College Readiness & Student Success- University of Alaska

1
College Readiness Student Success- University
of Alaska

• By
• Dana Thomas, Pete Pinney, and Shirish Patil (UAF)
• Sarah Kirk (UAA)
• Jo DeVine-Acres (UAS)
• President Hamiltons Retreat for UA Faculty
  Alliance
• October 18, 2006
• Fairbanks, AK

2
Objective

• Articulate and define Student Success and
  Readiness for the UA System
• Engage into Coordinated UA System wide dialogue
• Recognize, one size doesnt fit all
• UA Faculty Alliance to serve as Clearinghouse of
  information and lead on UA Student Success and
  College Readiness.

3
Plan for the Day.

• MAU Presentations Status, plans, and vision
• Roundtable discussion (including UA and K-12
  Partnership)
• Identify and prioritize action items
• Discuss and develop concept plan for
  implementation at UA
• Discuss and identify resources needed

4
Thrive for Success and CQI
UA
State of Alaska Secondary School System
UAF
UAA
UAS
CQI
5
University of Alaska Fairbanks

• By
• Dana Thomas
• Pete Pinney
• Shirish Patil
• With Contributions from Linda Hapsmith, Cindy
  Hardy, and Ataur Chowdhury

6
Developmental Education at UAF

• The Department of Developmental Education,
• established in 2003, is part of the College of
  Rural and
• Community Development.
• We have faculty on the UAF Fairbanks campus,
• Tanana Valley Campus
• Bristol Bay Campus,
• Chukchi Campus,
• Interior Aleutians Campus,
• Kuskokwim Campus, and
• Northwest Campus.

7
The Mission of Department of Developmental
Education

• making educational opportunity and success
  possible for each UAF student
• developing student skills and attitudes necessary
  for academic, career, and life goals
• assessing students levels of preparedness and
  placing students in appropriate classes
• enabling student competencies for success in
  college courses, thus maintaining academic
  standards
• enhancing retention of students and
• promoting cognitive and affective learning theory
  in all UAF course offerings.

8
The Department of Developmental Education works
with support services throughout UAF

• Academic Advising Center,
• Student Support Services,
• Rural Student Services,
• the Math Hotline,
• the Writing Center,
• ASUAF Tutoring Services and
• Disabilities Services.

9
The Developmental Education Department offers
one-credit skills classes available as support
classes for students taking English or Math
classes. We also offer

• Skills for College and Career Success
• Introduction to Distance Education
• University Communications
• Reading Skills
• Intensive Reading Development
• Elementary Exposition for ESL (ESL) students.

10
In 2008

• We anticipate greater need for Developmental
  Education classes as
• mandatory placement and selective admissions take
  effect. We are
• coordinating with Math and English and the Core
  departments to
• develop placement requirements. We have set the
  following five-
• year priorities
• NADE Certification of our department,
• CRLA Certification of tutors,
• A Learning Center that includes developmental
  student advising, tutoring, study cohorts, and
  student service coordination,
• Ongoing tracking of developmental students
  through our courses and the core,
• Continued placement and assessment of incoming
  students,
• Orientation for incoming developmental students,
• Intervention with academic probation students.

11
UAF Baccalaureate Admission Standards (2008)
12
UAF Mandatory Course Placement (Fall 08)

• MATH DEVM placement or prerequisite course
• Perspectives on the Human Condition ENG 111
  placement or above
• CORE Science - placement in DEVM 105 ENG 111
  or above

13
Current Activities at UAF

• Freshman progress reports
• Outreach identify students at risk
• Intervention working with those on academic
  probation or disqualification
• RSS intensive advising model
• SSSP tutoring goal setting
• DEVS RD/ANS study skills courses

14
Activities under discussion at UAF

• Preparing for new baccalaureate admission
  standards and mandatory placement
• Student Interview
• Supplemental Instruction (had in past)
• Broaden Intensive Advising
• pre-majors all developmental
• Bridge program required seminar
• Improved accountability related to student
  progress through course sequences
• Block course work for pre-majors

