Research & Reports
This has been an unusual year across all sectors of higher education. Many of the challenges can’t be ignored, but they also cannot — and are not — distracting our institutions from our core mission of serving the students and local communities that inspire us.
Higher education is still a key lever in putting more individuals on a path to social and economic mobility — a fact that students of all ages and parents recognize. A recently published report from Gallup and the Lumina Foundation found that three-quarters of parents wanted their child to attend college immediately after high school. Among adult learners, according to another poll, 57% who are not enrolled in a degree or credential program say they have considered enrolling in the past two years, and “more than eight in 10 among this group say they are likely to enroll within the next five years.” Our challenge continues to be how to best make these desires and aspirations a reality for more learners.
This year’s ATD Network Annual Reflection Survey, which received responses from more than 122 colleges, demonstrates that ATD Network colleges have their eye on the ball and are strongly committed to expanding student access, improving retention and completion, and helping students get on a productive career pathway. Colleges are also increasingly expanding their roles as boundary-spanning institutions that focus not only on student success before, during, and while in college but also on postgraduation outcomes and supporting thriving communities. These efforts can be seen across the diverse range of institutions — varying in size, geography, federal designation, and years of engagement with ATD — that provided us with their reflections.
We are excited to share this overview of those reflections, which deliver both continuity and new insights into the institutional priorities, challenges, and progress across the ATD Network.
Student-success centered solutions remain a central pillar of institutional strategic planning across the ATD Network. In 2024–2025, 96% of colleges indicated that achieving significant outcomes for all students is a priority in their current strategic plan — up slightly from 94% in 2023–2024 and 93% in 2022–2023.
Need to integrate initiatives
Another factor that may be leading to increased need for strategic planning support is the number of simultaneous initiatives colleges are managing, such as Title III grants, guided pathways, ATD action plans, and regional workforce partnerships. Leaders reported challenges in integrating these efforts into a cohesive institutional vision. Institutions asked for ATD’s help in mapping, sequencing, and aligning initiatives so that planning documents serve as clear blueprints for implementation.
Over the past three years, colleges have increasingly sought support to align initiatives, integrate key performance indicators (KPIs), and apply data-informed and student success-centered designs — signaling growing institutional maturity and planning sophistication.
Steady shift towards adopting postcompletion and community vibrancy metrics and goals
Particularly noteworthy in 2024–2025, the Network saw both a growing number of colleges beginning to incorporate postcompletion metrics, such as transfer success, job placement, and wage gains, demonstrating early movement toward a more comprehensive student success agenda focused on postcompletion outcomes. They also increased adoption of ATD’s Community Vibrancy Framework. In fact, nearly one-third (31%) of institutions said that they were using the Community Vibrancy Framework to anchor their institutional planning efforts.
As in past years, colleges were asked to describe their top three student success priority goals through an open-ended question. Colleges remain focused on three consistent priorities: improving retention and completion, scaling student success reforms, and embedding those reforms into institutional structures. More than half (56%) expect to evolve their goals in the coming year, reflecting growing attention to adult learners, parenting students, and other underserved populations.
Priority 1: A Move to Postcompletion Metrics While Building Momentum in Retention and Completion
A growing number of institutions are beginning to incorporate postcompletion metrics into their institutional goals. These include efforts to track transfer success, job placement, and labor market outcomes — marking a shift toward a more holistic and student-centered definition of success. Improving fall-to-fall and semester-to-semester retention, gateway course completion in first-year English and math, and credit momentum also continue to dominate institutional goals.
Additionally, colleges are increasingly interested in understanding how to build postcompletion frameworks, particularly those with limited internal capacity. One institution asked for examples of how small colleges can develop structures for tracking graduate placements and wage data, while another requested more ATD support around postgraduation success.
Priority 2: Scaling Student Success Reforms
Many colleges are going deeper on past reforms by scaling efforts like redesigned advising, onboarding, and holistic student supports. A few institutions are using this work as a bridge to longer-term outcomes, integrating career preparation, employer engagement, and post-transfer success into their strategies. One college is launching a goal to “track graduates after transfer, including metrics to assess how well we succeed in preparing students for baccalaureate completion, not just access.” This focus is consistent with ATD’s encouragement for colleges to track bachelor’s degree completion after six years as one of their key metrics to monitor. While these examples are not yet widespread, they indicate early movement toward defining success beyond credential completion.
Priority 3: Sustaining and Integrating Reforms
Colleges further along in their reform journey are embedding efforts into core structures —professional development, integrated planning, and institutional assessment. A subset of colleges is also shifting to longer-term outcome planning, where institutional effectiveness is tied to students’ success beyond college. One institution’s goals for 2025–2026 include “success at the program and pathway level and on students’ postcompletion success — transfer and job placement.” Another college is aligning its student success goals with a broader focus on “expanding access and enhancing pathways to postgraduation success.” This is also consistent with ATD encouraging colleges to look not just at course success but also program success.
