Equitable Measures

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Plan Measures

The Pathways to Opportunity Plan encompasses all of higher education. Developing The Plan amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and persistent inequities, stakeholders expressed the need to prioritize students and student success over all else. Therefore, the five measures focus specifically on students and student success.

measures chart

The target for each measure is to close gaps identified via the progress tracker. Closing gaps means targeting resources based on identified needs and circumstances and eliminating barriers that limit opportunities and success. The desired effect of closing gaps is to improve outcomes for all.

Purpose of “The Pathways to Opportunity Plan” Progress Tracker

The primary intended use of the progress tracker is to assess statewide progress over the next six years toward achieving equitable, affordable and transformative higher education – the statutory goals of the Commonwealth’s strategic plan for higher education. Progress toward achieving The Plan’s three goals is assessed via five specific plan measures outlined in the above table.

Data for the progress tracker has been disaggregated by subgroup to help SCHEV identify and understand where the gaps are in order to close them. Each of the five measures displayed on the progress tracker includes four charts, one for each subgroup: race/ethnicity, region of origin, income and gender.

Instances where percentages are less than one percent are displayed as zero percent strictly for formatting consistency and readability. However, it is important to note in every instance those actual percentages are NOT zero and all groups matter. To address this display issue, footnotes have been included to provide actual percentages for such instances.

For total numbers (e.g., number of enrolled Native American students), hovering over the applicable bar in the chart will display the data. Refer to the How to Use “The Pathways to Opportunity Plan” Progress Tracker document at the bottom of the page for more information.

SCHEV acknowledges that data limitations exist regarding students with disabilities and English language learners and is working to address these limitations. Since data for these subgroups are not currently collected, reported to SCHEV or tracked, it will take time to comprehensively address this issue.

SCHEV also recognizes the importance of other contributions or factors such as state funding and return on investment. These factors will be tracked along with other related indicators in the near future.