Pathways to Results

To

Pathways

Results

What is Pathways to Results?• Improve student transition to college and

careers

• Develop outcomes- and equity-focused Programs of Study

• Engage in 5-phase continuous improvement process

“PTR enhances relationships with students, colleagues, and other stakeholders and provides a systematic, formal framework for sustaining and building them.”

- Melanie Phillips, Southwestern Illinois College Partnership

Background• Led by Office of Community College Research

and Leadership (OCCRL)• Emerged from efforts to improve Programs of

Study and student transitions• PTR is growing:– Began with 6 sites (2009-10)– Grew to 18 sites (2010-11)– Added 9 new sites (2011-12) – Total of 27 sites (2009-11)

Sponsors and Partners

• Illinois Community College Board

• Illinois State Board of Education

• Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Opportunity

• Joyce Foundation, Shifting Gears Initiative

GoalsImprove career cluster-based Programs of

Study using an inquiry- and equity-focused, continuous improvement process

Improve outcomes for underserved students (racial and ethnic minority, low income, first generation college, special pops and others)

Use data to make evidence-based decisionsAlign PTR to policies that seek to improve

student transition to college and careers

Programs of Study in Illinois

Access, equity &

opportunity

Alignment with NCLB, Higher Learning Commission

Leadership, Organization

& Support

Alignment &

Transition

Partnerships with Business, Industry

and the Community

Improved curriculum

& instruction

Program accountability

& improvement

Professional preparation & development

P-20 Pipeline: K-12, community college &university

Five Phases of PTREngagement

and Commitment

Outcomes and Equity

Assessment

Process Assessment

Process Improvement

Review and Reflection

Why Equity?

• Demographics are changing

• Educational pipeline is leaking

• Disparities in outcomes exist and are growing among student groups

• Equity gaps must be addressed to improve the P-20 educational system

Phase One: Engagement and Commitment

• Engage leaders – form partnership & identify the PTR team

• Identify problem(s) and initial focus of the PTR project

• Identify student outcomes associated with the problem(s)

• Draft the charter

“All systems change requires the engagement of multiple stakeholders.”

- Kristy Morelock, Illinois Community College Board

Phase Two: Outcomes and Equity Assessment

• Introduce PTR’s definition of equity

• Examine outcomes (e.g., remediation, retention and completion) by student group

• Identify areas of success in student outcomes

• Identify gaps pointing to inequities between student groups that need to be addressed

Phase Three: Process Assessment• Examine how processes currently operate• Map one or more processes that relate to the

identified problem(s)• Examine each step in the process and identify

steps that contribute to inequities in student outcomes

“I was most motivated by the mapping process, which helped define our tasks and the goals we could reasonably attain.”

- Lorrie McDonald, Parkland College Partnership

Phase Four: Process Improvement

• Create an implementation plan to address identified problem(s)

• Create a plan to evaluate implementation (what’s working and what’s not?)

• Engage in implementation and evaluation

“Because of the PTR process, students were able to create the link between continuing their education and employment.”

- Mark Grzybowski, Illinois Valley Community College Partnership

Phase Five: Review and Reflection• Engage in individual reflection

• Create team reflection (story)

• Sustain and scale-up solutions

• Apply improvements to other Programs of Study

“It seemed that every meeting had a snowball effect. Review, revision, and program improvement in one area had positive effects on another.”

- Sherry Hott, Southwestern Illinois College Partnership

PTR Video

PTR Home Page

http://occrl.illinois.edu/projects/pathwaysA/phases/

ToPathways

Results

OCCRL

OCCRL – e-mail: occrl@illinois.edu

PH: 217-244-9390

Website: occrl.illinois.edu

PTR website: occrl.illinois.edu/projects/PTR