In this toolbox article, the authors describe the recommended steps for creating a community college balanced scorecard that measures and reports on key performance indicators based on targets and signal values to end-users, college constituents and external stakeholders. Based on extensive experience in the field, the authors provide a…

Describes a study of community perceptions conducted at Johnson County Community College (Kansas) utilizing telephone interviews of service area adults. Reports that the overall evaluation of the college was positive, although the majority of respondents were not aware of several of the major functions of the college. (MAB)

States that community colleges serve their communities through programs that make available lifelong learning opportunities, continuing education, and training for local and global industries. Presents a list of citations and abstracts for ERIC documents and journal articles that address the theme of planning noncredit programs and services in…

The initiation of new accreditation standards for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges in 2002 mandated assessing student learning as a requirement for all community colleges. This study examined a non-Californian community college recognized by experts as having successfully institutionalized student learning outcomes. Qualitative data…

Argues that community colleges are becoming more reliant on support from external stakeholders to design programs and deliver services to customers. Suggests that colleges need to supplement traditional academic indicators of performance with external indicators, which involves a shift from a closed to an open systems-assessment approach. (JDI)

Several cognitive motivational scales were examined for their ability to predict short-range academic outcomes (grades, percentage of units earned over units attempted, units earned), and to measure cognitive gains as a consequence of services provided by community college counseling offices. The findings suggest that scales measuring…

Discusses the value of professional service, which is "work based on faculty member's expertise that contributes to the outreach mission of the institution." Most of the 148 respondents to a Midlands Technical College faculty survey: (1) valued professional service but had not participated in it; and (2) did not consider professional…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify critically important factors that affect the meaningful assessment of student learning outcomes and study why these factors were critically important. A three-round Delphi process was used to solicit the opinions of individuals who were actively involved in student learning outcomes assessment…

Describes the development of a systemwide institutional effectiveness assessment model in the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS). Indicates that a primary goal of WTCS was to provide a measure that could assess systemwide effectiveness while preserving the autonomy of each individual college. Identifies four categories of effectiveness:…

Argues that institutional effectiveness is a multidimensional construct that varies according to the perspective of the stakeholder. Identifies core effectiveness indicators derived from a survey given to a wide range of college staff in three key areas: student outcomes, institutional processes, and fiscal and human resources. Contains four data…

Outlines recent organizational and programmatic changes within the National Postsecondary Education Cooperative, including a data feedback system of institutional indicators; a persistence/completion methodologies dictionary; state information data initiatives; briefing papers; and the maintenance and enhancement of ANSWERS, a Web-based tool that…

Over a two-year period beginning in March 2004, community colleges in Maryland developed a revised set of accountability indicators for a state-mandated Performance Accountability Report first required by a 1988 statute. A major innovation was a new model for assessing student degree progress. This article explains the development and components…

This research examined the effect of tutoring on student success at an open enrollment community college, controlling for gender, age, race/ethnicity, highest level of education, and reading, writing and mathematics competency. Student success was defined three ways: term grade point average (GPA), success in courses, and persistence from the fall…

Examines leadership styles of community college faculty at South Carolina's technical colleges and at the College of Applied Arts and Technology in Ontario, Canada. Reports that a relationship was found between the number of years of teaching and a faculty member's others-orientation, implying that time and experience are critical in effectively…

Discusses a research project that compared the academic performance of community college transfer students with returning students at a four-year institution. Reports that native students demonstrated stronger academic performance than transfers at this institution. (Contains 33 references.) (RC)