PROGRESS

www.inquiry2improvement.comNati onal Center for Inquiry & Improvement

PROGRESSENTRY COMPLETIONCONNECTION

Students never apply to college

Students delay entry into college

College counseling patterns that lead to:- under enrollment- little program-specific guidance- missed financial aid opportunities

Unstructured programs / too many choices

Extended onramps delay entry to programs of study

Students fail to enroll/pass Gatekeeper courses

Poor work-school balance

Part-time enrollment forcing long completion times

Progress not monitored / feedback given

Life events / “Stop out or drop out”

Transfer without credentialStudents accumulate credits (& debt) not aligned with completion

Never complete college level math

Credential doesn’t support needed wage & aren’t stackable

Texas Completes Framing ModelSome Known Loss Points

Poor academic preparation

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PROGRESSENTRY COMPLETIONCONNECTION

Increase understanding of college requirements, including test prep / financial aid / dual enrollment

Texas Completes Framing ModelMomentum Strategies

Ensure new students know requirements to succeed

Placement exam / ed planning in high school

Accelerate entry to structured POS linked to careers

Mandatory requirements such as orientation and student success course

Restructured dev ed to accelerate into POS

Comprehensive student advising system

Streamline time to degree / certificate

Continually analyze student progress & leverage technology to provide real-time feedback

Implement more accelerated and competency-based options

Remove policy barriers to graduation, such as graduation applications or fees

Provide incentives to transfer with credentials

Use technology to automate processes such as graduation

Integrate SS / Instruction efforts



Discussion Connection: How can you and your colleagues increase or enhance outreach so new students are better prepared for success?

Entry: How might you and your colleagues accelerate the rate at which new students choose and successfully enter a program?



Discussion Progress: How can you and your colleagues provide support to students as they progress along their pathway?

Completion: How might you assist students who are close to completion in crossing the finish line?


COMMUNITY COLLEGE RESEARCH CENTER

Pathway Models ComparedSelf-Service (Status

Quo)Guided Pathways

Clear roadmaps to student end goals

Too many choices

Program paths unclear

Default, whole-program schedules

“Opt-in” career and college planning Required academic plans

Dev ed narrowly focused on Math &English 101, no “soft skills” prep

Intake system redesigned as“on-ramp” to program of study

Students’ progress not monitoredProgress tracking, regular feedback& support

High school, ABE/ESL, non-creditpoorly aligned with college

Bridges to college programs from High school, ABE/ESL, non-credit

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Frequently Asked Questions About Redesigning Colleges to

Improve Completion


FAQs about Redesigning for Completion (1)

• Isn’t free choice the cornerstone of American higher education?

• Don’t students benefit when they “find themselves” by what looks like wandering to the observer?

• Isn’t college a meritocracy, where the strong / smart succeed, and the weak / underprepared / unmotivated don’t succeed?

• Won’t we lose enrollment when we get rid of the swirl with increased structure?



FAQs about Redesigning for Completion (2)

• Aren’t we going to sacrifice quality when move to more structured pathways?

• How can students be expected to make career decisions when they are 18 or 19?

• Don’t students change careers four to seven times? Given this, why would we put them on structured pathways?

• Don’t we lose a liberal arts education when we make things more structured?


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Texas Completes Design Principles

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Program Pathway

CONNECTIONFrom interest to enrollment

ENTRYFrom enrollment to entry

into program of study

PROGRESSFrom program entry to completion of program

requirements

COMPLETIONCompletion of credential of

value for further education and (for CTE) labor market

advancement

Enter Program of Study

CompleteProgram of Study

ConsiderCollege

Education

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Pathway Redesign Process

CONNECTIONFrom interest to enrollment

ENTRYFrom enrollment to entry

into program of study

PROGRESSFrom program entry to completion of program

requirements

COMPLETIONCompletion of credential of

value for further education and (for CTE) labor market

advancement

•Market program paths

•Build bridges from high school and adult ed. into program streams (e.g., strategic dual enrollment, I-BEST)

• Help students choose program pathway and track entry

• Build prescribed “on-ramps” customized to largest program streams

• Clearly define and prescribe program paths

• Monitor students’ progress and provide feedback and supports JIT

• Incentivize progress

• Align academic program outcomes with requirements for success in further education and (for CTE programs) in the labor market

START HERESTEP 2STEP 3STEP 4

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Status Quo Pathway Design(example AA in LAS or Gen Studies)

• AA requirements not aligned with requirements for junior standing in a major at transfer institutions

• Lack of clear pathways to transfer in a major for cc students; many choices

• Students progress toward AA and transfer not tracked; little on-going guidance, support

• No mechanism to inform choice of major pathway

• Dev ed narrowly focused on math and English, not customized to particular paths

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Pathway Principle #1 – Accelerate Entry into Coherent Programs of Study that Lead to Jobs

1. Features Provide a structured, efficient, and prescriptive student

progression experience Clear sequence of courses that lead to completion and job

placement

2. Discussion Questions When does a student at your college learn about the various

programs of study? What guidance is provided that can help a student select a

program of study based on their interests, skill levels, and long term goals?

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Pathway Principle #2 – Minimize Time to Get College Ready

1. Features Ensure students understand assessment & placement

process and importance of preparation Clearly communicate requirements for degrees &

certificates and the path to achieving them

2. Discussion Questions How does your institution work with your feeder high

schools to help potential students understand the impact of and prepare for the placement test?

How long do dev ed students spend in remedial courses?

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Pathway Principle #3 – Ensure Students Know Requirements to Succeed

1. Features Clearly map out program requirements and sequence

Prescribe course of study for students based on goals and level of readiness

2. Discussion Questions Currently, how do students obtain necessary info about

requirements for achieving their educational goals?

What existing systems (e.g. technology) could you and your colleagues leverage to help students better understand the requirements for success?

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Pathway Principles – Customize and Contextualize Curriculum (#4) amd Instructional Delivery (#5)

1. Features Use program-specific content to make developmental

education relevant and engaging

Use of experiential learning

2. Discussion Questions Do your current dev ed courses offer students opportunities to

explore their fields of interest and provide a context for the math, reading & writing that they are learning? Why or why not?

How might you go about contextualizing some of your courses? Who would neec to be involved?

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Pathway Principle #6 – Integrate Student Support With Instruction

1. Features Embed student support within instruction where

appropriate

Ensure proactive & customized academic & student support serves students who most need it

2. Discussion Questions When your students need support, how do they find it?

How might your institution make it easier for students who are reluctant to ask for help, or unaware where to find it, to get the assistance they need?

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Pathway Principle #7 – Continually Analyze Student Progress & Proactively Provide Customized Feedback

1. Features Analyze and celebrate student progress toward goals and provide

prompt and tailored feedback

Use data on student progress to inform planning and creation of safety nets

2. Discussion Questions How do students currently find out about their progress toward their

educational goals? Does anybody know when students meet progress milestones?

What customization rules might you consider implementing for students who share a certain set of conditions?

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Pathway Principle #8 – Utilize Effective Teaching Practices in the Classroom

1. Features Stay current on effective teaching practice research and

emerging data nationally and in Texas

Implement effective teaching practices in the classroom, monitoring and improving them from the results of classroom-based research

2. Discussion Questions (Faculty) What are you currently doing to improve your

teaching practices in the classroom?

(Admin) How do you create structures and opportunities for faculty to learn from each other’s teaching practice?

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COMMUNITY COLLEGE RESEARCH CENTER

Model Implementation at Scale• Exploratory MajorsFlorida State U

• Structured InterventionsGeorgia State U

• Transfer Admissions GuaranteesArizona State U

• Lifemap + Pre-majorsValencia CC

• Freshmen AcademiesQueensborough CC

• College 2 CareersCity Colleges of Chicago


Discussion

What are some of the key features of an coherent pathway for your students?

As you think about the design principles, where might you start with action steps that lead you to a more coherent pathway for your students?

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www.inquiry2improvement.comNati onal Center for Inquiry & Improvement 22

Find Out More

• NCII & CCRC websites:www.inquiry2improvement.com & ccrc.tc.columbia.edu

• Dr. Davis Jenkins, Sr. Research Fellow, CCRC

[email protected]

• Dr. Rob Johnstone, Founder & President, [email protected]



mailto:[email protected]

Documents

PROGRESS