This case study investigates El Paso Community College’s first year of participation in the Achieving the Dream initiative, particularly their use of the ACCUPLACER test both as a placement assessment for incoming students and as part of a larger effort to guide high school students to college readiness. The authors interviewed EPCC personnel and held focus groups with students to explore how EPCC’s efforts impacted the school’s goals of decreasing the number of entering students who place into developmental courses and decreasing the time required to complete developmental coursework.

The Early College High School Initiative introduces students to free, credit-bearing college-level course work while in high school and provides support in the college application and enrollment process. This report describes the history and outcomes of the Initiative to date. The authors offer details on the context of the Initiative’s origin, key program elements and success indicators, and its supporting partnerships. Profiles of specific sites provide more in-depth snapshots.

Using existing research, interviews with experts, and information collected during visits to 21 California community colleges, the authors focus on the campus-level financial aid policies that impact a school’s ability to serve students and meet administrative requirements. Comparing policies as they impact the dissemination of financial aid information, the application process, and the delivery of aid dollars, the report highlights policies that serve to “green light” students through the financial aid process or present them with “red tape” complications. The authors include high-level recommendations for state and federal policymakers regarding funding and application processes, as well as suggestions for school-level improvements within current constraints.

Many job seekers do not have the resources or time to dedicate to a two- or four-year college degree before entering the job market. In these cases, it is important that there are alternative paths available for those looking to learn skills and improve their employment opportunities. This program summary describes the key features of Career First, an alternative postsecondary pathway developed to meet the needs of low-income, underprepared high school graduates interested in quality employment opportunities in high-demand industries.

There currently exists a significant economic gap in college access; while 52% of middle and upper income students earn postsecondary degrees, only 11% of students from the lowest-income families do. Well-designed dual enrollment programs can help close this gap, introducing college-level work to students otherwise unlikely to pursue postsecondary education and helping to build a coherent P–16 education system. This guide provides an overview of current cutting-edge dual enrollment programs, and a detailed review of the principles for designing a high-quality program. These principles also serve as the foundation for an included self-assessment tool.

Efforts to improve high school and college graduation rates for low-income students and students of color are undermined by students’ placement into a less rigorous career-ready educational track that leaves them underprepared for postsecondary programs or the skilled workforce. Using data from a six-year audit of student transcripts, the Education Trust –West identifies specific factors that negatively impact educational equity and offers recommendations for reforming both college- and career-track curricula in high schools.

Offering financial aid incentives to students who graduate high school early may allow states to reduce their overall spending on education, but such policies need to be carefully designed to make sure they offer long-term benefits to students. This brief outlines the factors that policymakers need to address to ensure that early graduation incentives provide real impact in improving college readiness and access for the most in-need students. The authors provide an overview of the current programs in eleven states.

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.

Many students—especially, low-income or racially and ethnically underrepresented students—begin their postsecondary education at a two-year college; however, increasing education costs are making it more difficult for these students to stay in school, transfer to a baccalaureate-granting institution, and earn a degree. This report addresses the concern that community college tuition increases have outpaced family income and financial aid options. The report calls for improved financial aid policies, such as financial assistance for part-time students who need to work, and more efficient pathways for transferring from community college to four-year institutions, such as adoption of a common course numbering system across two- and four-year colleges to ensure that credits from courses that teach the same content are recognized and transferable.

In the past twenty years, many school reform models have been initiated to improve college preparation, access, and success for underserved students. This paper examines the predictors of college-going behavior and how they have been addressed within the high school reform movement. The authors review and analyze a variety of school reform initiatives including AVID, Talent Development High Schools, International Baccalaureate, Project GRAD, and GEAR UP, among others. The authors extrapolate promising practices from existing reform initiatives and make recommendations for addressing the predictors of college-going behavior. Among the predictors, the authors find that academic rigor and strong social and academic support are the most crucial predictors of a student’s successful enrollment in, and completion of, postsecondary education.

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.

The more developmental courses students must take, the less likely they are to earn a degree or credential. This paper examines how developmental summer bridge programs, designed to provide recent high school graduates with remedial instruction in reading, writing, or math, along with an introduction to college, may support students in their transition from high school to college. Researchers study the effectiveness of a developmental summer bridge program model implemented at eight Texas colleges and describe students’ progression through developmental education, student success in college-level courses, and persistence into the second year of college. Among the early findings, the evidence suggests that summer bridge program students had improved success rates in entry-level college courses in math and writing.

