System Initiatives
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Adult Basic Education Has Active Role
in College System Efforts
Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges System Direction
The vision of the Washington State
Board for Community and Technical Colleges System Direction
is to: build strong communities, individuals and families, and achieve greater global competitiveness
and prosperity for the state and its economy by raising the knowledge and skills of the state’s
residents.
The State Board has developed three broad goals to guide the system over the next 10 years.
Attention to these goals will provide two-year colleges with a framework for system innovations
and development, pursuit and use of resources, and measuring progress.
- Economic Demand – Strengthening state and local economies by meeting the demands for a well-educated and skilled workforce.
- Student Success – Achieving increased educational attainment for all residents across the state.
- Innovation – Using technology, collaboration and innovation to meet the demands of the economy and improve student success.
Efficiency Study
Engrossed Senate Substitute Bill 6359, which required an Efficiency Study to be completed, was
passed by the Washington legislature in 2010, encouraging further efficiencies in the community
and technical college system. The purpose of the Bill is to increase student access and success,
strengthen instructional programs, and develop and retain high quality faculty through efficiencies.
Activities include transforming pre-college education (both Adult Basic Education and Developmental
Education) to improve student transition to college level courses by moving them further and
faster in their academic progression to the “Tipping
Point” and beyond. This includes new assessment and placement policies and tools, new pedagogy,
and revised curriculum.
Mission Study
The overarching goal of this Mission Study is to find more and better ways to reduce barriers and expand opportunities so more Washingtonians can reach higher levels of education. This study provides a long-term outlook at how community and technical college education will need to change and grow to meet the needs and expectations of future learners.
Stragetic Technology Plan
The Strategic Technology Plan
is the product of an 18-month analysis conducted by the Technology Transformation Task Force of the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges for the purpose of creating a roadmap for how our system needs to leverage 21st Century technologies to support student achievement.
Student Achievement Initiative
The Student Achievement Initiative is a new performance funding system for community and technical colleges. Its purposes are to both improve public accountability by more accurately describing what students achieve from enrolling in our colleges each year, and to provide incentives through financial rewards to colleges for increasing the levels of achievement attained by their students. It represents a shift from funding entirely for enrollment inputs to also funding meaningful outcomes
There are four categories of Achievement measures:
- Building towards college-level skills (basic skills gains, passing precollege writing or math)
- First year retention (earning 15 then 30 college level credits)
- Completing college-level math (passing math courses required for either technical or academic associate degrees)
- Completions (degrees, certificates, apprenticeship training)
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