Having garnered national attention, high failure rates in developmental education present a significant barrier to state and national policymakers' goals of increasing the percentage of adults who earn a college credential. However, a majority of the research fails to consider why students place into developmental education. This piece examines a…

Initially drawing from, yet then expanding on the research discussed in this volume, this article discusses specific measures that practitioners, researchers, and policymakers can take to support purpose among youth. Strategies for educators include utilizing practical purpose teaching tools, such as purpose interviews, purpose-related…

Investigated the processes of developing services for the aged in rural communities, using grounded theory methodology. Examination revealed a grassroots model of advocacy which involved the emergence of local leadership and typical motivational, needs defining, goal-setting, and organizational processes. (Author/NRB)

In 1984, Jefferson County Public Schools (Kentucky) intitiated a preschool program emphasizing before- and after-school care, multi-age grouping, a developmental curriculum, actively involved parents, and integration of special needs children. Other than district support with space, administration, and bookkeeping services, this successful program…

Community colleges, which serve almost half of postsecondary students in the United States, are receiving ever-increasing attention from policymakers and researchers. Although these institutions have always served a wide range of people in their communities, the number of students who enter community college requiring additional preparation before…

Discusses population education efforts to help people understand the nature, causes, and implications of population processes. Includes current regional emphases, formal programs, management and administration, and future issues. Emphasizes basic concepts such as respect for others, especially for females, self-respect and self esteem, the…

The National Governors' Association Task Force on Readiness presented policy recommendations to help at-risk children prepare for school and meet new educational standards. Suggested state initiatives include various outreach and preschool programs for low-income families, assistance with basic skills and teacher training, and incentives and…

In recent years, community colleges have increasingly taken on the task of providing remedial education to its students. For policymakers and educators, understanding why remediation is on the increase is a frustrating problem made so by the complexity of the causes behind it. Are students graduating from high school less prepared or are academic…

A study investigated study habits of 154 educationally disadvantaged engineering students enrolled in developmental studies programs in 3 South African universities. Aspects examined include entry skills, study patterns throughout the first year, and characteristics of students whose study habits changed over time. Implications for admission and…

Utilizing the regression-discontinuity research design, this article explores the effectiveness of a developmental English program in a large, multicampus community college. Routinely collected data were extracted from existing records of a cohort of first-time college students followed for approximately 6 years (N = 1,473). Results are consistent…

This research assessed whether Israel's "second-chance" educational programs, the academic preparatory programs (APP) that challenge the sorting criteria of the mainstream, succeed in enhancing social equality in education. Successful outcomes of the APP are analyzed in light of the reported failure of community colleges to moderate…

If community colleges are to shape their own futures, leaders must address these trends: growing public skepticism of higher education; program downsizing to cut costs; increased sectoring within state systems; refocusing of mission on the economy and workplace; demand for developmental education; demographic shifts; and anxiety about the economic…