This volume of New Directions for Institutional Research proposes and tests new approaches to institutional research (IR) that attempt to break down barriers to academic success, particularly focusing on minority students, working students, and others in nontraditional circumstances. The chapters in this volume review prior research on best practices as well as evaluations of retention programs and persistence by students of color, then go on to propose and test new approaches to assessment, action research, action inquiry, and evaluation. Lessons learned from this volume should contribute to strategies used by administrators and faculty for collaborative projects involving IR professionals and other higher education researchers in interventions designed to improve academic success for all students. This is the 130th volume of New Directions for Institutional Research, a quarterly publication published by Jossey-Bass. Access our complete list of New Directions for Institutional Research titles for a wide variety of IR topics.