Structural Equity: Big-Picture Thinking & Partnerships That Improve Community College Student Outcomes

While access to higher education has grown considerably for low-income students and students of color over the past decades, the rates at which those students succeed in completing or transferring to a four-year university remain low and have been slow to improve. This report describes how four successful community colleges have cultivated robust, cross-sector partnerships to create seamless educational pathways for students, and highlights three specific strategies the institutions have used to help eliminate structural barriers that perpetuate student success gaps along racial/ethnic and socioeconomic lines. Development of this guide was supported by the Lumina Foundation

The Transfer Playbook: Essential Practices For Two- And Four-year Colleges

Recognizing the critical need to help millions of community college students failed by current transfer practices and policies.  A new report provides a detailed guide for two- and four-year colleges on how to improve bachelor's degree outcomes for students who start at community college.Every year, millions of students aiming to attain a bachelor's degree attend community colleges because of their affordability and accessibility. Most will not realize their goals. While the vast majority of students report they want to earn a bachelor's degree, only 14 percent of degree-seeking students achieve that goal within six years, according to recent research from CCRC, Aspen, and the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. The odds are worse for low-income students, first-generation college students, and students of color—those most likely to start at a community college

Achievement Trap: How America Is Failing Millions of High-Achieving Students From Lower-Income Families

Assesses the elementary school, high school, college, and graduate school experiences of students who score in the top 25 percent on national standardized tests and whose family incomes are below the national median

The Transfer Playbook: Essential Practices for Two- and Four-Year Colleges

Most students entering community college aim to earn a bachelor’s degree. But, as shown in a study released by CCRC, The Aspen Institute, and the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center earlier in 2016 (see: Tracking Transfer: New Measures of Institutional and State Effectiveness in Helping College Students Attain Bachelor’s Degrees), a relatively small portion of these students transfer and earn a bachelor’s degree within six years. This playbook is a practical guide to designing and implementing a key set of practices that will help community colleges and their four-year college partners improve transfer outcomes. The playbook is based on the practices of six sets of community colleges and universities that together serve transfer students well. These institutions have higher than expected rates of bachelor’s degree attainment for degree-seeking students who start at community college and transfer to a four-year institution—after accounting for their student demographics and institutional characteristics. The playbook is organized around three broad strategies observed in these partnerships: (1) Make transfer student success a priority; (2) Create clear programmatic pathways with aligned high-quality instruction; (3) Provide tailored transfer student advising. Included in the playbook are essential practices underlying each of these three strategies, a discussion of the next frontiers of practice, and a list of activities for community colleges and four-year colleges to undertake in order to implement the strategies

The Dual Enrollment Playbook: A Guide to Equitable Acceleration for Students

More than a million high school students across the nation participate in dual enrollment each year. Dual enrollment students are more likely to graduate from high school, enroll in college, and complete college degrees. But students from historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups and low-income backgrounds do not have equitable access to or success in dual enrollment. This playbook examines nine dual enrollment programs in Florida, Ohio, and Washington that have narrowed or closed equity gaps in dual enrollment for Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and Pacific Islander students. These programs—developed by partnerships between high schools and community colleges—show that it is possible to close equity gaps when intentional strategy is paired with innovation and commitment. The playbook identifies five principles and the supporting strategies and practices through which community colleges and K-12 leaders can advance equity in high-quality dual enrollment: Set a shared vision and goals that prioritize equity. Expand equitable access. Provide advising and supports that ensure equitable student outcomes. Provide high-quality instruction that builds students’ competence and confidence. Organize teams and develop relationships to maximize potential

Tackling Transfer: A Guide to Convening Community Colleges and Universities to Improve Transfer Student Outcomes

Research shows that very few community college students, many of whom seek a bachelor’s degree, successfully transfer to and graduate from a four-year institution. In fact, only 15 percent of all community college students complete a four-year degree in less than six years. The numbers are far more daunting for Black, Hispanic, and low-income students—all of whom enroll in community colleges at disproportionately high numbers. In an effort to improve transfer student success, the Aspen Institute, CCRC, Public Agenda, and SOVA have released this implementation guide designed to help state entities organize workshops within which teams from two- and four-year institutions work together to improve transfer and graduation outcomes for their students. Through data analysis and self-reflection of institutional practices, these workshops help institutions develop action plans (individually and among partners) to improve transfer student success. This guide is accompanied by a number of additional resources (see below), including the CCRC’s How to Measure Community College Effectiveness in Serving Transfer Students. The guide was created as part of the larger Tackling Transfer project and serves as a complement to the 2016 Transfer Playbook