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 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)

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

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 colleges 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

Integration of Achieving the Dream in College/Community Culture

Challenges Faced and Lessons Learned

Local Challenges
AtD 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

Local Challenges cont.

2. 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

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

Use of Existing Structures

Timeline for integrating AtD meshed with WCCs reaffirmation process
Recurring theme: Focus on Student Outcomes/Student Success WCCs 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)

Use of Existing Structures

Use a Variety of Communication Strategies to SPREAD THE WORD
a. Professional Development Opportunities focusing on components/objectives of initiative b. Web-site; college publications; emails; personnel meetings, posters, giveaways

Lesson Learned: Make the Initiative FUN!!!

The Message Spreads Faster

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

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!

Achieving the Dream Culture 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.

Achieving The Dream: Culture of Evidence

Use data to: Select Goals

Evaluate
Select/Modify

Interventions
Goals and Interventions

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.

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

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

Culture of Evidence
Leadership emphasis Measurable college-wide presidents 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

Achieving the Dream

Are we making a difference?

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

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

Orientation Persistence Rates

Persisted to Spring 2006
Did NOT Attend Orientation 1148 64.3 Total (N)

1784

Attended Orientation

705 78.7 1853 69.1

896

Total

2680

Orientation Persistence Rates

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 African American 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 White

Attended Did Not Attend

Attended Did Not Attend

Orientation Attendance/Success Rates in English

ENG111

ENG090 Did not Attend Attended ENG080

ENG070

20

40

60

80

ACA Success Rates

Office Systems Technology Fall 2004 44% (comparison group) Fall 2005 87%
Paralegal Fall 2004 60% (comparison group) Fall 2005 94%

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.

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.

Early Alert:
Durhams 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)

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.

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

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

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 (OneStop) Split the Testing Center from the Academic Skills Lab so they can provide more tutoring services Working with CCSSE Data to present to faculty

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

Achieving the Dream NCCCS 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