Achieving the Dream brings together higher education leaders, policy-makers, investors, thought leaders, and practitioners from its Network of more than 200 colleges dedicated to improving student success. The nation’s top leaders discuss tackling the challenges of increasing student success, increasing capacity for data analysis, program evaluation, and student-centered, data-informed decision making.

Plenaries and sessions address seven essential capabilities in Achieving the Dream's Institutional Capacity Framework (ICAT), a comprehensive approach to addressing the emerging needs of the field to improve success results for all students, especially low-income students and students of color. The framework has at its core seven essential capacities that must be in place for colleges to create the student-focused culture that promotes student success: Leadership & Vision, Data & Technology, Equity, Teaching & Learning, Engagement & Communication, Strategy & Planning, and Policies & Practices.