Pell Institute Launches New Site

The Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education (Pell Institute) is unveiling its new Web site, www.pellinstitute.org. With a brand new look, the Pell Institute’s Web site now allows visitors quick access to newly categorized information—including current projects, special programs, and resources—to provide a more user-friendly and easy-to-navigate experience.

“We have created a fresh new look to reflect our expanding efforts to be a practical resource for evidenced-based analysis about the challenges facing low-income and first-generation students,” said Chandra Taylor Smith, Ph.D., director of the Pell Institute. “We also wanted to provide practical assistance to college access and success programs at postsecondary institutions to establish effective practices that support this growing population of students who likely need additional help when it comes to getting a college degree.”

Accordingly, the new Web site features two recently released publications to highlight the Pell Institute’s research and policy efforts concerning low-income students in postsecondary education: (1) Developing 20/20 Vision on the President’s 2020 Goal: Understanding the Threat of Income-Based Inequality in Degree Attainment (May 2011), which argues that reducing the income-based gap in bachelor’s degree attainment will enable the United States to become the nation with the largest share of college graduates; and (2) Promising Practices Supporting Low-Income, First-Generation Students at DeVry University (May 2011), which catalogues the academic and social support services offered at one of the nation’s largest proprietary universities, and benchmarks them against similar programs designed to support individuals from disadvantaged background.

The Web site also features enhanced accessibility to the Pell Institute’s Evaluation Toolkit, which is designed to assist outreach programs to more readily and systematically use data and outcome measures to improve their service delivery. Also highlighted is the Retention Toolkit, which arms four-year institutions with the tools to undertake more informed and coordinated approaches to retain low-income students.

For further information about the Pell Institute’s new Web site or to access other Pell Institute publications, including the Evaluation or Retention toolkits, visit www.pellinstitute.org.