This volume of New Directions for Institutional Research proposes and tests new approaches to institutional research (IR) that attempt to break down barriers to academic success, particularly focusing on minority students, working students, and others in nontraditional circumstances.

The chapters in this volume review prior research on best practices as well as evaluations of retention programs and persistence by students of color, then go on to propose and test new approaches to assessment, action research, action inquiry, and evaluation. Lessons learned from this volume should...

Pathways to Academic Success in Higher Education examines two major challenges facing the nation. The first is preparing high school students for college, a reform that has been tackled largely through state policy initiatives. The second is creating new pathways to academic success for underrepresented students in higher education, a challenge that must be addressed within a decentralized system of higher education.

• Part one: Presents and documents key findings from research on K-12 education policy.
• Part two: Provides action research using a state...