Working Families Success Network in Community College (WFSNCC) Initiative Nineteen community colleges in four states working to implement a strategy to promote postsecondary completion for students whose economic challenges can thwart their academic and career goals.

Brief History of the WFSN Strategy Pioneered by the Annie E. Casey Foundation through its Center for Working Families (CWF) investments MDC Network of Center for Working Families Community Colleges National Network (LISC and United Way) 100 sites to date

Phillips Community College North Arkansas College East Arkansas Community College College of the Ouachitas Skyline College East LA College Porterville College LA Harbor College Canada College LA Southwest College Cabrillo College Big Bend Community College Walla Walla Community College Highline College Clark College Northern Virginia Community College Patrick Henry Community College Eastern Shore Community College Danville Community College Arkansas Association of Two-Year Colleges California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges Virginia Community College System

Three Pillars of WFSN Education and Employment Services Income and Work Supports Financial Services and Asset Building

Goals & Expectations

Goal 1 Goal 2 Initiative Goals To strengthen the evidence base for implementing the WFSNCC strategy in community colleges by highlighting the ways in which it contributes to higher persistence, completion, and job attainment rates for low-income students. Goal 2 To demonstrate that embedding the WFSN strategy in college processes and systems can be cost effective and has the potential to catalyze institutional culture change.

WFSNCC Services

Low-touch and High-touch Levels of Service Low-touch and High-touch

Low-touch Services Low touch services are defined as standardized services designed to reach a broad range of students via group settings such as orientation or student success classes.

High-touch Services High touch services are defined as one-on-one interactions that provide a specific service or set of services to a targeted number of students who have been identified as needing more intensive support.

Six New or Expanded Services Education and Employment Services: One high-touch service One low-touch service Financial Services and Asset Building Income and Work Supports

Required Services Employment and Education Income and Work Low-touch options, new or expanded? High-touch options, new or expanded? Income and Work Information on public benefits, low-touch - REQUIRED Financial Literacy and Asset Building Financial literacy integrated, low-touch - REQUIRED Financial Coaching, 1:1 high-touch - REQUIRED

Students to be Served Colleges are expected to provide WFSNCC core services to new as well as to current students. Implementation plans should include strategies for reaching both types of students and describe the expected outcomes for each.

Scale Goals College <10,000 students College > 10,000 students   College <10,000 students College > 10,000 students Low touch 25% of low-income students by year three and 40-50% by year five 25% of low-income students by year three and a larger percentage by year five. High touch* A threshold of serving at least 20% of students who need high touch services receiving at least one high touch service by year 3 a threshold of serving at least 10% of the students who need high-touch services in a large college will receive at least one high touch service by year 3

Timing of Services All services the college will offer as part of WFSNCC services must be operational and being offered to students by July 2016. These services will form the basis for measuring student progress and outcomes for evaluation purposes.

Use and Access to Data Collection of data Collaboration with Phase II Evaluator Third party services

Achieving Racial Equity Colleges should demonstrate a strategy to ensure that students of color are served through WFSNCC low- and high-touch services. ATD and Funders expect that colleges will establish deliberate strategies and mechanisms to ensure that WFSNCC staff and programs are culturally sensitive, that access to WFSNCC services is proactively promoted to students of color and that benchmarks and monitoring strategies are used to identify when racial equity goals are not being met so that colleges can do course corrections.

Uses of Funds Planning and Implementing core WFSNCC services. Expanding and Scaling core WFSN services. Participation costs related to the initiative.

Examples of these efforts include: Staff development/training in any of the three core WFSN service areas. Revisions to existing data systems to more effectively track participation and outcomes of WFSN students. Communications campaigns to bolster outreach to prospective WFSN students. Travel expenses related to participation in WFSN-related cross and intra-state learning events; and other planning and infrastructure development.

Fundraising Sustainability Institutional Funds External Funds

Grant Period Year One: January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015 Year Two: January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016 Year Three: January 1, 2017 to June 30, 2017

Timeline Draft Implementation Plans Due on Friday, May 1st Please submit to WFSN@achievingthedream.org Outline of Section I of Implementation Plan Due Friday, April 3rd Technical Assistance Calls Begin week of March 9th

Timeline continued Final Implementation Plans Grant agreements Due Friday, May 29th. Grant agreements Achieving the Dream will send grant agreements for review, signature, and return the week of March 9th. Financial Coaching April and June

Contact Information Julian Haynes jhaynes@achievingthedream.org Elyssa Shildneck eshildneck@achievingthedream.org General WFSN Inquiries wfsn@achievingthedream.org