In this brief, the authors propose three measures of "early momentum" for two reasons: Research is beginning to show that these near-term metrics predict long-term success, and the metrics focus attention on initial conditions at colleges that are particularly important for solidifying the foundation for student success. While these…

This report analyzes the current educational reform movement by drawing heavily on the parallels between it and contemporary efforts to reform work. It argues that current initiatives which are often solely associated with vocational education can form the basis of an education reform strategy that applies to all students. Based on information…

Argues that the diversity of community colleges justifies a more subtle system of classification than the traditional Carnegie system, but the large number of missions taken on by community colleges complicates this goal. Makes a distinction between a characteristics-based system and an output-based system. Uses distinction to discuss schemes…

This document is a report on the performance, graduation, and transfer of immigrant and native minority students at City University of New York (CUNY) community colleges. The study also compares the experiences of immigrants at CUNY community colleges to those of native United States minorities. A total of 8,332 students responded to the survey,…

This paper seeks to answer some of the many questions that exist about credit-based transition programs. The paper reviews 45 published and unpublished reports, articles, and books on the most common credit-based transition programs: dual enrollment, Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Tech Prep, and middle college high…

A study examined the impact of the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program on efforts in academic and vocational integration. A case study of 10 community colleges housing ATE-funded projects collected data through interviews with administrators, faculty, ATE program practitioners, and faculty and administrators at collaborating high…

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…

Employers' motivations for getting involved in school-to-work internships and their perceptions of the quality of work-based learning placements were examined through a telephone survey of 334 employers participating in 5 school-to-work programs (2 in New York, 2 in Pennsylvania, and 1 in Michigan) and a matching sample of 323 establishments not…

The internship program at La Guardia Community College (New York) confirms the possibility of achieving the level of employer participation required for the success of an educational reform movement centered on work-based learning. The La Guardia program, which has existed for 25 years and has provided 1,800-2,000 internships annually, shares its…

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…

Community colleges are complex institutions with a broad range of education, social, and economic functions. Community college advocates suggest that the comprehensive nature of these institutions and their ever-expanding missions reflect a commitment to the changing needs of the community. Critics suggest that the colleges have abandoned…

A case study of the internship program at LaGuardia Community College (New York, NY) explores employer participation in work-based learning programs. Data from over 17,000 placements show how the program has shifted from occupational training to career exploration and the acquisition of generic workplace skills. (SLD)

This study asks if occupational education bestows advantages or disadvantages on the students who pursue it, and how the educational experiences of occupational students compare to the experiences of students in academic programs. The authors used the Beginning Postsecondary Student Longitudinal Study of 1989-94 and 1995-98 to analyze educational…

This report addresses contemporary concerns about the competitive threat from for-profit educational institutions, contrasts national data on for-profits with national data on private non-profit and public post-secondary institutions, and examines case study data comparing a for-profit chain with three public community colleges located near…

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…