Achieving the Dream: Completing Educational Goals for the Workforce Annual Conference of the Middle...

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

gcarter@dccc.edu

Dr. Judith Gay, Vice President for Academic Affairs

Community College of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA

jgay@ccp.edu

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

Montgomery County Community College, Blue Bell, PA

jflynn@mc3.edu

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