Talent Strong Texas Pathways Institute #4

“Steering” Students to Success: Strategies for Keeping Students on Their Right Pathway

November 13-15, 2024 | Omni Hotel, Fort Worth, TX 

In every community college across our state, the Talent Strong Texas Pathways strategy is being scaled and institutionalized to increase the number of students who reach their end goal of a good career with living wages. Key to our success in this endeavor is integrating new essential practices that enables the transformation of each college so that it becomes “student ready,” by providing systematic, proactive, and unavoidable supports throughout the pathway journey that effectively steer a student to completing their desired learning journey, ensuring efficient program pathways that minimize the time it takes a student to complete their intended credential and transition to further education and/or high-value careers.“Steering” Students to Success: Strategies for Keeping Students on Their Right Pathway highlights the innovation and evidence-based strategies occurring throughout the state to scale essential practices that support students beyond the first year through credential completion, putting the onus on the college to ensure each student engages in proactive advising at pre-determined program milestones and also receives regular and systematic communications related to their program, student life, and holistic supports. 

The Talent Strong Texas Pathways strategy provides support for community college leaders’ efforts in implementing and scaling essential pathways practices for improving the inclusive flow of talented workers to good careers by: 

1. supporting students reaching their end goal of good careers by scaling inclusive access to and success in talent pathways at every community college;

2. actively engaging education and workforce partnerships building employer-led and labor market-responsive short-term credentials aligned within longer-term workforce and transfer program talent pathways to high-wage, in-demand, and valued careers; and

3. expanding comprehensive student supports, including basic needs and mental health supports and a college culture that both nurtures students’ sense of belonging and aids all students’ academic achievement.

Agenda-at-a-Glance