Turning Data into Information: Helping Community Colleges Use Existing Data to Advance Student Success

Abstract

The recent policy-based movements to promote community college student success have been advanced by a commitment to data-driven decision making; however, many community colleges lack institutional research capacity to use data effectively.  Partnerships between community college professionals and university researchers have the potential to expand research capacity and develop productive partnerships for practice and scholarship.  This paper uses the American Evaluation Association (AEA) Guiding Principles and a synopsis of a research project to discuss considerations for scholarly collaboration to inform community college decisions.