*Please scroll down for the complete list of accomplishments of the new 2011 Leader Colleges!

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1 23 Achieving the Dream Institutions Earn Leader College Distinction These emerging leaders join the ranks of now 52 Achieving the Dream Leader Colleges that are raising persistence and graduation rates, closing achievement gaps, and changing lives. Silver Spring, Maryland (September 27, 2011) Achieving the Dream, Inc., a national nonprofit that helps 3.5 million community college students stay in school and earn a college certificate or degree, announced that 23 additional Achieving the Dream Institutions have earned Leader College distinction. These emerging leaders join the ranks of now 52 institutions that have achieved Leader College status by raising persistence and graduation rates, closing achievement gaps, and changing lives. The new Leaders Colleges are: Aiken Technical College (Aiken County, SC) Bunker Hill Community College (Boston, MA) College of the Mainland (Texas City, TX) Community College of Allegheny County (Pittsburgh, PA) Community College of Beaver County (Monaca, PA) Community College of Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA) Community College of Vermont (Montpelier, VT) Delaware County Community College (Media, PA) Galveston College (Galveston, TX) Highline Community College (Des Moines, WA) Lee College (Baytown, TX) Montgomery County Community College (Blue Bell, PA) Northern Essex Community College (Lawrence, MA) Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College (Orangeburg, SC) Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas (Helena, AR) Pulaski Technical College (North Little Rock, AR) Renton Technical College (Renton, WA) Roxbury Community College (Roxbury, MA) San Jacinto College (Pasadena, TX) Sinclair Community College (Dayton, OH) Tacoma Community College (Tacoma, WA) Wayne County Community College District (Detroit, MI) Westmoreland County Community College (Youngwood, PA) The work of improving student success is very difficult, critically important, and urgent, said Achieving the Dream President & CEO William Trueheart. These 23 institutions have carefully analyzed student outcomes evidence and have implemented sustained positive student-centered changes. They deserve enormous recognition for their focus on equity and excellence and for their extraordinary contributions to their communities and our nation.

2 Every new Leader College has pioneered promising practices and policies to help more students succeed, and examples of these interventions include: college readiness programs, mandatory new student orientation, student success courses, developmental course redesign, curriculum redesign, cooperative learning, learning communities, and intensive and individualized advising. The following are two examples: Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas (Helena, AR), with resources from Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, increased course success rates from 57% for the cohorts to 78% for the 2010 cohort, and three-year certificate or degree completion rates increased from 10% in 2004 to 24% in These improvements are associated with changes to developmental education coursework including the implementation of supplemental instruction labs, increased contact hours, creation of an additional developmental reading level, and professional development to more substantially engage faculty in improving student learning outcomes. These interventions have already been scaled to reach 41% of students. Renton Technical College (Renton, WA) increased the percentage of students who have earned a certificate or degree or are still enrolled from 61% in to 74% in This improvement is associated with the Reading Apprenticeship program that helps students improve their reading comprehension. The Reading Apprenticeship program has been scaled to reach 53% of workforce students. *Please scroll down for the complete list of accomplishments of the new 2011 Leader Colleges! Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas (PCCUA) is honored to be recognized as an Achieving the Dream Leader College, said PCCUA Chancellor Steven F. Murray. It is affirmation of our faculty and staff's determined effort to use courageous conversation and thoughtful analysis of data to improve student outcomes. It will be a privilege to share their work with other colleges. Promising Practices: 2011 Leader Colleges In conjunction with announcing the new Leader Colleges, Achieving the Dream is releasing a new resource called Promising Practices: 2011 Leader Colleges. This new resource is a succinct, timely overview of fifty different examples of promising policies and practices across the entire Achieving the Dream Leader College network. Read the 2011 Promising Practices here. Leader College Criteria Leader Colleges are demonstrating the power of the Achieving the Dream Student-Centered Model of Institutional Improvement. They show us it is possible to raise persistence and graduation rates, close achievement gaps, and change lives. Leader Colleges embody the 2

