This publication describes the methods and procedures used in the 2008/12 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B:08/12). These graduates, who completed the requirements for a bachelor's degree during the 2007-08 academic year, were first interviewed as part of the 2008 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:08), and then followed up in 2009 as part of B&B:08/09. B&B:08/12 is the second follow-up interview of this cohort. This report details the methodology and outcomes of the B&B:08/12 student interview data collection and administrative records matching. Appendixes include: (1) Technical Review Panel; (2) Data Elements; (3) Field Test Report; (4) Data Collection Methods; (5) Training Materials; (6) Facsimiles; (7) Imputations; (8) Analysis Variables; (9) Design Effects; and (10) Nonresponse Bias Analysis.

This report documents the methodological procedures and evaluations of the 2008/09 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B:08/09). RTI, with the assistance of MPR, conducted B&B:08/09 for the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of the U.S. Department of Education. Chapter 1 describes the background, legislative authorization, and schedule and products of B&B:08/09. Chapter 2 presents the sampling details of the B&B:08 cohort and provides the definition of a B&B:08 cohort study respondent. Chapter 3 describes the development of the student interview and details of the data collection and results, and provides an evaluation of the student interview data quality. Chapter 4 describes the transcript data collection including systems for collecting, recording, and evaluating transcript data. Chapter 5 summarizes the file preparation process for the B&B:08/09 student interview and transcript data collections. Finally, Chapter 6 provides information pertaining to the weighting and variance estimation procedures for B&B:08/09. Materials used during the full-scale student interview and transcript data collection are appended to the report and cited in the text where appropriate. Appendices include: (1) NPSAS:08 Institution and Student Sampling Details; (2) Technical Review Panel; (3) Data Elements for Student Interview; (4) Facsimile of Full-scale Instrument; (5) Interviewer Training Agenda and Training Manual Contents; (6) Notification Material for Student Interview Data Collection; (7) Training Agendas for Transcript Data Collection; (8) Notification Material for Transcript Data Collection; (9) Data Elements for Keying and Coding System; (10) Imputation Rates; (11) Analysis Variables; (12) Design Effects; and (13) Nonresponse Bias Analysis.

More than half of 9th graders in the United States will never complete a college degree. High schools must do more than prepare some students for college: They must prepare all American youth for productive lives as well as continued learning beyond high school. In this timely volume, two educational leaders advocate for a more meaningful high school experience. To accomplish this, the authors argue that we need to change the focus of our current high school reform efforts from "college for all" to "careers for all." This work shows how schools can prepare young people both for the emerging workplace and postsecondary education.

As the U.S. focuses on positioning itself to retain and advance its status as a world leader in technology and scientific innovation, a recognition that community colleges are a critical site for intervention has become apparent. Community colleges serve the lion’s share of the nation’s postsecondary students. In fact, 40% of all undergraduate students are enrolled in community colleges, these students account for nearly 30% of all STEM undergraduate majors in postsecondary institutions. These students serve as a core element of the STEM pipeline into four-year colleges and universities via the community college transfer function. Moreover, community colleges are the primary postsecondary access point for non-traditional students, including students of color, first-generation, low-income, and adult students. This is a particularly salient point given that these populations are sordidly underrepresented among STEM graduates and in the STEM workforce. Increasing success among these populations can contribute significantly to advancing the nation’s interests in STEM. As such, the community college is situated as an important site for innovative practices that have strong implications for bolstering the nation’s production and sustenance of a STEM labor force. In recognition of this role, the National Science Foundation and private funding agencies have invested millions of dollars into research and programs designed to bolster the STEM pipeline. From this funding and other independently sponsored inquiry, promising programs, initiatives, and research recommendations have been identified. These efforts hold great promise for change, with the potential to transform the education and outcome of STEM students at all levels. This important book discusses many of these promising programs, initiatives, and research-based recommendations that can impact the success of STEM students in the community college. This compilation is timely, on the national landscape, as the federal government has placed increasing importance on improving STEM degree production as a strategy for America’s future stability in an increasingly competitive global marketplace. Informed by research and theory, each chapter in this volume blazes new territory in articulating how community colleges can advance outcomes for students in STEM, particularly those from historically underrepresented and underserved communities.

Understanding Community Colleges provides a critical examination of contemporary issues and practices and policy of community colleges. This contributed volume brings together highly respected scholars as well as new scholars for a comprehensive analysis of the community college landscape, including management and governance, finance, student demographics and development, teaching and learning, policy, faculty, and workforce development. At the end of each chapter, the "Questions for Discussion" section helps to bridge the gap between research and practice. Written for students enrolled in higher education and community college graduate programs, as well as social sciences scholars, this provocative new edition covers the latest developments in the field, including trends in enrollment, developmental education, student services, funding, and shared governance.