The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges and 34 community and technical colleges work together on new and innovative initiatives and projects. Many of these set examples for higher education around the state and the country.

Washington's community and technical colleges were designed around a remarkable idea: that education past high school should be available to everyone, regardless of their economic or academic backgrounds. Our strategic plan establishes aspirational goals, metrics and targets through the year 2030. 

ctcLink is about much more than new softwareAs the current 35-year-old administrative system is replaced, colleges will also align their core business processes with the delivered software solution, making for streamlined, standardized practices across the 34-college system. 

Strategic Enrollment Management Task Force was formed to examine ways to increase enrollment at Washington state's 34 community and technical colleges.

Developed under the direction of the Governor-appointed Adult Education Advisory Council, the Washington State Adult Basic Education State Plan ensures adult basic education and English language education will open up new career pathways and education opportunities for adults whose limited skills or English might otherwise hold them back.

A partnership between the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges and the Office of the Superintendent for Public Instruction, Bridge to College courses help high school seniors graduate ready for college-level work.

Washington's Student Success Center assists community colleges, faculty, administrators and staff as they work together developing a culture of academic and personal success for all community college students across Washington state.

Part of the Career Connect Washington initiative, Career Launch programs provide students with real-life work experience related to their classroom studies. Students graduate with skills to be competitive in the job market and with a valuable credential beyond a high school diploma.

Washington's Common Course Numbering system standardizes community and technical college course names so students can easily transfer credits earned at one college to another.

I-BEST classes use a team-teaching approach, with both instructors in the same class.  One instructor teaches basic skills and the other teaches either a professional-technical skill – like medical assisting – or a college academic subject. These programs defy the traditional notion that students must take all their adult basic education classes before they even start on a professional-technical program or a transfer degree. Basic skills students are automatically embedded in a career or academic program as part of their basic skills training.  

Community and technical college math-related initiatives — Rethinking College Math, Math Strategic Plan, Transition Math Project, Math Pathways and Student Attributes for Math Success (SAMS) — aim to help more community and technical college students — especially traditionally underserved students — succeed in math so they can complete academic and professional-technical programs.

The MESA Community College Program (MCCP) provides academic preparation for community college students who are interested in transferring to four-year institutions to attain baccalaureate degrees in STEM fields. 

The SBCTC Strategic Technology Plan is a vision of how we can use the latest information technology to support student learning and their success.

The Student Achievement Initiative is the performance funding system for the state's community and technical college system. It improves their accountability to the public and provides financial incentives to the colleges for student success.