Pathways to Results: Equity, Inclusion, and Rising to the Challenge

Randi CongletonEdmund Graham

Office of Community College Research and LeadershipCollege of Education

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Illinois Community College Board

Office of Community College Research and LeadershipCollege of Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Agenda

Pathways to Results

Why Focus on Equity

Outcomes and Equity

Findings: How Teams Used

the Data

Activity and Discussion

What is Pathways to Results (PTR)

5-component Program Improvement and Development Process that motivates and employs:

• Strong, comprehensive partnerships• Data analysis, equity guided, and data-driven

decisions• System process assessment and mapping• Data interpretation to foster improvements• Review and reflection

Background on PTR • Developed by OCCRL, based on the work of

the Center for Urban Education (CUE) at the University of Southern California

• Funded by the Illinois Community College Board

• Evolved from Illinois Programs of Study • All but 5 of Illinois’ 48 public community

colleges have participated in PTR

Creating POS

Career Cluste

r•16 career clusters•Common set of

foundational knowledge and skills

Pathways •Flexible, multiyear

programs, full range of options

Programs of Study

•sequences of courses that incorporate a non-duplicative progression of secondary and postsecondary elements

Five Components of PTREngagement

and Commitment

Outcomes and Equity

Assessment

Process Assessment

Process Improvement

Review and Reflection

Purpose and Goals of Engagement and Commitment

1. Engage and gain the commitment of key partners and team members in implementing PTR and improving programs of study

2. Review existing data to help specify and develop the initial problem statement that is included in the PTR Charter.

3. Plan to transfer lessons learned to other programs and other problem areas that can benefit from the PTR process.

Step 1: Form the partners

Step 2: Gather input

Step 3: Identify and convene the PTR Team

Steps of Engagement and Commitment

Sample Initial Problem Statement“We have not utilized our local educational and professional partners to promote this program. Our team will need to address and improve our marketing and recruitment strategies because we currently have low enrollment and high area demand. Strengthening our POS template will help us articulate the many pathways available to students and adults.”

Purpose and Goals of Outcomes and Equity Assessment Process

1. To identify, collect, and interpret outcomes data by student subgroups

2. To use PTR equity concepts when analyzing student and program data

3. To identify equity gaps

What is Equity?

Why Equity? 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

Equity Gaps

Close gaps by…• Race/ethnicity

• Gender

• Age

• Socioeconomic Status (SES)

• English literacy

• Special populations (Perkins)

• Other defining characteristics

Step 1: Outcomes and Equity Selection

Step 2: Data Collection and Sharing

Step 3: Data Analysis and Interpretation

Steps of Outcomes and Equity Assessment

Step 1: Outcomes and equity selection

Outcomes and equity selection

• Select student outcomes from Outcomes Menu

• Determine definitions

• Student characteristics

• Determine how to obtain the data

Student Outcomes and Selection Worksheet

Step 2: Data Collection and Sharing

• Complete Outcomes and Equity Templates and share with team members

• Individually review data templates

• Individually complete Data Review Worksheet

Sample Program Data

Sample Program Data

Sample Program Data

Program Level Data vs. Institutional Level DataCredit hours earned to attempted rate

Step 3: Data Analysis and Interpretation

• Discuss individual interpretations of data

• Review and refine problem statement

• Develop short and long term goals to complete charter

Step 3: Example InterpretationFindings: Fall-to-Spring Retention in POS

Special Populations• Displaced Homemakers are retained better (100%) compared

to all students in the POS (51.7%).

• Economically disadvantaged and single parent students were retained at only 33% and 405 respectively , much lower than all students.

Contribution to Charter

Outcome Existing Status Short-Term Goal Long-Term Goal

Example:

Fall to Spring Retention Rate for ALL Students in Program of Study

51.7%Increase retention rate by 3-5% in one academic year

Increase retention rate by 8-10% in five academic years

Example:

Fall to Spring Retention Rate for Economically Disadvantaged students in Program of Study

33%Increase retention rate by 4-7% in one academic year

Increase retention rate by 15-20% in five academic years

Sample of 2010 and 2011PTR Teams

Program of Study Project Focus Inequities Identified Inequities Addressed

(2010)Automated Engineering Technology/ Precision Machinist Apprentice

Identify and engage in direct marketing, Including underrepresented groups

93% of students in POS are white males. Fall to Fall retention,3 underrepresented students dropped out of 42

Created new promotional materials. Refined and organized POS.

(2010)Collision Repair

Recruitment and Outreach. Transition students from secondary to postsecondary level, especially non-traditional students.

Did very well recruiting Hispanic students (34.5% in POS vs. 24% total) Retention was lowest for white students (40% f-s, 10% f-f)

Recruitment events with high schools Recruiting non-traditional, low income, and white students

(2011)Associate Degree Nursing

Increase community presence, diversity of the applicant pools and admitted students to better reflect community demographic

# of diverse applicants inconsistent semester to semester Retention rates for AA (44%) and recent high graduates (50%) lower than overall retention rates (74.3%)

Improve dissemination and the recruitment of underrepresented students from multiple entry points

Numbers are not as important as access to and within Program of Study

Ask yourself, how can we serve all students?

Teams did not always choose to address what the data suggested that they should, why?

ActivityManufacturing Program of Study

Things to think about• What areas of equity might be an issue?

• What issues might you expect PTR teams to have with data to support the process?

Trends in Identifying Inequities

Successes• Found areas that are

strengths

• Opportunity to incorporate additional data gathering techniques

• Gain knowledge did not have previously

Challenges• Interpretation of findings

• Ignored findings

• Trouble accessing data

• Local demographics does not support identified group

What does this mean for you?• Consider multiple data points and ways to

contextualize equity

• Improved student outcomes = more students with credentials

• More credentialed students are able to assume positions that are in high demand

Questions???

Contact Information Randi Congleton, Graduate Research Assistant: congle2@illinois.edu

Edmund Graham, Graduate Research Assistant: egraha3@illinois.edu

Ann Jones, Project Coordinator: acjones3@illinois.edu

Dr. Debra Bragg, Director: dbragg@illinois.edu

PTR Website: http://occrl.illinois.edu/projects/pathways/OCCRL website at http://occrl.illinois.eduTwitter: http://twitter.com/occrlFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/occrl