HCM Strategists

Our warmest wishes for a restful and happy holiday season and a joyous new year! Our offices will be closed until Tuesday, January 3. Looking forward to a meaningful and impactful 2023!

This week we enjoyed our end of year staff retreat in our nation’s Capitol and reflected on our work over the past year and our collective goals for 2023. We also took a deeply moving, at times challenging, and incredibly impactful trip as a group to . Thank you to all our team for a wonderful gathering.

HCM Strategists is working with 30+ leaders of transformation in higher education to move equity forward through these 4 strategies:

1: We’re working to communicate a new imperative in higher education, one that shifts the focus from completion alone to completion that opens doors to economic and social mobility for Black, Latino/a/x, and Indigenous students.
2: We’re elevating evidence-based policies, like funding and aid models, accountability for action based on data disaggregated by race, improving credit recognition and transfer, equitable investment in higher ed, the use of race-conscious metrics, and investing in equity-focused technical assistance.

3: We’re working within systems and institutions to embrace and sustain new practices to ensure that Black, Latino/a/x, Indigenous, and all systemically excluded students enroll and succeed in educational pathways that lead to economic and social mobility.

4: We’re growing together as a network so that we can accelerate progress toward our target goals, share knowledge between members, explore emergent opportunities, and elevate solutions to bring about more effective and resilient capacity in the field.

Together, Equity is Possible.

What if Black, Latino/a/x, and Indigenous students could engage all of their creativity, resilience, and intelligence on their passions—instead of on overcoming racial barriers to college success?

HCM Strategists is proud to belong to a network of 30+ organizations committed to turning that "what if" into reality. Find out how we're doing it: https://www.higheredequitynetwork.org/

Love opportunities to connect in-person. This week a few of our postsecondary HCM/Strategy Lab members got together in DC.

www.higheredequitynetwork.org

We can create meaningful reforms by confronting systems that were never designed for Black, Latino/a/x, Indigenous, and other systemically-excluded students, with an intentional and unapologetic focus on racial equity.

Together, we can grow and move at the pace our students deserve. Together, Equity is Possible.

Click to learn. Share to educate.

www.higheredequitynetwork.org

HCM Strategists has spent the last 14 years promoting student success. Today, we're proud to announce our decision to join the Higher Ed Equity Network, 30+ organizations leading transformation in higher education. Together, we will spur changes in the field that launch Black, Latino/a/x, and Indigenous students toward economic and social mobility. Together, Equity is Possible.

Learn more and join us: https://www.higheredequitynetwork.org/

Work hard, play hard. Our HCM team at Red Rocks!

HCM is honored to welcome Kate Shaw and Raquel Simental to our team as senior affiliates! Our senior affiliates are practitioner-experts with a record of leading change strategies and high-level policy initiatives in education. Both Kate and Raquel add a breadth of diverse experience, counsel and leadership to our team and expand our ability to impact change on behalf of clients and collaborate in the development of new partnerships. To learn more about Kate, who will work with our postsecondary practice, visit: https://hcmstrategists.com/who-we-are/our-team/kate-shaw/. To learn more about Raquel, who will work with our K-12 practice, visit: https://hcmstrategists.com/who-we-are/our-team/raquel-simental/.

How the pandemic contributed to learning gaps and what experts suggest to help students catch up

The National Parent Teacher Association's final installment of their Today Show series “Back to School in America: Making the Grade” is exceptional and tackles the issue of disrupted learning and strategies to overcome educational learning loss during the pandemic. Featuring high-quality online learning platforms like Zearn, a free and accessible online math program, the series ends with expert suggestions for how to help students catch up.

https://www.today.com/video/how-the-pandemic-contributed-to-learning-gaps-and-what-experts-suggest-to-help-students-catch-up-125632069959

How the pandemic contributed to learning gaps and what experts suggest to help students catch up The final episode of “Back to School in America: Making the Grade” highlights online tools and other strategies to overcome educational learning loss during the pandemic. (In collaboration with National PTA & Walton Family Foundation.)

