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Descriptors:
Community Colleges; Internet; Video Technology; Protocol Analysis; Usability; Higher Education; Two Year Colleges; Web Sites; Vocational Education; Careers; Enrollment; College Students; Testing; Evaluation; Interviews; Disadvantaged Youth; Minority Group Students; Educational Attainment; Graduation; Student Personnel Services

Abstract:
This study explored whether community college websites are a useful medium for providing knowledge relevant to degree completion. Ten community students used one of three community college websites to answer 10 questions about occupational degree programs. A facilitator asked participants to think aloud while using the website to answer these questions; their responses were video-recorded and coded in terms of correctness of answers and types of usability problems encountered. The findings suggest that participants frequently encountered problems with finding and understanding information needed to understand degree selection and completion. The content analysis of these problems yields several suggestions for improving the usability of community college websites for answering common questions about degree completion. (Contains 3 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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High Schools; Higher Education; Disadvantaged; Educational Change; Study Skills; Guidance; Partnerships in Education; College School Cooperation; Acceleration (Education); Student Motivation; Self Concept; College Preparation

Abstract:
Successful early college high schools (ECHSs) are formed through partnerships between high schools and colleges (usually community colleges). Think of it as preparation through acceleration. ECHSs enroll disadvantaged students who have not excelled with ordinary grade-level academic content and have them take college courses while still in high school. It is not easy--and it does not always work. But successful ECHSs support their students in five ways: (1) Instead of relying on student choice, ECHSs show students what content and skills they need for college and provide a "package-deal curriculum" that leads to mastery of that content and those skills; (2) Instead of assuming students are motivated, ECHSs "foster motivation" by offering incentives and bolstering students' confidence; (3) Instead of student-initiated guidance, ECHSs "keep students on track" by providing frequent mandatory guidance and closely monitoring students' progress; (4) Instead of a student-initiated college search, ECHSs "manage the transition" from high school to college; and (5) Instead of assuming that students have study skills, ECHSs explicitly "teach study skills". Like other education reforms, ECHSs have often been presented as a sure-fire way to boost student achievement. After all, these schools seem to offer a simple solution: just incorporate college courses into high school. In this article, the authors take a close look at each of the five features of successful ECHSs and show how the reality of these schools is much more complex. (Contains 3 footnotes and 66 endnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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High Schools; Student Attitudes; High School Students; Student Educational Objectives; Equal Education; Low Achievement; Economically Disadvantaged; Barriers; Systems Approach; Grade 10; High School Seniors; Access to Information; Context Effect; Academic Achievement

Abstract:
When 89% of high school graduates plan BA degrees, and low-achieving seniors who plan degrees have 80% failure rates, raising already high plans may be a poor strategy for improving college success. Using data on 7th-10th grade students, Domina et al. argue that higher plans are associated with success and suggest that my study of high school seniors is wrong. While their findings may indicate that MA plans are beneficial (although 7th-10th graders who know about MA degrees may be unusual), their research does not speak to my findings about seniors, whose plans are already very high. Contrary to Domina et al., I contend that effort may be reduced by poor articulation and information (not by high plans). I am pessimistic about poor articulation, not a "college for all ethos." I have shown that many seniors have high plans but poor information, and this leads to predictable failures in college. Further raising those plans may improve 7th-10th grade efforts, but will not improve seniors' college success. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
High School Students; Student Educational Objectives; Education Work Relationship; Theory Practice Relationship; Educational Attainment; Goal Orientation; Career Awareness; Career Planning; Educational Opportunities; Community Colleges; Associate Degrees; Self Concept; Job Satisfaction; Reverse Transfer Students; Adoption (Ideas); Careers; College Preparation

