The PTR Process

Pathways to Results (PTR) is an outcomes-focused, equity-guided process to improve student transition to postsecondary education and employment. PTR focuses on addressing equity gaps between diverse learner groups and continuously improving processes critical to degree pathways and programs of study that extend from the secondary to the postsecondary level. PTR is led by education, employer, and community partners whose shared goal is success for all students.

PTR Process

The Pathways to Results Processes

Introductory Resources:

Engagement and Commitment

Team members focus on critical problems that need to be addressed to improve program quality and student outcomes.

Outcomes and Equity Assessment

Teams use student-level data to identify gaps in outcomes between racial, ethnic, low income, and other underserved populations.

Process Assessment

Teams analyze “core processes” (e.g., recruiting, advising, teaching, learning) that contribute to the problem.

Process Improvement

Teams reach consensus on solutions and develop implementation and evaluation plans to improve student outcomes and programs of study quality over time.

Review and Reflection

Team members, individually and collectively, review and reflect on lessons learned from engaging in the PTR process.

Importance of Partnerships

Through the Equity Lens

What's Going On Inside that Process Now?

Improving Counseling and Admissions

A Concrete Project

Kristy Morelock, ICCB, explains the importance of partnerships in PTR.

Brian Durham, ICCB, describes the importance of equity in PTR.

Tim Harmon, OCCRL, explains the goals of process mapping.

Julie Muertz, Southwestern Illinois College, describes what her PTR team learned by examining the counseling and admissions processes.

Judy Dietrich, Illinois Community College, reflects on what the PTR process has done for her partnership.

The framework for PTR is grounded in the Equity Scorecard® and related work of The Center for Urban Education led by Drs. Estela Bensimon and Alicia Dowd. We value their insights, encouragement and support of OCCRL’s work on PTR.