EDGE Report FINAL.pdf

We love seeing organizations like California EDGE Coalition grow and succeed! For 15 years EDGE has been advocating for economic mobility for all Californians, and the coalition just released their first annual report for 2020-2021. EDGE has experienced tremendous growth in their policy gains and network and business partnerships as they remain "the only statewide policy and advocacy organization that serves as the glue between multiple systems in the workforce development space, and in partnership, moves Californians closer to achieving the American Dream." Bravo, EDGE and here's to many more year's of growth and partnerships!

Read the full report: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DxOXh5onQsbcKkiIecqhHJPv5wMZSSaD/view

EDGE Report FINAL.pdf

This three year partnership with Ascendium's Education Philanthropy, The Aspen Institute and Sova has been such a worthy and engaging initiative, and we’re incredibly proud of the work produced. We’re excited for the next stage of and our continued partnerships for equity in postsecondary pathways!

Building Better Global Pathways and Strengthening Transfer Advising | Tackling Transfer

"We won’t be able to solve for transfer until we solve for overall credit mobility."

In this week's blog, Melanie Gottlieb of American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, shares five ways to explore the larger transfer concept of credit mobility and the issues surrounding the evolving environment of the recognition of learning.

https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/tackling-transfer/building-better-global-pathways-and-strengthening-transfer-advising

Building Better Global Pathways and Strengthening Transfer Advising | Tackling Transfer Solving for transfer means solving for overall global credit mobility.

From Community College to Highly Selective Institutions: Bridging the Transfer Gap | Tackling Transfer

Did you know that each year, 50,000 high-achieving community college students don't transfer to four-year institutions that they can thrive at? To change that reality, community colleges need to work hand-in-hand with highly selective, high-graduation-rate partners. San Jacinto College's Rebecca Goosen teamed up with Yale University's Patricia Wei & Marisa Kogan to highlight what this partnership looks like in practice for this week’s Inside Higher Ed transfer blog post: https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/tackling-transfer/community-college-highly-selective-institutions-bridging-transfer-gap

From Community College to Highly Selective Institutions: Bridging the Transfer Gap | Tackling Transfer Unpacking the elements of a whole-of-higher-education approach to transfer.

California nonprofit helps support parents and students through virtual community

Organization spotlight as seen on Today Show: The pandemic highlighted a system of decades-long inequities in many schools. The Oakland REACH formed as a parent-led group to demand high quality schools and address school inequities, provide technology access and involve parents in their child’s education. They partnered with Oakland Unified School District to create a learning hub providing community engagement, parent involvement, and fantastic academic achievement for its participants. “I think Oakland REACH is a powerful community based organization that is really driven by parent demand [and] the hub is such an amazing model for the future of what education can look like," said Dr. Kyla Johnson-Trammell, superintendent of Oakland Unified School District.

“You’ve got to love on the parents,” says The Oakland REACH’s founder Lakisha Young when describing her organization’s community-focused approach to disrupt the status quo while empowering parents to create high quality schools so their children aren’t left behind.

https://www.today.com/video/california-nonprofit-helps-support-parents-and-students-through-virtual-community-123445317548

California nonprofit helps support parents and students through virtual community This second episode of “Back to School in America: Making the Grade” spotlights The Oakland REACH, a nonprofit group that provides educational resources and socioeconomic support for families. (In collaboration with National PTA & Walton Family Foundation.)

Maximizing Human Systems in Transfer | Tackling Transfer

Today's is next level: "Motivating systems actors at all levels to embrace their role as equity change agents holds powerful promise to dismantle structural barriers and increase postsecondary attainment rates, particularly among historically underserved populations who frequently travel the community college transfer pathway," says Katie Najarian Giardello, aka the .

This week's blog examines how human systems create systematic change.

https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/tackling-transfer/maximizing-human-systems-transfer

Maximizing Human Systems in Transfer | Tackling Transfer Policy alone can’t remove the barriers facing today’s transfer students.

