This study evaluates the implementation of policies and practices related to prior learning assessment (PLA) for military training and experience in Colorado community colleges. Through conducting interviews and a document analysis, this case study aimed to provide policy and practice recommendations for states, systems, and institutions to…

As employers look for skilled individuals to fill high-demand jobs, registered apprenticeships provide opportunities for people to engage in dedicated on-the-job training in conjunction with related classroom instruction that directly links to a career path. The benefit of related instruction in tandem to on-the-job training is clear; however, the…

With the growth in distance education programs and other interstate activities, community colleges increasingly need to be authorized by multiple states. State authorization provides the legal approval for postsecondary education providers to offer credentials and conduct related activities. Participation in the State Authorization Reciprocity…

As interest in reducing the nation's incarceration rates grows, a shift in policy in favor of education for incarcerated individuals is occurring. This article focuses on the expansive role that community colleges have in offering educational opportunities to individuals in both jails and prisons around the country. This article provides an…

This chapter discusses an innovative state public policy which has incentivized Iowa's community colleges to become the economic drivers of their region. Created in the 1983 legislation, it continues to this day to affect Iowa's rural communities and their colleges.

The Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities in Canada released "Ontario's Differentiation Policy Framework for Postsecondary Education" in 2013. This chapter examines the mandate as it pertains to the college sector.

This chapter aims to extend conversations around educational equity by emphasizing the role of community college contexts as a mediator between policy reform and student experience. Narratives of Tennessee (TN) Reconnect Grant recipients indicate that community college contexts related to advising and student support services and enrollment,…

While limited, research centering LGBTQ students and experiences at the community college indicate students experience microaggressions, feelings of isolation, and a lack of curricular inclusivity at their community college institutions. With a lack of clarity around nondiscrimination policies at the federal level, coupled with a lack of…

This chapter describes the challenges and opportunities associated with creating sophisticated support networks designed to support youth experiencing homelessness. The authors offer an overview of programs and policies that is interwoven with the story of Susan, a composite of youth with whom they have worked, to illustrate the ways Virginia is…

For numerous reasons, it can be difficult for foster youth to succeed in postsecondary education. This chapter offers insight into state-level policies and programs, community college programs dedicating to supporting foster youth, and a framework for creating a structured support system to increase student success.

This chapter investigates the consequences and implications of dual enrollment policy diversity on operating dual enrollment programs in the two states of Ohio and Virginia.

This chapter reports results from a national policy study that examined state dual credit policies and how state policies address the quality of dual credit courses.

A variety of policies and practices, including those developed by local boards and administrations, as well as those mandated by state and federal governments, affect budgets and finances at community colleges. Examples include tuition policies, fee structures, performance-based funding, and personnel policies. This chapter explores some of the…

Policy, financial, and transportation barriers have limited participation in dual enrollment for marginalized (low-socioeconomic, first-generation, and ethnic minority) students in Oklahoma. This chapter presents a collaborative effort by education and community leaders that has successfully eliminated these barriers and increased the number of…

The State of Florida has been challenged to keep up with the demand for baccalaureate degree production for more than half a century. Fueled first by veterans of World War II and the Korean Conflict, and later by significant and sustained population growth over many decades, Florida's postsecondary infrastructure has struggled to keep pace with…