Increasing Adult ESL Student Retention: One Programs Path

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Increasing Adult ESL Student Retention One
Programs Path

• CATESOL 2009
• April 17, 2009
• Pasadena, CA
• Jack Bailey
• Santa Barbara Continuing Education

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Who are you?

• Please raise your hand if you are
• Associated with administration

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Who are you?

• Please raise your hand if you are
• Associated with administration
• An ESL teacher

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Who are you?

• Please raise your hand if you are
• Associated with administration
• An ESL teacher
• Receive WIA 231 funding

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Who are you?

• Please raise your hand if you are
• Associated with administration
• An ESL teacher
• Receive WIA 231 funding
• Participate in CASAS testing

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Who are you?

• Please raise your hand if you are
• Associated with administration
• An ESL teacher
• Receive WIA 231 funding
• Participate in CASAS testing
• Are in the right room?!?

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Who We Are SBCC Continuing Education

• Santa Barbara Adult Continuing Education
• Non-credit Division of Santa Barbara Community
  College District
• Average 4,500 ESL students year (Unduplicated)
• 65 part-time instructors
• 60 classes at 25 sites throughout the Santa
  Barbara area
• Classes run 4 to 15 hours/week day and night

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Student Demographics

• 86 Spanish-speaking
• Average third-grade education
• Major student employment
• Hotels
• Restaurants
• Nurseries
• Construction
• Domestic helps
• Nursing homes

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Why Improve Retention?

• Historically averaging 50 retention from first
  month to last few weeks of class over 10-12
  weeks.
• Not atypical -The average time that an adult
  spends in a program is fewer than 70 hours in a
  12-month period. (U.S. Department of Education,
  2001)

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Why Improve Retention?

• Historically averaging 50 retention from first
  month to last few weeks of class over 10-12
  weeks.
• Not atypical -The average time that an adult
  spends in a program is fewer than 70 hours in a
  12-month period. (U.S. Department of Education,
  2001)
• Studies show that students need at least 100
  hours to make significant learning gains (but
  most of our students had attended far less time).

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Why Improve Retention?

• Historically averaging 50 retention from first
  month to last few weeks of class over 10-12
  weeks.
• Not atypical -The average time that an adult
  spends in a program is fewer than 70 hours in a
  12-month period. (U.S. Department of Education,
  2001)
• Studies show that students need at least 100
  hours to make significant learning gains (but
  most of our students had attended far less time).
• Students who study more learn more.
• - And fancy studies prove it!

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Why Improve Retention?

• CASAS paired scores are challenging to collect in
  low retention environments. Without a second test
  all EL Civics funding is also lost.

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Why Improve Retention?

• CASAS paired scores are challenging to collect in
  low retention environments. Without a second test
  all EL Civics funding is also lost.
• Most agencies need all the ADA/FTES they can get.

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Why Improve Retention?

• CASAS paired scores are challenging to collect in
  low retention environments. Without a second test
  all EL Civics funding is also lost.
• Most agencies need all the ADA/FTES they can get.
• 87 (39 of 45 classes) offered classes were at a
  beginning level.

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Why Improve Retention?

• We can do better- While the average rate of
  student retention in our program is near 55,
  some classes retained as much as 90.

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Why Improve Retention?

• Student Goals not being Attained
• Upon entering program
• 79 of students plan to achieve level 6
• 51 plan to attend at least 2 years
• 69 plan to attend credit classes
• Again, 87 of offered classes had been at a
  beginning levels.

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Why Improve Retention?

• We must also consider the possible
  implications of these low retention rates on the
  students themselves.  For many of them it's their
  first attempt at formal studies in this country.
  It would be a travesty if some of these drop-out
  students considered themselves failures and/or
  gave up on further educational pursuits.

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Retention Project Goals

• Improve Retention
• Increase percentage of students at higher levels.
• Foster student expectation that theyll achieve
  high levels in our program AND transition to
  other academic or vocational goals.

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Retention Project Goals

• Produce equal or higher number of FTES per year.
• Make each hour a student spent in class as
  effective and rewarding as possible.
• Increase instructor job security and job
  satisfaction.