Policy expert and our esteemed colleague Jocelyn Pickford posits that quality curricula aligned to high academic standards is critical to ensure students can become college and career ready. Learn how you can help push for increased use of strong instructional resources via : https://buff.ly/2Y4ypWv

New: is a hub for state resources, news, and advocacy on high-quality instructional materials. which states are recommending materials to drive student learning? Find out here: curriculumhq.org

Home | Tackling Transfer

We've been honored to work with & for the last 3 years on the project! Together we have produced important insights, tools and research to help improve transfer systems. We'll be participating in a week of by sharing some critical resources on for .

Home | Tackling Transfer Of the students who enter community college intending to get a bachelor’s degree, few ever do. The Tackling Transfer project set out to tackle this problem.

Expanding Local Community College Transfer Pathways | Tackling Transfer

In this week's blog, Inside Higher Ed examines that vast--and often overlooked--talent available at . Community college transfer students make up only 10 percent of students at highly competitive institutions, and just 5 percent of students at the most competitive institutions. Find out why addressing access is good for both students and higher ed institutions.

https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/tackling-transfer/expanding-local-community-college-transfer-pathways

Expanding Local Community College Transfer Pathways | Tackling Transfer Many colleges and universities are overlooking a talented and diverse pool of students right in their own backyard.

Welcome to the Curriculum A-B-C Blog | CurriculumHQ

Did you know that only about 30% of teachers nationwide have access to high-quality instructional materials, and that teachers may spend up to 12 hours a week looking for these materials or creating their own?

Explore HCM's Jocelyn Pickford's first entry in the Curriculum A-B-C series to understand more about the policies and politics of curriculum instruction across the country. Collaborative for Student Success

https://curriculumhq.org/curriculumabc-blog/welcome-to-curriculum-a-b-c/

Welcome to the Curriculum A-B-C Blog | CurriculumHQ The Curriculum A-B-C Blog is a blog on the policies and politics of curriculum and instruction across the nation by former educator and school board member Jocelyn Pickford!

In the News: Jocelyn Pickford Featured on CurriculumHQ - HCM Strategists, LLC

Congrats to the Collaborative for Student Success on the launch of Curriculumhq.org! HCM senior affiliate Jocelyn Pickford is providing original commentary for the site as the featured columnist in the CurriculumHQ Blog series “Curriculum A-B-C.”

CurriculumHQ.org launches with a state-level repository of resources and expert commentary for a set of six initial states: Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, New Hampshire and Ohio. Additional state resources will be populated over time with the intention of becoming a national repository for decision-makers.

Now more than ever, educators need easy access to high-quality materials that are aligned to state standards and have a proven track record of success in improving outcomes, especially for those traditionally under-resourced.

http://hcmstrategists.com/resources/in-the-news-jocelyn-pickford-featured-on-curriculumhq/

In the News: Jocelyn Pickford Featured on CurriculumHQ - HCM Strategists, LLC HCM senior affiliate Jocelyn Pickford and her policy series: Curriculum A-B-C

Coronavirus and kids

ICYMI: Check out the Today Show's comprehensive guide to "Coronavirus & Kids." Their education Town Hall kick-off last week helped answer parent, teacher and student questions about a return to school during the ongoing pandemic. Our work with the National Parent Teacher Association and the CDC Foundation brings together students, teachers, parents, doctors, national health organization officials and government leaders to bridge the gap of mis-information about the pandemic and its impact on our schools and communities. in

https://www.today.com/parents/coronavirus-kids

Coronavirus and kids Coronavirus and kids: How does COVID-19 affect children's mental health?

Must-Haves for Institutions Seeking Effective Online Transfer Collaborations | Tackling Transfer

Never have our country's infrastructure failings been more apparent than during the continuing Covid-19 pandemic and the inequity that rural students have faced. The shift to online meant rural students were largely left out because of limited bandwidth and resources. The Idaho State Board of Education and Montana University System (MUS) uncover 4 must-haves to build more equitable outcomes for these students in this week's blog.

https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/tackling-transfer/must-haves-institutions-seeking-effective-online-transfer-collaborations

Must-Haves for Institutions Seeking Effective Online Transfer Collaborations | Tackling Transfer How rural states are using course-sharing technology to streamline transfers and build more equitable opportunities for students.

