Objective: This study probes the reasons for high attrition rates and sense of community among students enrolled at a technical institution serving low-income students in Bogotá, Colombia. Although sense of community on campus is the strongest predictor of a student's thriving, scholars in higher education have studied mainly minority students'…

Contextualization refers to "a diverse family of instructional strategies designed to more seamlessly link the learning of foundational skills and academic or occupational content by focusing teaching and learning squarely on concrete applications in a specific context that is of interest to the student" (Mazzeo, 2008, p. 3). In…

This study explored how faculty members implemented constructivist teaching methods after training. The student-centered teaching methods were interactions and collaborations, authentic learning and real-world experiences, linking material to previously learned information, and using technology in the classroom. Seven faculty members trained in…

As community colleges shift their focus from access to success, academic advising is being recognized as a process that is influential on student success. Interventions including elements of prescriptive, developmental and intrusive advising have been put in place at a number of community colleges, with success measured in terms of retention.…

This study explored the interplay of a community college's vision, its leaders' behaviors, strategic planning, and the use of data that contributed to an organizational culture that led to the improvement of student success. The researcher used a grounded theory approach to delve into the relationships and connections between these four…

Over the past four decades there has been a great amount of research on retention of students in higher education institutions (Tinto, 2006); however, few studies have examined the effect of what institutions provide for student support, regarding retention, specifically allied health program students. Retention of community college students in…

Multi-agency partnerships can be a key element in sustaining growth and outreach in higher education, and the literature clearly indicates the increasing number and diversity of collaborative structures occurring on today's college campuses. However, partnership construction is a complex endeavor and attempts often fail for many reasons, including…

Community colleges nationwide are looking for solutions to help students complete developmental (remedial) math--a known barrier to graduation. Some are offering computer-assisted, modular developmental math courses that allow students to earn credits incrementally and move through the curriculum at their own pace. One of these modularized…

This case study explored the gendered performances of five female backline classified staff members who work in non-traditional fields within a community college. More specifically, this study defined gendered behaviors at a community college, and explored how these behaviors have affected the identities of women working in non-traditional fields…

In an extension of research linking teachers' beliefs about mathematics and their instructional practices at the Prek-12 level, the present study examined and documented both the beliefs and instructional practices of four community college instructors who teach remedial mathematics. Data was collected through survey, observations, interviews, and…

This qualitative multiple case study explored front-line classified staff interactions with students as a possible strategy for increasing student success. The study was based on the premise that too few students stay at a community college long enough to achieve their academic goals. Therefore, college leaders must identify new strategies to…

This newsletter contains two articles of interest to two-year college educators. The first details an examination of 83 public two-year college collective bargaining contracts and 41 public and private four-year college agreements for references to classroom visitations. Such references were found in 24 (29%) of the two-year college contracts and…

This syllabus outlines the structure, objectives, and lesson plans for Child Development 101, a twelve-week course on child study and observation offered at Chaffey Community College. A statement of the educational philosophy upon which the course was developed precedes a list of course objectives, competencies, and the grading system. The bulk of…

Instruments used to rate college teachers should undergo the scientific scrutiny expected of any psychological instrument. The construction of rating instruments through collective bargaining without scientific pilot testing thwarts the desired goal of assisting faculty and administrators in learning about teaching performance. These contentions…

This report describes a program designed to promote the use of recorded observations in Child Development Associate (CDA) advisors' assessments of interns in early childhood education at a southwestern community college. Sixty-one advisors participated in the program, which consisted of a series of five staff development meetings, formulation of a…