April 20, 2007

An $88-Million Experiment to Improve Community Colleges

A small group, backed largely by the Lumina foundation, tries new ways to improve graduation and transfer rates

By ELYSE ASHBURN

Four years ago, the Lumina Foundation for Education assembled several dozen of the country's foremost experts on community colleges.

Officials of the Indianapolis-based foundation wanted to discuss raising transfer and graduation rates, particularly those of minority and low-income students, at two-year colleges. Lumina was prepared to put millions of dollars behind the recommendations that emerged.

As the conversation went past the same stale sound bites and well-trod