College Connection

1
College Connection
Tarrant County College District Fort Worth
ISD October 8, 2007
2
Presenter
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Presenter
Mary Hensley, Ed.D.Vice President, College
Support Systems and ISD Relationsmhensley_at_austin
cc.edu512-223-7618
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Agenda

• Closing the Gaps Overview
• College Connection Overview
• College Connection How It Works
• Program Results
• Program Recognition
• State and National Interest in Expansion
• College Connection How To Start
• Guiding Principles
• Plan for Success
• Common Challenges
• Questions and Answers

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Texas Higher Education Coordinating Boards
Strategic PlanClosing the GapsOverview
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Closing the Gaps in Participation

• Closing the Gaps warns that if more Texans do not
  receive college degrees by 2030, the State could
  lose up to 40 billion in annual household
  income.
• The goal is to increase student enrollment in
  higher education by 630,000 by 2015.
• Most students will elect to start at a community
  college.
• Tarrant County College District expects over
  22,481 more students by 2015.
• Source http//www.thecb.state.tx.us/ClosingtheGap
  s/ctgtargets_pdf.cfm?Goal1

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College ConnectionOverview
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Education Beyond High School

• Increases earning potential and employment
  opportunities
• U.S. Department of Education

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Improving High School to College Transitions

• Provide admission and pre-enrollment services to
  seniors on their school campuses
• Create an expectation that College is in
  everyones future.
• Increase percentage of high school seniors who
  enter college after high school graduation.

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Texas High School Graduates from FY 2006Enrolled
in Texas Higher Education Fall 2006
Tarrant County College District Service
Area College Transition Rates
School District Total High School Graduates Students Enrolled in Texas Universities Students Enrolled in Texas Universities Students Enrolled in Texas 2-year Colleges Students Enrolled in Texas 2-year Colleges Students Not Located in Texas Higher Education Students Not Located in Texas Higher Education
Arlington ISD 3,527 911 28 842 26 1,504 46
Azle ISD 368 73 20 114 31 181 49
Birdville ISD 1,258 323 26 363 29 572 45
Carroll ISD 574 201 35 84 15 289 50
Castleberry ISD 127 13 10 35 28 79 62
Crowley ISD 782 199 25 207 27 376 48
Eagle Mt-Saginaw ISD 478 85 18 147 31 246 51
Everman ISD 183 51 28 38 21 94 51
Fort Worth ISD 3,515 719 20 671 19 2,125 61
Includes students who were not enrolled in Texas
colleges or universities in the year immediately
following graduation, as well as students who
were enrolled out-of-state. Districts with less
than 25 graduates are not included in this
report. Source http//www.thecb.state.tx.us/Repor
ts/PDF/1161.PDF
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Texas High School Graduates from FY 2006Enrolled
in Texas Higher Education Fall 2006
Tarrant County College District Service
Area College Transition Rates
School District Total High School Graduates Students Enrolled in Texas Universities Students Enrolled in Texas Universities Students Enrolled in Texas 2-year Colleges Students Enrolled in Texas 2-year Colleges Students Not Located in Texas Higher Education Students Not Located in Texas Higher Education
Grapevine-Colleyville ISD 1,041 409 40 221 21 410 39
Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD 1,200 273 23 315 26 612 51
Keller ISD 1,408 468 33 417 30 523 37
Kennedale ISD 186 47 25 49 26 90 49
Lake Worth ISD 119 22 19 31 26 66 55
Mansfield ISD 1,373 372 27 392 29 609 44
White Settlement ISD 293 55 19 81 28 157 53
Total 16,162 4,221 26 4,007 25 7,933 49
Includes students who were not enrolled in Texas
colleges or universities in the year immediately
following graduation, as well as students who
were enrolled out-of-state.Districts with less
than 25 graduates are not included in this
report.Source http//www.thecb.state.tx.us/Repor
ts/PDF/1161.PDF
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Texas High School Graduates from FY 2006Enrolled
in Texas Higher Education Fall 2006
Fort Worth ISD Service Area Selected College
Transition Rates
High School Total High School Graduates Students Enrolled in Texas Universities Students Enrolled in Texas Universities Students Enrolled in Texas 2-year Colleges Students Enrolled in Texas 2-year Colleges Students Not Located in Texas Higher Education Students Not Located in Texas Higher Education
Carter-Riverside 184 23 13 35 19 126 68
Diamond Hill-Jarvis 152 13 8 24 16 115 76
Dunbar 179 56 31 16 9 107 60
Eastern Hills 254 50 20 40 16 164 64
O.D. Wyatt 163 36 22 31 19 96 59
Polytechnic 183 13 7 36 20 134 73
Success 75 1 1 4 5 70 94
Trimble Technical 347 53 15 77 22 217 63
Total 1,537 245 16 263 17 1,029 67
Includes students who were not enrolled in Texas
colleges or universities in the year immediately
following graduation, as well as students who
were enrolled out-of-state.Districts with less
than 25 graduates are not included in this
report.Source http//www.thecb.state.tx.us/Repor
ts/PDF/1161.PDF
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College ConnectionHow It Works
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College Connection Program

