Connect2Complete Program
Theory of Change 1/26/12
OMG Center for Collaborative Learning
C2C Goal: C2C students will increase academic success and persistence towards credential completion and
will be more engaged with their peers, community college, and broader community as a result of peer to
peer mentoring and community engagement opportunities. C2C will also work toward embedding
community engagement and peer to peer interaction into community college systems as strategies for
retention and persistence.
Target partners: Connect2Complete will engage community colleges, state affiliates, and Campus Compact to accelerate 4,500
students through developmental education courses, increasing their academic success and persistence towards credential
completion.
C2C Students:
Pell-eligible students entering community college (CC) and taking
developmental education courses. These students likely have barriers
to overcome to complete credentialing, such as being the first in their
family to go to college or feeling disconnected from the college system
Community Colleges:
Peer Advocates: CC students achieving academic success who have:
desire to serve as a role model to other students, affinity to be a team
player, strong communication skills, and desire to further their
leadership potential
Faculty and Administrators: Teach C2C credit bearing leadership
courses and developmental education courses, and interact with C2C
students regularly. Will serve as members of design and
implementation teams and potentially as faculty mentors and advisors
Campus Systems/Services: Take stock of existing student level
supports (financial aid, student services, academic supports etc.) and
improve/increase alignment and collaboration to better serve C2C
students
Campus Compact:
State Affiliates: Set collaborative agenda for local C2C colleges and
support them during implementation, convene learning
communities, and link C2C colleges to existing resources and other
state initiatives for info sharing, dissemination, and potential funding
Campus Compact: Coordinate technical assistance opportunities for
C2C CCs, convene C2C state offices and CCs for learning
opportunities and link them to national opportunities for info
sharing, manage all partners and processes, advocate on behalf of
national policy change focused on community engagement, peer-topeer mentoring, and retention strategies, leverage C2C work to
further the Campus Compact national agenda, and raise visibility of
the work of community colleges
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Working Theory of Change:
Providing PELL eligible students who place into developmental education with peer advocates and
supportive peer cohorts will increase their likelihood of persistence towards credential completion
from community college. The relationship between developmental education students and peer
advocates will build leadership skills in both groups and increase community engagement on local
college campuses. By embedding this work in the mission of the community college and through
supports provided by state affiliates and Campus Compact : 1) local campuses will be able to
repurpose existing infrastructure and funds and leverage new ones to increase productivity and
sustain this program beyond the grant and 2) this model can be scaled nationally.
KEY STRATEGIES
Partner with Strong Community Colleges
Design and implement pilot programs that marry vision and local
context; track program and use data for continual improvement;
repurpose existing public and private funds or secure new ones to
institutionalize programs; commit to ongoing learning community
participation, best practice dissemination, and work towards a
collaborative state agenda.
Engage State Affiliates for Support, Network
Building and Program Expansion
Manage state learning community; support implementing colleges,
including through relevant advocacy support; advise national office;
prepare for broader implementation by identifying and leveraging
funding and communicating to Compact network about C2C; disseminate
findings.
Develop National Learning Community and Make
the Case for Scale to a Broad Audience
Serve in an advisory role to state and community college partners;
package lessons learned , finance approach and research findings; codify
and disseminate model broadly; build political will to influence policy and
practice changes; secure funding for scale and sustainability.
INTERIM
OUTCOMES
Institutionalized C2C programs at
community colleges (pilot sites
and non-pilot institutions) that
are achieving student and system
level outcomes such as increased
student persistence and more
coordinated student supports.
Increased C2C and community
college presence within the
Compact network and nationally.
Campus Compact seen as expert
on building community
engagement in college settings,
peer-to-peer impact models.
Leveraged funds to support the
C2C agenda.
LONG TERM
OUTCOMES
Increased
student completion,
policy and practice
changes at C2C
institutions,
increased non-pilot
campus adoption implementing
program (scaling and
institutionalization),
state and federal
agenda and emerging
policy and practice
changes in support
of community
engagement , peer
to peer mentoring,
and retention on
college campuses.