3 ultimate goal of Achieving the Dream, and as such, serve as mentors within our community of learners. To be eligible for Leader College distinction, colleges must demonstrate commitment to and progress on the four principles: committed leadership, use of evidence to improve programs and services, broad engagement, and systemic institutional improvement. They must also show three years of sustained improvement of student success on at least one of the following measures of performance: Completion of certificates or degrees Term-to-term and year-to-year retention Completion of college-level math and English courses Advancement from developmental to credit-bearing courses Course completion Additionally, each Leader College has successfully implemented at least one student success intervention or initiative that is advancing student outcomes that are of sufficient scale to benefit a substantial proportion of students. Indeed, these institutions have met high standards of practice and performance and Achieving the Dream expects these colleges to serve as mentors within the Achieving the Dream community of learners. For more information on the Leader Colleges, click here. We expect these exemplary colleges to serve as mentors within the Achieving the Dream community of learners, as well as advocates for the values, principles, and mission of Achieving the Dream, Trueheart said. Creating and implementing student success initiatives that have an enduring impact takes time and patience. It s critical that we get it right and that we learn from institutions that have demonstrated success in key areas and have been able to sustain progress over time. The Achieving the Dream Model Achieving the Dream Institutions commit to the Achieving the Dream Student-Centered Model of Institutional Improvement. Based on four principles, the model frames the overall work of helping more students, particularly low-income students and students of color, stay in school and earn a college certificate or degree. Each college approaches the work differently, but Achieving the Dream s five-step process provides practical guidelines for keeping the focus where it belongs and building momentum over time. Throughout the process, Achieving the Dream coaches offer customized support and help each college s core team implement data-informed programs and policies that build long-term, institution-wide commitment to student success. About Achieving the Dream Achieving the Dream, Inc. is a national nonprofit that is dedicated to helping more community college students, particularly low-income students and students of color, stay in school and earn a college certificate or degree. Evidence-based, student-centered, and built on the values of equity and excellence, Achieving the Dream is closing achievement gaps and accelerating student success nationwide by: 1) improving results at institutions, 2) influencing public policy, 3) generating knowledge, and 4) engaging the public. Conceived as an initiative in 2004 by 3

4 Lumina Foundation and seven founding partner organizations, today, Achieving the Dream is the largest non-governmental reform movement for student success in higher education history. With 160 institutions, more than 100 coaches and advisors, and 16 state policy teams - working throughout 30 states and the District of Columbia - Achieving the Dream helps 3.5 million community college students have a better chance of realizing greater economic opportunity and achieving their dreams. To learn more about Achieving the Dream, visit Introducing the 2011 Achieving the Dream Leader Colleges Aiken Technical College (Aiken County, SC) increased success rates in Math 031 (lowest level of Developmental Math) from 54% in 2007 to 69% in This improvement is associated with the Lecture/Lab Prescriptive Remediation that has been scaled to reach almost 40% of developmental students. Bunker Hill Community College (Boston, MA) increased fall-to-fall retention rates for students of color from 45% for the 2006 cohort to 51% for the 2009 cohort. This improvement is associated with enhanced professional development centered on student support and success, the Learning Community Seminar for first-year students, Learning Community Clusters, and Success Coaching. These interventions have been scaled so 41% of students are being taught by faculty receiving new professional development opportunities and 50% of first-time full-time students participate in Learning Community Seminars. College of the Mainland (Texas City, TX) increased the percentage of students successfully completing developmental mathematics courses within the first year from a 46% average in years to 54.8% in This improvement is associated with several interventions including the implementation of a student success course (Psychology/Education 1300) which is geared towards developmental students. This intervention has been scaled to reach 11% of students each semester and 46% of the firsttime in college students in the fall 2010 cohort. Additional interventions that are associated with the improvement in developmental math success include professional development focused on student learning and success and stricter enforcement of college policies including early completion of development education coursework and attendance requirements. Community College of Allegheny County (Pittsburgh, PA) increased the percentage of students completing developmental reading coursework by the second year from 38% for the 2005 cohort to 47% for the 2009 cohort. They have also increased the percentage of students completing all developmental coursework in two years from 31% in 2006 to 35% in This improvement is associated with a variety of interventions including Early Intervention, elimination of D as a passing grade, and eliminating late registration, which has been scaled to reach 100% of students. 4

