Higher education students in the U.S. have been transferring at record levels. More than two-thirds who earn bachelor's degrees from four-year institutions today have changed colleges at least once according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. However, the U.S. Department of Education reported in 2015 that on average, students…

In late 2020, Maine community colleges participated in a national study of community college workforce education. Maine was one of 14 states where education authorities volunteered to encourage colleges to respond early enough in 2020 to receive preliminary statewide results in January 2021. This brief compares Maine to the 14 states in this…

The Pathways Program allows juniors and seniors in high school who have a high school GPA of 3.0, a demonstrated capacity for college work, and a recommendation of the high school guidance counselor, to pursue their associate degrees at Thomas College in Waterville, Maine, while completing the requirements for their high school diploma at…

"Dual enrollment" refers to programs in which students take postsecondary courses while simultaneously enrolled in high school. While programs differ among and within states, all programs share the goal of supporting students to complete their postsecondary education more quickly and cheaply while also fulfilling high school graduation…

Across New England, an increasing share of jobs will require some postsecondary education by 2020. Yet, the National Student Clearinghouse findings demonstrate that student pathways to a degree or credential are not always straightforward. In New England, approximately 25% of all students who earned a bachelor's degree had previously attended a…

Since 1990, high school students in Washington have had the choice of earning college credit through the Running Start program. Running start is a dual enrollment and dual credit program that allows eleventh and twelfth grade high school students to take college courses at any of Washington's 34 community and technical colleges, Central Washington…

As demand for a highly educated and skilled workforce grows, many governors have made student college and career readiness a priority in 2012. In their State of the State addresses, governors in Mississippi, Missouri, Virginia, and Wisconsin promoted the expansion of dual enrollment programs as a key strategy for strengthening academic…

The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) is pursuing initiatives to make the U.S. Uniform CPA Examination more accessible to candidates outside of the United States. At the heart of their plan is a desire to ensure that the U.S.-CPA retains its position as a gold standard in the world of professional accountancy. Over the…

The Breaking Through (BT) initiative promotes an expanded and enhanced role for community colleges in providing access to college for low-skilled adults. BT is uniquely important in its systematic integration of adult education, developmental/remedial education, professional-technical education (PTE), and career planning and preparation in…