(CTN) is a registered 501(c) 3 non-profit with the mission of empowering students to catch college and career dreams. CTN has joined with key stakeholders in a demonstration project aimed at increasing graduation rates for Hispanic and other under-served students from high school, two-year, and four-year institutions. CTN's strategy is data driven and, like other national initiatives, is focused on creating a culture of evidence and engagement leading to college completion. This is done through a rigorous, accelerated, interdisciplinary and culturally-relevant model of instruction, student services and engagement. The Ascender Program provides academic, emotional-social, and community supports for Latinos and other underserved community college students to increase the number of students who successfully complete developmental coursework, increase the number of students who successfully complete first-year college-level coursework in gatekeeper courses such as English and Math, and increase the number of students who graduate from the community college and transfer to a four-year college or university. The Ascender Framework engages and supports college faculty, staff, and administrators to grow and scale equitable teaching and learning strategies through its Ascender Professional Development Series, the Teaching and Learning for Student Success Peer Mentoring Program, and the Transformative Teaching Track. Faculty and administrators participating in Ascender professional development attend 3 professional development seminars earning a total of 5 graduate credits from the University of Texas at Austin, Department of Educational Leadership and Policy. Those who complete the annual three-part sequence are eligible to become Leadership Fellows and participate in the mentoring and coaching arms of the program. The Transformative Teaching Track is a two-day, experiential and intensive training in classroom strategies, co-curricular design, and team building with an emphasis on culturally response practice. The TTT is tailored to met the needs of faculty who wish to play a leadership role in response to Texas House Bill 2223 and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s 60x30TX strategic plan.
