Guided Pathways Demystified II -...

GuidedPathwaysDemystifiedII:10NewQuestionsastheMovementGainsMomentumNCII|September2017|www.ncii-improve.com 1NCII|September2017|www.ncii-improve.com 1

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Guided Pathways Demystified II: Addressing 10 New Questions as the Movement Gains Momentum

O V E R V I EW

Thisreportisthesecondinaseriesofresourcesdesignedforhighereducationleadersandexplores10new“momentum”questionsreflectiveoftheuptakeinguidedpathwaysacrossournation’scolleges.Itaddressesinquiriesrelatedtoculturechange,implicationsforthestudentexperience,practicalconcernsforeducators,andoperationalconsiderationsandisdesignedtosupportinstitutionsinground-levelplanningandimplementation.

Dr.RobJohnstoneKelleyKarandjeff,EdMNationalCenterforInquiry&Improvement

S U P P O R T E D B Y


Acknowledgements MuchhashappenedsinceNCIIreleasedGuidedPathwaysDemystified:Exploring10CommonlyAskedQuestionsinfall2015.Theguidedpathwaysmovementhascontinuedtoevolveandspread,duetothegreatworkofnumerouspeopleandorganizationsacrossthecountry.AsIdidinGuidedPathwaysDemystifiedI,IagainthankmygoodfriendsattheCommunityCollegeResearchCenter(CCRC),TeachersCollege,ColumbiaUniversitywhoseseminalresearchandwritingonthetopicofguidedpathwayshaveservedasafoundationforthismovementandwhosepartnershiphashelpshapedtheissuesweaddresshereinGuidedPathwaysDemystifiedII:Addressing10NewQuestionsastheMovementGainsMomentum.IalsoextendmanythankstomyfriendsatJobsfortheFuture(JFF),whoinadditiontosupportingthewritingandreleaseofthispaper,havecontinuedtochampiontheguidedpathwayscausewiththeirgroupof14StateStudentSuccessCenters(SSCs),allofwhicharecatalyzingguidedpathwaysworkacrossthecollegesintheirstates.Whilethequestionsinthispaperareassembledfromawiderangeofsources,itismytimeworkingintheJFFSSCstatesthathasperhapshadthebiggestimpactonmyviewsonthesequestionsandtheconversationstheycaninspire.

Sincethewritingofthefirstpaper,otherorganizationshavealsosignificantlyevolvedthisworkaroundthecountry,mostnotablytheAmericanAssociationofCommunityColleges(AACC)throughitsnationalPathwaysProject.AACC’sleadershipsendsavitalmessagetothefield.ByworkingincombinationwithkeypartnersincludingAchievingtheDream(ATD),theAspenInstitute,theCenterforCommunityCollegeStudentEngagement(CCSSE),CCRC,JobsfortheFuture,PublicAgenda,andNCII,AACChashelpedtodevelopacommonvoiceonguidedpathwaysthatprovidestremendousandimportantdirectiontothedevelopmentofthismovementatthestateandlocallevels.

AswithGuidedPathwaysDemystifiedI,thispaperwouldnothavebeenpossiblewithoutthesupportoftheBill&MelindaGatesFoundationforCompletionbyDesigningeneral,andspecificallyforthesupportoftheblogpostseriesonwww.completionbydesign.orgthatoriginallyhousedthethinkingfoundherein.ThanksagaintoJillWohlfordandCherylFongwhowereinvaluableinmakingsuretheblogpostseriesofferedgreatcontentfromawiderangeofnationalleadersinvestedinthesuccessofguidedpathways.Thefieldbenefitsconsiderablyfromthissupport.

Warmly,

Dr.RobJohnstone

FounderandPresident,NCII


Table of Contents Introduction......................................................................................................................4

IssuesRelatedtoCultureChange......................................................................................7

1.Whatmakesguidedpathwaysdifferent(thatis,notjustanothereducationalfad)?.........7

2.Howdowefurtheremphasizeequityandinclusionintheguidedpathwaysapproach?....8

ImplicationsfortheStudentExperience..........................................................................10

3.Howdowebuildeffectiveguidedpathwaysforpart-timestudents?...............................11

4.WhathappenswhenstudentsarebelowtransferrableEnglishormathuponentry?......14

5.Whathappensifstudentschangetheirmindsabouttheirprogramofstudy?Dotheyhavetostartover?..........................................................................................................................16

6.Whatshouldourcollegedowhenstudentsfallofftheirguidedpathway?......................17

PracticalConcernsforEducators.....................................................................................20

7.Howdoesteachingandlearningneedtoevolveunderaguidedpathwaysapproach?....20

8.Howmuchwillfacultyworkloadincreaseunderaguidedpathwaysmodel?...................22

OperationalConsiderations.............................................................................................24

9.Howdowebestusetechnologytokeepstudentsontheirpathways?.............................24

10.Howcanwegetalltheworknecessarytoplanandexecuteguidedpathwaysdoneby(insertdatehere)?..................................................................................................................25

Conclusion.......................................................................................................................27

References......................................................................................................................29


Introduction

Collegesacrossourcountryaretakingupachangeagenda,respondingtoemergingevidencethatshowsourhistoricalapproachtopublichighereducation,particularlyinourcommunitycolleges,doesnotresultinthelevelofsuccesswedesireforourstudentsortheoutcomesourstudentshopeforthemselves.Overthepastdecade,mountingresearchonstudentcompletionandhumanbehaviorandlessonslearnedfromscaledinnovationsandredesigninitiativeshavecoalescedintoamovementcalled“guidedpathways”(seesidebar,WhatAreGuidedPathways?).1Thisfundamentallydifferentapproachaimstoimproveratesofcollegecompletion,transfer,andattainmentofjobswithvalueinthelabormarket;andtoachieveequityinthoseoutcomes(AmericanAssociationforCommunityColleges(AACC),2017).

Nodoubt,thegoalsoftheguidedpathways(GP)movementaremotivatedbythebestofintentions—ensuringmillionsmorestudentsexperiencepersonalandeconomicmobility.Atthesametime,embracingguidedpathwayscallsforreconsiderationofourlong-heldbeliefs,deliberateculturechange,andevolutionofwell-establishedpoliciesandpractices—adauntingyetexcitingendeavor.In2015,theNationalCenterforInquiryandImprovement(NCII)releasedGuidedPathwaysDemystified:Exploring10CommonlyAskedQuestionsaboutImplementingPathwaysbasedonourearlyexperience

1Forafulldescriptionoftheapproach,reviewAACC’sWhatistheGuidedPathwaysModel?here:http://www.aacc.nche.edu/Resources/aaccprograms/pathways/Documents/PathwaysModelDescription1021.pd

WhatAreGuidedPathways?

Guidedpathwaysrequirecollegestotakeanintegrated,institution-wideapproachtostudentsuccess,drivenbyevidenceandintentlyfocusedonhelpinglearnersmovefromentrytoattainmentoftheireducationalandemploymentgoals.

Tofullyimplementaguidedpathwaysapproach,collegesmust:

1. Clarifypathstostudentendgoals,providingfewerchoicesandclearerprogrammapsthatleadtotransferortheworkforce.

2. Helpstudentschooseandenterapathway,includingbridgesfromhighschooltocollege,on-rampstoprogramsofstudy,andacceleratedremediation.

3. Helpstudentsstayonapathwithintrusive,ongoingadvisingandintegratededucationalandnonacademicsupports.

4. Ensurethatstudentsarelearningwithclearprogramoutcomesalignedtoemployerand/ortransferinstitutionexpectations,engagingandappliedlearningexperiences,andeffectiveinstructionalpractices.


workingwithpostsecondaryeducatorsacrossthenationentertainingthepursuitofguidedpathways.Thisresourcerespondedtoanumberofvalidissuesraisedbytheseearlyadopters,includinghowtoaddressconcernsaboutcompromisingourhighereducationvalues,practicalconsiderationsaboutcontrolandenrollment,andapprehensionsabouttheimpactonstudents’learninganddevelopment.

Inthetwoshortyearssincethattime,communitycollegesandstateuniversitysystemshavedemonstratedanexplosionofinterestinguidedpathways.NationalinitiativessuchasCompletionbyDesignandtheAACCPathwaysProject(nowinitssecondphase)areestablishingstandardsinthefieldforthiswork,developinganexperientialknowledgebase,andcreatingnumerousresourcesthatcollegescandrawonastheyconsiderandenterthismovement.State-leveleffortsinArkansas,California,Michigan,Ohio,Tennessee,Texas,andWashingtonarereplicatingandcustomizingnationalmodelsandprovidingframeworksandsupportforcollegestoexplore,strategize,andmovetowardimplementation.Combinedwithuptakeatindividualcolleges,theseeffortsarepropellingthismovementforward–expandingthereachofguidedpathwaystotouchmorestudentsandplacethemonapositivetrajectory.

