Pathways to Success: Understanding How Practitioners Learn to Implement Student Success Reform

• In Event: Roundtable Session 20
  In Roundtable Session: Pathways to Student Success: Lessons of Learning and Leadership

Abstract

Given the call for improved completion by federal and state policymakers, as well as philanthropic agencies, pathway models are seen as one way to address completion in community colleges. To date, minimal empirical evidence pertaining to pathway model implementation has been collected. We investigate implementation and the role practitioners have in moving the reform from paper to practice at one institution. This case study is framed by sensemaking theory to understand the ways in which practitioners interpret and enact the pathway model. Our findings suggest four factors influence participants’ individual and collective sensemaking about the pathway model and their subsequent implementation actions.

Authors

• Estela M. Bensimon, University of Southern California

• Jason Robinson, University of Southern California

• Eric Felix, University of Southern California

• Megan Michaelene Chase, University of Southern California