Some community colleges have acknowledged the need to address the lack of academic readiness within student ranks, says Dr. Gerardo de los Santos, president and chief executive officer of the League for Innovation in the Community College.

His short list of community colleges on the cutting edge includes Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio; Miami Dade College and Valencia College in Florida; and Austin Community College in Texas. Tactics at those schools vary from using technology to track and align student performance and career strategies or to measure outcomes and best practices for teaching in classrooms of students with multiple learning styles.

“I could go on and on and on with outstanding colleges that are trying to move the needle,” says de los Santos, whose league is headquartered in Chandler, Ariz. “Those are just a few who are trying to do the hard work.”

A former community college professor, he graduated Mesa Community College in Arizona, before eventually earning a Ph.D. in community college leadership from the University of Texas.

Community Colleges Creating Pathways for Underprepared Students - Higher Education.pdf