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In 2015, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) announced the AACC Pathways Project, a national initiative designed to support a cohort of community colleges to implement and scale whole-college guided pathways reforms. When the project launched, guided pathways was still a new idea. Yet, momentum was building around a set of research-based design principles organized under four areas of practice intended to help colleges reimagine how students enter and complete programs of study aligned with advancement in the workforce or transfer in a major. Over the course of the project, which ended in spring 2022, the participating colleges focused on implementing and scaling practices within the four practice areas of the guided pathways framework: (1) mapping pathways to students' end goals, (2) helping students choose and enter a program, (3) keeping students on a path, and (4) ensuring that students are learning. This framework has since been adopted by hundreds of other colleges across more than a dozen states that are leading guided pathways initiatives (CCRC, 2021). Seven years since the project began, these colleges have made impressive progress adopting guided pathways practices at scale. Colleges that have adopted the model more comprehensively are seeing promising trends in leading indicators of success for their students. This report draws on interviews conducted in spring 2022 with guided pathways leaders at the 30 AACC Pathways colleges. It also presents data from the Guided Pathways Scale of Adoption Assessment (SOAA) distributed to all 30 colleges and trend data on students' early momentum at each college through the 2020-21 academic year.

Over the years, students gained new skills, making them more productive workers, by studying at America's community colleges. Today, millions of these former students are employed in the U.S. The accumulated impact of former students currently employed in the U.S. workforce amounted to $898.5 billion in added income for the U.S. economy in fiscal year (FY) 2019-20, which is equivalent to supporting 10.7 million jobs. For further perspective, this means that one out of every 18 jobs in the U.S. is supported by the activities of the colleges' former students. The additional income of $898.5 billion created by America's community colleges is equal to approximately 4.1% of the total gross domestic product (GDP) of the U.S. This report assesses the impact of the increased alumni productivity of America's community colleges on the national economy and the benefits generated by the colleges for students, taxpayers, and society. The results of this study show that America's community colleges create a positive net impact on the U.S. economy and generate a positive return on investment for their main stakeholders.

A new American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) report summarizes the challenges that community colleges faced during the COVID pandemic as well as their responses. It covers a broad area, including enrollment declines, the equity agendas, pandemic excellence and partnerships, and the changing landscape and competition.

This report has been prepared to document the in-person instruction practices developed and implemented by colleges during the pandemic. The report is intended to provide assistance to California community colleges in planning for continuity of instruction when fully returning to in-person instruction for career and technical education (CTE) programs. It incorporates work the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) created at the outset of the pandemic, which addressed the economics of a mindful return for community college CTE programs, and the limitations of online education for CTE. Additionally, AACC surveyed Chief Instructional Officers across the system, and conducted multiple individual interviews with college leaders, including campus executives, facilities and emergency response staff, and career and technical education deans, from October 2020 to February 2021. Some common struggles and successes as identified across the country by community college CTE programs are also incorporated. This report is a synthesis of lessons learned for a mindful return to CTE in-person instruction in an efficient and effective manner, with a focus on safety in the vastly varied, and ever-evolving situation at the time of the writing of the report. It is unquestionable that the future of higher education has changed, and while this report covers the functional realities of community colleges and delivery of instructions under pandemic conditions, considerations for new expectations from students and industry partners should also be top of mind as California, the nation and the world navigate towards what that "new normal" looks like.

This is the sixth issue in a series of American Association of Community Colleges analyses of trends in community college enrollments and examination of completion rates. Two sources are used, enrollment, graduation rates, and outcomes measures information from the U.S. Department of Education and enrollment and completion rates published by the National Student Clearinghouse. [For the previous issue (2017) in the "Trends in Community College Enrollment andCompletion Data" series, see ED585608.]

The Voluntary Framework of Accountability (VFA) is the principal institutional accountability and improvement framework for community colleges with measures defined to encompass the full breadth of the community college mission and the diversity of students' goals and educational experiences. The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) operates a web-based portal for community colleges to submit, analyze, and display their VFA data. In 2018, more than 200 colleges participated in the VFA. This document is intended to provide a sample of results from the 2018 collection cycle. The data provided in this report are intended to provide an overview of some of the data included in the VFA, and the opportunities it can provide community colleges in understanding student progress and outcomes. This report shows the importance of looking at a variety of measures to understand how well colleges are serving the educational goals of their students. In addition, it highlights the importance of disaggregating data to investigate and identify achievement gaps for different student populations. Finally, it provides additional support for the value of using the AACC Pathways Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) as leading indicators for student outcomes.

The Voluntary Framework of Accountability (VFA) is designed as a set of appropriate measures to determine how well community colleges are serving students. Lack of commonly accepted, appropriate performance measures has often led to misperceptions and frequently an underestimation of community college effectiveness and contributions. It has also limited the ability of institutions to identify areas for institutional challenges and to set goals for the improvement of outcomes. Thus, the VFA is designed to give community colleges sector-appropriate reporting formats and share them publicly. This technical manual provides a detailed description of the timeframes, cohorts, and measures included in the VFA.

