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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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Community College Research Center

Research Evidence on Ask-Connect-Inspire-Plan Onboarding Practices

May 2022
New research behind a framework aimed at enriching learners’ experiences as they choose and plan a program of study has been shared by the Community College Research Center (CCRC). This brief describes the motivation, research evidence and equity implications that allow CCRC’s Ask-Connect-Inspire-Plan framework to serve as a useful strategy for colleges to engage learners and encourage completion.
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Rural Matters
Rural Matters

The Importance of Digital Skills and Leadership in Rural Postsecondary Education (Part V)

May 2022
The fifth in a six-part podcast series, this Rural Matters episode features a discussion with leaders of two organizations working with rural community colleges to prepare students for the digital economy. These organizations focus their work on helping rural college leaders to understand and use data so that they can identify barriers faced by learners from low-income backgrounds and create equitable pathways to career success.
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New America

Evaluating the Student Experience at Community College Baccalaureate Programs

May 2022
Community college baccalaureate programs can be an invaluable resource for students who otherwise lack avenues for obtaining a four-year degree. In this brief, New America profiles three students who describe what it was like to work toward a bachelor’s degree and why they chose to enroll at a community college to do so.
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Center on Rural Innovation

Rural America’s Tech Employment Landscape: How to Increase Tech Talent and Tech Employment

May 2022
Two national surveys, a labor market data analysis and more than 50 interviews have culminated in the release of this Center on Rural Innovation report on tech employment in rural America. The report provides knowledge and recommendations to policymakers, funders, training providers and leaders at local and national levels around how to address the supply of and demand for tech talent in rural communities.
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The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center

COVID-19 Transfer, Mobility and Progress: Spring 2022 Report

May 2022
The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center has released its eighth report in a series which analyzes undergraduate transfer enrollment and pathways throughout the COVID-19 health crisis. This report examines data from the spring 2022 term, with numbers indicating transfer enrollment dropped another 6.9% over last year.
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creating seamless pathways resource

Creating Seamless Pathways for Military Service Members: A Scaling Guide

April 2022
An evaluation of the Military Credentialing Advancement Initiative (MCAI), this scaling guide by DVP-PRAXIS outlines three cases for approaching military-to-civilian learning for postsecondary systems, institutions and training organizations. By supporting new pathways between military competencies and high-quality civilian credentials, we hope to encourage broader recognition of individuals with military training and experience upon entering the workforce.
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lighting the path
Institute for Higher Education Policy

Lighting the Path to Remove Systemic Barriers in Higher Education and Award Earned Postsecondary Credentials

April 2022
This report from the Institute of Higher Education Policy shares key findings from Degrees When Due, a three-year, nationwide completion initiative to re-engage learners and build institutional capacity. Structural barriers to re-enrollment, persistence and completion are identified and recommendations are offered for policymakers at the institutional, state and federal level.
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mdrc resource 05 03 2022

College Completion Strategy Guide

April 2022
The College Completion Strategy Guide — a collaboration among MDRC, the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association, The Education Trust and The Institute for College Access and Success — offers guidance on evidence-based strategies to increase college completion. The briefs in this guide summarize the research evidence on important topics in postsecondary education and provide direction to policymakers and institutional leaders seeking to advance student success and equity.
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Rural Matters
Rural Matters

Engaging Employers to Benefit Rural Students with Dani Douglas, John Fitzsimmons and Joshua Howe (Part IV)

April 2022
The fourth in a six-part podcast series, this Rural Matters episode features conversations with leaders of three postsecondary and workforce training organizations that are exploring how they can better engage employers. By engaging employers, institutions and organizations can directly help rural learners find and fill job opportunities in their communities. This episode has a particular focus on tech jobs in rural areas and the importance of pathways from postsecondary education to those jobs.
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Rural Matters

The Incredible Work of Education Design Lab & Partners (Part III)

April 2022
The third in a six-part podcast series, this Rural Matters episode features Education Design Lab and community college partners participating in their BRIDGES initiative. Partners share what they’ve learned through their participation in the project so far and how they can continue to support the future of work for rural learners.
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Next Generation Sector Partnerships – A Benchmarking Framework

March 2022
This framework provides an example of how Next Generation Sector Partnerships work to address the workforce and needs of a targeted industry within the region. Using the framework, positive impacts may be achieved across a number of areas, including students, jobseekers, business partners and the regional economy.
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rural field guide resource

Next Gen Sector Partnerships Rural Field Guide

March 2022
This field guide captures insights and lessons learned from a cohort of eight rural regions participating in Next Gen Sector Partnerships. This cohort worked together to understand factors behind successful partnerships in rural communities, producing practical tools and strategies for building those partnerships.
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