The bachelor's degree remains a fundamental path to economic opportunity in the United States. Critical for policymakers, then, is ensuring equitable access to such benefits--a task often constrained by long-standing structural barriers. One of the most obvious structural impediments for bachelor's degree-aspirants in California (CA) is the…

Facing enrollment declines that date to the Great Recession and accelerated during the worst of the pandemic, community colleges are redoubling their focus on student-readiness to seem--and become--as welcoming as possible. These efforts include: (1) ramping up student equity, diversity, and inclusion; (2) becoming more trauma-informed and…

Public community colleges have struggled with reduced funding allocations, unstable enrollments, low completion rates, and growing racial equity gaps while facing increased accountability for outcomes. As a result, public community colleges are trying to determine how to efficiently use limited funds to effectively meet equitable student outcomes.…

While most community colleges admit all students who apply for admission, the vast majority have required students to demonstrate specified levels of literacy and numeracy before they can take college-level courses. Typically, students have been assessed using a single placement test, such as the College Board's ACCUPLACER. Colleges--or sometimes…

Objective/Research Question: The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which programs offering community college baccalaureates (CCBs) address access and equity for underrepresented racial minorities (URMs). The study first aimed to understand how administrators described the purpose of CCBs with regard to advancing equity for URMs.…

Now more than ever, philanthropy seeks to use its grant making and voice to build and support equity for historically marginalized communities. Toward that end, postsecondary education is an important area of investment because it is a critical pathway to economic mobility and stability. At the same time, colleges are serving a growing number of…

The study reveals the barriers and challenges of African Americans during their ascendancy to senior-level leadership roles. The study addresses the problem of racism and white privilege in higher education institutions related to the underrepresentation of African Americans in senior-level positions, specifically in Washington State community and…

The information in this brief was shared at the Equitable Assignment Challenge Summer Institute in August 2018. The institute was attended by faculty and administrators working to help close equity gaps in course outcomes in Washington's Community and Technical Colleges (CTCs). The data points shared at the institute and in this brief are one…

This qualitative investigation explains the ways in which community college decision makers justify the inclusion of international students at three community colleges in the United States. We identify and explain the ways in which decision makers rationalize institutional policy--particularly recruitment strategies and motivations--related to…

This report is an update to the Washington Student Achievement Council's (WSAC) 2019 Transfer Report (see ED606179). WSAC submits a biennial progress report to the Washington state legislature that examines transfer associate degree effectiveness over time. As recommended by the 2019 report, this update is the first step toward applying an equity…

Washington State is experiencing substantial growth in the number of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) Community College Baccalaureate (CCB) programs. Student enrollments in STEM CCB programs are also growing, providing an opportune time to study these students and their enrollment in and completion of STEM CCB programs. This…

This brief focuses on coaching for more equitable student outcomes to bring about student success. It builds on the work of the Coaching for Change project conducted by the Community College Research Initiatives (CCRI) at the University of Washington. The authors emphasize the importance of equity in comprehensive college reform, including the…

Every year millions of Americans gain valuable college credit-worthy learning through workplace training, the military, apprenticeships, & professional certifications. Nearly all of this learning goes unrecognized by colleges & universities. Without a consistent way to recognize, reward, and transfer this learning, many people are left…

LGBTQ+ students are increasingly visible on community college campuses, and a safe and welcoming campus climate is critical to LGBTQ+ students' academic success and well-being. Campus climate is difficult to assess for prospective LGBTQ+ community college students, and institutional websites may be a source of information about campus climate.…

Before the 2011-12 school year, eligible students in the 11th and 12th grades were funded by the state for a combined maximum of 2.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) in both high school and the Running Start program each year. In 2011, the Legislature established a limit to this funding for a combined maximum enrollment of 1.2 FTE over one school year.…