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Retention Project Results
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Results Retention

• 21 Increase in Student Retention
• 49 in Winter 2007
• 70 in Winter 2008
• (Retention Students registered in January
  compared to those same students still attending
  in last week of classes)

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Results FTES

• 8.5 Increase
• in Student Attendance over 2006-07
• 2006/07 597 FTES (313,604 hours)
• 2007/08 648 FTES (340,429 hours)

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Results Headcount

• 15 Decrease in Unduplicated Headcounts
• 2006/07 4,865
• 2007/08 4,114

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Results CASAS Paired Scores

• 16 Increase in Paired CASAS Scores
• 2006/07 50
• 2007/08 66

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Results WIA 231 Payment Points

• 6.5 Increase in WIA payment points
• 2006/07 3,604
• 2007/08 3,835
• Even missing one full term of EL Civics

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Results Students Earning Payment Points

• 8 Increase in percentage of students earning
  payment points
• 2006/07 3,597 Students with 1,288 of them
  earning payment points 36
• 2007-08 3074 Students with 1,370 of them earning
  payment points 44

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Results Student Level Completion

• Increases in Student Completing a Level
• (Fed Table 4 Data)

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Persistence vs. Retention

• Learner Persistence
• Adults staying in programs for as long as they
  can, engaging in self-directed study or distance
  education when they must stop attending program
  services, and returning to program services as
  soon as the demands of their lives allow.
• -National Center for the
• Study of Adult Learning and Literacy

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Persistence vs. Retention

• Learner Retention
• The percentage of students who remain in and
  continue to attend adult education classes
  throughout the semester or year - A statistic.

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Retention Project History

• Study Circle on Learner Persistence
• (2004-05)
• 10 teachers meeting 3 times for 3 hours each
• Reading all available research on adult student
  persistence (not much)
• Discussing implications for our program
• More Study Circle info at http//www.ncsall.net/
  fileadmin/resources/teach/lp.pdf

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Project History

• The Retention Task Force (2005-06)
• 11 ESL teachers (credit and non-credit), student
  services and me.
• 8 meetings over 4 months.
• Reviewing Study Circle and other findings.
• Subcommittees created specific proposals to
  improve retention.
• Proposals were voted on and accepted for Fall
  2007 Implementation.

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Seven Primary Proposals

• 1. Managed Registration
• 2. Managed Enrollment
• 3. Nine-week Terms
• 4. Adoption of Core Text
• 5. Standardized Level Assessment and Student
  Orientation through Student Services
• 6. Limit Multi-level Offerings to 3 Levels
• 7. Student Success Class

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1 Managed Registration

• All students must register in first two weeks of
  the term.
• Extensive internal and external used to get the
  word out.

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2 Managed Enrollment

• Students commit to one or both 2-day class
  sections Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday.
• Fridays optional
• Students must maintain 80 attendance in each
  section.
• Students who fall between 70-79 attendance can
  make-up absence with special work assigned by the
  instructor.

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Managed Enrollment

• Students who miss more than 30 of class are
  redirected to an open-entry class option.
• Students complete a contract for the days to
  which they commit.
• Note More students have committed to attending 4
  nights a week than expected - Nearly 60.
• Teacher and student bonus Classes with at least
  20 student contracts are given a guarantee to run
  for the entire term regardless of attendance.

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Managed Enrollment

• Our students CAN commit when they VALUE what the
  program has to offer.
• Open-entry doesnt reward students who can commit
  to a regular schedule it actually punishes them!

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Open-entry ESL Options Remain

• Open-entry Classes about 10
• Distance Learning (Video/DVD Check-out)
• Open-access Computer Labs with ESL Software
• Tutorial Center
• Library Literacy Program

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Instructor Comments on Managed Enrollment
Benefits
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Instructor Comments on Managed Enrollment
Benefits
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Instructor Comments on Managed Enrollment
Concerns
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Instructor Comments on Managed Enrollment
Concerns
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Instructor Comments on Managed Enrollment
Concerns
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Instructor Comments on Managed Enrollment
Development Process
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3 Adoption of Nine-week Terms

• Duration that students can commit to.
• Schedule more closely parallels K-12
  calendar/holidays.

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4 Adoption of Core Text

• Use one text series for all levels of ESL
  classes.
• Promote matriculation between classes and sites.
• Students get used to format of series.
• Teachers become much more familiar with series
  support resources
• Lesson Plans
• Multilevel Activity Book
• Reproducibles
• Audio program
• Assessment Disc (Exam View)
• Professional Development Program for Multilevel
  Teachers

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Core Text Step Forward
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Core Text Adoption Process

• Selected by instructors who
• Reviewed sample copies
• Attended publisher presentations

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5 Standardized Level Assessment and Student
Orientation through Student Services

• All new ESL students are strongly recommended
  in level assessment, orientation and advising
  (A/O).
• A/O takes place over two days and 6 hours.

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6 Limit Multi-level ESL Class Offerings to Three
Levels

• Offer no more than 3 levels per single classroom.
• Experimenting with two systems
• 2-3 level groups taught separately
• Single curriculum with Step Forwards multilevel
  resources

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7 Student Success Class

• For all new incoming students by Spring 2009
• Open to any ESL student
• Currently being piloted at 6 hours length
• Multi-level
• English-only
• Taught by ESL teachers
• Collecting FTES

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Student Success Class

• Contents
• Study Skills / Learning Strategies
• Potential barriers to attendance
• Self-efficacy
• Motivation- Why learn English?
• Financial advantages
• Role Models
• Success Stories

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Student Success Class

• Contents cont.
• Time-management
• Sacrifice what will students need to give up in
  order to make time for English study?
• Our educational approach (Communicative,
  student-centered)
• Compare / contrast educational expectations
• Community resources
• Community building

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Student Success Class

• Contents cont.
• Student Services
• Credit class options
• Vocational Certificates
• Program Tests
• In depth look at other College Programs
• Evaluation

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Student Success Class Research

• John Comings Four Supports that help learners
  persist
• 1. Awareness and management of the positive and
  negative forces that help and hinder persistence.

