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Designing Student-focused Curriculum Through Academic Pathways

VSSLIFebruary 10, 2016

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PresentersDr. Jesse Coraggio, VP Institutional Effectiveness and Academic Services

Sabrina Crawford, Executive Director Institutional Research and Effectiveness

Evolution of Pathways at SPC

“Before” “After”

Since 2010, SPC has focused its strategic efforts on student success using an intentional data-driven way to help students “Finish What They Start”.

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Current State

JTC

Smart-Start Finish-Strong Model

The College Experience at SPC-2-

2010 • Mandate to “Move the Needle”

2011 • Started The College Experience Support Initiatives

2012• Established Curriculum Philosophy and Values

2013• Developed Program Outcomes• Mapped PLOs to Course Outcomes

2014

• Developed Academic Pathways• 9 weeks to complete the process• 6 months to review and prepare for implementation

2015• Embedded Industry Certifications

Timeline

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• Recognition that SPC’s curriculum is a core product and process

• Commitment to continuous improvement of curriculum via annual Summer Curriculum & Assessment Institutes:

2012: Curriculum Philosophy & Guiding Principles

2013: Curriculum & Assessment Integration – Program

Learning Outcomes2014: Academic Pathways2015: Workforce/Industry Certification

“Overlay”

SPC’s Curriculum Guiding PrinciplesStudent Focus

Academic QualityArticulation Assurance

Structural Integrity

Critical First Steps

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What are Academic Pathways?

• SPC’s solution to taking the guesswork out of planning a student’s college career.

• Chronological listings of all specific, DEFAULT courses in a degree-program in the suggested order in which a student should complete them.

Recommended Academic Pathway

XYZ-AS Program

Course Title Credits1. Course 1 32. Course 2 33. Course 3 14. Course 4 35. Course 5 36. Course 6 27. Course 7 28. Course 8 39. Course 9 310. Course 10 311. Course 11 312. Course 12 3

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Academic Pathways

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Academic Pathways

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Academic Pathways

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Introducing Pathways to Students

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Features of Academic Pathways

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Steps:1. Engage your stakeholders…ALL of them!2. Determine the current “health” of your curriculum

(Create Level 1 Academic Pathway)3. Regroup and Reflect4. Make necessary curriculum changes5. Revise Academic Pathways based on Student Need

(Level 2 Pathway) 6. Identify tools/systems/processes to sustain and

continuously improve

Building the Academic Pathway

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Collaboration from program administrators, faculty, and advisors is essential to make sure all factors of student progression and success is considered.• Program administrators: accreditation, State, institutional

requirements, student success rates across sections/campuses

• Program faculty: Industry requirements; student success rates by course; writing/math-intensive courses; field experiences

• Advisors: Gateway courses; student feedback; general education requirements

• General education faculty/deans: Recommendations on general education courses, based on curricular relevance of programs

Step 1: Engage Your “Village”

Building the Academic Pathway

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• Baseline snapshot of how students move through a program and identify:

Progression PatternsEarly Gen Ed competency areasHidden Pre-RequisitesOverlapping requirementsToxic Course Combinations

• Redesign the curriculum from a student-centered perspective

• Create a tool for students and advisors to use that will keep students on the path towards completionKeep the conversation away from scheduling and

focused on MOST students, not the exceptions

Step 2: Determine the ‘Health’ of Your Curriculum

Building the Academic Pathway

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AS Program Courses1. GEN ED: Communications 2. Course 23. GEN ED: Math4. Computer competency5. Course 46. GEN ED: Social/Behavioral SC7. Course 58. Course 69. Course 710.Course 811. Course 9

• Consider groupings from a full and part time student track

• Take a picture of the map and develop your initial chronological list

Building the Academic Pathway

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Identify key learnings from the process: discuss implications to the curriculum and student success:

• Are there general education courses identified at appropriate points to allow student to successfully progress through future courses?

• Are all prerequisites identified and sequenced before the courses for which they are required?

• Is there a balance between theory and application courses each term?

• Are there any terms in which there is a heavy concentration of writing, math or critical thinking courses?

• Area there any support, core, or elective courses that also satisfy a general education requirement? If so, place a dot on that course label.

• Are there any support, core, or elective courses that also satisfy a competency requirement? If so, place a dot on that course label.

Step 3: Regroup and Reflect

Building the Academic Pathway

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Steps 4 - 6: Closing the Loop

4. Make necessary curriculum changes5. Revise Academic Pathways based on Student

Need 6. Identify tools/systems/processes to sustain and

continuously improve

Building the Academic Pathway

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In addition to communications and math, computer competency needs to be met early in most programs

Shared courses have different prerequisites for students in different programs

Confusion over support courses and articulation rules may cause students to take additional, unnecessary courses

Some accreditation requirements mandate maximum semesters, making it difficult to build Academic Pathways to Graduation

We offer too many course choices; we try to meet a variety of career options through one program

Key Learnings Institution-wide

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Provided a vehicle for cross-program dialogue Helped to ask the right questions about student success

and our curriculum Advisors input was invaluable Facilitated mapping exercise helped to engage everyone Prevented us from “overthinking” and “getting stuck in

the weeds” Helped us to think about sequencing differently (e.g.,

for curricular relevance/student success, and not scheduling purposes)

Helped us to define better tracks within our programs Helped us to realize that Gen Ed was an

important aspect of the program We created multiple sequences based

upon career options

Key Learnings - Process

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Greatest ChallengesShifting Paradigms:

We had to get over thinking that we had already done the sequencing Believing that this would not work for our program Not thinking about scheduling, especially given

Guaranteed Annual Scheduling Listing courses without identifying those offered only once a year or that could not be taken in the summer Coming to consensus on order sequencing of courses Determining how to give students an opportunity to

take major courses early in the program

Selecting Electives: Choosing specific courses from a list of open electives Determining what course was best when presented with multiple courses

that satisfy the same requirement Defining specific electives in specific slots There needs to be flexibility for assigning slots for electives Choosing to embed certificates – sometimes creates excess courses

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Smart Start

The Guided Pathway ModelCapstone Courses, Internships, Work Experiences, Interview Skills, Resume Writing

Identifiable Milestones for Students – 15 Credit Hours, 30 Credit Hours, 45 Credit hours

Easy ‘on and off’ ramps for students – Embedded Certificates (Stackable Credentials) and Industry Certifications

Wrap Around Support Services for Students – Out of Class Support, Early Alerts, Career Support

Recommended Linear Course Pathways for Students

Five Session Orientation for all new to SPC students

Academic Pathway

15 CHs

30 CHs

45 CHs

60 CHsFinish Strong

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The College Experience at SPC-21-

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“The key part of (academic pathways) approach is to start with the end in mind…earning a degree that enables (students) to prepare for further education and advancement in the labor market.”

--Davis Jenkins, Ph.D. CCRC

Show Students Their Path

• Program Based GPA• Connects GPA to Pathway• Allows Progression Tracking

• Creating Embedded On/Off Ramps• Industry Certifications • Mapping Competencies

• Looking carefully at K-12 Articulations & Direct Connection to Universities

• Automate Graduation Process• AACC Pathways Initiative

• Onboarding• Career Communities• The Classroom Experience

Lead to Next Steps

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Questions?