Destinations of Choice
A Reexamination of Community Colleges in American Education: A Public Conversation Initiated by the Community College Advisory Panel
Community colleges are highly diverse institutions, with a variety of academic strengths that serve a multitude of educational needs. Yet, as open admission institutions, community colleges are rarely viewed as destinations of choice by many students, parents, counselors, and other educators. The College Board's Community College Advisory Panel (CCAP) has initiated a public policy effort that calls for a reassessment of community colleges within American education.
Over the coming months, we plan on posting a series of working papers addressing what CCAP believes to be among the most important issues facing community colleges. These papers are not meant to be definitive statements, rather, they are working documents designed to evoke a conversation among all educators about the place of community colleges in the twenty-first century in America.
Read the preamble to learn more.
Working papers
The working papers found in the sidebar to the right address major issues facing community colleges and, to a lesser degree, four-year institutions and secondary schools. They were written to stimulate a conversation about the role of community colleges in American education and advance the work of these institutions in ways that serve students. The papers should be considered works in progress, informed by ongoing commentary and research.
The Destinations of Choice working papers are the result of extensive conversations among members of the College Board's Community College Advisory Panel (CCAP), a group of higher education leaders representing institutions throughout the United States. They also reflect the insights of teachers, counselors, administrators, and institutional researchers in K-12 and higher education and incorporate research and data from the academic community.
Download the article Rethinking the Role of Community Colleges: A Public Conversation (.pdf/307K) for more information about the Destinations of Choice initiative.
The job of sifting through commentary, research, and other data is that of the author of the working papers, whose opinions do not necessarily reflect the policies of the College Board, its member institutions, or CCAP member institutions. The author is responsible for any errors.
As these papers are designed to evoke a conversation about community colleges and their place in American education, your insights are valuable. If you would like to contribute to this dialogue or gain additionalinformation about the College Board's community college initiatives, email: shandel@collegeboard.org.