Drawing on a decade of national research synthesized in a new book, More Essential Than Ever: Community College Pathways to Educational and Career Success, this session reframes the next phase of community college reform around strengthening pathways to living-wage employment and efficient transfer into bachelor’s programs. Two of the book’s authors will present a concise, policy-relevant overview of five evidence-based “next frontier” strategies colleges are using to ensure that programs are worth completing and that students’ investments of time and money pay off. The session will emphasize the critical role of state agencies and associations in accelerating and sustaining these reforms.

Participants will explore concrete state policy levers—including program approval and review, postsecondary data systems focused on post-completion outcomes, incentives for cross-sector alignment, and reforms to dual enrollment and workforce funding—that can help community colleges evolve from a completion-focused model to one centered on post-completion success and public value. The session will be structured to encourage cross-state learning and reflection on how state leaders can promote innovation while strengthening accountability and value.