Resource Library

Our 2023 report reflects on our continued efforts to build evidence and share actionable insights through our grantmaking. Inside, you’ll read how our philanthropy catalyzes change to postsecondary education and workforce training systems so more learners from low-income backgrounds can achieve their goals. You’ll also get insights into the upcoming year.

The John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education, the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, and additional partner institutions share new evidence on the most useful learner success metrics and how postsecondary education institution governing boards can best use them to fulfill their roles. Focused on how good key metrics can lead to actionable outcomes, this article is part of a larger initiative to leverage the power of governing boards to oversee, envision, and drive equitable learner success.

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 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.

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 (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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.