(1) Subject to availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, each community and technical college shall fully implement guided pathways. At a minimum, guided pathways implementation must include:
(a) Comprehensive mapping of student educational pathways with student end goals in mind. These must include transparent and clear career paths that are tightly aligned to the skills sought by employers. Pathways must align course sequences to show clear paths for students, alignment with K-12 and university curriculum, and skill sets needed to enter the workforce;
(b) Dedicated advising and career counseling that helps students make informed program choices and develop completion plans. Advising services may include processes that help students explore possible career and educational choices while also emphasizing early planning. Advising must be culturally competent and with an emphasis on helping historically underserved, low-income, and students of color navigate their education;
(c) Data analysis of student learning as well as program and service outcomes. Data must be used to inform program development, the creation and further refinement of student pathways, and to provide opportunities for early intervention to help students succeed; and
(d) A student success support infrastructure using programs that the state board for community and technical colleges finds have been effective in closing equity gaps among historically underserved student populations and improve student completion rates. The student success support program must be based on research or documented evidence of success. In tandem with guided pathways implementation, student success support programs may include evidence-based elements such as:
(i) Equity competent academic advising services;
(ii) Equity competent career development programming;
(iii) Clear information regarding financial aid and financial literacy; and
(iv) Inclusive curriculum and teaching practices.
(2) Each community and technical college shall post on its website and include in the guided pathways program documentation and reports definitions for key terms including: Diversity, equity, inclusion, culturally competent, culturally appropriate, historically marginalized communities, communities of color, low-income communities, and community organizations.
(3)(a) The Washington state institute for public policy, in consultation with the workforce education investment accountability and oversight board under RCW
28B.77.310, shall complete an evaluation of the guided pathways model. To the extent possible, the institute shall complete a preliminary report that evaluates the effect of the guided pathways model on early student outcomes including, but not limited to, student retention and persistence, college level English and math within the first year, and graduation and transfer rates. The preliminary report must review the implementation of the guided pathways model in Washington and any available evidence of the effectiveness of the guided pathways model. The preliminary report must be submitted by December 15, 2023.
(b) The Washington state institute for public policy shall complete a final report that evaluates the effect of the guided pathways on longer-term student outcomes including, but not limited to, degree completion, time to degree, transfer to four-year institutions, employment, and earnings, to the extent possible. The final report must be submitted by December 15, 2029.
(c) Both the preliminary and final reports must consider differences in outcomes by racial and ethnic subgroups and socioeconomic status.
