Millions of students leave college every year before earning a degree. At community colleges, only a third of full-time students graduate within three years. How can school administrators help students stay in school and eventually graduate? Higher education institutions commonly offer students advising services to help them develop the academic…

Colleges support students with advising, counseling, or coaching in academics and other skills they need to succeed in school. Some colleges enhance those services through reduced adviser caseloads and more comprehensive, frequent guidance, which can improve students' semester-to-semester retention and average credits earned. This overview…

This report provides early evidence on the implementation and impacts of the Madison Area Technical College Patient Care Pathway program, which aimed to help low-skilled students in the Madison, Wisconsin, area access occupational training in the growing healthcare sector. The Patient Care Pathway program adapted and linked existing programs at…

The higher education landscape is changing rapidly, and with nationwide trends of declining enrollment, colleges and universities are faced with the challenging task of understanding what that means for them. In the state of Missouri, two- and four-year institutions have experienced decreases in enrollment, with an overall decrease of 9 percent…

Under the Integrated Planning and Advising for Student Success (iPASS) initiative, 45 two- and four-year colleges have undertaken reforms that aim to provide students with seamless, holistic advising experiences that lead to improved academic outcomes. Colleges participating in iPASS have adopted a data-oriented approach to select and integrate…

Community colleges continue to increase their efforts to better serve students who enter their institutions with limited basic math, reading, or writing skills. In 2015, MDRC partnered with the Texas Coordinating Higher Education Board on a study to examine how colleges implemented state guidelines for students scoring below ninth-grade…

Dual enrollment has emerged as an effective means of encouraging postsecondary college participation and acculturating high school students to the academic rigors and expectations of the college environment. In most states, dual enrollment participation is voluntary. To encourage more students to take advantage of dual enrollment opportunities,…

This report describes the implementation and early impacts of the Washington State Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) program at three colleges: Bellingham Technical College, Everett Community College, and Whatcom Community College. I-BEST is a nationally known program that aims to increase access to and completion of…

The growing cost of college is one of the most significant barriers to completion. However, research shows that frequent, intensive advising, combined with financial and other support, can make a tremendous difference in helping students complete. For two years, TICAS has worked with a group of rigorously evaluated organizations across the country…

A growing body of evidence reveals that a central factor in low completion rates for community college students is the "cafeteria" style approach to college, which provides entering students with a dizzying array of choices and little guidance on navigating those choices. A poor decision on which classes to take can cost community…

This report documents the implementation and early impacts of the Pathways to Healthcare program, operated by Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona. Pathways to Healthcare is one promising effort to help low-income, low-skilled adults access and complete occupational training that can lead to increased employment and higher earnings. It is one…

As more colleges add online courses and fully online programs, the need to offer online supports to students becomes more apparent. The connection to an adviser is critical for all students, but for online students it can serve as their primary connection to the institution. In Fall 2011 a pilot study was conducted at the Community College of…

In January 1991, Portland Community College (PCC) received Title III funding to develop a computerized student tracking and advising system designed to provide maximum academic assistance to at-risk students. The goals of the project included the following: (1) develop a student information system to link student service units; (2) design and…

Most academic advising conducted in the California Community Colleges is accomplished through a formal system administered by professional academic advisors/counselors. With recent cutbacks in funding, the amount of academic advisor time available to an increasing number of students is decreasing. In an effort to increase the availability of…