2008 Community College Futures Assembly Focus: Change Or Die—Keys to Enacting Change in the Community College

The Community College Futures Assembly has served as a national, independent policy thinktank since 1995. Its purpose is to articulate the critical issues facing American community colleges and recognize innovative programs. Convening annually in January in Orlando, Florida, the Assembly offers a learning environment where tough questions are raised, critical issues are discussed, and policy implications are vetted. The focus for the 2008 Community College Futures Assembly was change, a theme taken from the book, Change or Die. This special focus issue of the Community College Journal of Research and Practice highlights the best practices of 30 Bellwether trend-setting institutions.     

Critical Issues Facing America's Community Colleges: A Summary of the Community College Futures Assembly 2008

Three focus groups consisting of board of trustee members, community college presidents, senior administrators, administrators, and faculty members developed critical issues facing community colleges with respect to instructional planning and services; planning, governance, and finance; and workforce development. Thereafter, the delegation of more than 200 voted on various aspects of the most critical issue divulged in the 2008 Community College Futures Assembly: general education assessment is coming. The findings, including opportunities and challenges, potential implications for community college administrators, and future research topics are also discussed, mostly in the context of workforce development opportunities.     

Introduction To The Futures Focus Issue: The New Rules Of Business

The Community College Futures Assembly has served as a national independent policy think tank since 1995. Its purpose is to articulate the critical issues facing American community colleges and recognize leading-edge trendsetting programs. Convening annually in January in Orlando, Florida, the Assembly offers a learning environment where tough questions are raised, critical issues are discussed, and policy implications are challenged. The 2006 Community College Futures Assembly focused on “The New Rules of Business.”

This special focus issue of the Community College Journal of Research and Practice highlights the “best practices” of 30 Bellwether trend-setting institutions. These institutions competitively presented their “lessons learned” to representatives of colleges interested in replicating their award winning programs. In each of the three award categories, Instructional Program and Services; Planning, Governance and Finance; and Workforce Development; 10 Bellwether finalists were competitively selected. Finalists were featured as presenters at the assembly to share their leading-edge ideas with participants. Three institutions then won the prestigious Bellwether Award in their respective category.     

Review section

LISREL Issues, Debates, and Strategies. Leslie A. Hayduk. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996, 256 pages (cloth), $39.95.     

Indirect Impact: How Early Childhood Educator Training and Coaching Impacted the Acquisition of Literacy Skills in Preschool Students

Learning to read becomes a difficult task for many children, particularly if they have not been reared in early childhood settings where literacy-based activities, interactions, or materials are prevalent. This study examined the impact that providing a college-level course in research-based instructional strategies for literacy development to early childhood educators had on the development of early reading skills in the preschool children they taught. In addition, impact on children’s rates of literacy skill attainment was examined when a coaching component (i.e., a Literacy Coach) was added.     

First-Grade Teacher Behaviors and Children's Prosocial Actions in Classrooms

Research Findings: This study examines whether specific teacher instructional practices in early education are associated with children's engagement in prosocial behavior. Teachers’ verbal encouragement of prosocial behavior and empathy, emotional warmth, positive behavior management, vocabulary instruction, and encouragement of expressive language were explored in relation to children's classroom prosocial behavior. We also examined whether increased prosociability was evident in the classrooms of teachers who both encouraged prosocial behavior and empathy and demonstrated emotional warmth. We observed 124 first-grade classrooms that included 2,098 children. Results indicated that teachers’ verbal encouragement of prosocial behavior and empathy was most strongly associated with classroom prosocial behavior. There was also a significant association between encouragement of expressive language and prosocial behavior. Emotional warmth, positive behavior management, vocabulary instruction, and the joint effect of teacher emotional warmth and encouragement of prosocial behavior and empathy was not associated with prosocial behavior. Practice or Policy: These findings suggest that teachers’ more deliberate encouragement of prosocial and empathic behavior and their creation of a positive, interactive social environment may support students’ prosocial behavior. The implications of these findings are particularly important for young children learning to engage with others.     

Metacognition, Self-Regulation, and Self-Regulated Learning: Research Recommendations

Much research has been conducted on metacognition, self-regulation, and self-regulated learning, but the articles in this special issue make it clear that we still have many unanswered questions. Recommendations for research include providing clear definitions of processes, identifying relevant theories, ensuring that assessments clearly reflect processes, linking processes with academic outcomes, conducting more educational developmental research, and tying processes firmly with instructional methods. Collectively, these recommendations will enhance our understanding of metacognition, self-regulation, and self-regulated learning and will lead to solid implications for educational policy and practice.     

Research Mentorship in Counselor Education

The purpose of this national survey was to determine whether pretenured counselor educators receive research mentorship, and if so, what instructional and relational factors occur within that relationship. Pretenured counselor educators in counselor education programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs were surveyed (N = 269). The 139 respondents (51.7% response rate) indicated that most (n / 107) pretenured counselor educators receive research mentorship. The relationship(s), most often described as cooperative (n / 84) and open (n / 70), focused primarily on navigation of promotion and tenure (n / 87) and generating refereed publications (n / 95) and presentations (n / 72).     

Responding to student expectations: a partnership approach to course evaluation

This paper presents a study that used newly developed instruments to investigate student expectations at two points in a semester‐based course. Course convenors were able to make some changes in response to the feedback, explain to students how the feedback had informed the course processes, and work with tutors on delivery enhancements. The administration of these instruments, a partnership approach involving students, tutors and lecturers, contributed to the creation of a responsive teaching and learning environment. In addition to enabling real‐time changes to be made, evaluation of the total teaching and learning experience ensured that improvements were made to subsequent offerings of the same course. Also, insights from one course were evaluated in terms of applicability to other courses offered within the same academic discipline. The study finds that establishing student expectations provides a framework for developing a responsive and iterative approach to achieving excellence in teaching and learning.