Community college enrollment has been in decline nationally since peaking in 2010. This report puts the recent community college trends into perspective by reviewing community college enrollment from 2001 through 2017, and by examining concurrent trends that are related to community college enrollments. This report provides the reader with a better understanding of enrollment changes for students with different characteristics (such as age, gender, or race and ethnicity) as well as by enrollment intensity. In addition, community college enrollment trends are compared to other sectors of higher education. Furthermore, this report examines enrollment trends in the context of other national, non-higher education trends such as unemployment rates and high school graduation rates to better understand the trends we are seeing in community college enrollment. The majority of the data used in this report comes from the Fall Enrollment Survey of the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). All institutions that participate in the federal financial aid program are required to submit data to the U.S. Department of Education (ED) through IPEDS. IPEDS collects information on a range of postsecondary topics including graduation rates, finances, human resources, completions, and enrollment. For the purposes of this paper, the annual Fall Enrollment Survey was used as the primary data source. Data from each year were used to look at enrollment trends across a 17-year period. One exception to the annual use of data was on enrollment by age, as this data is only required to be reported by institutions every other year. Several other sources of national and federal data--to the extent possible--were used to provide a context for the enrollment data. Data sources include the monthly unemployment rate from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), high school graduation counts and projections, and high school graduation rates from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

Since 2012, community colleges have made a considerable effort to increase student success and completion. Today, as much greater attention is being paid to drawing stronger linkages between education and workforce needs, institutions are becoming more strategic and deliberate in this work. In particular, many institutions are building stronger with relationships with their K-12 partners to ensure students are ready to succeed in college and beyond. The colleges highlighted in this report are models for how collaboration can promote college readiness and success for all students. The report describes how partnerships at South Texas College, Davidson County Community College, and in the state of New York have made a difference through precollege supports that help prepare students academically for the rigors of college. Aligned advising, clear and consistent course sequences, and accelerated transfer pathways at Miami Dade College, Ivy Tech Community College, Montgomery College, and Prince George's Community College also offer lessons on how to ensure systematic barriers never derail students on the path to a postsecondary credential. Finally, the work by Monroe Community College, Northern Virginia Community College, and Columbus State Community College offer cutting-edge practices to strengthen workforce alignment across the entire education continuum. This report details these practices and offers high-level strategies, as well as concrete actions community college presidents and trustees can take to partner with K-12 to dramatically improve student outcomes. [This report was co-produced by the Education Strategy Group (ESG).]

College presidential transitions are inevitable. A successful transition, as measured by: (1) an effective and orderly transfer of executive authority and influence between the outgoing and incoming chief executives, along with; (2) the continued advancement of the college, can never be guaranteed. Conceiving, developing, and managing a deliberate and detailed strategy for changing presidents--which necessarily and concurrently encourages engagement and collaboration between the board and senior leadership team--in most instances can mitigate disruptions and pave the way for the new chief executive to become quickly acclimated and informed relative to his or her new role and responsibilities, the college's existing culture and challenges, and the direction it should be heading. As such, the absence of comprehensive succession and transition planning is problematic and puts the institution's immediate future and health at avoidable risks, particularly when unforeseen events or emergencies arise in which leadership continuity is disrupted. Essentially, "effective" and "impactful" leadership transitions are considerably more involved and intricate than merely swapping or replacing one executive with another. This monograph provides insights and recommendations for boards to consider as they plan for the many tasks associated with their responsibilities and the intertwined tasks associated with effective presidential changeover. In addition, it clarifies the roles and tasks of the board in overseeing and implementing an orderly, effective, and transformational presidential change.

This is the fourth in a series of American Association of Community Colleges analyses of trends in community college enrollments. The report also examines completion rates, featuring graduation rates published by the U.S. Department of Education (based on institutional-level reporting), and the National Student Clearinghouse's (NSC) completion rates (based on student-level data). As of October 2017, the Education Department (ED) has begun releasing outcomes measures (OM) that capture program completion for a much larger swath of students than previously were measured. As is widely known, the Great Recession of 2007-2009 led to a dramatic spike of community college enrollment. But that surge has been followed by years of steady declines. In this same post-recession period, public 4-year institutions have seen steady, albeit slight, enrollment increases. There was a continued nationwide decline in community college enrollment since the 2010 peak. The decrease in enrollment of older students has been the highest and the most consistent over the past 3 years. According to the NSC, more than 39% of all community college students earn a credential, while ED's official graduation rate is 25%. The NSC completion rate for full-time-only students, which is the most comparable to ED's official graduation rate, is 55%, or a little more than two times higher than ED's. The NSC tracks students for twice as long as ED--6 years rather than 3 years. (The 3-year measurement represents 150% of the "normal" time to completion, as prescribed in statute.) The new ED 8-year outcome measure for full-time, first-time students is 33% completing at the same institution. Interestingly, the highest percent of completers at the same institution were full-time, non-first-time students, almost 36%, slightly higher than their first-time counterparts. [For the 2016 report, see ED569345.]

In policy circles, the first question of the year often relates to college enrollment. Most common is the question: "Are you up or down in enrollment?" More often than not, the enrollment question may be answered in terms of full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment. While the answer does have programmatic implications, the initial interest is more directly related to its implications on funding. This is because the majority of public college revenues originate in part from tuition and fee revenues which are, in most cases, charged on a per credit hour basis. It may, therefore, seem logical to quantify all sources of support on a per FTE basis. However, doing so may be damaging to community colleges in terms of funding and the support services needed for all students. For the purpose of this report, the focus is on the following: (1) One FTE does not equal one person, which can contribute to underfunding; (2) Community colleges are open access; they don't stabilize enrollment through selective admissions; and (3) Community colleges are affected by shifts in their community, which contributes to FTE enrollment fluctuations that may be used as a rationale to cut college budgets. Understanding these ways in which enrollment is discussed and perceived is important to ultimately reframe the way community colleges as a sector discuss the critical role community colleges play in providing access to the middle class for more than 12 million students each year.

