Forty percent of low-income students are the first in their family to pursue postsecondary education and of that number, 60 percent begin at a community college, she said. However, only 26 percent will finish, compared with the 54 percent of non-low-income students who do. When race is factored in, less than 17 percent of African-American or Latino students will finish.

Focusing on research, innovation and effective practices, the initiative is expected to produce data that will illuminate what barriers preclude successful degree completion by students. Troyer said that community colleges must commit themselves to seeing increased degree completion, using data to drive institutional change, and supporting faculty-led innovation.

“We need to redefine access from a doorway to college to a pathway to completion for a better life,” she said.

Building on the opening general session, a special session entitled "Doubling the Numbers: Acceleration and Scale" showcased programs implemented through the Developmental Education Initiative (DEI), which is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The program selected 15 colleges, already involved in the Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count program, a multi-year national initiative to boost graduation rates at community colleges, particularly among low-income students and students of color.

Dr. Thomas Baynum, president of Coastal Bend College in Texas, and Dr. Charles Cook, vice chancellor of instruction at Houston Community College, shared insights on the challenges and successes from the developmental education initiatives at their respective colleges.

Regarding measurable outcomes, the degree completion rate at Houston Community College System has increased between the fall of 2004 and spring 2009 from 69.8 to 74.8 percent, Cook noted.