Public policy is a powerful force that can either promote or block college efforts to improve student success.  Achieving the Dream states have made a commitment to pursue the following policy priorities:

Develop visible public policy commitment to student access and success; Strengthen state data systems to measure student outcomes and encourage higher performance; Better align community colleges and other levels of education; Provide incentives for improved services for academically under-prepared students;

Expand access to financial aid and other financial incentives that increase persistence; Build strong public support for policies that promote access and success.

• Achieving the Dream State Workplans and Expected Outcomes for 2007-08 
  The document summarizes the areas of policy work that nine Achieving the Dream states have identified as priorities for 2007-08.
  
  
• Achieving the Dream State Policy Accomplishments 2008 
  This matrix, prepared by Jobs for the Future, summarizes the various policy efforts and successes of Achieving the Dream states.
  
  
• Achieving the Dream Framework for Policy Change 
  Achieving the Dream aims to bring about significant changes in state policies - including regulations, laws, funding and incentives, administration and governance - to promote improved outcomes for community college students. This paper presents the state policy issues that  Achieving the Dream is addressing and the initiative's overall framework for policy change.
  
  
• State Policy Audit - State Policy to Achieve the Dream in Five States  (Full report)
  Kevin Dougherty of Teachers College, Columbia University is conducting a national audit of state policies that affect students’ access to and success in community college. The audit will include case studies of the seven Achieving the Dream states and a survey of all 50 states. The first set of reports on the first five Achieving the Dream states is now available. The full report, "State Policy to Achieve the Dream in Five States," provides detailed policy audits of Florida, New Mexico, North Carolina, Texas, and Virginia, as well as a chapter and detailed tables providing cross-case analysis of patterns across the five states and recommendations for future state policy. "Five States of Policy" provides a condensed summary of the full report. (View condensed summary - Five States of Policy )