The Utah Board of Higher Education's strategic plan prioritizes expanding access to higher education, improving college affordability, and reducing the time it takes students to complete their degrees. Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) supports these goals by awarding college credit for knowledge and skills gained outside the traditional classroom.…

We describe an intentionally designed, cross-disciplinary curriculum that promotes a broad humanistic understanding of the process of science, and how this curriculum supported graduation in science and mathematics. Combining the expertise of philosophers, sociologists, and social psychologists with that of scientists, this cross-disciplinary…

Obtaining a degree from a community college is a strong pathway to numerous career opportunities for students from low-income backgrounds. Unfortunately, graduation rates from community colleges are often very low, so many students do not reap the benefits of a degree. With the goal of increasing graduation rates, three community colleges in…

The "Building Bridges Graduation" honors the cultural and familial importance of Transfronterizx [Transborder] students' achievements. Hosting graduations across the border reflects a deep institutional commitment to inclusion, equity, and the generational success of these students. This initiative expands opportunities for historically…

In a bid to make high school fruitful and engaging for every student, the Indiana State Board of Education in December 2024 approved a single new diploma that will be effective for all seniors in the 2028-29 school year. The diploma doubles elective credits to 12 to allow more flexibility for students to tailor their learning to their goals. They…

Since 2019, the Washington State Board of Education has engaged stakeholders in creating a vision for mastery-based learning (MBL) that sparked pilot programs, outcome evaluations, and a push for legislative action. By decoupling how students earn high school credits from the amount of time spent in classroom seats, the board also sought to boost…

For 15 years, Complete College America (CCA) has been building movements for scaled systemic change and transforming institutions. While CCA has expanded their efforts over the past 15 years, they have studied the best ideas and co-designed the most promising practices to move the needle on college completion. They have learned a lot about how to…

With constantly changing needs in a global economy, more flexibility in educational accountability for states and districts, and a focus on high standards for all students, state educational agencies (SEAs) and local educational agencies (LEAs) are increasingly defining what skills, competencies, and knowledge graduates should have by developing a…

This report contains the testimony of Preston Cooper, a senior fellow focusing on the economics of higher education at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), to the House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies concerning the federal role in postsecondary education, and the…

Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) is a transformative, learner-centered institution dedicated to student success that strategically serves Southwest Florida and beyond. The Accountability Plan is an annual report that is closely aligned with the Board of Governors' 2025 System Strategic Plan. This report enhances the System's commitment to…

This brief highlights lessons learned from New Mexico's investment in community schools. Drawing on profiles of three sites that received state implementation grants, we find that community schools implementing the key practices at the center of New Mexico's community schools framework are seeing improvement across a range of indicators, including…

Florida Atlantic University (FAU) is a multi-campus public research university that pursues excellence in its missions of research, scholarship, creative activity, teaching, and active engagement with its communities. The Accountability Plan is an annual report that is closely aligned with the Board of Governors' 2025 System Strategic Plan. This…

The Guam Department of Education (GDOE, Department) is a semi-autonomous agency within the Government of Guam(GovGuam) and is primarily funded through the GovGuam General Fund. The GDOE is a single unified school district that serves just under 25,000 students (from Kindergarten to Grade12). There are 26 elementary schools, 8 middle schools, 6…

Only half of high school students report feeling prepared for their postsecondary lives, according to a Gallup poll. In a separate survey by Morning Consult, two-thirds of young people aged 16-24 said they did not know what career to pursue, and only 44 percent of 19- to 24-year-olds who had not enrolled in college were satisfied with their career…

This practice report details a large, four-year, public, research 1 (very high research activity), Hispanic Serving Institution's (HSI) approach to tackling barriers to timely graduation through the implementation of a virtual support center, the Graduation Help Desk (GHD). The GHD, established in late 2017, operates at the level of the provost's…