Throughhands-ontechnicalassistanceandfeedbackfromcountlessfacultyandadministrators,NCIIandournationalpartners—includingtheCommunityCollegeResearchCenter(CCRC),JobsfortheFuture(JFF),theAmericanAssociationforCommunityColleges(AACC),theAspenInstitute,theCommunityCollegeSurveyofStudentEngagement(CCSSE),AchievingtheDream(ATD),andPublicAgenda—arenowencounteringanewroundofquestions.WhilesomephilosophicalpushbacktoGPcontinuestosurface,manyinquiriesbubblingupfromthefieldnowrelatetotheground-levelimplicationsofpursuingthisapproach.Notably,manyquestionsputthestudentexperienceatthecenterofthediscussion.Thisshiftshowsthatcollegesareacceptingthattobestsupportstudentsuccessatscale,theyneedtoabandonbusinessasusualandrethinkandintentionallydesignthestudentexperiencetoensurethatmorepeopleenter,progressthrough,andcompleteprogramsofstudyandreachtheireducationalandcareergoals.Inturn,institutionsarenowturningtoGPtohelporchestratethatchange.

Chancesare,ifyoupickedupthisresource,youareafacultyleaderoradministratorworkingatacommunitycollegeorstateuniversitywhois:

£ Workingtogeneratebroadersupportforthisapproachonyourcampus,and/or

£ Interestedinorattemptingtodesignandbeginimplementationofguidedpathways

Throughoutthefollowingsections,weaimtoaddress10new“momentum”questionscommonlyaskedbyawiderangeofeducatorsandreflectiveofthecurrentevolutionofthismovement(seesidebaronp.6,10New“Momentum”QuestionsaboutGuidedPathways).Thesequestionsrevealbothrealconcernsandheartfeltaspirationseducatorshaveforthesuccessoftheirinstitutionsandthestudentstheyserve.Theyalsoraise


practicalconsiderationsthatwillneedtobeaddressedaseducatorsrolluptheircollectivesleevestotakeupplanningandimplementation.

Thispaperseekstoofferreadersconcrete,andinmanycases,nontraditionalresponsestothesequestions.Weorganizethemintofourgroups:

£ Issuesrelatedtoculturalchange

£ Implicationsforthestudentexperience

£ Practicalconcernsforeducators

£ Operationalconsiderations

Theseresponsesareinnowaydesignedtorepresentthe“right”wayofansweringtheseimportantquestionsortoestablishthefinalwordonanyofthesesubjects.Conversely,weoffertheseinsightsspecificallytoassisteducatorsinfacilitatingyourownthoughtful,productivedialogwithcolleaguesabouttheseredesignstrategiesinthequesttostrengtheningyourstudents’completionandsuccess.

10New“Momentum”QuestionsaboutGuidedPathways

• Issuesrelatedtoculturechange

1. Whatmakesguidedpathwaysdifferent(thatis,notjustanothereducationalfad)?

2. Howdowefurtheremphasizeequityandinclusionintheguidedpathwaysapproach?

• Implicationsforthestudentexperience

3. Howdowebuildeffectiveguidedpathwaysforpart-timestudents?

4. WhathappenswhenstudentsarebelowtransferrableEnglishand/ormath?

5. Whathappensifstudentschangetheirminds?Dotheyhavetostartover?

6. Whatshouldourcollegedowhenstudentsfallofftheirguidedpathway?

• Practicalconcernsforeducators

7. Howdoesafocusonteachingandlearningneedtoevolveunderaguidedpathwaysapproach?

8. Howmuchwillfacultyworkloadincreaseunderaguidedpathwaysmodel?

• Operationalconsiderations

9. Howdowebestusetechnologytokeepstudentsontheirpathways?

10. Howcanwegetalltheworknecessarytoplanandexecuteguidedpathwaysdoneby(insertdatehere)?


Issues Related to Culture Change

Culturechangeisfundamentaltothesuccessofanyorganizationalredesign,soletusstartwithtwocommonquestionsweencounterinourworkwitheducatorsthatrelatetothefoundationalattitudes,customs,andbeliefsofourinstitutions.

1. Whatmakesguidedpathwaysdifferent(thatis,notjustanothereducationalfad)?

2. Howdowefurtheremphasizeequityandinclusionintheguidedpathwaysapproach?

Thefirstquestioncoulddemonstrateeitherthenaturaldesiretoholdtopastapproachesoranunderstandablereluctancetobedrawnintoanotherinitiativedujour,whilethesecondonereflectsanewculturaldirectioninthefieldfocusedonensuringallstudentshavetheconditionsforsuccess.Wheredoesguidedpathwaysfitinthismix?Weexplorethesequestionsinthefollowingsection.

1. What makes guided pathways different (that is, not just another educational fad)?

Let’scuttothechase...anyonewhohasworkedformorethanafewyearsineducationhasexperiencedtheendlesswaveofinitiativestoutedasthethingthatwillbooststudentsuccess,andwehaveseenmanyofthesereformeffortscomeandgo—despitebestintentions.So,itisexpected,evenencouraging,whenthisqueryinevitablysurfacesinsessionsdesignedtointroduceguidedpathwaystofacultyandfront-linestaff.Itisonlywhenyouhearthistypeofquestionthatyourealizepeoplearethinking—maybeevenhoping—thatthistimemightbedifferent.

Itistruethatformanydecadesnow,wehavewitnessedaparadeofinitiatives,learneddozensofacronyms,andabsorbednumerousconvocationspeechesonhowthelatesttrendwilltransformourcollegesandstudents.Yet,thebaselineculture,models,structure,anddeliverymodesofhighereducationhaveremainedrelativelyconstantforsomewherebetweenfivedecadesandsevencenturies,dependingonyourhistoricalframeforeducation.

Sothequestionthenis,whyisthisonedifferent?Perhapsevenbetter,howdowemakeitdifferent?Tostart,asGretchenSchmidt,ExecutiveDirectoroftheAmericanAssociationofCommunityColleges(AACC)’sPathwaysProjectstates,“Guidedpathwaysneedstobea


‘movement’andnotanother‘initiative.’”EdBowling,GuilfordTechnicalCommunityCollege’sExecutiveDirectorofCompletionandPerformanceandCBDCadreLeadforNorthCarolina,isalsofondofsaying,“Guidedpathwaysisnotsomethingwearedoing–it’ssomethingwe’rebecoming.”Thisstatementtakesondoublemeaning.Inadditiontoplacingtheworkinalong-termchangeprocess,italsosuggeststhatthisprogressionisanaturalevolutionofimpactfulworkalreadystartedonmost(ifnotall)communitycollegecampuses.Somemaybefartheralongthanothers,butnearlyeveryinstitutionhassomethingonwhichtobuild.EffortstoreformdevelopmentalmathandEnglish,redesignadvisingandintegrateintentionalandsustainedsupportsthroughoutstudents’experience,developstrongertiesbetweenprogramsandcareersusingwageinformation,andimprovetransferpathways(tonameafew)offervitalbuildingblockswhenpursuingguidedpathways.

Thinkingofguidedpathwaysasaframeworkwillbekeytoitssuccess—onethat(a)bringstogetherexistingeffectiveapproachesandemergingstudentequityandcompletioninitiatives,and(b)inspiresevenbolder,moresubstantivechange.Inaperfectworld,collegescanusethemovementasanumbrellaorthrough-linebetweenaseriesof(sometimes)disconnectedinitiatives,withthefour“bigideas”ofguidedpathwaysservingasthepillarsoftheworkovertime.Suchtransformationwillrequirecoherentandtargetedvisionfromleadershipthroughouttheorganization;sustainedeffortfocusedonthatvision;andmeaningfulandauthenticengagementthroughouttheorganization,acrosshistoricalsiloes.Ifwetakethisapproach,perhapsthistimethemovementwillbedifferent.

2. How do we further emphasize equity and inclusion in the guided pathways approach?

Whilethequestionaboutguidedpathwaysasafadreflectswherewehavebeen,inquiriesabouthowthismovementalignswiththedevelopingequityagendareflectwhereweareculturallyheadedinhighereducation.Thisquestionalsohaspositiveundertonesasitindicatesthattheeducatorswhoposeitarethinkingdeeplyabouthowguidedpathwayscanhelpusfurtherrealizethevaluesofequityandinclusionsocriticaltothefuturewellbeingofournation.Withoutadoubt,theeducators,researchers,advocates,andfunderswhospearheadedthismovementandthoseofusworkingasnationalandstate-levelassistancepartnersalwayssawthemissionofguidedpathwaysreformasinextricablyintertwinedwiththegoalofequitableachievementofoutcomesbyallofourstudents.Again,thismovementcouldnotbemoreaboutmakingsurethatallofourstudents

Guidedpathwaysisnotsomethingwe’redoing–it’ssomethingwe’rebecoming.

