Engaging Community Colleges A First Look

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The CCSSE-Texas Small Colleges Consortium
Working Together to Improve Student Success
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What is CCSSE?

• The CCSSE survey
• is administered directly to community college
  students during class sessions asks questions
  
  about institutional practices and student
  
  behaviors that are highly correlated with
  student learning and retention and uses
  a
  sampling methodology that is consistent
  across
  all participating colleges.

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Background about CCSSE

• Completed 5th national administration
• 700,000 students
• 548 community colleges
• 48 states, British Columbia, Marshall Islands

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CCSSE in Texas

• 59 (82 of) Texas community and technical
  colleges have participated in CCSSE (2002- 2008)
• 48 of those colleges have participated more than
  once

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The CCSSE-Texas Small Colleges Consortium

• For four years, The Houston Endowment Inc. has
  funded the Texas Small Colleges Consortium, a
  project that has supported two years of
  participation for 29 Texas community colleges in
  the Community College Survey of Student
  Engagement (CCSSE)

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The Colleges

• Northeast Texas Community College
• Panola College
• Paris Junior College
• Ranger College
• Southwest Texas Junior College
• Temple College
• Texas State Technical College Harlingen
• Texas State Technical College Marshall
• Texas State Technical College Waco
• Texas State Technical College West Texas
• The Victoria College
• Trinity Valley College
• Vernon College
• Western Texas College

• Angelina College
• Brazosport College
• Cedar Valley College
• Clarendon College
• Coastal Bend College
• College of the Mainland
• El Centro College
• Frank Phillips College
• Galveston College
• Grayson County College
• Howard College
• Kilgore College
• Lamar Institute of Technology
• Lamar State College Orange
• Navarro College

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Continued Work

• Under a new grant from the Houston Endowment
  Inc., colleges will receive a 50 grant-funded
  subsidy for their continued participation in
  CCSSE 2008 and 2010 or CCSSE 2009 and 2011 survey
  administrations.

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Using CCSSE Results for Improvement
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Trinity Valley Community College (TVCC)

• Texas Association for Institutional Research
  (TAIR)Galveston ConferenceFebruary 5, 2008
• Presented by Tina Rummel Director of
  Institutional ResearchTrinity Valley Community
  College

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About TVCC

• TVCC has campus locations in Athens, Terrell,
  Kaufman and Palestine. The college has grown to
  an enrollment of more than 5,800 students. 
• TVCCs mission statement is a learning-centered
  college that provides quality academic,
  workforce, and community service programs to meet
  the educational needs of our students and the
  citizens of our service area.
• TVCC has been reaffirmed by the Southern
  Association of College and Schools as of June,
  2007 with no additional follow-up.

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History of TVCC CCSSE

• TVCC was selected to participate in the Texas
  Small Texas College Consortium which was
  supported by the Houston Endowment for 2005 and
  2007 and feel very honored to have had that
  opportunity.
• TVCC s commitment to the results and findings of
  CCSSE in 2005 and 2007 has motivated us to
  continue participation in 2009 and 2011. Partial
  funding has been made possible through the
  (CCSSE) Texas Small Colleges Partnership.
• (Continued on next slide)

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The History (continued)

• Trinity Valley Community College administered
  CCSSE to over 700 students in the spring of both
  2005 and 2007.
• The results of the survey from 2005 revealed that
  90 of the community colleges that participated
  in CCSSE performed better than TVCC in four of
  the five student engagement benchmark areas.
• In 2005, faculty and administration were very
  alarmed and concerned by the results that TVCC
  received.
• Since that time, TVCC has been working diligently
  to improve the level of engagement with our
  students.

