Police training programs at community colleges are a vital cog in ensuring that local law enforcement agencies have a steady supply of recruits who have not only the weapons training, legal knowledge and other traditional skills but also professional skills like critical thinking, in an age when police behavior has come under focused public…

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) student-athletes represent a unique subculture on college campuses, and the athlete must balance the rigors of coursework, athletics, and the non-traditional dynamics associated with being an athlete, which include "dumb jock" stereotypes, isolation, negative criticism, and the fear…

Many adults--particularly those with just a high school education--struggle to get and keep jobs that pay enough to support their families and permit upward mobility. At the same time, some employers report difficulty finding people with the right skills to meet their needs. Programs that target in-demand industries or sectors and heavily involve…

A skilled workforce is key to a thriving California economy. Strong and growing demand for highly educated workers has been a hallmark of the state's economy for decades, and forecasts show this demand continuing into the future. If current trends continue, about 40 percent of jobs in California will require at least a bachelor's degree by 2030.…

Are recent graduates with degrees in parks and recreation adequately prepared to secure full-time employment in municipal recreation? To answer this question, California Parks and Recreation Society members with position titles such as supervisor, manager, director and superintendent (n = 206) were asked: How can recent college graduates be better…

When discussing the role of higher education as it applies to students, responses often devolve into two opposing camps: one for people who advocate for and defend the role of liberal arts education as basic to the preservation of democracy and freedom, and the other for people who care about the connection between what students learn in…

These are the technical appendices for the report, "Supporting Student Parents in Community College CalWORKs Programs." The appendices include: (1) CalWORKs and EOPS Programs at California Community Colleges; (2) Survey of Program Directors; (3) Survey Instrument; (4) Survey Summary Statistics; and (5) Analysis of CalWORKs Students.…

Many Californians face difficulties connecting to good jobs because of limited education. This is especially true for poor families who receive cash assistance from the state's CalWORKs (California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids) program. Few CalWORKs parents have more than a high school degree, and many struggle to balance family and…

Financial aid counselors are a primary source of information that many students rely upon to understand financial aid and how to pay for college. However, little is known about financial aid counselors at America's community colleges and their interactions with the students they serve. Using original survey data, this study examined the role these…

This is the second part of a study conducted by Barton and Cox (2012) investigating administrative credential candidates' pre and post self-assessment results. Candidates who successfully complete principal preparation programs should possess the requisite knowledge and skills to assume leadership positions in P-12 schools. This study was designed…

Over the past several decades, the demand in California for college-educated workers has grown. But the supply of college graduates has not kept pace with demand, and it appears that this "workforce skills gap" will not only continue but widen. This study examines the causes, magnitude, and likely consequences of the potential mismatch…

This booklet provides knowledge and skill maps for competencies needed by juvenile counselors. The maps were developed as part of the evaluation procedures for juvenile counselor candidates in the Standards and Training for Corrections Program in California. Created through a needs analysis, each map consists of all the knowledge and skills…

This manual introduces and explains the juvenile counselor physical training course developed as part of the evaluation procedures for juvenile counselor candidates in the Standards and Training for Corrections program in California. The manual is organized in four sections. The first section introduces the physical conditioning module, including…

This training course manual introduces and explains the juvenile counselor training course developed as part of the evaluation procedures for juvenile counselor candidates in the Standards and Training for Corrections Program in California. The manual provides information on the assumptions that guided the development of the course, the process by…

Findings of a study that identified critical skills for the novice principal are presented in this paper. Two theoretical frameworks are used to view the issue of principal effectiveness--a taxonomy of necessary skills and socialization. Surveys of 1,125 novice principals and 435 superintendents in California produced 450 and 208 responses,…