The educational effectiveness of community colleges is under new scrutiny as a result of both a federal government focus on accountability of higher education institutions and greater competition for the state funds traditionally directed to the colleges. Policymakers, who want to tie public college allocations to their outcomes, and families,…

Implementation of the "No Child Left Behind Act" for the first time, required states to hold every school and district accountable to the same standards of academic performance, standards that apply to all students, including the low-income and minority students who have been traditionally underserved. Because states must report their progress to…