In 2015, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) conducted a survey of community college chief executive officers (CEOs) to collect their opinions on current issues, and gather information on their compensation. This report provides the results from this survey. The AACC CEO Survey was sent to 960 public community college presidents. The initial selection represented all community college chief executive officers (president, chancellor, etc.) of regionally accredited, predominantly associate degree-granting public colleges. An e-mail was sent to each CEO with an invitation to participate in the survey. AACC received usable responses from 239 college CEOs. Respondents to the survey were generally representative of all community college CEOs, and had, on average, been serving in their current position for slightly more than 5.5 years with an average age of 58.6 years. In 2015, the median CEO salary for all respondents was $185,000. Further analysis reveals that compensation varies considerably by institutional characteristic, such as enrollment, urbanicity of the college, and complexity of the college and region of the country the college was located. Salaries in 2015 were on average 2% higher than the prior year. Responding CEOs also reported income other than salary. Roughly 20% of CEOs reported they received incentive compensation, with board evaluation or achievement of stated goals the most common means for evaluating completion of incentives. Nearly two thirds of the CEOs indicated they received some form of assistance with automobile expenses, but less than one third received assistance with housing. Half received a budget for professional club dues. Virtually all CEOs reported receiving retirement benefits. Most common were defined contribution plans or defined benefit plans. About 20% reported having deferred compensation benefits. Eighty percent of the responding CEOs indicated that they would retire within 10 years--35% within 5 years.

With the national spotlight on community colleges, the sector has a unique opportunity to seize the moment and collaborate with K-12 to increase student success. Efforts to increase community college access and open doors to more students must include a complementary focus on improving readiness. Otherwise, remediation rates will remain unacceptably high, and efforts to increase access may amount to an empty promise for many young people. K-12 is raising standards to ensure that students are better prepared for college and careers. High schools are poised to use the new standards to both accelerate those students who are ready for college-level coursework and to deliver extra support for those students who need it to be college ready by the time they graduate. But K-12 cannot close the gap without higher education's help. Community colleges have a clear role to play and much to gain by forming stronger partnerships with their K-12 schools. The programs highlighted in the report show what is possible when community colleges collaborate deeply with K-12 schools to align expectations and promote college readiness for all students.

Colleges and postsecondary systems across the nation are demonstrating remarkable progress in phasing out standalone or multi-course remediation sequences, resulting in tens of thousands of students more quickly enrolling in and completing college-level courses. These organizations have collaborated to describe the principles they see in common across this work and why they are especially promising for students from low-income and underserved populations." Core Principles for Transforming Remediation within a Comprehensive Student Success Strategy" provides the 6 principles, and highlights practices such as placing the vast majority of students directly into credit-bearing work with effective support; refining mathematical and other academic content to align with each student's choice of academic direction; and helping students stay on track to a college credential. The creative energy being devoted to transforming higher education is palpable. Postsecondary leaders are transitioning from a system that served some students well to a system that serves all students well. The hope is that this joint statement of principles will serve as a trustworthy guide at this pivotal moment in American higher education. ?A glossary of terms is included.

Colleges and postsecondary systems across the nation have demonstrated remarkable progress since "Core Principles for Transforming Remediation" was published in 2012. States and institutions are phasing out stand alone or multi-course remediation sequences, resulting in tens of thousands of students more quickly enrolling in and completing college level courses. Building on this progress, the principles have been updated to focus even greater attention on scaling practices that can provide all students--especially those who are low income or from historically underserved communities--with the guidance, support and skills they need to enter a coherent program of study and move toward their academic goals. These revised principles for transforming remediation are presented in the context of a broader set of student success strategies that growing evidence suggests will enable institutions to significantly increase their students' timely completion of certificates, licenses and degrees with labor market value. The principles set forth in this joint statement represent best judgment, grounded in evidence, about how to redesign developmental education to be more effective. As promising practices evolve on the ground and additional research on such practices is conducted and released, the principles will almost certainly require further revision. A glossary of terms is provided.

This is the second of a series of reports on trends in national community college enrollments. National community college enrollments continue to decrease, with variations at the state and local levels. The report also examines completion rates published by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) based on institutional level reporting, and those calculated by the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) based on student level data. The NSC completion rates show much higher community college success rates than those derived from ED data. The NSC data continue to make a strong case for an overhaul of federal completion measurements. [Contains 4 notes.]

The federal government plays an indispensable role in helping community college students pay for their education. It is hard to imagine today's community college campuses without needs-based federal student aid, such as the Pell Grant program and subsidized loans. There are, however, significant differences between community college students and college undergraduates overall in the sources and extent of the financial aid they use. This brief explicates some of these issues by discussing the following: (1) Community college student characteristics; (2) Costs of community college attendance; (3) Community college students and financial aid applications; (4) Importance of federal aid to community college students; (5) Title IV federal aid; (6) Allocation of federal aid; and (7) Community college students and loan repayment. [Contains notes.]

National community college enrollments continue to decrease. Given the importance of these trends to American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) member institutions--understanding that local changes are ultimately what matters--AACC is providing this report to discuss some of the latest data. It also examines the completion rates that were released along with the U.S. Department of Education's (ED) enrollment data, comparing them to the much more accurate data produced by the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC). The NSC studies reveal a much higher rate of community college success than is often perceived. Highlighted in the report is the following information: (1) There is agreement that enrollment at community colleges nationwide declined by more than 3% between fall 2011 and fall 2012; NSC data show similar decline in fall 2013; (2) The decrease in enrollment of students over the age of 24 has been much higher than younger students for the past 3 years, reaching 6% in fall 2013; (3) The NSC completion rate that tracks all students for 6 years across institutions shows that 40% of community college students completed their program--almost double the official graduation rate (21%) used by ED, which measures for the starting institution the percent of full-time, first-time students starting in the fall who completed their program within 3 years; and (4) The NSC graduation rate for full-time students increases to about 58%, or nearly three times the official ED graduation rate.

