Guided Pathways

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4 Pillars of Guided Pathways

What is Guided Pathways

  • Represents a comprehensive approach to improving student completion and closing achievement gaps.
  • Emphasizes interventions that work at scale
  • Creates clear, intention, well-sequenced curriculum and program design
  • Keeps students at the center of the (re)design process
  • Is an evidence-based approach that comprehensively addresses the conditions needed for students to thrive and complete their goals

How can Guided Pathways support students?

  • Ensure access to college-level classes
  • Ensure students can access the classes, programs, and support they need
  • Create opportunities for students to explore their options without using all their financial aid
  • Guide students to make choices that lead to completion & success

About Guided Pathways

The Guided Pathways framework creates a highly structured approach to student success that:

Provides all students with a set of clear course-taking patterns that promotes better enrollment decisions and prepares students for future success.
Integrates Support Services in ways that make it easier for students to get the help they need during every step of their community college experience.

Four Pillars of Guided Pathways

Create clear curricular pathways to employment and further education.

Help Students choose and enter their pathway.

Help students stay
on their path.

Ensure that learning is happening with intentional outcomes.

Key Elements of Guided Pathways

Programs that are fully mapped out and aligned

with further education and career advancement while also providing structure or guided exploration for undecided students.

Redesigning and integrating basic skills/developmental educations classes

to accelerate student to college-level classes.

Structured Onboarding Process

including improved placement tests and co-requisite instruction that provide students with clear, actionable, and usable information they need to get off to the right start in college.

Instructional support and co-curricular activities

aligned with classroom learning and career interests.

Responsive student tracking systems

aligned with interventions and resources to help students stay on the pathway, persist, and progress.

Proactive academic and career advising

from the start through completion and/or transfer, with assigned point of contact at each stage.

What Guided Pathways Means for Students

  • Less confusion and more clarity about the steps toward completion and course-taking behavior.
  • More guidance from counseling or advisory early in students’ journeys.
  • Greater likelihood of completion, as a result of:
    • Improved placement
    • Basic skills/developmental education reform
    • Reduced unit accumulation
  • Improved chances for transfer and career placement.

Resources

What is the ‘California Guided Pathways Model?

Guided Pathways 101

Guided Pathways Resource Center

AACC-Pathways Institutes Resources

Guided Pathways Launchboard

Guided Pathways Regional Coordinator Information 

Archived CalPASS Webinars

Guided Pathways Oversight Committee

Vicki Jacobi

CHAIR

Articulation Officer/ Counselor

Amar Abbott

Member

High-Tech Access Specialist

Darcy Bogle

Member

Counselor

Salvador Jimenez Murguia

Member

Associate Professor, Sociology

Juana Rangel Escobedo

Member

Counselor

Cecilia Alvarado

Member

Dean of Student Success

Lori Sundgren

Member

Pre-Collegiate Success Coordinator

Damon Bell

Member

Interim Vice President, Student Services