In a major shake-up, lawmakers are tightening state control over community colleges, tying budgets to academic performance and giving education officials greater say over choosing and evaluating college presidents. The wide-ranging policy changes, a chief goal of the Patrick administration and the business community, bring greater oversight to the 15-college system, long criticized for low graduation rates and a lack of uniform standards. The legislation will also extend to the college level the accountability movement that has reshaped K-12 education. Leaders of community colleges had resisted the effort, saying that they needed more funding far more than additional oversight and that low graduation rates provide a misleading picture of their success.
http://articles.boston.com/2012-07-03/metro/32509043_1_community-colleges-graduation-rates-public-colleges
