In an election season dominated by widespread worry over persistent joblessness and an anemic economic recovery, a new research report documents a promising path for America’s employers and workers.

The current edition of Community College Journal features an article on mutually beneficial partnerships between community colleges and businesses. "Working With Industry," by Ellen Ullman, relates how building these partnerships within communities can aid community colleges not only with funding, but also the development and implementation of programs of study that result in students completing and obtaining credentials with labor market value.

Getting Past Go (GPG), a national initiative of the Education Commission of the States, in collaboration with the Project on Education Policy, is using state and system policy to leverage change in developmental education. Recent posts from the GPG blog cover changes in Pell that could impact remedial education and the role of minority serving institutions in remedial reform.

Valencia Community College, enrolling 50,000 students on eight college campuses around Orlando, FL, recently won the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. Among Valencia’s standout achievements is a 51 percent graduation rate within three years of enrolling. This article explores policies and procedures that Valencia changed, to ensure quick success and reduce the need for developmental education. 

http://chronicle.com/article/Valencia-College-Wins-First/130091/

California Community College’s governing board recently endorsed a series of changes for the state’s 112 community colleges that, if enacted, may reduce the amount of unnecessary courses students take during college. Measures would offer benefits to students making progress toward academic goals, revoke benefits to students not making adequate progress, and require education plans from students shortly after matriculating. 

When faced with remedial courses, many students lose confidence and simply give up. Open University (OU), a free online resource, pioneered in England, is tackling this self-doubt by allowing students to gain remedial skills online, without the pressure of feeling “behind” in front of other students. Read about how OU is being incorporated in the U.S., and discover some of its success stories and potential drawbacks.