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Achieving the Dream: Lessons Learned from Four North Carolina Community Colleges

Achieving the Dream: Lessons Learned from Four North Carolina Community Colleges. Achieving the Dream Quick Facts. Multi-year initiative funded by the Lumina Foundation for Education Started in 2004 with 27 colleges in 5 states; grown to 35 campuses in 7 states

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Achieving the Dream: Lessons Learned from Four North Carolina Community Colleges

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  1. Achieving the Dream:Lessons Learned from Four North Carolina Community Colleges

  2. Achieving the Dream Quick Facts • Multi-year initiative funded by the Lumina Foundation for Education • Started in 2004 with 27 colleges in 5 states; grown to 35 campuses in 7 states • Mission: improving the success of community college students, particularly those in groups that have been underserved in higher education (first time college students, low income, and students of color)

  3. Achieving the Dream Quick Facts Participating colleges/students will • Maintain students’ access to college • Increase % of students who complete remedial courses and move on to credit-bearing courses; • Enroll in and complete “gatekeeper” courses (introductory math and English) • Complete the courses taken with a grade of C or higher; • Re-enroll from one semester to the next • Earn certificates and/or degrees

  4. Achieving the Dream Quick Facts Unique initiative to community colleges because • It has a strong emphasis on data • It is working to make changes at the state and national levels (policy changes) • It is building public awareness of the community college’s important role in higher education • It is developing a knowledge base of research on student success • It is fostering a long-term partnership with organizations that can strengthen community colleges

  5. Integration of Achieving the Dream in College/Community Culture Challenges Faced and Lessons Learned

  6. Local ChallengesAtD Demands Institutional Change and Courageous Conversations with Stakeholders Taking Ownership versus “Flavor of the Month” Lessons Learned: 1. Administrative Leadership Imperative -Local, state and national policy changes

  7. Local Challenges cont. • Use “existing college structures” where possible -GTCC and WCC integrated AtD into annual planning process a. Participants are cross section of campus b. Prioritized the unit objectives which drive budget c. Planning process requires a “culture of evidence” d. Planning units adopting AtD goals

  8. Use of Existing Structures • GTCC redesigned student services functions with Student Success in forefront a. Centralization to one large welcome center b. Career services melded with admissions, counseling • WCC redesigned Academic Skills Center, Testing Center and centralized its Developmental Studies programs/services • Durham Tech focused on the “First Year Experience”

  9. Use of Existing Structures • Timeline for integrating AtD meshed with WCC’s reaffirmation process • Recurring theme: Focus on Student Outcomes/Student Success • WCC’s QEP and AtD focused on improving students success in developmental mathematics; • Blended funding from AtD, state, private and other grants to reach goals/objectives Another Lesson Reinforced:Resources, Resources, Resources (Money Makes the World Go ‘Round)

  10. Use of Existing Structures • Use a Variety of Communication Strategies to “SPREAD THE WORD”a. Professional Development Opportunities focusing on components/objectives of initiativeb. Web-site; college publications; emails; personnel meetings, posters, giveaways Lesson Learned: Make the Initiative FUN!!! The Message Spreads Faster

  11. Difficult Discussions with Stakeholders 1. Discussions with Faculty and Staff a. WCC focused on Math for QEP and AtD -Unpopular Data although the data drove decision making -Significant changes in structures (centralized developmental department; change in testing format; more accountability) -Math Faculty Assumed Quilt b. Faculty discussions related to Developmental Students - All faculty are involved with developmental - Faculty/staff professional development

  12. Difficult Discussions with Stakeholders cont. 2. Discussions with Community Partners: Public Schools a. Private discussions with Superintendent and Associate Superintendent b. Sharing of data c. Linkage Task Force including principals, counselors 3. Discussions with Students Example: Durham Tech 4. Discussions with SELF or the “Personal Monologue” Example: Durham Tech Real Lesson Learned: Change is hard!

  13. Achieving the DreamCulture of Evidence Over the next four years, GTCC will develop and implement programs and processes that will measurably improve the success rates of all students, emphasizing success of underserved students.

  14. Use data to: Select  Evaluate  Select/Modify  Goals Interventions Goals and Interventions Achieving The Dream: Culture of Evidence

  15. GOALS • Graduation Rate of 20% • Overall fall-to-fall retention rate at or above 60%. • Developmental Education retention rate 55%. • Improvement in gateway course success of 4% and 4% for all gender/ethnic groups.

