Guided Pathways: A Fundamental Redesign to Improve Completion and Equity

A strategy to increase student completion rates and close equity gaps, Guided Pathways is a student centered framework designed to increase and diversify the students and communities accessing and earning high-value credentials. The systemic approach focuses on the development of transparent, clearly structured educational career pathways that effectively support each student from aspiration (deciding on a career pathway) to completion of a high-quality postsecondary credential.

Guided pathways is a framework for redesigning an entire community college to improve the student experience for everyone, from entry through graduation. Guided pathways initiatives involve:

  • reforms in advising and registration processes to help all students identify
    their goals early in their academic careers
  • improvements in how students are supported throughout their courses of study
  • clear “maps” for each program of study that guide students as they select courses, and
  • programs that, ideally, are aligned with career opportunities in the labor market.

Why Guided Pathways?

Guided Pathways is a priority of the Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) and is being implemented in all WA State community/technical colleges. It is designed to increase student success rates, especially in terms of degree completion. Also, according to the Community College Research Center, “a fundamental goal of Guided Pathways is to increase the rate at which underrepresented students earn college credentials, particularly in fields of high economic value, while also closing gaps for low-income students, students of color, returning adults, and other groups with inequitable outcomes.”

Elements of Guided Pathways

Clear pathways: With guidance from advisors and career counselors, students choose pathways that lead quickly toward certificates or degrees.

Program and degree maps: Faculty map out curriculum and learning outcomes for entire
programs. The programs launch students directly into a career with a certificate or two-year degree, or connect them into a university where the students learn more about their chosen fields.

Eliminate or accelerate remediation: Colleges implement strategies that dramatically increase the rate at which students complete college-level English and math in their first year of enrollment.

Enhanced intake and advising practices: Colleges redesign intake, orientation, placement and advising to help entering students choose a path and enroll in a program of study as quickly as possible. This includes required advising on a regular basis, the tracking of student progress, and early alert systems that notify faculty and staff when students falter.

Guided Pathways Priority Areas

HIGHLINE COLLEGE PRIORITY AREA 1: All programs (degrees and certificates) prepare students for better jobs, further education, and increased opportunities.

HIGHLINE PRIORITY AREA 2: All students have the support they need to explore career options, become part of a community, and complete programs efficiently.

HIGHLINE PRIORITY AREA 3: Highline faculty and staff have the competencies, skills and experience to support student success in and out of the classroom in an equitable manner.

HIGHLINE PRIORITY AREA 4: Highline College continually builds institutional capacity to implement Guided Pathways as a strategy for increasing student completions and closing equity gaps.

Highline College Guided Pathways Work Groups

Highline College Priority Area 1:

  • Program mapping: Raegan Copeland & Paulette Lopez, leads
  • Exploratory sequence in each pathway: Justin Dampeer & Raegan Copeland, leads
  • Math Attainment Committee: Barbara Hunter & Shannon Waits, leads

Highline College Priority Area 2:

  • Advising: Chantal Carrancho & Aleya Dhanji, leads
  • Intake: Shannon Waits & Patrick Fernandez, leads
  • Scheduling: Gabrielle Bachmeier & Marco Lopez, leads

Highline College Priority Area 3:

  • Ensuring learning–program learning outcomes: Shawna Freeman & Aaron Moehlig, leads
  • Ensuring learning–inclusive pedagogy: Tarisa Matsumoto-Maxfield & Bob Scribner, leads

Highline College Priority Area 4:

  • Communications and Faculty & Staff Engagement: Gabrielle Bachmeier & Emily Coates, leads
  • Students as stakeholders in learning/student voice: Paulette Lopez & Justin Dampeer, leads
  • Technology: Laurinda Bellinger & Tim Wrye, leads
  • Research: Skyler Roth & Yay-Hyung Cho, leads