Students who have been raised in homes where English is not the dominant language, who have attended U.S. high schools, and who speak more fluently compared with more recent immigrants, have academic needs that are different from native-born English speakers and other groups of students learning English, yet their unique circumstances aren’t considered in how they are assessed and placed in their postsecondary courses. This report explores language-related policies, practices, and instructional options that U.S.-educated language minority students encounter in California community colleges, and how information concerning assessments, placements, and course sequences are communicated to them. Researchers discuss findings from an analysis of college websites, interviews with community college staff and administrators, and site visits, and offer recommendations for improving access and success for U.S.-educated language minority students. This report is the first of three focused on the practices and implications of community college ESL and English placement tests on U.S.-educated language minority students and promising practices for meeting their needs.

With nearly half of all students in higher education not earning a degree, colleges and universities refine strategies to increase retention rates and to address specific needs determined by their student demographics. This study investigates the retention rates for full- and part-time students at public community colleges by degrees of urbanization (i.e., city, suburb, town, and rural), and the differences in retention rates between and among these differing institutions. The authors present the findings regarding retention rates and recommend further research to examine the causes.

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.

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.

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.

The nation has gaping economic needs that with training and education, could be filled by disconnected youth returning to school. This report offers a model based on successes in creating aligned pathways between community-based organizations, school districts, and postsecondary institutions targeted at putting off-track high school students and returning dropouts back on track through their first year of college. The Back on Track model features enriched and accelerated academic preparation, postsecondary bridging, and first-year supports. The authors present examples of current partnerships that work together to create this bridge, as well as policies to support the scaling up of this model

Students receiving financial aid for their postsecondary education can budget their expenses with the anticipation of tuition, books, and living expenses; however, for a low-income student facing an unforeseen financial crisis, the unplanned expenses and lack of funds may lead to dropping out of school. This report evaluates two Lumina Foundation for Education emergency financial aid programs — the Dreamkeepers and Angel Fund — created to assist students at community colleges or tribal colleges and universities who are at risk of dropping out because of unexpected financial crises. The two programs are evaluated for how they are designed and implemented at the participating colleges and universities, focusing on the most frequent reasons students request financial help, eligibility parameters schools use for awarding grants, characteristics of aid recipients, impact on student retention, and fundraising capacities. Based on the data of the 37 Dreamkeepers and Angel Fund colleges, the authors capture challenges that the participating institutions faced and present lessons learned and recommendations for colleges interested in instituting similar emergency financial aid programs.

In the U.S., K–12 and postsecondary education are disjointed, creating barriers that hinder students — especially lesser-prepared students — from successfully navigating the transition to and through higher education. Based on a four-state study that analyzed K–16 educational governance and state policies in areas such as finance, curricula and assessment, accountability, and data systems, this report proposes a set of policy levers for states interested in K–16 reform. In addition to providing examples of the steps several states have taken to move the K–16 agenda forward, the authors also offer recommendations to help states formalize current approaches into more effective, sustainable, and long-term governance structures and policies for improving success opportunities for students.

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.

Currently, basic skills students must spend additional time and money taking remediation courses. This is the key reason, according to research, for why these students don’t graduate or transfer. This brief suggests key principles for policymakers concerning resource adequacy, transparency, and acceleration. Additionally, the author briefly describes strategies institutions can use in redesigning instructional systems and support services to better support students in need of basic skills.

Among states, there is growing interest in providing new incentives to community college systems for improving college completion, but there are few resources available. This brief presents a set of tools that can help states design performance-based funding systems to influence student and institutional behavior. The first tool is a set of reflections based on Ohio’s new performance-based funding system that shifted its focus from course enrollment to course completion. The second tool is a set of recommendations to guide state leaders through design and implementation issues, especially related to challenges of equity, sustainability and political buy-in. The last tool is a matrix that summarizes similarities and differences among the Achieving the Dream states that have performance-based funding for their community colleges.

Some would believe that the playing fields are leveled when California students leave their intensely segregated high schools and enter their local community colleges. This report explores the student pipelines to and from Southern California’s 51 community colleges and describes the varying levels of segregation and educational opportunity for the students among these institutions. The authors examine the relationship between high school performance and racial and ethnic segregation in the 51 community colleges, as well as the transfer outcomes among all racial and ethnic groups. The authors conclude with recommendations for improving access, affordability, and excellence, especially for students faced with the greatest needs.

This report describes the efforts of one school district on the Texas-Mexico border that implemented dual enrollment and career pathway programs districtwide and successfully turned around a district known for high dropout rates and high populations of low-income students and second language learners who did not go on to college. The author describes how the district created rigorous career pathways and a range of early college options, and then explores the instructional changes in the classrooms implemented to prepare students for the challenges of college-level work.

Improving college attendance and persistence is critical to the goal of improving student success rates. This report examines the college-going behaviors of students enrolled in dual enrollment programs — a strategy that can help lesser prepared students get ready for college. Based on studies, the report describes positive outcomes for students in dual enrollment programs and the benefits students experience from taking dual enrollment courses.

