Despite a great increase in the numbers of students enrolling in higher education, specifically at community colleges, the successful completion rates for these students has remained static since the 1970s. When reviewing strategies to increase student retention and successful completion, the Student Success Course (SSC) has emerged as a promising…

Across the U.S., an estimated 60% of incoming community college students require developmental courses to be ready for college-level work, according to estimates by experts. As these courses act as a gateway to further studies, those who fail are most often lost to higher education: Less than a quarter will earn a degree or certificate within…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the Latino Educational Equity Project (LEEP), a brief intervention designed to enhance college retention by increasing social awareness and skills for Latino students at three, predominately White universities in the Pacific Northwest. Participants were 40 students who completed the…

Student retention is an ongoing concern of many postsecondary institutions (Kuh, 2008). Student engagement might be a key to addressing retention issues in terms of building relationships between students and their college. One technical college has found that attrition in learning support math courses contributes greatly to the overall college…

This article reports the results of a quantitative matching study investigating the impact on first-year students of a two-semester learning community. Results indicate a statistically significant association between LEAP participation and academic performance measured by retention, GPA, and time to graduation. Participation was associated with…

In a time of scarce resources, many colleges and universities are looking for ways to stretch their existing resources for student success. At the same time, most institutions have a significant number of student workers. This paper presents the latest research that describes the vital role of on-campus employment in student retention. This report…

In 2003, Lumina Foundation for Education launched a bold, multiyear, national initiative called "Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count," to help students stay in school and succeed. The initiative is focused particularly on students who have faced the most barriers to success, including low-income students and students of color.…

Over the last decade, higher education has come under intense scrutiny from the government; accrediting agencies in particular have come under fire for a lack of accountability and transparency. Reports from the Commission on the Future of Higher Education and the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee served as a driving force for…

This is the final report of the National Evaluation of Student Support Services (SSS). SSS is one of eight federally funded grant programs that are administered as part of the Federal TRIO Programs within the U.S. Department of Education (ED). The SSS program, in particular, focuses on students while they are enrolled in college. In general, SSS…

This paper provides a brief overview of the status of retention and completion efforts among community colleges in the United States. This article identifies a number of successful strategies utilized in on-ground institutions that may translate well to online programs. In light of these successes, the article questions whether the costly current…

The General Equivalency Diploma (GED) is a credential created to help individuals that did not or could not complete a high school education and receive a high school diploma. Individuals can obtain their GED by returning to school with enrollment in Adult Education Programs and GED classes; however, many individuals without a high school diploma…

The article describes how the author explores the use of out-of-school "reading packets" as a new learning option for adult English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students. Since their spring 2008 debut, take-home packets have evolved into folders of pleasurable reading materials that high-beginner and intermediate ESOL students…

The "Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998" (commonly referred to as "Perkins," "Perkins III," or "the Act" and referred to hereafter as Perkins III) requires, in Sec. 113(c)(3)(C), that the secretary provide the appropriate committees of Congress copies of annual reports received by…

The "Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 19981" (commonly referred to as "Perkins," "Perkins III," or "the Act" and referred to hereafter as "Perkins III") requires, in Sec. 113(c)(3)(C), that the secretary provide the appropriate committees of Congress copies of annual…

This study was designed to measure the performance of academically underprepared students who complete remediation, compared with underprepared students who do not complete remediation. The study was conducted on 766 full-time students at Ivy Tech State College, a two-year technical institution in Indiana. All of the students included were…