Abstract:
The vast majority of high school students plan to attend college--and believe that a bachelor's degree all but guarantees them a high-paying job. What many of them don't know is that those who are not well prepared are not likely to graduate. They also don't realize that plenty of career-focused certificates and associate's degrees lead to satisfying careers that pay just as well as, and sometimes better than, careers that require a bachelor's degree. If detailed information on the broad array of higher education and career options were made available to them, students would have more incentive to work hard in high school and a better chance of achieving their dreams. This paper aims to identify three elements of the BA-for-all movement that are potentially harmful: (1) the idealization of the BA degree, which results in ignoring excellent options like an applied associate's degree in mechanical design technology, graphic communication technologies, dental hygiene, or computer networking; (2) the promise of college access, which results in high school students seeing their slightly older peers go off to college, but not seeing the trouble many have once on campus; and (3) the cultivation of stigma-free remediation, which results in many "college" students not even knowing that they are in remedial, noncredit courses. The authors discuss each of these issues and call for three simple remedies: (1) realizing that many good jobs do not require a BA; (2) fully informing students about their options; and (3) honestly telling them what it will take to succeed. (Contains 60 endnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Two Year College Students; Job Placement; Employment Programs; Program Effectiveness; Student Personnel Services; Two Year Colleges; Private Colleges; African American Students; Hispanic American Students; White Students

Abstract:
Background: Labor market entry is difficult for two-year college graduates. Job search literature focuses on personal connections, but disadvantaged students often lack useful contacts. Moreover, employers often don't recognize and value two-year college credentials as much as bachelor's degrees. Teacher contacts could help, but studies find that they can be biased against low achievers and minorities. Institutional school placement programs, which have the potential to reduce inequalities and help disadvantaged students in job search, have rarely been studied in the United States. Research Question: How does schoolwide institutional job placement operate in a private two-year college with a highly developed program, and is it successful and equitable? Research Design: This study uses a mixed-methods approach, including a qualitative case study and quantitative analysis of a single college's administrative records. Findings: We find that this college created institutional job links that are different from other programs studied in the United States. It equitably serves most students and is unrelated to achievement or race. Although it does not improve students' postcollege earnings, it does improve the skill relevance of participants' postcollege jobs, which is a potentially important indicator of long-term success. Black and Hispanic students who use the program have earnings advantages over Whites, but this is not true for those who find jobs on their own. Conclusions: Job placement can and does occur in two-year colleges in the United States. When programs are institutional rather than based on personal teacher contacts, they can serve students equitably and potentially reduce preexisting social inequalities. Colleges can effectively do job matching between the labor market and their students' qualifications. In so doing, they can provide useful recommendations to employers and place students in skill-relevant jobs. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Higher Education; Community Colleges; Labor Market; Credits; College Admission; Enrollment; Two Year College Students; College Preparation; Difficulty Level; Educational Trends; Trend Analysis; Accreditation (Institutions); Comparative Analysis; Private Colleges; Educational Attainment; College Administration; College Role; Academic Advising; Academic Achievement

Abstract:
Enrollment at America's community colleges has exploded in recent years, with five times as many entering students today as in 1965. However, most community college students do not graduate; many earn no credits and may leave school with no more advantages in the labor market than if they had never attended. Experts disagree over the reason for community colleges' mixed record. Is it that the students in these schools are under-prepared and ill-equipped for the academic rigors of college? Are the colleges themselves not adapting to keep up with the needs of the new kinds of students they are enrolling? In "After Admission", James Rosenbaum, Regina Deil-Amen, and Ann Person weigh in on this debate with a close look at this important trend in American higher education. "After Admission" compares community colleges with private occupational colleges that offer accredited associates degrees. The authors examine how these different types of institutions reach out to students, teach them social and cultural skills valued in the labor market, and encourage them to complete a degree. Rosenbaum, Deil-Amen, and Person find that community colleges are suffering from a kind of identity crisis as they face the inherent complexities of guiding their students towards four-year colleges or to providing them with vocational skills to support a move directly into the labor market. This confusion creates administrative difficulties and problems allocating resources. However, these contradictions do not have to pose problems for students. "After Admission" shows that when colleges present students with clear pathways, students can effectively navigate the system in a way that fits their needs. The occupational colleges the authors studied employed close monitoring of student progress, regular meetings with advisors and peer cohorts, and structured plans for helping students meet career goals in a timely fashion. These procedures helped keep students on track and, the authors suggest, could have the same effect if implemented at community colleges. As college access grows in America, institutions must adapt to meet the needs of a new generation of students. "After Admission" highlights organizational innovations that can help guide students more effectively through higher education. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Community Colleges; Graduation Rate; Academic Achievement; Institutional Characteristics; Academic Degrees; Prediction; High Schools; College Preparation

