Sharing knowledge is at the heart of our mission. Explore Ascendium’s growing library of publications that examine the complex challenges facing postsecondary learners, and how we’re helping our partners address them.
Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education
Assessing the Use of Administrative Holds
October 2023
Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) has created an online resource center to increase understanding around the impact of administrative hold policies and practices on equitable learner success. The online resource center includes learner profile videos, testimonials, case studies, and tools which provide context and actionable guidance for those planning an institutional assessment of holds.
Competency-Based Education (CBE) Program Model Mapping Project
October 2023
While many colleges are adopting competency-based education (CBE) programs, few look the same. American Institutes for Research developed a framework and research brief that not only identifies design features and options currently in use by colleges and universities in the U.S., but also helps those in the field understand which features are working and which may be less effective.
The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center has released preliminary enrollment data covering 9.6 million undergraduate and graduate students in fall 2023. They found undergraduate enrollment grew for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 health crisis, with community colleges, short term certificates, and second year students and beyond accounting for a large percentage of the undergraduate increase.
National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators
Prison Education Program Web Center
October 2023
Applying for and administering financial aid can be a minefield, especially for those in carceral settings. This web center provides both financial aid and prison education program administrators with up-to-date tools, training, and news related to the implementation of financial aid for incarcerated learners.
Translating Opportunity: Improving Postsecondary Pathways for Multilingual Learners of English
September 2023
Multilingual learners of English play a vital role in U.S. society but are often marginalized, misunderstood, and underserved in postsecondary education. This report offers recommendations to help educators, policymakers, researchers, and others better serve this diverse population with effective and equitable policies and programs.
Modernizing Postsecondary Policy to Better Support Adult Learners
September 2023
Adult learners are more likely to experience stops, starts, and transfers on their postsecondary education journeys than the 18-to-22-year-old residential, dependent learners. This report aims to identify federal- and state-level policies that hinder adult learners while offering policy perspectives that could create more accessible, affordable paths for them through postsecondary education.
A State Policy Framework for Developmental Education Reform
September 2023
Developmental education reforms such as multiple measures for placement, co-requisites, and math pathways are proven to reduce barriers for learners from low-income backgrounds and increase postsecondary student success. This framework provides a guide for codifying these reforms in policy to promote scaling and sustainability.
Learning from Students: How Teams Rethink Their STEM Transfer Process Through Student Input
August 2023
This brief documents the work of postsecondary education partners to collect student input and translate that data into improvements for learners using STEM transfer pathways. It includes the strategies they used to collect input, as well as insights on what constitutes input, what forms of input are most needed, and how partners can best learn from students.
Workforce Alignment Study: Maximizing Workforce Success for College Students
August 2023
This suite of resources provides information for policymakers, institutional and system leaders, and practitioners on effective workforce aligned strategies and policies that help learners from low-income backgrounds complete short-term career and technical education credentials that lead to good jobs.
Tennessee Board of Regents – The College System of Tennessee
The Tennessee Coaching Project: Next Steps Advisors (Pilot Semester Overview)
August 2023
The Tennessee Coaching Project extends support for adult learners with some postsecondary education but no degree through course-focused success coaches known as Next Steps Advisors. These coaches help them navigate the unique challenges and barriers they face returning to postsecondary education to complete their degree.
Project Profile: Family-Friendly Tribal and Rural Campuses
July 2023
A project of the Building Evidence to Increase Rural Learner Success initiative, the Urban Institute, in partnership with The American Indian College Fund, generates insights from tribal colleges and universities about how to best serve learners with child caregiving responsibilities. With these insights, an update will be made to a widely used toolkit that supports parenting and caregiving learners on rural campuses.
Project Profile: Expanding College Access for Rural and Underserved People in Georgia
July 2023
A project of the Building Evidence to Increase Rural Learner Success initiative, Georgia State University examines the impact and importance of e-Campus, a distance learning initiative, on rural learners, particularly those from low-income backgrounds. Evidence will be generated on how the initiative enhances equity and how other institutions can make their student success initiatives more equitable.