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State Board monitors Guided Pathways progress as advisers push for targets and data tools
Summary
The board received a monitoring report on Goal 2 (completion and transfer): Guided Pathways shows scaling across many colleges, with a recommended 5% improvement target over two years and new transfer dashboards and advising supports planned to boost retention and completion.
Monica Wilson, director of the Student Success Center, told the State Board that Guided Pathways — a research‑based framework funded in 2018 and implemented beginning in 2019 — aims to "simplify choices for students" and align courses and programs to clear career and transfer pathways.
Wilson outlined the four pillars of Guided Pathways (pathway design, pathway entry, pathway navigation, and teaching and learning) and described state efforts to scale specific practices across the 34 community and technical colleges. She said many colleges have refined math pathways and that the system is working to eliminate excess developmental coursework and put students into gateway courses earlier.
The board discussed monitoring intervals and performance targets. Wilson said the Guided Pathways Advisory Council recommended an ambitious 5% improvement target over two years as a means of encouraging colleges to set measurable goals, while acknowledging that not meeting the target is not an automatic failure but a prompt for continuous improvement.
Members pressed on how the work is resourced. Presenters emphasized that Guided Pathways is in part a cultural change requiring leadership, professional development and data infrastructure (including two‑way integration between chosen student‑success software and ctcLink/PeopleSoft). Board members and staff agreed that measurement, transparency across colleges and targeted technical assistance are central to continuing momentum.
No formal board action was taken; presenters said the Washington State Institute for Public Policy will produce a 2029 external evaluation of the statewide Guided Pathways initiative.
