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.
Access to Success: Insights for Implementing a Multiple Measures Assessment System
March 2024
Most colleges have traditionally used standardized tests to help place learners in the math or English course level that best suits their prior learning and preparation. But those tests are a bad predictor of learners’ actual abilities, resulting in many learners – especially those from low-income backgrounds – being placed in courses they don't get college credit for and delayed on their path to a degree. Multiple Measures Assessment (MMA), the use of multiple forms of information about learners beyond just a single standardized test score, is proven to work better at helping learners get into the best courses for them. In this report, MDRC and the Community College Research Center explore how to implement and sustain the use of MMA.
Community College Bachelor’s Degrees in Texas: A First Look at Enrollment and Outcomes
March 2024
Community college baccalaureate programs are growing in Texas as they have the potential to offer more streamlined paths for learners to credentials that lead to good jobs. This brief offers policymakers and practitioners more information on who enrolls in these programs and what happens to graduates in the labor market so they can understand how these degrees can serve learners from low-income backgrounds.
Accelerated Courses at Tennessee Community Colleges
February 2024
To better understand the impact of accelerated (shorter-than-15-week) courses on learners from low-income and other nontraditional backgrounds, the College System of Tennessee studied whether seven-week courses affect learner outcomes and how faculty, staff, and learners experience accelerated courses. The resulting interactive policy brief showcases the changing landscape of accelerated course offerings at Tennessee community colleges while setting the stage for further study.
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.
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.
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.
Implementing Caring Campus: Strategies College Presidents Use to Improve Culture and Support Reform
May 2023
Developed by the Institute for Evidence-Based Change, Caring Campus is a reform effort based on research that shows students who feel connected to their college are more likely to persist from semester to semester and complete their academic goals. This report highlights the role of college presidents in supporting campus culture and offers guidance for leaders at other institutions as they consider how best to institute Caring Campus and other culture-focused reforms.
The 2023 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence
April 2023
The Aspen Prize recognizes the transformative power of community colleges by honoring institutions with outstanding student outcomes. The winners and finalists for 2023 offer lessons on what’s possible when a college commits to delivering on its promises, both to students and the broader community.
2022 Education Philanthropy Report: Meeting the Moment
April 2023
This year’s report is all about overcoming the challenges presented by our changing world. Inside, you’ll read about the tremendous efforts of our grant partners to improve postsecondary education and workforce training systems so that learners from low-income backgrounds can succeed beyond high school.
When Community Colleges Offer a Bachelor’s Degree: A Literature Review on Student Access and Outcomes
March 2023
State policymakers are increasingly allowing community colleges to offer bachelor's degrees in order to meet growing demand for credentials in high-demand and applied fields. This report synthesizes research about such programs’ ability to improve student access and outcomes.
Mapping Community College Finance Systems to Develop Equitable and Effective Finance Policy
March 2023
With a view toward equity, researchers from HCM Strategists have mapped and compared three very different state systems to reveal the diversity and complexity of how community colleges are financed. They also provide an analytical framework for informed and effective reforms so that these institutions can be better equipped to help their students complete degrees.
Improving Outcomes for Men of Color in College: Recommendations for Advancing Success in the “Dual Pandemics”
March 2023
Across colleges and universities, the COVID-19 health crisis and racial injustice have contributed to startling enrollment declines for men of color. This is particularly true at community colleges, which serve as a primary pathway into postsecondary education. This brief from MDRC’s College Completion Strategy Guide shares strategies that colleges and universities can use to support this population of learners.