This summary guide to a larger study describes how longitudinal transcript data of Adult Basic Skills and ESL students in Washington State’s community and technical colleges were used to examine the impact of college coursework on earning potential. The results of the study showed that completing a year of college-credit courses served as a tipping point to increase future earning potential. The author describes the study design, providing a model for those who want to undertake a similar study, and notes the importance of using data to identify the points at which students are likely to struggle and the milestones that increase the likelihood of success.

Few institutions of higher learning have yet to figure out how to successfully graduate a majority of their students, much less place them in high-wage jobs. This report describes the Tennessee Technology Centers —a statewide system of 27 institutions that provide rigorous technical and occupational education programs at consistently high completion and placement rates. The report provides an overview of the system and examines four integrated components of its institutional framework—program structure; a competency-based, self-paced learning model; contextualized foundation skills; and supportive services—and discusses how each contributes to the effectiveness seen in this new model of student success.

In 2009, the Breaking Through initiative awarded grants to five participating schools to help them scale up their efforts in improving career and technical education for low-skilled students. The case studies presented here explore the strategic approaches of each school (e.g., financial incentives, advising and student supports, revised curricular alignment, external workforce partnerships) and the successes and challenges of bringing these efforts to scale.

Without sufficient financial aid, many community college students cannot begin their postsecondary education, much less sustain it to complete a certificate or degree. This report describes how at a particular meeting in early 2012, postsecondary reform leaders, policymakers, and financial aid experts collaborated to understand how existing federal financial aid policies act as a barrier to institutional and statewide innovation for low-income students. Using case studies, the report describes the reform efforts of two states—Virginia and Washington—to describe obstacles encountered with federal policy and how these states developed workarounds and unique solutions to ensuring that low-income students have funds to complete their education. The author outlines next steps for states, as identified by those participants who are leading the conversation in financial aid policy reform. 

The Best Practice Web site provides information to help college leaders develop innovative solutions to challenges which face their institutions. The Web site may be utilized to learn about new techniques, improve processes, create new programs, make current programs more effective and enhance outreach. 

With college enrollment information generally geared toward traditional students, it can be difficult for adult students with previous college experience to find relevant information on re-enrolling. In this case study, the authors describe Nevada’s Concierge Model, which ensures that each public institution has at least one staff member responsible solely for working adults returning to college. These concierge personnel guide students through the complex issues of the re-enrollment process, including financial aid, learning assessments, class scheduling, transferring credits, and coping with anxiety about reentering the classroom.

This brief summarizes the findings of a two-year study of educational outcomes for participants in Washington State’s career-oriented training program, I-BEST. Initial evaluations found that the program showed significant impact on student success. The CCRC study, which included controls for population variables, supports these earlier evaluations, showing improved outcomes in credits earned, persistence, and completion for I-BEST participants over similar students not in the program.

Millions of Americans who are out of work want to work, but don’t know how to reenter the 21st century job market. This report describes how five Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways provide education and training that could help Americans become employable for jobs that offer middle-class earnings without the need for a bachelor’s degree. The authors discuss different types of jobs and industries in the current job market and describe each of the five pathways that best support those particular jobs and industries. The authors also suggest policy recommendations for advancing the nation’s CTE infrastructure.

Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) conducts projects and offers a variety of research-based resources related to the education of English language learners in a variety of settings, including: prekindergarten-Grade 12 programs, universities and community colleges, adult education programs, and workplace programs.

Our nation’s states and colleges are being charged with the task to lead the world in college attainment. With consideration to the certificate as another option for completing higher education, this report describes how postsecondary institutions award certificates and who the individuals are that are earning them. Based on research studies, the author presents findings about labor market payoff from long-term certificates and recommends ways that colleges, states, and federal policymakers can maximize the potential of certificates for helping individuals and improving the economy. Recommendations include setting more aggressive goals for awarding more long-term certificates, aligning certificates to market needs, and focusing on program completion.

Compared to traditional college students, working adult students attending community college programs have greater limitations in achieving their postsecondary education and training. This study investigates each of the fifty states and examines state initiatives and policies focused on increasing access and affordability of higher education that lead to occupational advancement. The authors identify common ways that states support these institutions in increasing access for nontraditional students, and in expanding as well as improving financial aid options targeting nontraditional students and specific occupational fields for workforce development particular to that state.

In our nation’s effort to improve our economy by providing a trained and educated workforce, there is significant effort to raise completion rates for students who are college ready and on the path to graduating, but little attention is given to students who left higher education just short of their degree. This brief introduces and elevates the concept of near completion and highlights ways in which institutions serving these students, as well as policymakers, researchers, and employers, can reengage and graduate this population. The brief offers short-term strategies that higher education leaders and other interested stakeholders can implement to keep momentum going.

Students forced to complete a long sequence of remedial or English language classes before they can begin their postsecondary program are less likely to earn college certificates or degrees. This brief highlights six promising programs that show how career pathway bridges help lower-skilled students move farther and faster along college and career paths through programs that link basic skills and occupational certificate courses. The author explains two career pathway bridges models — the paired course approach and the integrated course approach — and describes how six colleges implement either approach to meet the particular needs of lower-skilled adults.

In hopes of developing a more stable workforce, many companies are developing programs to train entry-level employees for advancement within the organization. This report draws on interviews with nearly 60 companies to explore their methods of establishing employee development programs and the beneficial results they have seen. The author provides specific examples of successful programs, as well as general guidelines for developing a employee training program, either within a company or in partnership with a community college or other organization.