  16. Culture of Evidence • Use what we have • State data warehouse • Annual surveys • Performance Measures/Critical Success Factors • Hand-tabulated departmental data • Old Faces of the Future data • Assessment Committee

  17. Culture of Evidence • Get what we need • Administer TABE in Developmental • CCSSE • Cohort studies/analysis • Intervention evaluations • Colleague Safari and Query-Builder • Build local data warehouse

  18. Culture of Evidence • Leadership emphasis • Measurable college-wide president’s initiatives (strategic goals) • Learning Evidence Committee • Make data widely available • Convocation, all personnel meetings • Committees: LEC, SSAC, IEC, Academic Team, Learning Leadership Team, etc. • Newsletter • Administer CCSSE for the 2nd time

  19. Achieving the Dream Are we making a difference?

  20. Achieving the Dream Orientation: Who came? • Proportionally more females • Proportionally more whites • About the same percentages of students who performed at each level of the Placement Tests

  21. Orientation Evaluation Results Fall, 2005 Evaluation: Satisfaction • Session I: 87.7% • Session II: 91.1% • Session III: 94.5% • They: • Felt Welcomed • Thought staff were knowledgeable • Understood the registration process • Would encourage others to attend • Wanted to Register at the Same Time

  22. Orientation Persistence Rates

  23. Orientation Persistence Rates

  24. OrientationAttendance/Success Rates in English

  25. ACA Success Rates • Office Systems Technology • Fall 2004 44% (comparison group) • Fall 2005 87% • Paralegal • Fall 2004 60% (comparison group) • Fall 2005 94%

  26. Student Engagement • All colleges identified the following: Students who are not “connected” to the college are less likely stay in school and to be successful.

  27. Research Shows that… • Students who are actively engaged with • Faculty and Staff • With the Subject Matter (more than just reading) • With other Students (projects, teams, etc.) • Are more likely to learn and to stay in college until they achieve their academic goals.

  28. Durham Early Alert: Durham’s faculty members step in to assist at-risk students – early. If they need “back up,” they submit an Early Alert referral: • A student exhibiting life-skills problems is referred to Counseling and Student Development counselor (mentoring, financial assistance, bus pass, textbooks, child care assistance, health issues, etc.) • A student exhibiting academic problems is referred to Campus Learning Center Early Alert tutor (math, reading, or English intensive tutoring)

  29. Durham Student Engagement • Transformed Advising from course approval to one of support and engagement of students. • Will require College Success Course in ALL programs by Spring 2008.

  30. Martin Student Engagement • Improved Orientation • Developed ACA 085 – Improving Study Skills • Developed Academic Success Planner Used as Text Book for Students • Enhanced Tutorial Services • Provided Pre-semester Placement Test Review Session in Math/English/Reading • Provided PREP – Post-Secondary Remediation and Early Preparation for recent high school graduates

  31. Guilford Student Engagement • Revamped Orientation • Developed Learning Communities • Currently Renovating Student Welcome Center • Conducted Professional Development for Instructors • Instituted a Mentoring Program • Revamped Developmental Curricula • Marketed to GED Students

  32. Wayne Student Engagement • Restructured Orientation • Developed Male Minority Mentoring Program • Centralized Developmental Studies • In the process of Changing the Facilities to better accommodate Student Services programs (One-Stop) • Split the Testing Center from the Academic Skills Lab so they can provide more tutoring services • Working with CCSSE Data to present to faculty

  33. All Student Engagement Common Theme Among the Colleges: • Changed Orientation Process • Reviewed Outline of Academic Skills Course • Provided Math, Reading, English Reviews Prior to Taking Placement Test • Strengthened Tutoring Services • Conducted Surveys: CCSSE Survey (Community College Survey of Student Engagement) • Reviewed the Process of Advising

  34. Achieving the DreamNCCCS Conference 2006 • Kay Alexander – Wayne Community College kha@wayne.edu • Kathy Baker Smith – Guilford Tech kbsmith@gtcc.edu • Phyllis Broughton – Martin Community College pbroughton@martincc.edu • Bill Ingram – Durham Tech ingramb@durhamtech.edu

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