In 2007, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) funded 22 colleges to establish developmental summer bridge programs. Aimed at providing an alternative to traditional developmental education, these programs involve intensive remedial instruction in math, reading, and/or writing and college preparation content for students entering…

This report describes the origin and development of CESAME (The Center for Science and Mathematics Education) at Stony Brook University. The analysis identifies key ingredients in areas of personnel, funding, organizational structures, educational priorities, collaboration, and institutionalization. After a discussion of relevant issues in…

An alarmingly high percentage of recent high school graduates are not prepared to succeed in college-level courses, and the impact of this educational shortcoming is substantial. Underprepared college students incur a monetary cost of enrolling in remedial courses, and states and taxpayers subsidize much of the overall cost of developmental…

The authors prepared this report after exploring programs using a 90-day cycle process borrowed from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). The IHI 90-day cycle scans activity in the field as a "quick way to research innovative ideas and assess their potential for advancing quality improvement". The goal was to "get under…

The City University of New York (CUNY) developed and implemented two evidence-based, educational initiatives at its community colleges. Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP), on six campuses, helped 55 percent of students who enter with one or two developmental needs earn an associate degree within three years. This compares with 20…

The purpose of this action research study was to determine how peer-assisted learning (PAL) could be implemented to support improved academic achievement, persistence, and attitudes toward math for community college students in an intermediate developmental algebra course. Students in two sections of an intermediate algebra course, with an…

The authors recently conducted a Student Assessment of Learning Gains (SALG) survey at Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) among students who had participated in mentored research projects. In all ten categories examined, 80-90% of the students agreed that their research experience had been of great benefit, increasing their academic…

Recently released figures from U.S. Census Bureau make one point with stunning clarity: The face of America is changing. And rapidly. Consider the numbers: The U.S. population grew by about 9 percent between 2000 and 2010, rising from 281 million to nearly 309 million. During that decade, the number of Latino residents increased by 43…

We evaluate the extent to which ePortfolios can be used to assess applied and collaborative learning and academic identity among community college students from underrepresented minority groups who participated in a summer research program. Thirty-eight students were evaluated by their research sponsor and two or three naïve faculty evaluators.…

The CollegeKeys Compact[TM] is a national call to action to school districts, colleges and universities, state education agencies, and nonprofit organizations to identify, share and expand programs and practices that address the needs and challenges of low-income students and help them get ready for, get into and get through college. The College…

The Science, Engineering, and Technology Gateway of Ohio (SETGO) program has a three-pronged approach to meeting the needs at different levels of students in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) pipeline. The SETGO program was an extensive collaboration between a two-year community college and a nearby four-year…

The article examines a group format for promoting Hispanic students' transition from community colleges to university colleges of education. Students were exposed to Hispanic role models, did extensive writing, and participated in reflective discourse within large and small groups during the six-week summer program. All students successfully…

California's education system--the largest in the United States--is an essential resource for ensuring strong economic growth in the state. The Career Technical Education Pathways Initiative (referred to as the Initiative in this report), which became law in 2005, brings together community colleges, K-12 school districts, employers, organized…

In this Brief, the authors focus on partnerships between community colleges and high schools that may make it more likely for students to complete "three important milestones" on the road to college completion: (1) Enrollment in college; (2) College readiness at enrollment; and (3) Persistence in college. There is a broad range of goals and…

In 2007, the Basic Skills Initiative (BSI) was launched in California's 109 (now 110) community colleges. This initiative responds to an increasing awareness that state policies favoring "open access" also result in the enrollment of large numbers of students who are underprepared to succeed in college-level work. Identified as a key…