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

Policy and Research Recommendations for a New Administration and Congress Policymakers need reliable research evidence to make informed decisions about investing in social and education programs. MDRC has developed a series of two-page, evidence-based framing memos on 15 pressing social issues — from preschool to prisoner reentry, from disability insurance to after-school programs. Does Education Increase Economic Mobility? MDRC Featured in Coverage of the Launch of the Gates Foundation’s Postsecondary Success Initiative Focus Magazine Features MDRC Study of Learning Communities at Kingsborough Community College MDRC Web Site Adds New Content-Sharing Features

Promising Instructional Reforms in Developmental Education A Case Study of Three Achieving the Dream Colleges This report examines the experiences of three of the 83 colleges currently involved in the Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count project, an initiative of Lumina Foundation for Education, and their efforts to improve instruction in developmental education classrooms. Helping Community College Students Cope with Financial Emergencies Lessons from the Dreamkeepers and Angel Fund Emergency Financial Aid Programs The Learning Communities Demonstration Rationale, Sites, and Research Design A Good Start Two-Year Effects of a Freshmen Learning Community Program at Kingsborough Community College