Lone Star College named Achieving the Dream Leader College

HOUSTON, TX -- Lone Star College System’s mission is to offer educational programs and support resources to ensure students succeed in and out of the classroom. This philosophy recently recertified the college’s status as an Achieving the Dream (ATD) Leader College. The announcement was made at the Champions of Change Celebration Luncheon on Feb. 20.

“Leader College status affirms Lone Star College’s commitment to student success and serves as a national recognition of the measurable improvements in student outcomes achieved through years of strategic efforts,” said Gerald F. Napoles Ph.D., LSC vice chancellor, Student Success. “We are proud to receive this recognition as we continue making meaningful progress, and most importantly, we are excited for our students as they reach their goals.”

Achieving the Dream is a national organization committed to advancing community colleges as accessible hubs of learning, credentialing and economic mobility. LSCS joined this initiative in 2006 to improve student completion and this is the fourth time the college has been recognized as a Leader College since 2012, the first time since 2021. Through ATD, the college system has improved in the following areas:

first-time-in-college credit completion ratio,
first-time-in-college persistence (fall to fall retention) and
first-time-in-college completion gap reduction, particularly for Black students compared to Hispanic and White students.

“Lone Star College developed several strategies to improve in those areas, including developing eight areas of study and mapping all degree plans to help students stay on track; implementing a case management advising tool to help students connect to their advisors and creating a course alert system to inform students that they registered for a course outside of their chosen academic plan,” said Jamie Posey, LSC associate vice chancellor, Student Success and Completion. “These strategies, over time, have contributed to helping students choose the correct courses, complete them with a successful grade and further their progress toward completion.”

Leader Colleges are important in accelerating the adoption of effective practices within the ATD Network and higher education. They are recognized for the quality of their work, and the whole college reform, resulting in increased completion rates for all students. Leader Colleges develop innovative ways to work with other colleges to share knowledge and facilitate an exchange of ideas about evidence-based reform strategies.

“We are proud to recognize our 2025 Leader Colleges and Leader Colleges of Distinction for their extraordinary commitment to student success,” said Karen A. Stout, Ed.D., president and CEO of Achieving the Dream. “These colleges exemplify excellence within the ATD Network, achieving measurable gains in student outcomes and fostering impactful change within their institutions and communities.”

Achieving the Dream consists of over 300 colleges nationwide, including LSCS, committed to supporting student success. Learn more about it at AchievingtheDream.org.