15
Focus on College Readiness

• Problems
• Particular problems in Mathematics and English
• Impact of No Child Left Behind Particular
  attention on minimal high school standards vs.
  college preparedness
• Solutions?
• Begin a statewide initiative to improve college
  readiness
• Develop a web page to promote discussion between
  UA school districts across the State
• How many students attend UA by school district?
• What proportion are college ready (math, writing
  and reading)?
• What proportion have completed FASFA and ACT
  before arriving?

16
College Readiness Benchmarks

• High School GPA
• Content area achievement (math and English
  reading/writing))
• Relationship between ACT Composite Scores,
  Cumulative first-year GPA and retention

17
One size doesnt fit all!

• Recognize our students First time freshman
  baccalaureate students, certificate intended
  students, rural students, distance learning
  students, and adult students
• Develop criteria for success for each population
• Identify the needs for each group at the entry
  level
• Properly place the students according to the
  needs

18
Student Success

• Personal/demographic characteristics
• Academic Readiness
• Financial conditions
• Attendance patterns and academic performance

19
Accountability

• Develop a evaluation system and assess impact of
  implemented changes

20
Key Factors Affecting Persistence and Degree
Completion (State of Illinois BHE October 2002)
21
Public Four-Year Retention College GPAs by ACT
College Benchmarks
Source ACT
22
Comprehensive College Readiness Agenda (IBHE 2001)

• Identify and meet remediation needs early in
  student educational experience
• Align high school graduation requirements with
  college admission standards
• Develop statewide consensus on what constitutes
  minimum college level work
• Develop a system wide student record system that
  can share data

23
Institutional Policies Practices Impact on
Persistence and Degree Completion (Source State
of Illinois)

• Summer bridge programs for academically at-risk
  freshman for smooth transition to college
• Student advising- load, sequence and time
  commitment
• Automated degree audit for students
• Providing sufficient number of required course
  sections offered at convenient times each
  semester
• Developing articulation agreements with feeder
  institutions assuring transfer for students who
  leave (ensure impediments to student progress are
  eliminated or minimized)

24
UAF Priorities

• Advising and Mentoring
• Financial Assistance for Part-Time students
• Writing centers (English language programs)
• Support units for targeted groups
• Assistance to undecided majors
• Dual admission programs (MAU and Community
  colleges)
• Summer bridge/Transition programs

25
University of Alaska Anchorage

• By
• Sarah Kirk
• With contributions from Gerry Busch

26
At UAA, we measure Student Success by the
following

• Course Attrition
• Retention (Fall to Fall)
• Graduation

27
Course Attrition

• UAA Attrition Study 2001
• Overall UAA attrition was 19.5
• Overall CPDS attrition was 19.9
• UAA Focus Course Attrition AY04
• Tiered admission
• Mandatory advising for targeted populations

28
Retention
29
Retention Strategies Implemented at UAA

• Student Support Services Grant
• Student success (advising) coordinators
• Learning Communities
• Supplemental Instruction
• Orientation Programs
• Service Learning
• Alaska Native Oratory Society
• Notable college/campus programs

30
UAA Targets for Retention

• UAA projects slowly and steadily increasing our
  retention rate by a tenth of a percentage point
  each year for the next six years, reaching a high
  of 65.2 in FY12. A worst case scenario predicts
  60.6 and a best case scenario predicts 66.2.
• From Performance 06, pg 19

31
Future Strategies to Increase Retention

• Institutionalize/secure current, successful
  programs that increase student success
• Expand current, successful programs that increase
  student success
• Turn retention cohorts into real people
• Develop retention strategies training workshops
  for adjunct faculty
• Develop retention toolkit for students

