For years, the vast majority of California's community college students had to take remedial courses that slowed down or halted their academic progress. In 2019, Assembly Bill (AB) 705 removed many of these barriers, making it much easier for students to access and complete gateway transfer-level courses in English and math--a key early milestone…

In this new Policy Note, Professor Iain Martin, Vice Chancellor at Anglia Ruskin University, looks at each university's success in widening participation and ensuring access to people from all backgrounds. Professor Martin proposes a new measure of equity in participation, which demonstrates graphically the most equal -- and most unequal -- higher…

By using principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) within online learning environments, teacher education faculty have an opportunity to break down barriers and create purposeful course content that will benefit all learners. The application of UDL helps teacher education faculty recruit learner interest, sustain learner efforts, and…

ACCT's "Equity Action Agenda for Community College Governance" is a guide based on the responsibilities of community college trustees and the college's leadership to promote policies that support access, affordability, equity and completion for all community college students. College diversity, equity, and inclusivity policies facilitate…

The Federal Student Aid's (FSA's) Five-Year Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2020-24 (Five-Year Plan) establishes ambitious goals and objectives to ensure that FSA continues to provide access to higher education regardless of one's past educational experiences or socioeconomic status. This Five-Year Plan was informed by public comments; focus…

Pioneering legislation such as Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997, and the Assistive Technology Act of 1998 have increased attention to the needs of individuals with disabilities. These regulations require that public programs…

Signed under the Obama administration, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) grants a working permit to those who entered the U.S. before age 16, allowing students to enroll at institutions of higher education and join the military. In June 2017, the head of the Department of Homeland Security, John Kelly said that the DACA program would…

Year Up's Professional Training Corps (PTC) adapted its successful workforce program for low-income young adults to operate in college settings to reduce costs and enhance scalability. The one-year program provides six months of training in basic academic, professional, and occupational skills, extensive supports, a behavior contract, and a…

This publication presents some structural indicators on graduate employability in 40 European education and training systems. It examines whether countries use regular labour market forecasting to improve the employability of graduates; moreover, other indicators include the involvement of employers in external quality assurance procedures,…

The need for a robust evidence base able to demonstrate the impact of widening participation activity across the student lifecycle has been emphasised in recent guidance to the higher education sector. However, with competing demands on their time this is likely to represent a challenge for practitioners. Yet, there is wide recognition of the need…

This publication presents some structural indicators on higher education in 40 European education and training systems. It examines whether there are targets for widening participation of under-represented groups in higher education and whether countries monitor the characteristics of the student body. Moreover, it looks at whether, and to what…

Dual credit and exam-based credit programs are increasingly popular options for high school students who hope to earn college credit during their high school career. These programs provide college-level content for students seeking a head-start on college and promote college-going among high school students. As their popularity grows, dual credit…

Not long ago, college seemed out of reach for Jesse Ashley, a high school senior in Buffalo, New York. In a troubled school system plagued by low achievement and high dropout rates, Jesse's chronic absenteeism and bouts with depression made his prospects shaky. But Jesse got help, returned to classes and began thinking about college--all under an…

West Virginia uses multiple state assessments to measure student achievement and inform program decision-making. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 requires participation of students with disabilities in statewide assessments to be consistent with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 2001 and current with…

Background/Context: Recent developments in state-level policy have begun to require, incentivize, and/or encourage students at community colleges to enroll full time in an effort to increase the likelihood that students will persist and transfer to four-year institution where they will be able to complete their bachelor's degree. Often, these…