Examines recent efforts to smooth the flow of students from community colleges to baccalaureate-granting institutions. Describes a cooperative, multidimensional program involving high schools, community colleges, and four-year institutions in efforts to hone the skills of high school students; improve course and program articulation; and develop…

Contests the assertion that vocational courses track students away from the baccalaureate. Sees a blurring distinction between vocational and transfer courses, contending that students may take "vocational" courses to transfer and "transfer" courses to prepare for jobs. Discusses the ad hoc nature of student attendance and course-taking patterns.…

Suggests steps in planning and managing student tracking systems: build support, determine the system's purpose, inventory available student data, identify information gaps, consider a small prototype, make tracking ongoing, and use the system. Reviews potential problems during implementation. Cites further sources of information. (DMM)

Efforts have recently been undertaken to smooth the flow of students from community colleges to baccalaureate-granting institutions. Focusing on more than transfer of course credits, these efforts have involved multidimensional programs of cooperation with high schools and four-year institutions as well as programs which identify and assist…

Designed for the community college practitioner who may be considering initiating a student tracking system, this report draws upon selected writings and other sources to examine the potential role of student tracking systems in student outcomes research. The report examines the limited scope of community college longitudinal studies conducted to…