Proponents of postsecondary online education were recently buoyed by a meta-analysis sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education suggesting that, in many cases, student learning outcomes in online courses are superior to those in traditional face-to-face courses. This finding does not hold, however, for the studies included in the meta-analysis…

Community colleges are a crucial source of educational opportunity for millions of Americans, making fundamental contributions to state and national economies. While community colleges should be proud of their role in providing access to higher education and the opportunity to obtain better quality jobs for their students, there is much more to…

Access to higher education remains a challenge for many students who face academic and informational barriers to college entry. This guide targets high schools and school districts, and focuses on effective practices that prepare students academically for college, assist them in completing the steps to college entry, and improve their likelihood…

Although youth apprenticeship models appear to have great potential, the following problems must be addressed before the strategy can succeed: (1) securing employer involvement; (2) assuring and improving the quality of on-the-job learning; and (3) confronting equity issues in public policy in incorporating work into the core educational system.…

The City University of New York (CUNY) has played a central role in educating minority and immigrant New Yorkers, and Hispanics comprise the largest minority and immigrant populations in the City. To examine the extent to which CUNY provides Hispanic native-born and immigrant students with access and the opportunity for achievement, a study was…

The City University of New York (CUNY) has played a central role in educating minority and immigrant New Yorkers, and Hispanics comprise the largest minority and immigrant populations in the City. To examine the extent to which CUNY provides Hispanic native- born and immigrant students with access and the opportunity for achievement, a study was…

This chapter analyzes whether Hispanics and Hispanic immigrants in the City University of New York system have the same levels of access and achievement as other racial and ethnic populations. (Contains 3 tables.)

Community colleges enroll almost half of all undergraduates in the United States. These two-year colleges manifest the American commitment to accessible and affordable higher education. With about 1,200 institutions nationwide, community colleges have made significant progress over the past decade in opening access and have become the critical…

Postsecondary noncredit education has become increasingly common; many community colleges now enroll more noncredit than credit students. Much of the growth has occurred in workforce instruction and contract training, programs are noted for their role in meeting shifting workforce demands and providing skills in a way that is flexible and…

Dual-enrollment programs, which allow high school students to enroll in college courses and earn college and high school credit simultaneously, are one method to introduce students to the idea of college and to its academic and social demands. The college credits that high school students potentially can earn also tend to be free or low-cost--a…

This report summarizes the latest available national statistics on access and attainment by low income and minority community college students. The data come from the National Center for Education Statistics' (NCES) Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) annual surveys of all postsecondary educational institutions and the NCES…

This report was developed in response to the conflicts that have arisen over the mission of the community college. Critics of community colleges claim that the colleges have become unfocused and lost their way in an attempt to be all things to all people, while advocates state that the colleges play a broad, but essential, educational, social, and…

This book was written in order to address the lack of understanding of the importance of President Truman's 1947 Commission recommendations for the establishment of public postsecondary schools, as well as the lack of understanding of the role that the Teachers College of Columbia University has played in the community college movement. The Truman…

This brief presents an alternative view of how students should move from secondary to postsecondary education, and reviews two approaches that attempt to link high schools and colleges: (1) the coordination of high school exit standards, college entry standards, and Tech Prep; and (2) dual enrollment. Tech Prep offers students planned career…

Policymakers and educators seek options for helping high school students transition successfully into postsecondary education. Though there are a variety of approaches to doing this; some initiatives are based on a body of research demonstrating that postsecondary success is predicated on both rigorous academic preparation and a clear…