The acceleration of developmental mathematics instruction is a current trend in the field of developmental education. This report on a survey of practitioners reveals the challenges in teaching accelerated models of developmental mathematics courses and garners recommendations for improving the practice. Responses were elicited from faculty…

Purpose: The purpose of this case study was to determine the impact of utilizing predictive modeling to improve successful course completion rates for at-risk students at California community colleges. A secondary purpose of the study was to identify factors of predictive modeling that have the most importance for improving successful course…

Community colleges enroll nearly half of the students in public undergraduate programs and a disproportionate number of first-generation, low-income, underprepared, and minority students. The new national completion agenda initiated by President Barack Obama had brought both visibility and pressure to community colleges, which had completion rates…

College students are failing to graduate at unacceptable rates (Camera, 2016; DeVore, 2016; Scherer & Anson, 2014; Schneider, 2008). If graduation is the goal, then retention is the means. The research study sought to understand a potential solution to the pervasive retention problem, by researching a new strategy, compassionate enrollment.…

The goal of developmental education (also known as remedial or basic skills education) is to help students acquire the skills they need to be successful in college courses, but its track record is poor. In fact, it is one of the largest impediments to student success in California's community colleges. Many students do need additional work to be…

Areas in the United States are experiencing limited access to dental care. A solution to this issue includes utilizing the dental hygiene workforce; however, changes to the existing dental hygiene curriculum will be needed. The purpose of this study is to determine the perceptions of dental hygiene program directors employed at two-year colleges…

This study investigated the knowledge, motivational and organizational influences that affect eligible full-time faculty involvement on student conduct hearing boards in a California Community College. Clark and Estes' (2008) gap analysis operated as the framework for this study. A sequential explanatory mixed method study was conducted using…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of proactive student-success coaching, informed by predictive analytics, on student academic performance and persistence. Specifically, semester GPA and semester-to-semester student persistence were the investigated outcomes. Uniquely, the community college focused the intervention on only…

The following dissertation utilized a case study methodology to study the social and educational experiences of part-time degree seeking students at a rural community college. Oftentimes rural community colleges have a large number of part-time students who do not always have strong persistence and completion rates. This study was designed to…

This brief summarizes the key qualitative and quantitative research findings highlighting the ways in which the Academy for College Excellence (ACE) helped build the capacity of individuals facing numerous obstacles to success to thrive as students, participants in the workforce, and members of the community. The main goal of ACE is to prepare…

The purpose of this qualitative study is to understand how educational scaffolding may explain changing patterns of student success in mathematics in the era of developmental education (DE or remediation) reform in Florida College System (FCS) institutions. Specifically, we apply the concept of scaffolding to underprepared FCS students who are at…

American higher education is at a unique point in its history. Current calls for accountability, transparency, cost control and results through gainful employment permeate the industry. Additionally, the movement known as the Completion Agenda has gained momentum and forced institutions of higher education to turn their attention from enrollment…

California community colleges make higher education accessible for all; however, nearly half its students fail to achieve their goal of degree completion. Based upon the recommendations of the Student Success Task Force, the California legislature passed the Seymour-Campbell Student Success Act of 2012, requiring that all incoming community…

Community colleges nationwide rally to meet President Obama's challenge of adding five million graduates by 2020. However, many institutions continue to experience declining retention and attempt lackluster solutions to bolster student success. One often overlooked factor in need of investigation is the impact of food insecurity, an inadequate…

The retention of nursing students remains a challenge in higher education, and the need for nurses in the United States is projected to increase. The purpose of this study was to investigate nursing student persistence in an associate degree program by examining differences in the presence of key social, environmental, and academic factors across…