3 critical outcomes lead to achievement of the big goal.

Preparation Students are prepared academically, financially and socially for success in education beyond high school.

Success Higher education attainment rates are improved significantly.

Productivity Higher education productivity is increased to expand capacity and serve more students.

 
Alignment | Beyond Common Core
The development of the Common Core State Standards is just the beginning of an arduous process to provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, says the report, Now What? from the Fordham Institute.  The report offers a list of 10 major activities that it says must occur once standards have been adopted.

Affordability | Californians & higher ed
A depressed economy and an ongoing state budget deficit are taking a toll on Californians’ views about state funding for public higher education. According to a statewide survey from the Public Policy Institute of California, 57 percent of parents with children 18 or younger are concerned about college affordability. Concern is especially high among Latino parents, with 72 percent “very worried” about being able to pay for college-up 19 points since 2007.

Workforce needs | Study examines bridge programs
Bridge programs have become a 21st-century idea for helping prepare low-skilled individuals for jobs that require more education, says  Building a Higher Skilled Workforce. Commissioned by the Joyce Foundation and conducted by the Workforce Strategy Center, the report offers insight on 500-plus bridge programs, including their role in fulfilling the nation’s college-attainment goals

Outcomes | Learning that matters
Attaining a college degree or certificate is important, but genuine progress depends on making sure that degree completion serves as a proxy for real learning.  The Heart of Student Success from the Center for Community College Student Engagement offers four strategies that are likely to improve students’ chances for college completion.

Public policy | Antidotes for student success
Higher education has a special role to play in shaping the South’s future, its economy, and its society. The State of the South 2010, from MDC, examines those roles, as well as offers guidance on policies that can promote postsecondary student success.

Persistence | Building blocks to degree completion
Social supports and self-efficacy are critical to students’ higher education success. This is especially true for first-generation, low-income students and minorities, says The Role of Social Supports and Self-Efficacy in College Success, from the Institute for Higher Education Policy and the National College Access Network.

Data  | ACE assesses Year 1 of Post-9/11 GI Bill
Service Members in School: Military Veterans’ Experiences Using the Post-9/11 GI Bill and Pursuing Postsecondary Education, from the American Council on Education , says that while financial support from the Veterans Administration is crucial in assisting veterans’ transitions to college, higher education institutions play an equally important role. This includes setting transparent and consistent rules for transferring military training to academic credits and providing information sessions to familiarize veterans with campus resources.

Attainment | The productivity agenda
State innovations and strategic approaches can help students progress from enrollment to completion of certificates, credentials or undergraduate degrees. Lumina Foundation’s National Productivity Conference spotlighted these ideas and more. Read  Navigating the New Normal, view productivity conference materials and learn more about ideas discussed at the conference.

Affordability | Studies tackle college costs
Encouraging more students to attend community colleges, FAFSA reform, moving more classes online, and three-year bachelor’s degrees are among the suggestions found in  25 Ways to Reduce to Cost of College, from the Center for College Affordability and Productivity. The study details how colleges and universities can cut costs to become more affordable and productive.

Research | Blueprint for more college degrees
The Community College League of California’s Commission on the Future has crafted a college attainment blueprint designed to increase the number of California community college graduates by 1 million by 2020. The Commission outlines 17 policy and institutional recommendations, including increased attention by college leaders to completion, the use of disaggregated student access and achievement data, and intensive student supports.