Additionally, several institutions continue to focus on specific student populations. Adult learners were the most frequently mentioned, often in relation to re-engagement strategies, career pathways, and flexible support services. Parenting students, first-generation students, and students from low-income backgrounds were also named, with an emphasis on accessible instruction, wraparound services, and increased engagement. For many colleges, student-centered planning now includes clearer connections to postcollege success — through employer partnerships, work-based learning, and tracking student outcomes after graduation.
Commonly Implemented Student Success Strategies
The table below provides a quick snapshot of the most commonly implemented student success solutions and strategies across the ATD Network.
Widely Implemented Success Solutions and Strategies (implemented by 80+% of colleges)
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Note: Respondents were allowed to select more than one option. As a result, totals may exceed 100%.
A review of each of these service areas reveals:
Holistic Student Supports remained a major area of investment in 2024–2025. Colleges continued expanding access to mental health services, basic needs assistance, and proactive advising. Compared to 2023–2024, more institutions emphasized partnerships with external organizations to sustain and scale support services — particularly those targeting parenting students, adult learners, and students experiencing housing or food insecurity. While last year’s efforts focused on launching basic needs hubs and introducing trauma-informed care, this year’s responses reflect a clear shift toward institutionalizing and expanding these supports.
Teaching and Learning. Colleges appear to be investing heavily in active, technology-supported, and equity-centered instruction, while simultaneously working to align academic pathways with student needs and external transfer or workforce opportunities. Lower adoption rates for course scheduling optimization and OER may reflect resource limitations, competing priorities, or limited awareness of how these strategies can advance broader goals, such as affordability, access, and student momentum.
Data Capacity. This year, more colleges described the integration of KPIs into strategic plans and the use of data to drive student success-centered solutions. A few institutions also referenced predictive analytics and mapping student milestones to identify points of intervention. Compared to last year, there was greater mention of cross-departmental data access and efforts to strengthen data literacy among staff.
Student Success-Centered Solutions. In 2024–2025, colleges expanded efforts aligned with understanding student experiences and addressing the needs of specific populations, such as parenting students, first-generation students, and LGBTQ+ learners. Compared to the previous year, there was increased emphasis on shifting institutional culture through actions like policy reviews, inclusive leadership development, and employee engagement strategies. These efforts reflect a continued commitment to fostering environments where all students can thrive.
K–College Support: This year, more colleges reported the expansion of dual enrollment programs and intentional outreach to local high schools. Compared to 2023–2024, the 2024–2025 reflections show an uptick in partnerships with school districts to align curriculum and advising, as well as an increase in early college pathway development for underrepresented students. Colleges are also developing overarching dual enrollment strategies that blend their many models of early college (e.g. ATD’s Gateway to College model) and dual enrollment rather than implementing them as standalone models.
AI Emerges as Significant New Area of Attention
Compared to last year, colleges are conducting a more structured exploration of AI across academic and operational domains. Moving beyond isolated pilots and exploratory task forces, colleges are experimenting with AI in instructional design, student services, administrative automation, and institutional research. Faculty are using AI tools to design rubrics, assessments, and inclusive pedagogical strategies, while AI chatbots are supporting admissions and advising. AI is also being used increasingly for strategic planning and predictive analytics, and grassroots innovation has grown through faculty-led pilots using tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot. However, most institutions are still in early stages of adoption and are working to establish formal governance structures and training programs, marking a shift from curiosity to cautious implementation.
Colleges continue to remain cautious about ethical use, data privacy, and ensuring digital access for all students. Colleges emphasized the need to approach AI adoption with caution, ensuring that innovation does not outpace institutional readiness, academic standards, or equity commitments. Five areas of concern were cited by ATD Network colleges:
- Monitoring academic dishonesty and student overreliance on AI
- Protecting data, particularly around student information and institutional data
- Ensuring AI does not exacerbate existing equity gaps
- Scaling internal readiness to effectively implement AI
- Establishing policies and protocols for governing and monitoring AI tools
ATD’s Impact
Colleges making the greatest gains in student success overwhelmingly credit ATD’s support as a driving force behind their progress. Fifty-four percent of college respondents indicated that ATD had a “strong” or “extreme” impact on their student success accomplishments while another 41% said ATD had “some” impact. This distribution is nearly identical to last year’s reported data, indicating consistent perceptions of ATD’s direct impact across the Network.
Colleges making the greatest gains are more likely to achieve transformative outcomes: embedding data into decision-making, fostering a student-centered culture, and aligning strategic priorities with student success initiatives.
