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The United States' future economic growth depends on students who acquire the skills and knowledge to compete in the global economy. This goal requires that we educate more of our low-income and minority students—in a cost-effective manner—to ensure that they are able to meet changing workforce demands. Community colleges enroll nearly half of all U.S. undergraduate students. However, fewer than half of these students meet their educational goals. The following reports provide data, research and recommendations that can help promote and inform increased college success for community college students.
A call for a "new social contract" with community colleges
A report from the College Board's National Office on Community Colleges
recommends stronger public support for community colleges because of the key role they play in workforce development and expanding higher education access. The report, Winning the Skills Race and Strengthening the Middle Class: An Action Agenda for Community Colleges, calls for a three-way agreement involving national leaders, state officials and community colleges, and recommends that
Achieving the Dream, a national initiative to help more community college students succeed, be part of the solution.
Academic success by gender
Enrollment, persistence and success vary by gender, according to new data compiled by Achieving the Dream (AtD). January/February 2008 Data Notes
show that AtD females were less likely than males to enroll full time during their first term and were referred to developmental education with higher frequency than males. Females who enrolled full time
accumulated more credits and earned higher grades. The results suggest that, although AtD males may be more prepared for college, they are trailing females in achievement and persistence.
Rising college costs linked to community college enrollment
More students are enrolling in college than ever before, and an increasingly larger percentage of all students are minorities, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office. The report also finds that, as college prices continue to climb, more minority students are increasingly concentrated in the two-year sector. Among the findings: by the 2006-2007 school year, nearly 60 percent of all Hispanic students were enrolled in two-year schools, as were 50 percent of Asian/Pacific Islander,
Alaskan Native and Black students. In contrast, 43 percent of white/non-Hispanic students attended two-year schools. Read Tuition Continues to Rise, but Patterns Vary by Institution Type, Enrollment, and Educational Expenditures.
When student financial aid turns into a green light or red tape
Financial aid office operations can help or hinder student access to aid.
Green Lights and Red Tape: Improving Access to Financial Aid at California's Community Colleges, from The Institute for College Access and Success, examines how financial aid office operations affect student access to aid.
The report is based on visits to 21 colleges representing a cross-section of the California Community College system. Findings highlight examples of how financial aid offices can help students capitalize on their financial aid and provide examples of practices that might create obstacles and prevent students from receiving aid.
Testing assumptions about remediation
What happens to students who are turned away from a four-year institution because they need remediation? Because low-income students and students of color are more likely to require at least one remedial course, the majority of students turned away from four-year colleges are likely to represent these same groups. Some data suggest that many of these students are not attending community colleges—an alternative often offered by policymakers. An
ASHE/Lumina
Fellows policy brief warns that eliminating remedial courses at four-year institutions and turning students away does little to erase persistent inequalities. |
