National program to boost ACC success

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The Austin Community College District announced its inclusion in “Achieving the Dream: Community College Count,” a national student success initiative.

The program, which promotes community college student success, was originally developed by the Lumina Foundation for Education.

The Greater Texas Foundation funds ACC’s participation and awarded the college an an $85,000 grant for the first year and $65,000 for the second year of the initiative.

The 2009 program reaches 100 community colleges in 22 states.

The two year program will allow ACC opportunities to increase the maintian of enrolled students, increase their success and completion rates, and live by the cluture of “students first.”

“Boosting student success rates is already a priority for the Austin Community College District,” said Dr. Stephen Kinslow, ACC president and CEO. “The Achieving the Dream effort strengthens our commitment to helping more students reach their goals.”

The program aims to aid schools in performance gaps among students and barriers to success, including minorities, economically disadvantaged and first-generation college students,

“Achieving the Dream colleges are identifying methods for increasing student success and implementing interventions to create institutional improvements for all students,” said Carol Lincoln, the initiative’s national director. “We’re excited about bringing the Austin Community College District into the initiative and working together to take ACC student success to the next level.”