SIGNIFICANTLY MOVING THE NEEDLE ON
STUDENT SUCCESS REQUIRES THAT COLLEGES
STRATEGICALLY FOCUS THEIR EFFORTS ON
EDUCATIONAL PRACTICES THAT PRODUCE
A MEASURABLE POSITIVE IMPACT FOR
A LARGE NUMBER OF STUDENTS.
in faculty survey results (CCFSSE). A
pilot of the institutional survey (CCIS)
produced responses from 228 colleges.
Doing What Works
Preliminary findings provide an over-
view of student, faculty, and institu-
tional experiences with these promising
practices. The most immediate finding
that emerges from our preliminary
work is this: Far too few students report
experiencing these practices in their com-
munity colleges. Examples of 2011 survey
results, along with the kinds of ques-
tions they might raise on campuses,
include the following:
• More than one in 10 students
( 11 percent) report registering late—
after the first class meeting—for
at least one class. Is the student who
registers late immune to the impact of
missing class sessions? Is she likely to
have attended orientation? Will he have
completed the FAFSA and have funds
for books? Can faculty actually start
teaching on the first day of class? If they
do, the late student falls behind. If
they don’t, students who registered
on time are shortchanged.