-EdBowling,GuilfordTechnicalCommunityCollege


experienceanevolvedsetofcollegestructures,systems,andculturalfeaturesthatensurethattheywillachievetheirgoalsatequitablerates.

Whatdoesthislooklikeinpractice?GeorgiaStateUniversity(GSU)offersoneofthelongest-standingexamplesofcollege-wideguidedpathwaysreforminhighereducation,initiatedwellbeforetheirinstitutionalchangeswereidentifiedashallmarksoftheguidedpathwaysmovement.Yet,themostremarkablepartofGSU’sstoryisthereal,tangibleimpactthesechangeshavemadeonstudentequity,asseeninacomparisonofgraduationratesbyraceandethnicityfromover10yearsagoversustoday(seeFigure1below).

Figure1.GeorgiaStateUniversityGraduationRatesbyRaceandEthnicity,2003vs.2016

Source:GeorgiaStateUniversityCompletionData(T.Renick,personalcommunication,August2017)

Thisdatamakesastrongcasethattheso-called“achievementgap”citedatsomanyeducationalinstitutionsmaynotbeaboutthestudentsafterall.2TheGSUdataandemergingequitydatafromotherguidedpathwaysreformssuggestthatmaybeallalong,thisgaphasresultedfromwhateducationalresearcherGloriaLadson-Billings(2006)termedthe“educationaldebt”thatthesystemanditsactorshaveaccumulatedovertime.Thislineofthinkingsuggeststhatourpolicies,structures,andcultureshindercompletionforlow-

2HearmoreabouttheGSUapproachfromViceProvostTimRenickhere:http://success.gsu.edu/approach/


incomestudentsandstudentsofcolor.Thisassertionisinnowaytosuggestwehaveembracedtheseapproachesorallowedthemtocontinueintentionally.Quitetheopposite,itisaclarioncallthattheroadforwardonguidedpathwaysisinextricablyintertwinedwiththeequitymissionmanyofusholdsodear.

Atthesametime,weneedtobecareful.AsMichaelCollinsfromJobsfortheFuture(JFF)remindsus,wedonotwanttofunnellow-incomestudentsandstudentsofcolorinto“lowwagecompletions.”Rather,weneedtomakesurestudentpreparationunderaguidedpathwaysumbrellaleadstojobswithalivingwageandplacespeopleonacareerpaththatenablesthemtosustainearlyeconomicgains.

Finally,whenyouaddressthemiddletwo-thirdsofstudentsatacollege,youarehittingyourequitymissionheadon.Inevitably,thetop20%ofanyenteringstudentpopulationatacommunitycollegewillsucceed,andthebottom10%maystruggletoachieve(inthetraditionalsense)—nomatterwhatacollegedoes.Thisanalysisleavesthemiddle70%ofthestudentpopulation,wherealltheleveragelives.Thisgroupalsotendstobeinhabiteddisproportionatelybylow-incomestudentsandstudentsofcolor,whichmakesitaprimetargetforimprovementinitiativesingeneralandforequity-drivenreformsinparticular.TheGSUdataofferedearliersuggeststhatguidedpathwayscanhelpchangeoursystemsandstructurestoleveltheplayingfieldforandimprovetheoutcomesofallstudentgroups.

Implications for the Student Experience

Tappingintothestudentexperienceisapowerfuldriverforinstitutionaltransformation,andkeepingitfrontandcenterofredesigneffortshelpsusstayfocusedonthetaskathand—improvingtheirsuccess.Itisheartening—andnotsurprising—thatthequestionsweincreasinglyfieldfromeducatorsaboutguidedpathwaysconcentrateonensuringthatdifferentstudentpopulationswillbeabletothriveandattainthegoalstheysetforthemselves.

Beforewediveintothequestionsrelatedtotheimplicationsofguidedpathwaysforthestudentexperience,let’stakeamomenttodiscusswhichgroupsthismovementuniquelyaimstoserve.Communitycollegesparticularlyenrollavarietyofsegments,including:(1)transfer-orientedstudents,(2)individualsinterestedinacohort-basedcareertechnicaleducation(CTE)programthatresultsinacertificateordegreeanddirectentrytotheworkforce,(3)“reverse”transferstudentscomingtoacommunitycollegeforoneortwo


courses,(4)“skillsbuilders”engagedinshort-termcareeradvancementand/orretraining,and(5)lifelonglearnerspursuingenrichment.

Whiletheexactmixofthesestudentsegmentsvariesbycollege,recentdatasuggeststhattransfer-focusedstudentsandcohort-basedCTEstudentsmakeupanevenlargerpartofmoststudentpopulationsthanwepreviouslythought.NationalCenterforEducationStatisticsandNationalStudentClearinghousedatasuggeststhat80%ofthe1.5millionnewstudentswhoannuallyenrollinacommunitycollegehaveagoalofearningabachelor’sdegreeatsomepointintheireducationalandcareertrajectories(Horn&Skomsvold,2011).Giventhattransferandcohort-basedCTEstudentsmakeupthestrongmajorityofthoseenteringourcommunitycolleges,wedirectourguidedpathwayseffortstowardimprovingtheirsuccess.

Admittedly,reversetransferstudents,skillsbuilders,andlifelonglearnersdonotneedguidedpathwaysinthetraditionalsense,althoughitcouldbearguedthatthereversetransferandskillsbuildersstudentswouldstillbenefitfromtheireffortsbeingplacedinalong-termcareerpathwayscontext.Yet,wecontendthatcommunitycollegesshouldnotusethesegroupsdefensivelyinreactiontocallsforaccountabilityandreform,giventhatthesepopulationsmakeupaminorityofstudentsserved.Let’sfindawaytotelltheirsuccessstoryatthesametimeaswepursueguidedpathwaystobetterservethelargegroupsofstudentsseekingtransferand/oraCTEcertificateordegree.

So,itisinthecontextofimprovingthesuccessoftransferstudentsandindividualspursuingacohort-basedCTEprogramthatweexplorethefollowinginquiries:

3. Howdowebuildeffectiveguidedpathwaysforpart-timestudents?

4. WhathappenswhenstudentsarebelowtransferableEnglishand/ormath?

5. Whathappensifstudentschangetheirminds?Dotheyhavetostartover?

6. Whatshouldourcollegedowhenstudentsfallofftheirguidedpathway?

Wediscussthesequestionsinthenextsection.

3. How do we build effective guided pathways for part-time students?

Nationally,roughly60%ofstudentsenrollparttime,soitiscriticaltounderstandhowtobestservetheselearnerswithguidedpathways.Atthesametime,ourcompletionrateforpart-timestudentsinthiscountryisabysmal.Giventhatevidence,includingNationalStudentClearinghousedata,showsthattakingafullloadleadstobettercompletion,weclearlyneedtoworkonhelpingmorestudentsenrollfulltime(Shapiro,D.,Dundar,A.,


Ziskin,M.,Yuan,X.,&Harrell,A.,2013). Thisdatacausesustoask,“Whyaresomanystudentsparttime?”

Weknowmanystudentsenrollparttimebecauseofsignificantfinancialconstraintsandaneedtosupportthemselvesand/ortheirfamilies.Theseveryreallimitationssuggestthatifwecoulddoabetterjobconnectingstudentstoresourcesbeyondtraditionalfinancialaid—suchasfoodassistanceandchildcareandtransportationvouchers—morelearnerscouldattendfulltime(orclosertoit).3

Atthesametime,wepositthatthecommunitycollegesectorsuffersfroma“valueproposition”problem.Thatis,studentsareoftenunsureofwhattheyaregettingfromusinreturnfortheirfinancial,emotional,intellectual,andtimeinvestment.Thisuncertaintyresultsinmanystudents“dippingtheirtoes”intheproverbialhighereducationpoolbyattendingparttime.Inturn,theystartwithafewclasses,makeminimalprogress,andseemimpossiblyfarfromreachingtheirgoals…anditbecomesveryeasytoleave.Ifwecouldmakeabetterclaimaboutourvaluepropositiontostudentsandtheirparents—likesomanyfor-profitschoolsdobylinkingtheirprogramstocareersandwages—wearelikelytogetmoreofstudentstoenrollfull-time.

Themovementtowardguidedpathwayscanhelpuscommunicatethisvaluepropositiontostudentsinanumberofways:

£ Byworkingwithstudentstoclarifycareeroptionsandmakeconnectionsbetweentheseoptionsandprogramsofstudyearlierintheirtrajectory,wecanimmediatelyshowstudentshowtheireducationwillbridgetoalivingwageandacareerpath.

£ Bygettingstudentsintoprogramsofstudysooneruponentry,theworktheydoinawiderangeofcoursescanbeplacedinaclearercontextforwhenandwhytheyaretakingcourses,andhowtheircourseworkfitsintoamorecohesivewhole(theprogramofstudy).

