This nonexperimental, longitudinal panel study was designed to test the predictive capacity of a grit intervention within a first-year seminar course that targeted academically underprepared students at a Mississippi community college. Extant pre- and post-grit scores for developmental students enrolled in the first-year seminar were analyzed for…

We used a matched samples design to compare outcomes of students enrolled in a traditional model of developmental mathematics education with a similar group of students coenrolled in developmental and college-level math courses. Drawn from students enrolled in a pilot program at nine community colleges in a Southeastern state, we compared 208…

"Cooling out" is the theoretical process in which community college counselors and faculty seek to adjust the academic goals of low achieving students. Though the rationale behind the concept has changed since it was proposed almost 70 years ago, it is still relevant in the present political environment in which leaders are stressing…

This chapter presents a critical examination of the institutionalization of baccalaureate degrees at a Hispanic-serving community college. Findings highlight that in expanding programmatic, financial, and geographic access to certain baccalaureate degrees, access to other educational opportunities was undercut.

Understanding students' readiness for precalculus and calculus at the community college level is critical not only because of the key role community colleges play in higher education but also because calculus remains a gateway course for students in advancing to higher level mathematics. The Algebra and Precalculus Concept Readiness Assessment for…

Industries across the United States are facing a shortage of skilled technical workers. This qualitative case study investigated how participation in SkillsUSA, a career and technical student organization, "influenced community college students' preparedness for the workforce" and their connection to campus. Data were gathered from…

This study examines the structure of an enhanced advising program (EAP) through the perspectives of academic advisors. Utilizing a qualitative research design, interviews were conducted with 12 primary-role academic advisors employed within an EAP at a large, urban community college in Texas. Thematic analysis of the interviews identified the…

Objective: This study examines the labor market gains for students who enrolled at for-profit colleges after beginning their postsecondary education in community college. Method: We use student-level administrative record data from college transcripts, unemployment insurance earnings data, and progression data from the National Student…

In this study, we use a narrative inquiry approach to present the stories of two Latino males attending community colleges in the Great Plains region of the United States that includes the Dakotas, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa, popularly referred to as "flyover states." The purpose of this inquiry, part of a larger study in an area of the…

Over half of community college students place into developmental education, resulting in significant financial costs. We extend previous research demonstrating that using placement tests to assign students into developmental courses results in frequent misplacement. We use Florida data to explore the extent to which students are misplaced into…

Most students who begin at a community college leave without earning a degree. Given the growing emphasis on student success, many colleges have implemented re-enrollment campaigns designed to foster re-engagement and degree completion among former students. However, there is a lack of causal evidence on their effectiveness. We implement a text…

Community colleges report opening spring term enrollment figures to the Illinois Community College Board using a brief web based survey. These figures reflect student enrollments as of the end of registration for the Spring 2020 semester--usually the 10th day of the term. Overall, compared to the same term one year ago, statewide Spring 2020…

Tarrant and Dallas counties are side-by-side blocks comprising 1,772 square miles. They are home to the region's big economic centers, Fort Worth and Dallas, respectively. If you look only at the Texas Federal Reserve Banks' data on regional economic growth, the picture here is rosy. But if you look below the surface, the story is different. It…

Academic mindset encompasses individuals' beliefs about the ways learning and intelligence work. These beliefs frame students' thinking, influence how they interpret events, and ultimately affect their success. This report provides results from the first large set of data on mindset in community colleges. These data suggest that understanding the…

In response to the significant and still growing number of college students experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity in California, the State Legislature appropriated $9 million in the 2019-2020 State Budget for ongoing funding to provide housing services to students. Per section 9795 of the statute, colleges, in partnership with local…