Assessing a novel application of web-based technology to support implementation of school wellness policies and prevent obesity

Childhood obesity is one of the most pressing public health concerns in the United States. Because schools are a critical site to promote wellness and prevent obesity, extensive policy and legislative efforts have focused on school-based food services, nutrition education, physical education, and overall physical activity. Unfortunately, research indicates that most of these policies prove ineffective due to insufficient implementation. A small number of web-based programs have emerged that are designed to support the implementation of school wellness policies. The purpose of the current study is to present and interpret findings from an evaluation of the web-based portion of a program implemented throughout the state of Pennsylvania. In total, 192 registered users completed a survey designed to evaluate their utilization and perceptions of the web-based features of the Health eTools for Schools program. Participants represented the following stakeholder groups: school nurses, teachers, wellness coordinators, administrators, and food service directors. Findings indicate the web-based portion of the Health eTools for Schools program is comprehensive, well-designed, and has the potential to support implementation of school wellness policies geared toward obesity prevention. At present, the web-based features are most effective in providing school nurses with tools and resources to execute their roles related to obesity prevention. Applications supporting other groups such as teachers and food service directors require further development to be equally effective. The number of programs with this focus is likely to increase and further research is needed to address other aspects of these programs as well as their impact on student level outcomes such as eating habits, body mass index, physical activity levels, and physical fitness.     

A Sustainable Entrepreneurship Training Program

Across the country, educational and policy leaders are challenged to find solutions to the potentially serious shortage of certified public school teachers. Although community colleges enroll almost half of the undergraduate students in American colleges and universities, until very recently, little attention has been focused on their potential role in meeting this critical societal need. In addition to discussing pertinent literature, proposing a basic typology of teacher education delivery models based on those already being utilized by community colleges, and describing relevant issues and challenges, this article reports and analyzes the findings of a 2002 survey of state community college directors. The survey was designed to ascertain perceptions of these state leaders with respect to the current role of community colleges in teacher education and the importance of the issue in their respective states. Questions for further study and policy considerations are offered as an extension of the analysis of these data and issues.     

LEARNING DISABILITIES PROGRAMS AT COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

Students with learning disabilities (LD) from selected Midwest colleges and universities participated in a study to determine the differences between LD programs at community colleges and four-year institutions; the level of satisfaction with college LD programming; and the services most important to students. Focus groups were held at five institutions including two community colleges, two independent institutions, and one public university. Focus group participants included male and female students aged 16 to 56 years and enrolled in freshmen through graduate levels. The literature suggests that the focus of LD programs and the types of services vary between two-year and four-year institutions due to differences in missions and the characteristics of the students served. However, results from the data in the present study reveal that the types of LD services offered among the institutions participating in the research were quite similar, but the quality of services varied. Students at the large public university had difficulty getting note takers, books on tape and tutors, and obtaining adequate assistance from LD staff. Participants from the smaller community colleges and private colleges and universities considered the smallness of their institutions to be a benefit. The LD program was easily accessible and LD staff were always available. Although the participants in the study who had received LD services in high school believed the services at their college or university were comparable or better, existing programs need to be evaluated to identify services in need of improvement.     

GOAL CLARIFICATION THROUGH AIM UNDERSTANDING OF WORK VALUES

Abstract

A survey of 400 senior colleges and universities in the United States revealed that community college relations committees are not the primary organizational structures through which interinstitutional relations are maintained between 2-year and 4-year schools. Of the 304 responding institutions, only 48 reported having a community college relations committee. This number was surprisingly small considering that community college transfers account for an average of 24% of their total enrollments. Such committees were found more frequently in public than in private 4-year institutions. The lack of adequate funding inhibited the success of most of the committees surveyed. Only 27% reported that they were highly successful in achieving their stated purposes. In most instances in which a high degree of committee effectiveness was perceived, well-developed programs were in operation, and adequate funds for sustaining their activities were available. The articulation of transfer policies and the promotion of informational exchanges between senior and 2-year institutions were the most common committee purposes reported. Although most committees were not highly research oriented, several provided examples of innovative and constructive projects.     