America's community colleges are the brokers of opportunity for a stronger middle class and more prosperous nation. The value of community colleges has repeatedly been detailed in broad brushstrokes. While these broad-brush pictures of the community college contribution are important, the community college is an intricate institution offering pathways to credentials, degrees, and retraining opportunities for those with and without college credentials; they operate as engines of economic development. To date, the multifunctional nature of the community college mission has limited our ability to understand community colleges' role in sustaining the nation's general welfare. This brief provides a better opportunity to understand community colleges' role, and frames private and public economic returns of the community college movement in three ways: (1) Community college as a launching pad--community colleges serve as a starting point for students in terms of educational progression; (2) Community college as a (re)launching pad--community colleges serve as providers of knowledge and skills to members of the community when they need them, and in ways that they need them, often for those who have already been successful in college; and (3) Community college as a local commitment--community colleges serve local purposes, focusing on the needs and demands of the communities they serve. [Contains notes. The following are appended: (1) Student Labor Market Experiences for Certificate Completers, by Initial Institution Type; and (2) Student Labor Market Experiences for Associate Degree Completers, by Initial Institution Type.]

In recent months, some legislators, government agency officials, segments of the media, and campus administrators have called attention to perceived and proven instances of abuse of the federal student financial assistance programs. Concerns have focused on students enrolling in courses primarily to secure student financial aid funds rather than to pursue an education. Organized fraud rings and individuals intending to commit financial aid fraud have allegedly concentrated on community college programs due to their low tuition: once institutional charges are covered, students can directly receive grant and student aid funds in the form of a cash payment or bank account deposit to cover nontuition expenses such as books, transportation, and living costs. While instances of abuse cannot be quantified, it is clear that it is an extremely small percentage of all students receiving aid at community colleges. However, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and community colleges across the country recognize that no abuse can be tolerated. Not only are student aid funds limited--a situation that has caused Pell Grant program eligibility to be cut twice in the last year--but also instances of abuse, when covered by the media (Field, 2011), can undermine political support for the programs, giving some parties a reason to oppose funding. In this document, AACC provides member colleges with some strategies on how to prevent abuse within the federal student aid programs, with a focus on Pell Grants. These recommended strategies derive primarily from a meeting held at AACC's offices on January 20, 2012. Findings from this gathering and other developments make it clear that community colleges across the country are working actively to prevent any abuse of student aid. However, because not all campuses may be aware of the full range of activities community colleges are employing to prevent abuse, AACC is providing this material to share practices that colleges have found to be successful in curbing financial aid abuse. Examples of Institutional Actions Currently in Place to Prevent Abuse are appended. (Contains 1 note.

Time is a core unit of human capital. With only 24 hours in a day, the way people choose to spend their time is an indication of what they value and the constraints under which they operate. In the higher education context, time-to-degree is a key element of higher education analysis, particularly at a time of constrained resources and a growing emphasis on completion. It is generally thought, and is often true, that a shorter time-to-degree implies a more efficient or "better" higher education experience. However, this is not always the case, especially when we factor the needs and patterns of nontraditional students (who are now the norm in American higher education) into the equation. An example of outdated concepts and nomenclature can be found in the Student Right to Know completion rate calculation--150% of the "normal time" to complete a program. The operative reality at community colleges is that 2 years is not the time it takes most students to complete an associate degree. For example, when "normal time" is reframed from 2 to 4 years, Student Right to Know graduation rates double, and completion rates--inclusive of community college graduates and transfers--become greater than 45%. In this brief, the author examines considerations of time as they relate to investments by students and institutions. He concludes with perspectives of efficiency, as expressed by the role time has and should play in policymaking. Estimated Amounts for Income and Expenses Used in Figure 1 are appended. (Contains 2 tables, 1 figure and 3 notes.)

In the summer of 2011, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) launched a new 21st-Century Initiative. The overall goal of the initiative is to educate an additional 5 million students with degrees, certificates, or other credentials by 2020. Grounded in the enduring commitment of community colleges to improving the lives of students through opportunity and excellence, the initiative, which enjoyed the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, ACT, and the Educational Testing Service, unfolded in two phases. In Phase 1, a listening tour, AACC staff gathered information from across the nation on student access, institutional accountability, budget constraints, big ideas for the future, and what AACC can do for its members. During that activity, AACC staff heard from more than 1,300 stakeholders in 10 regions of the country--students, college faculty and staff, administrators, trustees, state policymakers, and college presidents and chancellors. The 21st-Century Commission on the Future of Community Colleges represents Phase 2 of the AACC effort. The Commission was handed an imposing charge. Recognizing that emerging challenges require unprecedented vision, ingenuity, courage, and focus from community colleges, the Commission was asked both to safeguard the fundamental mission of the community college--ensuring that millions of diverse and often underserved students attain a high-quality college education--and to challenge community colleges to imagine a new future for themselves, to ensure the success of our students, our institutions, and our nation. In this investigation, everything was to be put on the table, including the issues of the nation's prosperity and its global competitiveness, community college student success and completion rates, equity of access and outcomes across student groups, public accountability for institutional performance and student success, and effectiveness and efficiency in preparing students for real jobs paying family-supporting wages. This report, "Reclaiming the American Dream," is the culmination of that effort. Appended are: (1) Members of the 21st-Century Commission on the Future of Community Colleges; (2) Experts Who Presented to the Commission; (3) Overview of the Listening Tour; and (4) List of 21st-Century Commission Working Briefs. (Contains 3 figures, 7 tables and 25 source notes.)