• Many high school students find the college
  enrollment process intimidating.
• Tarrant County College District provides
  hands-on, one-on-one support to assist every
  student through each step of the college
  admissions process.
• During graduation ceremonies, high school
  graduating seniors receive acceptance letters to
  Tarrant County College District.

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Students Receive Services at the High School
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College Connection Common Order of On-Campus
Activities

• Senior Presentation
• Admission application
• Financial aid application
• ASSET assessment
• Tour of Austin Community College campus(es)
• Pre-Advising
• Advising
• Acceptance letter to Austin Community College at
  graduation
• Registration for Austin Community College
  classes
• RedRequired BlueRecommended BlackOptional

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College Connection Activity Grid Sample
ISD District Lead Sandra Dowdy, Assistant
Superintendent, 512-386-3040, sdowdy_at_del-valle.k12
.tx.us Del Valle HS Lead Jean MacInnis,
Principal, 512-386-3210, jmacinnis_at_del-valle.k12.t
x.us Admin. Assistant Nadene Norwood,
512-386-3211, nadene.norwood_at_del-valle.k12.tx.us
ACC District Lead Mary Hensley, 223-7618,
mhensley_at_austincc.edu Exec. Assistant Esther
Buzard, 223-7618, ebuzard_at_austincc.edu
College Connection
Lead Luanne Preston, 223-7354,
luanne_at_austincc.edu Admin. Assistant Laurie
Clark, 223-7354, lclark2_at_austincc.edu Senior
Count 400
Activity Date Time Location Equipment Communication Del Valle HS Contact (Lead Contact) name_at_del-valle.k12.tx.us ACC District Contact (Lead Contact) name_at_austincc.edu
High School Planning Committee Meeting August 9, 2007 200 p.m. 300 p.m. Del Valle Admin 5301 Ross Road Del Valle, TX E-mail Announcement Jean MacInnis Jmacinnis Luanne Preston luanne
College Connection Agreement Prior to beginning Fall semester Sandra Dowdy Sdowdy Luanne Preston luanne
Senior Presentation Kickoff Activity September 13, 2007 1030 a.m. 1130 a.m. Auditorium Notice in parent newsletter Notice on high school website Sarah Mabry Sarah.mabry Ashley Williams awillia4
Admissions Application Make-Up Day October 10, 2007 830 a.m. 400 p.m. Rooms A205, C216, D130, D208 Non-citizen students must obtain alternate ID before completing application Sarah Mabry Sarah.mabry Pat Colunga pcolunga
SHADE/BOLD Required College Connection
Activities
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Lifetime Acceptance at ACC

• Application never discarded
• Provide a permanent college home
• Students come to ACC
• Full-time
• Part-time
• In Summer for transfer
• After military service
• After career changes
• Co-enroll while attending 4-year institution

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Lifetime Acceptance at ACC

• Cohorts can be tracked by semester of entry
• Longitudinal data collected for
• Retention
• Completion
• Success

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Program Results
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College Connection Program Growth

• Over 4 years
• 1 school district to 27 school districts
• 2 high schools to 58 high schools
• 400 students to 17,000 students

