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One of the most pressing issues in our nation today is the educational attainment of our citizens. The United States has long made education a priority, not only as a means of individual opportunity, but also as a pathway for the economic and social stability of the nation. However, providing greater access to and support for a postsecondary credential or degree for all students remains one of our most important challenges.

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The number of military-connected students enrolling in community colleges has increased dramatically in the past decade, and this trend is expected to continue. This research focused on examining factors that contribute to the academic success of community college students. Specifically, the purpose of this quantitative study was to identify the demographic characteristics; campus relationships; and financial, academic and personal experiences that are associated with grade point average (GPA) and intent to return for military-connected students at seven community colleges. Identifying as a Student of Color (any race or ethnicity other than White) and experience meeting professors' academic expectations were negatively associated with cumulative GPA, and feeling academically prepared to enter the institution was significantly and positively associated with intent to return. The results provide further evidence of the relationships among demographic and academic experiences and academic success. The authors offer recommendations for serving military-connected students at community colleges.

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Research suggests that students who reach important milestones early in their college careers are more likely than others to achieve their education goals (Edgecombe, 2011). And knowing when particular kinds of students reach academic milestones (or when they exit college without attaining a degree) can shed light on common patterns of student progression (Moore and Shulock, 2009). This report examines how the timing of important events in community college student progression - reaching program concentration by earning nine college-level credits in a single area of study, completing a program of study, and exiting college prior to program completion - differs by students who upon entry to college are deemed college ready or are referred to developmental education in either one, two, or three subject areas. It also examines the timing of additional post-exit education outcomes of students who leave their first college prior to program completion.

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Ohio has been a leader in scaling stackable credential programs. The state passed initial legislation on stackable credentials nearly 15 years ago, and it has since rolled out a series of initiatives that expand opportunities for individuals to stack credentials. All of Ohio's public education and training programs are involved in its efforts. These include Ohio Technical Centers (OTCs), which award 'clock-hour' certificates that do not award immediate college credit (i.e., noncredit certificates) but can potentially be transferred into credit-bearing programs, and the certificate and degree programs at the state's community colleges and universities.

Have institutions changed the programs that they offer? Are students stacking credentials, and, when they do, are they seeing an increase in earnings? Researchers at the RAND Corporation and the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) established a multiyear partnership to answer these questions and others. To find the answers, the team examined the state's stackable credential offerings and student outcomes in three fields: health care, manufacturing and engineering technology (MET), and information technology (IT). These three fields account for more than half of all certificates awarded in the state and have been a primary focus of its stackable credential efforts. This research brief summarizes key findings and implications of the project. These findings can inform Ohio's efforts to scale effective education and training pathways and might offer useful evidence to states pursuing similar initiatives.

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While Latinos are running faster in the education race, this report finds that they are falling farther behind Whites and Blacks in many crucial college outcomes. The good news though, is that with the right support, Latinos are poised for a surge in educational and economic success. Key findings include: Latina women have higher completion rates compared to Latino men at every level of postsecondary education; while Latinos with high SAT/ACT test scores have similar rates of college enrollment as Whites, 63 per cent of these Latinos complete a degree or other credential compared to 78 per cent of Whites with similar test scores; only 34 per cent of foreign-born Latinos have some form of postsecondary education compared to 61 per cent of native-born Latinos; Latinos who speak only English earn $41,000 annually on average, which is lower than Whites' earnings ($50,000) but higher than Blacks' earnings ($38,000).

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Career academies serve an increasingly wide range of students. This paper examines the contemporary profile of students entering career academies in a large, diverse school district and estimates causal effects of participation in one of the district's well-regarded academies on a range of high school and college outcomes. Exploiting the lottery-based admissions process of this technology-focused academy, we find that academy enrollment increases the likelihood of high school graduation by about 8 percentage points and boosts rates of college enrollment for males but not females. Analysis of intermediate outcomes suggests that effects on attendance and industry-relevant certification at least partially mediate the overall high school graduation effect.

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A related report published by the authors in 2017, 'Building better bridges to life after high school: experimental evidence on contemporary career academies', is available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 128.834. Show less

There is widespread concern, both in the private and public sectors, about perceived declines in US college graduates in [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] STEM fields. In our sample, the proportion of science majors has remained steady over the sample period; however, the number entering our college intending to major in STEM fields has fallen. In this paper we use administrative data from the graduating classes of 2001-2009, roughly 5000 graduates, from a northeastern liberal arts college to model the progression of students through STEM majors. The results suggest that absolute and sometimes relative grades are important, as is the intended major (as reported on the admissions application). [Advanced placement] AP credits are also strongly correlated to taking a first course, but diminish in the more selected samples. Simulations suggest that if science grade distributions were more like the college average, there would be roughly 2-4 per cent more students progressing in STEM departments.

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The completion agenda demands higher community college graduation rates among adult learners, and prior learning assessment (PLA) is a promising solution. PLA permits students to earn credit for college-level learning acquired outside of higher education and is associated with improved student outcomes. However, little is known regarding community college graduation rates among adult learners by prior learning assessment status and method. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to examine adult learner graduation rates by PLA status and method at four US community colleges. Results from this foundational study confirmed a remarkable difference in graduation rates between adult PLA learners and adult non-PLA learners, uncovered striking differences in the graduation rates of adult PLA learners by PLA method, and identified a relationship between PLA method and graduation. Findings provide community college stakeholders with new insight into adult PLA learners in the community college and a basis for future research leading to higher graduation rates among adult learners.

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The City of Los Angeles - a vibrant metropolis with a diverse and dynamic population - is a critical economic and cultural hub for the state of California. California's economy is the fifth largest economy in the world, but maintaining this dominance depends, in large measure, on the economic success of Los Angeles and its surrounding regions. Los Angeles' success will be determined by the success of its schools, colleges, and universities in supporting students to enroll in college, complete a bachelor's degree, and join the workforce with the skills and preparation needed to participate in a 21st Century economy.

Ensuring equity in higher education access and success for Black and Latinx Californians requires building and maintaining robust pathways from LA's high schools to its colleges and universities. That includes ensuring Latinx and Black Angelenos are supported to graduate from high school fully eligible to enroll in the state's public four-year systems. LA's leaders must also ensure that Black and Latinx high school graduates enroll in college - community college or a four-year university - and provide them with the support they need to earn a bachelor's degree and fully participate in California's economy.

Mirroring statewide trends that we noted in our 2021 reports, 'The state of higher education for Latinx Californians' [available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 146.216] and 'The state of higher education for Black Californians' [available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 154.507], Black and Latinx students in Los Angeles do not receive the support or opportunity needed to ensure they enroll in college and earn bachelor's degrees at the same rates as their white peers. And, though California's high schools, community colleges, and public four-year universities have increased enrollment and support for Black and Latinx students who seek associate and bachelor's degrees, the challenges associated with the [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 global pandemic threaten to offset and undo years of improvements for California's high schools and community colleges.

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The college and career readiness movement figures prominently in the nation's educational reform and policies, including strategies to increase graduation rates among disadvantaged students in urban schools. As part of a multi-pronged approach to help youth transition to post-secondary education and the workforce, the present study evaluated a new career intervention, Making My Future Work, designed to serve as a comprehensive, flexible career curriculum. Based on a quasi-experimental design among a sample of urban youth (N = 429), multilevel modeling revealed promising evidence for its impact across a range of outcomes, including grade point average, school engagement, career preparation, self-determination, and self-awareness. The implications of the findings, limitations, and future directions for research are discussed.

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