Dr. Rob Johnstone
Texas Pathways to Progress Institute
Dallas, TX
September 22, 2014 www.inquiry2improvement.com
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Acknowledgements
• The content in this presentation was primarily developed by
Dr. Davis Jenkins of the Community College Research Center &
Dr. Rob Johnstone of the National Center for Inquiry &
Improvement
• Other partners whose thought capital contributed to its development include:
 The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
 Completion by Design Assistance Team (CDAT)
 Jobs for the Future (JFF)
 Public Agenda
 The RP Group
 WestEd
National Center for Inquiry & Improvement www.inquiry2improvement.com
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Agenda
• Demonstrate the problem: a student’s journey
• Visualize the Student Experience
• Discuss the context of completion
• Explore the Texas Completes Framework
• Engage with the Texas Completes Design principles
National Center for Inquiry & Improvement www.inquiry2improvement.com

www.inquiry2improvement.com

Demonstration: A Student Interested in
Psychology
• Institution was selected at random
• If you think it’s different at your college / within your system, click on a couple of pages of your college’s website
• Yes this is the website and we have advising – but it’s still the primary source for most students – and the face of the college
• http://www.sc.edu/ - see appendix for screenshots www.inquiry2improvement.com
National Center for Inquiry & Improvement

Post-Mortem…
• Can’t stress this enough – this is but one example of hundreds at 2/4-year colleges…
• Also important to keep in mind that for CC students – this is a huge simplification over what they need to navigate, as the 4-year student has a single goal – graduating with a BA / BS…
• CC students have with the options of short term certificates, long term certificates, “terminal” AA degrees, transfer + AA degree, and transfer without AA degree all as options
National Center for Inquiry & Improvement www.inquiry2improvement.com

Problems
• Confusion about programs, requirements
• Transfer credits count only as electives
• Many decide on majors too late
• Students take excess credits, lose time and money
Recurring
Themes
• Information inaccurate, inaccessible
• Well-meaning but overwhelmed advisors
• Dysfunctional communication within/ among 2- and 4-years
• Students blame themselves

www.inquiry2improvement.com

National Center for Inquiry & Improvement www.inquiry2improvement.com

www.inquiry2improvement.com

A Brief Discussion on the
Completion Agenda
• National movement – White House, Aspen
Prize, American Association of Community
College’s Voluntary Framework for
Accountability, Complete College America,
Department of Education, IPEDS Access to
Success, Foundations (Gates, Lumina, Kresge)
• Often takes a less “complete” view of completion
• Need for nuanced view
National Center for Inquiry & Improvement www.inquiry2improvement.com

The Challenge of Completion
For Colleges:
• Financial
 Under-resourced
 Incentives aligned with access, not completion
• Innovations tend to be isolated
• Change is hard, even when the will is there
National Center for Inquiry & Improvement
For Students:
• Easy to enroll, easy to drop out
• Many enter without a clear plan, and are placed into developmental education
• Lack of confidence, financial resources and social capital www.inquiry2improvement.com

Redesign Systems & Practices for Student Success
• Analyze and understand the common barriers and momentum points that students experience
• Implement and integrate proven and promising practices to provide students with the quickest, straightest path to completion
• Use data & information to customize support, monitor progress, and provide feedback to students.
• Create the conditions for change by empowering interdisciplinary, cross-campus delegations of faculty, staff and administrators
• Build infrastructure for continuous improvement
National Center for Inquiry & Improvement www.inquiry2improvement.com

• Little upfront career and college planning
• Paths unclear, poorly aligned with end goals
• Too many choices; requirements confusing
• Developmental dead-end
• Students ’ progress not monitored
• Limited on-going feedback and support
• Poor alignment with hs and other feeders

 Clear maps to end goals
 Default plans tied to predictable schedules
 “Exploratory” majors for undecided
 Integrated academic support for program gatekeeper courses
 Progress tracking, feedback and support
 Bridges to college programs from high school, ABE and other feeders

Four Big Ideas for Redesign
1.
Structured Pathways / Programs of Study
2.
Better On-ramps into POS
 Accelerated / co-curricular Dev Ed, First Year Experience
3.
Intentional Student Support Structures
 Intake system, onboarding, advising
4.
Monitoring Progress / Customized Feedback
National Center for Inquiry & Improvement www.inquiry2improvement.com

Exploring the Texas Completes
Framework www.inquiry2improvement.com

Texas Completes Framework
National Center for Inquiry & Improvement www.inquiry2improvement.com


What are some key loss points you have observed for your students at each stage?

What are some key momentum points that you have identified that accelerate progress and lead to higher outcomes?
National Center for Inquiry & Improvement www.inquiry2improvement.com

COMMUNITY COLLEGE RESEARCH CENTER
• Many students undecided
• Defaulted into “gen ed” (and thus “dev ed”)
• Dev ed students diverted, not building skills
• Many students drop out after 1-2 terms
• CTE program students older, clearer goals
• “Concentrators” more likely to complete
• Math & English 101 not only “gatekeepers”

COMMUNITY COLLEGE RESEARCH CENTER
• Students very confused by transfer process
• Many don’t follow “catalogue” curriculum
• Low rate of gen ed core completion
• Enrollment continuity may be as important as intensity

COMMUNITY COLLEGE RESEARCH CENTER
• Most transfer without associate degree
• Many graduates earn “excess” credits
• Many students “linger”
• Relatively few “stacking” credentials

Problems
• Confusion about programs, requirements
• Transfer credits count only as electives
• Many decide on majors too late
• Students take excess credits, lose time and money
Recurring
Themes
• Information inaccurate, inaccessible
• Well-meaning but overwhelmed advisors
• Dysfunctional communication within/ among 2- and 4-years
• Students blame themselves