Over the past several months, members of the Core Team of Al-bany Tech’s Achieving the Dream committee have been meeting and organizing themselves into work groups, or subcommittees. The Core Team’s responsibilities are to:

• Identify existing values, as-sumptions, structures and sys-tems at the college that nurture

and impede student success• Consider leverage points to

improve student outcomes, lead a process for setting institutional priorities, goals and strategies

• Perform an inventory of policy and practice barriers that inhibit student success

• Engage students, faculty, com-munity members and others in dialogue about the analysis and

proposed goals and strategies• Ensure that strategies are

aligned with the college budget, strategies plan, and other major initiatives in order to promote sus-tainability

• Provide leadership to spread a culture of inquiry, reflection and commitment to student success throughout the college

Albany Technical College Begins Its Work Towards Achieving the Dream

ATC Kickoff Activities for Achieving the Dream

Sept 17th ATD Video and PowerPoint 2:00 pm KirklandSept 18th Speaker (equity) 2:00 pm KirklandSept 19th Pep Rally (Monroe High School Band and ATC Cheerleaders) 2:00 pm may take place outside/or KirklandSept 20th Tailgate Party (Game to follow) 12Noon Kirkland

Achieve. Sept 2012

Volume 1

Issue 1

5 Principles (CUBES)Committed leadership.Use of evidence to improve programs & services.Broad engagement.EquitySystemic institutional improvement.

The Albany Technical College Achieving the Dream Core Team includes (left to right): Emmett Griswold, Virginia Parker, Don Laye, Eliza-beth Deming, Vicki Tucker, Kristel Baranko, Debra Jones, Joy Knighton, Tomekia Cooper, Shirley Armstrong, Wendy Howell, and Pamela Heglar. Team members not pictured include: Dr. Anthony Parker, Lisandra DeJesus, Regina Watts, Angela Davis, and Calvin Lee.

Visit the website at http://www.achievingthedream.org

Achieving the Dream, Inc. is a national nonprofit that is dedi-cated to helping more community college students, particularly low-income students and students of color, stay in school and earn a college certificate or degree. Evidence-based, student-cen-tered, and built on the values of equity and excellence, Achieving the Dream is closing achievement gaps and accelerating student success nationwide by:

1. Guiding evidence-based institutional improvement

2. Influencing public policy3. Generating knowledge4. Engaging the public

Conceived as an initiative in 2004 by Lumina Foundation and seven founding partner organizations, today, Achieving the Dream leads the most comprehensive non-governmental reform network for student success in higher edu-cation history. With nearly 200 col-leges, 100 coaches and advisors, and 15 state policy teams - work-ing throughout 32 states and the

District of Columbia - Achieving the Dream helps 3.75 million com-munity college students have a better chance of realizing greater economic opportunity and achieving their dreams.Source http://www.achievingthe-dream.org/about

Learn About Achieving the Dream, Inc.

#1 GOAL = STUDENT SUCCESSAchieving the Dream’s Student-Centered Model of Institutional Improvement is focused on creating a culture of evidence in which data and inquiry drive broad-based institutional efforts to close achieve-ment gaps and improve student outcomes overall.

5 Principles of Institutional Improvement: • Principle 1) Committed Leadership• Principle 2) Use of Evidence to Improve Programs and Services• Principle 3) Broad Engagement• Principle 5) Equity• Principle 4) Systemic Institutional Improvement

5-Step Process for Increasing Student Success: • Step 1) Commit to Improving Student Outcomes• Step 2) Use Data to Prioritize Actions• Step 3) Engage Stakeholders to Help Develop a Plan• Step 4) Implement, Evaluate, and Improve Strategies• Step 5) Establish a Culture of Continuous Improvement

1 Goal:• Student Success

Achieve will be published monthly by theAlbany Technical College Achieving the DreamCore Team. For the most up-to-date info on our initiative, visit www.albanytech.edu and click on the Achieving the Dream logo.