Postsecondary education is a crucial factor in achieving economic mobility. However, graduation rates at community colleges remain low, particularly for students from low-income families.  

One effort to help students graduate and succeed in the workforce is MDRC’s Scaling Up College Completion Efforts for Student Success (SUCCESS), a comprehensive student support program supported by 15 years of MDRC’s postsecondary research. Through its Expanding SUCCESS Initiative, MDRC is partnering with states and districts to scale the SUCCESS program to new locations and campuses  

In this episode, Leigh Parise talks with Elena Serna-Wallender, Senior Evidence to Practice Associate at MDRC, and Emily Dow, Assistant Secretary of Academic Affairs at the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC). They discuss how MHEC and MDRC are working together to support institutions implementing these supports in Maryland.