For low-income people, community colleges offer an important pathway out of poverty and into better jobs. But a host of factors, including inadequate financial aid or student services and poor developmental classes, can keep them from enrolling in and completing postsecondary education.  more

Can Improved Student Services Boost Community College Student Success? At many community colleges, students don’t get the support, like counseling and tutoring, they need to navigate through college successfully; often college staff are overburdened and students don’t know how to access the services that are available. Recent research from MDRC suggests that particular enhancements can lead to better use of student services and to modest improvements in academic outcomes. Does Education Increase Economic Mobility? MDRC Announces Doctoral Fellowship Program for Summer 2010 MDRC to Evaluate National Developmental Education Initiative MDRC Releases 2009-2010 Corporate Report

Guiding Developmental Math Students to Campus Services An Impact Evaluation of the Beacon Program at South Texas College Created as part of the national Achieving the Dream initiative, a “light touch” intervention targeting students enrolled in lower-level math courses increased the number of students using campus tutoring and academic services. While the program has not improved math class pass rates or persistence in college overall, it has had positive effects for part-time and developmental students. Paying for College Success An Introduction to the Performance-Based Scholarship Demonstration Building Student Success From the Ground Up A Case Study of an Achieving the Dream College More Guidance, Better Results? Three-Year Effects of an Enhanced Student Services Program at Two Community Colleges