MDRC experts will be presenting at the Annual Convention of the American Association for Community Colleges in New Orleans at the following sessions:

Monday, April 24, 2:15-3:15 pm

ASAP and Guided Pathways: The Latest in Research and Institutional Alignment

(College Readiness and Completion: 209 – ENMCC)

Community colleges seeking to improve student outcomes often ask about the relationship between two approaches receiving significant publicity: Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) and Guided Pathways (GP). This session will bring together CUNY, the creators of ASAP, and research organizations MDRC and CCRC to discuss these two strategies. This session will describe ASAP and GP and present the unparalleled impacts on student success found in CUNY ASAP and similar wraparound programs in Ohio. The session will conclude with a participatory discussion on the similarities and differences between ASAP and GP and how they can be aligned for implementation and impact in community colleges.

• Thomas Bailey, Director, Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Richard Kazis, Senior Consultant, MDRC

• Donna Linderman, University Director for Student Success Initiatives and ASAP Executive Director, The City University of New York

• Michael Weiss, Senior Research Associate, MDRC

Tuesday, April 25, 8:45-9:45 am

Integrating Advising and Technology to Improve Student Success

(Organizational Strategy: Grand Salon A – Section 6 – Hilton)

This forum will describe a new, systematic strategy to integrate advising, emerging technologies, and data to better serve students. A senior administrator from Montgomery County Community College, one of 26 participating institutions, will share his perspective on this dynamic new strategy and its impact at

Montgomery. Researchers from CCRC and MDRC will then describe an ongoing, rigorous study designed to inform the field and the institutions’ future reform efforts. The forum will end with a group discussion about lessons from the project and tools that can be used at other institutions.

• Michael Armijo, Senior Research Associate, Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Alexander Mayer, Senior Research Associate, MDRC

• Philip Needles, Vice President of Student Services, Montgomery County Community College

In addition, MDRC will be hosting a breakfast for college leaders on Monday, April 24, 7:00-8:30 am, in the Commerce Room (3rd Floor) of the Hilton New Orleans Riverside. We’ll share key lessons from MDRC’s 15-year history of research in community colleges and examples of how we’ve partnered with colleges to apply these lessons to help address students’ most pressing needs. We’re also interested in new partnership opportunities, and we want to learn more about your work, your ideas, and where MDRC could be most helpful. Please RSVP by Thursday, April 20, if you’d like to join us.