This original study presents findings from a study of members of the first cohort of legal degree apprentices. Introduced in the UK in 2016, legal degree apprenticeships (LAs) remove uncertainty towards legal qualification in an otherwise competitive graduate recruitment environment and could help to increase social mobility into the professions.…

Young people need clear pathways to navigate from K-12 education into careers that align with their interests, strengths, and life goals. But they often lack the information, support, and access to choose and complete postsecondary pathways that are right for them. The federal government can play an important role in bridging this gap, by…

The Independent Transfer Pathways in North Carolina Project served as a catalyst in forging a culture of cooperation between community colleges and independent colleges and universities in North Carolina by creating a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between the two systems. The project focused on developing discipline-specific articulation…

Both policymakers and educators have identified the pressing need for clear and consistent pathways from two-year to four-year postsecondary institutions in STEM fields. Though numerous interventions for transfer pathways have been designed and implemented, there remains a need for effective and sustainable models of transfer partnership that…

Hundreds of community colleges are attempting transformational pathway reform, also known as guided pathways, to improve student outcomes. This qualitative case study explored sensemaking and organizational learning, early processes of transformational change, among administrators, faculty, and staff implementing pathway reform in a California…

This report provides a synthesis of advice from community college presidents across 15 states, including North Carolina. The advice focuses on recommended areas of innovation that rural-serving institutions should consider in order to align with the changing nature of work and the workforce. While the nature and nuance of innovations at each…

The purpose of "The Pathways and Experiences of Illinois Computer Science Undergraduate Students Series," as the name suggests, is to understand the pathways and experiences of computer science (CS) and tech students in post-secondary programs throughout Illinois, paying particular attention to students from historically marginalized…

The Student Success Center Network (SSCN) is dedicated to advancing racial justice and economic mobility by dramatically and equitably increasing the number of students earning postsecondary credentials with labor market value. Managed by Jobs for the Future, the SSCN has worked since 2012 to develop, implement, and scale student success…

Women are the majority population in Texas that participate in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and public housing assistance programs. TANF focuses on mandatory work requirements with a time-limit on assistance and lack of education opportunities. This dissertation documents post-secondary education opportunities for Texas women…

Although the Latino ethnic group is the largest minority and the fastest growing subgroup in the United States, they are one of the most underserved groups in public schools. This is due to many systemic issues; however, this paper focuses on student engagement. Increasing student engagement decreases student dropout rates. If we can foster high…

Efforts to increase the participation of groups historically underrepresented in computing studies, and in the computing workforce, are well documented. It is a national effort with funding from a variety of sources being allocated to research in broadening participation in computing (BPC). Many of the BPC efforts are funded by the National…

In the United States, half of the undergraduate population, about 10 million students, attend community colleges. These open-door institutions manifest our society's commitment to educational opportunity and reflect a shared understanding of postsecondary education as the foundation for economic growth and upward mobility. While the motivation of…

In 2022, the Transfer Equity Project (TEP) examined key aspects of Washington's transfer ecosystem for students, specifically towards achieving equitable student outcomes. This project took the form of a self-study and engaged a task force that included a wide range of participants from various organizations in Washington. From this exploration…

Objective: Community colleges have considerable potential to grow the number of individuals who complete STEM baccalaureate degrees and to broaden access to educational opportunities in STEM. However, efforts to tap this potential have been hampered by nagging questions about whether community colleges prepare students adequately for advanced STEM…

Micro-credentials are increasingly being adopted across a variety of industries and countries, including the kindergarten through grade 12 education system in the United States, as a way to identify workers with specific skills, knowledge, and competencies. This report presents the results of a study conducted by RAND researchers who investigated…