To address the achievement or opportunity gap of underrepresented populations in community colleges, this qualitative field methods study investigated five California community college programs that have demonstrated progress in improving (or show significant potential to improve) student achievement. This research found that promising practices…

While students at both four-year institutions and community colleges enroll in remedial coursework, policymakers look to community colleges to be the main, if not sole, providers of basic skills education. Policy makers argue that community colleges are the most cost-efficient and appropriate places to provide this instruction (Bettinger & Long,…

We address the emphasis of the California Community College system upon credentials in their effort to document student outcomes. Statewide curricular awards (associate degrees and certificates) were collected over a four-year period. Data were organized descriptively and analyzed in order to identify long term trends. These curricular trends are…

This study examined shared governance in public, unionized community colleges and creates a national inventory of areas in which faculty participate in governance according to the language of collective-bargaining agreements. The findings suggest that community college faculty are engaged in shared governance in both the traditional academic areas…

Examines the transformation of community colleges from local institutions to institutions participating in the global community. Describes a multi-case study of seven community colleges in United States and Canada, focusing on the dominant ideology associated with globalization, the involvement of people in other cultures, and the…

Describes a qualitative and interpretive investigation of organizational behavior in a community college undergoing significant organizational change. Cites the effect of organizational ideology, patterns of past behavior, and organizational management on the change process. Argues that susceptibility to change and openness to change are not the…

Examines determinants of community college presidents' ability to influence organizational change, including methods of leadership succession, tolerance by college stakeholders, organizational history, and college power structure. Highlights the importance of presidents' relationships to governing boards, ability to maintain institutional…