2

BSI Success Rates

• Do you know how many students with basic skills needs succeed in basic skills classes?

• Why should we care?

3

1. Approximately what percent of California Community College students place into at least one basic skills course in Reading, Writing, ESL or Mathematics?

A. 0%B. 25%C. 35%D. 50%E. Over 70%

• The following slides are example questions using the layouts in the Quiz Show template. View them in slide show to see the answer animations.

Basic SkillsStudents

Non-Basic Skills

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2. Which of the following is true of basic skills students in California community colleges?

A. They generally assess uniformly low on placement tests in all areas; reading, writing, math, and ESL

B. They may assess low on placement tests in one discipline while testing at college-level in other areas (i.e. a college level writer but require additional work in math)

C. They are easily identifiable in our classes by sex, age, or ethnicity.

D. They usually have the learning and study skills necessary to succeed in college-level work.

E. They are found only in the community colleges and are only rarely found at the UC and CSU campuses.

The 2006-2007 data indicated that 54% of CSU freshman were below college level in Math

47% were below college level in English

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3. How many students who start 3 or more levels below college-level actually make it to a college-level course?

A. Less than 10%B. 15- 30%C. Approximately 40%D. Over 60%E. 80% or more 

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BSI CCC Statistics ARCC

College Level Performance Indicator State Rate

1. Student Progress & Achievement 51.2%

2. Completed 30 or More Units 70.4%

3. Fall to Fall Persistence 68.3%

4. Vocational Course Completion 78.2%

5. Basic Skills Course Completion 60.5%

6. ESL Course Improvement 44.7%

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Progression• Each year between 500,000 and 700,000 students take a

basic skills course. • How many move on?

2002-2003 to 2004-2005

2003-2004 to 2005-2006

2004-2005 to 2006-2007

Number of Students

126,307 122,880 123,682

The number of students completing coursework at least one level above their prior basic skills enrollment within the three-year cohort period.

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4. Who Are the Community College Students with Basic Skills Needs?

55% female, 45 % male 55% are citizens;18% are not

citizens (others unknown) 45% are 21 or younger; 41% are

over 26Students who report working work

an average of 35 hours a week

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Ethnicity

Ethnicity% of Total Headcount

% of Total Enrollment in Credit Basic Skills & ESL

% of Enrollment in Non-credit Basic Skills & ESL

African American 7.49% 11.24% 6.23%

Asian/ Filipino/Pac Islander

16.40% 17.00% 19.39%

Hispanic/Latino 28.79% 41.40% 43.72%

Native American 0.86% 0.92% 0.54%

White 35.40% 22.57% 18.69%

Total 100% 100% 100%

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5. How Many Are Enrolled in Basic Skills Classes?

70-85% assess into basic skills

27.4% take basic skills classes

Where are the rest?

6. What is the total success rate of students in all three public California College Systems?

14

17California State

University

75California

Community College

8University of

California

7Transfer

100Latina/o First Time

College Students

6California State University

1University of California

The Latina/o California Community College Pipeline, 2002-03

Source: California Postsecondary Education Commission 2004; see also Omelas and Solorzano 2004.

From Martha A. Rivas, Jeanette Perez, Chrystal R. Alvarez, and Daniel G. Solorzano, An Examination of Latino/a Transfer Students in California’s Postsecondary Institutions, CSRC Latino Policy and Issues Brief No. 16 (Los Angeles: UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center Press, 2007). Reproduced with permission.

7. What is the cost of remediation?

7. What is the cost of remediation?

So does ANYTHING Work??

Laura Hope, Interim Dean of Instructional Support

Who Are Our Students?“Access Doesn’t Mean Success”

• 96% of students assessed are under-prepared in either math, reading, or writing

• 65% are deficient in all 3 categories• 31% are first generation college

students• 21% have been out of school 5 or more

years• Over 80% declare transfer as their goal

Basic Skills Success Rates

49

51

53

55

57

59

61

63

65

1997-98 1998-99 1999-00

1997-1998 1998-1999 1999-2000

Success Rates 57.2% 56.2% 54.9%

Succ

ess

Rat

es

The “foundation” student of today is the transfer /certificate student of tomorrow.

