As elite universities debate Congress over how much of their multi-billion-dollar endowments to spend, a new report argues that higher education's heavy-lifters, community colleges, need both more money and better results.

James Jacobs, of the Community College Research Center, says better student outcomes have risen to the top of the agenda for a broad range of community colleges.

 

As major philanthropic project called "Achieving the Dream" is helping community colleges study their students' performance and develop ways to improve it. At least one state, Washington, is changing how it funds community colleges to reward student progress instead of just enrollment, Jacobs said.

 

This article appeared in the January 31, 2008 edition of the Associated Press.