Achieving The Dream recognizes Pellissippi State Community College as one of the nation’s best
Pellissippi State Community College has been designated a Leader College by the national nonprofit Achieving the Dream – an organization dedicated to advancing community colleges throughout the country.
The organization recognizes colleges that have pursued and met challenging student success goals. Pellissippi State’s success in students’ increased course pass rate overall and in English composition in particular were key in bringing this distinction to the college.
“This honor speaks to the role our faculty and staff are playing in our students’ achievements,” said Pellissippi State President L. Anthony Wise, Jr. “Increasing student success in our highest enrollment courses was a major goal of our 2020-2025 strategic plan, and this award recognizes a truly collective, whole-College achievement.”
Achieving the Dream's 15 Leader Colleges are those that excel in adopting effective practices across higher education. They are among the best at developing innovative ways to work with other colleges to share knowledge and facilitate an exchange of ideas about evidence-based reform strategies.
Pellissippi State is one of more than 300 colleges in the Achieving the Dream Network and has been a member since 2018.
“We are proud to recognize our 2025 Leader Colleges and Leader Colleges of Distinction for their extraordinary commitment to student success,” said Achieving the Dream President and CEO Karen A. Stout.
By earning this recognition, Pellissippi State exemplifies excellence within the Achieving the Dream Network through measurable gains in student outcomes and impactful change within the college, Stout said.
Pellissippi State’s “dedication to using data-informed approaches to create meaningful opportunities for students and their communities serves as a powerful example for all institutions of higher education and especially for those in the ATD Network,” she said.
In addition to Pelissippi State's Leader College designation, Chattanooga State Community College is one of five colleges nationwide to earn ATD's recertification of their status as Leader Colleges of Distinction, announced during ATD's 2025 DREAM Conference.