Highlights are presented from 10 critical papers prepared by a panel of experts to describe the relevance of the Statewide Longitudinal Study (SLS) of California community college (CCC) students to each panelist's area of expertise, to identify policy issues or considerations related to SLS data, and to prepare recommendations. The paper begins by providing background on the SLS, the composition and objectives of the panel, and the relationship between the panel's recommendations and the policy commitments of the CCC's. Next, the papers' highlights are discussed in five major areas. First, the mission of the CCC's is addressed in terms of accreditation, evaluation, and accountability. Second, the paper considers the transfer function of the CCC's in relation to articulation with secondary and postsecondary institutions, minority student participation, student goal uncertainty, and changing ways of performing the transfer function. Third, the vocational education function of the CCC's is reviewed in terms of influential social forces, areas for improvement, and the utility of SLS student prototypes. Fourth, the paper examines counseling and supportive service functions with respect to student use of and satisfaction with these services, needs for further research, implications for admissions and records, and funding considerations. Fifth, the fiscal implications of the SLS are examined. Each section concludes with a summary of the major recommendations of the panelists. (DAB)