While enrollments continue to increase, there is the concern, among some, that a focus on completion has the potential to influence just who is allowed to take advantage of educational opportunities. In policy conversations, especially those concerned with policies related to access and choice, there is a silent movement to redirect educational opportunity to "deserving" students. This brief highlights some actions that can be taken to ensure that access is not deteriorated. (Contains 2 tables, 4 figures and 3 footnotes.)

In times of economic uncertainty, community colleges have consistently turned to the experience of past generations as an avenue toward innovation and the modernization of their programs and services. Community colleges have been able to continuously reinvent themselves to serve the ever-changing needs of society. With President Obama's increased focus on community colleges and on increasing student completion rates, and in accordance with its mission, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) is leading advancement of the next phase of the 2-year college evolution with the launch of its two-phase 21st-Century Initiative. Phase 1, the 21st-Century Initiative Listening Tour, took place from January to November 2011. This report summarizes key points from the tour. Phase 2 began with the appointment of a 21st-Century Commission on the Future of Community Colleges. The commission's charge is to build on the work of the Listening Tour and present a final report in April 2012. The Listening Tour and the work of the 21st-Century Commission focus on building broad engagement in the community college completion agenda, sharing evidence-based practices that can be brought to scale nationwide, and seeking big ideas and innovations that are transformative. (Contains 1 table.)

The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), with funding from The Atlantic Philanthropies, created the Plus 50 Initiative (2008-2012). This initiative was designed to build the capacity of community colleges nationwide to develop programming that engages the plus 50 learner. This report contains: (1) An overview of the Plus 50 Initiative; (2) Information about the impact that the Plus 50 Initiative has had on students, community colleges, and the field; and (3) A discussion of what's next for Plus 50, and how the program continues to impact the field. Appended are: (1) Methods; and (2) Plus 50 Grantees, by Program Track. (Contains 11 exhibits.)

Over the past few years, as the nation has attempted to emerge from a recession, people are increasingly turning to education as a means to return to work in an economy that demands new skills and a larger number of knowledge-based workers. The demand for more education has resulted in increased enrollments in postsecondary institutions, especially in community colleges, which have experienced substantial increases in enrollment since fall 2007. The demand felt on college campuses aligns with projections indicating a strong need for a more educated workforce. In response to the demands of students, as well as of business and industry, community colleges are rebalancing institutional missions and practices to focus more directly on ensuring student success. This brief presents data on educational attainment at community colleges, with an eye to what the data portend. One extremely positive conclusion can be reached: Educational attainment for all key populations is increasing at community colleges. The investments made in a community college education, by individuals and by society as a whole, are paying off. Over the past 20 years, the percent increase in credentials awarded has been double the percent increase in enrollment. These findings are even more pronounced for students of color. Consistent with other research, actual rates of transfer for students are much higher than commonly reported as well. These gains are the result of students, schools, families, and communities working in concert. They are also the result of innumerable partnerships and initiatives in which community colleges have been or continue to be engaged. Much more work has yet to be done by these stakeholders and their supporting partners, but the path to increasing student success is not untraveled. Short-Term Certificates are appended. (Contains 1 table, 11 figures and 2 notes.)

At its annual joint board and commission meeting (Washington, DC, November 10-11, 2010), American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) focused attention on college completion by presenting two panel discussions on the completion agenda, followed by breakout sessions in which participants were assigned to focus groups tasked with providing qualitative information about how to enhance and sustain college completion. It was felt that this approach would be an effective way to examine the problems community colleges were facing, in particular by identifying barriers to completion. Following the focus-group sessions, the proceedings were summarized by the recorders, and the key points from each session were later reported during the general session on November 11, 2010. Following the meeting, the recorders' notes were submitted to the meeting facilitator and author of this report for review and consolidation. This report summarizes the ideas that emerged from discussion of the four assigned topics.

There is a clear need for a more highly educated and skilled workforce in America. This brief discusses why the expansion and enhancement of the community college infrastructure is considered as an investment. Given the diverse beneficiaries of an educated population, direct support of community colleges should continue to be a partnership between federal, state, and local governments; students and their families; and, when appropriate, business and industry. In sum, strong public investments in community colleges are more than justified. (Contains 1 table, 2 figures and 4 notes.)

The nation relies on both 2- and 4-year institutions of higher education for the majority of its registered nurses (RNs), who are authorized to practice as RNs after achieving either an associate or bachelor's-level nursing degree and passing a national licensure exam. Due to job growth and retirements, the nation is projected to need more than 1 million additional RNs by 2018. Yet, recently, schools of nursing received thousands of qualified applications that could not be processed for enrollment due primarily to a shortage of RNs educated at the graduate level who are prepared to serve as faculty. No national plan is in place to enable schools of nursing to expand enrollments to meet the demands of students or the workforce. Further exacerbating the situation, the nursing profession continues to be fragmented after 50 years of debate focused on whether all RNs should be required to attain bachelor's-level nursing degrees. During these five decades, research has been inconclusive in demonstrating the value of shifting the education of all RNs to the bachelor's level. However, nursing research and practice have demonstrated that the nation depends on the successes of both associate and bachelor's-level schools of nursing, because they contribute individually to collectively building a strong nursing workforce. The most recent data, summarized in this brief, reveal the following: (1) The majority of the nation's new RNs are educated in ADN programs; (2) All schools of nursing teach students the competencies necessary for RN practice, as measured by National Certification Licensing Examination (NCLEX) pass rates; (3) ADN programs provide the nation its greatest number of minority RNs; (4) Employers are equally likely to hire ADN- and BSN- prepared RNs; and (5) ADN programs educate the majority of RNs in rural settings. (Contains 4 figures, 1 table and 8 notes.)

