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Community colleges can improve graduation rates by offering a course that teaches students how to navigate college with lessons on study skills, time management and how to find the bursar's office. Yet while "student success" courses are increasingly common, resistance remains strong at many community colleges. (Inside Higher Ed, 02/21/12)

The Louisiana Postsecondary Education Review Commission's final report with recommendations on reforming the state's higher education system and increasing graduation rates to include admission standards, performance funding and developmental education reform.

Article on CUNY's new community college that is cohort based and offers intense services to students, while limiting degree options. Goal is to significantly increase graduation rates.

Education Department technology plan focuses on five goals: Learning, Assessment, Teaching, Infrastructure, and Productivity. The plan also examines how to use technology to raise college completion rates and close graduation gaps. (U.S. Department of Education, November 2010)

Provides college enrollment and graduation rates and other sets of data that SREB states can use to gauge progress in helping more people earn college degrees and career certificates. (SREB, December 2010)

2010 Philadelphia Student Retention Survey. Report finding that Philadelphia is able to retain non-native college graduates

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)

Facing dwindling state dollars and more pressure to graduate students, Texas community colleges may begin steering students who test at the lowest skill levels toward shorter vocational programs or adult basic education before attempting college academics. (San Antonio Express-News, 01/21/11)

Study of the PROMISE or Merit scholarships in West VA that found significant improvements in graduation rates.

Governor Dannel P. Malloy outlined a plan to merge Connecticut's two largest higher education systems - the state university system and the community colleges - and the state's online college under a single governing board, a proposal that he says will save millions. He also is recommending that state funding to these institutions be based on graduation rates and other outcomes. (Connecticut Mirror, 02/09/11) See Governor's Plan http://www.governor.ct.gov/malloy/cwp/view.asp?Q=473664&A=4010

Describes a new effort by UMass - Amherst to recruit community college graduates to the state university's flagship campus. Starting this fall, UMass will offer students who transfer from community colleges with a minimum 2.5 grade-point average priority course registration and housing, scholarships to cover hefty student fees, and special advising services. (Boston Globe, 03/22/11)

Article discusses Texas' efforts to move toward a funding system that rewards universities for graduating more students. Policymakers have struggled to agree on which outcomes to measure, how to encourage them and if they should alter the funding formulas while budgets are being slashed. (Texas Tribune, 06/06/11)

Describes the reality that too many college students -- especially at two-year institutions -- won't make it to graduation because of rising tuition costs and ineffective transfer policies. (National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, June 2011)

Story documenting the Gates Foundation's commitment to improve remedial education in community colleges.

Story on Ivy Tech's Cohort based accelerated associate's degree program.

Connecticut ranks seventh in the nation in the percentage of students with postsecondary degrees, but the rate of growth is well behind many states. Connecticut's acceleration ranks 34th out of 50 states, according to figures based on an analysis of census data. (Hartford Courant, 01/19/11)

Story on Indiana's performance based funding system.

Article describes the efforts at two universities to create reverse transfer data systems. These systems would reward community colleges where students accumulate substantial amounts of credit but transfer prior to completing a degree. Once students complete the requirements of an associate degree at university, the community college will award the student a degree.