The AHSI member organizations are dedicated to partnering with post secondary institutions that serve students well. AHSI students come from a multitude of backgrounds and have varying educational experiences. In order for a student to be successful at an institution of higher education or in a specific career field, systems of support must be in place. In addition we have found that the processes and criteria we apply to the selection of post-secondary partners and potential places for students to continue their education might also prove relevant for identifying degree/credential programs within those institutions. The high school to career and college workgroup has identified the following key indicators of institutions that have the potential to serve Alternative High School Initiative students well. While the AHSI network understands not all post secondary institutions or career programs encompass all of the indicators we have identified, we present these indicators as ideal characteristics. Furthermore, the AHSI organizations agree that an intentional and thoughtful process for selecting the most appropriate post-secondary partner institutions and degree/credential programs is an important part of our work, however, prioritization of the selection criteria and specific benchmarks varies somewhat across the network. As AHSI organizations continuously look for post-secondary partner institutions most often some combination of the following factors are considered:

TEACHING PRACTICES/ACADEMIC SUPPORT

• On-campus academic support for students of color and/or 1st generation college attendees;
• Student support service programs such as: multicultural programs connected to academic department initiatives (e.g. First Year Seminar, faculty and student mentor program, McNair program, etc.) and programs that offer career exploration services;
• Faculty and staff mentors readily accessible presenting a strong and consistent commitment to work with non-traditional students;
• Degree and credential programs that effectively relate to student interests and job market trends; and
• Learning environments and teaching strategies which promote success for our graduates.

NONCOGNITIVE SUPPORT

• Institutions of higher education that have multicultural/multi-ethnic programs designed to respond to the various needs of first generation low-income students (social, emotional, academic, financial etc.). These programs employ personnel to support (advising, guiding, programming, etc.) and advocate for students by providing guidance to the university on key policy decisions, program effectiveness, etc.; and
• Opportunities for students to expand their leadership development through service opportunities,
  service-learning and other experiences beyond the classroom.
• (Generous) need-based financial aid available.

STRONG PARTNERSHIP PROCESS

• Willingness to enter into formal agreements (Memorandum of Understanding, Articulation Agreement,
  Data Sharing Agreement) which strengthen and sustain meaningful partnerships.

EVIDENCE OF SUCCESS

• Institutions of higher education that foster a holistic application review process and consider factors other than traditional methods of assessment such as ACT/SAT scores, GPA, class rank, etc. Institutions that utilize non-traditional assessment modules such as student portfolios, student on-site interviews, etc.), are considered complimentary to the organizations representative of the Alternative High School Initiative network;
• A track record of positive outcomes (including progression and completion rates) for low-income students and evidence of the ability to track and improve these results;
• High (>70%) 6-year graduation rate overall and for students of color;

The post secondary institution database has been developed to assist AHSI Networks’ faculty, staff and students through the post secondary search process. Career & college transition staff will be able to learn about various programs, organizations and services on select campuses.

POST SECONDARY INSTITUTION DATABASE