CACTA Conference Presentation: Guided Pathways and Advising for Completion February 5, 2015 Presented by Sierra E. Fleenor Director of College Access and Success (CDHE)

Completion Agenda Roadmap Guided Meandering pathways to debt. success. 2

“Limiting” Choice: Guided Pathways Provided guided pathways and make students choose one – “focus fields” o Career counseling/interest inventories. o If students don’t/can’t choose, default pathway. Structured Schedules & Degree Maps o Highlight the appropriate sequence of courses o Prevents human/advisor error. o Don't allow students to enroll in courses that don't meet degree requirements. o Reduces burden on advisors 3

Important Structural Components Focus on getting students on a path to a degree within the first quarter of their program. Institutional resources are better leveraged when spent on systems and technologies that will maximize the number of students on track to complete Get students on a degree path for which they have aptitude and interest as soon as possible (CE is an opportunity to start) 4

The “Whole Student” Provide intrusive, just-in-time advising, and student support services: o Guided pathways can benefit ALL students but the wrap-around supports can appropriately target different groups like veterans, students of color… Include Financial Aid folks to provide financial incentives to augment academic and student services initiatives: o Financial aid awards increase as students accrue credits towards completion. 5

Advising Challenge: The Murky Middle 6

Colorado Challenge Mission The mission of the Colorado Challenge is to increase persistence and on-time completion rates for low-income, first generation students at select, public Colorado institutions of higher education. The Colorado Challenge impacts students by providing wraparound services and supplemental advising. These services are primarily provided to Colorado GEAR UP, Denver Scholarship Foundation, and Daniels Fund scholars in concert with said non- profit organizations and students’ institutions of higher education.

Our goals To increase fall-to-fall persistence rates for students served; To increase on-time completion rates for students served;

Our goals To develop replicable and sustainable models for student success that will result in best practices, workshops, and materials that will assist organizations and institutions in serving students; and, To clarify, strengthen, and leverage partnerships between institutions of higher education, non-profit organizations, and the Colorado Department of Higher Education to coordinate efforts around student success.

Our methods Intensive holistic advising Collaborative guidance Data tracking and monitoring

Our 2015 sites Adams State University Colorado State University Colorado State University-Pueblo Community College of Aurora (new Jan 2015) Community College of Denver Metropolitan State University of Denver University of Colorado Denver (new Jan 2015)

Results Awarded 80 summer scholarships in 2014 covering 418 credit hours to help students maintain a 4-year degree plan. College counselors assisted 27 students to successfully complete SAP appeals to stay enrolled and maintain financial aid (93% of those who appealed SAP status). The MSU Denver team saw the greatest gain of DSF scholarship renewals of any campus in the state. The persistence rate of Colorado Challenge students from spring to fall was 95%.

The Future: Data Analytics Analyzes all factors – courses, credit accumulations, grades and student demographics – to predict success or failure of individual students. Identify risk within specific individual programs. Supports advising interventions with at-risk and off-path students. Algorithms that predict students’ grades based on the performance of past students with similar histories and demographics – allows for individualized structured schedules/maps that direct students to those courses in which they are more likely to be successful. 13

Questions? Comments? Thank you! Contact info: Sierra E. Fleenor Director of College Access and Success