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The College Connection Program Works!
ISD Students NOT located in Texas Higher Education Fall 2003 Students NOT located in Texas Higher Education Fall 2003 Students NOT located in Texas Higher Education Fall 2004 Students NOT located in Texas Higher Education Fall 2004 Students NOT located in Texas Higher Education Fall 2005 Students NOT located in Texas Higher Education Fall 2005 Students NOT located in Texas Higher Education Fall 2006 Students NOT located in Texas Higher Education Fall 2006 2006 Increase of Students in Higher Ed Since Implementation
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
San Marcos 273 66 219 55 234 59 294 66 0
Austin 2,155 56 2,066 56 2,005 54 2,014 52 4
Bastrop 286 69 234 57 239 54 282 61 -4
Del Valle 293 77 312 80 236 66 229 71 9
Leander 444 48 459 48 422 42 418 40 8
Hays 281 57 309 56 290 55 286 51 5
Manor 51 57 74 57 87 62 89 68 -6
Pflugerville 194 47 201 47 204 48 156 46 2
BlueYear College Connection started RedYear
Seniors attend ACC after College
Connection 1-Source http//www.txhighereddata.org
/Reports/PDF/0961.pdf 2-Source
http//www.txhighereddata.org/Reports/PDF/0963.pdf
3-Source http//www.thecb.state.tx.us/Reports/P
DF/1161.PDF
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College Connection Diversity of Participants
2006-07
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Traditionally Underrepresented in Higher
Education - Students Enroll at ACC

• More than 55 of College Connectionenrollees are
  minorities
• Higher percentage entering ACC through College
  Connection than in the general ACC student
  population

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College Connection Positively Impacts Other
College Programs

• ACC Fall Enrollments
• 38 increase first year
• 59 increase over two years
• Early College Start (Dual Credit) Enrollments
• 26 increase in enrollment from 04 to 05
• 45 increase in enrollment from 04 to 06
• 3,209 students enrolled Summer 2007
  (record-breaking ECS enrollment)
• Tech Prep Enrollments
• 4,336 increase in enrollment from 03 to 06
• 36 students in 2003-04
• 48 students in 2004-05
• 293 students in 2005-06
• 1,597 students in 2006-07

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Program Recognition
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College Connection Program National Acclaim
Recognition
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Awards Received
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State and National Interest in Expansion
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National Interest

• Florida Department of Education
• Launched state-wide campaign in April 2007 called
  Go Higher-Get Accepted modeled after College
  Connection
• Maine Interest in College Connection
• Proposed law requiring graduating high school
  seniors to complete at least one college
  application before getting diploma.
• Support from Compact for Higher Education

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• Attaining advanced levels of education for
  disadvantaged students cannot be done without
  developing a college-going culture in every
  middle school and high school in the state of
  Texas...then suddenly, (going to college) changes
  from being a possibility to an expectation.
• --Raymund Paredes
• Commissioner, Texas Higher Education Coordinating
  Board
• January 6, 2005

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THECB Statewide College Connection
Expansion2007-2009

• Ten Colleges Receive Implementation Grants
• Alamo Community College District
• Blinn College
• Del Mar College
• Houston Community College System
• Lee College
• Odessa College
• Richland College
• South Texas College
• Tarrant County College District
• Weatherford College

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THECB Statewide College Connection
Expansion2007-2009

• Five Colleges Receive Planning Grants
• Cedar Valley College
• Cisco Junior College
• Northeast Texas Community College
• Paris Junior College
• Victoria College

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THECB Statewide College Connection Expansion

• Colleges Already Adopting College Connection
• Alamo Community College District
• Central Texas College
• Coastal Bend Community College
• Del Mar Community College
• Houston Community College District
• Temple Community College
• Vernon College
• Victoria Community College

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College ConnectionHow To Start
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Formal Agreement

• Between college and school district
• Signed by chancellor and/or president and
  superintendent
• Establishes transfer of student data from high
  school to college
• Details responsibilities and expectations

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Advance Briefing

• District/Central Office Staff
• High School Principal

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Planning Meeting

• One meeting held annually in Summer or Fall
• Schedule one hour (slightly longer for new
  schools or multiple schools)
• Complete activity grid
• Focus on scheduling
• Leave activity details for contacts

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Communications between School District and College

• Electronic via list serv
• Updated activity grid sent via e-mail when
  changes occur
• College Connection website links
• iCal
• Combined calendar for internal use

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Data Collection

• Very Important
• Collect electronically (Excel spreadsheet)
• Collect from high school
• Name
• Address
• DOB
• HS Student ID (for later record matching)
• Test Scores (HS Exit Exam, SAT, ACT)
• Mark records as College Connection cohort in
  student database