HCM principal, Lara K. Couturier, serves as a sense-maker in today's episode of the 'When Policy Meets Practice' podcast about . Host Paul Fain talks with policy action board members Sharon Morrissey of Virginia Community College System, Elena Quiroz-Livanis of Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, and Shirleatha Lee with University of South Carolina Upstate. JFF’s David Altstadt joins Lara to add to the transfer policy conversation.

The episode tackles three-part policy framework of report bit.ly/2WrIQT3
- Harnessing data for transformational change
- Maximizing credit applicability & recognition of learning
- Advancing strategic finance and impactful student aid

Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts: https://wavve.link/whenpolicymeetspractice | Transfernation

How States Can Leverage Tech for Learning, Skills Mobility | Tackling Transfer

In this week's blog contributors, Eric Syverson and Lexi Anderson, Ed.D, explain how state workforce and higher education systems can utilize technology to make learning and skills mobility a reality.
https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/tackling-transfer/how-states-can-leverage-tech-learning-skills-mobility

How States Can Leverage Tech for Learning, Skills Mobility | Tackling Transfer The hidden transfer barrier.

Schools Prepare as COVID-19 Cases Nearly Triple in Texas in Last 3 Weeks

A lack of resources and consensus has school districts in Texas scrambling to contain the spread of COVID-19 cases as the continues to overwhelm school communities and health institutions. Our survey with the National Parent Teacher Association and the CDC Foundation highlights parental concerns as students return to school.

Schools Prepare as COVID-19 Cases Nearly Triple in Texas in Last 3 Weeks Many North Texas schools are doing what they can to stop the spread of COVID on campus.

The Transfer Student Leadership Maze | Tackling Transfer

This week's Inside Higher Ed blog tackles two key questions: how do transfer students engage in leadership opportunities available to them? And does the campus environment typically discourage transfer student participation? Who better to offer some insight than Jamaal Muwwakkil & Alexis Zaragoza, the University of California's first-ever pair of transfer Student Regents? Click below for some recommendations on how to create a meaningful space for transfer students to govern and lead: https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/tackling-transfer/transfer-student-leadership-maze

The Transfer Student Leadership Maze | Tackling Transfer For the first time in its history, the University of California’s student regents were transfers.

www.pta.org

Take a deep dive into the HCM's listening sessions conducted for the National Parent Teacher Association in understanding parents expectations and concerns about their children returning to school.

https://www.pta.org/docs/default-source/files/events/backtoschool/2021/listening-sessions-final-report.pdf

www.pta.org

New National Survey and Listening Sessions Reveal Parents' Mindsets as Children Return to School

As many students return to school, the National Parent Teacher Association released the results of a national survey and listening sessions exploring parents' mindsets on COVID-19 safety guidance and protocols and their expectations and concerns as their children return to school.

The survey and listening sessions, which included parents and guardians with children in grades K-12 in public schools, were conducted by Edge Research in partnership with HCM Strategists and were supported by the Center for Disease Foundation.

Kudos to HCM principal Cindi Williams, director Erica Gray and senior affiliate Rep. Chris Mathias for their hard work on this huge study.

https://www.johnsoncitypress.com/new-national-survey-and-listening-sessions-reveal-parents-mindsets-as-children-return-to-school/article_41343845-45ad-550b-b675-1507b43d56d6.html

New National Survey and Listening Sessions Reveal Parents' Mindsets as Children Return to School ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- National PTA today released the results of a national survey and listening sessions exploring parents' mindsets on COVID-19 safety guidance and protocols and

Cross-Sector Collaboration to Improve Transfer in Texas | Tackling Transfer

Everything is bigger in Texas, including the intricacies of . Learn how the Texas Transfer Alliance and University of Texas System are making meaningful progress on equitable transfer student outcomes in this week's blog featured in InsideHigherEd.

Cross-Sector Collaboration to Improve Transfer in Texas | Tackling Transfer Within Texas’s complex higher education landscape, helping transfer students succeed requires alliances grounded in cross-sector relationships, data, and putting equity at the center of policy and practice.

