Accelerated Learning Program

1
ACCELERATED LEARNING PROGRAM (ALP)
March 17, 2009

• the context
• the problem
• the solution
• the results
• the future
• the costs

Donna McKusick Peter Adams
2
ACCELERATED LEARNING PROGRAM (ALP)
March 17, 2009

• the context

Donna McKusick, Cheryl Scott, and Peter Adams
Donna McKusick Peter Adams
3
The Community College of Baltimore County

• One college, three campuses, located in
  Baltimore, Maryland.

4
(No Transcript)
5
CCBC is

• One college, three campuses, located in
  Baltimore, Maryland.

• 28,251 credit students
• 15,567 FTE

6
CCBC Students
7
CCBC Students

• 60 work 20 hours or more weekly
• 37 receive financial aid
• 69 of credit students place in at least one
  developmental course

8
Developmental Writing at CCBC

• placement by Accuplacer with option to appeal by
  writing sample and verification by writing sample
  the first week of class
• two levels of developmental writing
• lower level ENGL 051

• upper level ENGL 052

9
ACCELERATED LEARNING PROGRAM (ALP)
March 17, 2009

• the context
• the problem

Donna McKusick, Cheryl Scott, and Peter Adams
Donna McKusick Peter Adams
10
Two Ways of Viewing Developmental Education
11
1993 Study

• students who took ENG 052 at Essex Community
  College in 1988/89
• 863 students
• followed for four yearsuntil 1992

12
Students who took ENG 052 for the first time in
1988/1989
took 052 1988/1989 863
13
Students who took ENG 052 for the first time in
1988/1989
took 052 1988/1989 863
14
Students who took ENG 052 for the first time in
1988/1989
took 052 1988/1989 863
15
Students who took ENG 052 for the first time in
1988/1989
took 052 1988/1989 863
placed in 052 1988/1989 1948
16
Comparison of Students Placed in ENG 052 Those
Placed in ENG 101
Placed in ENG 052
Placed in ENG 101
17
Comparison of Students Placed in ENG 052 with
Those Placed in ENG 101
Placed in ENG 052
Placed in ENG 101
18
Students who took ENG 052 for the first time in
1988/1989
took 052 1988/1989 863 44
placed in 052 1988/1989 1948
19
Students who took ENG 052 for the first time in
1988/1989
took 052 1988/1989 863 44
placed in 052 1988/1989 1948
20
Carlas Comment
Im really a terrible writer, but my English
teacher thinks Im a good writer, so this
semester I have written really good papers so
she doesnt find out what a bad writer I am.
21
The Problem
For students placed in ENG 052,

• the success rate is too low.
• the attrition rate is too high

22
ACCELERATED LEARNING PROGRAM (ALP)
March 17, 2009

• the context
• the problem
• the solution

Donna McKusick, Cheryl Scott, and Peter Adams
Donna McKusick Peter Adams
23
Thanks to the Pioneers of Mainstreaming
Arizona State University California State
University, Chico City College of New
York College of New Jersey Grand Valley State
University Miami University, Middleton Quinnipiac
University San Francisco State University Springfi
eld College SUNY New Paltz University of South
Carolina University of Washington University of
Wisconsin, Milwaukee Washington State University
24
Traditional
semester 1
25
Traditional
semester 2
semester 1
26
ALP
27
What do we do in the ENG 101 class?
The English 101 class is conducted just like a
regular 101 class. We consider it essential that
we maintain the same standards and cover the same
material in the 101 class as we would in any 101
section.
28
What do we do in the ALP 052 class?

• The instructor for the ALP 052 section has one
  goal to do whatever will maximize the ALP
  students likelihood of success in the 101
  class.
• answering questions left over from the 101
  class
• discussing ideas for the next essay in 101
• reviewing drafts of essays the students are
  working on for 101
• writing short papers that reinforce what has
  been discussed in iiithe 101 class or prepare for
  what will be discussed in the 101 iiiclass
• working on grammar and punctuation
• discussing how to succeed as a college student
• discussing problems interfering with the
  students progress in iii101

29
Grading

• ENGL 052 is a pass or fail course where students
  earn either S (satisfactory performance) or U
  (unsatisfactory).
• ENGL 101 is a graded course where students must
  earn a C or better to be eligible to register for
  ENGL 102.

