ACHIEVING THE DREAM INC
Programs
Program 1 [2021]
I: NETWORK ENGAGEMENT, SERVICESTHE ACHIEVING THE DREAM (ATD) NETWORK IS COMPRISED OF MORE THAN 300 INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN 45 STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, INCLUDING TRIBAL COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (TCU'S). THIS YEAR, ATD BEGAN WORKING WITH NEARLY 40 NEW COLLEGES, INCLUDING A COHORT OF RURAL COLLEGES. ATD NETWORK COLLEGES HAVE SHOWN DOUBLE-DIGIT DEGREE COMPLETION GAINS AND SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSED EQUITY GAPS BETWEEN SUBPOPULATIONS OF STUDENTS. ATD COLLEGES ARE ROUTINELY SELECTED FOR PRESTIGIOUS NATIONAL AWARDS LIKE THE ASPEN PRIZE FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGE EXCELLENCE. INSTITUTIONS THAT HAVE SHOWN MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT WITH ATD AND GROWTH IN EQUITABLE STUDENT OUTCOMES ARE RECOGNIZED THROUGH ATD'S LEADER COLLEGE, LEADER COLLEGE OF DISTINCTION, AND LEAH MEYER AUSTIN AWARD (RECOGNIZING COLLEGES THAT HAVE DEMONSTRATED OUTSTANDING PROGRESS IN DESIGNING A STUDENT-FOCUSED CULTURE THAT PERMEATES ALL LEVELS AND STRUCTURES OF THE ORGANIZATION). A COLLEGE WILL TYPICALLY JOIN THE ATD NATIONAL NETWORK THROUGH A STRUCTURED 3-YEAR EXPERIENCE IN WHICH IT IS SUPPORTED BY COACHES TO EXAMINE INSTITUTIONAL DATA, IDENTIFY EQUITY GAPS, ASSESS CORE INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITIES, AND DEVELOP STRATEGIES TO REDESIGN POLICIES, PRACTICES, AND STRUCTURES SO THAT ALL STUDENTS HAVE ACCESSIBLE, EQUITABLE AND RELEVANT ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL EXPERIENCES. THROUGHOUT THE THREE-YEAR EXPERIENCE AND BEYOND, ATD SUPPORTS COLLEGES IN BUILDING THEIR CAPACITY TO CONDUCT CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT TOWARDS CLOSING EQUITY GAPS AND INCREASING STUDENT OUTCOMES. AS PART OF THE NETWORK, COLLEGES STRENGTHEN THEIR CAPACITY TO MAKE EQUITY-FOCUSED DECISIONS INFORMED BY DISAGGREGATED DATA AND STUDENT PROGRESS MONITORING; ESTABLISH A CAMPUS-WIDE COMMITMENT TO EQUITY AND TO CLOSING EQUITY GAPS; BUILD A CULTURE OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT SO THEY CAN ITERATIVELY EVALUATE AND IMPLEMENT APPROPRIATE REFORMS ALIGNED TO THEIR TRANSFORMATION GOALS; LEARN ABOUT STRATEGIES FROM PEERS AND PARTNERS ON THE LEADING EDGE OF REFORM; TEST AND REFINE BOLD NEW APPROACHES; AND MAKE PROGRESS TOWARD COMPLETION GOALS THAT LEAD TO RECOGNITION AND PARTICIPATION IN NEW INITIATIVES. DURING THE YEAR, ATD LAUNCHED A NEW INITIATIVE THAT AIMS TO INCREASE EQUITABLE STUDENT SUCCESS BY STRENGTHENING RURAL COLLEGES' CAPACITY TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR CAREERS IN TODAY AND TOMORROW'S DIGITAL ECONOMY. WHILE AMERICA'S RURAL COMMUNITIES ARE THE BEDROCK OF OUR NATION'S ECONOMIC AND FISCAL WELL-BEING, THEY ARE FREQUENTLY UNDER-RESOURCED, STRUGGLING TO GAIN THE ATTENTION OF POLICYMAKERS AND INVESTORS. FOLLOWING A RIGOROUS APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCESS, ATD SELECTED SEVEN COMMUNITY COLLEGES TO JOIN THE FIRST BUILDING RESILIENCY IN RURAL COMMUNITIES FOR THE FUTURE OF WORK COHORT DURING FY21. THE INITIATIVE, FUNDED BY THE COGNIZANT U.S. FOUNDATION, JPMORGAN CHASE & CO., THE COMMUNITY FOCUS FUND AT THE CHICAGO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, WALMART.ORG, AND ASCENDIUM EDUCATION GROUP, WILL INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF THE SELECTED RURAL COLLEGES TO