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TVCCs QUALITY ENHANCEMENT PLAN(QEP)

• TVCCs QEP became known as the Learning
  Initiative (LI).
• The LI focuses on increasing students ability to
  read and write in crucial learning experiences by
  enhancing student engagement.
• TVCC continues to incorporate student engagement
  initiatives into the LI, which was prompted by
  2005 CCSSE results. 
• A number of activities under the leadership of
  the LI have been developed since the alarming
  results of the 2005 CCSSE.
• The college is in its third year of the project
  and has a number of pilot programs in place.

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LI Projects

• Trinity Valley Community Colleges Quality
  Enhancement Plan Report, Engaged Learning
  Pathways to Success, identifies four projects to
  be implemented as a part of the QEP.
• An Open Learning Lab
• The Learning Academy
• Discipline-Specific Reading Tests
• Student Networking Groups

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Open Learning Lab

• A central part of the LI planning is to provide a
  free lab where students can receive professional
  tutoring and computer-assisted learning.
• The labs are designed to provide additional
  tutorial help to students who have difficulty
  with learning as well as a place to check email,
  work on distance education classes, and have a
  relaxing place to call home.
• The Terrell and Palestine campuses have joined
  the Athens campus in efforts to create permanent
  open Learning Labs at their facilities.
• Many faculty at the respective campuses have
  volunteered an hour of their office time to the
  lab, which has increased multi-campus awareness
  and involvement.
• The Learning Lab on the Athens campus has been
  relocated to a larger space on the 3rd floor in
  the newly opened Baugh Technology Center.
• A full-time coordinator has been hired effective
  Spring 2008.
• The LI office will track student and faculty
  involvement in the Open Learning Lab as a part of
  a LI Annual Report.

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Learning Academy

• The Learning Academy is a professional
  development program for faculty and staff
  designed to shift the emphasis from teaching to
  learning.
• The idea is that a significant portion of our
  faculty and staff will become graduates of the
  Learning Academy, thus creating a culture where
  fellow colleagues can openly talk about teaching
  and learning.
• A class of the Learning Academy is targeted to
  include 10 to 15 faculty or staff members a
  year.
• The learning academys popularity has generated a
  sophomore class as well as a freshman class of
  faculty and staff.
• On the next slide, these are the key elements
  that have come out of the Learning Academy.
• (Continued on next slide)

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Key Elements of the Learning Academy

• Classroom Assessment Techniques Participants
  suggest at least two new classroom assessment
  techniques for the group.
• Instructional Design Technique Effectiveness
  Participants document their own learning about
  learning as a result of the reengineered learning
  experience.
• Project Portfolio -- Participants complete a
  project portfolio designed to be at the
  conclusion of their entire learning experience
  for the Learning Academy. This portfolio includes
  documentation of the completion of the stated
  learning outcomes identified above. Due by July
  15th following the spring term of class
  participation, the portfolio takes numerous
  forms, including a paper copy, an interactive web
  portfolio, a video portfolio, or a combination of
  the above.
• Learning Day Participants document their
  progress toward these outcomes by providing
  evidence of such growth in their Project
  Portfolio and by presenting the results of their
  attempts to apply these concepts in their
  courses. These are to be shared with the entire
  campus during the Learning Day in the following
  fall semester. Learning Day has been officially
  added to the TVCC Calendar each fall semester.
  All classes are dismissed for the day for an
  intensive in-house opportunity for professional
  development.

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Discipline-Specific Reading Tests

• As a result of the data collected by the
  administration of the Pre-TASP (tests 01 and 02)
  in fall 2005, the LI Council decided to explore
  the idea of developing Discipline-Specific
  Reading Tests.
• The concept came at both the recommendation of
  the director of the Texas Assessing Student
  Learning Project as well as out of a need to
  respond to faculty demands to have information on
  reading which was practical and useful.
• In the case of the Pre-TASP test, none of the
  testing material was specific to particular
  disciplines.
• A major pilot for the fall 2006 semester was
  built around the concept of Discipline-Specific
  Reading Tests. A series of ready-to-use tests
  were developed around textbook readings taken
  from U.S. History, Speech, General Psychology,
  Fundamentals of Nursing and Human Anatomy
  Physiology. Students were asked to read a section
  of each textbook and respond to questions
  specific to that reading.
• Tests were created in each of these courses to
  measure the reading skills of the students
  enrolled.
• Student results on those assessments were
  immediately available so faculty could quickly
  recommend remediation, if needed.
• Post-tests were developed and administered to
  measure any reading gains.
• The tests have been put online using WebCT and we
  are in full swing with this process and making
  improvements as we go.

