Following a brief history of literacy from the dawn of civilization in Egypt to the founding of the community college movement in the United States in 1945-55, this paper describes the Guided Studies Program at Clackamas Community College. The aim of the program is to increase literacy, which is viewed as a means to help students' self improvement…

After a review of selected literature on individualized instruction and writing courses, learning objectives and activities are presented for a course in English composition, incorporating four sequential units which students complete at their own rate and for which only pass, fail, or incomplete grades are assigned. The first of these units…

This issue of "Forum for Reading" contains four essays of interest to reading instructors at two-year colleges. Joan Gregg, Beth Pacheco, and Serena Nanda discuss the benefits for students of providing thematic unity in reading courses. The essay considers the selection of a theme, such as rebellion, identity, or family, that will lend…

A survey of California community colleges was conducted in order to ascertain what methods were being used to identify students for placement in freshman English courses, and what types of programs and services were being offered for entering students with reading and writing deficiencies. Of 100 colleges surveyed, 64 responded. There seems to be…

This 2003 fact book for the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) is divided into the following sections: (1) Introduction, which covers mission, history, programs, governance, funding and other areas. (2) Program Briefs, which covers basic skills, distance learning, community service, occupational continuing education, workforce…

This is a 2001 report on the enrollment and progress for basic skills students in Washington State's community and technical colleges. Report highlights include: (1) 15% of all state-support instruction is in basic skills; (2) 53% of basic skills instruction is in English second language (ESL) programs; and (3) adult basic education (ABE) and…

The report describes research strategies to explore the relationship between literacy and employment and to incorporate the influence of job skills with California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) students at Cabrillo College (California). The overall design tests the literacy and job skills of study participants before and…

Examines the impact of new student populations on community colleges. Notes the proliferation of remedial programs, individualized instruction, and diagnostic testing and placement services in response to student learning problems and the expansion of noncredit offerings, experiential learning credit, and cooperative education programs responding…

Examines academic success and retention of first-year students in need of developmental education at a small private university to determine which variables are predictive of academic achievement, retention, and a GPA of 2.5 or higher. Results support other studies that indicate high school performance is the best indicator of success in college.…

Details a reading program in which freshmen in a developmental studies program read books to children at a local public school. Reports that the students engaged the children in pre-determined learning activities and reflected on their own, as well as others', reading processes. Discusses theoretical underpinnings of this model. (Contains 19…

The nation will need millions of workers without baccalaureate degrees in the 1990s. Preparing the "forgotten half" for these jobs will require corporate investment in training, improvement of basic skills instruction, better-focused community college curricula, and large-scale programs to upgrade reading and writing skills. (SK)

Discusses community college involvement in the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training Program (JOBS) as an example of how federal and state workforce policy impacts publicly controlled institutions of higher education. Discusses the challenges faced by JOBS in an era of devolved responsibility for funding from federal government to states.…

In 1997, Virginia's Thomas Nelson Community College (TNCC) undertook a study to determine how well the general education components of its associate degree programs were imparted to associate degree graduates. Four sources of data were used to determine outcomes: follow-up survey results for 1992-93 and 1993-94 graduates, outcomes for graduate…

In reports on transfer outcomes to the state Board, the San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) regularly uses the definition of transfer developed by the Center for the Study of Community Colleges' Transfer Assembly (TA). This model does not consider student intent in the pool of transfer-eligible students. In response to concerns by some…

This report summarizes three studies conducted during the 1997-98 school year. The studies investigated the level of academic success CCSF students achieved, and if this success varied by student background (i.e. ethnic group, age, gender), educational goal and/or placement level. Also questioned was whether certain variables connected to the…