3Forfurtherexplorationofthisdomain,seetheLuminaFoundation’sBeyondFinancialAidtoolkit,developedinpartnershipwithNCII,here:https://www.luminafoundation.org/beyond-financial-aid

Ifwecouldmakeabetterclaimaboutourvaluepropositiontostudentsandtheirparents—likesomanyfor-profitschoolsdobylinkingtheirprogramstocareersandwages—wearelikelytogetmorestudentstoenrollfull-time.


£ Bymoreproactivelymanagingthestudents’movementthroughthecollegeandinterveningincustomizedways,wecancontinuallyreinforcethebenefitsofpersistingfull-timeandonpathtostudents.

£ Asstudentsexperienceforwardprogresstowardaclearergoal,theirmotivationandconfidencecangrowandfurtherpropelthemtounderstandthevalueofstayingfocusedtocompletion.

Full-TimeEnrollmentandGuidedPathways

Now,anotherquestiontoconsideris,“Whatdowemeanbyfulltimeenrollmentundertheguidedpathwaysapproach?”Generally,guidedpathwaysaretypicallystructuredtoengagestudentsin15unitspersemester.Itisnotuncommonforeducatorstoaskifthisloadistoomuchtoexpectfromacommunitycollegestudent,whichalsocallsintoquestiontheoptimalnumberofunitsweassumeourstudentscouldtakeandbesuccessful.WhenworkingasaninstitutionalresearcheratCalifornia’sSanMateoCommunityCollegeDistrictinthemid2000s,NCII’sfounderdiscoveredthatthemostsuccessfulgroupintermsofcoursesuccessratewasstudentstaking18+units,followedcloselybythoselearnerstaking15-18units.Itistruethatmanyofthesestudentswereincohort-basedprograms;however,weshouldbecarefulnottoconfuseunittakingwiththeabilitytosuccessfullypasscourses,asstudentsintheseprogramsdemonstrate.

Further,studentscannotactuallycomplete“ontime”intwoyearsbytaking12unitsasemester.Thenotionof12unitsas“fulltime”enrollmentiswhollyaconstructoffinancialaidrequirements,whichcallforfulltimestudentstotakethisminimumloadinordertoaccessassistance.CompleteCollegeAmerica’s(CCA)“15-to-Finish”campaignisoneveryvisiblenationalinitiativedesignedtoaddressthisissue,andincludesanefforttoadministeryear-longPellgrantsthatallowstudentstoannuallyachieve30unitsbyusingthesummertermaswell.Otherfinancialstabilityapproachessuchasofferingeverystudentfreeorreducedtuitionforunitsabove12mayalsohaveapositiveeffectontheabilitytoincreasetheircourseload.Additionally,ensuringthatstudentshaveaccesstoandarescreenedforawiderangeoffinancialstabilitysupportssuchasnutrition,childcare,transportation,andmedicalservicescansupporttheirfull-timeenrollmentandpersistence.

Again,whenwemakeclearthevaluepropositionforfull-timeenrollmentandhelpstudentsunderstandwhattheywillbeabletodouponcompletion,themorelikelytheyaretodevotetheirtimeandattentiontotakingthe15unitspersemesterneededtocompletetheirprogramontime.Further,whenwestructureprogramssothatthecoursework(includingsuggestedelectives)doesnotcreateanundueburdenonstudents,wemayfindthatmorestudentscansucceedatachievingtherecommendedunitload.

Iftheyinfactmustenrollparttime,thenstudentswillabsolutelyneedthestructureprovidedbyguidedpathways.Ifastudentcanonlytrulytaketwoorthreecoursesasemesteroutofthe20orsoneededtograduate,thesecoursesbetter“count”towardthe


degreethatstudentistryingtofinish.Whileintheperfectscenarioitshouldtakeapart-timestudentsevento10semesterstocomplete,weoftenfindthatthistimelinestartstocreepupto12to20semesterswithoutthestructureachievedthroughguidedpathways.Withoutlaser-focusedcourseselection,itisnotsurprisingthatsomanypart-timestudentsdropoutwithoutcompleting.

4. What happens when students are below transferable English and/or math upon entry?

Developmentaleducationalsofrequentlyhasasignificantimpactontheexperienceofpublichighereducationstudents.Understandinghowtoengageandsupportstudentswhoneedremediationisabsolutelyvitaltotheuptakeofguidedpathwaysinthecommunitycollegeandstateuniversitycontext,giventheundeniableimpactthesegatekeepersareknowntohaveonstudentprogress.Addressingthisissueisakeycomponentofthe“gettingstudentsintoprograms”pillaroftheguidedpathwaysapproach.4Sinceeducatorsandresearchershavewrittenandpresentedvolumesonthistopicinthelastdecade,wewillfocusbrieflyonafewkeyissuesherethatdirectlyrelatetoengagingstudentsinguidedpathwayswhoassessbelowtransferrableEnglishand/ormath.

Withaguidedpathwaysmindset,wefirstandforemostneedtomakesurestudentstaketherightmath(andtoalesserextentEnglish)coursesfortheirpathway.TristanDenley,recentdriverofdevelopmentaleducationandguidedpathwaystransformationforTennessee’ssystemandnewlyappointedChiefAcademicOfficerfortheUniversitySystemofGeorgia,emphasizesthatcourse-levelimprovementsarenotenoughwhenitcomestobasicskillsreform.“Devedreformcannothappeninavacuum.It’svitaltoknowwhatpathwayastudentisonandensurethemathandEnglishcoursestheytakeconnecttotheirprogramofstudyandtheircareergoals.”Numerousobservers,includingmathematiciansandthosewhostudytheworkforcepreparationrequiredofgraduates,suggestthatover80%ofcollegedegreeholdersdonotneedorusethecomputationalskills

4CCRCtacklesissuesofstudentacademicreadinessinitsGuidedPathwaysEssentialPractices:ScaleofAdoptionSelf-Assessment,foundhere:https://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/media/k2/attachments/guided-pathways-adoption-template.docx

Devedreformcannothappeninavacuum.It’svitaltoknowwhatpathwayastudentisonandensurethemathandEnglishcoursestheytakeconnecttotheirprogramofstudyandtheircareergoals.

-TristanDenley,UniversitySystemofGeorgia


developedinthealgebrapathwayintheirworkplace.Inturn,itseemsthatourexplorationofwhattheliberalartsmeaninthe21stcenturyshouldincludeconsiderationofthecommunicationandcomputationoutcomesstudentsneednowandintothefuture,andassessmentofwhetherornotourclassicmathandEnglishsequencesleadtothoseresults.

Aguidedpathwaysapproachpromptsthisreflection.Startingwithstudentendgoalsinmind,facultyandstudentservicesprofessionalsmustthinkstrategicallyaboutwhatcommunicationandcomputationskillsstudentstrulyneedtodevelopinalignmentwiththosegoalsandselectcourseworkaccordingly.So,astudentwhoplacestwolevelsbelowtransferrablemathandwhoispursuinganalliedhealthpathwaymightnotneedtoenduremultiplecoursesleadingtocalculus,butrathertakeamorefittingsequencethatallowsmasteryofthestatisticsandmaththinkingrequiredwhenworkinginahealthcaresetting.

Inadditiontorethinkingwhatcommunicationandcomputationskillsandknowledgestudentsneedtosucceed,theguidedpathwaysapproachcallsonustoconsiderhowwehelpstudentsattainthispreparation.AgrowingbodyofevidencesuggeststhatthereisampleopportunitytoshortendevelopmentaleducationsequencesandallowstudentstocompletemathandEnglishrequirementswhiletacklingothercoursework.Whileameta-analysisofimpacthasyettobeproduced,earlyreportsindicatetheseco-requisiteand“extremeacceleration”modelsthatoccuroverthespanoftwosemestershavebeenproducinganotableimprovementinstudentoutcomes.Programprovidersindicatethatupwardsof55-60%ofstudentswhoentertwolevelsbelowtransferrablemathand/orEnglishachievetheserequirementswithinoneyear,versusa20-30%completionrateundertraditionalapproaches.

ExamplesincludeTennessee’sco-requisiteprogram,Mathways,Statway-Quantway,CommunityCollegeofBaltimoreCounty’sAcceleratedLearningProgram,andCityUniversityofNewYork’sAcceleratedStudyinAssociatePrograms(ASAP).5Tothisend,theresearchfieldandnationalpartnersinvolvedinpromotingtheguidedpathwaysmovementnotablyachievedalevelofconsensusrecommendingtheco-requisiteand/orextremeaccelerationmodels.ThisaccordisevidencedintheCorePrinciplesforTransformingRemedialEducationstatement,releasedin2015.6

5Findmoreinformationonthesemodelshere:• Tennessee'sco-requisiteprogram:https://www.tbr.edu/academics/co-requisite-remediation• Mathways:http://www.utdanacenter.org/higher-education/new-mathways-project/• Statway-Quantway:https://www.carnegiefoundation.org/in-action/carnegie-math-pathways/• CommunityCollegeofBaltimoreCounty’sAcceleratedLearningProgram:http://alp-deved.org/#• CityUniversityofNewYork’sAcceleratedStudyinAssociatePrograms

(ASAP):http://www1.cuny.edu/sites/asap/

6SeetheCorePrincipalsforTransformingRemedialEducationhere:http://www.core-principles.org/uploads/2/6/4/5/26458024/core_principles_nov9.pdf


Admittedly,thereformsreferencedabovemaynotworkforallstudents;studentswithverylowskilllevelsmayneedadifferentalternative.However,weadvocateforscalingmodelsthroughguidedpathwaysthatprovetodoabetterjobofpreparingstudentsinthemiddletwo-thirdsofthereadinessspectrumasweconsiderotherapproachesforthebottomquintile(whoareservedevenlesswellbytraditionalmodels).

