ERIC Number: ED645730
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Jul
Pages: 120
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Commencement Day: Six-Year Effects of a Freshman Learning Community Program at Kingsborough Community College. Opening Doors
Colleen Sommo; Alexander K. Mayer; Timothy Rudd; Dan Cullinan
MDRC
Postsecondary credentials are increasingly important to labor market success. Community colleges provide a key pathway to these credentials for many, including low-income and nontraditional students. Unfortunately, many community college students leave before earning a degree or credential, especially those who enter underprepared for college-level work. As part of MDRC's multisite Opening Doors demonstration, Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn, New York--a large, urban college in the City University of New York (CUNY) system--tested a one-semester learning community program. The program placed freshmen into groups of up to 25 students who took three classes together during their first semester: a developmental or college-level English course, an academic course required for the student's major, and a freshman orientation course. It also provided enhanced counseling and tutoring as well as textbook vouchers. This report provides evidence that learning communities with enhanced supports can affect community college students' short- and long-term academic success. These improvements are particularly noteworthy, given the short duration and cost-effectiveness of the program. [The report was written with Hannah Fresques.]
Descriptors: College Freshmen, Grouping (Instructional Purposes), Community Colleges, Longitudinal Studies, Communities of Practice, Program Effectiveness, Urban Education, Courses, Required Courses, Student Costs, Academic Support Services, Academic Persistence, Nonprofit Organizations, Educational Policy, Access to Education, College Preparation, Academic Achievement, Outcomes of Education, Developmental Programs, English Instruction
MDRC. 16 East 34th Street 19th Floor, New York, NY 10016-4326. Tel: 212-532-3200; Fax: 212-684-0832; e-mail: publications@mdrc.org; Web site: http://www.mdrc.org
Related Records: ED645733
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Two Year Colleges; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Institute of Education Sciences (ED); Robin Hood Foundation
Authoring Institution: MDRC
Identifiers - Location: New York (New York)
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: R305A100066
What Works Clearinghouse Reviewed: Meets Evidence Standards without Reservations
WWC Study Page: https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Study/81597