ACHIEVING THE DREAM, INC.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Designing and Developing Supports for Whole College Transformation
ATD provides institutions of higher education with integrated, tailored supports for every aspect of their work to accelerate student success from foundational capacities, such as those associated with data gathering/analysis and institutional strategy, to intentional measures, such as bolstering holistic student supports, adopting equitable high-impact teaching strategies, and developing key external partnerships.
Members of our expert coaching team conduct a comprehensive assessment and data analysis of colleges to identify equity gaps and critical areas for improvement. Based on insights revealed through this process, coaches pull from their extensive experience to adapt our frameworks to the individual context of each institution, including its student demographics, legislative environment, mission and theory of change, past initiatives and student success efforts, and other factors in order to guide the institution toward a holistic transformation to advance student success.
Disseminating Knowledge to the Student Success Field (Cont 1/4):
A key aspect of ATDs work is creating learning opportunities for members and those who work in the student success field. ATD is known for the high quality of its annual institutes, meetings, workshops, and webinars, which increase in number every year and for its annual Dream Conference, which, in 2022, drew more than 3,200 people, our highest attendance ever. In addition, member institutions benefit from the collective learning of 300+ colleges in our ATD Network, reaping the rewards of unique opportunities to learn from and with their peers.
Our vast array of toolkits, guides, and other field-tested resources inform member and nonmember institutions alike on issues ranging from developing professional learning communities and fostering institutional change to building strategic partnerships for holistic student supports, preparing for shortened academic terms, operationalizing equity, and many others.
Disseminating Knowledge to the Student Success Field (Cont 2/4):
Our knowledge dissemination focuses on our seven areas of expertise:
Data: We dive into how people, processes, and systems in higher education can use data and technology to build and refine strategies for student success.
Equity: We examine and redesign structures, processes, and attitudes that fuel inequities in the college experience, providing insights, foundational skills, and transformational strategies needed to improve student success and completion rates of historically underserved populations.
Holistic Student Supports: We apply student-centered design to college policy, operations, and culture to remove the barriers faced by college students, particularly first-generation students and those who are economically marginalized or racially/ethnically minoritized.
Disseminating Knowledge to the Student Success Field (Cont: 3/4)
K12 Partnerships: We take a holistic approach in promoting combined outreach, student supports, and high-quality instruction as a strategy to ensure that partnership tools, such as dual enrollment and early college, are effective, that they equitably support underrepresented student populations, and pave a seamless pathway for students to travel from high school through college and into family-sustaining careers.
Leadership: We assist college leadership in developing a clear, compelling, and sustainable vision for student success and in using that vision to set priorities; orchestrate action; build a student-centered culture; and align strategic goals, partnerships, resources, and communications as part of an institutional transformation that will accelerate student success.
Disseminating Knowledge to the Student Success Field (Cont 4/4):
Pathways: We leverage research and best practice in the field to advocate for intentionally structured guided pathways in college to support students progression from the time they first express interest in higher education through the completion of a valuable credential and participation in the labor market.
Teaching and Learning: We empower colleges through evidence-based strategies to better serve students and maximize their outcomes by creating the infrastructure needed to reach and teach every student; employ impactful, practical classroom strategies; design dynamic, relevant, and culturally responsive courses; and build capacity for change with high-impact professional learning.
Incubating New Ideas Through Research and Innovation
ATD moves the student success field forward by exploring new ideas and developing solutions in response to pressing challenges. Our thoughtfully designed research and innovation programs inform and enhance both the wider field and the transformation work within the colleges with which we partner. Some of our most recent research focuses on the expansion and improvement of evidence-based digital teaching and learning strategies that help students thrive. As a partner in the Every Learner Everywhere network (a group of higher education and digital learning groups that help institutions use new technology to innovate teaching and learning), ATD has produced 12 case studies examining the use of adaptive courseware (course software that uses student data to personalize the learning experience) in gateway courses. The studies have revealed numerous benefits for students, instructors, and institutions.
Where we work
External reviews
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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ACHIEVING THE DREAM, INC.
Board of directorsas of 03/25/2024
Eduardo Padrón
Louis Testoni
Michael Villereal
Christine Johnson
Pam Eddinger
Javier Miyares
Barbara Lombardo
Larry Kubal
Mike Flores
Alex Johnson
Mary McCarthy
Nicole Melander
Gregory Williams
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes