Higher Education and the Role of Community Colleges

Community colleges serve a distinct function in the gamut of higher education. When college classes are offered at the high school level, advantaged students tend to benefit more than disadvantaged students, further entrenching an achievement gap that plagues education (Venezia & Jaeger, 2013). As many as half of all students enter their post-secondary education programs—whether at community or four-year colleges—“without the basic skills necessary to succeed,” (Thomas, 2014, p. 43). The solution to this problem is not the current model of offering of optional college credit courses or dual enrollment in high school but to expand opportunities for all students to reach their goals. As Thomas (2014) points out, community colleges have been increasingly called upon to serve as remedial education institutions rather than functioning in the more democratic, egalitarian social spaces they could become. Instead of relegating remedial work onto the backs of community colleges, thereby thwarting opportunities for two-year schools to become bastions of educational equality, high schools need to step up their games in providing unprepared students with the assistance they need to cultivate competencies for higher education.
Community colleges have evolved into “comprehensive academies serving the educational, economic, and social needs of their communities,” (Reis, n.d., p. 1). To retain a positive future for community colleges, it becomes critical to reform education at the high school level and even earlier. Currently about 60 percent of students enrolled in community colleges require at least one remedial course to succeed, and only 24 percent of enrolled students graduate from community college (Shaw, 2014). The enrollment and graduation rates in four year university programs is more promising, with about 42 percent graduation rates and 20 percent requiring remedial coursework (Shaw, 2014). Given the role of dual enrollment (college classes offered at the high school level) in psychologically motivating students to perform well in four-year programs, it is important to develop more opportunities for college credit in high school. Remedial coursework, when necessary, needs to be offered as early as possible.
Some of the factors that promote student achievement in higher education are not even related to grades or academic performance. In fact, poverty, family commitments, lack of motivation or clear career guidance are the main factors predicting success or failure in higher education (Shaw, 2014). Instead of dual enrollment, high school students may need additional supports like “information about college and financial aid, to psychosocial and behavioral supports, to the development of habits of mind including organizational skills, anticipation, persistence, and resiliency,” (Venezia & Jaeger, 2013, p. 117). Community colleges continue to play critical roles, offering flexible programs that appeal to students with differential needs and interests.
To further explore this topic, it will be helpful to acquire data on the efficacy of dual enrollment. Venezia & Jaeger (2013) find that dual enrollment yields “mixed results,” (p. 117). That being the case, what can be done to restructure education so that community colleges play a more active role in providing opportunities for all students, dedicated to accessible education and flexible programming. The future of higher education is in diversity. Not all students will need or want to attend four-year institutions; many will thrive in community colleges that can help individuals find a firm footing in local business communities. Questions for further research should center on how high school and public education programs can recognize the inherent diversity in their student bodies, offering dual enrollment for students who demonstrate interest and/or aptitude for specific four-year and higher programming while also providing appropriate remedial coursework as needed.




References

Reis, R. (n.d.). Future of community colleges. Stanford University. Retrieved online: https://tomprof.stanford.edu/posting/1549
Shaw, D. (2014). Rethinking remediation for college students. New England Reading Association Journal 50(1): 38-43.
Thomas, N. (2014). The sea change in academics. In Exploring the Future of Community Colleges. Retrieved online: https://ferris.edu/HTMLS/administration/academicaffairs/extendedinternational/ccleadership/alliance/documents/ImagineMore_Exploring-the-Future-of-Community-Colleges_2014.pdf
Venezia, A. & Jaeger, L. (2013). Transitions from high school to college. The Future of Children 23(1): 117-136.