Abstract:
This article explores institutional attributes that matter for two-year college students and how they vary by different subpopulations of students, with an eye toward understanding what institutional attributes better support the success of underprepared students. In particular, the authors address the following questions: (1) Which institutional attributes are associated with students' degree completion at two-year colleges?; (2) Does college graduation rate have a significant impact in predicting degree completion beyond what one could predict from just knowing those institutional attributes?; (3) Does college graduation rate remain a predictor of individual degree completion after controlling for students' individual attributes?; and (4) Do institutional attributes, including graduation rate, provide useful information for students at all levels of achievement or only for certain subgroups? In the analysis of all students who start at two-year colleges, the authors find that students with higher high school achievement have higher odds of completing an associate's degree or higher. They also find that there is a positive and significant impact of the institution's graduation rate on students' odds of degree completion. (Contains 1 table.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
National Surveys; Student Surveys; College Attendance; Labor Market; Job Placement; College Credits; Two Year Colleges; Higher Education; Research Needs; Data; Problems; Outcomes of Education; Education Work Relationship; Two Year College Students; Educational Policy; Student Experience; Degree Requirements; Educational Indicators; Student Placement; Educational Environment; Educational Change; Nontraditional Education; Nontraditional Students; Student Mobility; Longitudinal Studies; Noncredit Courses

Abstract:
Two-year colleges used to be a small part of higher education, but they now enroll almost half of all entering college students. This report suggests new data is needed on this evolving sector of academe, including: (1) What are the unseen barriers in two-year-colleges?; (2) What are the unseen college options?; (3) What are the implications of new pathways through college?; and (4) What are the ways that college can improve labor market outcomes? The report identifies the kinds of information that research can obtain to answer these questions and how that information can be useful for understanding new college realities and improving college procedures and policies. This report uses prior studies of two-year colleges and students to identify information not frequently collected from national surveys, that may help researchers understand students' two-year college experiences, and it outlines what information is not being obtained from current national surveys. The author advocates that surveys need to collect better information about new programs, new colleges, new degrees, noncredit courses, test scores alignment, and job placement. Also needed are new indicators of attainment (such as skill relevance and timely completion). Programs that are preparatory, exploratory, or recreational in college and occupational programs need to be better understood, as do new patterns of college attendance, such as delayed entry and college moves. Amid all this, how students understand (or misunderstand) the college experience and its implications is also cited for research, as is examination of issues not currently studied or studied in insufficient detail: college students who are several years away from taking college credit classes that count toward a degree, who do not understand noncredit classes, who choose classes that do not count toward their major, or who have unrealistic timetables. Research should study the implications of new options and pathways: new kinds of colleges, new kinds of associate's and bachelor's degrees, delayed college entry and college mobility, ways colleges prepare students for the labor market, and ways colleges offer job placement services. Noting that information is not always readily available and that some students in college are not actually in college-level classes that satisfy degree requirements, are not working toward a degree, are proceeding more slowly than assumed, and have less certain employment prospects than they expect, Rosenbaum concludes that researchers should endeavor to provide information that helps make the college experience more transparent, encourages policies toward that end, and that student surveys are a sound starting point to initiate change in education policy and practice. [This report was prepared for the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) by Regional Educational Laboratory Midwest administered by Learning Point Associates.] Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Outcomes of Education; Labor Market; Job Placement; Education Work Relationship; Two Year College Students; Two Year Colleges; Public Colleges; Private Colleges; Interviews; Surveys

Abstract:
While much research has examined how education influences work outcomes, fewer scholars have questioned whether or how school-labor market relationships might influence educational outcomes. With their rising enrollments and growing occupational programs, 2-year colleges are an increasingly important site of the school-to-work transition. Using interview and survey data from a local sample of 14 public and private 2-year colleges, we describe the employer linkages forged at different types of 2-year colleges, how institutional contexts shape linking activities, and how college-employer links are related to students' efforts at college and confidence about degree completion. Using national longitudinal data (BPS and IPEDS), we test whether the patterns identified in our local sample are reflected nationally, examining whether the availability of job placement services by colleges predicts students' timely degree completion. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Access to Information; Community Colleges; Hispanic American Students; Enrollment; Educational Benefits

Abstract:
This chapter examines the factors influencing Latino students' enrollment and access to information in fourteen midwestern two-year colleges. (Contains 1 table.)

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