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Student Networking Groups

• This concept was to teach and train faculty in
  new group or team techniques and allow them to
  experiment before attempting to make major
  changes in course design.
• With Student Networking Groups, faculty would
  structure their classes to divide into working
  groups that would function to foster student to
  student interaction.
• Teaching methods would encourage active and
  collaborative learning between students while
  concurrently encouraging students to take
  responsibility for their learning.

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TVCCs Commitment to CCSSE

• TVCCs goal is to improve 10 deciles in 2009 and
  10 deciles in 2011 on the CCSSE Benchmark
  comparisons.
• Although the journey to be reaffirmed has ended
  for now, the goal of increased engagement will
  remain a focus for TVCC as we move into the
  future.
• Thank you for taking the time to listen today, I
  hope that you have enjoyed the presentation.

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Any Questions!!
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How Do I Find Out More?
Tina Rummel Director of Institutional
Research, Trinity Valley Community College 100
Cardinal Drive Athens, Texas 75751 (903)
675-6282 trummel_at_tvcc.edu www.tvcc.edu/institution
alresearch
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Lamar Institute of TechnologysPASS
ProgramPartnership in Achieving Student Success
Texas Association for Institutional Research
Galveston Conference February 5, 2008
Presented by Mr. David Mosley, Director
Institutional Research Planning, SACS
Accreditation Liaison
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Overview

• SACS Accreditation
• Quality Enhancement Plan
• Identification of a QEP topic
• LITs PASS Program
• College Success Skills Course
• Quality Academic Advising
• Assessment Results
• Community College Survey of Student Engagement
  (CCSSE)
• WorkKeys Listening, Reading for Information, and
  Writing Tests
• Retention Data

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SACS Accreditation Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP)

• Principles of Accreditation Foundations for
  Quality Enhancement
• Core Requirement 2.12 requires an institution to
  develop an acceptable Quality Enhancement Plan
  (QEP) and show that the plan is part of an
  ongoing planning and evaluation process. Engaging
  the wider academic community, the QEP is based
  upon a comprehensive and thorough analysis of the
  effectiveness of the learning environment for
  supporting student learning and accomplishing the
  mission of the institution. It is used to outline
  a course of action for institutional improvement
  by addressing one or more issues that contribute
  to institutional quality, with special attention
  to student learning.
• SACS Visiting Committees expect Multiple Direct
  Measures of Student Learning!

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Empirical Data (THECB)Retention Rates
Full time FTIC students who did not receive
remediation in the Fall and who returned the
following Spring
SI Similar Institutions
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What Do the Numbers Mean?
Statewide
LIT
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Establishing a Focus.

• Review of relevant research
• LIT Strategic Plan
• Empirical data (Data Resources for Institutional
  Effectiveness)
• Educational consultant (Noel Levitz)
• Faculty Assessment Survey
• Campus-wide Focus Groups
• Office of Student Services data

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Faculty Assessment Survey

• 30 of faculty indicated that 6 or more students
  were unsuccessful in courses they taught

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What Would Help?
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Valid Percents
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Partnership in Achieving Student Success (PASS
Program)