The Promise

The Role of the Learning Center

• Provide academic support for students

• Strengthen skills and competencies• Provide a safe environment for

learning• Promote values of self-advocacy• Promote self-awareness about

learning

Creation of Success Centers

Instructional Program

Faculty Leadership

Serve all students and faculty

Student-centered learning community

Learning Center Pedagogy

• Promotes individualized instruction and learning

• Promotes collaborative learning • Ensures a risk-free environment• De-emphasizes grades and judgment• Promotes affective development of the

learner• Promotes a sense of community with

the institution• Supports and imitates the values of the

classroom

The Traditional Model for Learning Centers

• Dominated by tutoring

• Practice skills

• Word processing and research

Learning Center Curriculum

• Directed Learning Activity

• Study Group

• Workshop

• Tutoring

• Lab Resources

Unduplicated Number and Percent of Students Who Accessed into

Success Centers Annually

26.7

37.1

43.6 43.545.8

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05

Number of Students Each Year Who Access the Success Centers (Annual)

2000-2001

2001-2002

2002-2003

2003-2004

2004-2005

Accessed Success Center 7,573 11,712 12,526 11,991 12,746

Unduplicated Headcount 28,312 31,531 28,741 27,596 27,857

Perc

ent o

f S

tude

nts

Annual Number of Student Contacts at Success Centers (Contacts of 15 min. or

more)

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

160,000

180,000

200,000

2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05

Annual Number of Student Contacts at the Success Centers (15+ minutes only)

2000-2001

2001-2002

2002-2003

2003-2004

2004-2005

Number of Contacts 73,685 147,774 177,024 164,037 182,075

Num

ber

of C

onta

cts

Relationship between Success Center Access and Success in Transfer Courses: 2004 – 2005

61%

74%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Success

Did Not Access a CenterSuccess Center

Relationship between Success Center Access and Success for Basic

Skills Students

58%65%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Success

Did Not Access a CenterSuccess Center

Percent of Degree & Certificate Earners Who Completed at Least One “Basic

Skills” Course

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

1997-98 1998-99 1999-00 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05

Degrees

Certif icates

Perc

ent

Percent of Students Who Completed at Least One

“Basic Skills” Course Who Subsequently Transferred to a Four-Year Institution

0

5

10

15

20

25

1997-98 1998-99 1999-00 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05

Perc

ent o

f T

rans

fer

Stud

ents

Honoring the Promise

“I love the Success Center and feel without it I would have been totally lost.”

_____________________________________________ 95% of students surveyed agree or strongly agree

that a connection exists between Success Center and classroom activities

41% of students accessed a Success Center at least twice a week

27% of the students who used a Success Center accessed two or more Success Centers

Reflections and Questions

Lynn WrightPasadena City College

I understand what faculty inquiry is and does.

1 2 3 4 5

20% 20% 20%20%20%1. Strongly agree2. Agree3. Disagree4. Strongly disagree5. Not sure

We put basic skills students in exactly We put basic skills students in exactly the same learning environments in the same learning environments in which they have failed to learn for years which they have failed to learn for years and expect them to succeed.and expect them to succeed.

Mr. Anderson, may I be excused?My brain is full.

Next time don’t suck so hard.

We put basic skills FACULTY in We put basic skills FACULTY in exactly the same learning exactly the same learning environment in which they have environment in which they have failed to learn for years and expect failed to learn for years and expect them to succeed.them to succeed.

A Major Observation about Faculty Practice

Teachers experience tension between the way they should teach and the way they actually teach.

Most adjust to the misalignment.

Examples of Misalignment• Coverage“I know I’m going too fast, but I have to cover ten

chapters.” • Reading and Writing“My students need to read and write well to succeed

in my class, but I’m not an English teacher.”• Lectures“Lectures bore me too, but that’s the way it is.”• Tests“She demonstrated her knowledge of the material

over and over in class but failed the test.”• Affective components“My students are so poorly prepared to be college

students, but it’s not my job to teach them those things.”

Achieving Alignment

Intensive, active inquiry among Intensive, active inquiry among

dedicated facultydedicated faculty

The most important reason to do faculty inquiry is

1 2 3

33% 33%33%1. To transform our

attitudes and practices

2. To foster collegiality3. To gain a deeper

understanding of teaching and learning

Why Engage in Inquiry?

To gain a deeper level of understanding of teaching and learning

To transform our attitudes and practices

To improve student success

What is Faculty Inquiry?

It’s a structured, ongoing process that is…

• faculty-driven• problem-based• outcomes-driven• collegial and collaborative

Intermediate AlgebraFIG

PROBLEM TO EXPLORE

WHY DO SO MANY MATH FACULTY FIND INTERMEDIATE

ALGEBRA ONEROUS TO TEACH?

Intermediate Algebra FIG Participants and Resources

• 1 full-time math faculty lead

• 6 full-time math faculty

• The math dean

• 1 non-math faculty facilitator

• PCC’s Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) staff, counselor, and tutors

• PCC’s Institutional Planning and Research Office

• Claremont Graduate University external evaluators

• Carnegie Foundation staff and SPECC participants

ParticipantsParticipants ResourcesResources

FIG Outcomes

Short-term:•Identify challenges to

teaching Intermediate Algebra

Mid-term:•Develop approaches to help overcome

key challenges to teaching Intermediate Algebra

Long-term:•Increase student success

Which one is not a feature of the FIG process?