Whereas community colleges and for-profit institutions both provide postsecondary educational opportunities, they are different in a host of dimensions. This brief describes some of those differences--not to win a debate or suggest public policy, but to show why comparisons made between the community colleges and for-profit institutions are more limited than some may suggest. This brief presents data for community colleges and, where possible, at each level (4-year, 2-year, less-than-2-year) of for-profit institutions to discuss distinctions that exist in terms of oversight, service, and financing. Some of the differences, but not all, are the following: (1) Oversight; (2) Service; (3) Financing; and (4) Moving Forward. (Contains 5 figures, 5 tables and 8 notes.)

The American Association of Community Colleges' (AACC) Plus 50 Initiative (2008-2011), funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies, was created to build the capacity of community colleges nationwide to develop programming that engages the plus 50 learner. The Initiative supported a pilot group of 13 two-year institutions to develop or expand college offerings in three areas: workforce training and career development; learning and enrichment; and volunteering. It was later expanded to include affiliate colleges that were paired in learning partnerships with experienced Plus 50 colleges. This document contains the collective wisdom of the Plus 50 grantee colleges on the essential elements of a successful Plus 50 program: what community colleges should strive for in developing and implementing their own programming. These Standards of Excellence are not prescriptive--there is ample room for innovation. Instead, they are guidelines for the basic building blocks that should be in place for a program to have the desired impact on its clients: providing plus 50 learners with the knowledge, skills, and resources that support purposeful lives through education, work, and service. For each standard, this document provides (1) a definition, (2) an explanation for how this Standard of Excellence creates impact among plus 50 learners, and (3) a list of the "foundational elements:" actions or components required to most effectively develop this Standard of Excellence. Each Standard also features one promising practice derived from program innovations at the grantee colleges. (Contains 2 footnotes.) [This paper was prepared by the LFA Group.]

Increasing the proportion of Americans whose levels of educational attainment extend beyond a high school diploma is a broad national priority. Attaining the ambitious goals that have been articulated will require the additional education of traditional-age students entering college directly from the K-12 system, as well as reengaging millions of young adults and experienced workers. Community colleges, which educate nearly half of all undergraduates, are committed to being a part of the solution. The role of community colleges in helping people and the government respond to the current economic crisis and meeting widely articulated goals for college completion has resulted in an unprecedented amount of attention on the colleges, accompanied by heightened expectations. However, the thesis of this brief is that significantly increasing outputs from community colleges can be achieved only with increased resources. Compared to other sectors, community colleges have not received a fair share of funding in light of their role in the country's higher education system. Improvements in the delivery of community college education cannot overcome the stark reality of inadequate funding. In this brief, the author compares the funding of community colleges to that of other sectors of higher education, to set into context the challenges community colleges face as well as to highlight the policy priorities implicit in addressing funding inequities. He also describes the magnitude of inequities between institution types and some consequences of the inequities. (Contains 3 figures, 2 tables and 4 notes.)

The credentials primarily awarded by community colleges--certificates and associate degrees--play a unique role in advancing college completion rates. Given the current economic climate and high unemployment rates, there exists a clear demand for, and focus on, quickly returning people to a changing work environment through education and training. In community colleges, this demand manifests itself in heightened interest in short-term, work-related certificates in specific programs. Community college leaders are faced with focusing either on (a) increasing completion rates using the traditional measures (i.e., attainment of associate and bachelor's degrees) used in international comparisons or (b) getting people back to work with certificates and industry credentials that are not counted as a success measure in those comparisons. Focusing solely on the former narrowly defines success while overlooking the needs and achievements of a significant number of people, whereas focusing solely on the latter will not increase the international ranking of the United States. Community colleges are therefore in the difficult position of balancing two completion agendas: the person's need to return to work and the nation's desire to be a world leader in terms of a narrowly defined set of outcomes. This brief highlights some of the issues that community college leaders, working with their community partners, will have to navigate as they focus more squarely on improving completion rates, however they are defined. How each college addresses these issues will vary, but a consistent factor is that fiscal conditions will undoubtedly continue to influence policy and administrative decisions. Community colleges will have difficulty embracing the practices and perspectives needed to increase completion rates without additional fiscal resources, especially at a time when they are facing double-digit enrollment growth. (Contains 45 notes.)

The need for better data on the performance of higher education has become a major focus of education policymakers, and this has been reflected in federal legislation. Community colleges are appropriately held accountable for the workforce outcomes of their students, but the data that are gathered to evaluate those outcomes must reflect the post-college occupational experiences of their students: child-care providers, engineers, nurses, general contractors, and members of the armed forces. To better understand the current state of linkages between education and workforce outcomes, the authors examined the following: (1) The assumptions federal legislation makes about linkages between education and workforce outcomes and the data needed to document those outcomes; and (2) How well current data collection systems capture the workforce outcomes of educational pursuits. Initially the authors conducted this inquiry by analyzing source documents, including federal legislation, program descriptions, technical manuals, and other publications developed by or related to the programs under review. Then they verified the accuracy of interpretations of these texts through conversations with program administrators and others familiar with the nuances of the relevant federal policies. (Contains 1 table, 1 figure and 34 notes.)