One population of postsecondary students who leave school before completion is adult learners. This report describes a six-state project aimed at raising educational attainment levels by focusing on identifying and eliminating barriers that keep adults with prior college credit from completing their postsecondary degrees. The report discusses how these states used data to identify ready adults and formed workgroups to examine and tackle state and institutional policy and practice barriers in five areas:  data, academic affairs, student services, financing and financial aid, and communications and outreach. The authors present a state-by-state profile describing the role that state governance structure and institutional context played in addressing barriers, as well as recommendations and promising strategies each state employed. Overall findings and recommendations conclude the report.

Far too many community college students, especially developmental education students, are at risk of failing, and thus at greater risk of not earning a living wage or advancing through job opportunities. This policy brief examines the challenges of developmental education and the efforts that states can pursue to increase the success of students enrolled in remedial courses, leading to improved rates of transition to credit-bearing courses. The authors recommend that state policymakers consider policy changes affecting data systems, assessment and placement, concurrent developmental and college-level course taking, financial aid eligibility, support services, and funding for new models of delivery. These recommendations are discussed along with brief examples of what a few states have done to increase student transition out of developmental education.

Low-income, minority, and adult students’ lower rates of passing introductory courses reduce their chances of earning a degree. Introductory courses are often generic and lecture-based, failing to meet the learning needs of students, but some institutions have effectively redesigned instructional approaches to increase rates of course completion. In this monograph, researchers identified six characteristics integrated into the student learning experience in the effective approaches, including student-centered learning, computer-based learning and testing resources, and on-demand help. Examining the implementation of redesigned courses in colleges with large populations of underserved students, the authors found improved outcomes for underserved students.

ESL instruction for adults is the largest component of adult education in the U.S., but current funding doesn’t allow for development and dissemination of innovative strategies for improving program outcomes. This report examines the innovative and effective program strategies adopted by five community colleges where learning gains and transition rates of adult education ESL students significantly exceed national norm and the norms for their states. In addition to strategies for increasing learning gains and transition rates, the authors describe in detail program strategies related to improving faculty quality, engineering innovation, and targeting approaches with limited funds — each followed by lessons learned at the five community colleges.

In an effort to increase overall degree completion rates, there is a greater focus on helping non-traditional students access and complete postsecondary education. However, this student population is incredibly diverse, making it difficult to understand exactly what support they need. This report presents transcripts and analysis of a September 2011 Advisory Committee hearing in which state and institutional experts examined access and persistence barriers faced by non-traditional students, as well as promising practices and policies to mitigate these barriers. In particular, recommendations focused on possible ways of creating more flexible, student-friendly learning environments and improving the financial aid application and award process.

As part of a series on improving success rates within the California community college system, this report focuses on successful transitions from adult education to postsecondary education. The authors reviewed more than 40 sources to identify promising practices in four major practice areas: organization and administration, program components, staff development, and instruction. In addition to describing the practices identified and offering supporting data and model programs, the author offers recommendations for further research into successful transitions.

To improve our nation’s economy, we need to create more coherent and effective education and workforce development systems, especially targeting disadvantaged youth and adults. This paper proposes new federal competitive grants to states that fund training partnerships between education institutions, employers from key industry sectors, workforce agencies, and other intermediaries at the state level, as well as fund support and services. The author discusses predicted costs and benefits of the grants and purports that over time, these activities will create more effective education and workforce systems, and that these investments will help reduce the nation’s unemployment rate.

As community college systems undergo major transformations to advance the student success agenda, leadership from the college president and the board of trustees has become more important than ever to guide this reform. In this collection of six essays, community college chancellors and presidents provide insight into the challenges and possibilities encountered as they lead their institutions through transformations aimed at improving outcomes and equity for students. The leaders describe efforts to leverage the role of the board of trustees, provide access to all students, reform developmental education, and engage all stakeholders in their commitment to lead change.

Using data on 35,000 first-time students in Florida community colleges, this research brief explores the factors impacting academic outcomes of traditional and older students. The authors specifically focus on student outcomes from enrollment in developmental course pathways and earned-credit milestones (i.e., completing 20 credits or 50% of a program). Findings suggest that students of different age groups are impacted differently by enrollment pathways and credits earned, and the authors note ways support services can take these differences into account.

The income gap between individuals with and without a postsecondary education is wide and increasing rapidly. This brief discusses the learning needs that ESL adult learners have when transitioning from ESL programs to postsecondary education. The author describes research-based strategies ESL teachers can use to support students’ transitions in academic programs as well as recommended ESL program features for administrators to consider when designing supportive transition programs from ESL to college-level coursework.

This Practice Guide identifies institutional barriers to student success and offers colleges four high-leverage strategies for developing career and college pathways to better prepare low-skilled students for more advanced studies or family-supporting careers. The guide describes specific practices Breaking Through colleges have used in implementing each strategy, as well as vignettes illustrating how selected colleges created their programs.

Employers need skilled workers, but there needs to be new and clearer career pathways for adults to get the education and training they need to become such workers. As part of a technical assistance effort, this report presents a framework — comprising six key elements — that workforce investment systems can use to develop and implement successful career pathways, especially for adult learners. For each element, the report offers examples of specific approaches and models in place among states. The authors also discuss how key state and local workforce investment systems can strategically partner to improve career pathways toward educating a more prepared generation of workers.

Measuring student success by completion rate doesn’t present an accurate picture of the different postsecondary goals students have and how they plan to reach them. Using data from an earlier study, this report examines how community college students’ patterns of course-taking behavior can contribute to or distract from meeting their degree, certificate, and transfer goals. The authors identify characteristics of students who exhibit these patterns and suggest that community colleges use these data to strengthen support services and interventions, especially for the disproportionate groups of students that are not successfully reaching completion.