This digest presents highlights from the Winter 1998 New Directions for Community Colleges volume titled "Determining the Economic Benefits of Attending Community College." The passage of the Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act (VATEA) in 1990 gave incentives to states to develop accountability measures. Attempts are…

Investigated whether a self-paced, individualized instruction course in chemistry and physics would result in: (1) greater level of achievement of academically underprepared students (N=80); (2) more satisfaction with instruction; and (3) more positive attitudes when compared with conventional instruction. Results indicate individualized treatment…

Provides citations to documents from the ERIC collection dealing with: the future of the community college; general education; vocational education; transfer education; community education and services; education for adult, nontraditional, and underprepared students; lifelong learning; reverse transfers; minority education; student objectives; and…

Reports on a study relating 169 community college students' grades, academic standing, and graduation status with their identification with academics, using a questionnaire designed to assess the extent to which self-esteem was linked with academic outcomes. Reveals that students' identification with academics was related to academic standing and…

Defines postsecondary remedial education and discusses the controversy surrounding it, including who will be responsible for paying its tuition, the amount of remediation that should be offered in two-year versus four-year colleges, and mounting pressures from state legislators and policymakers. (VWC)

Reports on the Transfer Assembly, created to calculate student transfer rate from community colleges to public, in-state, four-year colleges or universities within four years. A consistent transfer rate over the past eight years suggests that community colleges are effectively serving as the postsecondary entry point for 22% of their students.…

Discusses a study conducted to show how factors such as depression, somatization, and acculturation affect the academic performance of Mexican-American women in community colleges. Results indicate these variables have no significant relationship to academic performance. Includes 24 citations. (JDI)

Compares the grade point averages (GPA's) in mathematics and English of community college freshmen who completed developmental courses with those of students who took no remedial courses. Developmental students had significantly higher GPA's in college-level math than non-developmental students, and somewhat higher GPA's in college-level English.…

Compares data on minorities with community college backgrounds who went on to earn doctorates in science and engineering over a 10-year period with all other science and engineering doctorate recipients for the same period. Reveals that the groups were comparable though sizable differences existed in age at doctorate completion and fields of…

Discusses a survey administered to 306 students at a New York community college that investigated loneliness, communication apprehension, communication competence, and locus of control as predictors of persistence in telecourses. Analysis found withdrawal and withdrawal/failure in telecourses were not significantly related to the variables. (52…

Describes two methodologies utilized to evaluate developmental reading instruction at Suffolk Community College (New York). The first examined student grade point averages (GPAs), and the second compared pre- and posttest reading test scores. Finds beneficial impact on students' overall GPAs and significant gains in reading skills. Suggests the…

Describes a study conducted at four North Carolina community colleges of the relationship between completion of an orientation by new students, higher retention, and grade point averages. Indicates that completing an orientation course during the first term of enrollment promotes and improves student performance regardless of age, gender, race,…

Examines the impact of mandatory statewide implementation of increased standards with the enactment of Florida's Recognizing Achievement in Secondary Education Bill as evidenced by performance on standardized entry-level tests for community college students. Finds little improvement in academic preparation as measured by test scores. (DMM)

Offers a personal account of the changes undergone, difficulties surmounted, and incentives involved in a Mexican-American woman's achievement of a doctorate and a post as a university professor. Concludes that just as students adapt, institutions must also change to accommodate culturally diverse populations. (DMM)

Describes programs in place at LaGuardia Community College which meet the needs of first-generation students, including alternative high schools; programs in critical thinking, speech and communication, and neighborhood history; and a partnership with Vassar College to enhance transfer opportunities. (DMM)