California. But the state has not been keeping up with a strong and growing demand for skilled workers. Recent investments and initiatives have helped increase enrollment, graduation rates, and the number of degrees awarded. Substantial gains in these…

Postsecondary credentials are increasingly important to labor market success. Community colleges provide a key pathway to these credentials for many, including low-income and nontraditional students. Unfortunately, many community college students leave before earning a degree or credential, especially those who enter underprepared for…

This is the executive summary for the report, "Commencement Day: Six-Year Effects of a Freshman Learning Community Program at Kingsborough Community College." As part of MDRC's multisite Opening Doors demonstration, Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn, New York--a large, urban college in the City University of New York (CUNY)…

In this paper we estimate the impacts of the "pathways" chosen by community college students--in terms of desired credentials and fields of study, as well as other choices and outcomes along the paths--on the attainment of credentials with labor market value. We focus on the extent to which there are recorded changes in students' choices…

Community colleges offer a pathway to the middle class for low-income individuals. Although access to college has expanded, graduation rates at community colleges remain low, especially for students who need developmental (remedial) courses to build their math, reading, or writing skills. The City University of New York's (CUNY's) Accelerated…

The Breaking Through (BT) initiative promotes an expanded and enhanced role for community colleges in providing access to college for low-skilled adults. BT is uniquely important in its systematic integration of adult education, developmental/remedial education, professional-technical education (PTE), and career planning and preparation in…

The purpose of "Focus" is to provide coverage of poverty-related research, events, and issues, and to acquaint a large audience with the work of the Institute for Research on Poverty by means of short essays on selected pieces of research. This issue contains the following articles: (1) The new global labor market (Richard B. Freeman);…

Presents an interview with Dr. Yolanda T. Moses, President of the American Association for Higher Education (AAHE). Stresses the need to make student success a goal as important as access to education. Argues that developmental education, women's studies, and ethnic studies are areas that are moving to center stage. (NB)

This issue of the Southern Association of Community, Junior, and Technical Colleges' newsletter begins with the agenda for the Association's 2002 annual meeting followed by lists of the 2002 Officers of the Association and Board Members. The majority of the newsletter, however, is comprised of one article by John E. Roueche, Susanne D. Roueche,…

This research assessed whether Israel's "second-chance" educational programs, the academic preparatory programs (APP) that challenge the sorting criteria of the mainstream, succeed in enhancing social equality in education. Successful outcomes of the APP are analyzed in light of the reported failure of community colleges to moderate…

This document examines recent findings regarding minority access to education in the Washington Community and Technical Colleges. The paper details the colleges' goals in relation to the indicators for enrollment, student success, and employment. A review of the indicators suggests that the colleges are providing equitable access to college for…

This paper, presented at an international conference, addresses the ways in which the U.S. federal government has attempted since 1965 to use higher education as a means to equalize opportunity in American society. Over the years, the original federal need-based student aid programs changed and began to focus more on student supportive services…