In 2006 the Learn and Serve America program of the Corporation for National and Community Service awarded a three-year grant to the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). Selected through a national competition, thirteen colleges participated in AACC's "Community Colleges Broadening Horizons through Service Learning" grant project. AACC measured learning outcomes attainment for students at the "Horizons" grantee colleges. To investigate the relationship between service learning participation and academic learning, AACC used both quantitative and qualitative methodologies as evaluation tools for its 2006-2009 "Horizons" grant project. AACC developed two quantitative instruments (one addressing students, one addressing faculty) after reviewing the institutional learning outcomes of multiple higher education institutions across the nation. To further explore how service learning affected student learning, AACC conducted five student focus groups and three faculty focus groups during spring 2009. In this study, student learning was assessed in relation to service learning participation through an end-of-course survey. Enhancement of learning was detected in the community college students who participated in service learning, either as a course option or a requirement. Additionally, the voices of community college faculty and students in this study validate the benefits of the service learning pedagogy as an active, engaged method of learning skills and knowledge that will be important beyond graduation. Through this study's results, those community college faculty and students who have experienced service learning appear to affirm that service learning is a key strategy for student engagement and a valuable learning tool for students across disciplines and academic majors, while at the same time providing these students with experiences that dissolve the classroom walls and help launch them more solidly into their careers of choice. (Contains 3 figures and 14 web resources.)

MentorLinks, part of the Advancing Technological Education program supported by the National Science Foundation and administered by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), provides technical assistance and networking opportunities to improve community college programs that prepare technicians in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The program works with community colleges to establish connections for new ideas and relationships through networking opportunities at program meetings and national conferences, and to gain insight on building, improving, and sustaining new and existing programs. MentorLinks features professional development opportunities for community colleges, with a special emphasis on mentoring. Through a national grant competition, AACC selected nine community colleges and nine mentors working in diverse areas of technician education to participate in a two-year grant project beginning in October 2008. MentorLinks pairs community colleges seeking help with program development with an experienced mentor in their discipline. Mentors have strong credentials and extensive experience in planning and implementing advanced technology programs. Each college receives a total of $15,000 in direct funding for program development, and additional monies for travel support to attend national project meetings and conferences. The nine MentorLinks projects, which represent a diverse range of technical education, are developing new or strengthening existing programs in (1) biotechnology; (2) geospatial technology; (3) construction technology; (4) information technology; (5) welding technology; (6) energy efficiency and assessment; (7) renewable energy and (8) laboratory science technician training. With their mentors, these colleges work to develop curriculum, implement changes in ongoing programs to be more responsive to industry and employer needs, provide professional development programs for faculty and staff, recruit students, offer experiential learning opportunities to students, engage local industry and employers more closely with the colleges, increase recognition and program support among college administrators, and leverage additional funding. Their efforts, in just the first year of the program, have resulted in the creation of new courses, degrees, certificates, departments, industry partnerships, and workforce development programs. (Contains 6 web resources.)

At 78 million strong, the baby boomer generation is bringing a surge of older students to campus. In a national survey by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), 93% of the institutions reported demand for plus 50 programs and services. Community college is particularly appealing to this student population: half of all adults over age 50 who are pursuing higher education are choosing to enroll at community colleges, according to the American Council on Education. The number of adults over age 40 attending community college has doubled in the last decade, and these numbers are only going to increase. Many observers see the arrival of plus 50 students as the beginning of a new chapter in the community college movement, as education becomes more widely available to a broader range of students. "Reaching out to plus 50 students fulfills the long-standing community college mission to take education into the community," said Dr. George R. Boggs, AACC's president and CEO. "This new brand of student is going to revolutionize and reenergize community college campuses." To help community colleges meet student demands, AACC launched its Plus 50 Initiative in 2008, supported with a grant from the Atlantic Philanthropies. Interest among community colleges was so high that more than 60 colleges applied to be part of the project. AACC is currently working with 15 community colleges to develop model Plus 50 programs and benchmark best practices. This paper discusses why plus 50 students are drawn to community colleges, what benefits they can bring, and how community colleges are transforming to meet their needs.

The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) is the primary advocacy organization for the nation's community colleges, representing nearly 1,200 two-year, associate degree-granting institutions and more than 11 million students. Founded in 1920, AACC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit association. AACC is governed by a 32-member board of directors, elected for 3-year staggered terms. This paper presents several facts about AACC for 2010. [For the "American Association of Community Colleges 2009 Fact Sheet", see ED509578.]

The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) defines service learning as the combination of classroom instruction with community service, focusing on critical, reflective thinking as well as personal and civic responsibility. Service learning programs involve students in activities that address local, community-identified needs while developing their academic skills and commitment to their community (Gottlieb and Robinson 2006). In 2000, AACC published the project brief, "Creating Sustainable Service Learning Programs: Lessons Learned from the Horizons Project, 1997-2000". The publication suggested benchmarks and steps that colleges could take toward the institutionalization of service learning programs. Ten years later--and 15 years after Learn and Serve America began funding community colleges around the country--it is time to ask if colleges are meeting the same challenges in similar ways. Are students learning better or differently? Have faculty development efforts improved? Are colleges introducing both full-time and adjunct faculty to the service learning pedagogy? Have the types of community partnerships changed? This publication looks at 13 colleges that were selected in a national competition for AACC's program, Community Colleges Broadening Horizons through Service Learning. The colleges received funding of $5,000 to $16,000 per year from 2006 through 2009 and participated in consortium-wide training and leadership development efforts. The stories in this report are those of the 13 Horizons colleges, but they represent the 60 to 70 percent of community colleges across the country that have solidly embraced service learning and community engagement. The 2000 sustainability publication looked at activities and strategies used by previous Horizons colleges to ensure institutional and community support for service learning. The strategies fell into eight major topic areas: (1) Campus Climate; (2) Student Participation and Leadership; (3) Faculty Development and Involvement; (4) Curricular Integration; (5) Community Collaboration; (6) Administration Involvement and Support; (7) Program Development and Management; and (8) Sustainability and Institutionalization. This new report describes similar strategies that the 2006-2009 Horizons colleges used or supported, and then offers lessons learned to help advance the service learning and community engagement field. Most of the strategies are similar to those used a decade ago--proven strategies that work--with the addition of new media and technologies that have been developed in recent years. In the end, sustaining and institutionalizing service learning comes down to building and maintaining reciprocal relationships. (Contains 16 online resources.)

