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EDUCATION PHILANTHROPY DIVISION OF ASCENDIUM EDUCATION GROUP

Resource Library

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.

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Leveraging Apprenticeships to Bolster the Rural Talent Pipeline: Part 2. Guest Mallory Dwinal-Palisch Chancellor of Reach University
Future U. Podcast

Leveraging Apprenticeships to Bolster the Rural Talent Pipeline: Part 2

November 2023
In the second episode of their two-part conversation with Reach University Chancellor Mallory Dwinal-Palisch, Future U podcast hosts Jeff Selingo and Michael Horn consider the teacher apprenticeship model’s potential for scaling to other public sector jobs. As part of their analysis, they discuss how this model addresses staffing shortages through job-embedded learning.
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Leveraging Apprenticeships to Bolster the Rural Talent Pipeline: Part 1. Mallory Dwinal-Palisch Chancellor of Reach University & CEO of Craft Education System
Future U. Podcast

Leveraging Apprenticeships to Bolster the Rural Talent Pipeline: Part 1

November 2023
In the first episode of their two-part conversation with Reach University Chancellor Mallory Dwinal-Palisch, Future U. podcast hosts Jeff Selingo and Michael Horn learn about Reach’s apprenticeship approach to teacher education. Focusing on Reach’s foundation, theory, and practice, they discuss how it addresses rural workers’ lack of access to affordable training pathways leading to high-quality jobs.
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Normalizing Education Resource Center webpage screenshot
Jobs for the Future

Normalizing Education Resource Center

November 2023
The reinstatement of Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated learners is a positive step toward normalizing opportunity to pursue education and career goals. This digital field guide was created to ensure postsecondary education leaders and corrections professionals have open access to free resources necessary to create high-quality postsecondary education in prison programs that lead to quality jobs and successful reentry.
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new america web
New America Foundation

Community Colleges and Apprenticeship: The Promise, the Challenge

November 2023
Community colleges are well-positioned to expand apprenticeship opportunities and create affordable, equitable pathways into careers in healthcare, information technology, business services, and more. Resources from New America detail how colleges can fill the role of apprenticeship intermediary while serving the needs of learners and their communities.
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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.
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Postsecondary Competency-Based Education Program Model Map Framework
American Institutes for Research (AIR)

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.
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NASFAA
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.
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WestEd

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.
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Inside Higher Ed

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.
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Education Commission of the States

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.
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learning from students
University of Washington

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.
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workforce alignment study
Urban Institute

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.
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