A new Brookings Institution brief highlights best practices at community colleges that produce “credentials of value,” defined using student earnings benchmarks and associate-degree outcomes, and recommends state and federal policy changes to scale effective models. Researchers used Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System data to rank colleges by outcomes such as certificates tied to annual salary thresholds and associate degrees linked to higher family-sustaining wages. The follow-up qualitative work, published through American Institutes for Research, identifies patterns at excelling institutions, including intentional alignment with high-demand local jobs and expanded work-based learning. The brief points to common practices such as apprenticeships, internships, clinical rotations, job-site visits, service learning, and robust academic advising paired with job-preparation content. It also calls for policy supports including performance-based funding for community colleges and state technical assistance to use labor market data. Federal recommendations focus on funding for work-based learning and career guidance and on data infrastructure improvements tied to Workforce Pell requirements, emphasizing that stronger credential outcomes depend on advising capacity and employer-connected delivery systems rather than enrollment alone.