Transforming Community Colleges to Improve Their Services and Image

A new publication from the Center for American Progress calls for community colleges to re-imagine several aspects of their institutions and develop “a more nuanced understanding of the needs and potential of [their] diverse student body.” By re-envisioning their curricula, structural and procedural norms, and political roles, community colleges can improve their service to students and bolster the legitimacy of their institutions. The authors provide several recommendations for transforming community colleges and specific policies to facilitate that change, including:

• New approaches to training and credentialing
• Funding for colleges and financial support for students
• Policies to promote developmental education
• Higher transfer rates to four-colleges
• More modern infrastructure and technology
• Better data collection
• Common standards for assessing student learning and institutional effectiveness

Hat tip to Connect for Kids.

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