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Data Follow-Up

• Track by school, how many students complete each
  activity
• May need multiple visits to get 100
  participation
• Give high school principal participation rates
  for use at graduation announcement ceremony
• Report Fall enrollment from pilot schools
  (compare to benchmark), Spring persistence

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Austin Community CollegeCollege Connection
Website
www.austincc.edu/isd

• Access to scheduled activities for students,
  parents, and school officials
• Calendars
• Links to pertinent ACC school district sites

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Website

• Participating schools
• Links to school pages
• Link to college pages of interest
• Press coverage/special events

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College Connection Logo
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College ConnectionGuiding Principles
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Guiding Principles Sequencing Activities

• When to schedule activities?
• Senior Presentation
• Prior to first activity, as soon as possible
  after school starts
• Usually admissions follows
• Admissions Application
• Fall Semester
• After receipt of data roster
• In time, where possible, for seniors to prepare
  for Spring dual- credit registration

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Guiding Principles Sequencing Activities

• When to schedule activities?
• Assessment
• End of January through early March
• After receipt of test score roster timed to
  allow maximum number of SAT/ACT test scores to be
  included
• Allows students to receive the most instructional
  content prior to testing
• Financial Aid
• Mid-January through Mid-March
• Presentations timed to coincide with W-2 arrival,
  tax preparation, and meet college priority filing
  deadlines
• Night presentations and workshops for parents and
  students
• Financial Aid Saturdays

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Guiding Principles Sequencing Activities

• When to schedule activities?
• New Student Orientation
• ACC calls this step pre-advising
• Completed online as ACC 101
• Live program replaced by online module per school
  request
• School manages where and when students complete
• Student prints checklist as proof of completion
• Many schools schedule during advisory
• Schedule window of time prior to academic
  advising
• Recommend 1-3 weeks prior to advising session

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Guiding Principles Sequencing Activities

• When to schedule activities?
• Academic Advising
• Mid-February through Mid-April
• Allow time, if needed, for test scores to be
  entered or processed and available to advisors
• ACC requires three weeks is using ASSET
• Complete all College Connection activities by
  Mid-April

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Guiding Principles Scheduling

• The planning meeting for each school should occur
  before Fall semester, or as soon after school
  starts as possible
• All events should be completed by Mid-April with
  rare exceptions
• The month of May through end of school is
  extremely busy on high school campuses
• A student should be able to complete an
  individual activity (exception assessment
  testing) with one bell period

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Guiding Principles Scheduling How Much Time?

• Senior Presentation 20 minutes
• Admissions Application 25 minutes
• Residency Form
• Missing Credentials
• Assessment 5 hours
• Partial testing takes less time
• Math only 1 hour
• Reading/writing 2.25 hours
• Pre-Advising 25 minutes
• Advising 15 minutes average

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Planning MeetingRecommended Participants

• College

• High School

• District lead person
• Implementation lead person
• Team leader for services
• Admissions representative
• Financial Aid representative
• Assessment representative
• Recruitment representative
• Advising representative
• Recorder

• Principal
• Grade level principal or AP
• Lead or senior counselor
• Person in charge of testing/scheduling
• Tech person (use of computer labs)
• Other staff who works with the senior class

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Planning MeetingRecommended Things to Bring

• College

• High School

• College Calendar
• Admissions Team Calendar
• Financial Aid Team Calendar
• Assessment Team Calendar
• Student Recruitment Team Calendar
• Advising Team Calendar

• Bell schedule
• School calendar
• A/B Block scheduling
• Testing calendar

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High SchoolCollege Partnership
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Plan for Success
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Central Office Staff

• Sign formal agreement before beginning
• Work with superintendent
• Understand and vocally support College Connection
  program
• Announce program in meetings, newsletters,
  e-mails
• Ensure your Board is informed
• Invite TCCD to do a brief presentation

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Central Office Staff

• Participate/help schools participate in launch
  activities
• Press conference
• Campus tours, celebrations, or special events
• Attend as many campus planning meetings as
  possible
• Planning meetings to be held before activities
  begin on campuses
• Lays the foundation for organized program
  activities
• Everyone is literally on the same page

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Central Office Staff

• Expect 100 participation make expectations
  clear to school staff
• Provide support for school staff in scheduling
  all activities during school days
• There is no other way to have 100 participation
• Support and justify the pilot program for schools
  not yet participating

