Texas Poised to Tie Community College Funding to "Value" and Jobs
As Work Shift reports, Texas lawmakers are expected to approve a proposal that would dramatically increase funding for community colleges, tie much of it to workforce outcomes, and, for the first time, include substantial funding for short-term programs. CCRC Senior Research Scholar Nikki Edgecombe noted that it will be important to balance the interests of industry and workers in order to ensure that the economic growth the state is pursuing also advances workers’ economic mobility and doesn’t leave them behind.
How Higher Ed Can Help Remedy K-12 Learning Losses
K-12 learning losses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic are profound. CCRC Senior Research Scholar Nikki Edgecombe explained to Inside Higher Ed how colleges can help.
Why Students Aren’t Transferring
For Volt, CCRC Senior Research Associate John Fink commented on the state of student transfer after the height of the pandemic: "There’s an enrollment crisis, but there’s [also] a college access crisis."
Getting to and Staying in College: Ask-Connect-Inspire-Plan
CCRC Senior Research Associate Hana Lahr spoke to Abner Oakes of the Institute for Student Achievement (ISA) about her work on guided pathways and specifically the Ask-Connect-Inspire-Plan (ACIP) framework.
Despite Hopes for a Rebound, Enrollment Falls Again
Overall enrollment at two-year institutions has shrunk only by 0.4% since fall 2021, and for the first time since 2019, enrollment declines were worse at four-year institutions. CCRC Senior Research Associate John Fink spoke to Inside Higher Ed about this development and the pivotal role played by dual enrollment.
WSCC Garnering National Recognition for Improving Student Success
CCRC researchers Davis Jenkins, Serena Klempin, and Hana Lahr recently published "Funding Guided Pathways Reforms at Small Colleges: Three Ohio Community Colleges Show How to Do It," which documents in part the advances Washington State Community College (WSCC) has made in funding and sustaining guided pathways reforms. The Marietta Times reported on this progress and interviewed WSCC President Dr. Vicky Wood, who's also featured in the CCRC study.
"We’re Not Going to Close the Equity Gaps": Despite Progress, California Community Colleges Won’t Reach Newsom’s Aspirational Goals
In a report on the California Community Colleges' equity-gap goals and their methods for measuring student graduation rates, CalMatters cited CCRC's research (helmed by Davis Jenkins and Hana Lahr) on Ask-Connect-Inspire-Plan onboarding practices, which are designed to help students gain early momentum on their college trajectory.
Overwhelming Demand for Online Classes is Reshaping California’s Community Colleges
As the Los Angeles Times reports, in pre-pandemic fall 2019, 80% of community college classes in California were fully in person, 15% were fully remote, and 5% were hybrid; two years later, the numbers were nearly flipped, with 25% of classes in person, 65% remote, and 10% hybrid. CCRC Director Thomas Brock shared his insight into the outcomes of online instruction in community colleges.
Research Network to Examine Strategies to Help Colleges Bounce Back Post-Pandemic
Community College Daily reported on the new CCRC-led Accelerating Recovery in Community Colleges (ARCC) Network.
Many NYC Public School Grads Aren’t Ready for College, State Audit Finds
A recent New York State audit found that only 57% of students in New York City are college ready. CCRC Senior Research Scholar Elisabeth Barnett spoke to the New York Post about these findings and the reality of students' experiences: "Especially when students first get to college, they’re often very insecure about if they belong there. So if they get told they’re not college ready, that can be a very big blow."
