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.
This report from the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison outlines the potential impacts of Pell Grant restoration on the field of postsecondary education in prison. The analysis uses original qualitative data from interviews with 12 postsecondary education in prison programs and quantitative data from the 2020 Understanding the Landscape of Higher Education in Prison national survey to illuminate persistent funding challenges that the Pell Grant alone cannot address.
2021 Education Philanthropy Report: Stronger Together
March 2022
In 2021, we saw the impact partnership and collaboration can make in helping transform the lives of learners from low-income backgrounds. Our report tells the story of our philanthropy during 2021 and what can be achieved when organizations work together.
Micro-credentials for Social Mobility in Rural Postsecondary Communities: A Landscape Report
March 2022
The impact of earning micro-credentials on the social mobility of rural learners is explored in this report from Digital Promise. Case studies of four postsecondary institutions that are using micro-credentials to create pathways for rural learners are also featured, providing institutions with innovative ideas to meet regional labor market needs.
The Reentry Campus Program (RCP) works to expand educational opportunities and expedite completion rates for individuals who are currently and formerly incarcerated. This guide is designed to provide insight about the development of RCP and assist organizations interested in building a similar program.
Evaluation of the Minnesota Department of Corrections’ Career Navigators Program Final Report
March 2022
This research report presents the final findings from the RAND Corporation’s independent evaluation of the Minnesota Department of Corrections' Career Navigators program. It should be of interest to educators who develop and provide education programs for incarcerated adults, researchers who explore postsecondary education in prison and pathways to careers, corrections officials and policymakers.
Better Data for Better Policy: Lessons Learned from Across the Coleridge Initiative’s Partnerships
March 2022
The Coleridge Initiative engages postsecondary, workforce and state agencies by providing applied data analytics training so that staff can better understand their own data. In this final brief, broader lessons from Coleridge partners for data sharing and evidence-based policy are shared.
Ohio was one of the Coleridge Initiative’s early state partners, participating in applied data training and finding ways to apply the broader lessons they learned on data sharing and evidence-based policy. This is the first of three briefs that documents a state’s experiences in the initiative.
Tennessee is one of the Coleridge Initiative’s most recent state partners, completing applied data training and serving as a model for other agencies that are interested in empowering staff with the ability to leverage data securely and effectively. This is the second of three briefs that documents a state’s experiences in the initiative.
ARRC’s Landmark Report on RSIs with Andrew Koricich, Alisa Hicklin Fryar and Cecilia Orphan (Part II)
March 2022
The second in a six-part podcast series, this Rural Matters episode spotlights research that identifies rural-serving institutions (RSIs). Representatives from the Alliance for Research on Regional Colleges share why having a metric for identifying RSIs is important and how they hope their research continues to strengthen the narrative about the relationship between rural colleges and rural communities.
Community College Baccalaureate Programs as an Equity Strategy
March 2022
This brief from New America looks at the emergence of community college baccalaureate (CCB) programs and how students are faring in these relatively new programs through an equity lens. The brief presents compelling evidence that CCBs can reduce the need for community college students to transfer to a university to complete a bachelor’s degree — a common barrier to timely degree completion.
The American Association of Colleges and Universities has developed a practical, web-based tool to help campuses engaged in the guided pathways model of student success. This framework centers student success and equity and recommends measurable steps that faculty, staff and institutional leaders can take to address persisting gaps in student learning outcomes.
Pathways to Success for Adult Learners Interactive Report and Data Toolkit
February 2022
The Tennessee Board of Regents – The College System of Tennessee spent a year exploring educational attainment for adult learners with some college, but no degree. They have developed two tools that support re-engagement and explain their findings: an interactive report and a data toolkit, which can be found on the landing page of their initiative.