Detroit Drives Degrees Community College Collaborative (D3C3): Developmental Evaluation
Postsecondary credentials, particularly workforce-aligned credentials, are a key part of the path to high quality jobs with family-sustaining wages. But postsecondary degree completion remains low, particularly at community colleges, and especially for learners of color and learners from low-income backgrounds. In the Detroit and Southeast Michigan region, barriers to degree and credential attainment and a history of structural racism have limited the region’s progress and ability to meet workforce needs.
The Detroit Drives Degrees Community College Collaborative (D3C3) brings together regional, cross-sector leaders to address these challenges through collaboration, college-level changes, and improved use of data to inform decisions and actions. The initiative focuses on increasing equitable access to educational opportunities, boosting graduation rates, and bolstering the college-to-career pipeline.
AIR is partnering with the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and Ballmer Group to conduct a culturally responsive, developmental evaluation of the D3C3 initiative that was co-designed with D3C3 colleges and partners. AIR’s work as an evaluation and learning partner will generate actionable insights and support continuous improvement and fundamental learning for the seven community colleges involved as well as other initiative partners.
Key Project Activities
Design Phase (September 2023 – May 2024)
The design phase leveraged participatory action research to center the knowledge and lived experiences of D3C3 collaborators. During this phase, AIR worked with collaborators to codesign a developmental evaluation plan for the initiative. Three key principles characterized our approach to the design phase:
- Collaboration and inclusivity: Engaging D3C3 collaborators at each stage of the research process was critical to having a broad representation of perspectives in the evaluation design and generating buy-in for the evaluation approach and outcomes.
- Iteration and reflection: The design phase included multiple rounds of collaborator consultations and workshops, allowing enough time for participants to provide their input and reflect on the evaluation’s final design.
- Contextual and cultural responsiveness: Participatory action research is context specific, meaning that both the process and outcome of the design phase were rooted in and reflective of the broader region (Detroit and Southeast Michigan) and college-level dynamics, institutions, and priorities.
Three-Year Developmental Evaluation (June 2024-December 2026)
The developmental evaluation framework includes three components:
- Implementation Study: Qualitative data collection from D3C3 collaborators will enable AIR to understand progress toward D3C3’s key goals. The data also will provide important insights into the facilitators and barriers that influence the work of the collaborative and determine whether it is achieving its aims of increased regional collaboration. Finally, qualitative data will support a deeper understanding of the ways in which the design and structure of the initiative is driving progress.
- Descriptive Outcomes Study: AIR will collect data on student outcomes at D3C3 colleges to understand whether and how D3C3 is driving regional change. Shorter-term indicators of progress toward colleges’ and partners’ initiatives also will guide continuous improvement along the way.
- Social Network Analysis: Social network analysis (SNA) is a process that maps relationships and analyzes the structure of a network, including the ways in which actors interact with one another. AIR’s SNA will enable us to describe how D3C3 collaborators are connecting with one another and with other key regional partners, and whether and how this collaboration changes throughout the evaluation period.
