This report espouses “benchmarking” as a way for community colleges to measure how well they are making sure the youths who start their programs actually finish. Benchmarking is defined as the “systematic process of comparing an organization’s performance on key measures to the performance of others,” as well as comparing that performance to an objective standard of excellence.
The report looks at factors like how well a college informs youths about financial aid and how engaged youths are in their classes (evidenced by such things such as asking questions, getting tutoring or working with other students outside of class). It highlights examples of community colleges that have taken a deliberate approach toward improving student engagement.
Free, 28 pages. www.ccsse.org/sense/resources/publications/SENSE_Benchmarking_and_Benchmarks_3-29-10.pdf
