This brief focuses on coaching for more equitable student outcomes to bring about student success. It builds on the work of the Coaching for Change project conducted by the Community College Research Initiatives (CCRI) at the University of Washington. The authors emphasize the importance of equity in comprehensive college reform, including the…

School communities in both urban and rural settings need trauma-informed (TI) supports; however, the adversities experienced and access to student supports may be unique to rural school communities. In addition, the contextual challenges experienced by rural schools and communities, as well as the strengths that can be drawn from them, will…

Over the years, a number of interventions aimed at increasing student engagement and performance have been implemented in higher education. Some of these, labeled high-impact practices (HIPs), when done well, have led to documented evidence of student success. Two approaches that have been identified as HIPs--first-year seminars and learning…

For the past decade, MDRC has evaluated a number of interventions designed to improve the outcomes of community college students, including enhanced counseling, learning communities, and financial incentives. Encouragingly, many of these strategies have produced positive effects, affirming that changes in institutional practices and policies can…

Three community colleges--El Paso Community College, Bunker Hill Community College, and Patrick Henry Community College--incorporated technology into the curriculum to support student progress in mathematics through developmental education. Each college took its own path: El Paso developed a self-accelerated emporium-style computer lab, Patrick…

This brief summarizes efforts to reform developmental education at Zane State College and the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC). Focused on accelerating student success and progress, the two schools pursued distinctive approaches to reform that aligned with their institutional missions and student populations. Recognizing that the…

For the past decade, MDRC has evaluated a number of interventions designed to improve the outcomes of community college students, including enhanced counseling, learning communities, and financial incentives. Encouragingly, many of these strategies have produced positive effects, affirming that changes in institutional practices and policies can…

Described are programs sponsored by the Atlanta, Georgia, community which has accepted the "community of believers" concept espoused by the Superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools. According to the concept, the community at large must believe that each student is capable of learning, our educational system can teach students, our…

Small/rural community colleges should be integral parts of the communities they serve, catalysts for community development, and adaptable to community change. Collaboration with community agencies to develop efficient needs-specific programs and to use community residents as resources offer ways for colleges to provide educational courses and…

In 1972, when the third campus of Montgomery College was being planned, a commitment was made to community use of the campus facilities. From the day the Germanstown Campus library opened, its services have been available to the college's students and to the community at large. The library has a bookstack capacity of 65,000 books, 100 study…

Based on the idea that community colleges have a critical role in enhancing civic literacy through community-based programming and service learning, this volume provides descriptions of theoretical frameworks and practical models for incorporating community renewal into the college mission. The following articles are provided: (1) "Service…

The San Diego County (California) Adopt-A-School program, established in the spring of 1982, is a partnership program that has paired San Diego schools at all grade levels with local businesses, military commands, and service organizations. The purpose of Adopt-A-School is to foster better understanding of public schools in San Diego, strengthen…

An overview is provided of the development of the Dallas County Community College District's (DCCCD's) Community Development Program, highlighting its accomplishments during its first two and one-half years of operation, and the District's plans for the future. Section I offers introductory comments and defines community development as the process…

A study was conducted to determine the extent to which the community colleges' community-based mission has been understood and accepted and to assess the impact of this educational philosophy on local communities. Specifically, the study sought to: (1) explore the extent to which the community-based mission is reflected in the literature on the…

In a built environment program, parts of the community are brought right into the classroom for detailed study, and all activities are related to the specific characteristics of the local environment. A built environment project for primary schools in British Columbia is described and evaluated. (RM)