Vocational training choices of women: public and private colleges

This paper contrasts the profiles of women who choose to pursue vocational training in either public institutions (community colleges) or private institutions (career colleges) in Canada with particular attention given to respondents’ life‐course positions. The study employs 1998 Adult Education and Training Survey data. Correspondence analysis shows the relation between training choices of women, their individual characteristics and selected situational, dispositional, and institutional factors. The space topography determined by the correspondence between training choices and women profiles indicates that duration of training constitutes the primary institutional feature distinguishing choice. Older women who need to balance both work and family obligations tend to enroll in single courses and are attracted to the modular programming of the private colleges. In contrast, the traditional program‐based vocational training offered by community colleges is the preferred option for younger women.     

2004年美国社区学院热门专业分析及启示

2004年美国社区学院热门专业中,健康类专业高居榜首,其次是信息技术类、技能类、贸易类、公共服务类专业.健康类专业在2004年增加最多,工业技能类和工程技术类专业则削减最多.大多数健康类专业是有学分的,技能类、贸易类和公共服务类热门专业则多集中在非学分专业.美国社区学院的热门专业与社会需求相融共长,更为注重"头脑生产"和人本关怀.     

Scientific Teaching Targeting Faculty from Diverse Institutions

We offered four annual professional development workshops called STAR (for Scientific Teaching, Assessment, and Resources) modeled after the National Academies Summer Institute (SI) on Undergraduate Education in Biology. In contrast to the SI focus on training faculty from research universities, STAR''s target was faculty from community colleges, 2-yr campuses, and public and private research universities. Because of the importance of community colleges and 2-yr institutions as entries to higher education, we wanted to determine whether the SI model can be successfully extended to this broader range of institutions. We surveyed the four cohorts; 47 STAR alumni responded to the online survey. The responses were separated into two groups based on the Carnegie undergraduate instructional program categories, faculty from seven associate''s and associate''s-dominant institutions (23) and faculty from nine institutions with primarily 4-yr degree programs (24). Both groups expressed the opinion that STAR had a positive impact on teaching, student learning, and engagement. The two groups reported using techniques of formative assessment and active learning with similar frequency. The mix of faculty from diverse institutions was viewed as enhancing the workshop experience. The present analysis indicates that the SI model for training faculty in scientific teaching can successfully be extended to a broad range of higher education institutions.     

The Organization and Structure of Community Education Offerings in Community Colleges

One of the key services community colleges provide is community education, meaning those programs and activities that are often offered for leisure or self-improvement and not for credit. Programs of this nature are increasingly challenged to be self-financing, whether through user fees or externally funded grants. The current study explored 75 community college community education offerings and found that most offered over 50 distinct community education programs, with less than half of those being self-funded. These colleges typically relied on a professional program director to administer programs; and, most frequently, these individuals reported through a division of academic or student affairs. Among other findings, the majority of community education programs profiled were classified as leisure education, although there were large numbers of programs that related to some distinct element of a community (such a national forest, historic downtown, etc.). Study findings highlighted the need for community college leaders to find balance between community needs and financial responsibility. This includes taking on the responsibility for hosting programs that might be financially unviable, but might meet a strong community need.     

What Professionalism Skills Should Be Taught In Community College Health Fields?

The United States Department of Labor predicts the demand in healthcare sector careers to soar as patient demographics continue to change with the aging population of adults (Henderson, 2012). To meet this demand, community colleges will continue to play a vital role in the education of healthcare occupations, as nearly 60% of all healthcare workers are educated in these institutions. Furthermore, student demographics within community colleges are becoming more ethnically diverse. The dramatic changes in population and labor force composition suggest a more robust approach be taken when teaching professionalism skills. In order to promote student completion rates and recognize the evolving changes within the healthcare system, a health and public safety division within a large community college surveyed its faculty members and their clinical affiliates to determine what professional skills should be taught within an entry-level healthcare course. This brief paper describes the survey findings and implications for the development of a future healthcare professionalism course.     