30
What outcomes are possible for ALP students?
ENG 052
ENG 101
31
ACCELERATED LEARNING PROGRAM (ALP)
March 17, 2009

• the context
• the problem
• the solution
• the results

Donna McKusick, Cheryl Scott, and Peter Adams
Donna McKusick Peter Adams
32
Data from Fall 2007, Spring 2008, and Fall 2008
These data are based on the three semesters of
ALP. The sample size, 151, is small, so the
results are preliminary.
33
took 052 fa06 1023
students who took traditional developmental
writing in fall 06
took 052 07-08 151
students who took ALP in fall 07, spring 08, or
fall 08
34
took 052 fa06 1023
students who took traditional developmental
writing in fall 06
took 052 07-08 151
students who took ALP in fall 07, spring 08, or
fall 08
35
took 052 fa06 1023
students who took traditional developmental
writing in fall 06
took 052 07-08 151
students who took ALP in fall 07, spring 08, or
fall 08
36
took 052 fa06 1023
students who took traditional developmental
writing in fall 06
took 052 07-08 151
students who took ALP in fall 07, spring 08, or
fall 08
37
took 052 fa06 1023
students who took traditional developmental
writing in fall 06
took 052 07-08 151
students who took ALP in fall 07, spring 08, or
fall 08
38
took 052 fa06 1023
students who took traditional developmental
writing in fall 06
took 052 07-08 151
students who took ALP in fall 07, spring 08, or
fall 08
39
took 052 fa06 1023
students who took traditional developmental
writing in fall 06
took 052 07-08 151
students who took ALP in fall 07, spring 08, or
fall 08
40
ACCELERATED LEARNING PROGRAM (ALP)
March 17, 2009

• the context
• the problem
• the solution
• the results
• the future

Donna McKusick, Cheryl Scott, and Peter Adams
Donna McKusick Peter Adams
41
ALP Expansion of the Program
320 students
40 sections
160 students
20 sections
80 students
students
2009-10
2007-08
2008-09
42
Studying ALP
Is some of the success of ALP due to instructor
bias?
43
Studying ALP

• data comparing ALP student success in ENG 102
  with that of students who passed traditional ENG
  052

44
traditional
took 052 fa06 1023
ALP
took 052 07-08 74
45
traditional
took 052 fa06 1023
ALP
took 052 07-08 74
46
traditional
took 052 fa06 1023
ALP
took 052 07-08 74
47
traditional
took 052 fa06 1023
ALP
took 052 07-08 74
48
success in ENGL 102 for students who
took traditional ENGL 025 in fall 2006
success in ENGL 102 for students who took ALP 052
in academic year 2007-8
took ENGL 102 154 students
took ENGL 102 29 students
49
success in ENGL 102 for students who
took traditional ENGL 025 in fall 2006
success in ENGL 102 for students who took ALP 052
in academic year 2007-8
took ENGL 102 154 students
passed ENGL 102 107 69
took ENGL 102 29 students
passed ENGL 102 19 66
didnt pass ENGL 102 10 34
didnt pass ENGL 102 47 31
50
Future Research

• data comparing ALP student success in ENG 102
  with that of students who passed traditional ENG
  052

• blind scoring of final papers from the ENG 101
  sections
• investigation of 10 hypotheses for ALP success

51
Ten Hypotheses for Why ALP Succeeds

• increases student confidence
• reduces negative attitude caused by no credit
  for developmental course
• increases student attachment to the college.
• provides ALP students with role models who are
  strong writers.
• increases bonds among the students and between
  students and instructor.
• encourages students to see instructors as
  coaches rather than judges
• provides students with increased individual
  attention
• improves instruction in grammar, punctuation,
  and usage
• decreases student behaviors that impede success
• reduces the interference of non-academic
  problems with student performance

52
Twelve Hypotheses for Why ALP Succeeds

• increases student confidence
• reduces negative attitude caused by no credit
  for developmental course
• increases student attachment to the college.
• provides ALP students with role models who are
  strong writers.
• increases bonds among the students and between
  students and instructor.
• encourages students to see instructors as
  coaches rather than judges
• provides students with increased individual
  attention
• improves instruction in grammar, punctuation,
  and usage
• decreases student behaviors that impede success
• reduces the interference of non-academic
  problems with student performance

• student interest in grammar increases
• students perceive what theyre learning as more
  useful because they apply iit in the ENGL 101
  section

53
Why ALP Works
To test these hypotheses, a student survey was
distributed this fall in all ALP classes and in
five sections of traditional ENGL 052 at the
beginning and at the end of the semester. The
results of those surveys are presented in the
following charts. 105 traditional ENGL 052
students and 53 ALP students responded to the
survey. However, the exact number of responses
to each item varied slightly.
54
ALP reduces negative attitude caused by no
credit for developmental course.
How do you feel about the fact that you do not
get credit for the developmental English course?
very negative
somewhat negative
somewhat positive
very positive
30
post-
post-
55

encourages students to see instructors as
coaches rather than judges
Which of the following describes how you relate
to your teacher? Check as many as apply.)
56

increases bonds among the students
How well did you get to know your classmates
during this semester?
87
57
increases bonds among the students and between
students and instructor
How well do you think you instructor got to know
you this semester?
98
58
provides students with increased individual
attention
I got a chance to ask questions about things I
didnt fully understand.
93
92
59
provides students with increased individual
attention
I got help with revising my papers from my
classmates and/or my instructor.
93
92
60
increases bonds among the students and between
students and instructor
Which of the following are reasons you would not
want to drop out of or fail this course?
45
35
34
29
25
24
it would mean I had wasted time and money
it would let my classmates in the section down
it would delay my progress
I would have to take it again
61
Future Research

• data comparing ALP student success in ENG 102
  with that of students who passed traditional ENG
  052
• blind scoring of final papers from the ENG 101
  sections
• investigation of 12 hypotheses for ALP success

