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When the Commission on Access, Admissions and Success in Higher Education (subsequently referred to as the commission) convened in fall 2008, the educational landscape was facing a number of issues that the commission's members recognized as formidable challenges to those students who aspire to enroll and succeed in college. Summarizing the commission's 2008 report, "Coming to Our Senses: Education and the American Future," college and high school completion rates had dropped dramatically; the proportion of adults with postsecondary credentials was not keeping pace with other industrialized nations; and significant disparities existed for low-income and minority students. As such, the commission was faced with two key questions: What must be done to improve the nation's educational system, and how will individuals know if the changes that are made are successful? Echoing the findings of other key educational policymakers, the commission declared that it is critical--and thus should be a primary goal--that 55 percent of the nation's young adults attain an associate degree or higher. The commission further offered a 10-part action plan in the form of 10 recommendations. The commission noted that these recommendations are so important they must be measured on a regular basis to help us understand the state of the educational landscape in the nation and how it changes over time. This report is designed to illustrate the degree to which the nation is moving toward--or away from--taking the necessary steps for ensuring an educated and enlightened citizenry. Data Book is appended. (Contains 218 figures and 68 footnotes.) [For "The College Completion Agenda: 2010 Progress Report," see ED522548.]

When the Commission on Access, Admissions and Success in Higher Education (subsequently referred to as the commission) convened in the fall of 2008, the educational landscape included a number of issues that the commission's members recognized as formidable challenges to those students who aspire to enroll and succeed in college. The Commission's 2008 report, "Coming to Our Senses: Education and the American Future," painted a disheartening portrait of recent trends in education: college and high school completion ranking had dropped dramatically; the proportion of adults with postsecondary credentials was not keeping pace with growth in other industrialized nations; and significant disparities existed for low-income and minority students. As such, the commission faced two key questions: What must be done to improve the nation's education system, and how will individuals know if the changes that are made are successful? Echoing the findings of other key educational policymakers, the commission declared that it is critical--and thus should be a primary goal--that 55 percent of the nation's young adults attain an associate degree or higher. The commission offered a 10-part action plan in the form of 10 recommendations. The purpose of this document is to measure or demonstrate the need to establish an appropriate measure of the commission's goal and recommendations. The measures identified in this report are meant to give some indication of the current status and future changes that impact the goal and recommendations. Data book is appended. (Contains 128 figures and 59 footnotes.)