Finally,itiscriticallyimportanttostatethattheinnovative,dedicatedfacultyteachingmathandEnglishunderatraditionalmodelarenotthe“problem”withstudents’preparationintheseacademicdomains.Infact,whatwehavelearnedoverthelastdecadeaboutdevelopmentaleducationismoreastatementaboutinadequaciesinthestructureofthesystem,notfacultyand/ortheirpedagogy.Weneedtotakewhattheseveryfacultyhavelearnedaboutfosteringstudents’developmentandnon-cognitiveskills—perhapsthetrue“development”indevelopmentaleducation—andapplythislearningtonewermodels.Giventhatguidedpathwaysadvocateforembracingapproachesthatallowmorestudentstodotransfer-levelworkearlierintheirtrajectories,leveragingthislearningwillbevitaltotheirsuccess.

5. What happens if students change their minds about their program of study? Do they have to start over?

Thisquestioncomesuptimeandagain,rootedinsimilarconcernsaboutattendingtothegenuineneeds,conditions,andtendenciesofourstudents.Yetunlikeissuesofenrollmentordevelopmentaleducationinthecontextofguidedpathways,wecanaddressthisquestionwithasimpleresponse:ifstudentschangetheirminds,theyabsolutelydonothavetorestarttheirhighereducationjourney.Thisconcernhasahelpfulanalogueincurrentpractice.Atpresent,whenstudentsshiftamajor,sayfromchemistrytopsychology,theyneedtofigureoutwhichrequirementsfollowthem,hopefullywithanadvisor.Thisassessmentincludesbothunderstandingwhichoftheircompletedgeneraleducation(GE)coursesapplytotheirnewmajor(andwhatgapsremain),aswellaswhatnewdiscipline-specificcoursestheywillneedtotakeinordertofulfillthemajorrequirements.

Underaguidedpathwaysapproach,whichincludesdevelopmentofprogrammapsthatdelineateaclearsetofdiscipline-specificandGEelectivecourses,thesameconditionsapply.So,ifastudentchangesafterherthirdsemesterfromchemistrytopsychology,shewouldengageinthesamesortofevaluation.Presumably,inthisscenario,thestudentonthechemistrypathwaywouldhavecompletedGEelectivecoursesinherfirstthreesemesters,inadditiontochemistry-specificcourses.ThoseGErequirementswouldstillbeconsideredfulfilledonthepsychologyprogrammap,evenifthecourseswerenotexactlytherecommendedsetonthepsychologymap.Ofcourse,thestudentwouldstillneedto


completethepsychology-specificrequirements;however,thissituationisnodifferentthanastudentchangingmajorsunderatraditionalcafeteriamodel.

Yet,whatisdifferentisthatbyusingaguidedpathwaysapproach,astudentand/oranadvisorwillhaveaneasiertimedetermininghowtomakethetransitionbetweenmajors,giventhattherequirementsforbothpathwaysareclearlymapped.Students,faculty,andcounselorswillknowwhichcoursesstudentshavecompletedthatapplytotheirnewtrajectoryandwherethegapsexist.Moreover,underaguidedpathwaysapproach,studentswilllikelyhavetakencoursesthatoptimizedtheGEpackage(ratherthantherandomassortmentofGEclassesthatstudentsoftentake),enablingthemtohavesomethingthatstillplacesthemfartheralongontheireducationaljourney.

Evenfurther,withwell-constructed“meta-majors”or“career-focusareas”thatincludeacommonsetoffirst-semestercourses,studentsareabletoexploretheiracademicandprofessionalinterestsinacontrolledmannerwhileatthesametimeknockingoutacademicrequirements.So,whenastudentselectsameta-majorplanningtopursueoneprogramofstudy,andthendecidestoswitchgearsandenrollinadifferentprogramthatalsofallswithinthatsamearea,heisnoworseforwear—andwillhaveundertakenstrengthenedcareerexplorationandchoice-makingopportunitiesearlierinhiscollegeonboardingexperience.Forexample,whenLorainCountyCommunityCollege7establisheditsbusinesspathway,faculty,administrators,andcampusresearchersworkedtogethertoidentifysevenfoundationalcoursesthatwouldpositionstudentstopursuemultiplerelatedprogramsofstudy.Studentscannowtakeanyoneofthesefoundationalcoursesandbeontrackfor12differentbusinessmajorsattheendoftheirfirstsemester.

Ultimately,werecognizethatsomestudentswillchangetheirmindsanddesiretoalterprogrammaticdirections.Yet,guidedpathwaysaredesignedtohelpstudentsmakemoreinformeddecisionsfromdayone,andarestructuredtohelpmitigatetheimpactofanyshiftineducationaland/orcareergoalsonthetimeandefforttheymustinvestinachievementofthatoutcome.

6. What should our college do when students fall off their guided pathway?

Inadditiontoinquiriesabouthowtosupportstudentswhowanttochangefromoneprogramofstudytoanother,wealsofrequentlygetquestionsaboutwhattodowhenstudentsdropofftheirpathwayentirely.Toaddressthisquestion,weneedtoconsiderthereasonsastudentmightfalloffpathandwhataguidedpathwaysapproachcandotohelpgetthembackontrack.

7ExploreLorainCountyCommunityCollege’spathwayshere:https://www.lorainccc.edu/programs-and-careers/


Let’sagainreflectonourcurrentcontext.Sometimes,studentsstrayoffpathbecausetheytakethewrongcourse.Inourtraditionalcafeteria-stylemodel,many—ifnotmost—generaleducation/pre-transferstudentsdonothaveaclearideaofwhatcourseworktheyshouldtakeandinwhatordertomeettheirgoals.Progressionandcompletionoutcomesaswellasdataonexcessunitstakensuggestthatthecurrentapproachdoesnotservestudentswell,andoffermotivationforconsideringanotherway.8

Sometimesstudentsfindthemselvesoffpathbecausetheyfailacourse.Presently,whenastudentdoesnotpassaclass,oursystemassumestheyareunabletomasterallofthecourseoutcomes.Insomecases,studentsareevenprohibitedfromtakingthatcourseagainforasetperiodoftimeorfromenrollinginothercourseworkuntiltheypasstheclass.Yet,supposeastudentfailsacoursebecauseshewasunabletofullymasteronespecificoutcome;wearenotcurrentlysetuptozeroinonstudents’knowledgegapsandapplysupportsthathelpthemmorequicklylearnthatskillorconceptandmoveforward.Thispracticealsobegsforevaluation.

Somestudentsfallofftheirchosenpathbecausethecoursethattheyneedtotakeisnotavailableduringthesemesteroratthetimeinwhichtheyneedtotakeit.Withoutclearprogrammapsandfull-scaleimplementationofcomprehensiveeducationalplans,collegesoftengrapplewithmanagingenrollmentsandschedulesinastrategicwaythatmatchesupwithstudentneeds.

Inothercases,studentsstrayoffpathbecausetheychangetheirtransferdestinationandsuddenlyconfrontawholenewsetofrequirements.Absentregular,intentionaladvising,thesestudentsstruggletofindtheirway,ifnotthrowinthetowelentirely.Stillotherstudentsdropoutwhenlifeeventsintervene,whetheritbeshiftingfamilyobligations,changingjobdemands,ahealthproblem,financialdifficulties,anewtransportationchallenge,foodinsecurity,orsimplyanabsenceofconnectiontotheircampus.Presently,somanystudentsslipawayfromoursystemwithoutanyonenoticing,orshowingtheycare.

Adoptionofaguidedpathwaysapproachcallsforafundamentallydifferentstudentexperience,wherestudentshaveclearmapstoendgoalsthatallowthemtodetermineiftheyhavestrayedoffcourseandunderstandwhatstepstheyneedtorecoverprogresstowardtheirgoal.Oncecollegesmaptheirprogramsandhelpallnewstudentsbuildafull-programeducationalplan,theycanalsousetheresultingdatatodeliveramorepreciseandstudent-focusedschedulingsystemthatenableslearnerstogetthecoursestheyneed,whentheyneedthem.