25%

25%25%

25%

1 2 3 4

1. Problem-based 2. Always

collaborative3. Outcomes

driven4. Faculty-driven

FIG Discoveries

• Word problems are hard: students avoid them and teachers struggle to teach them

• Too much material to cover• New concepts in last chapters

rushed through (run out of time)• Hard to find time to show

students real-world applicability

Intermediate Algebra FIG

Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of TeachingWindows on Learning

http://gallery.carnegiefoundation.org/specc/specc/specc_homepage.html

Possible FIG Questions

English

•How much time should we spend on “non English” issues?

•How engaging are our online resources?Math

•If we reduce the number of concepts covered, how will we affect student learning?

•Are there different assessment forms we can use to address diverse learning styles?

Two Reasons Why Inquiry Is Essential to Our Practice…

1. Diverse and ever-changing student population results in diverse and ever-changing challenges.

2. Practice What We Preach!– Are we not critical

thinkers, problem solvers, knowledge builders, and lifelong learners?

FIG Action Plan

• Ask a research question/Identify a problem

• Create a hypothesis• Review the secondary research • Create outcomes• Conduct primary research• Review and evaluate• Disseminate findings

I understand what faculty inquiry is and does.

1 2 3 4 5

20% 20% 20%20%20%

1. Strongly agree2. Agree3. Disagree4. Strongly disagree5. Not sure

A Question to Consider

What are your questions about students and student learning?

Dr. Barbara Jaffe

Associate Dean, Academic Affairs

El Camino College

Puente’s Mission Since 1981

Through academic preparation—to increase the number of educationally disadvantaged students who:

• Enroll in 4-year institutions• Earn college degrees• Return to the community as mentors

and future leaders

1981 Puente Student Demographics

• Mexican-American and Latino students• Did not seek academic counseling• Were not enrolled in college level

writing courses• Were the first in their families to

attend college

Today?

• Latino students: highest dropout rate in community colleges (94.1% of Latinos in CA won’t complete their AA Degree)

• From families with no college experience

• From low-income areas

• Have a record of low performance for participation in college-track classes

• Most test at pre-transfer level English course skill level

 

Puente Student Profile

• Fluent English speakers

• Many are second or third generation Mexican/Americans

 Generally avoid counselors and English classes

• Inexperienced writers

• Grade point averages are quite low

• Unclear career goals

• Few are likely to transfer to four-year colleges and universities

 

Puente Student Profile

Three Areas of Service

• Teaching• Counseling• Mentoring

Today:• 65 community colleges• 36 high schools

Puente Project Format• Cohort of 30-35 students, together for 2

semesters

• Students begin in developmental English course (1 semester below transfer level)

• Latino literature used in the first semester writing course—working on creating their writers’ voices

• Counselor teaches the Human Development course

• Counselor is often in the English classroom and the writing instructor often attends the HD course

The Puente Classrooms Facilitate:

• Interdependence

• Personal responsibility

• A sense of community

• Connection to academics

• Culturally responsive teaching

Paradigm Shift

Why is Puente Successful?

• Foundation of Trust (Healy 1990)

• Ways in which we learn: “personal, experiential, emotional, intellectual, ethical, and practical” (Gillespie 2002, 225)

• Self-reflection in the learning process, reinforcing self-confidence (Cross 1981)

Puente’s Success…continued

• Curriculum integrating academic with social, emotional, spiritual elements to address the total student (Rendon 2002)

• Change occurs when a community is created around people—where new beliefs can be practiced, expressed, and nurtured (Gladwell 2002)

The Familia Model in the Classroom

• Validation of the student’s inner life

• Connection between life experiences and classroom work (validation and meaning)

• Connection between their work and their peers’ work (interdependence)

The Writing Component…

• COMFORT WITH SELF

• WRITING ABOUT SELF

• FINDING WRITER’S VOICE

• COMFORT IN ACADEMICS

The Puente Project:What We Have Learned

We’ve learned that the students leave the Puente class with a sense of being writers, that they have developed processes they can use. We’ve learned that the students do not have to develop into Grade A academic whizzes by the end of that one Puente year. They simply have to learn how to write the way the rest of us who have been more fortunate in our educational experiences do. We’ve learned that the students can be prepared to handle the bureaucracy of the educational system. We’ve learned the transforming power of the Puente mentors and the active, engaged community they represent. We’ve learned that in a year a great many changes can happen in the right context, in a supportive environment. These changes are almost exponential. Pupils go from writing almost nothing to writing confidently and at length.—Dr. Mary K Healy (1990)

Puente Works!

Puente Works!

Match the effective practices to the outcomes:

Faculty Inquiry

Tutorial Centers

Bridge Programs

PuenteIntegrated Approaches

Integrated Curriculum

Contextualized Basic Skills

Math and English

Motivation and Confidence

Curricular Changes

Diagnostic and Specific Disciplinary Aid

Holistic and Culturally Appropriate

We need an educated California!