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Achieving the Dream

Achieving the Dream has seen firsthand what happens when there is a long-term, sustainable commitment to improving student success. Achievement gaps close. Momentum builds. Lives change. Neighborhoods flourish.

Student success means so much more than a personal goal secured. It means improved skills, better employability, and economic growth for families, communities, and our nation as a whole.

Conceived as an initiative in 2004 by Lumina Foundation and seven founding partner organizations, Achieving the Dream, a national, nonprofit leader in championing evidence-based institutional improvement, leads the most comprehensive non-governmental reform movement for student success in higher education history. Together with our Network of over 220 institutions of higher education, 100 coaches and advisors, and numerous investors and partners working throughout 39 states and the District of Columbia ATD is helping more than 4 million community college students have a better chance of realizing greater economic opportunity and achieving their dreams.

Institution Website: https://www.achievingthedream.org/

Initiative(s)

OER Degree Initiative

Since 2016, ATD and 38 grantee community colleges have planned and implemented the Open Educational Resources (OER) Degree Initiative, designed to help remove financial roadblocks that can derail students’ progress and increase the likelihood of degree and certificate completion. The work of the selected colleges is supported by a robust technical assistance component to help faculty and staff re-design courses using open educational resources; opportunities to engage in a community of practice with OER experts, peers, and other resources; and research and evaluation aimed at establishing the impact of open educational resources degrees on institutions and students. The initiative provides a unique support system for colleges and faculty as they adopt a pathways approach to improving teaching and learning and seek to align curriculum and pedagogy with updated student learning outcomes. In first 2 years since this project began, 211 OER courses have been adopted or developed, with 1545 course sections delivered to over 37,000 students, saving them over 2 million dollars in textbook costs. ATD expects the impact of this project to grow exponentially over subsequent semesters and as colleges continue to offer more sections and adopt additional OER courses.