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Student Success Class Research

• John Comings Four Supports that help learners
  persist
• 1. Awareness and management of the positive and
  negative forces that help and hinder persistence.
• 2. Self-efficacy about reaching their goals.

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Student Success Class Research

• John Comings Four Supports that help learners
  persist
• 1. Awareness and management of the positive and
  negative forces that help and hinder persistence.
• 2. Self-efficacy about reaching their goals.
• 3. Establishment of a goal by the learner.

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Student Success Class Research

• John Comings Four Supports that help learners
  persist
• 1. Awareness and management of the positive and
  negative forces that help and hinder persistence.
• 2. Self-efficacy about reaching their goals.
• 3. Establishment of a goal by the learner.
• 4. Progress toward reaching a goal.

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Student Success Class

• Course is very interactive and fun a goal is
  that students will encourage friends to attend.
• ESL Student Guide as class text.
• Under revision
• Older version available at
• http//ce.sbcc.edu/instructor_resources.html

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Student Success Class

• In many cases, our students come to class
  without clear or consistent goals other than a
  desire to learn another language. It is our task
  to help them sort out the confusion and give them
  some sort of order to their effort. They may
  already know some of the essentials according to
  traditional curricula, but its our job to guide
  the students to discover for themselves what is
  worth learning, worth doing, and worth knowing in
  their new language.
• -Community Spirit, Bassano and Christison

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Retention Changes Communication with Teachers

• Stayed in communication with all instructors
  throughout process.
• Solicited instructor suggestions during task
  force meetings.
• Shared proposals with ESL Teachers at Spring 2007
  In-service.
• Each task force member shared at least one
  proposal
• Strong backing of college VP
• All proposals received very well

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Retention ChangesCommunication with Students

• Class presentations by Students Service staff
  starting four months prior to changes being
  enacted.
• Flyers to both current students and community.
• Extensive radio and TV.
• Message Things are changing

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Funding

• WIA 231
• Basic Skills Initiative
• Matriculation
• Pays for
• Curriculum development
• Instructor in-servicing
• Outreach
• Staff

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Teacher Feedback

• What is your overall impression of the change?
• Overall impression is positive, has improved
  retention and student success, student reaction
  positive, teaching is more satisfying because I
  am better able to respond to student's needs when
  I know who will be attending.
• This management enrollment has been successful
  because it gave the students a certain feeling of
  obligation and responsibility they were supposed
  to have a strong 2 day or 4 day commitment. In my
  class, this change showed positive results.

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Teacher Feedback

• Has the intervention been successful in improving
  retention and student success in our program?
• Yes, I think some students came more regularly
  than they would have. I do think the consistency
  of classmates helped students to build community.
  I do think some students learned more than they
  would have, coming less regularly.
• Yes, I had much better retention this semester
  than previous semesters. The students also came
  more regularly and often inquired about their
  attendance. Students also called me or sent notes
  when they would be absent.

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Teacher Feedback

• How would you characterize your students
  impressions of the changes?
• They understood the advantage of committing. I
  think they liked that the class was closed
  after two weeks. They especially liked getting
  to know each other and each others cultures.
• My students have enjoyed these changes and are
  making significant learning gains because of it.

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Teacher Feedback

• It professionalizes our image and sends the
  message that this isnt play school.

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Modifications Made for 2008-09

• 10-week Terms
• Continued teacher training and resource
  development
• Needs Assessment
• Goal Setting
• Progress Tracking
• Discontinue Class Guarantee in ME.
• Allowance of attending third day in Managed
  Enrollment.
• Six-hour teacher training on teaching Multilevel
  Classes.

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SBCC CE ESL Website Resources

• ESL Student Guide
• Calendars
• ESL Student Orientations
• ESL Student Contract
• Forms and documents
• Flyers
• CASAS Sample Tests
• Student Goal Setting Materials
• Student Needs Assessment with Step Forward
• Student Success Class Materials
• Conference Presentations
• http//ce.sbcc.edu/instructor_resources.html

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Thank you for coming!

• Jack Bailey
• Director, ESL and Foreign Languages
• [phone]
• baileyJ_at_sbcc.edu
• http//ce.sbcc.edu/instructor_resources.html under
  Conference Presentations ?