Achieving the Dream
Achieving the Dream, Inc., a national nonprofit that helps 3.5
million community college students stay in school and earn a college certificate
or degree, has named Renton Technical College a Leader College. RTC joins 22
additional Achieving the Dream Institutions that have earned Leader College
distinction. These emerging leaders join the ranks of now 52 institutions that
have achieved Leader College status by raising persistence and graduation rates,
closing achievement gaps, and changing lives.
“The work of improving student success is very difficult,
critically important, and urgent,” said Achieving the Dream President & CEO
William Trueheart. “These 23 institutions have carefully analyzed student
outcomes evidence and have implemented sustained positive student-centered
changes. They deserve enormous recognition for their focus on equity and
excellence and for their extraordinary contributions to their communities and
our nation.”
Renton Technical College increased the percentage of
students who have earned a certificate or degree or are still enrolled from 61%
in 2007-2008 to 74% in 2010-2011. This improvement is associated with the
Reading Apprenticeship program that helps students improve their reading
comprehension. The Reading Apprenticeship program has been scaled to reach 53%
of workforce students.
“We expect these exemplary colleges to serve as mentors
within the Achieving the Dream community of learners, as well as advocates for
the values, principles, and mission of Achieving the Dream,” Trueheart said.
“Creating and implementing student success initiatives that have an enduring
impact takes time and patience. It’s critical that we get it right and that we
learn from institutions that have demonstrated success in key areas and have
been able to sustain progress over time.”
Renton Technical College President Steve Hanson stated, "We
are proud to receive national recognition for our commitment to student success
and institutional improvement. As a Leader College, we will continue to promote
policies and practices that support student achievement as we mentor other
Achieving the Dream colleges and work together to improve college completion
rates."
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