32
Graduation

• National Average (Boylan and Bonham, 1992)
• Graduated or still are enrolled after 5 ½ years
  4-year public institution 28.4
• 42 of UAA graduates have taken at least 1
  developmental education course

33
At the developmental level, we measure Student
Success by the following

• Course completion
• Completion of developmental course sequence
• Successful completion of first college course in
  the field (math or English) beyond developmental
  level course

34
Course Completion

• From 1999 to 2006, Course Completion rates for
  CPDS ranged from 57 to 63
• Rates are better for English than Math
• Rates are better at the developmental 100-level
  than at the 0-level
• National standards for course completion of
  developmental courses are hard to find. Not many
  institutions publicize these rates, and
  definitions of course completion vary.

35
Completion of developmental course sequence

• National data is minimal and thus inconclusive
• CPDS Data (2002 2005)
• Math - 41
• Composition 44
• NOTE The CPDS data is incomplete and thus the
  current focus of our assessment plan
• Data from reading is not comparable because
  reading courses are not required in the same way
  that math and composition courses are

36
Recommended Benchmarks for Student Success in
Developmental Education Programs

• National Averages (Boylan and Bonham, 1992)
• Percentage of students who, after passing
  developmental courses, subsequently took and
  passed related first college level courses
• Developmental/College Math 77.2
• Developmental/College English 91.1
• Developmental Reading/College Social Science 83

37
Successful completion of first college course in
field

• (CPDS Data 2001-2006)
• MATH 105 to 107
• 72 pass on 1st attempt additional 10 pass on
  subsequent attempt.
• UAA overall success in Math 107 is 65
• PRPE 108 to ENGL 111
• 80 pass on 1st attempt
• Those who pass PRPE 108 and complete ENGL 111
  have an 89 success rate.
• UAA overall success in ENGL 111 is 75

38
Retention Strategies Implemented for CPDS
Developmental Students

• Centralized Developmental Education Department
  with Tenured Faculty
• Mandatory Placement Testing
• Placement Advising
• Validation of Placement tools and scores
• Collaboration with CAS English Math Departments
  on college readiness Course offerings meet the
  needs of student demand
• Assessment Plan
• Advisory Board

39
Retention Strategies Implemented for CPDS
Developmental Students (contd.)

• Academic Support Staff
• Specialized Dev Ed math and writing labs
• Tutor training in writing and math
• Composition Computer Classroom
• Smart Start Program
• Course Materials Reserve
• Technology Enhanced Instruction
• Karen Hedlund Fund
• Professional Development for Faculty and Adjuncts
• Adjunct Faculty Mentoring

40
Future Strategies to Increase Retention of
Developmental Students

• Full time faculty placement advisor
• Mandatory Placement Advising
• Centralized Student Academic Support Services and
  Developmental Programs in an integrated learning
  center
• Community Outreach
• Rural Educational Communities
• ESL Community Partnerships

41
Future Strategies to Increase Retention of
Developmental Students (Contd.)

• Portfolio web-based Developmental English Program
• On-line math homework (MyMathLab)
• Coordination with other UAA units to offer summer
  bridging programs
• Offer study skills course sections using major
  cohort groups
• Peer mentoring

42
College Readiness

• College Readiness is defined at UAA by our
  courses
• Entrance into ENGL 111 and MATH 107, for example,
  means that a student is college ready.

43
College Readiness (contd.)

• We have mandatory placement into ENGL 111 and
  MATH 107.
• We know for each student who attends UAA and
  attempts to get a degree whether or not he or she
  is college ready.
• We have Developmental English, math, and study
  skills courses to help students who are not yet
  college ready.

