Innovative Strategies to Close Postsecondary Attainment Gaps: Advocating for Change during Times of Crisis

N

16

Academic Achievement; Achievement Gap; Postsecondary Education; COVID-19; Pandemics; Racial Bias; Barriers; Access to Education; Student Diversity; Disproportionate Representation; Minority Group Students; Advocacy; Higher Education; Electronic Learning; Online Courses; Student Needs; Educational Attainment; Elementary Secondary Education; Equal Education; At Risk Students; Intervention; Partnerships in Education; School Community Relationship

Alabama; Oklahoma (Tulsa); Michigan (Detroit); Indiana; Ohio (Cleveland); Florida (Tampa); New Mexico (Albuquerque); Massachusetts (Boston); Nevada (Las Vegas); Tennessee (Nashville); California; Texas

Talent Hubs are communities that have shown the ability and commitment to significantly increase college-level learning among residents of all backgrounds. Areas that have earned a designation as a Talent Hub truly work as a community, meaning businesses, education leaders, and civic organizations work as a unit to attract, cultivate, and retain skilled and knowledgeable workers. Aligned and organized around this shared goal, they create multiple ways for individuals to earn college degrees, certificates, and other quality credentials beyond a high school diploma. Each Talent Hub has a backbone organization, a nonprofit entity that organizes and coordinates the work of the various local stakeholders. The hubs span the country, from New York City to Shasta County, California, from St. Louis to the Rio Grande Valley, and from Boston to Albuquerque. The Talent Hubs serve various populations. Some focus on African American residents, some on Latinxs, others on Native Americans. Some Talent Hubs are targeting traditional college students, while others are zeroing in on older students who left school before finishing degrees. All share a commitment to eliminating disparities in educational outcomes among students of color. This guidebook highlights inspiring examples of Talent Hubs' responses from around the country and takes a deep dive into the partnership strategy that one Talent Hub in southwest Alabama deployed to capture and amplify the voices of students in their region who have been most marginalized by the effects of the current pandemic. Following the interview portion of the guidebook, an Op-ed Storytelling Tool is provided to help other communities harness the power of collective voice to advocate for change in their regions.

ERIC

2021

ED609691