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Story on how Norwalk Community College in Connecticut will pilot AACC Voluntary System of Accountability

A framework for reform in higher education. Provides a vision for what higher education should be accountable for and suggests that the federal government play a strong role in that accountability

Story on the colleges that will test the new Voluntary System of Accountability for Community colleges

Recommendations from the Governor's Higher Education Funding Task Force include: increasing the number of residents graduating with bachelor's degrees, especially in STEM fields; providing the universities with flexibility to set tuition; expanding financial assistance to low- and middle- income students through private and public strategies; and holding public universities accountable for graduating more students. (Washington Governor's Higher Education Funding Task Force, January 2011)

A new $2 billion federal grant program for community and for-profit colleges is designed to help retrain trade-displaced workers and accomplish some of the goals proposed under the American Graduation Initiative to increase college completion rates. The program will impose strict accountability requirements and compel participants to make academic materials available to the public. (Inside Higher Ed, 01/21/11)

The paper finds that excess credits accounted for about 12% of all college-level credits earned by students who completed a degree, with substantial variation in different programs. Discusses possible reasons contributing to excess credits and offers ways to assess the extent and nature of excess credits for their students. (Community College Research Center, April 2012)

Report from AACC supporting the voluntary system of accountability that they are involved with by providing specific recommendations to increase college completion.

Examines reasons for and ways to invest in higher education on sustainable basis. Makes recommendations in four areas: Affordability, Access, Quality and Accountability. Addresses several issues, including remedial education and completion. (Colorado's Strategic Plan for Higher Education, November 2010)

Paper argues that stronger federal, state and institutional leadership is needed to reach college completion goals, and suggests actions steps for each level. (National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education; the Delta Project on Postsecondary Education Costs, Productivity and Accountability; and the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, December 2010)

Paper from Iowa Department of Education aligning graduates with area of employment

Details Texas Senate Higher Education Interim Committee's study report. Committee offered 86 recommendations on variety of topics: dual credit, distance education, cost-cutting, performance funding, remedial education.

Set of recommendations to increase number of degrees and certificates by one million at California Community Colleges

Set of metrics for measuring success of community college student success

Brief by Bruce Vandal for NGA; highlights approaches to improve productivity, student success in remedial education; also has college completion implications

Discusses an Education Department committee's recommendations for overhauling the way the government measures the success of community colleges. Though there was general agreement on crafting completion measures, there was strong disagreement about whether the government should require community colleges to report their students' employment outcomes. (Inside Higher Ed, 06/06/11)