This review explores the recent literature on proprietary schools. It examines the characteristics of proprietary schools and the distinctions between proprietary schools and community colleges. The authors close by posing the questions of whether proprietary schools are converging with community colleges and whether proprietary schools are a threat to community colleges. The study concludes that proprietary schools and community colleges have individual strengths that make each institution appealing to different segments of the student population. More research is urged to explore the possibility of future collaboration between proprietary schools and community colleges.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Bailey, T. & Badway, N. (2001). For-profit higher education and community colleges. (ERIC Document Reproduction No. ED463 824).
2.
Baldwin, A. (1997). Report on the status of proprietary schools in Dade County, FL (Research Report No. 97-OlR). (ERIC Document Reproduction No. ED422 995).
3.
Blumenstyk, G. (2003, March 21). Sylvan will shed its tutoring business to focus on higher education. [Electronic version]. Chronicle of Higher Education,49-49, A31-A31.
4.
Burd, S. (1998, September). For-profit trade schools win new respect in Congress. [Electronic version]. Chronicle of Higher Education, 45, A47-A47.
5.
Cheng, X. D. & Levin, B. H. (1995). Who are the students at community colleges? In Clowes & Hawthorne (Eds.), Community colleges and proprietary schools: Conflict or convergence? (pp. 51-60). New Directions for Community Colleges, no. 91. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass.
6.
Clowes, D. A.Community college and proprietary schools: Conflict or convergence? In Clowes & Hawthorne (Eds.), Community colleges and proprietary schools: Conflict or convergence? (pp. 5-15). New Directions for Community Colleges, no. 91. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass.
7.
Farrell, E. F. (2002, September 30). U. of Phoenix adds 3 doctoral programs and a school of advanced studies. [Electronic version]. Chronicle of Higher Education, 49.
8.
Farrell, E. F. (2002, October 25). U. of Phoenix sees surge in revenues and enrollments. [Electronic version]. Chronicle of Higher Education, 49, A31-A31.
9.
Farrell, E. F. (2002, December 12). Education department's view of for-profit colleges is improving, official says. [Electronic version]. Chronicle of Higher Education, 49.
10.
Farrell, E. F. (2003, February 14). Phoenix's unusual way of crafting courses. [Electronic version]. Chronicle of Higher Education, 49, A10-A10.
11.
Farrell, E. F. (2003, April 18). Signer beware. [Electronic version]. Chronicle of Higher Education, 49, A33-A33.
12.
Farrell, E. F. (2003, May 30). For-profit colleges see rising minority enrollments. [Electronic version]. Chronicle of Higher Education, 49, A35-A35
13.
Hawthorne, E. M. (1995). Proprietary schools and community colleges: The next chapter. In Clowes & Hawthorne (Eds.), Community colleges and proprietary schools: Conflict or convergence? (pp. 93-98). New Directions for Community Colleges, no. 91. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass.
14.
Hittman, J. A. (1995). Changes in mission, governance, and funding of proprietary postsecondary institutions. In Clowes & Hawthorne (Eds.), Community colleges and proprietary schools: Conflict or convergence? (pp. 17-25). New Directions for Community Colleges, no. 91. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass.
15.
Hyslop, C. & Parsons, M. H. (1995). Curriculum as a path to convergence. In Clowes & Hawthorne (Eds.), Community colleges and proprietary schools: Conflict or convergence? (pp. 41-49). New Directions for Community Colleges, no. 91. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass.
16.
Jones, R. T. (1996, October/November). The new workplace and lifelong learning. Community College Journal, 67(20), 21-23.
17.
Kintzer, F. C. (1996). A historical andfuturistic perspective of articulation and transfer in the United States. (ERIC Document Reproduction No. ED389 380).
18.
Lederman, D. (1998, February 27). 2-Year colleges and proprietary schools feud over bill on vocational education. [Electronic version]. Chronicle of Higher Education, 44, A36-A36.
19.
Mangan, K. S. (1999, September 24). A struggling law school turns its management over to a chain of proprietary schools. [Electronic version]. Chronicle of Higher Education, 46, A52-A52.
20.
Moore, R. W. (1995). The illusion of convergence: Federal student aid in community colleges and proprietary schools. In Clowes & Hawthorne (Eds.), Community colleges and proprietary schools: Conflict or convergence? (pp. 71-80). New Directions for Community Colleges, no. 91. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass.
21.
National Center for Education Statistics. (1999). Digest of education statistics, 1998 (NCES 1999-032). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
22.
National Center for Education Statistics. (2000a). Digest of education statistics, 1999 (NCES 2000-031). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
23.
National Center for Education Statistics. (2000b). Students at Private, For-Profit Institutions (NCES 2000-175). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
24.
Olsen, F. (2002, May 2). Investments in privately-held distance education companies dropped in 2002. [Electronic version]. Chronicle of Higher Education, 49, A40-A40.
25.
Prager, C. (1995). Ties that bind: Default, accreditation, and articulation. In Clowes & Hawthorne (Eds.), Community colleges and proprietary schools: Conflict or convergence? (pp. 61-70). New Directions for Community Colleges, no. 91. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass.
26.
Rosa, K. J. (1997). Evaluation of a Commercial student retention program at Topeka Technical College. (ERIC Document Reproduction No. ED411 029).
27.
Roueche, J. E., Roueche, S. D. & and Johnson, R. A. (2002, April-May). At our best: Facing the challenge. Community College Journal. 72(5), 10-14.
28.
Selingo, J. (1999, September 24). For-profit colleges aim to take a share of state financial-aid funds. [Electronic version]. Chronicle of Higher Education, 46, A41-A41.
29.
Strosnider, K. (1998, January 23). For-profit higher education sees booming enrollments and revenues. [Electronic version]. Chronicle of Higher Education, 44, A36-A36.
30.
Zeiss, T. (1998, July). The realities of competition: Will our students become theirs?Community College Journal, 68(6), 8-13.