Economics of Distance and Online Learning: Theory,Practice, and Research William J. Bramble and Santosh Panda,Editors

Business school deans at institutions accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business were surveyed on distance education programs offered at their respective schools. This study examined sixteen characteristics of the distance education programs: the number of offerings, the question of not offering distance education, future plans, degree level of programs, number of years offered, number of graduates, length of programs, public or private institutions, grant funding, faculty qualifications and student-faculty ratio, method of delivery, use of a librarian, geographic areas served, tuition rates, financial aid, and the successful aspects. The results of this study may be used to make decisions in planning new distance education programs and the enhancement of existing programs.     

ARTICULATION AND TRANSFER ISSUES IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE ART PROGRAMS IN ILLINOIS

This study documents trends and issues pertaining to articulation and transferabil‐ity of students in art programs at community colleges in Illinois to 4‐year institutions. There has been a discernible lack of consensus and data regarding the current state of articulation in art, both institution‐specific and statewide. Many problems arise when art students attempt to transfer from community colleges to 4‐year institutions. A survey was conducted among selected art faculty at Illinois community colleges to seek relevant information. The findings of this study may direct collaboration between community colleges and 4‐year institutions for purposes such as facilitating transfer and articulation in art.     

PRESIDENTS’ VIEWS ON CURRENT AND FUTURE ISSUES FACING THE COMMUNITY AND JUNIOR COLLEGE

This study provides a foundation for discussion of major issues facing community colleges in America. The purpose of the study was to ascertain how many community college presidents rank order issues facing their institutions, now and five years hence. Additionally, the study sought to more comprehensively examine recent literature about issues facing community colleges for purposes of comparison with the findings of the study, and for explication of issues identified. The data for analysis were collected from a population survey of all public and private community college presidents listed in the Education Directory of Colleges and Universities, 1981‐1982. Issues used in the survey were identified a priori, from a review of the literature, and were validated using a panel of community college presidents. The major findings were that both public and private community college presidents agree that the top issues facing their institutions five years hence are: financial support for institution, achieving institutional mission, and maintaining enrollments. Other major current issues include faculty and staff relations, planning and administering the budget, governing board relations, administrative team relations, state relations, public and community relations, and program development and evaluation. Additionally, questions were raised in the study regarding “presidential priority rankings of issues,” based upon directions suggested in the literature review about what issues seem most pressing in the decade of the 1980s.     

A Discussion on Community Colleges and Global Counterparts Completion Policies

This article is a comparative study of community colleges and global counterparts at 41 institutions in 25 countries. Policies from each country link completion of a college program to career entry and to advancement opportunities. National and institutional policies are being defined, benchmark data is being collected on goals in the process, and specific programs are being offered to increase the likelihood that students finish their educational programs. This article examined the emerging trajectories as defined by those who work in these institutions; and in so doing, it provided a discussion of completion in an international context.     

APPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY IN COMMUNITY COLLEGES

This article discusses community college involvement in a key welfare-to-work training program, the Jobs Opportunities and Basic Skills Training Program (JOBS), as a mirror to reflect on the larger issue of how federal and state workforce policy impacts publicly-controlled institutions of higher education. A qualitative assessment of JOBS programs at community colleges framed discussion regarding the challenges community colleges face as they attempt to preserve these programs within an era of devolved responsibility for welfare-to-work funding from the federal government to the states.     

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT,DIRECT FINANCIAL AID,AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS

This article examines federal student financial aid, with an emphasis on direct grant aid programs to serve needy students attending community colleges. It describes the economic, historical, and political assumptions and incentives to show how public community colleges and their students have been impacted by federal and state direct student aid policies. The article then presents recent data regarding how economic incentives inherent in federal and state direct student aid policies impact public community colleges and their students when compared to other types of institutions of postsecondary education. Data presented show that lower-income students attending public community colleges were likely to receive less direct grant aid from federal and state sources than those attending for-profit proprietary two-year institutions.     

INSTITUTIONAL PERCEPTIONS ABOUT THE PREPARATION OF COLLEGE ADMINISTRATORS

This article looks at the relative usefulness of 12 selected factors in the preparation of college administrators as seen by practicing administrators and faculty in comprehensive community colleges, four‐year liberal arts colleges, and universities.

