
	Dr. Michael W. Kirst Michael W. Kirst is Professor Emeritus of Education and Business Administration at Stanford University since 1969. Dr. Kirst received his Ph.D. in political economy and government from Harvard. Before joining the Stanford University faculty, Dr. Kirst held several positions with the federal government, including Staff Director of the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Manpower, Employment and Poverty. He was a former president of the California State Board of Education. His book From High School to College with Andrea Venezia was published by Jossey Bass in 2004.



	Policy Alignment to Enhance College Completion


	Student Indicators of Inadequate College Readiness


	College Readiness Has Many Dimensions


	How to Evaluate College Remedial programs


	College Success Drives Economic Prosperity


	College Success Should Determine Success on Wall S...


	Promising Secondary School Strategies for College...


	Doubling Numbers of Low Income Students Who Comple...


	Doubling the Number of Low Income College Graduates


	Males Lag Females in College Enrollment and Comple...

My blog discusses the important and complex subjects of college completion, college success, student risk factors (for failing), college readiness, and academic preparation. I will explore the pieces of the college puzzle that heavily influence, if not determine, college success rates.

CUNY Creates New Programs to Increase College Completion

The City University of New York will spend 20 million to impement a number of interlocking and simultaneous interventions to increase graduation rates at 6 communtity colleges. The interventions include: a summer orientation program, creation of leraning communities where students take classes together , homework sessions on campus, tutors, faculty advisers, and part time employment in jobs related to their studies. CUNY is on the right track, because it takes more than one thing to help students succeed in college and overcome remediation. The planned interventions are based on research, and the combined effect should be greater than just one or two interventions.
But scaling this up will cost lots of money that most community colleges do not have. California community colleges spend less than high schools per FTE. We need to get serious about what it will cost to increase community college completion rates which are only 24% after 6 years in California for any type of program including vocational certificates.