MDRC Higher Education Publications http://www.mdrc.org Higher Education Publications, Fast Facts, Issue Focus Briefs, and Videos from MDRC us-en © 2007 MDRC 2010-07-22 Brad Petrie <brad.petrie@mdrc.org> Brad Petrie <brad.petrie@mdrc.org> MDRC Logo http://www.mdrc.org/images/site/nav_logo.gif http://www.mdrc.org Learning Communities for Students in Developmental Reading: An Impact Study at Hillsborough Community College http://www.mdrc.org/sps/go.cgi?c=VEJfvx_3tSIkdWhPedjf A random assignment study of learning communities that linked a developmental reading course and a college success course finds that faculty collaboration and curricular integration increased over time. Overall, the program had no impact on students academic success, but evidence suggests that it had some positive effects for the last cohort of students in the study. Investing in Change: How Much Do Achieving the Dream Colleges Spend and from What Resources to Become Data-Driven Institutions? http://www.mdrc.org/sps/go.cgi?c=ZOwQrjaXUKfGw79KSBRw This report analyzes the experiences of five community colleges that participate in Lumina Foundations Achieving the Dream initiative and the investments they made in implementing an institutional improvement process aimed at increasing students success. The report examines how, where, and with what resources these colleges supported their reforms, as well as the key activities driving their overall expenditures. Scaling Up Learning Communities: The Experience of Six Community Colleges http://www.mdrc.org/sps/go.cgi?c=EAlQXsXM7EqYP4P1mhuR Learning communities, which enroll groups of students together in coordinated classes, are increasingly being used to help developmental-level students succeed. This report on the Learning Communities Demonstration, a large-scale, random assignment evaluation, describes the strategies that six community colleges used and the challenges they faced in scaling up their programs. Issue Focus: Summer Bridge Programs: Creating Opportunities for Low-Income Youth http://www.mdrc.org/sps/go.cgi?c=hC3XDaq_Jfm6u1Ja9xhi In a commentary that originally appeared in Youth Today, Rob Ivry makes the case for summer bridge programs for rising high school seniors who are college-bound but not yet college-ready. They would take college prep classes on community college campuses, where they would also have summer jobs. Issue Focus: Can Improved Student Services Boost Community College Student Success? http://www.mdrc.org/sps/go.cgi?c=Olld6ZujiDA1yHP066pz At many community colleges, students dont get the support, like counseling and tutoring, they need to navigate through college successfully; often college staff are overburdened and students dont know how to access the services that are available. Recent research from MDRC suggests that particular enhancements can lead to better use of student services and to modest improvements in academic outcomes. Issue Focus: Improving U.S. Global Competitiveness and Combating Poverty by Growing the Proportion of Adults with College Degrees http://www.mdrc.org/sps/go.cgi?c=g9fD_F5MOhOesSL9sVD7 A college degree is increasingly imperative in the knowledge-based global economy. In recent years, college completion rates in the U.S. have fallen behind those of several other nations. A growing body of evidence suggests that innovations in financial aid, curriculum and instruction, and student services can increase students persistence and success in college. VIDEO: Paying for Persistence: A Unique Scholarship Program to Increase Student Success at Community Colleges http://www.mdrc.org/sps/go.cgi?c=EmPQ19sYJOcQuTktGyEW In this seven-minute video, MDRC researcher Lashawn Richburg-Hayes summarizes promising findings about a performance-based scholarship that boosted academic achievement and retention rates at two New Orleans-area community colleges. Fast Fact: Enhancing Developmental Education in Community College: Can It Improve Students Language and Math Skills? http://www.mdrc.org/sps/go.cgi?c=_2uyJ3krMzBb1OOadXsI Fast Fact: Does Education Increase Economic Mobility? http://www.mdrc.org/sps/go.cgi?c=4JCJOwvPA9RAN9gLFmmT Fast Fact: How Much Is a College Degree Worth? http://www.mdrc.org/sps/go.cgi?c=o3cxrXvvYGx1gYjbKTX0