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The Community College of Baltimore County in Maryland and South Texas College in McAllen, Texas, today received the 2008 MetLife Foundation Community College Excellence Award.

The winners were announced at the 2008 annual convention of the American Association of Community Colleges.

The award winners were chosen based on their ability to demonstrate determined leadership, innovative programming, and attention to outcomes.

The result: clear improvements in meeting the varied learning needs of low-income, first-generation, immigrant, and working students.

MetLife Foundation created the Community College Excellence Award to recognize institutions that are helping low-skilled youth and adults enter college to achieve their educational goals.

Because global competitiveness and changing local economies demand more highly skilled and well-educated workers, community colleges are considered an important access point for students who aspire to higher education but are not adequately prepared to succeed at the college level.

The Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) is dedicated to achieving positive outcomes for underserved students through a combination of innovation, deliberate experimentation and analysis, focused leadership, and capacity-building.

Under the leadership of President Sandra Kurtinitis, the institution has demonstrated a commitment to innovation and to results.

Among its innovations, CCBC has increased the number of students who are prepared for college at enrollment by developing a strong partnership with the Baltimore County Public School System.

It also works with high schools, particularly those serving high proportions of students of color, on sophomore-year placement testing, campus visits, career luncheons, and college-course enrollment for high school students.

Faculty and administrators have embraced a common agenda of improvement, using data from surveys, focus groups, and careful research studies of innovative programming.