5 Community College of Beaver County (Monaca, PA) increased fall semester course completion for all full-time first-time-in-college students from 67% in to 70% in This improvement is associated with several policy and curricular changes including: stricter placement testing and enrollment requirements, greater use of student success data including the Community College Survey of Student Engagement, use of My Math Lab in developmental math courses, enhanced professional development for developmental education professors, and realignment of developmental coursework with gateway courses. These interventions have been scaled to reach 100% of full-time first time in college students and 25% of all students. Community College of Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA) increased first-time, fall-to-fall black male student persistence from 33% in 2007 to 44% in This improvement is associated with intensive faculty professional development on promising teaching practices. This training has been scaled to reach 36% of faculty. Community College of Vermont (Montpelier, VT) increased first-time, fall-to-fall retention rates for first-time-in-college students from 38% in 2006 to 41% in This improvement is associated with the Dimensions First intervention, a required first semester seminar that helps students to build strong information literacy and critical thinking skills, teaches them how to engage in the academic community, and provides a space for goal-setting and reflection. Dimensions First has been scaled to reach 35% of first-time-in-college students and 6% of all students. Delaware County Community College (Media, PA) increased fall-to-spring retention from 68% in 2007 to 73% in This improvement is associated with a combination of interventions: English conferencing, Supplemental Instruction, JumpStart Math, Academy for College Excellence, Reading/Counselor Pairings, New Student Orientation and Mentoring that in combination have been scaled to reach 31% of all students. Galveston College (Galveston, TX) increased Math 0303 (developmental math) success rates from 21% in fall 2006 to 58.6% in fall This remarkable improvement is associated with changes to the developmental math curriculum including increased contact hours and use of MyMathLab software. These interventions have been scaled to reach 100% of developmental math students and 18.8% of all students. Highline Community College (Des Moines, WA) increased the percentage of upper level ESL students advancing from remedial to credit-bearing courses within 8 quarters of enrollment from 6% in to 19% in This improvement is associated with the ESL-to-Credit Transition Support intervention which includes the Transition Resource and Referral Center (TRRC) for advising. This intervention has been scaled to reach 5% of students. Lee College (Baytown, TX) increased the success rate (earning a grade of C or better) for developmental education courses from less than 40% in 2007 to almost 60% in During this time period, developmental education success rates also increased for all subgroups including black and Hispanic students. This improvement is associated with changes to the 5

6 development course curriculum which included: fast-track courses, additional counseling, and increased course contact hours. Changes to developmental coursework have been scaled to reach 100% of developmental education students and 24% of students. Montgomery County Community College (Blue Bell, PA) increased success rates in developmental math from 49% in 2007 to 52% in This improvement is associated with changes to the developmental math curriculum including replacing the lowest level of developmental math (arithmetic) with a new course called Concepts of Numbers and accelerating students through developmental math where appropriate. Additionally, the SmartStart advising program, and the Minority Male Mentoring Program both provided an extra layer of student support. Concepts of Numbers has been scaled to reach 61% of first level developmental math students and will be expanded to 100% of this target population in the school year. Northern Essex Community College (Lawrence, MA) increased the percentage of students successfully completing both Basic Algebra II (a developmental course) and College Algebra or College Algebra & Trigonometry (college-level courses) from 49% in to 64% in This improvement is associated with the introduction of the math center and supplemental instruction, interventions that have been scaled to reach 13% of all students and 38% of students taking math courses. Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College (Orangeburg, SC) increased success rates for developmental and gatekeeper courses in which students are receiving supplemental instruction from 52.8% in to 59% in This improvement is associated with the introduction of supplemental instruction, an academic assistance program that uses peer-assisted study sessions. Supplemental instruction has been scaled to reach 20% of students. Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas (Helena, AR), with resources from Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, increased course success rates from 57% for the cohorts to 78% for the 2010 cohort, and three year degree or certificate completion rates increased from 10% in 2004 to 24% in These improvements are associated with changes to developmental education coursework including the implementation of supplemental instruction labs, increased contact hours, creation of an additional developmental reading level, and professional development to more substantially engage faculty in improving student learning outcomes. These interventions have already been scaled to reach 41% of students. Pulaski Technical College (North Little Rock, AR) increased term 1 to term 2 retention for first-time, degree or certificate-seeking, full-time students from 82% for the 2007 cohort to 87% for the 2010 cohort. This improvement is associated with the new student orientation program that has been scaled to reach 12.6% of students. Renton Technical College (Renton, WA) increased the percentage of students who have earned a certificate or degree or are still enrolled from 61% in to 74% in This improvement is associated with the Reading Apprenticeship program that helps 6