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Connect2Complete Theory of Change
The Context for Campus Compact’s Work
Opportunities
 The current administration, the funding
community, and the business community are
focusing on college completions as paramount to
the future of our country and our economy.
 Since 2008, community college enrollment has
increased 15 percent; there may be urgency and
readiness for initiatives to tackle some of the
college’s pressing needs.
 There is currently national attention being paid to
developmental education and more knowledge
about the challenges related to it; the timing may
be ripe to pilot an initiative with this target
population.
 There may be community reinvestment funding
available for initiatives that can link to twenty first
century workforce skill development.
Challenges:
 Budget cuts at the state and federal levels have
led to a constrained resource environment at
many of the country’s community colleges.
 In the face of low resources, community colleges
are dealing with numerous competing demands
and there is concern of “being spread too thin.”
 At many institutions of higher education including
community colleges, the systems that impact
students are not integrated with one another.
 There are federal pending policy changes,
including within the Corporation for National &
Community Service, that may impact the ability of
the C2C students and peer advocates to use
federal funding and other in-kind supports to
support their educational trajectory. F.ex. The
federal government has eliminated the provisions
allowing students additional semesters of Pell
grants within the award year that could be used
for summer study, impacting the ability of some
students to take summer courses.
Our Assumptions
“Something different has to be tried
because what we are doing is not working”
Assumptions about the student population & program design
 C2C students need personal guidance and individualized support over
multiple semesters to meet their educational goals.
 Students are the most underutilized community college resource, and there
exists an opportunity and need to engage them.
 C2C students & peer advocates have the necessary capacities and
willingness to participate in this program.
 The more students are engaged in their college system and in community
pursuits, the more likely they are to persist.
 Peers want to engage with peers.
 Student voice is essential for student development and C2C success.
 Community engagement opportunities will create a sense of community
among students and increase academic persistence.
 Faculty will be willing, engaged participants in C2C design and
implementation and are critical factors for its sustainability.
 Each CC will bring innovation and creativity to the design of their C2C
program, will adapt it differently based on their context (vocational vs.
transfer focused CC), and will work collaboratively with their state office and
other C2C CCs toward a shared agenda.
 CCs with an existing community engagement infrastructure and mentoring
programs will be better suited pilot institutions.
 This is a pilot program, and we are testing C2C models for codification/rapid
prototype development with scale as a goal from the start.
 There is a growing need for colleges to improve institutional productivity;
the mobilization of student mentors and advocates may help address this by
providing no cost/low cost approaches for student supports at scale on
campuses.
 Large pockets of existing public dollars can be leveraged and repurposed if
C2C achieves success and is replicable for rapid prototype development.
Assumptions about network building and program expansion
 State affiliates are local experts that can help shape policies related to their
community colleges; they are important partners necessary for scale.
 Organizing CCs in state clusters will build a stronger state agenda, link CCs to
additional resources, and allow for a stronger evaluation as factors external
to the grant will be considered.
 Learning communities will be effective ways to share learning across CCs
and increase likelihood of scaling.
 State affiliates will need to create the right environment and policy setting
to adopt this practice more widely.
 Linking eligible states to the Gates Foundation’s priority states will provide
opportunities for potential accelerated adoption of C2C and for future
leveraging of success and resources.
Our Strategies for Change
Partner with Strong
Community Colleges
Design and implement pilot programs
that marry vision and local context;
track program and use data for
continual improvement; repurpose
existing public and private funds or
secure new ones to institutionalize
programs; commit to ongoing
learning community participation,
best practice dissemination, define
and work towards a collaborative
state agenda.
Engage State Compact
Offices for Support,
Network Building and
Program Expansion
Manage state learning community;
support implementing colleges,
including through relevant advocacy
support; advise national office;
prepare for broader implementation
by identifying and leveraging funding
and communicating to Compact
network about C2C; disseminate
findings.
Develop National Learning
Community and Make the
Case for Scale to a Broad
Audience
Serve in an advisory role to state and
community college partners; package
lessons learned , finance approach
and research findings; codify and
disseminate model broadly; build
political will to influence policy and
practice changes; secure funding for
scale and sustainability.
