The topic area focuses on community colleges, which are public, two-year postsecondary institutions. The studies in this topic area examine the effectiveness of community college policies and programs that are intended to improve academic persistence, degree/certificate completion, and labor market outcomes. The topic area focuses on linked learning communities, accelerated learning, and paid performance incentive programs. The topic area also focuses on community college bridge programs for students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), workforce program partnerships, and community-college based interventions intended to improve employment and earning outcomes and the attainment of industry-recognized certificates, certifications and credentials.
Community College
Status: Literature reviewed in this topic area currently covers 1994 - 2019.
Synthesis Reports
Synthesis reports look at the research evidence across studies within a topic area. They also highlight gaps in the literature, and suggest areas in which further research is needed.
Many community college-based interventions improved education outcomes but few improved earnings or employment outcomes.
Paid performance incentives improved education outcomes and show promise to increase earnings.
Accelerated learning interventions increased the rates of course enrollment and completion as well as the rates of degree/certificate completion.
Some studies showed that work-based learning interventions improved education and employment outcomes, but the evidence base is small.
Career pathways interventions had varying degrees of effectiveness across the outcomes.
Evidence on the effectiveness of blended interventions funded by TAACCCT is mixed.
Recently Added
CLEAR searches the existing literature for research relevant to this topic area's focus. Browse the most recently reviewed research below.
Study Type: Causal Impact Analysis
The study’s objective was to examine the impact of the Orthotics, Prosthetics & Pedorthics (HOPE) careers consortium program on education outcomes. The authors used a nonexperimental design to…Study Type: Causal Impact Analysis
The study’s objective was to examine the impact of the Credentials, Acceleration and Support for Employment (CASE) program on education and employment outcomes. The authors used a nonexperimental…Study Type: Causal Impact Analysis
The study’s objective was to examine the impact of the Integrated Studies Community (ISC) at Parkland College in Champaign, Illinois, on credit hours earned, course completion, and persistence…Study Type: Causal Impact Analysis
The study’s objective was to examine the impact of learning community developmental math courses on college retention and credit hours earned at Middle Tennessee State University. The study used…Study Type: Causal Impact Analysis
The study’s objective was to examine the impact of learning communities on community college students’ persistence from freshman to sophomore year, an outcome in the progress toward degree…Study Type: Causal Impact Analysis
The study’s objective was to evaluate the effects of Johnson County Community College’s (JCCC) Accelerated, Collaborative Technology Training Services (ACTTS) project on education outcomes. The…Study Type: Causal Impact Analysis
The study’s objective was to examine the impact of the Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) conducted by the City University of New York (CUNY) on retention, credit accrual, transfer, and…Study Type: Causal Impact Analysis
This study’s objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of learning communities as an alternative pedagogical format for students enrolled in developmental reading and English composition courses…Study Type: Causal Impact Analysis
The study’s objective was to evaluate the effects of the Iowa’s Information Technology, Healthcare, Utilities, and Manufacturing (IHUM) Network Consortium project on education outcomes. The authors…Study Type: Causal Impact Analysis
The study’s objective was to examine the impact of the PluggedInVA (PIVA) program on education and employment outcomes. Using college administrative and state workforce data, the authors conducted a…
CLEAR Icon Key
Below is a key for icons used to indicate important details about a study, such as its type, evidence rating, and outcome findings.
High Causal Evidence
Strong evidence the effects are caused by the examined intervention.
Moderate Causal Evidence
Evidence that the effects are caused to some degree by the examined intervention.
Low Causal Evidence
Little evidence that the effects are caused by the examined intervention.
Causal Impact Analysis
Uses quantitative methods to assess the effectiveness of a program, policy, or intervention.
Descriptive Analysis
Describes a program, policy, or intervention using qualitative or quantitative methods.
Implementation Analysis
Examines the implementation of a program, policy, or intervention.
Favorable
The study found at least one favorable impact in the outcome domain, and no unfavorable impacts.
Mixed
The study found some favorable and some unfavorable impacts in the outcome domain.
None
The study found no statistically significant impacts in the outcome domain.
Unfavorable
The study found at least one unfavorable impact in the outcome domain, and no favorable impacts.
Not applicable
Not applicable because no outcomes were examined in the outcome domain.
Favorable - low evidence
The study found at least one favorable impact in the outcome domain, and no unfavorable impacts. The study received a low causal evidence ratings so these findings should be interpreted with caution.
Mixed - low evidence
The study found some favorable and some unfavorable impacts in the outcome domain. The study received a low causal evidence ratings so these findings should be interpreted with caution.
None - low evidence
The study found no statistically significant impacts in the outcome domain. The study received a low causal evidence ratings so these findings should be interpreted with caution.
Unfavorable - low evidence
The study found at least one unfavorable impact in the outcome domain, and no favorable impacts. The study received a low causal evidence ratings so these findings should be interpreted with caution.