Our preliminary experiment examined a potential pain point with ASSIST, California's database of articulation agreements. That pain point is cross-referencing multiple articulation agreements to manually develop an "optimal" academic plan. Optimal is defined as the minimal set of community college courses that satisfy all transfer…

This study explores students' perspectives regarding high school students receiving an Applied Associate of Science (AAS) degree while taking dual enrollment with career and technical education courses in the Engineering Systems Technology (EST) program. Using a qualitative study, the research captures the experiences and viewpoints of program…

To understand retention, evaluation of guided pathways implementation is an important tool. In an effort to help students succeed, colleges often give students a specified set of core courses and a specific or even prescribed pathway to complete their general education requirements. Retention efforts are always a topic with administrators at…

This study assesses the impacts of the Science program at Piedmont Virginia Community College and its flagship capstone research experience, Supervised Study, through psychosocial perceptions associated with persistence in science and through a comparative analysis of subsequent science bachelor's degree attainment. Supervised Study involves…

This is the third brief summarizing results from the longitudinal analysis of the Transfer Opportunity Project (TOP). TOP, funded by a grant from the Institute for Education Sciences (IES), explores the possible factors contributing to the low percentage of community college students who go on to earn bachelor's degrees. The project uses a…

The COVID-19 pandemic caused an abrupt change in educational programs worldwide, including workforce development education in community colleges. Given the hands-on requirements of these programs, considerations for changes included if and how instructors and students could maintain academic continuity during the pandemic. This article focuses on…

There are longstanding concerns regarding whether remedial coursework at the college or university level is the most effective and efficient way to increase student success for students deemed not "college ready" upon entry to college. Requiring students to complete these courses (often non-credit-bearing) prior to becoming eligible for…

This study provides a deeper understanding of the challenges facing community college transfer students in engineering and their faculty advisors at a 4-year research university. Using a phenomenological approach, data was analyzed from interviews with nine engineering transfers and seven faculty advisors. The findings unveiled nuanced barriers…

As a partner with the City University of New York (CUNY) on the Transfer Opportunity Project, MDRC's Center for Applied Behavioral Science (CABS) team used behavioral mapping to help identify the malleable factors (that is, the factors subject to change) that impede student transfer. MDRC and CUNY researchers conducted nearly 50 interviews and…