Question

Do learning communities at community colleges promote student achievement?

Why are we asking?
Learning communities are a popular strategy at community colleges for improving student success. Small cohorts of students are placed together in two or more thematically linked courses, usually for a single semester, with added support, such as extra advising or tutoring. MDRC and the National Center for Postsecondary Education have conducted the most rigorous research to date on this model.

Working Toward a Solution

Report

What Have We Learned About Learning Communities at Community Colleges?

Two reports offer findings on the effectiveness of learning communities, a popular strategy that places small cohorts of students together in two or more thematically linked courses, usually for a single semester, with added support, such as extra advising or tutoring.

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Report

Commencement Day

Students who participated in a one-semester learning community, in which small groups of student took three linked classes together and received other extra services, were more likely to have graduated six years later. The program also proved to be cost-effective.

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Full
Project

Learning Communities Demonstration

A postsecondary credential has become increasingly important in the labor market, and college attendance has grown. Unfortunately, college completion remains less common, particularly in community colleges, which serve many low-income and academically underprepared students who often need remedial (developmental) courses.

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