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Connect2Complete Theory of Change
Strategy 1. Partner with Strong Community Colleges: Design and implement pilot programs that marry vision and local context; track program and use data
for continual improvement; repurpose existing public and private funds or secure new ones to institutionalize programs; commit to ongoing learning community
participation, best practice dissemination, define and work towards a collaborative state agenda.
Activities
Community colleges design and implement pilot
programs that:
•Include incentivized participation for peer advocates
(through work-study funding, course credit, and
additional creative means) to engage C2C students both
one-on-one and in cohorts and connect them to existing
CC resources
•Include community engagement activities for C2C
students and peer advocates
•Include leadership development activities for C2C
students and peer advocates
•Include student voice through a strategic feedback
mechanism
•Establish selection criteria for faculty, administrators,
and other essential partners that includes expected level
of commitment, ability to dedicate time, and being
vested in CC
•Garner commitment from CC leadership to make the
pilot a priority for their campus’ completion agenda
•Incorporates key players across CC departments
•Promotes vision of “one college and one community”
Community Colleges track pilot program outcomes and
commit to using data to drive continual program
improvement and build the case for replication and
scale-up
Leverage existing revenue streams or secure new ones
to sustain program
Participate in technical assistance and support
opportunities, contribute to state and national
dissemination efforts, and collaborate with other local
C2C CCs on state agenda
Intermediate Outcomes (Years 1-3)
Overall aiming for student persistence, increases
in community engagement and leadership, and
community colleges reinventing the way they
work with this population.
C2C students:
•Increased persistence (movement out of D.E. courses,
passing intro English & math gatekeeper courses)
•Re-enrolling in consecutive semesters
•Movement into peer advocate roles
•Increased familiarity with/knowledge about CC system
•Increased confidence in academic abilities and career
aspirations
•High self-reports that program is effective
•Higher GPAs
•Increased knowledge and positive attitude re: peer
group, CC, and broader community
•Increased commitment to personal and/or professional
involvement in improving her/his community
Peer advocates:
•Increased career aspirations
•Increased engagement in peer group, CC, and broader
community, as evidenced by take up of peer advocate
role in C2C
•Increased commitment to personal and/or professional
involvement in improving her/his community.
Community colleges:
•Program well known throughout CC & linked to core
mission of institution, established and common
definition of “success” for C2C and students
•Additional funding secured and/or repurposed to
institutionalize program f.ex. Work Study funds
•Better alignment of support services
•Faculty and cross-departmental staff have a greater
grasp of developmental learning and contextual
challenges students face, increased institutional capacity
to identify students who are at risk
•Build additional/strengthen existing community
partnerships
Long-term Outcomes (5+ Years)
Overall aiming for student
completion, policy and practice
changes at C2C institutions,
increased non-pilot campuses
implementing program.
Student completion, transfer rates,
job transition rates
Community engagement is
embedded into the mission of the
institution, as evidenced by policies
and practices that encourage and
support student community
engagement throughout campus
and with the broader community,
f.ex. Reconfigured Work Study
programs to support student
leadership development/community
engagement and persistence
Peer-to-peer mentoring and
community engagement are
common and core practices toward
retention that are institutionalized at
the pilot CCs
Increased # of CC implementing this
model (beyond pilots and Compact
network)
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Connect2Complete Theory of Change
Strategy 2. Engage State Affiliates for Support, Network Building and Program Expansion: Manage state learning community; support
implementing colleges, including through relevant advocacy support; advise national office; prepare for broader implementation by identifying and leveraging funding
and communicating to Compact network about C2C; disseminate findings.
Activities
Design and manage a state-based learning
community agenda that supports national C2C
agenda and links state community colleges
Coordinate learning and sharing opportunities for
C2C community colleges that support
implementation and statewide C2C agenda; use
knowledge gained through these opportunities to
advocate for additional stakeholder and state
support and to integrate C2C into Compact’s
broader state agenda
Advise national Compact regarding design, training,
troubleshooting for C2C expansion to other states
Advocate for value added of C2C to state network to
prepare for implementation at other CCs
Disseminate best practices and outcomes to
relevant state stakeholders
Identify and leverage funding for broader
implementation to new campuses
Intermediate Outcomes (Years 1-3)
Overall aiming for funds to sustain existing
C2C programs, scaling implementation to
other institutions across the state, high
visibility of C2C program and outcomes,
support from broad cast of stakeholders, and
increased Compact presence across state.