The following accomplishments were associated with higher ATD impact:
- Integration of student success work with institutional priorities
- Faculty and staff focus on student success
- Cultural shifts toward student-centered practices
- Narrowing equity gaps
- Increased use of data
- Structural reforms for student-centeredness
The Power of Long-Term Partnership
Colleges that have been part of the ATD Network for a decade or more are leading the way in adopting and sustaining complex, equity-focused reforms across their campuses. These long-standing ATD Network institutions also show higher engagement with the following:
- Integrated data dashboards and literacy programs
- Credit and non-credit alignment
- Workforce and K–12 partnerships
- Advanced use of frameworks like Guided Pathways and Community Vibrancy
This suggests that long-term partnership with ATD builds both infrastructure and confidence to take on bold, systems-level change.
To complement the broader reflections captured throughout this report, college respondents were invited to share open-ended comments about their experience with ATD, as well as feedback on what motivates their ongoing engagement. Their responses offer a more personal, candid lens into how ATD is perceived and where opportunities remain for continued improvement and innovation. Many expressed appreciation for ATD’s guidance, responsiveness, and long-term partnership, highlighting the following areas:
- Appreciation for Coaching and Peer Learning: Numerous colleges praised the quality and commitment of ATD coaches, describing them as “invaluable,” “highly responsive,” and “mission aligned.” Several respondents emphasized the importance of maintaining continuity in coaching teams and strengthening opportunities for cross-Network peer learning.
- Desire for More Streamlined Communications and Navigation: A handful of colleges indicated that while ATD offers a wealth of support, it can sometimes be difficult to navigate resources or keep track of communications. There were suggestions to streamline emails, increase visibility of events and tools, and simplify access to documents and recordings.
- Feedback on Strategic Planning and Equity: Institutions expressed strong appreciation for ATD’s strategic planning and equity frameworks, while also requesting guidance on how to sustain and integrate work that supports subpopulations of students.
- Request for More Tailored Support: Colleges asked for more resources and sessions aligned to their unique institutional contexts, such as rural-serving campuses, new presidents, and first-generation student populations. There were also multiple requests for tools that support implementation rather than just planning.
- Recommendations for Innovation: Several colleges suggested expanding the use of AI and predictive analytics in coaching and reform planning, while others encouraged ATD to increase its national visibility and continue refining its brand identity to attract broader institutional audiences.
While respondents affirmed the value and relevance of ATD’s work, they also offered actionable insights to enhance service delivery, increase accessibility, and remain responsive to evolving institutional needs. These comments offer valuable direction as ATD continues to evolve its model to support colleges more effectively in an ever-changing higher education landscape.
All told, nine out of 10 (91%) of college respondents are “very” or “extremely” likely to recommend ATD to other colleges. ATD’s reputation and quality of the services are the most influential factors driving institutional engagement.
Challenges Colleges Still Face
As noted above, institutions recognize that AI has a clear role to play in strengthening the student success movement, but institutions seek ATD support for AI integration, a broad range of professional learning (see list below) and guidance on how to continue student-centered practices in politically complex environments. Colleges are seeking help in adapting inclusive strategies, communicating their work effectively, and aligning student success efforts with shifting state and federal expectations.
Other areas where colleges continue to face challenges include:
- Redesigning advising and onboarding systems (31%)
- Professional development for student success-centered teaching (28%)
- Strategic coaching and cross-functional alignment (27%)
- Peer learning and knowledge exchange (25%)
- Technology integration to streamline support delivery (24%)
- Using data to guide equity-focused decision-making (21%)
These findings reflect a clear commitment from colleges to transform their holistic student support strategies. Institutions are working not only to expand services but also to ensure that those services are accessible, culturally responsive, well-coordinated, and guided by real-time insights into student needs and experiences.
Continuous Learning and Support
ATD’s success over the last two decades of student success reform work has always been driven by a deep commitment to a process of continuous learning from and with the diverse institutions in our growing Network and using that learning to inform how we work to support colleges. This year’s Annual Reflections provide invaluable input to build on as we move forward together to better meet the needs of our students and communities. In particular, we will be working to accomplish the following:
- Support institutions in adopting and normalizing new metrics in the context of advancing the use of the Community Vibrancy Framework. This includes building out coaching and data supports to help community colleges adopt the Community Vibrancy Framework as the next generation of student success. It also includes the introduction of a new cohorted professional learning series focused on community vibrancy for the senior teams of colleges that have been in the Network for three or more years.
- Expand services to support data and digital transformation capacity building of ATD Network institutions.
- Expand supports to help colleges align dual enrollment strategies with student success strategies. This focus comes on the heels of a successful K–College convening in July.
- Help institutions with strategic enrollment management opportunities to expand access, especially the enrollment and reentry of adult students by sharing strategies and trends and offering new supports focused on adult re-entry.
- Address AI support needs across the eight action areas identified in ATD’s just released AI for All Task force report.
- Expand awareness of ATD’s focus on helping colleges strengthen workforce alignment through the implementation of the Community Vibrancy Framework and its focus on mobility as the field’s new end game. This includes working with colleges to support the integration of systems and processes to support learners in degree and non-degree pathways.