AUSTIN, TX (June 30, 2009) – The Austin Community College District is proud to announce its inclusion in the national student success initiative known as “Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count.” Originally developed by the Lumina Foundation for Education to help more community college students succeed, ACC’s participation is funded by a generous grant from the Greater Texas Foundation – which has awarded the college an $85,000 grant for the first year and $65,000 for the second year of the initiative.

ACC is among 20 colleges chosen for participation in Achieving the Dream, which will augment ACC’s established Student Success Initiative. In a two-year undertaking, Achieving the Dream will provide ACC more tools and opportunities to boost student retention, success, and completion rates. The initiative helps strengthen the institutional commitment to data-driven decision-making, to equity in access and student success across all cohorts of students, and to a culture of “students first.”

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

Achieving the Dream strives to help schools close performance gaps among students who traditionally face the most significant barriers to success, including economically disadvantaged students, those who are the first in their families to attend college, and minorities.

“Achieving the Dream colleges are identifying methods for increasing student success and implementing interventions to create institutional improvements for all students,” says 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.”

Achieving the Dream now reaches more than 100 community colleges. The following schools are joining the initiative in 2009 along with ACC:

About the Austin Community College District (austincc.edu):

ACC, Central Texas’ community college, is the primary gateway to higher education and career training for residents in eight counties. The college provides access to affordable, quality education. ACC enrolls more than 35,700 credit students, offering university transfer courses, two-year associate degrees, certificates, Early College Start, access programs that get students “college-ready,” and continuing education. At ACC you can “Start here. Get there.”