7 students improve their reading comprehension. The Reading Apprenticeship program has been scaled to reach 53% of workforce students. Roxbury Community College (Roxbury, MA) increased the rate at which students starting in developmental math advance to college-level math by their third semester from 11% in 2006 to 25% in This improvement is associated with changes in developmental math coursework including: new placement procedures, addition of a lab component, use of modules and technology-assisted instruction, and collapsing the developmental math sequence for most students. These developmental math interventions have been scaled to reach 43% of all new students and 100% of developmental math students. San Jacinto College (Pasadena, TX) increased fall-to-spring persistence from 73% in 2007 to 78% in This improvement is associated with a combination of interventions including the First Year Experience Calling Program, Mandatory New Student Orientation, a student success course, free tutoring, and the Men of Honor program. Overall these interventions have been scaled to reach 27% of students. Sinclair Community College (Dayton, OH) increased the three-year certificate and degree completion rate (for first-time, degree-seeking students) from 8% in to 12% in This improvement is associated with the elimination of graduation applications and fees, the redesign of the developmental math curriculum and teaching approaches including: content alignment, introduction of MyMathLab, faculty professional development, and the use of active, collaborative learning strategies. Tacoma Community College (Tacoma, WA) increased fall-to-fall retention rates for students enrolled in two or more developmental courses from 47% for the 2005 cohort to 58% for the 2009 cohort. This improvement is associated with the Declared and Prepared advising model, an intrusive advising approach that includes an Advising Dashboard, an improved HD 101 student success course, new student orientation focused on hands-on educational planning, and the Welcome Week where staff are stationed throughout campus to answer questions. This intervention has been scaled to reach 11% of students and 85% of students in developmental education. Wayne County Community College District (Detroit, MI) increased first year fall-towinter retention from 49% in to 64% in This improvement is associated with the Early Alert System intervention strategy which provides intrusive advising to students in developmental English and math as well as students in learning communities. This intervention has been scaled to reach 15% of all students. Westmoreland County Community College (Youngwood, PA) increased fall-to-spring retention from 72% in 2006 to 75% in This improvement is associated with changes to developmental coursework including mandatory placement testing, mandatory enrollment in appropriate developmental coursework before taking college level courses, smaller class sizes, scheduling changes, required tutoring labs, and fast track options for students near placement cut-off scores. These interventions have been scaled to reach 100% of students in developmental courses and 35% of all students. 7

8 *A cohort is a group of people studied during a period of time. The individuals in the group have at least one statistical factor such as when they started college in common. Tracking a cohort makes it possible to compare progress and outcomes of different groups of students (e.g., groups defined by race, age or other demographic characteristics) and to determine if there are gaps in achievement among groups of interest. *Tidewater Community College (Norfolk, Virginia) and the Community College of Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA) are former Achieving the Dream Institutions. ### 8