College Achievement Program: Serving First Generation Students through a Learning Community

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College Achievement Program Serving First
Generation Students through a Learning Community

• Patty Avila-Porter, Student Access Coordinator
• Cheryl Cardoza, Professor
• Kristen DeMay, Counselor
• March 16, 2009

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Outline

• Introduction, Reflection Sharing
• Challenges Students and Educators Face
• College Achievement Program (CAP)
• Research and strategies
• Learning Communities
• Research and strategies

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WELCOME

• Introduction
• What institution are you from?
• What information would you like to take away from
  this workshop?

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• What was your educational journey and who were
  your role models?

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What Was Your Programming?

• Were you a 1st or 2nd generation college student?
• Who did you receive your messages from?
• What specific messages did you receive about
  going to college?
• Did your high school prepare you for college?

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Challenges Students and Educators Face
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Challenges Students Face

• Navigating the system
• Under prepared
• Lack of family support or knowledge in college
  planning

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Challenges Students Face

• Cultural Educational values
• Educator Expectations
• Feeling connected to college

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Challenges Educators Face

• Demographics
• Cultural Shifts
• Under prepared students
• Approx 21 of TMCC students are enrolled in 1 or
  more developmental courses (Fact Book 2008).

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Challenges Educators Face

• Changes in University Admission policies
• Multi-generational
• Transition from high school to college

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Where do Students College Perceptions Come From?

• Families
• Friends
• Schools
• Secondary Sources
• (movies, music, counselors, media, etc.)

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Family Differences in College Planning

• Second Generation College Students
• College prep classes (K-12)
• Knowledge of college choices
• Knowledge of college admission requirements

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Family Differences in College Planning

• First Generation College Students
• Develop their motivation later
• Often encouraged by teachers or counselors
• Experience conflicts with multi-identities

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What do we know about college access?

• What does the research show?

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National Center for Education Statistics

• Statistics revealed 1st generation/low-income
  students more likely to succeed if
• 12 credit load
• Part-time work (20 hrs)
• Continued Counseling

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Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS)

• Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOP)
• Best Practice Model State Funded program
• Support through counseling
• Tutoring
• Financial assistance
• Peer-advising
• Transferring to a four-year college/university

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College achievement program (CAP)

• Eligibility, Program Requirements and Services

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CAP Eligibility Requirements

• First generation and/or Foster Youth
• Nevada Resident
• Submitted FAFSA application and eligible for
  federal Pell grant
• ACCUPLACER placement test scores placing student
  in a developmental English or math class

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CAP Recruitment Strategies

• Identify first time, full time students and/or
  foster youth
• Financial Aid via FAFSA information
• High School Counselor Contacts
• Community Contacts
• Information Sessions
• Call and invite identified students to sessions
• Session provides overview of the Program
  Eligibility, Requirements and Benefits

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CAP Program Requirements

• CAP Final Interview
• Student Mutual Responsibility Contract
• Schedule Fall classes and placed on Registration
  Hold
• CAP Orientation
• Full time or 12 credits for fall/spring semester
• Enroll in CAP Learning Community
• EPY 101 and ENG 098R for fall semester
• Mandatory Advisement
• Progress Report
• Educational Plan and Semester Scheduling

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CAP Services

• Services for first-generation and low-income
  students in CAP
• Counseling
• Tutoring and Learning Center
• Progress Monitoring
• Mandatory Advisement
• Priority Registration
• Learning Community of Eng 098 Preparatory English
  EPY 101- Educational, Career and Personal
  Development

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Learning Communities

• Research and Strategies

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Benefits of a Learning Community

• A deeper student-to-student interaction with
  peers and faculty creates connections
• The atmosphere provides known environmental
  factors that enhance learning
• Collaborative work
• Active Learning
• Tutoring support
• Course materials place an important
• emphasis on societal and cultural awareness

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Learning Communities Reforming Undergraduate
Education

• By Smith, MacGregor, Matthews, and Gabelnick
• Foster sense of community and shared purpose
  among students and teachers
• Create curricular coherence and connections
• Teach skills in meaningful contexts
• Provides more time for learning through paired
  courses, extracurricular and co-curricular
  experiences
• Enables students to become autonomous and
  independent learners (p. 68)

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Elements of the CAP Learning Community

• Students enroll in courses together as a cohort
• Faculty work together to integrate materials and
  themes
• Syllabus
• Book Clubs
• Seminars
• Extra-Curricular Requirement
• Peer Tutoring and Counseling support are provided
  to ensure student success

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QUESTIONS??

• Thank you, enjoy the rest of your day!

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Contact Information

• Patty Avila-Porter
• pporter_at_tmcc.edu
• 775-673-7060
• Kristen DeMay
• kdemay_at_tmcc.edu
• 775-673-7060
• Cheryl Cardoza
• ccardoza_at_tmcc.edu
• 775-673-7189