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The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) in the U.S. Department of Education is the nation's leading source for rigorous, independent education research, evaluation and statistics. IES has made several notable investments in research to identify strategies that can improve the outcomes of students attending community colleges.
Access
The Accelerating Recovery in Community Colleges Network (ARCC) focuses on strategies for helping students to enroll in and return to college after the COVID-19 pandemic. The ARCC Network Lead is conducting two research studies:
- Enrollment and Transfer Trends — This study builds on National Student Clearinghouse data to provide regular reports on postsecondary enrollment and outcome trends across all degree granting postsecondary institutions in the United States
- Spending of Federal Recovery Funds — This study focuses on support for college access during the pandemic, relying on data from the U.S. Department of Education’s Education Stabilization Fund portal as well as a Survey of Pandemic Relief Spending and Recovery Strategies conducted by the Network.
Members of the ARCC Network are carrying out related projects:
- Evidence to Inform Improvement: Supporting California Community Colleges in Pandemic Recovery is assessing pandemic recovery efforts undertaken by California Community Colleges to address declines in enrollment and to support student persistence and degree attainment. Additional information about this ARCC Network project is available here.
- Leveraging Technology and Engaging Students: Evaluating Covid-19 Recovery Efforts in the Los Angeles Community College District is exploring and evaluating the effects and impacts of online and hybrid course on the outcomes for students attending California’s largest community college district. Additional information about this ARCC Network project is available here.
- Strengthening Virginia's Pandemic Recovery Efforts: Providing High-Quality Community College Workforce Education to Underserved Adults is assessing the Virginia Community College system’s last-dollar scholarship initiative targeting low-income students in workforce programs in five high-demand fields. Additional information about this ARCC Network project is available here.
Success
- The College Completion Network was active between 2017 and 2022 and included six projects focused on strategies to increase completion of postsecondary credentials at open- and broad-access institutions like community colleges. The network’s research reports are available in the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) database here.
- An Experimental Evaluation of Corequisite Developmental Education in Texas found significant positive benefits for English corequisite developmental education courses offered by community colleges in Texas. Findings from this project are available on ERIC here.
- Effective Advising for Postsecondary Students is a What Works Clearinghouse™ (WWC) practice guide that provides four evidence-based recommendations for designing and delivering comprehensive, integrated advising to support students’ educational success.
- Designing and Delivering Career Pathways at Community Colleges is a WWC practice guide that provides five specific recommendations for supporting occupational skills training through career pathways at community colleges.
- The Men of Color College Achievement Project developed and tested a first-year success course and mentoring program for male students of color starting postsecondary education at the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC).