1. Making the Case for Pathways and Lessons Learned from Early Implementation of the Pathways Project
Dr. Gretchen Schmidt
Executive Director, Pathways Project
October 27, 2016

2. How did we get here? Achieving the Dream
Over a decade of institutional reform
Developmental Education Initiative
Small pockets of success
“Get with the Program”
Making the connection for students
Completion by Design
Initial investment in structured pathways
Guided Pathways to Success
A growing pathways movement….

3. What we know after more than a decade of reform….
The proportion of community college students completing community college and earning a credential has not changed
Problems of scale
Pilots cannot be scaled
Challenges in institutional transformation
Institutions not prepared to restructure
Demographic and economic changes
Declining enrollment and declining state appropriation
Culture change vital to implementation and sustainability
Culture trumps strategy every time

4. Making the Case for Pathways Implementation
The Business Case
Growing accountability for program outcomes
Financial aid tied to making progress in a program
Students spending more, want ROI
The Academic Case
Lack of curricular coherence
2 + 2 ≠ 4
Lacking evidence of learning
Developmental education divergence
The Student Services Case
Little support for college/career planning
Limited intake advising
Student’s progress not monitored
Transfer pathway morass
Students want a clear path

5. New Students Want to Know
What are my career options?
What are the education paths to those careers?
What will I need to take?
How long will it take and how much will it cost?
How much financial aid can I get?
Will my credits transfer?

6. GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS (Select 12 courses from this list of more than 300)

7. Returning Students Ask
How far along am I toward completing my program? Am I on-schedule?
How much more will I have to pay?
What will I need to take next term and what will my scheduled be?
What if I want to change programs?
How can I get work experience in my field of interest?

8. Cafeteria College Paths to student goals unclear
Churning
Intake sorts, diverts students
Early transfer
Completion
Students’ progress not monitored
Excess credits
Time to degree
Learning outcomes not defined and assessed across programs
Skill building

9. Welcome to our World - CSCC The Open-Access Cafeteria College
Jobs
5 counties
Employers
Tuition
High Schools AA
83 majors
Universities
Diverse populations
online
Athens AS
Careers
TN Promise
Four divisions DE
TTPs
Adults
Advising
Certificates
Workforce Needs
Books
Drive to 55
Financial Aid
Early College
AAS
Families
On-ground
Transfer
NSAR
College Ready ?
Non-Credit
hybrid
Reconnect
Low economic
Learning support
Cleveland
1st generation
DOE
Military
TBR

10. Guided Pathways College
Clear roadmaps to student goals
Churning
Intake redesigned as an on-ramp
Early transfer
Completion
Students’ progress closely tracked
Excess credits
Time to degree
Learning outcomes/assessments aligned across programs
Skill building

11. The Pathways Model
An integrated, institution-wide approach to student success, based on intentionally designed, clear, coherent and structured educational experiences, informed by available evidence, that guide each student effectively and efficiently from her/his point of entry through to attainment of high-quality post-secondary credentials and careers with value in the labor market.

12. Central to the pathways model:
clear, educationally coherent program maps
—which include specific course sequences, progress milestones, and program learning outcomes…
—that are aligned to what will be expected of students upon program completion in the workforce and in education at the next level in a given field...

13. Essential Practices Clarify paths to student end goals
Help students choose and enter a pathway
Help students stay on path
Ensure that students are learning

16. Pathways Colleges Characteristics
30 colleges from 17 states total
Enrollment range: less than 3,000 to almost 60,000 students (fall credit headcount)
Fewer than 6000 students: 10/30
Approximate total students: 505,453
State clusters:
4 Texas – 3 Ohio
4 Florida – 3 Washington
3 California – Upper Midwest – 3 OH, 2 MI, 1 WI

17. Pathways Institutes 6-institute series (2016 through 2017)
Each institute 2.5 days in length
5-person teams from each Pathways College
Required team “homework” in advance of each institute
Each institute focused on a critical aspect of pathway design and implementation at scale 
Assigned Pathways Coach Teams work with college teams during institutes – 12 coaches
College teams produce action plans by the end of each institute, including component plans for campus engagement, professional development, and technical assistance

18. Institute Topics
Institute #1 - Leadership for Transformational Change: Implementing Pathways at Scale (February 4-6, 2016)
Institute #2 -  Pathway Design I – Mapping Pathways through the Institution (April 14-16, 2016)
Institute #3 - Redesigning Student Intake Systems and Ongoing Academic and Non-Academic Supports (October 2-4, 2016)
Institute #4 - Ensuring Students are Learning and Progressing along the Pathway (February 2-4, 2017)
Institute #5 - Pathway Design II:  Pathways to Transfer and Employment (June , 2017)
Institute #6 - Policy Meets Pathways:­ ­Governing Board Roles and Policy Change (October 26-28, 2017)
Seeking funding for additional Institutes focused on Equity by Design and Developmental Education Reform based on Core Principles

19. Highlights from Year 1

20. AACC Pathways Colleges – Pathways Implementation Progress
Leadership throughout the organization necessary
All 30 colleges on path to all programs mapped for incoming students in Fall 2018
Universal use of “meta-majors” (4 to 11)
Many have organized all completion-related initiatives under pathways umbrella - ecosystem
Some restructuring general education at same time
Some working on contextualized developmental education reform
1/3 moving to new advising structure this Fall

21. AACC Pathways Colleges – Innovative Approaches
Transfer speed dating (Jackson)
Learning teams to peer institutions (Front Range)
Year-long schedule (Cuyahoga)
Color-coded program structures (Broward & Monroe)
“Project Integration Summit” (NE Wisconsin)
“My Pathway to Graduation” (St. Petersburg)
Website Development (Indian River State College)

22. AACC Pathways Colleges – Challenges
Technology & system integration
On-going communication and engagement (internally & externally)
Need for common terminology & common definitions
Aligning pathways with multiple transfer destinations
Ongoing enrollment / budget challenges

23. AACC Pathways Colleges – Needs Identified by Colleges
Examples of reorganized websites
Examples of communication / marketing materials
Professional development models for faculty / advisors
Case studies / practical implementation examples
More opportunities to interact with other colleges
Examples of default scheduling
Examples of adjunct faculty engagement

24. A National Movement

28. Academic Pathways
-6-

29. Show Students Their Path

30. Making the Case – St. Petersburg College (FL)
Guided Pathways at St. Petersburg College

31. Momentum Works for CC Students
Effects* of Momentum on Six-Year Outcomes
Tennessee Community Colleges, FTEIC Fall 2008 Cohort
1st semester momentum
1st year momentum
Additional credits earned 8 22
Probability of degree attainment
7pp
(27% vs. 34%)
18pp
(25% vs. 43%)
Tuition and fees per degree
-9%
-20%
Expenditures per degree
-14%
Tuition and fees avg.
+$620
+$1,740
Racial/ethnic minorities: Stronger gains for minority students who took 15 credits
Students who take 15 credits are no more likely to pass or fail there courses than students take fewer credits
Lower cost per degree for momentum students – benefit to the college and taxpayers
Increased revenue for the college from tuition, fees, and public subsidies because students take more courses and are retained
*Adjusted results, controlling for student characteristics
Source: Belfield, Jenkins, Lahr, 2016.

32. The Numbers are Moving….. Sinclair Community College (OH)
*Research at Sinclair finds that students who are concentrators complete credentials at a higher rate across all student groups

33. AACC Pathways Project Website
QUESTIONS?
AACC Pathways Project Website