Achieving the Dream: Completing Educational Goals for the Workforce Annual Conference of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education December 2008.

Achieving the Dream: Completing Educational Goals for the Workforce

Annual Conference of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education

December 2008

AtD

Dr. Virginia M. Carter, Provost

Delaware County Community College, Media, PA

[email protected]

Dr. Judith Gay, Vice President for Academic Affairs

Community College of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA

[email protected]

Dr. John C. Flynn, Jr. Vice President of Academic Affairs and provost

Montgomery County Community College, Blue Bell, PA

[email protected]

Goals for today

• To provide information about the achievement gaps in education and how AtD initiatives are attempting to close the gaps

• To explore the systematic changes in institutions at three different levels to address the gaps

• To provide examples of how three different institutions met the challenge of improving student success

Workforce Issues

Workforce Issues• In the next 10 years nearly 25% of the workforce

must be replaced• The level of education needed to earn a middle

class living has increased significantly• Philadelphia is 92nd of the 100 largest cities in

number of residents with a college education

National Data

• 1,157 Community Colleges• 6.66 million credit students in CC’s ( 12.7%

African American, 6.2 %Asian, 14.2 %Hispanic and 58.6% white)

• 5 million non-credit students in CC’s• Average age is 29• 37.8 % receive some aid and of the Federal aid,

35% are receiving Pell grants» According to NCES 2004 data

AtD Data

According to DATA Notes July – November 2008

• Females referred to developmental education were more likely to persist and outperform their male counterparts

• Nearly 25% of all students leave during their first year for reasons other than transfer or credential attainment

AtD Data cont.

• The profile of the highest dropout occurs for: males, black, 20-24, needing developmental education, and starting part time.

AtD Objectives

Increase the percentage of students who accomplish the following:

• successfully complete the course they take;• advance from remedial to credit-bearing

courses;• enroll in and successfully complete gatekeeper

courses;• enroll from one semester to the next;• earn degrees or certificates.

AtD at the Macro level

Changing an Institution

• Central to mission

• Not a “project”

• Data driven

• A realignment of culture

AtD at the Macro level

Broad Based Planning

• LRP, MS self study, internal/division planning

• Data driven – CSSE, Benchmark data, internal information

• Alignment of questions

• Changing the landscape

Institutional Impact of AtD

• Increased faculty, community and Board involvement (K-16, collaboration, dual enrollment, summer youth…)

• Focus on planning

• Organizational changes – Director of First Year Experiences

• Student Success Squad– Registration and system changes

Institutional Impact – cont.

• Successful Starts

• Expansion of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

• Developmental Studies consortium

• Developmental Summit– Sharing across institutions– Sharing faculty to faculty

AtD

Professional Development

Goal: Improve student outcomes by increasing the use of effective educational practices.

Focus: Theme-based professional development programs; new online journal, Praktikos, targeted professional development workshops

AtD-CCP

Faculty are most interested in increasing use of Group/Hands on projects

AtD CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES - 1

Goal: Decrease the amount of time some students spend in developmental Math. Focus is on students who score in the higher

tier of the Accuplacer test.MATH 010 Grades by Accuplacer Tier

0% 50% 100% 150%

Lower Tier

Higher Tier

A,B,C

D,F

W

Interventions & Innovations

• MAT 010B* is a two-week arithmetic refresher course offered prior to the fall and spring semesters.

• MAT 011B* is a 4 credit beginning algebra class that incorporates a review of arithmetic.

• Both new options enable a qualified student to complete two semesters of dev math in less time and save money.

* students with appropriate placement scores may register for these alternative options.

Findings

Fall ’07 Spring ‘08

MAT 010/011Control group

50% 40%

MAT 010B/MAT011

43%n = 21

58%n = 12

MAT011B 47%n = 17

55%n = 11

AtD CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES - 2

GOAL: Increase student success in Math 010 focus is on students who score in the lower tier of the Accuplacer test.

• Supplemental Instruction (peer tutors) in arithmetic classes

• Learning Communities

• MAT 010 (Arithmetic) faculty orientation

• MAT 010 Blackboard site for faculty

• Math Course Information Guide for advisors/faculty

• Alternative approaches in the arithmetic curriculum

AtD

College Websites

Delaware County Community College – www.dccc.edu

Community College of Philadelphia – www.ccp.edu

Montgomery County Community College – www.mc3.edu

Achieving the Dream - www.achievingthedream.org

Questions