• Mission
• The PASS program seeks to improve the quality of
  student life and learning through improvements,
  enhancements, or additions to the institutions
  educational programs and services. (STUDENT
  ENGAGEMENT)
• Goal
• Design and implement a College Success Skills
  Course to improve the quality of student life and
  learning
• Provide quality academic advisement for students
• Provide professional and paraprofessional
  training to support PASS initiatives
• Student Learning Assessment Measures
• Academic Advisement Survey administered to all
  First-Time LIT students and to all graduating
  students.
• Community College Survey of Student Engagement
  (CCSSE) initially administered Spring 2004
  (Pre-QEP) and subsequently every two years.
• ACTs WorkKeys Listening, Reading for
  Information, and Writing tests administered in
  the College Success Skills Course

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Assessing the PASS Program

• Principal measures
• Pre-test and Post-test (WorkKeys)
• Community College Survey of Student
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Engagement (CCSSE)
• Academic Advising Pre-test and Post-test
• Other measures
• Supplemental Evaluations
• Retention data
• Future measures
• Survey of Entering Student Engagement (LIT to
  participate in Fall 2008) www.enteringstudent.org
  

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WorkKeys Data
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• - Texas Peer Group consists of Clarendon
  College, Coastal Bend College, Navarro College,
  Panola College, Texas State Technical College
  Marshall/Waco/West Texas, The Victoria College,
  and Western Texas College.

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CCSSE Retention Index Comparison LIT vs. Texas
Peer Group

• 2004 LIT Retention Index 151.96
• 2006 LIT Retention Index 161.70 (a gain of 9.74
  points or 6.4)
• 2004 Texas Peer Group Retention Index 158.60
• 2006 Texas Peer Group Retention Index 159.20
• (LIT's 2006 gain over the Peer Group 2.5 points
  or 1.6)
• Texas Peer Group
• Clarendon College, Coastal Bend College, Navarro
  College, Panola College, Texas State Technical
  College Marshall/Waco/West Texas, The Victoria
  College, and Western Texas College

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Active Collaborative Learning Benchmark

• In your experiences at this college during the
  current school year, about how often have you
  done each of the following? Asked questions in
  class or contributed to class discussions
• Made a class presentation.
• Worked with other students on projects during
  class (Effect Size0.24)
• Worked with classmates outside of class to
  prepare class assignments.
• Tutored or taught other students (paid or
  voluntary)
• Participated in a community-based project as part
  of a regular course
• Discussed ideas from your readings or classes
  with others outside of class (students, family
  members, co-workers, etc.)

- Statistically significant CCSSE Survey
Item(s) with positive Effect Size
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Student-Faculty Interaction Benchmark

• In your experiences at this college during the
  current school year, about how often have you
  done each of the following
• Used email to communicate with an instructor.
  (Effect Size -0.29)
• Discussed grades or assignments with an
  instructor.
• Talked about career plans with an instructor or
  advisor (Effect Size0.44)
• Discussed ideas from your readings or classes
  with instructors outside of class.
• Received prompt feedback (written or oral) from
  instructors on your performance.
• Worked with instructors on activities other than
  coursework (Effect Size0.25)

- Statistically significant CCSSE Survey
Item(s) with negative Effect Size -
Statistically significant CCSSE Survey Item(s)
with positive Effect Size
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Support for Learners Benchmark

• How much does this college emphasize each of the
  following
• Providing the support you need to help you
  succeed at this college.
• Encouraging contact among students from different
  economic, social, and racial or ethnic
  background.
• Helping you cope with your non-academic
  responsibilities (work, family, etc.) (Effect
  Size0.20)
• Providing the support you need to thrive
  socially. (Effect Size0.24)
• Providing the financial support you need to
  afford your education.
• Indicate how often you use the following
  services
• Academic advising/planning. (Effect Size0.33)
• Career counseling (Eff. Size0.21)

- Statistically significant CCSSE Survey
Item(s) with positive Effect Size
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Thank you.
For more information David Mosley,
Coordinator Institutional Research
Planning SACS Accreditation Liaison Lamar
Institute of Technology PO Box 10043 Beaumont,
Texas 77710 409.880.2207, David.Mosley_at_lit.edu