Historic Times Are Ahead for PCC
Dear Partners, As we welcome in the cooler weather, the work at Partnership for College Completion is heating up. In recent months, we’ve helped introduce transformative legislation aimed...
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Surfacing system inequities and their causes through data-based research to inform targeted legislative actions and institutional practice changes to address them.
Realizing an equitable higher education system for Illinois starts with understanding the present landscape and what got us here and providing evidenced-based, equity-centered recommendations for addressing and eliminating barriers to college completion by Black and Latinx students, first generation students, and students from low-income households.
The Partnership for College Completion’s (PCC) Research and Data team uses a growing knowledge base of original reports, briefs, one-pagers, blog analyses, and more —created in collaboration with PCC’s Public Policy and College and University Partnerships teams —to increase the public’s awareness of the systemic challenges that underrepresented students face in Illinois’ higher education system that can be addressed through key actions by our state elected officials and by our public and private nonprofit 2- and 4- year colleges and universities.
Our Publications
Read PCC’s reports and more to build your understanding of what’s happening in Illinois’ higher education, the key challenges that underrepresented students face to accessing and completing college at an equitable rate, and actionable policy and practice recommendations to address this crisis.
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Blogs
Read special PCC analyses of state and federal policies impacting college access for underrepresented students, learn from higher education leaders about how they’re thinking about and implementing equity-centered strategies on campus, and hear from students themselves about the urgent need for greater college access and affordability to help realize their career aspirations.
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PCC in the News
Read how PCC is helping the general public understand the issues and make sense of what the latest higher education policy and practice developments in our state mean for Illinois’ students, families, and communities.
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Meet the Research and Data Team
Mike Abrahamson
Senior Manager of Research and Policy
PCC strives to be deeply evidence-driven in all it does, and I help with the research and data efforts that can keep us grounded in work that can measurably improve equity in both higher ed policy and practice.
I am passionate about helping to remove barriers and reverse historical inequities for students. I believe that we have a moral imperative to do so, but also feel that economics, data, and research can be utilized in advocating for change, and I hope to add that lens throughout our work.
After working in communications for an educational institution, I wanted the skills to analyze policy through a quantitative lens. I earned a master’s degree at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy, and worked with City Colleges of Chicago through a Mayoral Fellowship, before coming to PCC in 2018.
Caitlin Power
Policy Analyst
I support PCC’s policy and practice work with research and data analysis to advance evidence-based policy recommendations, reports, and legislative priorities.
As a policy researcher and organizer, I understand the importance of community voice, needs, and experiences in dismantling racist systems and practices. My role at PCC allows me to support the work of advocates and students pushing for racial justice in higher education with a strong research base.
I received my Master’s in Education Policy at Loyola University Chicago, where my research focused on student voice and structural barriers to racial justice. Before joining the Partnership, I worked on projects related to racial equity in K-12 and postsecondary education with Loyola’s School of Social Work and NORC at the University of Chicago.
Giselle Palacios
Research and Data Associate
I assist the Research and Data team with researching evidence-based
practices and policies as well as help analyze state and institutional
data. I am also responsible for providing the CUP team insights that
can help our institutional partners narrow their completion
disparities by race and income.
I have always been passionate about education. I initially wanted to
be a math teacher, but seeing how systemic barriers in higher
education hindered many, especially low-income and minority students,
I want to utilize my research and data analysis skills to support work
that is focused on making higher education equitable for all.
My parents, who are immigrants from Mexico and have no college degree,
worked hard to provide their children the opportunity to pursue higher
education. I started my college journey at Saint Xavier University,
where I received my Bachelor’s in Mathematics. I then earned my
Master’s in Mathematics at Governors State University.
Latest Research and Data Blog Posts
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PCC Launches Newest Report Emphasizing the Need for Investment in Illinois Community Colleges
The Partnership for College Completion hosted an engaging and important discussion about its latest report, Advancing Adequacy-Based Funding for Community Colleges in Illinois, on Wednesday, Sept. 25, at...
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Stay up-to-date with PCC’s work advancing equity in Illinois higher education though research, public policy advocacy and through partnerships with public and private nonprofit 2- and 4-year college and universities across the state.
Upcoming Research and Data Events
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