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Principal

• Understand and vocally support College Connection
  program
• Announce program in meetings, newsletters,
  e-mails
• Participate in your campus planning meeting
• Clear obstacles allow access
• Assign a positive, helpful, supportive asterisk
  person to coordinate each activity

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Principal

• Allow the use of necessary school facilities
  during the school day for activities (computer
  labs, gyms for testing, etc.)
• Help faculty understand your support for the
  program
• Students will be pulled out of classes 3 or 4
  times during the year
• Understand College Connection as a process with
  sequenced activities
• Time is needed between activities
• Emphasize the importance of 100 participation
• Allow repeated access, if necessary, to ensure
  that all students are included

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Principal

• Assign staff to accompany students to College
  Connection activities
• To help keep order
• To personally identify students to TCCD staff
• Ensure that your school website features College
  Connection
• Help solve any problems that may arise
• During an activity
• During the school year
• Call College Connection contacts if needed

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Principal

• Recognize College Connection at graduation
  ceremonies some examples
• Announce how many students receive acceptance
  letter
• Ask College Connection students to stand
• Ensure students receive TCCD acceptance letter
  along with their diploma
• Ensure final, official high school transcripts
  for all students given to TCCD at the end of the
  school year

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Counselor

• Understand and vocally support the program
• Announce in
• Meetings with classes
• Senior assemblies
• To individual students
• Counselors corner of the school newsletter
• E-mails to parents
• Participate in your campus planning meeting
• Clear obstacles allow access
• Be one of the positive, helpful, supportive
  asterisk people coordinating one or more
  College Connection activities

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Counselor

• Help find alternatives that allow the use of
  facilities for College Connection activities
  (computer labs, gyms for testing, etc.)
• Help colleagues understand your support and that
  students will be pulled out of classes 3-4 times
  during the year
• Understand that College Connection is a process
  and that sequenced activities (with some time
  between the activities) are important

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Counselor

• Understand the importance of 100 participation
• Help students understand the benefits of College
  Connection even if the student has applied or
  been accepted to another college
• Free testing
• FAFSA
• Easy entrance
• Higher income for more education
• Accompany students to College Connection
  activities
• Help keep order
• Personally identify students to TCCD staff
• Ensure that College Connection is featured on
  your school website

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Counselor

• Help solve any problems that may arise during an
  activity, or during the school year
• Call College Connection officials, if needed
• Ensure that students receive the TCCD acceptance
  letter along with their diploma
• Ensure that official high school transcripts for
  all students are given in a batch to TCCD at the
  end of the school year
• Saves time for students when enrolling
• Makes process smoother for students not entering
  directly after graduation

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Common Challenges
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Challenge 1 Faculty Resistance

• Why does this occur?
• Faculty not well-informed about the program
• Some have traditional bias against community
  colleges
• Concerns about quality of programs/instruction
  and transferability of classes

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Strategy Counter Faculty Resistance

• Feature a College Connection presentation at
  general faculty meeting
• Provide general information about TCCD programs,
  costs, state-wide transfer of classes between
  public institutions
• Provide dates of pullouts well in advance, to
  allow for faculty planning
• Emphasize benefits to students
• Students will be ready-to-register at TCCD at
  the end of the year

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Challenge 2 Student Resistance

• Why does this occur?
• Students not exposed to the program in advance
• Some are convinced they are going to college
  elsewhere or convinced they wont need to go at
  all
• A cool student has refused to participate

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Strategy Lessen Student Resistance

• Schedule a College Connection senior presentation
  before activities begin
• Encourage participation and explain program
  benefits to any student refusing to participate
• Recruit school opinion leaders and role models to
  influence their peers

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Challenge 3 Alleviate Parent Concerns

• Why does this occur?
• Parents dont want to give sensitive family
  income information to students, school or college
  staff
• No computer access at home
• Parents work schedule prevents easy completion

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Strategy Counter Parent Resistance on FAFSA

• Time school FAFSA activities to coincide with
  arrival of W-2 and filing of taxes
• Provide evening FAFSA workshops invite TCCD to
  participate or lead
• Coordinate with volunteer programs that assist
  families with preparing/filing taxes
• Provide information about necessary
  documents/information in advance to parents

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Questions and Answers
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For copies

• PowerPoint Presentation
• www.austincc.edu/isd/tarrant/100807Presentation.pp
  t