The California Community Colleges (CCC) system has adopted an equity-imperative approach to systemic reforms. As part of this effort, and to meet the state's workforce demands of the future, the system has focused on better serving the needs of adult learners, those between the ages of 25 and 64 with some college but no degree. The current impact…

While the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the short-term use of online courses, colleges' experiences with COVID-era online course delivery may also affect the way that they offer and approach online courses going forward. We draw on interviews with 35 distance education leaders from the California Community Colleges system to provide insights into…

In March of 2020, the COVID-19 global pandemic fundamentally altered almost all aspects of daily life as people around the world grappled with a public health emergency, as well as unprecedented economic and social consequences. COVID-19's impact on schools, colleges, and universities was far-reaching, forcing institutions to rethink their…

Fueled by exponential advances in technology, the world will change more in the next few decades than in all of human history, futurist Thomas Frey says. Community college leaders will have to think beyond traditional structures such as semester-length courses and two-year degree programs, designing micro-learning experiences that better match…

Attending college without working is a luxury most California community college students do not have. In fact, nationally, 80 percent of today's community college students work while going to class (39 percent of them work full-time), with many balancing their role as a primary source of income for their family and caring for young children. Jobs…

Millions of working Californians are unable to fulfill their families' basic needs. Automation is likely to eliminate many of their jobs by 2022, and higher-paying jobs that require specialized skills, while plentiful, are beyond their reach. Therefore, there's an urgent need to redesign the state's education and training systems to help people…

The purpose of this sequential, explanatory, mixed methods study was (a) to investigate the degree to which Career Technical Education (CTE) students in selected California Community College (CCC) believe that the core components of learning communities (LCs) designed for traditional, academic track students exist in LCs designed for CTE students;…

Under a contract with the California Student Aid Commission, The Century Foundation (TCF) has been tasked with "identifying options for improving affordability at California colleges and universities," and suggesting ways to streamline and consolidate existing programs "to reduce current students' cost of attendance, thus reducing…

This brief highlights examples of career pathway models funded by TAACCCT [Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training] that were designed for adult students who require accelerated timelines because they are often under pressure to enter or reenter the workforce quickly to support their families. In each of the cases chosen,…

As community colleges across the country look for ways to promote student success, the need for scaling effective approaches is critical. This guide builds on a framework of four phases of scaling developed in Job For the Future's (JFF's) previous publication, "Thinking Big: A Framework for States on Scaling Up Community College…

As the frontline nurse leaders, associate degree nursing (ADN) faculty members represent the key players for a seamless RN-BSN academic progression at the fundamental level of nursing education, which requires a balanced academic-clinical practice teaching. However, the Institute of Medicine's recommendation on expanded scope of nursing practice…

This article describes how community colleges take on major changes as they undergo complete organizational redesign and streamlining of programming and services in the face of multiple challenges.

This issue of "Inside Out," a publication of Community College Research Center's (CCRC's) Scaling Innovation project, explores how developmental education reforms can create opportunities for faculty to engage in professional learning related to instruction. The authors present a case study at Fullerton College, where the process of…

This report has been prepared to document the in-person instruction practices developed and implemented by colleges during the pandemic. The report is intended to provide assistance to California community colleges in planning for continuity of instruction when fully returning to in-person instruction for career and technical education (CTE)…

Limited health literacy is a national public health problem contributing to adverse health outcomes and increasing healthcare costs. Both health and educational systems are intervention points for improvement; however, there is paucity in empirical research regarding the role of educational systems. This needs assessment study explored health…