As funding for financial aid diminishes, states need to leverage their resources to best support student success. Prepared for Massachusetts Department of Higher Education’s Vision Project, this report examines existing financial aid policies currently in place in various states to improve college access and success. The author categorizes financial aid policies into three distinct models — entitlement programs, programs targeted to low-income students, and programs that reward certain behaviors — and describes them for Massachusetts’ consideration in its desire and effort to improve college success and degree completion through student financial aid reform.

The 21st century economy calls for a new generation of workers who have postsecondary degrees, yet the U.S. is falling behind other nations in producing a population with this requirement. This report discusses the need for a community college redesign to meet the demands of a changing workforce and to ensure that individuals have greater opportunities for postsecondary success. The report suggests a framework for reimagining community colleges and describes essential crosscutting elements in transforming institutions. It also offers seven recommendations centered on students’ educational experiences, institutional roles, and incentives for student and institutional success, as well as a set of implementation strategies accompanying each recommendation.

As demand for an educated workforce increases, effective high school-to-college pathways are needed to improve college and career readiness. This policy brief describes dual enrollment initiatives that seven states are enacting to provide more high school students — high- and low-achieving students — with opportunities to take college courses while completing high school. The authors introduce a web tool and offers six design principles for helping state leaders shape research-based policies on this key strategy.

It’s believed that an education requiring less than one year of study has little economic value, but certificates are overlooked as a pathway that can lead to employment or a higher-level credential. This report describes how certificates can positively influence long-term income earnings, especially when a certificate holder works in the field of study or in fields with high-demand occupations. Using longitudinal data, the report discusses certificate-earning trends, the demographics on who is earning them, and the states that award the most certificates.

Without a postsecondary degree, otherwise employable adults are not able to be part of the workforce that would contribute to sustaining a thriving economy. This brief examines New Jersey’s existing policies, programs, and initiatives toward providing better and flexible options and support services to those postsecondary students who are just short of their degree or certificate. The authors discuss current initiatives aimed at reengaging adult students and suggest policy recommendations to strengthen state efforts to increase degree completion rates in the Garden State, with a focus on systems alignment and goal setting, student recruitment and retention, tuition funding, student supports, and flexible delivery options.

Often unaware of financial aid resources and employment services available on campus, many community college students struggle to get the support they need and end up leaving, never attaining their degree or certificate. This documentation study examines how integrated service delivery, specifically the Center for Working Families (CWF) bundled approach, is being implemented at ten community colleges to achieve improved postsecondary outcomes for low-income students. The authors discuss the diverse ways that these community colleges have deployed the CWF approach, while presenting key findings on implementation and lessons related to data tracking, bundling of services, and sustainability. Using case studies and brief descriptions, the report describes each of the ten community colleges’ CWF program or implementation process. 

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.

Students arrive at community colleges with college-ready status determined by a placement test; however, many of these students, along with their peers in developmental education, are still not completing college successfully. Perhaps, then, college readiness support should not focus only on academics. Based on interview data from a previous study, this paper addresses the non-academic expectations of community college students and the unspoken role they are expected to exhibit to successfully navigate and complete their academic programs. The authors provide a description of the community college student role and the specific components of the role. Aiming for transparency for students, the authors offer student strategies within each component for playing out the new role.

Based on survey data of more than 600 young adults, this final report of three examines the perspectives of students who completed college, students who didn’t finish college, and those who never attended to better understand the supports and barriers that influenced their higher education choices and outcomes. The report discusses key findings that reveal a group of young adults who may not understand the growing importance of an education for a changing workforce and are unaware of financial resources available to them. The authors present implications and questions for policymakers, especially related to financial aid. 

According to American employers, our nation’s college graduates are not prepared for the workforce, despite having “served their time” in school. This report describes the history of the “credit hour” and how it has become standard practice for colleges to award degrees based on seat time rather than on learning attained. The author discusses the negative consequences this practice has had on completion rates and student debt. In response, the author recommends how the federal government can use three existing tools that would redefine “credit hours,” award financial aid based on learning and not time, and support innovation and experimentation in this area.

High school students preparing for the next phase of their educational career are often in need of college guidance and academic support to help them successfully transition, but low-income students and first-generation college students need even more and extended forms of support to be successful. This early report describes a new college-readiness program between two high schools and a partnering local college that provides a system of multiple supports, including monetary incentives, targeted at low-income students as they transition out of high school to postsecondary institutions. In addition to discussing how the high school graduates fared after their first year of participation in the program, the author introduces the upcoming evaluation to better understand implementation and impact of 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.

The high dropout rate of Latino high school students means that Latino students are not enrolling in college, earning degrees, nor participating in the economy at the rate they should be. Based on the research, this report identifies six effective, replicable programs that have reduced dropout rates and have increased college attendance and student performance. Additionally, the authors describe other college attendance/dropout prevention programs that are used in California for improving outcomes of Latino students and present common program themes found among them.