• investigation of whether ALP students are
  representative of all ENGL iii052 students

62
Are ALP Students Different from Regular ENGL 052
Students?
Gender
100
50
traditional
ALP
63
Are ALP Students Different from Regular ENGL 052
Students?
Race
100
50
traditional
ALP
64
Are ALP Students Different from Regular ENGL 052
Students?
Age
100
50
traditional
ALP
65
Are ALP Students Different from Regular ENGL 052
Students?
Full-Time/Part-Time
100
50
traditional
ALP
66
Student Confidence
How good a writer are you?
67
Student Confidence
How likely do you think it is that you will
accomplish your goals in college?
100
68
Future Research
Under consideration
random assignment in fall 2010
69
Future Research

• data comparing ALP student success in ENG 102
  with that of students iiiwho passed traditional
  ENG 052
• blind scoring of final papers from the ENG 101
  sections
• investigation of 10 hypotheses for ALP success
• investigation of whether ALP students are
  different from regular ENGL iiii052 students

• long-term effects data comparing success in
  reaching the following iiimilestone points by
  ALP students and traditional developmental
  iiiistudents
• persistence for one year
• accumulation of 15 credits
• accumulation of 30 credits
• completion of certificate
• completion of AA degree
• successful transfer

70
Dissemination of ALP
The following twenty colleges or universities
have expressed an interest in adopting ALP

• Anne Arundel Community College (Maryland)
• Chesapeake Community College (Maryland)
• Community College of Rhode Island
• CUNY Kingsboro (New York)
• Dallas County Community College (Texas)
• Felician College (New Jersey)
• Frederick Community College (Maryland)
• Garrett College (Maryland)
• Gateway Community and Technical College
  (Kentucky)
• Howard Community College (Maryland)
• Harford Community College (Maryland)
• John Jay College of Criminal Justice (New York)
• Kean University (New Jersey)
• Mid-America Christian University (Oklahoma)
• Prince Georges Community College (Maryland)
• Shippensburg University (Pennsylvania)
• Southeastern University (Washington, DC)
• SUNY Albany (New York)
• TCI College (New York)

71
Key Features of ALP

• enrollment in ENG 101
• exposure to strong writers
• small class size for companion course
• students in cohort for six hours a week with
  same 8 students and same iiiinstructor
• shortening of pipeline no chance to drop out
  between developmental iiiwriting and ENG 101
• attention to behavioral issues and to life
  problems

72
ACCELERATED LEARNING PROGRAM (ALP)

• the context
• the problem
• the solution
• the results
• future plans
• the costs

Donna McKusick, Cheryl Scott, and Peter Adams
Donna McKusick Peter Adams
73
Costs Under Traditional Model
500 students
74
Costs for Dev Course Under Traditional Model
500 students
20 students per section
75
Costs for Dev Course Under Traditional Model
25 sections of Dev Eng
X 3 faculty credit hours/section
75 faculty credit hours
76
Costs for ENG101 Under Traditional Model
37 of traditional developmental students take
FYC
.37 X 500 185 students
185 students 20 students/section 9.25
sections
9.25 sections X 3 faculty credit hours/section
27.75 faculty credit hours
77
Comparison of Costs for 500 Students
Traditional
052 25 sect X 3 cr/sect 75.00 fch
101 9.25 sect X 3 cr/sect 27.75 fch
TOTAL 102.75 fch
78
Costs Under ALP
500 students
79
Costs for Dev Course Under ALP
500 students
8 students per section
80
Costs Under ALP Model
62.5 sections of ALP Dev Eng
X 2 faculty credit hours/section
125 faculty credit hours
81
Costs for ENG101 Under ALP Model
100 of ALP developmental students take FYC
1.00 X 500 500 students
500 students 20 students/section 25 sections
25 sections X 3 faculty credit hours/section
75 faculty credit hours
82
Comparison of Costs for 500 Students
Traditional
ALP
052 25 sect X 3 cr/sect 75.00 fch
101 9.25 sect X 3 cr/sect 27.75 fch
TOTAL 102.75 fch
83
An Analogy
cost/year to operate
100,000
200,000
84
An Analogy
cost/year to operate
100,000
9,901
10.10
200,000
20,000
10
85
An Analogy
135 (27) of 500 students pass FYC
.76 fch per passing student
102.75 fch
275 (55) of 500 students pass FYC
.72 fch per passing student
200 fch
86
An Analogy
135 (27) of 500 students pass FYC
.76 fch per passing student
102.75 fch
310 (62) of 500 students pass FYC
.65 fch per passing student
200 fch
87
Thanks
The Council of Writing Program Administrators
(WPA) Research Grant for 2008-9 The Conference
on Basic Writing (CBW) 2009 CBW Award for
Innovation The League for Innovation for
selecting ALP as one of their Innovative
Programs for 2009
88
ALP Summary
Based on three semesters of data, compared to
traditional developmental writing

• ALP doubles the success rate
• cuts the attrition rate in half
• does it in half the time
• at slightly less cost per successful student

89
Donna McKusick Peter Adams