Students with a full academic/transfer plan in their first academic year

Nationally, many community colleges have engaged in guided pathways reforms that include creating clear maps for every program of study as well as plans to translate those maps into academic plans for each student within the first semester or year. Research has shown that guided pathways reforms can improve student completion rates. 19 Assessing the number and percentage of students who have plans in place can provide a valuable early indicator of whether they are likely to complete in a timely, efficient manner. The metric also helps evaluate how effectively the institution’s advisors are engaging with students, especially early in their time at college. Additionally, research shows community colleges that achieve strong transfer outcomes create clear four-year program maps, from enrollment through bachelor’s attainment, and provide transfer-specific advising to help students develop a plan to complete a bachelor’s degree. This metric can be used to monitor how well the college helps transfer-intending students select and complete programs of study that are likely to lead to bachelor’s degrees.