44
Implemented College Readiness Strategies UAA-wide

• Testing in high schools
• Tech Prep, Trio, CPDS
• East High Write Place Writing Center
• Department of English, CAS

45
Strategies to Increase College Readiness

• Host a conference to inform high school English
  teachers about college readiness and
  developmental strategies
• Increase Testing in high schools
• Increase Summer Bridging Programs

46
University of Alaska Southeast

• UAS Student Success and College Readiness
• By
• Jo DeVine-Acres

47
Associate Vice Provost

• Works directly with southeast school districts to
  develop, implement and improve UAS pre-college
  pathway programs, e.g., PITAAS, Early Scholars,
  Dual Enrollment, Tech Prep, and College
  Connections.
• Broad goals include
• Providing greater academic opportunities for
  students in rural southeast
• Increasing collaboration between southeast high
  schools, the University, and other relevant
  entities, so that high school graduates are
  better prepared for college.
• UAS used performance-based budgeting funds to
  create this position late in FY06.

48
FY07 Dev Ed Funding Proposal

• On September 15, 2006 UAS submitted a 25K
  funding proposal to UA Statewide to help expand
  Summer Bridge programs for incoming first-year
  UAS students during summer 07.
• The initial phase will include establishing a
  collaborative dialog among the staff and math
  faculty from UAS and southeast high schools.
• Curriculum, instruction, and technology workshops
  will be held for southeast Alaska high school
  math teachers.
• The residential Summer Bridge program will offer
  intensive math instruction and college
  preparation courses to entering freshmen.
• The following year, the same collaborative
  process will be expanded to include writing and
  reading instruction.

49
PITAAS program supports Native students from
high school through teacher certification.

• Network of Mentor Teachers recruiting in 11
  southeast communities. The mentor teachers
  advise students to take advanced courses, create
  classroom teaching experiences for the students,
  and provide intentional guidance through high
  school graduation.
• Two-week Summer Bridge program includes math,
  writing, college orientation, placement testing,
  team building, and early move in to housing.
• Block schedules during first semester midterm
  progress reports regular cohort-based meetings
  one-on-one tutoring peer mentoring.
• 54 achievement-based PITAAS scholarships were
  awarded fall 06 (includes 16 freshmen).
• Grant funded by USDOE since 2000. Current grant
  ends August 31, 2008.

50
Early Scholars Program prepares Native students
for college at JDHS.

• UAS provides financial support to cohort based
  academic support program for AK Natives at Juneau
  Douglas High School.
• Approximately 25 AK Native secondary students
  taking their social studies classes together in a
  cohort. The class meets one day a week at UAS.
  Guest lectures from UAS faculty and staff, as
  well as college classroom observations.
• New math cohort began fall 2006. Approximately
  20 AK Native 9th graders taking their math
  sequence together. A math camp is in the
  preplanning stage, to help accelerate their
  progress so they reach pre-calculus and calculus
  by their 12th grade year.

51
TRiO program supports low income, disabled, and
first-generation students.

• Program offers mentorship, tutoring, advising,
  workshops, scholarships, and additional support.

52
College Success Grant First National Bank

• For the second year, UAS is flying in 60-100 11th
  12th grade students from southeast high schools
  to participate in the college fair, as well as a
  number of career planning workshops at UAS.

53
The Learning Center Math and English Tutoring,
Testing Services

• The mission of The Learning Center is to serve a
  diverse student population through academic
  support services that enable students to achieve
  personal, academic, and vocational goals.

54
Thank you

• The presenters would like to thank all the
  faculty and staff from UAA, UAF, and UAS, who
  made contributions to this presentation and are
  working hard towards making Student Success and
  College Readiness as institutional priority.
• Also, we would like to thank President Hamilton,
  VPAAR Craig Dorman, AVPs Ted Kassier and Dave
  Veazey for participating in these discussions and
  bringing the UA Administrators, Faculty Alliance
  members and key personnel from UAA and UAS to
  Presidents Retreat.
• Thanks to the members of UA Faculty Alliance,
  who will discuss this subject for rest of the day
  and develop strategies through AY 2006-07, for
  achieving success for UA students in the years
  to come.
• Finally, our sincere thanks to Pat Ivey and Jodi
  Bailey for their support and patience.