Back in 2006, the stock market was rising, unemployment was still relatively low, and most of the country was not yet worried about a recession. But officials at San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) were closely monitoring the economy, and they saw clouds on the horizon. By the end of the 2006-07 academic year, the district, which serves…

"Louisiana Believes" embraces the principle that all children can achieve at high levels, as evidenced in Louisiana's recent adoption of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). "Louisiana Believes" also promotes the idea that Louisiana's educators should be empowered to make decisions to support the success of their students. In keeping with these…

Building upon an earlier study by Milem and Umbach (2003), this study explores the relative impact of student's diversity-related experiences and plans at time of entry to college and students' exposure to diverse others and diverse ideas while in college on their involvement in diversity related activities two years after entering college.…

This study examined the experiences of 10 former proteges, six female and four male participants between the ages of 18 and 24, who were identified as at-risk and subsequently participated in the Youth Enrichment Program (YEP) in central Georgia for a minimum of two years. This study was designed to investigate proteges' beliefs and…

For 2 years we followed lower-performing English learner (EL) and native English speaking (non-EL) students who participated in an efficacy trial of a supplemental first-grade code-oriented intervention implemented by paraeducators. At the end of grade three, across all students (n = 180 of the original 187 students), treatment effects were…

Administered the Persistence/Voluntary Dropout Decision Scale and Cope Inventory to Hispanic two-year college students to assess the impact of coping style on college persistence decisions. Results identified how different types of persistence decisions among students were positively or negatively associated with specific dispositional coping…

In this study, I explore the role of the "small schools" context on the development and learning of two first-year urban high school teachers with respect to equity-focused teaching. Analysis points to specific ways in which the small schools context fostered teaching for social justice: strong student-teacher relationships, interdisciplinary…

Research suggests that 40 percent of college-age students with disabilities in the United States are enrolled in community colleges. Two-year colleges for a long time have been billed as ideal places for students with special needs to continue their educations, especially when those needs dictate that they remain closer to home. However, some…

Learning Management Systems (LMS) are web-based systems that allow instructors and/or students to share materials, submit and return assignments, and communicate online. In this study, we explored the uses and perceived benefits of using a LMS to support traditional classroom teaching as reported by instructors and students at a large American…

Potential students hoping to gauge the quality of courses at Portland State University might be forgiven for feeling confused. On the one hand, the University Studies program, which uses interdisciplinary seminars during the first two years to develop students' core skills, has been widely praised and emulated. The Council for Higher Education…

The purpose of this study was to answer the research question: What effect does implementing state system wide curriculum in a large, urban, Midwestern two year technical/community college have on retention, graduation, and employment and how do faculty attitudes about state system wide curriculum influence this effect? This question was of…

Through his early studies of the character of adult schools and community colleges in California, Burton Clark launched a set of ideas, sociological and educational, that served as baseline concepts in the study and practice of American higher education. His book "The Open Door College" ranks among the classic accounts of a type of…

This study sought to estimate net differences between first-generation and other college students in their academic and nonacademic experience of college, and to estimate the net differences between first-generation students and their peers after two years of college in select cognitive, psychosocial, and status attainment outcomes. (Contains 16…

This study examines the college transition of students who participated in a summer bridge program. Three surveys collected longitudinal data on these students' aspirations and academic and social activities. Data provided from institutional research on their academic progress were also analyzed. A control group composed of non-participating…

Suggests that educators in two year colleges must find a space, in all the other work that they have, to do both the reading and writing that allows them to thrive professionally. Concludes that teaching will always matter, but it should not exclude the essential development that only a broader professional conversation can enable in the teacher.…