Dr. Karen A. StoutTo increase equitable access and completion rates, Achieving the Dream’s (ATD) Community College Women Succeed advisory group recently released a research agenda focused on the needs of student parents.
With women representing over half of community college students, one-third are mothers while 60% are single parents, according to ATD.
The group—which consists of leaders from 12 organizations—plans to collect data on recruitment and enrollment practices, labor market outcomes, the experiences of community college women and student success practices.
“Even before the pandemic, student parents were already living in or near poverty, facing insecurity in meeting basic needs, and more likely to be working than students without children,” said Dr. Karen A. Stout, president and CEO of ATD. “Understanding student parents’ unique and layered identities make finding and understanding the data and investigations outlined in the research agenda all the more urgent. Student parents must be part of our student success agendas that center on equity and meet our student parents where they are.”
