Commencement Day: Six-Year Effects of a Freshman Learning Community Program at Kingsborough Community College. Opening Doors
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| Title: | Commencement Day: Six-Year Effects of a Freshman Learning Community Program at Kingsborough Community College. Opening Doors |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Colleen Sommo, Alexander K. Mayer, Timothy Rudd, Dan Cullinan, MDRC |
| Source: | MDRC. 2012. |
| Availability: | MDRC. 16 East 34th Street 19th Floor, New York, NY 10016-4326. Tel: 212-532-3200; Fax: 212-684-0832; e-mail: publications@mdrc.org; Web site: http://www.mdrc.org |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 120 |
| Publication Date: | 2012 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | Institute of Education Sciences (ED) Robin Hood Foundation |
| Contract Number: | R305A100066 |
| Document Type: | Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education Two Year Colleges Secondary Education |
| Descriptors: | College Freshmen, Grouping (Instructional Purposes), Community Colleges, Longitudinal Studies, Communities of Practice, Program Effectiveness, Urban Education, Courses, Required Courses, Student Costs, Academic Support Services, Academic Persistence, Nonprofit Organizations, Educational Policy, Access to Education, College Preparation, Academic Achievement, Outcomes of Education, Developmental Programs, English Instruction |
| Geographic Terms: | New York (New York) |
| Abstract: | Postsecondary credentials are increasingly important to labor market success. Community colleges provide a key pathway to these credentials for many, including low-income and nontraditional students. Unfortunately, many community college students leave before earning a degree or credential, especially those who enter underprepared for college-level work. As part of MDRC's multisite Opening Doors demonstration, Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn, New York--a large, urban college in the City University of New York (CUNY) system--tested a one-semester learning community program. The program placed freshmen into groups of up to 25 students who took three classes together during their first semester: a developmental or college-level English course, an academic course required for the student's major, and a freshman orientation course. It also provided enhanced counseling and tutoring as well as textbook vouchers. This report provides evidence that learning communities with enhanced supports can affect community college students' short- and long-term academic success. These improvements are particularly noteworthy, given the short duration and cost-effectiveness of the program. [The report was written with Hannah Fresques.] |
| Abstractor: | ERIC |
| What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) Reviewed: | Meets Evidence Standards without Reservations |
| WWC Study Page: | https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Study/81597 |
| IES Funded: | Yes |
| Entry Date: | 2024 |
| Accession Number: | ED645730 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Postsecondary credentials are increasingly important to labor market success. Community colleges provide a key pathway to these credentials for many, including low-income and nontraditional students. Unfortunately, many community college students leave before earning a degree or credential, especially those who enter underprepared for college-level work. As part of MDRC's multisite Opening Doors demonstration, Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn, New York--a large, urban college in the City University of New York (CUNY) system--tested a one-semester learning community program. The program placed freshmen into groups of up to 25 students who took three classes together during their first semester: a developmental or college-level English course, an academic course required for the student's major, and a freshman orientation course. It also provided enhanced counseling and tutoring as well as textbook vouchers. This report provides evidence that learning communities with enhanced supports can affect community college students' short- and long-term academic success. These improvements are particularly noteworthy, given the short duration and cost-effectiveness of the program. [The report was written with Hannah Fresques.] |
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