Inaddition,successfulimplementationofguidedpathwaysrequiresintrusive,ongoingadvisingandintegratedsupport—bothinsideandoutsideoftheclassroom.Integraltothis8FindmoreinformationintheAspenInstitute’sUsingComparativeInformationtoImproveStudentSuccesshere:https://assets.aspeninstitute.org/content/uploads/files/content/docs/pubs/UsingComparativeInformationGuide.pdf


levelofsupportareclearinterventionstrategiesforwhenstudentsdofallofftheirpathways.Thesesupportshelpstudentsaddressacademic,personal,andsocialissues;establishasenseofconnectiontotheircampus;andmaintainand/orregainforwardmomentum.

Inadditiontomanyexamplesofearlyalertprogramsthataimtopreventstudentsfromfallingoffpathattheendofacourse,earlyadoptersofguidedpathwaysaretestingandfindingsuccesswithotherapproaches,includingthefollowing:

£ Asheville-BuncombeTechnicalCommunityCollege(NC)hasestablishedthreecleartypesoffacultyadvisors:first-semesterexperienceadvisors,on-trackadvisors,or“problemexperts”whoarecalledinwhenstudentsfallofftrack.Thegoalofthelatteristoworktogetstudentsbackonpathasquicklyaspossible.Allreceivetrainingtobestservetheirsegmentofstudents.

£ St.PetersburgCollege(FL)intentionallycreatedtheirpathwaysasanordinallistofthe21coursesrequiredtocompletetheAAorASdegree.Thisapproachmeansthattheirrequiredcoursesandrecommendedelectivesareplacedinorderonalistthatisprovidedtostudents(andtofacultyandadvisors),whichmakesiteasierforstudentstoseewhattheyneedtodoeveniftheydonotpassacourse.

£ JacksonCommunityCollege(MI)utilizestechnologysothatstudents—alongwiththeirstudentsuccessnavigatoradvisor—canviewacustomizedplanandcurrentprogresstowardcompletingprogramrequirements.Ongoingadvisingalsoexplores“what-if”scenariosfordifferentpathwayoptions,adaptstostudents’progress,andhelpstoaddressanyroadblocksthathavecomeup—allwithaneyetowardhelpingthemcomplete.

£ FloridaStateandGeorgiaStateclearlyidentifymarkersandmilestonesforsuccessinalldegreeprograms.Whenstudentsmissthesemarkersandmilestones(whicharerelatedtobothcourse-takingandactivitiesoutsidetheclassroom),theyarecalledinformandatoryadvisingtogetthembackontrack.Additionally,ifstudentspersistentlystay“off-path,”theyareencouragedtoseekoutanalternativepathinwhichtheymayhaveagreaterchanceofsuccess.

Atitsheart,theguidedpathwaysmovementaimstodramaticallyreducethepopulationofstudentswhoeverfalloffpath.Byredesigningsystemsandsupportsaroundthestudentexperienceandwiththestrengths,interests,needs,andchallengestheybringtoourcampusesinmind,theguidedpathwaysmovementstrivestoradicallyincreasethenumberwhodoreachtheiracademicandprofessionalgoals.


Practical Concerns for Educators

Twopracticalissuesalsosurfaceinconversationsaboutguidedpathways,bothrelatedtotheroleandexperienceoffacultyinestablishingandcarryingoutpathways.Addressingtheseconcernsiskeytomeaningfullyengagingeducatorsinawaythatmakessenseforboththemandtheirstudents.Thesequestionsinclude:

7. Howdoesafocusonteachingandlearningneedtoevolveunderaguidedpathwaysapproach?

8. Howmuchwillfacultyworkloadincreaseunderaguidedpathwaysmodel?

Weexploretheseconcernsbelow.

7. How does teaching and learning need to evolve under a guided pathways approach?

Whilethereisnoclear“right”answertoanyofthequestionsaddressedinthisresource,itisespeciallytrueofthisone.NCIIandourpartnershaveworkediterativelytodeterminetheteachingandlearningissuesthataremostpertinenttoguidedpathwaysimplementation.Asaresult,CCRCrecentlyreviseditsGuidedPathwaysEssentialPractices:ScaleofAdoptionSelf-Assessmenttoreflectwhatweseebubblingupfromthefieldandfromresearchasfacultybothembraceandgrapplewiththisapproach.Atpresent,CCRCidentifiesanumberofessentialpracticesunderthefourthguidedpathwayspillar“ensuringstudentsarelearning,”afewofwhichwehighlightbelow.ThesepracticesarefurtherundergirdedbymorethanadecadeofresearchconductedbytheCenterforCommunityCollegeStudentEngagement(CCCSE).

Tostart,aprimaryconsiderationunderaguidedpathwaysapproachisthefundamentalshiftfromafocusoncoursestoafocusonprograms—specificallyonprogramlearningoutcomesthatalignwiththerequirementsoftransferinstitutionsandemployersreceivingourstudents.AsCCRC’sDavisJenkinsfrequentlyremindseducators,“Realimprovementinstudents’educationalandemploymentsuccesswillrequirebeingmuchmoreattentivetotheskills,know-how,andexperiencestudentswillneedaftertheyleavecollege.Teachingoftheseskillsneedstobeembeddedthroughoutthecurriculum,inbothliberalartsandcareertechnicalcourseworkandco-curricularofferings.”Attheendoftheday,mostofusdonotrememberspecificcourseoutcomesfromoursecondyearincollegeorhowwellweachievedthem,butwehaveaprettygoodideaofourskillsetsonmoreglobaloutcomes


suchascriticalthinking,communication,computation,andcreativity(liberalarts-orientedoutcomes).Moreover,employersnearlyuniversallytellustheyarequiteconcernedaboutstudentpreparationinthesedomains,regardlessofwhereagivenjobliesontheincreasinglyblurryblue-collartowhite-collarto“new-collar”continuum.Wehavediscussedreclaimingliberalartsoutcomesasakeypieceoftheguidedpathwaysmovement,9catalyzingandevolvingconversationsabouthowtodefineandimproveliberalartsacrossthecurriculum.Moreover,weaimforthisredesignworktoensurethatprogram-levellearningoutcomesalignwiththeexpectationsoftheemployersanduniversitiesthatwillreceiveourstudents.

Anotheraspectofguidedpathwaysimplementationistheintegrationofexperiencesintocourseworkthatallowstudentstoactivelyapplyanddeepentheirlearninginanauthenticway,andtodemonstratetheirmasteryofthekeyprogramandliberalartsoutcomesdiscussedabove.Overthepastdecade,nationaleffortslikeCCCSE’Shigh-impactpracticesresearchincommunitycollegestheAAC&U’sLiberalEducationandAmerica’sPromise(LEAP),andinitiativesledbyuniversityandcommunitycollegesystemshavefosteredtheadoptionofevidence-based“high-impactpractices”—includingfirst-yearexperiencesandlearningcommunities,writing-intensivecoursesandundergraduateresearch,globalstudies,servicelearningandinternships,andcollaborativeandcapstoneprojects—andhavebeguntodevelopanevidencebaseonthevalueoftheseinstructionalapproaches.10AnumberofcollegesinvolvedintheAACCPathwaysProject—includingLansingCommunityCollege,

9SeeGuidedPathwaysDemystified:Exploring10CommonlyAskedQuestionsaboutImplementingPathways,Question4,“Won’twelosetheheartofaliberalartseducationwhenwemakestudents’journeysmorestructured?”10Learnmoreabouthigh-impactpracticesandAAC&U’sLiberalEducationandAmerica’sPromise(LEAP)here:https://www.aacu.org/leap/hips

Realimprovementinstudents’educationalandemploymentsuccesswillrequirebeingmuchmoreattentivetotheskills,know-how,andexperiencestudentswillneedaftertheyleavecollege.Teachingtheseskillsneedstobeembeddedthroughoutthecurriculum,inbothliberalartsandcareertechnicalcourseworkandco-curriculaofferings.

-DavisJenkins,CCRC


CommunityCollegeofPhiladelphia,andWesternWyomingCommunityCollege—haveindividually(andhopefullysooncollectively)exploredtheintersectionbetweenguidedpathwaysreformsandpedagogy,studentlearningoutcomes(SLO)assessment,andhigh-impactpractices.Theseeffortsofferausefulfoundationforcollegestoconsiderwhichapproachestobuildonand/oradopttofurtherstrengthenstudents’learning.

Further,guidedpathwayscallforauthenticassessmentfocusedonstudents’achievementofprogram-leveloutcomesandtheuseofassessmentresultstoimproveteachingandlearning.Clearly,collegeshaveawiderangeofapproachestoSLOassessmentatthecourse,program,andinstitutionallevels,andnearlyallofthemhavesomevalue.Yet,whileitmayberelativelyeasytohaveafunctionalcourse-levelSLOassessmentparadigmonpaper,itisconsiderablyharderto(a)haveaprogram-levelassessmentprocessthatisauthentic,and(b)producechangesinpedagogythatleadtostudentsactuallydemonstratingincreasedachievementofprogramoutcomes.Makingthisshiftmayrequireupdatestoprogramreviewprocesses,alongwithinvestmentsinprofessionaldevelopmentandconcertedcross-divisionefforts.

