Resources and insights to support professionals working across the education sector

Wild Awake 1/12/25 Wild Awake 1/12/25

Investing in Value: Return on Investment and Workforce Success in State Postsecondary Funding

New Publication: Investing in Value: Return on Investment and Workforce Success in State Postsecondary Funding. This is the first brief in HCM’s new policy series examining pressing issues in state funding formulas including value, adequacy, and equity. This series will provide frameworks, research, and case studies examining how state funding formulas can advance state priorities and equitable student outcomes while reflecting states’ unique contexts.

Nicole Brown 10/31/24 Nicole Brown 10/31/24

A 2024 Update of State Investments in Short-term Credential Pathways

Our State Policy & Research Director, Stephanie Murphy, provides a 2024 update of her 2023 typology and policy landscape analysis of state investments in short-term credential pathways. Her latest analysis shows that over the past year, eight states have established 10 new initiatives. Overall state investments now total $5.6 billion.

Nicole Brown 10/31/24 Nicole Brown 10/31/24

Beyond Sticker Prices: How States Can Make Postsecondary Education More Affordable

Our latest postsecondary finance brief, Beyond Sticker Prices: How States Can Make Postsecondary Education More Affordable, analyzes financial aid programs and affordability-related data in nine states. This analysis, which looked across regions, populations and various financial aid models, illustrates the significant variation in affordability across states, institutions and income brackets.

Nicole Brown 5/7/24 Nicole Brown 5/7/24

How Institutions Can Increase Social Mobility for Key Populations through Strategic Data Use

Strategic data use case study by HCM + The Higher Ed Equity Network

Nicole Brown 1/31/24 Nicole Brown 1/31/24

It’s Time to Get REAL: A Policy Playbook to Demand Black Learner Excellence

A policy playbook to demand excellence for Black learners.

Nicole Brown 6/20/23 Nicole Brown 6/20/23

A Typology and Policy Landscape Analysis of State Investments in Short-term Credential Pathways

The first of its kind typology and policy landscape analysis of short-term credentials programs by Stephanie M. Murphy, Ph.D.

Nicole Brown 3/22/23 Nicole Brown 3/22/23

LEVEL UP: Leveraging Explicit Value for Every Black Learner, Unapologetically

Nicole Brown 3/15/23 Nicole Brown 3/15/23

Mapping Community College Finance Systems to Develop Equitable and Effective Finance Policy

Nicole Brown 10/3/22 Nicole Brown 10/3/22

Evaluating Student and Institutional Experiences with HEERF

Wild Awake 8/31/22 Wild Awake 8/31/22

A National Imperative: Addressing Black Student Enrollment

Wild Awake 7/11/22 Wild Awake 7/11/22

Facing What Ails Us Head On: Public Consensus on a New Direction for Higher Education

Wild Awake 1/21/22 Wild Awake 1/21/22

The State of State Transfer Policy: A Typology to Evaluate Transfer and Recognition of Learning Policies. A Working Paper

Wild Awake 7/26/21 Wild Awake 7/26/21

The Transfer Reset: Rethinking Equitable Policy for Today’s Learners by the Tackling Transfer Policy Advisory Board

Wild Awake 11/17/20 Wild Awake 11/17/20

Higher Ed Budgets for the Post-COVID Era

Wild Awake 8/5/20 Wild Awake 8/5/20

Driving Better Outcomes: Fiscal Year 2020 State Status & Typology Update

Wild Awake 6/29/20 Wild Awake 6/29/20

A Generational Challenge: State Postsecondary Education Policies to Support Economic Recovery and Individual Opportunity

Wild Awake 11/20/19 Wild Awake 11/20/19

Purposeful Data Systems: A Strategic Approach for Policymakers

Wild Awake 4/24/19 Wild Awake 4/24/19

Driving Better Outcomes: Fiscal Year 2019 State Status & Typology Update

Wild Awake 4/10/19 Wild Awake 4/10/19

Making Equity Intentional: The Role of State Policy in Removing Barriers for Underserved Students to Access Dual Enrollment Opportunities

Wild Awake 11/15/18 Wild Awake 11/15/18

Check State Plans: Promise to Practice

Write up about state plans

Wild Awake 8/2/18 Wild Awake 8/2/18

Overview of Research on Effectively Engaging Parents

This overview summarizes the parent and public opinion research HCM conducted on behalf of multiple clients and provides guidance on how to effectively engage with the communicate to parents.

Wild Awake 8/1/18 Wild Awake 8/1/18

State College and Career Ready Standards

HCM produced 51 state specific primers for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation documenting the states workforce and skills gap needs and how the states standards and assessments are addressing those needs.

Wild Awake 8/1/18 Wild Awake 8/1/18

Common Core: College and Career-Ready Standards

HCM produced a toolkit for business leaders detailing how college and career ready standards and aligned assessments support their efforts to strengthen the education system in their state and address their workforce needs.

Wild Awake 7/31/18 Wild Awake 7/31/18

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation: State Accountability System Fact Sheets

Wild Awake 4/1/18 Wild Awake 4/1/18

Earning to Learn: How America’s Work Colleges are Bridging Equity Gaps and Connecting Education to Employment

Wild Awake 2/1/18 Wild Awake 2/1/18

PIE Network: Supporting Educators In Louisiana

A Case study written on behalf of the PIE Network that details the robust outreach Louisiana leaders and advocates did to inform educators about the new aligned assessments.