Basic skills courses are designed to teach students certain basic academic competencies they have not mastered. However, very little research has examined the quality of instruction inside basic skills classes. This paper presents preliminary findings from observations in 13 California community colleges. The clearest finding is that…

A study examined local work-related education and training institutions from a system perspective. Information was obtained through field interviews of staff and administrators in secondary education, community colleges and technical facilities, and Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) and similar programs, as well as record data from eight…

Corrects 1972 National Longitudinal Study data used in two earlier papers on education effects in subbaccalaureate labor markets. Corrections confirm most earlier findings. However, for men, the effects of vocational associate degrees are insignificant, whereas the effects of vocational credits earned are significant. Economic benefits may accrue…

Reviews the available evidence on the economic benefits of postsecondary education below the level of the baccalaureate degree, concentrating on the effects of community colleges. Results indicate substantial benefits for many kinds of postsecondary education. However, the economic benefits of small amounts of coursework are often zero and at best…

An analysis of the 1984, 1987, and 1990 Survey of Income and Program Participation shows that the benefits of sub-baccalaureate credentials (associate degrees and certificates) are generally positive and statistically significant. However, the benefits of completing some postsecondary education but failing to earn credentials are much lower,…

Examines the returns to subbaccalaureate credentials and coursework, using the postsecondary transcripts of the National Longitudinal Study of the Class of 1972. Results indicate substantial variety in the returns and suggest clear differences between the subbaccalaureate labor market and that for individuals with baccalaureate degrees. (56…

Disputes critics' claims about the negligible impact of an associate degree on income. Uses data from the National Longitudinal Survey of the High School Class of 1972 to demonstrate how associate degrees have increased wages for members of this group. (DMM)

Investigates enrollment and completion rates in public 2-year colleges, using models to interpret student and legislative demand. Student demand for enrollments and completion rates are not especially sensitive to labor market conditions. These patterns tend to persist over time, suggesting institutional rigidities. (Includes 6 tables, 17 notes,…

An analysis is provided of patterns of community college enrollments between 1970 and 1980, with particular emphasis on variations among the states in enrollment and completion rates. Section I looks at recent trends in community colleges, focusing on enrollment, numbers of degrees conferred, vocational enrollments, curriculum changes, and the…

Given recent Federal Government and business community emphasis on integrated vocational and academic education, a telephone survey of community colleges was made to explore what forms such integration is taking. Information was gathered through telephone contact with 45 community college officials recruited through a mailed questionnaire to a…

This qualitative study of community college faculty, based on classroom observation and interviews of 257 instructors and 60 administrators at 32 community colleges across the country, was undertaken to explore what "teaching looks like in a teaching college." The researchers were especially interested in the collective nature of teaching: the…

The author examines the ability of high-tech industry to provide jobs for graduates of these programs. He also discusses the historical role of vocational education in national policy and the problems that may result from the attempt to prepare students for specific jobs rather than for careers. (CT)

Co-op seminars are a key component of the cooperative education (CE) program at LaGuardia Community College in New York City. All LaGuardia students must enroll in CE and attend a series of co-op seminars that raise general issues about work, occupations in general, and the competencies required on the job. The seminars serve as a form of career…

The structure and perceived benefits of the cooperative education programs offered by two-year colleges in Cincinnati, Ohio, were examined in a study in which 66 representatives of 54 area firms and 25 individuals from 7 community colleges were interviewed in 1993. Cincinnati's co-op programs were found to vary significantly in their structure.…

This analysis assesses alternative explanations of the robust enrollment growth in community colleges in the 1970's, part of a larger trend of increased vocationalization of education. The conventional explanation is that community colleges offer the most appropriate training for rapidly increasing jobs requiring middle-level skills. Various other…