No Child Left Behind: Correct Placement Equals Retention

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No Child Left BehindCorrect Placement Equals
Retention

• Presented by
• Kathie Montognese
• Director of Testing Services
• Hennepin Technical College
• MnSCU Accuplacer Institutional Administrator
• Minnesota College and University System

Innovations 2009 Conference Reno, NV March 15,
2009
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Session Overview

• Why do we test for course placement?
• Many students are underprepared for college
• Accurate placement improves retention and student
  success
• Overview of Hennepin Technical College
• Challenges and concerns
• How can we help students and improve retention?
• Overview of Advancer
• Partnering with High Schools and ABE Centers

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Recent Changes Regarding Course Placement in MnSCU

• Selected a single course placement instrument
• Implemented Fall 2007
• Implemented a new model for managing ACCUPLACER
  (system endorsed testing program)
• Implemented Spring 2008
• Conducted research and set system course
  placement scores in reading, writing, and
  mathematics
• implemented Fall 2008

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Challenges of Remediating Underprepared Students

• Country is undergoing profound economic and
  demographic changes
• Creates a demand for workers with post- secondary
  training
• Employers are looking for employees that are
  cross-trained
• Do more with less
• Budget cuts in education
• Less coming in, while more needed to help
  students with multiple barriers
• Well educated Baby Boomers are retiring and being
  replaced by the ID generation

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National Statistics

• Diploma to Nowhere, Sept 2008
• More than a third of all students enroll in
  remedial courses
• Percent of students receiving remediation (2004)
• All students 34
• Institution type
• Two-year public college 43
• Four-year public college 29
• Bridging the Gap, Jan 2009
• Nearly a third of all incoming freshman enroll in
  remedial courses
• Institution type
• Two-year public colleges 42 of first year
  students
• Four-year public college 27 of first year
  students
• Remedial courses offered at 99 of public 2 year
  colleges and 75 of public 4 year institutions

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MN Statistics Getting Prepared, March 2008
Minnesota Public High School Graduates who
Enrolled in Minnesota Public Higher Education
and took Developmental Courses within Two Years
of Graduation
Percentages do not add to 38 (the total) due to
rounding of numbers. Sources U of M, Office of
Institutional Research and Reporting, and MnSCU
Research and Planning
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MN Statistics Getting Prepared, March 2008
Minnesota Public High School Graduates who
Enrolled in Minnesota Public Higher Education
and took Developmental Courses within Two Years
of Graduation
Percent of graduates who attended public higher
education who took developmental courses
Percentages do not add to 38 (the total) due to
rounding of numbers. Sources U of M, Office of
Institutional Research and Reporting, and MnSCU
Research and Planning
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Hennepin Technical CollegeAt a Glance

• Largest Technical College in Minnesota
• Serving over 8,500 students on 2 campuses
• Serving over 12,000 students through Customized
  Training Division
• Majors offered
• 44 (A.S., A.A.S., Diplomas, Certificates)
• Part of MnSCU system
• 54 campuses
• 7 state universities
• 32 - 2 year colleges

• Average Age 27
• Enrollment Status
• Part Time 68
• Full Time 32
• Gender
• Male 53
• Female 47
• Ethnic Background
• Caucasian 65
• African American 15
• Asian 6
• Hispanic 2
• American Indian 1
• Not Declared 11

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Challenges and Concerns

• Challenges
• Many students arrive at our doors only to find
  they are underprepared to begin college-level
  coursework
• In 2007-2008, 60 of students placed into a
  developmental course in one of the three basic
  skills areas
• Concerns
• Statistics show that students who begin in
  developmental classes are less likely to persist
  and graduate
• According to the Alliance for Excellent Education
  (2006), the U.S. spends 1.4 billion to provide
  remedial classes at colleges for students who
  recently completed high school

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What can we do? Look for ways to Improve
Retention

• Fall of 2006, Hennepin Technical College Testing
  Center obtained initiative funding to purchase
  Advancer, online tutorial of basic skills
• Initially used two ways
• Study before initial course placement testing
• Prior to retesting

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MnSCU Course Placement Scores
Most colleges have a base score you need to
register for their lowest level of developmental
courses.
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Why is it important for us to work with High
Schools to determine college readiness?

• Taking Placement Tests while still attending High
  School helps students know where their skill
  levels are in relation to what they need to meet
  their future educational goals
• Encourages students to continue to develop skills
  required for college success
• Helps students stay focused and more prepared
  when entering post-secondary education

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Advancer Pilot

• Pilot results were very encouraging
• Math
• Of new students who used Advancer and retested
  with ACCUPLACER, 54.5 improved their placements
  in math
• Average improvement in Arith was 21 points
• Average improvement in Algebra was 15.8 points
• Reading
• Of new students who used Advancer and retested
  with ACCUPLACER, 38 improved their placements in
  reading
• Average improvement in Reading was 6.1 points
• Overall 70 of students who used Advancer prior
  to retesting went up one to two courses

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Expanded the Use of Advancer

• LRC with tutors, can work with more students
• Developmental instructors in classroom
• ABE working with adults transitioning to college
• College Readiness High School Testing Program
• M-Powered, Customized Training

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Customized Training M-Powered Project

• M-Powered is a fast track training program in
  manufacturing metalstamping/sheet metal
  fabrication, welding and machining/CNC operation
• The focus of M-Powered is low-income, unemployed
  and dislocated workers. Program is 12 weeks of
  fast track classroom training
• Assessment testing showed 75 of participants did
  not have the necessary basic arithmetic skills
  needed to be successful in this fast paced
  training
• Students with arith test scores below 40 on
  Accuplacer were required to complete the
  Advancer arith coursework
• 73 of students who completed Advancer
  coursework passed the final exam
• Advisory Board has recommended that Advancer be
  included in the M-Powered program

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Arithmetic Advancer for M-Powered
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Model used at Hennepin Technical College to
partner with surrounding High Schools

• TOUR Hennepin Technical College for career
  exploration, What programs are available to me?
• TEST Take ACCUPLACER Placement Test at High
  School, proctored by college testing staff
• TALK Receive individualized test interpretation
  with HTC counselors/testing staff at HS, sign up
  students for Advancer, parent evenings
• Working on a system to track student progression
  from high school to college

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Sample of Results and Recommendations from
Testing at a High School
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Ascension High School Project

• Inner city charter high school
• 91, 1st generation college students
• Advancer for 6 weeks, 2 hrs/week with instructor
• 26 Seniors
• 3 Reading Comp
• 15 Sentence Skills
• 5 Arith
• 2 Elm Alg
• 1 Trig/CLM

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Advancer Overview

• Online tutorial to review/refresh basic skills
• Reading, Sentence Skills, Arith, Elm Alg, CLM
• Does not replace a dev course
• www.advancerlearning.com

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Optional Prescriptive Instruction
College Readiness Proficiencies
Skill-Level Diagnostic Reporting
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Advancer Design

• Students can work on it anywhere at anytime-
  online delivery
• Provides diagnostics, What do I need to study?
• Prescribed instructional coursework (optional)
• Individualized to students specific learning
  needs
• Refreshes basic skills needed for college success
• Targets certain populations
• Students wanting to review skills prior to
  placement testing
• Students needing remediation before retesting
• Enrolled students needing light academic support
• Not designed as a comprehensive developmental
  course.

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Frequently Asked Questions
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Steps To Sign Up
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Discussion and Questions

• Kathie Montognese
• Ph 952-995-1545 (office)
• Email kathie.montognese_at_hennepintech.edu

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WITHOUT good assessment, advising and sometimes
intervention, our students will.
try and try again with the same results!