This chapter focuses on the overall themes, priorities, and "calls to action" that emerged from a discussion and reflection among community college leaders on the chapters in this volume.

Launching a successful new online learning initiative or expanding existing online learning offerings takes careful planning and preparation. Online learning is an institution-wide endeavor, involving multiple departments, functions, and personnel, many of which require modifications or rethinking to meet the needs of fully online learners.…

"The responsiveness of consumers to a change in the price of a product is measured by the price elasticity of demand. If demand is elastic, a decrease in price will increase total revenue. Even though a lower price is received per unit, enough additional units are sold to more than make up for the lessor price. Also, the reverse is true; an…

The United States is undergoing a political tug-of-war between globalism and nationalism with world language education caught in the middle of this sociopolitical debate. The current political trend towards nationalism and isolationism is rendering world language education vulnerable to further cuts. This article discusses why it is vital for the…

Under President Biden in fiscal year 2023, the United States absorbed more than 3 million illegal aliens--the highest number in its history. Since public schools must enroll minors regardless of immigration status, unchecked illegal migration over the past three years has possibly cost the public education system billions of dollars. Large…

Since 2021, Bellwether has conducted research on flexible learning options, including interviews with 85 policymakers, state administrators, funders, navigation organizations, technology providers, and many others. The goal was to address inquiries in a nascent and fast-growing field, such as how families and students access learning within a…

The value of a college degree is the highest it has been in decades. The typical full-time worker with a bachelor's degree earned $81,000 in 2017, while the typical worker with only a high school diploma earned $36,000. Educational attain­ment is associated with lower unemployment and less strain on the social safety net, as well as higher tax…

The origins and focuses of adult education across Western countries are often about meeting adults' needs, and for purposes they have nominated, not those compelled by others. Unlike other sectors (e.g. schools, vocational colleges and universities) that were mainly initiated and sustained by church or state, adult education has long been grounded…

A new survey of approximately 1,500 parents or guardians of school-age children provides a snapshot of the current afterschool program landscape, documenting that while children and families who are able to access afterschool programs report high levels of satisfaction, for every child in an afterschool program, there are four more who are waiting…

Instructional technology helped to sustain learning in virtual environments when the novel coronavirus COVID-19 locked down campuses. This article is the success story of a large, public university in the southern United States, that smoothly transitioned into abrupt online learning with central support from instructional technologists. When…

Each month, the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) surveys a random sample of individuals who three months prior registered on mba.com--the GMAC™ website for prospective graduate business students. Their survey responses provide an inside look into the decision-making process of people currently considering applying to a graduate…

Each month, the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) surveys a random sample of individuals who three months prior registered on mba.com--the GMAC™ website for prospective graduate business students. Their survey responses provide an inside look into the decision-making process of people currently considering applying to a graduate…

Higher education benefits individuals and the state: college graduates are more likely to be employed and earn higher wages than nongraduates, boosting state tax revenues and reducing pressure on the social safety net. However, California's higher education system is not keeping up with the changing economy. Projections suggest that the state will…

This appendix documents the methodology used by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce to project educational demand within the US economy. The methodology produces forecasts using data from two private analytics companies. The authors use occupational forecasts provided by Lightcast that are calibrated to total employment…

The staggering highs and lows of the recent US economy and their effect on the labor force has been deeply unsettling. The US has come through the COVID-19 recession, the deepest economic downturn since the Great Depression, followed by the quickest recovery ever. One trend in the workforce has remained unaltered throughout this historic change:…