SUCCEED WITH WHOLE-COLLEGE REFORM EFFORTS, PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH THE SKILLS NEEDED IN TODAY AND TOMORROW'S WORKFORCE, AND CONNECT STUDENTS WITH CAREERS IN THE DIGITAL ECONOMY THAT PAY FAMILY-SUSTAINING WAGES. IN ADDITION, THE COHORT WILL WORK TOWARD NARROWING EQUITY GAPS AND PROVIDE ACADEMIC AND PERSONAL SUPPORTS TO STUDENTS.LEARNING EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR SERVE AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN FURTHERING THE TRANSFORMATIONAL WORK AT THE COLLEGES. THESE EVENTS INCLUDE OUR MARQUEE NETWORK-WIDE CONVENING, DREAM, WHERE MORE THAN 3,000 HIGHER EDUCATION LEADERS, PRACTITIONERS, AND FUNDERS GATHERED VIRTUALLY FOR PEER LEARNING AND INSIGHTS AND STRATEGIES FOR SUPPORTING TODAY'S STUDENTS. ATD'S ANNUAL DATA & ANALYTICS SUMMIT, ATTENDED VIRTUALLY BY MORE THAN 300 PRACTITIONERS, FOCUSED ON IMPROVING STUDENT SUCCESS OUTCOMES BY BUILDING CAPACITY AND DEVELOPING A CULTURE OF INQUIRY AND EVIDENCE ACROSS THE INSTITUTION. DREAM AND OTHER HIGHLY FOCUSED EVENTS ALLOW ATD TO DEEPEN ITS CONNECTION TO NETWORK COLLEGES, SHOWCASE EFFECTIVE PRACTICES, AND DRAW IN NEW COLLEGES INTERESTED IN ENGAGING IN INSTITUTIONAL TRANSFORMATION.ATD ALSO CONTINUED ITS WORK, WITH SUPPORT FROM ASCENDIUM EDUCATION GROUP, COACHING 33 TRIBAL COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITIES. THESE INSTITUTIONS HAVE STRENGTHENED THEIR ABILITY TO COLLECT AND USE DATA EFFECTIVELY TO CLOSE ACHIEVEMENT GAPS AND THE GRANT HAS ENABLED ATD TO DEVELOP CONTENT AND COACHING PROCESSES THAT ARE CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE. LIKE OTHER COLLEGES IN THE ATD NETWORK, THEY ARE BUILDING THEIR DATA CAPACITY AND IMPLEMENTING EVIDENCE-BASED REFORMS. IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING QUALITY EDUCATION, TCUS HAVE THE UNIQUE MISSION OF NATION BUILDING. TWO ORGANIZATIONS, THE AMERICAN INDIAN HIGHER EDUCATION CONSORTIUM AND THE AMERICAN INDIAN COLLEGE FUND, SUPPORT NATIVE AMERICAN STUDENT SUCCESS AND COMMUNITIES OF LEARNING AND ARE KEY PARTNERS IN ATD'S WORK.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJul 1, 2020 – Jun 30, 2021Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$5.4MProgram 2 [2021]
II: NETWORK ENGAGEMENTS, PROGRAMS:ACHIEVING THE DREAM, INC. (ATD) IS THE LEADING COLLEGE NETWORK CHAMPIONING EVIDENCE-BASED INSTITUTIONAL IMPROVEMENT TO HELP COMMUNITY COLLEGES IMPROVE OUTCOMES FOR LOW-INCOME STUDENTS AND STUDENTS OF COLOR WHO DREAM OF ACHIEVING THEIR GOALS FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY. OUR WORK IN THIS AREA FOCUSES ON THE DESIGN AND INCUBATION OF PROGRAMMATIC SUPPORTS FOR THE COLLEGES AND PARTNERS WE SERVE AS WELL AS STRENGTHENING ATD'S CAPACITY TO DO THIS WORK. PROGRAMS AREA OF FOCUS INCLUDE EQUITY, HOLISTIC STUDENT SUPPORTS, TEACHING AND LEARNING, AND EVIDENCE-BASED INSTITUTIONAL TRANSFORMATION.ATD CONTINUED ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE USC RACE AND EQUITY CENTER AND THE RACIAL EQUITY LEADERSHIP ACADEMY. THE GROWING MOVEMENT FOR RACIAL EQUALITY HAS REINFORCED THE URGENCY FOR OUR COLLEGE LEADERS TO BE EQUIPPED WITH THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO SCRUTINIZE AND DISMANTLE STRUCTURES AND POLICIES THAT SERVE AS BARRIERS FOR RACIALLY MINORITIZED STUDENTS. ATD IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT TEN COLLEGES HAVE BEEN SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ACHIEVING THE DREAM AND USC RACE AND EQUITY