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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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How Flexible Courses Promote Access and Success

How Flexible Courses Promote Access and Success for Returning Adult Students at Community Colleges

June 2021
The Tennessee Board of Regents - The College System of Tennessee, supported by Ascendium, launched Pathways to Success for Students with Some College, No Degree, a TBR project focused on paving the path to success for returning adult students at the state’s community and technical colleges. This working paper presents evidence that flexibility in course scheduling, locations and modality results in increased course success rates for returning adult students.
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COVID 19 Transfer Mobility and Progress Final Look Spring 2021 Report

COVID-19 Transfer, Mobility, and Progress: Final Look Spring 2021 Report

June 2021
The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center released the fourth of a nine-part report series to provide institutions and researchers with near real-time data on how the COVID-19 health crisis is impacting transfer students. This report, co-funded by Ascendium and ECMC Foundation, shows transfer overall was down 10% and community college transfer enrollment declined 16.3%, a worrisome trend for learners from low-income backgrounds.
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merging Solutions Improving Institutional Collaboration and Student Outcomes

Emerging Solutions: Improving Institutional Collaboration and Student Outcomes Through the Texas Transfer Alliance

May 2021
Effective policies around transfer were important before COVID-19 and are arguably even more important as institutions recover from the health crisis. This brief, produced by the Charles A. Dana Center through Tackling Transfer, co-funded by many partners, including Ascendium, showcases work completed by the Texas Transfer Alliance as it relates to emerging transfer practices that show promise in improving student success and social mobility.
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COVID 19 Transfer Mobility and Progress Report

COVID-19 Transfer, Mobility and Progress Report: First Look Spring 2021

April 2021
The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center released the third of a nine-part series, which Ascendium co-funded to provide institutions and researchers with near real-time data on how the COVID-19 health crisis is impacting transfer students. This report shows the community college sector with a 15.2% transfer decline, a worrisome trend for learners from low-income backgrounds.
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Examining the Educational and Employment Outcomes

Examining the Educational and Employment Outcomes of Reverse Credit Transfer

April 2021
Reverse credit transfer is an emerging policy that awards an associate degree retroactively to students who hadn’t been awarded one before transferring from a two-year to a four-year school. This study examines how reverse credit transfer impacts students’ education and career outcomes using data from Texas, where the legislature mandated the policy in 2011. Ascendium funded this research as part of Degrees when Due, a completion and equity initiative to increase degree attainment among the "some college, no degree" population.
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2020 Education Philanthropy Report Empowering Possibilities

2020 Education Philanthropy Report: Empowering Possibilities

April 2021
Our 2020 report, Empowering Possibilities, tells the story of our philanthropy during an unprecedented time and the tremendous efforts of our grant partners who were able to advance their work despite numerous challenges.
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Accelerating Recovery through Credentials

Accelerating Recovery through Credentials: Rapid Response Toolkit

March 2021
This resource by Education Strategy Group provides postsecondary education leaders with an action-oriented toolkit to help pandemic-displaced workers gain new skills and credentials as they re-enter the workforce. Co-funded by Ascendium and The Kresge Foundation, it includes evidence-based strategies, resources and a process to create a rapid response action plan.
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Profiling Six Next Generation Sector Partnerships

Profiling Six Next Generation Sector Partnerships

March 2021
This new report by Next Generation Sector Partnerships documents the lifecycle of six unique partnerships across the U.S. as they worked to align education, workforce and economic development needs of their regional economies. With funding support from Ascendium, these profiles and framework are intended to add to the growing set of tools available for public and private partners.
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From Reconnection to Graduation Meeting the Needs

From Reconnection to Graduation: Meeting the Needs of Returning Adult Students at Community Colleges

February 2021
The College System of Tennessee analyzed re-enrollment, transfer and completion patterns for 113,000 of its learners who reconnected with its community colleges. This Ascendium-funded working paper identifies four distinct reconnector groups and includes research and action steps for institutions to consider.
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Beyond Articulation Agreements Five Student Centered

Beyond Articulation Agreements: Five Student-Centered Principles to Improve Transfer

November 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing millions of students to reconsider their educational plans, a development that’s likely to increase the number of students transferring among institutions in the years ahead. This Ascendium-sponsored report examines new approaches colleges can use with articulation agreements to improve transfer practice and policy.
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Streamline Key Learner Transitions

May 2020
This overview of one of Ascendium’s funding focus area explores Ascendium’s investment priorities for streamlining diverse pathways into and through postsecondary education and learner transitions into the workforce, and the desired outcomes of that support.
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About Ascendium Education Philanthropy

May 2020
This overview of Ascendium's education philanthropy details our strategic approach to philanthropy: how, where and what we fund, our four focus areas and our belief in the power of education for upward social mobility.
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