This report was published by WestEd.

HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS REPORT:

Many students arrive at community college without clear goals for college and career. Once there, they often receive little guidance prior to matriculation, do not meet with an advisor at the college, and accumulate many course credits that do not count toward their eventual program of study or they drop out of college before selecting a program (Rosenbaum, Schuetz, & Foran, 2010; Zeidenberg, 2012).

To begin to address these kinds of issues and to help students reach their completion goals, some community colleges are creating structured pathways that allow students to explore their educational and career options while also making progress toward a credential. The strategies being used vary by college, but generally they aim to help students learn about and commit to a program of study within a defined time frame. Once students commit to an educational program, additional supports are provided (and sometimes required) and course sequencing and degree.