A Study On American Community College’s Development And Its Enlightenment

Over the past over 100 years, the American economy has achieved remarkable progress. The American community college has made great contributions to the rapidly growing American economy in that it satisfied the needs of American economic development in all the historical stages, thus becoming an important tool for the American Federal Government and all the state governments to address economic problems and formulate economic, political, cultural development strategies. The development course of the community college indicates the framework and requirements of the American economic development and the positive role of education in the country’s development. It is a two-year institution of higher learning focusing on the community development and services. Its success is attributed to its reforms and innovations carried out to fit into the historical background and development trends.Since its establishment, drawing on its distinguished features and comprehensive functions, it has not only made significant contributions to the popularization of American higher education, but also provided references to China’s higher vocational education. According to statistics of American Community College Association, until January 2015, there were altogether 1,123 community colleges, among which 996 are state-run, 96 are private-run and 35 are tribal colleges opened by Indians; and the number of full-time and part-time students exceeded 12,400,000.Focusing on the development course of the American community college, the paper applies historical analysis approach to analyze the major factors affecting its development, including historical background, social factors and specific historical events. It also expounds the characteristics of schooling functions, curriculum offered and teaching faculties in different historical stages to better understand the development course of the community college. Indeed, based on the features of the development of the American community college, the paper concludes with the implications and references for the development of our higher vocational education.