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This brief makes a case for using cohort and momentum point data, disaggregated by gender, ethnicity, and institution, to improve program practices and community college system policies in California. Findings indicate that too few students reach transfer, retention, and completion milestones, and that a large percentage of students do not always follow enrollment patterns or degree checkpoints, as intended by policy. The brief outlines three recommendations: improving campus data collection practices, creating accountability structures through new funding models and assessment policies, and using data to align institutional and system-level efforts (Institute for Higher Education Leadership & Policy at California State University Sacramento, October 2010).

Joyce Foundation approach to systems change for state policy for ensuring that state postecondary, adult basic education, skills, and credentials needed to advance and succeed in our changing economy. Their approach: uses data to foster improvements;pursues policy changes to leverage improvements; engages the field to generate ideas for buy-in; and builds strategic communications to cultivate skakeholder support for systemic change.

Teachers tell how to improve public schools.

Amazing what happens when you ask teachers about improving schools. They have concrete, doable suggestions!

Told from the point of view of the Miami Dade College (MDC) Office of Institutional Effectiveness, this paper describes how the college has begun to develop a systematic and data-informed method for assessing and improving student outcomes across its large, eight-campus college. (Joanne Bashford and Doug Slater, Community College Research Center, 2008)

Report from JFF on Virginia's state strategy to improve community colleges through Achieving The Dream.

Brief by Bruce Vandal for NGA; highlights approaches to improve productivity, student success in remedial education; also has college completion implications

This analysis focuses on four different types of interventions for improving students' progress through remedial education and into college-level courses, including (1) strategies that help students avoid developmental education by shoring up their skills before they enter college; (2) interventions that accelerate students' progress through developmental education by shortening the timing or content of their courses; (3) programs that provide contextualized basic skills together with occupational or college-content coursework; and (4) programs that enhance the supports for developmental level learners, such as advising or tutoring.

Impact evaluations are important because they provide evidence about what works and does not work. It looks at what caused the improvement, or lack there of. This article from the Center for Effective Philanthropy talks about evaluation from the policy, practice, as well as philanthropy perspective.

Community colleges can improve graduation rates by offering a course that teaches students how to navigate college with lessons on study skills, time management and how to find the bursar's office. Yet while "student success" courses are increasingly common, resistance remains strong at many community colleges. (Inside Higher Ed, 02/21/12)

Under the LA Grad Act, four-year institutions agree to achieve certain standards in exchange for authority to increase tuition. The performance objectives are aimed at improving college completion and meeting the state's workforce and economic development needs. One performance objective - efficiency and accountability - requires four-year institutions that enter into agreements to eliminate remedial education course offerings and developmental study programs unless such courses or programs cannot be offered at a community college in the same geographic area.

Report from the Mitchell Institute in Maine on how to improve transitions from high school to college for Maine students. Covers college preparation, awareness, career counseling, financial aid.

The report is referenced in a report on remedial education developed by the University of Maine system in 2007.

Article in San Antonio Express-News on efforts to increase the success of remedial education programs to save money and improve student success.

Examines the assessment and course placement practices across California's community colleges for incoming students and recommends strategies for overall improvement. (WestEd, September 2010)

Resource shared at the GPG Workshop on Remedial Education in Nashville, TN on October 5-7, 2010.

The mission of this organization is to improve strategic decision making in higher education for states and institutions in the United States and abroad.

"The work of the CAI is part of the Missouri Department of Higher Education strategy to increase participation in higher education and to smooth pathways for students entering into and progressing in higher education. The goal of this work is to improve the college readiness of high school students throughout Missouri. CAI is also driven by the work of the Mathematics, Engineering, Technology, and Science (METS) Coalition, as well as the P-20 Council and the Director of Education and Workforce Innovation. "

Explores two key questions: What information do states collect on their higher education institutions? How do they use that information to affect institutional improvement? (Chad Aldeman and Kevin Carey, Education Sector, June 2009)

Washington's Student Achievement Initiative measures student progress for the incremental gains made that lead to college success. These measures, called momentum points, are in four categories: improving preparation for college-level courses, building towards a year of college credit, completing college math, and completing certificates, degrees and apprenticeships. This paper describes the success of basic skills students in transitioning to college-level classes, and the momentum they gain towards college success. (Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, January 2008)

Examines developmental education best practices and policies within Massachusetts' 15 community colleges. It presents findings, recommendations and resources to assist the community colleges in improving the success of academically vulnerable students within and beyond developmental education. (Massachusetts Community Colleges Executive Office, June 2009)

The Virginia Community College System (VCCS) is engaged in a strategic planning process to improve performance. A key objective is to encourage colleges to improve retention and academic success for unprepared students. This report presents the main findings from a study of VCCS developmental education and outlines suggestions to attain the strategic plan goals. (Josipa Roksa, Davis Jenkins, Shanna Smith Jaggars, Matthew Zeidenberg & Sung-Woo Cho, Community College Research Center, November 2009)

Setting Up Success in Developmental Education: How State Policy Can Help Community Colleges Improve Student Outcomes is an Achieving the Dream Community Colleges Count and Jobs for the Future Policy Brief written by Michael Lawrence Collins, program director at Jobs for the Future. June 2009