Group items tagged

Paper examining the variables associated with persistence and transfer of Community College Transfer Students. Cites math remediation as one critical barriers.

NYTimes: The Choice: As many as four out of five community college students in the United States want to transfer to a four-year institution so they can obtain a bachelor's degree, according to a report released Thursday by the College Board.

Piece from Kati Haycock from Ed Trust on the movement to push more students, particularly low-income students toward two-year institutions and the potential impact on bachelor's degree attainment. This could be useful piece for the push to move remedial education exclusively to community colleges.

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)

"As many as four out of five community college students in the United States want to transfer to a four-year institution so they can obtain a bachelor's degree, according to a report released Thursday by the College Board."

Urges policymakers to focus the mission of community colleges in three core areas: basic skills education, career technical education and preparation for transfer to four-year universities. The Commission called for shifting adult basic education from the state education department to the community college system, and for giving more authority to the chancellor to oversee the campuses. (Little Hoover Commission, February 2012) Link to executive summary: http://www.lhc.ca.gov/studies/210/Executive%20Summary.pdf

Policy brief from Institute for Higher Education Leadership & Policy outlining higher education policies in Florida that should be considered by California. Issues include standardized assessments and placement policies. Also comments on common course numbering/transfer policies and Florida's data system

Ohio is shifting remedial education to community colleges and soon will no longer fund these courses at most four-year institutions. The shift, along with efforts to ease credit transfers between institutions, are meant to save students money. Ohio also will be developing standards for college readiness. (Dayton Daily News, 10/09/11)

This brief makes a case for using cohort and momentum point data, disaggregated by gender, ethnicity, and institution, to improve program practices and community college system policies in California. Findings indicate that too few students reach transfer, retention, and completion milestones, and that a large percentage of students do not always follow enrollment patterns or degree checkpoints, as intended by policy. The brief outlines three recommendations: improving campus data collection practices, creating accountability structures through new funding models and assessment policies, and using data to align institutional and system-level efforts (Institute for Higher Education Leadership & Policy at California State University Sacramento, October 2010).

Studies the impact of student success courses on student persistence, completion and transfer. The report finds some impact, but was unclear about which characteristics of these courses were most beneficial. Researchers examined data from Florida's community college system. (Matthew Zeidenberg, Davis Jenkins and Juan Calcagano; Community College Research Center, 2007)

JFF State Policy Framework from Achieving the Dream. Outlines focus on data, assessment/placement, persistence/completion, incentives, transition/transfer

Examines data from Washington State to chart the educational pathways of first-time community college students, with a focus on those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Looks at rates at which students enter a program of study or concentration, amount of remediation taken by students, and rates at which students earn certificates or associate degrees, or transfer to four-year institutions. The paper makes recommendations for practitioners and policymakers. (Community College Research Center, September, 2011)

Report that sets ambitious goals to increase the college completion rates and decrease achievement gaps at California Community Colleges

The task force's final report identifies ways to strengthen the governance of Ohio's adult learning system; ensure that its structures, programs and funding are aligned with employers' workforce needs and learners' expectations; and improve the performance and productivity of Ohio's talent development system with instructional programs that capitalize on best practices, state-of-the-art technology and high-quality teaching. (Final Report of the Ohio Advisory Committee on the Transfer of Adult Career-Technical Programs, June 2008)

Examines the impact of learning communities on student success at Kingsborough Community College of the City University of New York. The study found that learning community students are more likely to pass English-assessment tests and transfer to a four-year institution. (Susan Scrivener, Dan Bloom, Allen LeBlanc, Christina Paxson, Cecilia Elena Rouse and Colleen Sommo; MDRC, 2008)

Report from JFF on Virginia's state strategy to improve community colleges through Achieving The Dream.