Achieving the Dream

ATD Info Center

ATD Team

Student Success Framework

Timeline

What is Achieving the Dream?

Achieving the Dream (ATD) is a national reform network of more than 220 colleges in 41 states dedicated to helping more community college students, particularly low-income students and student of color, stay in school and earn a college certificate, diploma, or degree.  As an ATD Network institution, Delaware Tech will work with their coaches to build institutional capacity, receive expert data analysis, and innovate to implement, align, and scale cutting-edge reforms.

Achieving the Dream is not a new initiative or student success strategy; it is the framework for organizing and sustaining student success on a substantial scale.

ATD provides...

• Coaching to create measurable and sustainable outcomes
• Data analysis that allows us make strategic and impactful decisions to assess and improve student success
• Guidance to implement reforms that result in improved skills, greater graduate employment, and improved opportunities for economic and personal advancement

Why did Delaware Tech join?

Delaware Tech has demonstrated its commitment to making incremental changes to strengthen student success. However, we are not making gains as quickly or as impactfully as desired. While we have achieved our Call to Action goal of increasing graduation rates by 50%, we still need to continue to strengthen student retention, persistence, and graduation. Additionally, we continue to see a disparity in achievement for students of color. Although everyone is fully committed to strengthening student success, we are experiencing pockets of "initiative fatigue." The external guidance and connections we make as an ATD Network institution will help better focus our efforts and increase return on our effort. As members of ATD, we can make strategic and systematic improvements that allow us to strengthen student achievements and outcomes.