Community colleges must create culture of completion

The economic prosperity of any nation is inextricably tied to the education of its citizens. In the United States, obtaining a higher-education credential is a pursuit that many now consider a civil right and an essential pathway toward achieving the American dream of upward social and economic mobility. The United States has fallen from being the world's leader in the percentage of citizens holding higher-education credentials to 16th among the leading 34 industrialized economies in the world. Last year, the U.S. was ranked 12th. In math scores, U.S. students rank 25th compared to their global counterparts. This comes at a time when studies show that in less than six years, 67 percent of all new jobs providing livable wages will require at minimum a post-secondary credential. More...