Academic Skills Building for At-Risk & Early Alert Students

1. Building Academic Skills for At Risk and Early Alert Students Dorothy Williams Academic Skills Learning Specialist Antelope Valley College

2. Who are the students we serve? • The poor chooser

3. Who are the students we serve? • The poor chooser • The adult learner

4. Who are the students we serve? • The poor chooser • The adult learner • The learning disabled student • The physically disabled student

5. Who are the students we serve? • The poor chooser • The adult learner • The learning disabled student • The physically disabled student • The mentally disabled student

6. Who are the students we serve? • The poor chooser • The adult learner • The learning disabled student • The physically disabled student • The mentally disabled student • The Limited English Proficiency Learner

7. Who are the students we serve? • The poor chooser • The adult learner • The learning disabled student • The physically disabled student • The mentally disabled student • The Limited English Proficiency Learner • The User

8. What is the difference between an “at risk” and an “early alert” student?

9. What is the difference between an “at risk” and an “early alert” student? • At risk • Low assessment scores or H.S. GPA • Limited English proficiency • First generation • Employed more than 20 hours per week • Part time student • Financial problems • Family obligations • Physical or learning disabilities • Student athlete

10. What is the difference between an “at risk” and an “early alert” student? • Early Alert • Poor attendance in a course • Not submitting homework or other assignments • Frequently tardy • Poor test performance • Lack of motivation or interest • Indications of emotional distress • Change in level of performance • Test anxiety • Appears tired or ill

11. What is the difference between an “at risk” and an “early alert” student? • At Risk – proactive response and services • Early Alert – reactive response and services

12. How do we identify these students?

13. How do we identify these students? • At Risk students

14. How do we identify these students? • At Risk students • Early Alert

15. Early Alert Referral Systems • Informal • Anecdotal • Faculty or counselor phone call, email, or visit • Formal • Referral slips • Surveys • Midterm Reports

16. Paperless Early Alert System

17. How do we assess their needs?

18. How do we assess their needs? • Study Skills (time management, textbook reading, note taking,memorization, critical thinking, test taking, etc.) • Learning Style (visual verbal, visual non-verbal, auditory, tactile kinestitic, social/individual, learning environment, etc. • Content assessments (knowledge gaps)

19. How do we assess their needs? • Informal assessment • Formal assessment

20. How do we access their needs? • Study Behaviors Inventory • Learning Styles Inventory • Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire

21. How do we access their needs? • Study Behaviors Inventory • Customized prescription • Explanation of each behavior • Suggestions for improvement • Referral to specific campus resources

22. Resources for Instruments http://www.pvc.maricopa.edu/~lsche/resources/lrnr_asses/lsc_assess.htm

23. Resources for more instruments • http://www.pvc.maricopa.edu/~lsche/resources/lrnr_asses/lsc_assess.htm • http:www.ulc.arizona.edu/quick_mslq.htm • http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdyhlp.html • http://www.ulc.arizona.edu/self_assessments.htm

24. How do we assist these students to build their skills? • Individual instruction • Study Skills classes • Handouts • Computer assisted instruction • Web resources • Videos or DVDs • Workshops • Peer Mentors • Tutors

25. How do we measure the student’s progress? • Formal • Informal

26. Where do tutors come in? • Reinforcement and modeling of good study behaviors within the tutorial • Observation and recording of student study behaviors • Referrals to workshops and other resources

27. What other resources can we use? • Counselors • Disabled Student Services • Programs for Special Populations • Others?

28. References • Hardin, C.J. (1988). Access to higher education: Who belongs? Journal of Developmental Education, 12, 1-6. • Mencke, R. (2000). How do I assess the needs of individual students? Starting a Learning Assistance Center. Monograph, College Reading and Learning Association. H & H Publishing, Clearwater, Florida

29. Other Resources Biggs, J.B. (1993) What do inventories of students’ learning processes really measure? A theoretical review and a clarification. British Journal of Educational Psychology, (63), 3-19. Clowes, D. (1981) Evaluation methodologies for learning assistance programs, In C. Walkever (ed) Assessment of Learning Assistance Services. New Directions for College Learning Assistance, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 17 -32. Dawson, S. J., Nold, D.M. and Greigo, O.D. (2003) Developing a computerized study skills placement test: Lessons learned and recommendations for further study. Research in Developmental Education, Vol. 18. Issue 2