State Policy Barriers for Students Impacted by the Justice System
Connect
This grant supports Education Commission of the States in addressing state-level policy gaps and opportunities to strengthen postsecondary education in prison. Its convenings, reports and policy monitoring will inform and encourage state action supportive of incarcerated learners.
Site-Specific Evaluation of Academic Recovery Innovations
Support
This grant supports The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois in evaluating a campus-level intervention (“academy recovery model”) targeting students who fail critical courses. This institution-level evaluation will provide insights into localized implementation and create the conditions for a potential future evaluation to determine the interventions’ impact on student outcomes.
Supporting the Future U. Podcast 7th Season
Field Development
This grant supports Academic Intelligence in producing the Future U. podcast series, which features interviews with national thought leaders and innovators working to improve student success in postsecondary education. Future U. will produce four episodes that specifically explore issues related to and insights generated from Ascendium’s grantmaking.
Project Success Formative and Summative Assessment
Support
This grant supports Achieving the Dream in evaluating Project Success at its partner Tribal Colleges and Universities. The two-part assessment will provide critical lessons for Achieving the Dream, the participating institutions and the broader field on implementing student-facing practices.
Supporting Expansion of a Jobs-First Higher Education Model in Healthcare
Expand
This grant supports Propel America in preparing for growth of its short-term, credit-bearing training that leads to an industry-validated credential and employment in healthcare jobs for young adults from low-income backgrounds without a postsecondary degree.
Academic Planning for Student Success
Support
This grant supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities in helping a cohort of 10-12 colleges analyze and optimize their course schedules for student success.
Planning for a Center for Prison Education Research and Leadership
Expand
This grant supports the University of Utah in planning the design and launch of a research center focused on postsecondary education in prisons. The proposed center will serve as a national hub for defining critical evidence gaps and advancing rigorous research to inform the design, evaluation and improvement of postsecondary education programs for incarcerated learners.
Special Report: Modernizing Federal Policy to Serve Today’s Students
Field Development
This grant supports Inside Higher Education in producing a special report: Modernizing Federal Policy to Serve Today's Students. The report will include an in-depth analysis of the impact of state and federal postsecondary education policy on working learners, particularly those from low-income backgrounds, and highlight opportunities for federal policy to be modernized to better meet the needs of today’s learners.
Building a Movement to Implement Corequisite Models of Support in Illinois
Support
This grant supports the Partnership for College Completion in working with a cohort of Illinois colleges to implement developmental education reforms as required by the Developmental Education Reform Act passed by the state legislature in 2021. Partnership for College Completion will support institutions in designing and implementing multiple measures placement practices and building capacity for continuous improvement through data literacy and change management.
Building Career Pathways to Economic Mobility and Capacity Growth
Expand
This grant supports Project QUEST in expanding its evidence-based career training and job coaching services to reach many more low-income individuals in the Bexar County, TX region. This grant leverages a major investment from the City of San Antonio and allows Project QUEST to scale sustainably.