Three hundred randomly selected faculty and administrators in the state of Iowa were sent survey questionnaires. The returned surveys and research data were then analyzed in order to answer the research question.

The findings suggested that graduates from programs in higher education administration may be more accepted in community colleges than in liberal arts colleges or universities. The findings also showed that university personnel perceived the major research experience as being significantly more useful than the other personnel. Nonclassroom experiences were thought to be the most useful by all personnel, with faculty experience in higher education perceived to be the most useful. This study also showed that both administrators and faculty perceived majoring in higher education administration to be less useful than any of the other 11 preparation variables.

One of the recommendations of this study is that students, graduates, and professors in higher education administration programs attempt to educate the participants in higher education and the public on the strengths and uses of their programs. It was also recommended that further research is needed in the area of administrative task analysis at the different types of institutions.     

PUBLIC TWO‐YEAR COLLEGE FUNDING AND PROGRAM PATTERNS

Several sets of data were employed in efforts to address the major concerns of this study. The first was a national survey of state directors of two‐year colleges. From them basic data regarding the distribution of funding for public two‐year college institutions on a state‐by‐state basis was obtained. It was found that 57% of funding nationally was derived from state legislatures, 17% from local or regional governments, 14% from tuition, and 10% from other sources. Also computed from the survey data was the distribution of full‐time enrollments by generic program. It was found that about half of the full‐time students were enrolled in occupational programs.

Using selected national data, the cost per credit‐hour for 1979‐1980 full‐time students was computed to be $115 if 24 credit‐hours are considered a full‐time load, and $92 using 30 credit‐hours as a full‐time load.

Also determined were the correlations between selected population data and certain public two‐year college demographics. Strong positive relationships were found between state populations, number of colleges in the state, and the magnitude of the states’ gross weights (fraction of total national full‐time enrollments found in that state).     

Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Compliance at Michigan Community Colleges

In 1989, Congress passed the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Amendments to address illegal alcohol and drug abuse on college campuses. To receive federal funding, each college must comply by implementing an alcohol and drug prevention program, but the federal government and some colleges have paid little attention to this policy. Recently, the Department of Education vowed to intensify its scrutiny of colleges and has begun issuing fines for noncompliance. There have been no studies on this topic in over 20 years, leaving community college administrators, in particular, without guidance on how to implement the required programs. In this study, I analyzed public reports from Michigan community colleges to evaluate compliance with the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act and to examine their alcohol and drug programs. I found that 21 of Michigan’s 28 community colleges partially complied with the Act, only two implemented all the required mandates, and five were noncompliant. Most notably, colleges failed to collect substantive programmatic outcomes data, and few offered evidence-based alcohol and drug prevention programs to students. I provide rationale for why colleges should invest in improving compliance and the quality of alcohol and drug programs, and I offer seven recommendations to community college administrators on how to do so.     

A Phenomenological Investigation of Wellness Within Counselor Education Programs

In this phenomenological investigation, the authors explored doctoral‐level counselor trainees’ (N = 12) perceptions of wellness promotion in programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. Using semistructured interviews, the research team identified 3 structural themes (components of wellness, program culture, and recommendations) and 13 textural themes. Findings highlight the need for training regarding boundaries and self‐awareness.     

A place for community colleges in public health education: Two curricular frameworks

The Community College and Public Health project is sponsored by the League for Innovation in the Community College (the League) and the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health’s Framing the Future Task Force. The mission is to fully include community colleges in the continuum of public health education. An expert panel outlined efforts community colleges and public health could do together. Two prototype curricular models were then developed. Public Health: Generalist & Specializations is intended for transfer to bachelor’s degree programs in general public health, health education, health administration or environmental health. Health Navigator is primarily an applied associate degree program preparing graduates as Community Health Workers, patient navigators, and health insurance navigators. The prototype curricular frameworks were developed in collaboration with public health academic and practice organizations. The League expects to play a lead role in implementation including sponsoring demonstration projects and recognition awards for excellence.