Focusingonprogram-leveloutcomesthatalignwiththeexpectationsofemployersanduniversities;integratinghigh-impactinstructionalpractices;andengaginginauthentic,program-levelassessmentthatleadstoimprovedstudentlearningwilllikelyrequireon-the-groundchanges.Theguidedpathwaysplanningprocessoffersaplacetoreflectdeeplyontheseteachingconsiderations,atimetocelebratewhatyourcollegeisalreadydoinginserviceoftheseessentialguidedpathwayspractices,andanopportunitytoidentifywhatneedstohappennexttofullyensurestudentsarelearning.

8. How much will faculty workload increase under a guided pathways model?

Wetakequestionsabouttheexpectedday-to-dayimpactofguidedpathwaysadoptionasapositivesignthatfacultyaroundthecountryareperkingtheircollectiveearsupandsaying,“Hey,thisactuallymighthappen!”Thesequestionsarecompletelyfairandrequirecandiddiscussionifwehaveanyhopeofgettingtheguidedpathwaysapproachofftheground.Whenconsideringissuesofimpactonthetimerequiredoffaculty,wemakeanimportantdistinctionbetweenfacultyworkloadwhenguidedpathwaysmodelsare“upandrunning”andtheworkrequiredtogetthestructuredpathwaysdevelopedandinplace.

Earlyguidedpathwayspioneersdonotreportthatfacultyworkloadincreasesoncepathwaysareimplemented;theystillteachthesamenumberofcoursesandaresubjecttothesameobligationsandnon-instructionalactivitiesrequiredoftheircollege’sfacultycontract.Educatorsdoreportsomeincreasedemphasisonhistorically“outside-the-classroom”topicsandactivitiesintheircourses,suchastalkingtostudentsabouttherelevanceoftheirindividualcourseworktotheiroverallpathwayexperience,discussingrelatedtransferdestinations,trackingprogresstowardthedegree,andincorporatingcareer


explorationandacademicplanning.Yet,forthemostpart,facultyexperiencethesameworkloadperse,primarilyfocusedonteachingintheclassroomandcreatinglearningenvironmentsthatprogressivelyensurethatmorestudentslearntheoutcomesoftheircoursesandprograms.

Weshouldnotethatatsomecolleges,thecontractrequiresfacultytodoadvising;attheseinstitutions,itislikelythataguidedpathwaysreformwouldactuallymakethisroleeasier,giventhatitissimplertoadviseoffaGPmapthantherelativechaosthatexistsonmanystudenttranscriptsnow.Itdoesnotmeanthatadvisingbecomeseasyorlessimportantunderguidedpathways.Infact,wecreatemoredemandforitwhenwemovefromcurrentdrop-inmodelstoarequiredadvisingapproach;justtheactoffiguringoutwhereastudentisandhowtoadvisethemtomoveforwardshouldbemorestreamlined.Ascollegestakeonpathwayimplementation,itisalsopossiblethatexpectationsoffacultyadvisingmightshift,hopefullyleadingtomoreprofessionaldevelopmentdesignedtoprovideeducatorsthesupporttheyneedtofullyandeffectivelyinhabitthisroleandtoemphasizeconsistencyintheinformationstudentsreceive.

Whiletheremayberelativelylittlechangeintheirday-to-dayloadoncepathwaysareestablished,thereisabsolutelyworkrequiredoffacultytogetstructuredpathwaysinplace.EarlyinputfromCompletionbyDesigncollegesindicatedthatGPdevelopmenttookupwardsof20hoursperpathway.Morerecently,CBDandAACCPathwayscollegesreportdedicatingbetweeneightand12hoursperpathway,withthevariancedependingonhowmuchresearchprogramfacultydoonselectionofgeneraleducationcourses.While12hours(onthehighside)isnotinsignificant,itdoesseemtobeareasonableamountwhenspreadoutoverathree-tosix-monthperiodoftime,giventhattheanticipatednetresultwillbesuchapositivecatalystforimprovingstudentlearningandcompletion.

Admittedly,guidedpathwaysreformwillalsorequirecampusleadersatalllevelsandacrossallfunctionstocatalyzethismovementandcollectivelyfacilitateashiftincampusculture—facultyincluded.Thisfoundationalandcriticalworktoevolvecampuscultureinsupportofguidedpathwayscannotbeunderestimatedandcancertainlytakesignificanttime,dependingonyourinstitution’spointofdeparture.Weemphaticallyencouragecampusestoleverageexistingstructurestopursuethischange(ratherthancreatenewcommitteesandtaskforcesthatpotentiallyduplicateand/ordraincurrentgroups).Moreover,wefeelstronglythatasleadersaskcampusstakeholderstodomoreand/orchangetheirpractice,somethinghastogive;faculty,staff,andadministratorsarealreadyworkingattheirmaximum.Weencourageyoutothinkaboutyourcollege’sprioritiesandaskyourselves,“Whatwillyoustopdoingfromaworkloadand/orprogrammaticperspective?”and“Why?”Lettinggoofpolicies,procedures,andactivitiesthatmaynolongerberelevantorproductivewillinevitablyfreeupimportanttimeforyourcollegetotakeupapproachesthatleadtoanimprovedstudentexperienceandimprovedoutcomes.


Operational Considerations

Finally,ascollegescomeclosertojoiningtheguidedpathwaysmovement,somefunctionalquestionssurfacerelatedtowhatisrequiredofinstitutionsastheyplanandcarryoutimplementation.Theseconsiderationsinclude:

9. Howdowebestusetechnologytokeepstudentsontheirpathways?

10. Howcanwegetalltheworknecessarytoplanandexecuteguidedpathwaysdoneby(insertdatehere)?

Weexplorethesequestionsbelow.

9. How do we best use technology to keep students on their pathways?

Today,ahostoftechnologyvendorsarerespondingtotheshifttowardguidedpathwaysinhighereducation,andthetoolsthesevendorsoffercouldbeusefultothisreformeffort.Atthesametime,collegesneedtohaveasolidideaofhowtousethetechnologybeforebuyingit,includingthinkingaboutthebusinessprocessreengineeringandcultureissuesmentionedabove.Moreover,wewillbenefitwhenweinsistthattechnologyvendorsthattheirsystemstalktooneanother,sowedonotcreatetechnologicalsiloesofinformationthathaltourprogress.

Havingsaidthis,technologycanhelpmakepathwaysandstudentprogressalongthesepathsclearertoallstakeholdersinvolved—students,faculty,andadvisorsincluded.Pre-vendor,home-grownpathwaysmonitoringsoftwareatAspenPrizewinninginstitutionsWallaWalla(WA)andSantaFe(FL)andCBDparticipantSinclairCollege(OH)offerusefulexamplesofwheretechnology,combinedwithculturechange,effectivelyhelpsclarifythepathsavailabletostudentsandhelpsthemandtheiradvisorstrackprogression.

Seeminglysimplemodificationsinhowweuseourtechnologycanalsopotentiallyserveasahugecatalystforimprovement.Forexample,Cuyahoga(OH)isexploringtheinclusionofyear-longenrollmentcodesinthestudentinformationsystem,allowingstudentstoregisterforafullyearofcourseswithasinglecode.Additionally,predictiveanalyticshasthepotentialtohelpcollegesidentifystudentsatriskoffallingofftheirpathways.Thatsaid,institutionsneedtothinkaheadabouthowtheywillusethesetargetedlistsbeforetheybuythesoftwaredesignedtoproducethem.


Thebottomline?Anassessmentoflocalneedsdrovethetechnologydevelopedorselectedbytheinstitutionsmentionedabove.Thinkabouttechnologyas10%ofthesolutionandthecultureshiftsandrethinkingofthebusinessprocessesas90%oftheanswer.Withthisapproachinmind,yourcollegeismorelikelytoexperiencemeaningfulimpactonstudentsuccess.11

10. How can we get all the work necessary to plan and execute guided pathways done by (insert date here)?

Finally,thisquestionindicatesthatsomecollegesaremovingpastskepticismabouttheapproachtoembracingguidedpathwaysandconsideringhowtopracticallycarryoutthestepsrequiredfortheireffectiveplanningandimplementation.Fortunately,thismovementisfarenoughdownthepiketohavedevelopedusefultoolsandsupportsforcollegesastheyembarkonthisjourney.Forexample,CCRC’sGuidedPathwaysEssentialPractices:ScaleofAdoptionSelf-Assessment12referencedthroughoutthisresourcehelpscollegestoestablishabaselineonthecriticalbuildingblocksforeachofthefourdomains:structuredpathways,onboardingontothepathways,monitoringprogressonthepathways,andensuringthatstudentsarelearning.CCRCandNCIIdevelopedanoriginalversionofthistoolforuseontheArkansasPathwaysProjectin2014;overthepastthreeyears,CCRChasworkedtocontinuouslyrefineittoreflectthelearningofearlyadopters.NCII,CCRC,andthecollegesinvolvedinAACC’sPathwaysProjecthavefoundthistooltobeincrediblyusefulinidentifyingwhatneedstohappentofullyactivateeachofthefourdomainsandwheresuccessesalreadyachievedbyacollegecanbeleveragedinthisprocess.

