Here are three reports that you should know about this month.

1. A Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) report examines trends, gaps and opportunities in correctional education and training. More than 650,000 incarcerated individuals reenter society each year, mostly from state prisons. A majority end up back in prison within a few years. Reducing recidivism through correctional education has positive collateral benefits, economic and otherwise, according to the report. Correctional education, however, varies in focus, approach, and funding, at the state and federal levels. The report recommends that correctional education can be improved by lifting the ban on Pell Grants to state prisoners for postsecondary education, something the U.S. Department of Education is experimenting with in the Second Chance Pell initiative.
2. CLASP also released a report on connecting students to aid. The report highlights roadblocks students face and offers some solutions. Restoring the year-round availability of Pell grants is one solution for overcoming roadblocks, especially for students in workforce training programs. Another solution included in the report is connecting students to comprehensive student supports, such as public benefits and tax credits.
3. Wiregrass Georgia Technical College partners with 20 local high schools, providing dual enrollment for about 1,500 high school students. About 85 percent of participating students earn a passing grade in the courses. Many end up completing a certificate or associate degree from Wiregrass before they receive their high school diploma. This is one dual enrollment story highlighted in a report by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. The report also features survey results from 388 higher education institutions. Eighty-six percent of respondents offer some dual enrollment credit. About three-quarters view dual enrollment as a recruiting tool.

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