For 8 years Washington State has operated a performance funding policy, the Student Achievement Initiative (SAI). The policy allocates appropriations to the state's 34 community and technical colleges based on points earned through student achievement of college-readiness, retention, and completion milestones. Grounded in a conceptual framework of…

As the price of a public college education has risen at well above the rate of inflation for decades, college affordability has become a key concern in public policy discussions. At the same time, recent high school graduates from lower-income and middle-income families are nearly 20 percentage points less likely to enroll in college the following…

In this brief, the authors propose three measures of "early momentum" for two reasons: Research is beginning to show that these near-term metrics predict long-term success, and the metrics focus attention on initial conditions at colleges that are particularly important for solidifying the foundation for student success. While these…

Community colleges continue to grapple with low rates of degree completion and transfer issues, with a national three-year completion rate of 22 percent (Community College Research Center). However, through the implementation of high-impact practices, many schools and programs have found levels of success. The City University of New York's (CUNY)…

Community colleges constitute a special type of higher education organization: their complex mission, dynamics, personnel structures, and values require a distinct set of understandings and skills to lead and manage them well. Most of the research on leadership in community colleges focuses on leaders in positions of power (presidents, provosts,…

Transitional engineering students are those who are academically ineligible to enter a bachelor's engineering program but are enrolled in an associate engineering program with a university. Successful completion of such an associate engineering program allows the higher achievers to transfer to a full bachelor's engineering program. The associate…

There is persistent underrepresentation of female and ethnic and racial minority students in computing. While community colleges provide a unique opportunity to increase diversity in computing fields, many students do not persist. This study aims to understand the factors that predict students' momentum--completion of a certificate, degree, or…

This paper examines the use of technology in the development and assessment of interpersonal communication skills in an online second language (L2) Spanish classroom. The study explores the use of synchronous and asynchronous communication tools and strategies to promote interaction among learners, while also considering the challenges and…

This report is prepared pursuant to T.C.A. § 49-7-178(g), which instructs the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) to: "…submit an annual report on the outcomes of the [Completion Grants] pilot program to the education committee of the senate and to the education committee of the house of representatives..." In pursuit of its…

eLearning instruction has become an accepted means of delivering a quality education to higher education students, with community college online learning enrollment rates rising annually. Consistent with the desires of eLearning students for convenience and flexibility, educators utilize virtual proctored exams to safeguard against academic…

Political self-efficacy is the belief that one can influence political processes and is an indicator of society's political health. Although political self-efficacy may change over time, education is a powerful influence. Emphasizing civic and general education functions, the community college provided a unique environment to study student…

This study examined the current operationalization of communication centers. Surveying center directors (N = 47), day-to-day operations were analyzed through descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Specifically, directors provided responses about current institutional context and structure, services, training, marketing, challenges, and…

Is education the social leveler it promises to be? Nowhere is this question better addressed than in Singapore, the emblematic modern-day meritocracy where education has long been hailed as the most important ticket to elite status. In particular, what accounts for gender and ethnic gaps in enrollment into Singapore's elite junior colleges--the…

Poor completion outcomes in community colleges' developmental education programs have spurred reforms in developmental education policies and practices in order to increase students' chances of success. In the case of developmental math, the focus of this article, such changes include revisions to testing and placement policies, amendments to the…

Austin Community College's (ACC) Student Money Management Office conducted a text messaging scavenger hunt to engage ACC students in financial-aid-related education and programming, including when to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and how to ensure Satisfactory Academic Progress. Results demonstrated that 268 students began…