Regents report progress toward Master Plan: state attainment reaches 51% with path to 60%

Deputy Commissioner Tristan Denley told the Board of Regents that the state’s postsecondary attainment rate for adults 25–64 has reached 51%, up from 49.5% the prior year, and described a suite of strategies intended to reach the board’s 60% target.

Denley highlighted several milestones: 73,460 completers this year toward an 85,000 annual completers goal; 41,000 students participating in dual enrollment (including increases in African American participation); expanded MJ Foster enrollment approaching 3,000 early enrollments; elimination of standalone developmental education in favor of co‑requisite models; and work‑based learning pilots that fold paid internships into curricula. He underscored the economic case for credentials, saying that, on average, a postsecondary credential increases lifetime earnings by about $1,000,000 and that each 1 percentage‑point increase in attainment equals roughly 23,000 additional credential holders statewide.

Denley and Commissioner Reid urged sustained legislative support to protect progress amid fiscal pressures and described outreach plans to share the master plan with legislators and regional partners.