Achieving the Dream

Achieving the Dream is a multiyear national initiative to help more community college students succeed (earn degrees, earn certificates or transfer to other institutions to continue their studies). The initiative is particularly concerned about student groups that have faced the most significant barriers to success, including low-income students and students of color. The initiative includes 14 national partner organizations, 82 community colleges in 15 states and many dedicated individuals.

Achieving the Dream Colleges in Texas

2004 Colleges (Funded by Lumina Foundation for Education)

• Alamo Community College District, San Antonio
• Brookhaven College, Dallas County Community College District, Dallas
• Coastal Bend College, Beeville
• El Paso Community College, El Paso
• Galveston College, Galveston
• Houston Community College System, Houston
• South Texas College, McAllen
• Southwest Texas Junior College, Uvalde

2006 Colleges (Funded by Houston Endowment Inc.)

• Alvin Community College, Alvin
• Brazosport College, Lake Jackson
• College of the Mainland, Texas City
• Lee College, Baytown
• North Harris Montgomery Community College District, The Woodlands
• San Jacinto College, Pasadena
• Wharton County Junior College, Wharton

2007 Colleges (Self-Funded)

• Paris Junior College, Paris

Texas Universities (Funded by Houston Endowment Inc.)

• Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View
• Texas Southern University, Houston
• University of Houston-Downtown, Houston
• University of Houston-Main Campus, Houston

Core Commitments of Participating Colleges

Participating colleges have made specific commitments to improve student achievement. They have pledged to maintain open access while working to increase the percentage of students who:

• Complete developmental courses and move on to credit-bearing courses.
• Enroll in and complete gatekeeper courses, such as introductory math and English.
• Complete the courses they take, earning a grade of C or higher.
• Re-enroll from one semester to the next.
• Earn certificates and degrees.

Participating colleges also have agreed to adopt the following approaches to improve student achievement:

• Use data to drive strategies, monitor progress and evaluate outcomes.
• Develop strategies to close performance gaps among students.
• Involve their faculty, students, staff and communities in developing and implementing strategies to improve outcomes.
• Report data and outcomes broadly, both on and off campus.
• Form partnerships with their communities, local businesses and others.
• Advocate for state and national policy changes as needed.

State Policy Initiatives

As the Achieving the Dream lead organization in Texas, the Texas Association of Community Colleges is committed to improving student outcomes and advocating for public policies that will lead to higher student achievement.

TACC proposed a new policy initiative to the 80th Texas Legislature, the New Community College Compact with Texas. Two of the three components of the New Compact align with the policy priorities of Achieving the Dream.

• Incentive Funding: Incentive funding in the New Compact will require a demonstrable commitment on the part of community colleges to Innovation and Outcomes. With Innovation funds, TACC proposes that Texas colleges focus on improving the outcomes of student populations that have not traditionally attended college in large numbers as well as finding new methods to improve the outcomes for all students. Specific areas that need improvement include the delivery of developmental education and student retention. The New Compact recognizes the need for accountability by the state’s community colleges and Outcomes funds will be distributed based upon improving student participation and success. Texas’ Achieving the Dream colleges will serve as model institutions for both the Innovation and Outcome components of the New Compact.
• Affordability: The New Compact puts a priority on keeping tuition low and providing more need-based financial aid.

TACC will continue to advocate for the New Compact in the 81st Texas Legislature.  Achieving the Dream state policy initiatives in Texas include the following:

• Plan and convene meetings of Texas Achieving the Dream colleges to discuss the lessons the colleges have learned.  Meetings will include key policy makers all other colleges in the state.  The purpose of the meetings will be to isolate best practices based upon the institution's Achieving the Dream experience and attempt to translate best practices into meaningful state policy. 
• Advocate for New Compact innovation funding (performance base incentives) to support colleges efforts to increase student success through alternatives to trational instructional delivery, including accelerated, modular, flexible entry and exit, and technology-based developmental education.  Other data-driven innovations like the student success experiments in the Achieving the Dream colleges and innovations being undertaken to meet the requirements of HB 1 should also be articulated to policy makers.
• Partner with the state and use the Achieving the Dream experience to inform and influence state-level policy development in developmental education.  To assist in these efforts, TACC requests proposals for a developmental education consultant.
• Align state financial aid programs and funding levels with student need to provide more community college students the financial support of overcome financial/affordability barriers in an effort to build academic momentum towards credentials and degrees.

For more information, contact Don Hudson.