CENTER RACIAL EQUITY LEADERSHIP ACADEMY (RELA). THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN ACHIEVING THE DREAM AND THE USC RACE AND EQUITY CENTER IS SIGNIFICANT TO OUR CONTINUING EFFORTS TO CENTER EQUITY, AND ESPECIALLY RACIAL EQUITY, IN OUR STUDENT SUCCESS WORK. THE INTENSIVE PROGRAM, SCHEDULED TO BEGIN IN SUMMER 2021, IS DESIGNED TO SUPPORT TEAMS OF FIVE INDIVIDUALS FROM EACH COLLEGE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A BOLD, STRATEGIC RACIAL EQUITY PLAN TO IMPLEMENT ACTIONABLE SOLUTIONS AT THEIR INSTITUTIONS.ATD PROGRAMS ARE DESIGNED WITH A HOLISTIC STUDENT SUPPORTS APPROACH, WITH THE INTENTIONAL PLANNING AND INTEGRATION OF MISSION CRITICAL STUDENT ACADEMIC AND PERSONAL SUPPORTS. THIS IS DIFFERENT FROM SIMPLY OFFERING A MULTITUDE OF DISPARATE SERVICES FOR DESIGNATED POPULATIONS OF STUDENTS. PROVIDING HOLISTIC STUDENT SUPPORTS REQUIRES THAT INSTITUTIONS BECOME STUDENT-READY BY INTEGRATING AND ENHANCING MYRIAD SUPPORT SERVICES INTO A SEAMLESS, TIMELY, AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCE FOR EVERY STUDENT. AS COLLEGES ACROSS THE COUNTRY EMBRACE GUIDED PATHWAYS, IMPLEMENT ADVISING TECHNOLOGIES, AND RETHINK WHAT IT MEANS FOR STUDENTS TO BE COLLEGE AND CAREER READY, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT COLLEGES ARE OPERATING WITH AN INTENTIONAL STUDENT-CENTERED DESIGN THAT ALLOWS FOR THE MAXIMIZATION OF LIMITED RESOURCES IN SUPPORT OF STUDENT SUCCESS AND EQUITY AT SCALE. THROUGH OUR WORK WITH MORE THAN 100 INSTITUTIONS ACROSS THE NATION, WE DISCOVERED THAT THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO SUPPORT STUDENTS IN GETTING ON THEIR PATH AND STAYING ON THEIR PATH TO ACADEMIC AND CAREER SUCCESS IS THROUGH A HOLISTIC STUDENT SUPPORTS APPROACH.ATD, WITH SUPPORT FROM THE WILLIAM AND FLORA HEWLETT FOUNDATION, HAS PARTNERED WITH SRI INTERNATIONAL TO CONDUCT RESEARCH ON TEACHING AND LEARNING WITH OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES (OER) IN COMMUNITY COLLEGES, INCLUDING MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTIONS (MSIS). THE GOAL OF THE STUDY IS TO UNDERSTAND WHETHER AND HOW USE OF OER, TOGETHER WITH INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORTS, LEADS TO THE ADOPTION OF NEW PEDAGOGICAL STRATEGIES IN THE CLASSROOM. IN PARTICULAR, WE ARE INTERESTED IN WHETHER THE USE OF OER ENABLES OPEN EDUCATIONAL PRACTICES (ALSO REFERRED TO AS OPEN PEDAGOGY), AS WELL AS CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING PRACTICES. ANOTHER INITIATIVE OF THE T&L PROGRAM INVOLVES ATD'S WORK WITH EVERY LEARNER EVERYWHERE (EVERY LEARNER), WHICH INCLUDES A NETWORK OF 11 OTHER HIGHER EDUCATION AND DIGITAL LEARNING GROUPS. THE INITIATIVE AIMS TO ADDRESS HIGH FAILURE RATES IN FOUNDATIONAL COURSES THROUGH THE PROVISION OF SCALABLE, HIGH-QUALITY SUPPORT TO COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES SEEKING TO IMPLEMENT ADAPTIVE COURSEWARE FOR FOUNDATIONAL COURSES ON THEIR CAMPUSES. THE MISSION OF EVERY LEARNER IS TO HELP INSTITUTIONS USE NEW TECHNOLOGY TO INNOVATE TEACHING AND LEARNING, EMPOWER INSTRUCTORS, AND IMPROVE STUDENT OUTCOMESESPECIALLY FOR FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS, LOW-INCOME STUDENTS, AND STUDENTS OF COLOR.ATD ALSO CONTINUED ITS WORK IN SUPPORT OF STUDENT PARENTS THROUGH THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE WOMEN SUCCEED INITIATIVE. THIS WORK INCLUDES ENGAGING WITH LEADERS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY TO