From the ECS State Policy Database: Postsecondary Institutions--Community/Technical Colleges - This policy database—updated weekly—is made possible by your state's fiscal support of the Education Commission of the States....

The Road Less Traveled: Realizing the Potential of Career Technical Education in the California Community Colleges - This report examines four high-wage, high-need career pathways in the California Community Colleges as a basis for exploring the Career Technical Education (CTE) mission and its role in the college completion agenda. The study found that while CTE has the potential to meet the state’s completion, workforce and equity goals, there is a lack of priority on awarding technical certificates and degrees and an absence of clear pathways for students to follow in pursuing those credentials. (Institute for Higher Education Leadership and Policy, February 2011)...

Divided We Fail: Improving Completion and Closing Racial Gaps in California's Community Colleges - Educational attainment in California has been declining with each younger generation - a statistic that bodes poorly for the state's economic competitiveness. It is essential to increase educational attainment among the Latino population. (Colleen Moore and Nancy Shulock, Institute for Higher Education Leadership and Policy, October 2010)...

Community College Noncredit Occupational Programming: A Study of State Policies and Funding - Information was collected from state-level and community college representatives responsible for noncredit occupational programming and funding, and a matrix was developed to inventory each state's practices related to the development and funding of noncredit occupational courses. This research snapshot reports on the key findings of the study. (National Research Center for Career and Technical Education, September 2009)...

Higher Education in Michigan: Overcoming Challenges to Expand Access - This study focuses on three geographically diverse areas of Michigan: a suburban county, a large city, and six rural counties in the northeastern Lower Peninsula. Some consistent patterns were found: (1)The state's residents have found it increasingly difficult to succeed with a college degree; (2) It is extremely important to expand access to postsecondary education for the state's economic future; (3) In all three areas examined, barriers make it difficult for low-income and minority residents to earn a college degree. Recommendations include addressing college access at the state level; establish better and new relationships between two- and four-year institutions; develop better transportation systems; and expand healthcare and medical training to position Michigan as a leader in the industry. (Alisa Cunningham, Wendy Erisman and Shannon Loney, Institute for Higher Education Policy, March 2008)...

Green Lights/Red Tape: Improving Access to Financial Aid at California's Community Colleges - This report examines wide variations in financial aid policies and practices at California's community colleges, which can have a major impact on students’ access to available aid. (Deborah Cochrane and Hilda Hernandez-Gravelle, The Institute for College Access & Success, December 2007)...

Rules of the Game: How State Policy Creates Barriers to Degree Completion and Impedes Student Success in the California Community Colleges - California’s community colleges are providing broad access to college, but that access is not translating into degree completion. In fact, only 60% of first-time community college students are seeking a degree or certificate, and only about one-fourth of these transfer to a university and/or earn an associate’s degree or a certificate within six years. Without big gains in educational attainment, especially among the Latino population, the state’s per capita income will soon fall below the national average and the education level of the workforce will decline, conclude the authors. This policy brief describes the role that current policies play in impeding completion, and offers recommendations for policy change to better the prospects for students and the state. (Nancy Shulock and Colleen Moore, California State University – Sacramento, February 2007) ...

Strategic Responses to Financial Challenges: Funding The College’s Future: Executive Briefing Paper MS Word PDF - This paper traces the convergence of several significant national trends affecting community colleges, dwelling on how these trends also appear to affect Delaware Tech and its ability to sustain its financial security in the future. After examining enrollment trends, the ongoing value to the nation and to Delaware of community college education, and trends in public sector support – especially state and local government support – for community colleges like Delaware Tech, the paper considers the implications of the college’s current financial path. (Andrew D. Zimmerman, Office of Collegewide Planning and Assessment, Delaware Technical & Community College, Reprinted with Permission by ECS, November 2006)...

California’s Community College Students - The California community college system describes itself as the largest postsecondary education system in the world, with more than 2.5 million mostly part-time students enrolled in more than 100 colleges around the state. This report examines the community college population in California, seeking answers for the following questions: Why do students attend, and how do their goals differ in relation to their demographics? Which students achieve their objectives for attending community college? Who returns for a second year, who transfers to a four-year institution and who obtains a degree or certificate? (Ria Sengupta and Christopher Jepsen, Public Policy Institute of California, November 2006) ...

State Policies to Achieve the Dream in Five States: An Audit of State Policies to Aid Student Access and Success in Community Colleges in the First Five Achieving the Dream - This report presents the findings of an audit of state policies affecting access to, and success in, community colleges in five states. The report explores the existence of key policies relating to tuition, student aid, open door admissions, remedial (or developmental education), transfer, performance accountability and a number of other key areas. Recommendations for future state policy are also discussed. (Kevin Dougherty, Monica Reid and H. Kenny Nienhusser, Community College Research Center, February 2006)...

Building Learning Communities - The Opening Doors Learning Communities program operated at Kingsborough community college in Brooklyn, New York, is designed to increase student persistence, achievement and in the longer term, labor-market success. Participating freshmen are placed into 25 student-learning communities and take three first-semester courses together: (1) English; (2) a course on another academic subject; and (3) a one-credit freshman-orientation course. Each learning community has a counselor who works with the instructors to integrate the courses, review student progress and devise success strategies, in addition to working with students to address obstacles to regular attendance and academic success. This report examines early results of the program. Additional, longer term studies with larger student groups also are planned. (Dan Bloom and Colleen Sommo, MDRC, June 2005)...