National Policy and Discourse

Nationally, Achieving the Dream and its partners regularly share Achieving the Dream’s insights with those in a position to influence federal legislation, appropriations, or administrative policies.  Achieving the Dream has developed deep relationships with on-the-ground policymakers in 15 states.  Those relationships produce cross-state learning, collaboration and policy recommendations that are critical to focusing national deliberations and policy efforts on the right priorities.

Achieving the Dream’s principles and evidence-based approach have reached far beyond the states directly involved.  Achieving the Dream has, for example:

• Influenced the shape of the American Graduation Initiative proposals and the $2 billion, four-year Community College and Career Training grants
• Defined intermediate and final indicators of student success that are well-suited to community colleges.  Those indicators have been integrated into the Voluntary Framework of Accountability, the first national system of accountability for community colleges, as well as the metrics adopted by the National Governors Association and Complete College America for state reporting of progress and completion
• Created tools that have been used to facilitate conversations in states outside of Achieving the Dream.  In May 2011, for example, the Los Angeles Community College District’s Student Success Task Force used Achieving the Dream materials to discuss the status of their own policies
• Consulted regularly with officials from the White House and the Department of Education on critical issues facing community colleges

Achieving the Dream has also been deliberate about forging alliances with other national initiatives focused on student success, and has sought opportunities to work with regional higher education accreditation agencies to create incentives for colleges to become more data-informed and to improve student outcomes.