C2 Education Policy Summary

Community colleges in the United States develop rapidly and have become a vital component of the postsecondary education delivery system. As of 2011-2012 school year, 45% of all undergraduate students were enrolled in public two-year colleges, approximately 8.3 million students (Knapp et al., 2012. Cited by AACC Fast Facts). And it seems that with globalization and Obama’s education agenda, the trend of growing enrollment in community colleges won’t change. A high school graduate who decides to pursue postsecondary education may face with a dilemma--whether enroll in a community college or a traditional four-year college. Even within a community college, a student may be faced with a choice—enroll in a vocational program and enter workforce after graduation with a vocational certification, or choose an academic program with an intention of transferring to four-year institutions.

The American College Testing (ACT), 2010 concluded that a large number of high school students and high school graduates do not possess the knowledge and skills for college level work or career training. With the creation and implementation of common core standards, states and school districts have a clear set of student expectations to target

Last year, at Kingsland High School’s Graduation Ceremony, Josie Hinze not only receiveed her High School Diploma, but also her Associates of Arts Degree before even attending any college or university. Fast-forward to one year later, and seven Kingsland students will be graduating high school with both their High School Diploma and AA Degree thanks to the collaboration of Riverland Community College and Kingsland High School for allowing high school students to take college-level courses in high school and receive college credit for them. Not only that, but there are several others who will be graduating Kingsland High School with transferrable college credit so their first few semesters might

C2 Education (C2), the nation’s premier network of subject tutoring, SAT ®, ACT®, PSAT® test prep and education support centers, hosts multiple events in Southern California to help students and parents get ready for a new school year.

School is an expensive investment in one’s future, and the financial aid office enables students to pursue higher education by providing financial assistance through fee waivers, grants, and federal loans. The cost of education varies widely depending on the type of degree or certificate program the student is pursuing, as well as the type of school the student is attending. Cypress College is a two year institution which allows students to transfer to a four year university or to obtain a certificate in their vocation of choice. Although Cypress College is affordable compared to four year universities and other private colleges, the cost of school is still a heavy burden for most students and their families. Through the financial aid office

Chapter 4 reflects on how community colleges in America are not just a place where people goes to get a degree. It is an institution that goes beyond the classroom. The name says it all, “community college”.

As generations pass, and students change and develop, teachers and administrators propose new techniques to help students improve. From the introduction of school, to the division of age groups, to standardized testing, someone always has a new way to help students in school. A new idea, however, may be the key to success. A school in Massachusetts has developed a new program that challenges students with college level classes while still in high school. As students improve in school, to prevent boredom in the classroom, they need a challenge, this challenge being harder level, college courses. While still in the comfort of high school, students experience the rigor of college classes, this helping ease the transition into higher education

I wish to enter the LCC Early College on behalf of my boredom and my grievances with the K12 system’s lack of challenging material, inefficient placement processes, and absence of intellectually stimulating experiences and opinions that a college level environment could easily provide me. I am drawn to the concept of early college because of the freedom it gives to the student to pursue their interests with greater liberty than other rigid secondary educational options. I believe that the only obstacle standing between one’s goals, is the intensity of the challenges that came before, and one’s true willingness to achieve the goal they set. LCC would give me the intellectual challenges of accelerated learning that I crave and strive to achieve,

College is an important place that can lead us to a bright and successful future. College success is more than academics; for us it’s learning how to become an adult for the first time in our life. In college we will develop skills to have relationships with professors, counselors, and with our peers. The whole college experience enables us to truly succeed. Meeting new people, becoming acquainted to different ideas and cultures, and mostly, the enjoyment of the four plus years of being in school. A couple of years from now we will look back at college as either one of the best or worst times of our lives. The one thing that motivates people to go to college is “career

Students nowadays face many challenges when it comes to obtaining a college education. We evaluate an institution’s quality based on what we need the most. The qualities sought out may vary by each person’s personal point of view. However, as a student, I’ve found that most students seek for an institute that benefits them the most. Attending a community college has been an enormous advantage towards my education. I have been attending San Bernardino Valley College for the last two semesters. I have come to respect their philosophies and values. The institution has now been in business for 87 years. They venture to encourage both students and faculty towards high standards of achievement and progress into exceptional members of the society. They now offer a variety of degrees, transfer programs and certificates for a wide range of students. San Bernardino Valley College has an accomplished staff, student support services and technological tools that pave the road towards the conquest of a quality education.

Educational policies are the rules, guidelines and or boundaries that have shaped my career as student, a teacher and most recently as an educational administrator. Throughout my career I have not questioned always questioned the reasons for the development of these policies. From the readings in this course, I have begun to examine the how and why of policy development and beginning to understand role the policy analysis has in the evaluation of educational policies over time. The role of the state, the role of the individual within the state, changes to political ideologies and the development of globalization have all directly impacted policy development and the directions that education has taken over the last century.

During his presidential campaign, President Obama critiqued the accountability system based on testing which created hope about the possibility to modify the NCLB legislation (Ovando & Combs, 2012). Conversely, President Obama reinforced NCLB by making teacher qualifications more rigorous and promoting the adoption of national academic standards (Dillon, 2009). In order to help the country to overcome the economic crisis, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 (Baker, 2011; Ovando & Combs, 2012). President Obama’s idea was that by improving education the American economy could be rebuilt (Baker, 2011). Obama’s administration also instituted, as

After diving into the CCSS, I have become a full supporter. The Rigor/Relevance Framework integrated into the standards means that they cover demanding content and applicable skills. To be prepared for college curriculum and careers they will have for a lifetime, students need to master the content and skills. These students will “demonstrate independence, build

Throughout history, college has been a staple for people in America. Young high school graduates continuing their education to guarantee themselves a successful future in a career they feel passionate about. College helps build and expands one’s mind. Not only do students learn more in classes, the build social skills and critical thinking. Students attending college grow in all aspects of the mind. For most students in the 21st century, it has become somewhat of a norm to apply and continue education after high school. Every student wants to push themselves to achieve greatness. The rush of college applications includes a lot such as: writing essays, applying for scholarships, and taking the SATs. The SAT is a worldwide recognized test that

After being up all night working on your third paper this week, you walk into an auditorium that is packed to the brim with hundreds of other students. Over the past few years in your old high school, that averaged fifteen to twenty students per classroom, the teachers told you that they had prepared you for college. However, in a survey carried out by campustechnology.com, most college professors find high school graduates unready for college. According to the United States Department of Education, the United States is home to almost thirty thousand high schools, however, they are all useless if they do not adequately prepare our students for college and the journey that awaits them.