Comingoutofthisself-assessment,itiscriticaltocreateasolidprojectplanonallfourdomains,andrecognizethatthisprocessrequiresacampus-wideeffort—likelycrossingtraditionalsiloes—andclearexpectationsandsupportfromleadership.Oncethenecessarydevelopmentsareidentifiedforeachdomain,collegesmustdecidehowtheywillmoveforward,andperhapsmostimportantly,whowillberesponsibleforspearheadingthechange.Forexample,whenfacedwiththetaskofmappingtheirpathways,SierraCollege(CA)—alargecomprehensivesuburbaninstitution—paired15facultyeachwithonestudentservicesprofessionaltocreatethefirstdraftofprogrammapsintheirarea,ensuringthatthemapshadinstructionalcoherenceaswellasbeingfunctionalandaccuratefromatransferstandpoint.11InFall2017,AACC,CCRC,andNCIIwillreleaseashortguide,KeyConsiderations:ChoosingTechnologySolutionstoSupportGuidedPathways,toassistcollegeswithexploringtechnologysolutionstoassistwithguidedpathways-relatedissues(linkforthcoming).

12ExploreCCRC’sGuidedPathwaysEssentialPractices:ScaleofAdoptionSelf-Assessmenthere:https://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/media/k2/attachments/guided-pathways-adoption-template.docx


Howlongdoesitalltake?Itwillofcoursevarybycollege.Asheville-BuncombeTechnicalCommunityCollege(NC)—alsoacomprehensiveinstitution—completelyredesignedallofitspathways,includingmappingtotheirtopthreetransferdestinations,developinganewadvisingmodelwithassociatedprofessionaldevelopmentstructures,andcreatingsixcareercommunitieswithcommonfirstsemestersforallenteringstudents…allinoneacademicyear!Whilethistimelinewasclearlyaggressiveforthismedium-sizedcollege,itdoesdemonstratethepossibilitiesforinitiating,shepherding,andachievingchange.AACCPathwaysProjectinstitutionsandcollegesparticipatinginCalifornia’sGuidedPathwaysProjectareusingathree-yearhorizonforimplementationoftheirfirstversionofguidedpathwayswiththeirinitialcohortofenteringstudents.

Pioneersofthisapproachhavealsoshownthatforguidedpathwaystosucceed,differentcomponentsofguidedpathwaysmustgoliveatdifferentpoints,dependingonwhereaninstitutionhastractionand/orexistingessentialpracticesonwhichtobuild.Forexample,yourinstitutionmaybereadytolauncharevampeddevelopmentaleducationmodelinyourfirstyearofimplementation,andtacklearedesignofstudentadvisinginthesecondyear.Weencouragecollegestotakethelongviewonimplementation,strategicallydeterminingwhichessentialpracticestopursueandwhen,ratherthanattemptingtotacklethemallatonce—nodoubtarecipeforfailureoutoftheblocks.

Moreover,itiscriticaltorememberthatthefirsttimeyourolloutthesechanges,theyarein“version1.0,”andwillcontinuetoadapt,evolve,andimproveovertime.Forexample,MiamiDadeCollegelaunchedanewadvisingmodelatscaleinitsfirstyearofguidedpathwaysimplementation—nosmallfeatfortheoneofthelargestinstitutionsofhighereducationinthenation—thenreviseditintheirsecondyear.Keepingthisiterativeprocessinmindwillhelpyoufeelthatyoudonothavetogeteverythingrightthefirsttime.

Inevitably,youwillencounterbumpsintheroad,andplanningandfullimplementationofacomprehensiveandimpactfulguidedpathwaysapproachwillcertainlytakeyears.Yet,thetimetogetstartedisnow.Weareenergizedbywhatthismovementcanmeanforthemillionsofstudentswhoarriveatourcollegeseachyear,seekingabetterlifeforthemselvesandtheirfamilies.Stayconfidentthatyouareontherighttrack,becauseatlonglast,wearehelpingmorestudentsfindandstayontheirownpathtobrighterhorizons.


Conclusion

Thequestionshighereducationleaderscurrentlyraiseaboutguidedpathwaysareinspiring.Theyindicatethatapprehensionsandconcernsaregivingwaytobroaderenthusiasmforthisapproach.Educatorsacrossourcountryarerecognizingthatthismovementcanbeastrongleverforhelpingmorestudentscompletecollegeandentertheworkplacewiththepreparationneededtoachievesecurityfortheirfamilies,personalgrowth,andprofessionaladvancement.Thequestionsaddressedinthisresourceshowaturninthefieldtowardimplementation,providinghopethatguidedpathwayscanindeedtakeholdatscaleacrossournation’scollegesandofferingmotivationtobestsupportthefieldineffortstodramaticallyandequitablyimproveyourstudents’success.Pleasekeepthequestionscoming.Wewillcertainlycontinuetolistenandrespond.

Help Guided Pathways Gain Momentum on Your Campus

Wesupportyouinyourworktofostertheguidedpathwaysmovementonyourcampus.Weencourageyoutocontinuediscussionswithyourcolleaguesabouttheauthenticissuessurroundingimplementationinthecontextofyourowncollege.Youcanusethese10questionstotalkwithpeersandpractitionersabouthowyourinstitutionmightpursueorfurtheraguidedpathwaysapproach,basedonanassessmentofyourlocalneedsandaspirations.YoucanalsotaptheresourceslistedbelowandcallonNCIItohelpfacilitateyourexplorationandimplementationofguidedpathways.

Formoreinformationonguidedpathwaysimplementation…

£ ReadCCRC’sincrediblyimportantresourceImplementingGuidedPathways:EarlyInsightsfromtheAACCPathwaysCollegeshere:http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/publications/implementing-guided-pathways-aacc.html)

£ ExploreCommunityCollegesandStudentSuccess:ModelsforComprehensiveReformbyCCRC’sTomBaileyhere:http://er.educause.edu/articles/2017/5/community-colleges-and-student-success-models-for-comprehensive-reform

£ Discoverreports,tools,andresourcesfromtheAmericanAssociationforCommunityCollege’sPathwaysProjecthere:http://www.aacc.nche.edu/Resources/aaccprograms/pathways/Pages/default.aspx


£ GetgreattipsonbuildingurgencyforreforminMakingtheCaseforGuidedPathwaysbyCCRC’sDavisJenkinshere:http://www.aacc.nche.edu/Resources/aaccprograms/pathways/Documents/MakingtheCaseforGuidedPathways.pdf

£ ExploreJobsfortheFuture’sPostsecondaryStatePolicyResourcessitehere:http://www.jff.org/initiatives/postsecondary-state-policy/2017-resources

TolearnabouttheNationalCenterforInquiryandImprovement…

£ Visitwww.ncii-improve.com

£ ContactDr.RobJohnstone,FounderandPresident,[email protected]


References AmericanAssociationforCommunityColleges.(2017).Guidedpathways:Planning,

implementation,evaluation.Retrievedfrom:http://www.aacc.nche.edu/Resources/aaccprograms/pathways/Pages/default.aspx

Horn,L.,andSkomsvold,P.(2011).Webtables:Communitycollegestudentoutcomes:1994–2009(NCES2012-253).Washington,DC:USDepartmentofEducation,InstituteofEducationSciences,NationalCenterforEducationStatistics.

Johnstone,R.(2015).GuidedPathwaysDemystified:Exploring10CommonlyAskedQuestionsaboutImplementingPathways.RetrievedfromNationalCenterforInquiry&Improvement:http://ncii-improve.com/publications/

Ladson-Billings,G.(2006,June25).Fromtheachievementgaptotheeducationdebt:UnderstandingachievementinUSschools.EducationalResearcher,35(7),3-12.

Shapiro,D.,Dundar,A.,Ziskin,M.,Yuan,X.,andHarrell,A.(2013,December).Completingcollege:Anationalviewofstudentattainmentrates,fall2007cohort(SignatureReportNo.6).Herndon,VA:NationalStudentClearinghouseResearchCenter.

TheAspenInstitute.(2014).Usingcomparativeinformationtoimprovestudentsuccess.Retrievedfrom:https://assets.aspeninstitute.org/content/uploads/files/content/docs/pubs/UsingComparativeInformationGuide.pdf

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