By Marc S. Posner
Cypress College is one of the top 100 community colleges in the nation, according to the U.S. Department of Education. As part of the agency’s new Raise the Bar Initiative, Cypress College has been recognized for excellence.
Selection is based on student success metrics — highlighting both the work of students and the work of employees who deliver instruction and support students along their journey.
“In preparing our application, I saw the best of Cypress College,” Dr. Scott Thayer said.
The Department of Education’s Postsecondary Success Recognition Program launched in April 2024 and colleges were notified of their eligibility for the award in October. The program uses data and evidence to identify institutional exemplars of inclusive excellence across the country.
“The purpose of this program is to recognize institutions that serve as engines of economic mobility by supporting all students to complete affordable credentials of value that prepare them well to participate in the workforce, their communities, and our democracy,” said Dr. Nasser Paydar, Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
“Imagine a world where schools with the most Pell Grant recipients are ranked highest in U.S. News and World Report, where ‘prestige’ is defined by preparing graduates well to enter the workforce and lead fulfilling lives and careers—sometimes right in their own communities,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in announcing the program. “Instead of giving schools high marks for the number of students they turn down, we want to recognize schools doing the most to lift students up.”
“The first group of colleges selected to apply were picked based on several metrics, including access, completion and postgraduation outcomes,” Inside Higher Education wrote. Of the 200 colleges, half are community colleges, while the other 100 predominantly grant bachelor’s degrees. A majority of the institutions are either minority-serving or serve a large proportion of low-income students.”
It it’s ACCJC Connect newsletter, the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges noted that the Department of Education looks for data-driven decision making. The Department focuses on four key tactics that institutions can consider using to promote data-driven inquiry and continuous improvement on their campuses:
- Creating a culture and capacity for data-driven improvement
- Using the metrics that matter for increasing student success
- Conducting key analyses to identify and remove barriers to student success
- Using data to select and evaluate success strategies.