ABSTRACT

Paths to Persistence: An Analysis of Research on Program Effectiveness at Community Colleges 

Community colleges are designed to be open-door institutions, and they play a crucial role in providing access to college. During the last decade, educators and policy-makers have shifted their attention beyond access to examine the success of students once they enter community college. Accreditation agencies and state regulators are increasingly scrutinizing measures of student outcomes such as persistence and completion rates. At the same time, national initiatives by foundations and the U.S. Department of Education are focused on developing policy and institutional practices that will improve success rates for community college students. This report presents a critical analysis of the state of the research on the effectiveness of four types of practices in increasing persistence and completion at community colleges: 1) advising, counseling, mentoring and orientation programs; 2) learning communities; 3) developmental education and other services for academically underprepared students; and 4) college-wide reform. The report draws lessons from the research about effective institutional practices. It also evaluates the state of program-effectiveness research at community colleges, identifies promising areas for future research, and makes recommendations for improving related research.