Dear Colleague,

CCRC studies community colleges because of their potential to advance equity and increase social mobility in the United States. We are motivated by our belief in accessible, affordable, high-quality education for every student who seeks a job that provides a living wage or who wants to transfer to a four-year college or university. In this biennial report, we describe some of the ways we are working to achieve these goals.

Community colleges were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nationally, enrollments dropped 17% from spring 2020 to spring 2023, and many students experienced learning losses and other setbacks. Fortunately, the enrollment picture is improving, and decades of research by CCRC and others has produced a growing base of evidence on ways to improve student outcomes. These range from relatively simple changes in how students are assessed and placed into English and math courses to whole-college reforms known as guided pathways. Partly in response to the pandemic, many community colleges are adopting new technologies to improve classroom teaching and student advising. There is also growing interest at the state and national levels in adopting financing strategies to ensure that community colleges have the resources they need to help all students achieve their educational and employment goals.

A consistent theme throughout CCRC’s work is partnership. We are grateful to the many community colleges, K-12 districts, universities, state agencies, national student success organizations, and other researchers who inspire us with their vision and who work with us on projects. We are also grateful to the funders who support our research and dissemination. Like the institutions we study, we strive to improve. If you have feedback on our work—what you find most useful, what we can do better, what issues or questions you would like to see us address in the future—please let us know.

Sincerely,

Tom Brock