Community Colleges and the Skilled Worker Shortage: Fact or Myth?

Disturbingly low standards at community colleges nationwide translate to lower chances of success in the job market after college, a new study finds. Researchers discovered that although community college instructors appear to be lowering the bar for first-year students, many were unable to even meet the lower academic standards in math and literacy. This dismal picture suggests multiple layers of reform may be necessary to ensure students are ready for the professional workforce at graduation time.

Report Gauges College and Career Readiness

The new report, titled, “What does it Really Mean to be College and Work Ready?” was compiled by the National Center on Education and the Economy. The non-profit groups studies academic standards, instructional systems and assessment. Researchers looked at seven community colleges in seven states, looking at tests, textbooks and assignments given to first-year college students. Colleges were chosen at random and school size ranged from 3,000 to 30,000 students, according to Inside Higher Ed.

The study focused on popular career training programs offered by community colleges across the country, including accounting and business, automotive technology, criminal justice, early childhood education and information technology. Researchers focused on first-year students in these programs, and focus was placed on reading, writing and mathematics skills necessary to master these early college courses.

Lower Standards Still Not Met by Many Students

Researchers discovered that the bar set by college instructors in first-year courses was fairly low in terms of both reading and writing expectations. However,

Massive Open Online Courses, dubbed MOOCs by most educators, have become the buzzword for higher education. Providing free, online education on a global, rather than a campus, level has serious implications for the world of higher education overall. Despite the obvious benefits of MOOCs (free, readily available, etc.), many educators are skeptical of their actual value in the real college experience. How exactly did MOOCs make it on the scene and what does their future hold? The answers may depend on who you ask.

Anatomy of a MOOC

According to the Washington Post, a Massive Open Online Course is a college-level class offered for free online. The courses are available to anyone with an Internet connection, whether or not they are currently enrolled in a college or university. The classes allow students to study and learn on their own time, and at any location, unlike traditional courses that follow a set schedule in a classroom.

MOOCs have garnered interest from a number of institutions of higher education, particularly for-profit schools and newer startups in online education. Coursera, one of the best-known companies offering MOOCs at this time, has partnered with institutions like Harvard and Stanford to bring the MOOC model to those prestigious college campuses. Other MOOC companies, including Udacity and edX, are also busy signing up college partners for their online courses.

This video explains MOOC.

What’s

For several years, students at California community colleges have been unable to take advantage of the summer months to get ahead by taking a few extra classes. Budget cuts in recent years have forced many schools in the state to cut their summer offerings to a bare minimum, while a few have had to cut summer classes completely. Now, thanks to the passage of Prop 30, community colleges in the state are finding the money to beef up their summer course schedules, much to the delight of students hoping to spend their summer months deep in their studies.

Survey Shows More Classes on the Way

The Los Angeles Times reports on an informal survey conducted by the office of statewide Chancellor Brice W. Harris, which involved 70 California community colleges. The survey indicated that 67 percent of the community colleges in the state plan to increase their course offerings for the summer semester. Another 23 percent said they would offer the same number of classes they had on the schedule during the previous summer. Only 7 percent of community colleges in the state stated they planned to reduce the number of courses they would offer this summer.

Credit for the increases essentially goes to the passage of Proposition 30 last November, which granted a temporary increase in sales tax and income tax on the wealthiest residents in the state. The increased revenues are going directly to fund education, with about $210 million in addition

The good news is that more Latinos are headed to college today, whether they set their sights on a two-year or four-year institution. The bad news is that despite their lofty goals, many Latinos won’t make it to college completion. Some may face serious obstacles just getting into the door of higher education. With the Hispanic population increasing across the county, it may be up to community colleges to change the tide and provide the necessary training to reach their full earning potential.

First, the Good News

NBC Latino reports that a record number of Latino students are heading to college today. According to a recent Pew Hispanic Research Center analysis, seven out of every 10 Latino high school students enrolled in college in 2012. That number is higher than the rate of both white and black high school students. The dropout rate for Latino students was also cut in half – from 28 percent in 2000 to 14 percent in 2011.

According to the researchers who conducted the analysis, several possible factors could be attributed to the increase. First, Latino students may find that heading off for more education is more productive than searching for employment in a dismal job market. Another reason could be the increasing importance of the Latino community to higher education overall.

“The wider Latino community understands the importance of education for the future of education when it comes to advancing future generations,” Richard Fry, the leading author in the Pew