Solving for Transfer: Looking Inward While Building Outward | Tackling Transfer

There are numerous state systems, organizations and foundations doing excellent work on the macro issues that impact effective transfer. More and more, higher education is recognizing that the issues are systemic and that they deeply impact equity. The building of these pathways are crucial to ensure that learners, regardless of background, can find the path that fits their aspirations and talents.

But it’s not just about pathways. In this week's blog Melanie Gottlieb examines how manual, inconsistent, and complex transfer policies serve as barriers to supporting students for your institution's transfer evaluator.

Solving for Transfer: Looking Inward While Building Outward | Tackling Transfer For the transfer evaluator, the convergence of academic and administrative policies and practices becomes a complex matrix of who, what, when, where and why.

Excited to share in this exciting work with our partners !

TODAY: Along with HCM Strategists, we are pleased to announce the launch of TransferBOOST, a nationwide transfer guarantee initiative to better serve today’s students by improving transfer practices and policies and delivering affordable and equitable degree pathways.

This multi-year state-level initiative will provide students a three-fold transfer affordability guarantee: their credits earned at one institution will transfer and apply to bachelor’s degree completion; their costs will be streamlined; and their time-to-degree will be minimized. After a rigorous review process, state institutions in Arizona and Virginia and Illinois have been chose to pilot this innovative approach.

TransferBOOST is part of ECMC Foundation’s Catalyzing Transfer Initiative (CTI), a national shared learning and collaboration effort between high-impact non-profit organizations that aims to build, manage, and activate new ways to increase successful transfer of postsecondary credits and timely bachelor’s degree completion among marginalized racial and ethnic groups.

Learn more: https://lght.ly/ofk2blm

Students Are on the Move. Their Financial Aid Is Not | Tackling Transfer

Although important changes to federal student aid are on the horizon, these federal policy developments do not align with the needs of nimble students on the move -- transfer students.

In this week's blog featured in and ask us to envision a new system of aid that recognizes and responds to the high degree of mobility that learners experience in their educational journeys https://bit.ly/3nRtd0w

Students Are on the Move. Their Financial Aid Is Not | Tackling Transfer Proposals for massive boosts in federal aid for students won't address an underlying problem: most financial aid money isn't mobile, and transfer students struggle to qualify for and find it.

Podcast: Higher Ed Budgets for the Post-COVID Era

The Lumina Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation recently developed a framework to help policymakers make strategic budget decisions for higher education post-COVID. With Scott Jenkins of Lumina and Travis Reindl of Gates, Kristin Hultquist of HCM Strategists discusses how the framework can help states and boards lead through and after the crisis. Listen to the podcast at: https://agb.org/podcast/budgets-post-covid/

Podcast: Higher Ed Budgets for the Post-COVID Era The Lumina Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation recently developed a framework to help policymakers make strategic budget decisions for higher education post-COVID. With Scott Jenkins of Lumina and Travis Reindl of Gates, Kristin Hultquist of HCM Strategists discusses how the framework...

Timeline photos

“A Year into the Pandemic: The Impact on Students and Parents” is a special event we are hosting LIVE on our page this Thursday, April 8 at 1 p.m. ET.

Join NBC, National Parent Teacher Association, Learning Heroes and Challenge Success as we discuss the latest research and what you need to know. Watch this special event live at Facebook.com/ParentTeacherAssociation

Timeline photos

“A Year into the Pandemic: The Impact on Students and Parents” is a special event we are hosting LIVE on our page this Thursday, April 8 at 1 p.m. ET.

Join NBC, National Parent Teacher Association, Learning Heroes and Challenge Success as we discuss the latest research and what you need to know. Watch this special event live at Facebook.com/ParentTeacherAssociation

Timeline photos

“A Year into the Pandemic: The Impact on Students and Parents” is a special event we are hosting LIVE on our page this Thursday, April 8 at 1 p.m. ET.

Join NBC, National Parent Teacher Association, Learning Heroes and Challenge Success as we discuss the latest research and what you need to know. Watch this special event live at Facebook.com/ParentTeacherAssociation