The cost of four years of undergraduate education, including living expenses, now averages nearly $80,000 at public colleges and over $100,000 at many private institutions. Tuition and fees have risen steadily since 1980, fueling concern that college is becoming prohibitively expensive for many families. This Congressional Budget Office (CBO)…

The National Coalition for Literacy's (NCL's) stated goal is to serve as the national leadership organization of the adult literacy field. However, NCL's organizational structure severely limits its ability to muster the personnel resources or raise the money required to fully perform the leadership functions required of a national coalition. The…

It is well known that the number of community college students who complete an Associate's degree or even a certificate program is low. Among those who begin an Associate's degree program, fewer that 50% have earned their degree or are still enrolled after 5 years. For nontraditional students, the rates are even lower. For minorities, low income…

This document argues that for the 1.8 million students attending the 731 rural community colleges in the United States, the community college is often the only option for higher education. However, both access and excellence for rural students are being negatively impacted by recent federal and state policy that has decreased funding to community…

A study examined effects of the Self-Sufficiency Project (SSP) Plus program. A small group of long-term income assistance (IA) recipients in New Brunswick was offered an earnings supplement and employment services (SSP Plus); a second group was offered the regular SSP earnings supplement only; and a third group was offered neither supplement nor…

This is the fourth report of a project designed to monitor and assess progress made by the federal government and targeted states and school districts in carrying out the 1994 amendments to Title I. It presents field research on statewide policies and practices with respect to Title I in California, as well as district and school implementation in…

Beginning with the assumption that children across the full spectrum of family income, family composition, and prior experience with child care would benefit from being in a well-implemented preschool at 3 and 4 years of age, this working paper focuses on finding a feasible way to finance universal preschool for 4-year-olds. The paper begins with…

This report presents selected 1996 educational and social statistics that provide information about the status of children in Nevada. State statistics are in some cases compared to national statistics. The first part presents facts about education in Nevada with regard to student characteristics, enrollment, racial and ethnic populations, high…

In 1991, Massachusetts passed an interdistrict choice law that gave parents the option of enrolling their child in any district they selected. Six years later, David Armor and Brett Peiser conducted a study to examine the social, racial, and financial impact of the choice program on participating districts, and to determine if the thesis behind…

This paper explores the ways in which community colleges in the United States are financed. It offers a historical overview of community college financing in the U.S., arguing that from their inception, they have operated on the premise of providing wide access to higher education through public funding at little or no cost to students. The paper…

This book reports on how the Community College of Denver (CCD) (Colorado) improved the success of its students under difficult conditions. CCD is an urban community college with inadequate resources that serves diverse and at-risk students. Demographic factors are discussed, such as the fact that Denver's population decreased 5% between 1980 and…

This report details the current American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) projects, publications, and legislative activities. The report outlines six strategic action areas: (1) National and International Recognition and Advocacy for Community Colleges; (2) Learning and Accountability; (3) Leadership Development; (4) Economic and Workforce…

This fact book for Columbia Basin College (CBC) (Washington) covers seven subject areas: (1) mission statement; (2) access; (3) academics; (4) career and workforce development; (5) basic skills; (6) cultural enrichment; and (7) physical and emotional well-being. Report highlights include: (1) in 2001, CBC presented to the Tri-Cities community a…

Among many publicly-funded school choice initiatives that have earned Florida the label "school choice central", none has reached as many children and families as charter schools. Charter schools have flourished in Florida largely because of the state's rapid population growth: many of the districts that are experiencing more than a 10…

In November 2001, with funding support from Lumina Foundation for Education, the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), in partnership with the American Council on Education (ACE), the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO), and the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), initiated the "Changing…