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MDRC

MDRC, a nonprofit social policy research organization, is testing different ways to support low-income adult students at community colleges to learn which interventions have the greatest impact on student achievement.

The project, called Opening Doors (PDF), will evaluate the effectiveness of the strategies on thousands of low-income adult students — many who are making the transition from low-wage jobs to skilled positions. Lumina Foundation for Education and 10 other national foundations are supporting the effort.

Community colleges in New York, Louisiana, Ohio and California are participating in the research. MDRC plans to document the results of each strategy by studying 1,000 to 1,500 students in each state and following students’ success for three years.

Kingsborough Community College, Brooklyn, NY
Can learning communities help students get the right start?
Groups of 25 students in learning communities take classes together during the first semester. Classes include a developmental reading or math course, an academic course and a college acclimation course. Students in the learning communities also receive $200 for textbooks and have access to a program case manager and staff support team to help them with their studies and other personal matters, such as child care or transportation issues.

After the project’s first semester in September 2003, 63 percent of students in the learning communities passed all their classes; in the control group, the success rate was only 40 percent.

After the first semester, students in learning communities are “mainstreamed” into the college’s student population and must work on their own. They maintain contact with their counselor throughout their college experience.

Delgado Community College and Louisiana Technical College, New Orleans
Can scholarships and extra counseling enhance academic success?
Students in the study group receive a $1,000 scholarship each semester for two consecutive semesters, as long as they attend school half time and maintain academic progress. They also receive intensive counseling to ensure that they take the right classes to achieve their desired degree. One counselor works with about 80 to 100 students instead of the more typical 800.

Lorain County Community College near Cleveland and Owens Community College near Toledo
Can intensive counseling and support help Rust Belt workers learn new skills?
This Opening Doors project is aimed at helping older, displaced workers enroll and succeed at these two community colleges. Many of the students come from families where no one has gone to college. The main focus of this strategy is enhanced student services. Groups of 25 students work with a four-person team — a counselor, adviser, tutor and financial aid expert. Team members help students determine their courses of study and make sure students enroll in the appropriate sequence of classes. Students also receive a $150 scholarship each semester for two semesters.

Chaffey Community College, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
Can a special 15-week course help students out of academic probation?
Of the 20,000 students enrolled in this community college, about 3,000 are on academic probation each semester. If students don’t advance from probation, they lose their financial aid and then drop out. This Opening Doors project is testing the effectiveness of a special 15-week course featuring study skills and good work habits, along with five weeks each of intensive instruction in reading, math and writing.