LEARN ABOUT GAPS AND PROMISING PRACTICES, HOSTING REGIONAL FOCUS GROUPS, AND PARTNERING WITH STAKEHOLDERS TO PRODUCE TIMELY RESOURCES FOR COLLEGES. IN ADDITION, ATD CONTINUED ITS WORK UNDER A GRANT FROM THE BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION TO BECOME AN INTERMEDIARY FOR SCALE (IFS) AND FURTHER ATD'S WORK IN TRANSFORMING COLLEGES AS A CONNECTOR, ADVISOR, AND STRATEGIST. IN THE INITIAL PHASE OF THIS WORK, ATD AND OTHER IFS INSTITUTIONS ARE FOCUSED ON BUILDING CAPACITY TO SUPPORT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES INTERESTED IN STUDENT-CENTERED TRANSFORMATION.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJul 1, 2020 – Jun 30, 2021Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$4.4MProgram 3 [2021]
III: K-12 PARTNERSHIPSACHIEVING THE DREAM'S K-12 PARTNERSHIP WORK HELPS INSTITUTIONS AND THEIR COMMUNITIES ESTABLISH A CONTINUUM OF SERVICES THAT BETTER POSITION LOW-INCOME YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS TO EARN NEEDED CREDENTIALS AND DEGREES TO SUCCEED IN THE WORKFORCE. ATD IS BUILDING OUT ITS K-12 PARTNERSHIP SERVICES, LINKING HIGH SCHOOL/COLLEGE STUDENT SUCCESS NETWORKS TO IMPROVE COLLEGE READINESS, EXPAND PERSONALIZED STUDENT SUPPORTS, AND BROADEN SERVICES TO HELP COLLEGES GRADUATE MORE STUDENTS FROM VULNERABLE POPULATIONSTHE CORE OF THE ATD MISSION. ONE OF THE KEY STRATEGIES THAT ATD SUPPORTS IS THE GATEWAY TO COLLEGE NETWORK OF PROGRAMS THAT REENGAGE OFF-TRACK AND OUT OF SCHOOL YOUTH, AGES 16-21, IN COLLEGE-BASED REENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS, WHERE STUDENTS COMPLETE THEIR HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA, WHILE EARNING COLLEGE CREDITS. IN FY21, GRADUATES OF GATEWAY TO COLLEGE K-12 PROGRAMS EARNED AN AVERAGE OF 20 COLLEGE CREDITS. OVERALL, ABOUT 75% OF GRADUATES CONTINUE IN POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION. ATD PROVIDES TRAINING, DATA AND LEADERSHIP COACHING, AND PEER LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES TO THE NETWORK OF GATEWAY TO COLLEGE PROGRAMS. ATD ALSO LAUNCHED A K-12 PARTNERSHIPS LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS THIS YEAR THAT HELPS COLLEGES DESIGN A ROADMAP TO BUILD, SCALE, AND OPTIMIZE EQUITABLE K-12 PARTNERSHIPS. ATD ALSO ANNOUNCED A NEW REGIONAL PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES (PLCS) PROJECT DURING THE YEAR AIMED AT STRENGTHENING THE CRUCIAL ROLE THAT COMMUNITY COLLEGES PLAY AS CONNECTORS BETWEEN EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT. THROUGH THIS INITIATIVE, SUPPORTED BY THE CARNEGIE CORPORATION, ATD IS SUPPORTING FOUR COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE CREATION OF PLCS THAT WILL BRING TOGETHER HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATORS, COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACULTY, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONALS, COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, AND EMPLOYERS. EACH OF THE FOUR COMMUNITIES IDENTIFIED GAPS IN THEIR LOCAL EDUCATION PIPELINE THAT ARE PREVENTING LOW-INCOME YOUNG PEOPLE FROM ACHIEVING ECONOMIC MOBILITY AND THEY DEMONSTRATED A STRONG CONNECTION BETWEEN THIS PROJECT AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITY COLLEGES' STRATEGIC PRIORITIES.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJul 1, 2020 – Jun 30, 2021Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$679.6K
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