The flurry of reports, studies, analyses, research papers
about community colleges shows that this is one of the hot topics in
educational policy. Three new ones of
note are:
By Melinda Mechur Karp, published by the Community
College Research Center at Columbia University.
Thus one now popular strategy to increase graduation rates at community
colleges is to focus on career development.
Stepping Up for Community Colleges is the latest report by
The Boston Foundation that analyzes best practices nationally and applies them
to the Massachusetts Community College System.
This report includes four recommendations to implement at the state
level:
- ·
“Fully and effectively implement two
high-leverage reforms initiated in 2012 -performance-based funding and
developmental education redefine;
- · Expand access to structured pathways
to credentials and reduce the complexity of navigating program and course options;
- ·
Identify and remove barriers to
innovation and pursuit of the completion agenda;
- ·
Support sustained advocacy for
community college student success.”
The last and most recent report by The Century Foundation
looks at community colleges nationally examines community college funding in relation to socioeconomic- and
race/ethnicity-based achievement gaps. The report argues, “Two-year
colleges are asked to educate those students with the greatest needs, using the
least funds, and in increasingly separate and unequal institutions.” Although this is something those who work in
community colleges have known for a long time, it is finally beginning to
receive wide attention. I’ll have more
to say about Bridging the Higher
Education Divide in another blog.