The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, serves as the primary advocacy organization for the nation's community colleges. AACC's programs and services are at the forefront of change in education, including programs that address student access and success, acute shortages of health-care professionals, the growing need to reengage millions of adult learners to strengthen the workforce, and acute shortages of students in science, technology, and math fields. This paper presents several facts about AACC for 2010.

In an attempt to better understand how community colleges responded to the economic maelstrom, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) surveyed its member institutions to examine changes in enrollment, local factors contributing to enrollment shifts, and the lessons learned from their experiences. The authors found the following: (1) Nationally, the number of students enrolled in credit-bearing courses at community colleges in fall 2009 increased by 11.4% from fall 2008 and 16.9% from fall 2007; (2) Full-time enrollment at U.S. community colleges increased 24.1% in a 2-year time period from fall 2007 to fall 2009; and (3) The largest percentage change from fall 2007 to fall 2009 occurred in U.S. towns and in the Rocky Mountain region. The predominant factors perceived to influence the increased fall 2009 enrollments identified by respondents included the following: (1) The Availability of Workforce Training; (2) Cost Savings; (3) Outreach to the Community; and (4) Structural Capacity. From their own perspective, community colleges learned some valuable lessons during the fall 2009 enrollment increase, including but not limited to the following: (1) Encouraging potential students to apply early for financial aid; (2) Using data from multiple sources to respond to changes in demand; (3) Reaching out to the community--including but not limited to underserved populations, high schools, and job placement centers--to promote the value of a community college education; and (4) Maintaining flexibility in institutional operations to be better prepared to respond to dramatic environmental changes. Policy implications include: (1) The need for further education and training is occasionally unexpected. As such, all citizens should be made aware of the federal financial assistance programs; and (2) Improved transfer and articulation policies will be critical in ensuring that some community college students are able to achieve their educational aspirations. Appendices include: (1) Fall Enrollment Survey; (2) Invitation to Participate in the Survey; (3) Follow-Up Letter; and (4) Definitions of Geographic Region and Degree of Urbanization. (Contains 3 figures, 2 tables, and 5 notes.)

The American Association of Community Colleges' (AACC) Plus 50 Initiative is a three-year initiative launched in June 2008 and funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies. It was created to support a pilot group of two-year institutions to develop or expand campus programs that engage plus 50 learners. The initiative focuses on three types of programmatic implementation: workforce training and career development; learning and enrichment; and volunteering. Programs also include the services and supports that allow plus 50 learners better access to community college offerings. AACC engaged LFA Group to conduct the Plus 50 evaluation. LFA developed a mixed-method evaluation designed to collect both quantitative and qualitative data to assess the initiative and support continuous improvements over the course of the three-year initiative. The primary elements measured include grantees' implementation progress, participant satisfaction, and capturing lessons learned and promising practices from the first year of the initiative. To measure the many components of the initiative, LFA collected data using several methods: conducting interviews with program staff at each of the grantee colleges and with AACC staff; asking grantees to complete program implementation data collection worksheets; and partnering with grantees to administer participant surveys for the students taking part in Plus 50 programming. Findings from the evaluation are discussed in this report. (Contains 8 exhibits and 8 footnotes.) [This report was prepared for the Plus 50 Initiative and The Atlantic Philanthropies by the Learning for Action (LFA) Group. For the full report, "Plus 50: Year One Evaluation Report," see ED523962.]

With support from the U.S. Department of Education and advice from an external panel of experts, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) published a book that described disability support practices and programs designed to help community college students with disabilities reach their fullest potential. The book was an outgrowth of a 1992 survey of college programs, and was followed in 1996 with a second survey of community college disability support programs. In 1994 AACC initiated a new program that became known as Community Colleges Broadening Horizons through Service Learning, with support from the Learn and Serve America program of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). With 15 years of continuous support from Learn and Serve America, the network has grown to 70 Horizons colleges that have placed 29,000 students conducting 466,000 hours of direct community service (a monetary value of $9.4 million); worked with more than 2,000 community college faculty; and affected more than 5,000 local agencies and schools and more than 600,000 individuals. It was within this context that AACC applied for and received funding from 2005 to 2009 through a CNCS special initiative, Engaging Persons with Disabilities in National and Community Service. With CNCS support, AACC selected 14 community colleges to become part of a new program, Project Reach: Service Inclusion for Students with Disabilities. The goal was to introduce, strengthen, or expand programs to provide service learning and service opportunities for students with disabilities. Four disability support specialists from other community colleges formed the Project Reach mentor team that helped guide the program's progress. In 2008, eight of the colleges explored ways to engage veterans and students in developmental education courses. Students who participated in Project Reach gained opportunities to learn life skills to help with employment, careers, and personal development--the requirements of the grants--but many reported meaningful life changes as well. Personal experiences of students grounded the colleges' work. This report describes briefly the students who participated and then reviews the types of strategies colleges employed to engage students, particularly those who may be out of the mainstream. (Contains 6 figures, 6 resources and 4 online resources.) [This paper was written with the assistance of Madeline Patton.]