E4: Bridging the Divide: Solving Colorado’s Attainment Gap

Bridging the divide will explore Colorado’s attainment gap and how the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) is attempting to fix the divide between Coloradans who traditionally attain education after high school and underserved Coloradans who do not. CDHE has devoted resources to more clearly understand when Coloradans stop their pursuit of earning a postsecondary credential (i.e. certificates and degrees) – in other words, the Department has been working to identify the leaks on the talent pipeline. The “talent pipeline” refers to pathways that develop a pool of employed and potential workers to fill positions requiring various skills, knowledge and abilities in our state. In this case, we are focusing on the progression of Coloradans through secondary to postsecondary educational and training systems into the workforce. In 2015, the CDHE set out to close the attainment gap between White and Asian residents and Latino, Black, and Native American Colorado residents in half by 2025. This panel presentation will feature both the professionals administering the programs to close the attainment gap and the students who are benefiting from these initiatives that support expansion of services to underserved populations. Participants will be invited to consider how their own work relates to the talent pipeline and how they can use our innovative research and practices to drive their own work.