About the new Community College Policy Center Web site:
The Academy for Educational Development (AED), Iowa State University and the Education Commission of the States (ECS) have joined forces to reconstitute the Community College Policy Center, a national policy clearinghouse that will provide critical support to state and federal policymakers and community college leaders as a one-stop resource for information and policy research focused on how states can fully leverage their community colleges as engines of economic development and educational opportunity.
Dramatic demographic shifts, disparity in income distribution and economic security and the recognition that the U.S. economy needs a well-educated workforce that can compete in a global economy will require greater access to high quality higher education for traditionally neglected populations. Recent research, data and practices make it clear that community colleges have a vital role to play in addressing these needs and preparing the nation’s workforce for a stable and prosperous economic future.
Unfortunately, state and local policymakers have limited access to information on the promising strategies and policies that are emerging from the many innovative public and philanthropic initiatives that seek to maximize the impact of community colleges on college attainment and regional workforce development goals. Philanthropic foundations are pouring tens of millions of dollars into a wide range of projects designed to improve economic and educational opportunities for at-risk populations.
In addition, the Federal Government is investing tens of millions into new initiatives that take advantage of the community colleges’ workforce training strengths to help address the education and training needs of displaced workers suffering in the current economic crisis. While all of these initiatives are resulting in a new age of innovation, state system and policy leaders who not directly engaged in these public and philanthropic reform efforts are too often unaware of the emerging body of promising practices that might inform their own work. There is no central, easily accessible repository or dissemination mechanism for this vital information. In a time of limited public resources for postsecondary education, it is more important than ever for there to be an entity that ensures that the most effective policies and strategies are communicated to policymakers as they seek to leverage their investment in community colleges to drive economic development in their states.
The Community College Policy Center will fill a critical need by working closely with policymakers to maximize their investments in community colleges by providing the information, research and support they need to implement the proven policies and practices that will have the greatest impact on their residents and economies. The partnership of AED, Iowa State University and the Education Commission of the States provides a tremendous opportunity to achieve the goals of the Center through their unique expertise in community college policy. The Center will work closely with policymakers and institutional leaders to better position community colleges to meet state and regional economic and education needs by:
- Providing just-in-time, high-quality information and analysis on community college data and policy in a central web-based
location
- Enhancing the impact of critical innovations in community college policy by ensuring that investments made by philanthropic
foundations and state agencies are widely disseminated and accessible to policymakers
- Convening community college leaders, researchers and policymakers to explore the latest innovations in community college
policy and assist policymakers as they adapt these efforts to their states
- Utilizing information technology to create a network of policymakers and a one-stop Web site with the latest research and best practices in community college policy
- Delivering high quality technical assistance to states
- Developing and implementing projects that support outstanding community college policy and practice.
For further information contact:
Katherine Boswell
Executive Director
Community College Policy Center
1875 Connecticut Ave, NW
Washington DC, 20009
(801) 278-0713
kboswell@aed.org