Increased C2C and community college
presence within the Compact network
High state visibility of C2C program and by
extension Compact’s vision, work, and network
Increased state affiliates adopting (key
elements of) these models
Increased engagement, knowledge, and
financial contributions from business
community and other public and private
philanthropic partners
Strengthened network around college
completion, with more leaders engaged in
these conversations, sharing at conferences,
and authorship on thought leader pieces
Long-term Outcomes (5+ Years)
Overall aiming for diversified
funding streams at state level to
support C2C and similar programs,
state level policy change, and
Compact seen as expert in field.
State wide organizations and
institutions are committing resources
to C2C as well as other strategies that
impact community engagement and
peer-to-peer mentoring to increase
retention on college campuses
State affiliate offices seen as local
and national experts on using
community engagement and peer-topeer models for student retention
Data and outcomes from C2C used to
impact state level policy setting,
education policy setting, college
completion grants (f.ex. states
incorporate C2C into their higher
education plans, work study
resources are reallocated to C2C
kinds of approaches)
State-focused plan for replication, adoption
and scale of successful C2C model has been
developed in partnership with pilot institutions
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Connect2Complete Theory of Change
Strategy 3. Develop National Learning Community and Make the Case for Scale to a Broad Audience: Serve in an advisory role to state and
community college partners; package lessons learned , finance approach and research findings; codify and disseminate model broadly; build political will to influence
policy and practice changes; secure funding for scale and sustainability.
Activities
Develop vision, common goals and non-negotiable
implementation elements including management of grant
process, data collection capacity/requirements, and all
partners (Brandeis, CCNCCE, leadership team)
Coordinate training, technical assistance, and support to
state offices and campuses for implementation
Implement national learning community that produces and
shares best practices across pilot CCs
Intermediate Outcomes (Years 1-3)
Long-term Outcomes (5+ Years)
Overall aiming for increased national
visibility of Campus Compact, awareness
about C2C impact, strengthened college
completion network, and secured
financing.
Overall aiming for
institutionalization of C2C core
elements in community college
systems, Compact seen as national
expert, federal policy and practice
changes.
High national visibility of C2C program and
by extension Compact’s vision, work, and
network
Capture and package promising practices, tools, and
evaluation results, including:
•Codification of effective program elements for replication/
transferability to other community college campuses
•How use of technology and social media can increase
productivity, reach more students, and reduce costs
•“Student voice” in program design and implementation
•Develop & maintain database for tracking data across CCs
Increased awareness on the part of key
partners including national community
college networks, philanthropy,
practitioners, and policy makers about the
impact of this program on C2C students,
peer advocates, and community college
system
Distribute lessons learned and codified program model
broadly through conferences, online publications, video, and
the syllabi project to key players, including Compact’s member
institutions, Gates Foundation funded CCs, and other CC
networks and organizations
Strengthened network around college
completion, with more leaders engaged in
these conversations, sharing at
conferences, and authorship on thought
leader pieces
Build political will to begin shifting attitudes and influencing
policy and practice with regard to target group, community
engagement, and peer-to-peer programs at different levels
(federal and state policy, higher ed institutions, etc.)
Secured public and private funding toward
expanding C2C
Develop an plan for/pathway to scale - seek resources to
sustain and scale C2C.
Three year student outcome metric goals as
proposed to the Gates Foundation are met
across the three state project.
Across the compact network, the
value and power of peer to peer
connections and community
engagement become standard
operations at community colleges
for the purpose of improved
productivity and retention.
Campus Compact is seen as a
national lead organization looking
at community engagement to
increase college persistence and
success
Policymakers and practitioners
adopt and implement policy
changes, based on lessons learned
through C2C, aimed at increasing
persistence of target population
and increasing community
engagement opportunities on
campus
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