| | | Recent Publications | | Employer Perceptions of Associate Degrees in Local Labor Markets: A Case Study of the Employment of Information Technology Technicians in Detroit and Seattle (CCRC Working Paper No. 39)Based on fieldwork in two distinct labor markets, this paper compares how associate and bachelor's degrees are perceived by employers seeking to hire IT technicians. The study finds that there are particular positive and negative qualities, such as hands-on skills and lack of academic initiative, that hiring managers expect to find almost exclusively among associate degree holders. The findings also suggest that perceptions of credentials vary by local labor market characteristics.View AbstractGet With the Program: Accelerating Community College Students' Entry into and Completion of Programs of Study (CCRC Working Paper No. 32)This updated paper, originally released in April 2011, argues that to improve completion rates on a substantial scale, community colleges must ensure that new students enter a coherent college-level program of study as soon as possible. It presents a simple method for measuring program entry and completion rates using data on students' actual course-taking behaviors rather than declared major or intent. The paper offers research-based suggestions for ways community colleges can rethink their practices at key stages of the student experience to accelerate program entry and completion.View AbstractWhat Explains Trends in Labor Supply Among U.S. Undergraduates, 1970–2009?This NBER working paper examines working patterns among traditional-age college students from 1970–2009. Hours worked by full-time undergraduates increased until 2000, then remained stable until they dropped abruptly in 2009. This paper considers several explanations for the long-term trend of rising employment—including compositional change and rising tuition costs—and considers whether the upward trend is likely to resume when economic conditions improve.View AbstractA Contextualized Intervention for Community College
Developmental Reading and Writing Students (CCRC Working Paper No. 38)This paper provides evidence on the potential efficacy of an approach to helping students develop an important academic skill, written summarization. In two experiments, a contextualized intervention was administered to developmental reading and writing students in two community colleges. The intervention was a 10-week curricular supplement that emphasized written summarization, as well as vocabulary knowledge, question generation, reading comprehension, and persuasive writing. The findings of this study suggest that the intervention had utility for academically underprepared postsecondary students.View Abstract | | View all publications > |
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| Did You Know | In 2009, private for-profit institutions awarded 389 associate degrees in Liberal Arts. Public 2-year schools awarded 245,711.
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