B1008 College Readiness Programming

Policy Statement

College Readiness Programming advances the College’s mission by preparing students with the academic skills, learning strategies, and confidence necessary to succeed in college-level coursework and complete their educational goals.

College Readiness functions as an integrated academic transition system within the Student Success Element of the Shawnee College Continuous Excellence System (SCCES) that supports students entering with identified skill gaps.  Through accelerated pathways, co-requisite support models, targeted developmental instruction, and integrated academic supports, College Readiness programming contributes to timely gateway course completion, sustained academic momentum, equitable progression, and credential attainment.

College Readiness encompasses assessment-informed placement, developmental and co-requisite coursework, bridge and support programming, embedded academic skill development, and coordinated advising structures designed to promote rapid progression into and through college-level coursework.

The College affirms its responsibility to sustain and continuously improve College Readiness programming in ways that reduce unnecessary time in remediation, strengthen gateway completion, promote equitable outcomes, and align with institutional priorities for student success.

The Board recognizes that:

• Students benefit when they can close academic skill gaps quickly and enter college-level coursework without prolonged delays that increase financial burden or attrition risk.
• Students benefit from instructional models that integrate developmental support with college-level coursework, promoting both academic confidence and measurable progress.
• Students benefit when readiness structures are designed to reduce achievement gaps and expand opportunity across diverse academic, socioeconomic, and demographic backgrounds.
• The institution benefits when improved readiness pathways strengthen gateway completion, retention, persistence, and long-term completion outcomes.
• Communities benefit when greater numbers of students successfully access academic pathways that would otherwise be unavailable due to skill deficiencies.

To honor these values, the Board expects College Readiness Programming to:

1. Accelerate Academic Preparedness – Provide structured pathways that minimize time in developmental sequences and promote rapid transition into college-level coursework.
2. Improve Gateway and Pathway-Level Course Success – Demonstrate measurable improvement in timely completion of first college-level English and mathematics courses following readiness intervention.
3. Strengthen Academic Progress and Persistence – Support continued enrollment, credit accumulation, and academic momentum among students entering through readiness pathways.
4. Promote Equitable Readiness Outcomes – Identify, monitor, and reduce equity gaps in developmental course success, gateway progression, and persistence outcomes.
5. Ensure Responsible and Effective Deployment of Readiness Resources – Demonstrate that course sequencing, modality offerings, co-requisite structures, and support services are aligned with student demand, gateway outcomes, and institutional sustainability.
6. Demonstrate Results Through Evidence – Provide measurable outcomes through SCCES Key Performance Measures and Indicators, including:

• • Enrollment in developmental and co-requisite coursework.
  • Developmental course success rates.
  • Gateway course completion following readiness placement.
  • Credit momentum following readiness intervention.
  • Retention and persistence of students entering through readiness pathways.
  • Equity gaps in readiness and gateway outcomes.

Assessment & Monitoring

The Board will assess institutional performance relative to this policy through annual Monitoring Reports that provide clear and sufficient evidence of results.  Monitoring Reports shall:

• Present Key Performance Measures aligned with the Shawnee College Continuous Excellence System (SCCES), particularly within the Student Success Element.
• Apply standardized trend classifications as defined in institutional Monitoring Report Operating Standards.
• Distinguish between institutional evidence and contextual information.
• Include one primary chart per Key Performance Measure when valid longitudinal data are available.
• Use Reporting Notes when data systems are maturing or definitions change.
• Provide Board-facing interpretations consistent with the President Evaluation Instrument.

These Monitoring Reports represent institutional performance at the systems level and are not intended to evaluate individual employee performance; they serve as the primary evidence base for the Board’s evaluation of presidential effectiveness under the President Evaluation Instrument.