Mark M. D'Amico

Current Developments in Community College Performance Funding.

Since the initiation of performance funding in Tennessee in the late 1970s, approximately 30 states have, at some point, attempted a funding model that includes performance on a set of indicators. The purpose of the present study was to capture the current status of performance funding in public statewide community college systems and to assess which performance indicators were collected at the state level. Data were obtained through the 2012 Survey of Finance and Access Issues conducted by the Education Policy Center at the University of Alabama. The survey was administered to the National Council of State Directors of Community Colleges, and 50 responses were obtained from 49 states. Not every survey respondent answered each survey item. Findings showed that 19 states used performance funding for community colleges, with six of those states allocating at least 10% of state funds based on performance. An analysis of indicators captured at the state level (not exclusively for performance funding) showed a decline of emphasis on process indicators and greater emphasis on outputs. The performance-based distribution of base funding and the inclusion of output measures that capture intermediate indicators of success are consistent with the principles of Performance Funding 2.0, a new form of performance funding recently discussed in the literature. Future research should include tracking the current findings over time and expanding the existing literature on whether performance funding influences outcomes.

The New Norm: Community Colleges to Deal with Recessionary Fallout

Since the beginning of the Great Recession, many community colleges have experienced significant declines in state revenue, increases in enrollment, higher tuition, and flat or declining state student aid. These conditions have also occurred in an environment of heightened accountability with pressure to advance a student success agenda and to meet workforce training needs. Findings from the annual survey of state community college directors conducted by the Education Policy Center at the University of Alabama, in partnership with Iowa State University and The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, show that the majority of state directors feel states are moving toward a privatized model of higher education and that structural deficits exist in state budgets disadvantaging community colleges. The concern is that these and other related findings demonstrate a situation that may not improve as the nation climbs out of recession; this situation is creating a new norm in community college funding.

Dual Enrollment Variables and College Student Persistence.

In the knowledge economy, now more than ever, students are encouraged to attend an institution of higher education. Students actively search for resources to assist them in their progress toward a college degree, even before high school graduation. Dual enrollment is an opportunity for students to complete college courses while still in high school, and it encourages stronger collaborations between K–12 and higher education. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between demographic and policy variables in South Carolina technical college dual enrollment programs and first-to-second-year persistence of dually enrolled students once entering college. All participants in this study were high school students who continued at a technical college after graduation. Outcomes were analyzed using logistic regression to determine persistence, defined as first-to-second-year retention. Variables included dual enrollment course type, course setting, ethnicity, gender, and county of residence. Results show that course type and course setting are significant in predicting college student persistence. Recommendations and implications for future research are discussed.

Using Data Known at the Time of Admission to Predict First-Generation College Student Success.

The authors use data known at the time of initial enrollment to explore the first-year GPAs and second-year retention of first-generation (FGCS) and non-first-generation (non-FGCS) college students. The setting was a diverse, public, urban doctoral institution (approximately 50% FGCS and 30% minority). Multiple linear and logistic regressions run separately for FGCSs and non-FGCSs, included variables related to financial, academic, integration, and demographic factors. While FGCSs had lower retention and significantly lower GPAs than non-FGCSs, the pattern of predictive factors varied by group. Greater academic preparation was significant in all analyses. Minority students were more likely to persist than White students. Out-of-state residency was a predictor of higher GPA, but also a predictor of FGCS attrition. The authors discuss the value of using data known upon admission and suggest future research to explore how institutional composition may influence FGCS success.

Generación 1.5: A Cultural Historical Agenda for Research at the 2-Year College

In this article, we employ a cultural historical theoretical framework to extend understandings of how widespread 2-year college placement policies concerning English remediation potentially locate and retain U.S.-educated Latino adolescents at the margins of higher education through well-intentioned yet deficit-driven postsecondary cultural practices. We conclude with a research agenda for examining established institutional practices and alternatives in regard to 2-year college support for nontraditional students’ access to and success in the opportunity structures of higher education.

Career Capital and the Community College

Wanting to elucidate the relationship between student success and employment outcomes, the authors of this study sought to devise a methodology to (a) measure the alignment between the educational/community college experience and potential careers and (b) explore factors that may inform the alignment between college and career. Data were collected on 84 students at a southern community college using the College and Career Capital Survey. Descriptive analyses showed that the majority of the sample was White, female, and worked, and more than half aspired to earn at least a baccalaureate degree. Survey items and responses were used to formulate the College-Career Alignment Index. A stepwise backward regression, used to eliminate noncontributing variables, accounted for 27.4% of the variance and showed the following to be statistically significant in predicting college-career alignment: working full- or part-time, gender (female), relying on institutional networks for information, confidence in finding employment in a desired career field, and enrollment in developmental courses. Based on the findings of this exploratory study, the authors suggest that community colleges consider the value of employment opportunities while in college and the institutions role in providing information about careers as potential avenues to improve college-career alignment. In addition, they propose next steps to expand the study and further explore factors related to career capital.

Strategic Responses to Accountability Demands: A Case Study of Three Community Colleges

As community colleges receive attention focused on their role in addressing postsecondary needs, they are subject to varying levels of accountability, which necessitates the development of strategic approaches to leading institutions. Burke (2005) recognizes three accountability perspectives that higher education institutions must consider: market, political, and academic. The strategic planning processes used at three North Carolina community colleges reflect a balanced approach to responding to the accountability requirements of all three perspectives. Using a qualitative multisite case study of the colleges, five themes emerge as implications for practice: (a) Involve stakeholders in strategic planning and implementation; (b) Create a student-centered culture; (c) Provide fiscal accountability with data-driven decision making; (d) Develop a balanced strategic approach to all accountability perspectives; and (e) Integrate regional accreditation principles into strategies. By applying the convergent practices of the three successful colleges, community colleges can create strategic plans to meet the needs of a variety of stakeholders, assert fiscal management, and encourage continuous improvement of programs and processes.