Promoting Academic Momentum at Community Colleges

The expansion of the American community college has not been matched by the rapid, or even consistent, progress of all entering students toward postsecondary credentials. Instead, a significant proportion of students enrolled in community colleges appear “stuck” on the road to completion. This lack of progress is due to the complex ways in which social and educational inequalities affect specific students and the institutions of higher education designated to serve them. As a result, policymakers and practitioners face significant challenges in their efforts to promote academic momentum. Promoting Academic Momentum at Community Colleges: Challenges and Opportunities , written for the Community College Research Center, addresses how intersecting barriers affect student progress, and how to improve the pace of progress.

College Learning for the New Global Century

College Learning for the New Global Century , from the Association of American Colleges and Universities’ National Leadership Council for Liberal Education and America’s Promise, spells out the essential aims and learning outcomes for a 21st century college education. Beyond discussion of access, affordability and accountability, this report aims to address what college graduates need to know and be able to do in a demanding economic and international environment. The essential learning outcomes outlined in this report include student acquisition of:   Knowledge of human cultures and the physical and natural world; Intellectual and practical skills; Personal and social responsibility; and, Integrative learning.

Changing Direction

In the past decade, improving student success has emerged as a key federal and state policy objective that complements the traditional focus on increasing student access. This performance-based focus on success entails increasing both the year-to-year retention and degree-completion rates for all students, but particularly for those groups of students who are most at-risk. Changing Direction: Integrating Higher Education Financial Aid and Financing Policy seeks to identify ways in which states can improve the chances of students succeeding in postsecondary education programs, and concludes with a brief discussion of what policies may be needed to achieve higher levels of student success.

Core Knowledge for PreK-3 Teaching

Researchers and educators have documented that children with a strong foundation in pre-kindergarten through grade three are better prepared for success in later grades when the academic demands of school begin to accelerate. This policy brief from the Foundation for Child Development draws on standards of national education organizations – including NAEYC – to identify ten components of effective instruction. The ten areas of ‘core knowledge’ for PreK-3 educators are: knowledge of child development, methods for teaching diverse children, use of multiple forms of assessment, organization of learning environments, curriculum design that helps children make connections, strategic use of resources and technology, parent and family outreach, professional collaboration and development, reflection for enhanced teaching, and vertical alignment of standards.

ABCs of Change for Latino Children

Latino children nationwide tend to start kindergarten knowing less about letters and numbers compared with their non-Hispanic white peers. Many never catch up. Improving early childhood education is one of the best ways to narrow the achievement gap, educators say. Latino education advocates said they are battling a misperception that Hispanic parents are less concerned about teaching young children. Research shows that it is a not lack of interest, but rather economic, linguistic, educational and even cultural barriers that affect Hispanic early childhood experiences. According to Eugene E. Garcia, an Arizona State University administrator and chairman of the National Task Force on Early Childhood Education for Hispanics, and the National Education Association, targeted programs and increased outreach to Hispanic families can make a difference.

Closing the 'Degree Gap'

Hitting Home: Quality, Cost and Access Challenges Confronting Higher Education Today, by the Making Opportunity Affordable Project, compares the production of degrees in the United States with those of the country’s top international competitors. Based on the percentage of citizens with college degrees in those countries, the report estimates that the United States needs to educate an additional 15.6 million people (with either bachelor’s or associate degrees) by 2025, a 37 percent increase over current production. The report also addresses the issue of the racial and ethnic make-up of those potential new graduates, and suggests that the United States will not be successful internationally if it continues with current patterns in which black and Latino students lag in college attendance and graduation.