This study examined program organization and practices of community and technical college occupational programs that are effective in enabling low-income young adults to complete credentials and obtain employment. The study tested whether highly structured and focused programs that provide students with a more directed curriculum and proactive student supports lead to better outcomes for students who are not well prepared for college-level work. As part of this work, CCRC developed a statistical methodology that community colleges can use to determine whether or not students are pursuing coherent programs of study that lead to credentials.
This study was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.