Community Colleges and the Access Effect: Why Open Admissions Suppresses Achievement

273 Pages·2014·1.748 MB·English

by  Juliet Lilledahl Scherer, Mirra Leigh Anson (auth.)

COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND THE ACCESS EFFECT
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Community Colleges and
the Access Effect
Why Open Admissions Suppresses
Achievement
Juliet Lilledahl Scherer and
Mirra Leigh Anson
COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND THE ACCESS EFFECT
Copyright © Juliet Lilledahl Scherer and Mirra Leigh Anson, 2014.
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2014
All rights reserved.
First published in 2014 by
PALGRAVE MACMILLAN®
in the United States— a division of St. Martin’s Press LLC,
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
Where this book is distributed in the UK, Europe and the rest of the world,
this is by Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited,
registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills,
Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS.
Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies
and has companies and representatives throughout the world.
Palgrave® and Macmillan® are registered trademarks in the United States,
the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries.
ISBN: 978–1–137–33600–2 (hc)
ISBN: 978–1–137–33601–9 (pbk)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Scherer, Juliet Lilledahl, 1974–
Community colleges and the access effect : why open admissions suppresses
achievement / Juliet Lilledahl Scherer and Mirra Leigh Anson.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978–1–137–33600–2 (alk. paper)—
ISBN 978–1–137–33601–9 (alk. paper)
1. Community colleges—United States—Admission. I. Anson, Mirra Leigh,
1978– II. Title.
LB2351.2.S335 2014
378.1(cid:25)5430973—dc23 2013039919
A catalogue record of the book is available from the British Library.
Design by Newgen Knowledge Works (P) Ltd., Chennai, India.
First edition: April 2014
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
ISBN 978-1-137-33601-9 ISBN 978-1-137-33100-7 (eBook)
DOI 10.1057/9781137331007
For our children:
Olivia and Lena;
Jenna and Jacob;
Alex, Annekah, and Andrea;
Daniel and Abby;
Owen and Cora;
Julian, Will, and Audrey;
Mason and Cole;
Luke, Dalton, and Conner;
Lucas, Noah, Graham, and Lucy;
Maia and Elena;
Tyler and Ella;
Luke and Sydney;
Rylee and Samantha;
Riley and Evan;
Phin and Merrick;
Sam, Jersie, Toren, and Deklan;
Andrew and Cameron;
Dylan, Morgan, and Madison;
Jackson, Brock, and Max;
and, truly, every child.
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Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 1
Chapter 1
Open Access in Higher Education 7
Chapter 2
The Trouble in Tucson 19
Chapter 3
The Price of Completion at Any Cost 27
Chapter 4
The Perils of Paying for Performance 43
Chapter 5
The Revenue Reality 59
Chapter 6
Honoring the Letter and Spirit of Federal Student Aid 69
Chapter 7
The Disabilities Dilemma 81
Chapter 8
The Access Effect 103
Chapter 9
Creating a New Admission Standard 125
Chapter 10
Providing Meaningful Postsecondary Options 135
Chapter 11
The Equity/Excellence Enrosque 165
viii CONTENTS
Chapter 12
The Impact of Global Competition 179
Chapter 13
Restoring America’s Culture of Learning 191
Notes 207
Index 249
Acknowledgments
M
any people enthusiastically contributed to this book out of no greater
motivation than to improve public education in America. We are most grate-
ful to our students and colleagues—past, present, and future—who inspired
this book. We especially thank the students who spent time with us outside
the classroom and allowed us to share their personal stories. We feel particu-
larly indebted to our dauntless peers in public education—those we know
personally and those whose work we admire from afar—many of whom
assisted us immeasurably by identifying, collecting, and connecting us to
information and sources important to this text. We are humbled and inspired
by their courage and scholarly example. Several readers graciously lent their
editorial skills to early versions of this text; many thanks to Dustin Lilledahl,
Terry Lilledahl, Jim Repp, and Ryan Smith for gifting their valuable time
and considerable talents.
To everyone involved at Palgrave Macmillan, you have our genuine appre-
ciation; your collective commitment to this text from beginning to end was
so uplifting and encouraging. To Sarah Nathan, you are the best in the
business, and we are eternally grateful for your wonderful advice and cease-
less advocacy for this book. Much appreciation, as well, to Mara Berkoff
and Devon Wolfkiel, two invaluable Palgrave Macmillan team members who
contributed a great deal during the publishing process.
Finally, to our husbands, Terry Scherer and Matt Anson, we owe so much
for your unwavering support of this publication, from start to finish and in
the many years leading up. Your priceless gifts of love, patience, and time
made writing this text possible and enjoyable. To our parents and siblings
and other family members, teachers, coaches, mentors, and friends who have
invested so much in us over the years: thank you for helping us develop our
minds and our hearts for the ultimate purpose of serving others.