The changing economy promises to radically alter the way we work and learn – intensifying pressure on talent development and economic opportunities. Now more than ever, postsecondary education has to be ready to keep pace with the shifting needs of today’s students and business. To help institutions of higher education remain engines of economic mobility, certain programs and policies’ have become increasingly popular across local, state and national contexts. This spring JFF convened The Policy Leadership Trust around three of these high impact policy areas: College Promise, Better Connecting Postsecondary to Career, and Dual Enrollment.

By pursuing these three areas, states have an opportunity to expand college access and improve student success, increase attainment of high-quality credentials and degrees, and grow a skilled workforce—but only if they adopt policies that are thoughtfully structured and implemented. We believe that practitioners can help policymakers design policies with equity and economic advancement in mind while mitigating any unintended consequences of poorly crafted proposals.