Community colleges are grappling with low rates of degree completion and transfer. The City University of New York's (CUNY) Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) aims to improve graduation rates by providing a range of comprehensive support services to community college students in select majors. Using student-unit record data, we…

Social science methodologies of intervention programming for college and career readiness, particularly in regard to evaluation, must be situated within a larger context of racialized readiness for college and career. The policy context for this argument is a state-level evaluation of college and career readiness legislation in Illinois using…

This study examines how to fill the growing need for community college leaders by creating "grow-your-own" (GYO) leadership programs through a national interview study and a case study involving action research. The findings demonstrate design flaws that are typical in the development of GYO programs. Strategies for overcoming these flaws are…

Using a longitudinal, state-wide dataset, this study assessed the effect of financial aid on the persistence of full-time students in associate's degree programs at the Oklahoma community colleges. Three financial-aid sources were examined: the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (OHLAP), Pell grants, and Stafford loans. Results indicate that…

Remediation is the most common approach to preparing students academically and socially during their early stages of college. However, despite its profound importance and its significant costs, there is very little rigorous research analyzing its effectiveness. The goal of this article is to provide a conceptual framework for the evaluation of…

Historically, community colleges have played a role in preparing teachers by strengthening articulation and transfer with university-based teacher colleges, hosting university center programs that provide upper division teacher education courses, and providing alternative teacher certification programming for holders of bachelor's and higher…

This study examined the new learning that occurred in a professional development program for participants who aspire to the community college presidency. Knowledge construction occurred on three levels: personal, professional, and disciplinary. Reframing, embracing, and embodying activities toward knowledge construction were evident, and new…

Since 1988, the Association of California Community College Administrators (ACCCA) has sponsored a statewide mentor program intended to prepare junior-level administrators for senior positions and to create a more diverse pool from which future college leaders can be drawn. This article is an initial report of this program. As the report…

Presents the results of a study of community college faculty development activities. Reports that the colleges examined relied on traditional approaches to faculty development and made minimal efforts at evaluation. Urges colleges to develop more focused faculty development programs that are proven to improve learning and teaching. (Contains 35…

Summarizes the literature on developmental reading and writing programs by discussing strategies for addressing remedial needs and obstacles to remediation. Presents the results of internal evaluations of developmental reading programs conducted at four colleges. Defines 16 strategies used by community colleges to implement effective remedial…

Describes a program developed by the Association of California Community Colleges to provide one-year mentoring experiences between veteran administrators and administrative staff who aspire to leadership positions. Sample program forms illustrate the program's administration. Discusses the results of an assessment survey completed by 391 of the…

Defines the activities that distinguish successful faculty development programs and describes a survey completed in 1998 by faculty development officers at 130 randomly selected community colleges. The author profiles those responsible for faculty development, summarizes the extent that each development activity is used, and articulates the need…

Analyzes first-year retention rates for the 16 colleges of the South Carolina Technical College System, focusing on first-time freshmen enrolling full-time during the fall 1990 and 1991 semesters. Reveals that regional employment and the ratio of instructional and support expenditures per student to regional income per job are the most predictive…

Describes a method of evaluation which ensures maximum yield. Mentions common pitfalls in evaluation procedures and proposes Reality-Based Evaluation (RBE) as a safeguard against them. Outlines RBE and concludes that evaluation results must play an active role in bringing about change. (JG)

Evaluates a comprehensive project in functional literacy education piloted at five sites in North Carolina. Provides information on student characteristics, levels of exposure and achievement, perceptions of the project, and determinants of achievement, revealing growth in student achievement, but no correlation between achievement and length of…