College Connection

1. College Connection Regional Texas Essential Skills Consortium West Central Texas Workforce Development Board July 14, 2006

2. Closing the GapsOverview

3. Closing the Gaps • 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 • Most students (over 50%) will elect to start at a community college • Austin Community College expects 15,000 more students by 2015.

4. Closing the Gaps • State must increase minority participation rates • Goal to increase enrollment in higher education by 630,000 by 2015 • “College-going” rate lags among minority populations • Participation rates of minorities need to be proportional to population figures for the State to improve quality of life and to maintain State economic advantage

5. Why College Connection? “Education beyond high school increases earning potential and employment opportunities.” U.S. Department of Education

6. Learn to Earn Source: Postsecondary Education OPPORTUNITY

7. Excuses For Not Continuing Your Education No one in my family has ever gone to college. I’ve been in school for 12 years. That’s enough! I just want a good job. I can’t afford it. I don’t know what I want to do with my life. I won’t fit in. College is too hard. I don’t know how to apply or where I want to go. Source: Adapted from The College Board’s “Seven Excuses Not to Go to College and Why They’re Lame”

8. College ConnectionOverview

9. Improving High School to College Transitions - Goals • Create a culture/expectation that “College is in everyone’s future” • Improve/increase percentage of high school graduates who enter college after high school graduation • Improve/increase number of high school students who earn college credit while in high school

10. Austin Community College Service Area College Transition Rates Texas High School Graduates from FY 2005Enrolled in Texas Higher Education Fall 2005 *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/Reports/PDF/1161.PDF

11. Austin Community College Service Area College Transition Rates Texas High School Graduates from FY 2005Enrolled in Texas Higher Education Fall 2005 *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/Reports/PDF/1161.PDF

12. Austin Community College Service Area College Transition Rates Texas High School Graduates from FY 2005Enrolled in Texas Higher Education Fall 2005 *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/Reports/PDF/1161.PDF

13. College Connection Program • Many high school students find the college enrollment process intimidating. • Austin Community College provides hands-on, one-on-onesupport to assist every student through each step of the college admissions process. • During graduation ceremonies, high school graduating seniors receive acceptance letters to Austin Community College.

14. College ConnectionStudents Receive On-Campus Activities: Access to college and help getting started Student life information Admission application ACC Video Teleconference—Campus Tour Financial aid application ASSET assessment Tour of Austin Community College campus(es) Pre-Advising (ACC 101) Advising Acceptance letter to ACC at graduation Registration for ACC classes Red=RequiredBlue=Recommended Black=Optional

15. College Connection Activity Grid Sample San Marcos Lead: Chad Kelly, 512-393-6800, chad.kelly@smcisd.net Senior Count: 424 (SMHS) Cecily Moore, 512-393-6800, cecily.moore@smcisd.net 16 (Pride HS) ACC Lead: Mary Hensley, 223-7618, mhensley@austincc.edu/Luanne Preston, 223-7355, luanne@austincc.edu Admin. Assistant: Esther Buzard, 223-7618, ebuzard@austincc.edu/Charlene Washington, 223-7353, cwash@austincc.edu SHADE/BOLD – Required College Connection Activities

16. School Districts Participating in the Austin Community College College Connection Program 2003-2006 2004-2005 (Year 2) Austin ISD Bastrop ISD Del Valle ISD Leander ISD San Marcos CISD 2003-2004 (Year 1) San Marcos CISD 2006-2007 (Year 4) Austin ISD Bastrop ISD Del Valle ISD Elgin ISD Hays CISD Jarrell ISD Leander ISD Lockhart ISD Luling ISD Manor ISD Pflugerville ISD Prairie Lea ISD Round Rock ISD-SPHS San Marcos CISD 2005-2006 (Year 3) Austin ISD Bastrop ISD Del Valle ISD Hays CISD Leander ISD Manor ISD Pflugerville ISD San Marcos CISD

17. School Districts Participating in the College Connection Program 2006-2007

18. Other Community Colleges Adopting College Connection Program • Coastal Bend Community College • Del Mar Community College • Houston Community College • Temple Community College • Victoria Community College

19. “Closing the Gaps” Background “The community college’s role in the goal of participation is absolutely vital. We talk about students who come directly from high school into higher education, and while the numbers are going up, we are not attracting a significant increase in the pool. That’s one of the areas that we’re going to have to spend some real effort – in encouraging students who complete high school to continue on with higher education and the Connections Program that has been talked about already today is absolutely the way that it needs to happen all across the state to change.” Dr. Glenda BarronAssistant Commissioner, Community and Technical Colleges DivisionTexas Higher Education Coordinating BoardJanuary 7, 2005

20. “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

21. “The state must look forsuccessful programs with statewide potential, such as ACC’s College Connection program, in which seniors in participating high schools are given help with financial aid forms and required to fill out applications.”Raymond ParedesState Higher Education CommissionerAustin American Statesman, April 16, 2006

22. College ConnectionResults

23. The Austin Community CollegeCollege Connection Program Works! Blue=Year after College Connection started 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/PDF/1161.PDF

24. College Connection Results for Austin Community College-Fall 2005 • Positive effect on fall enrollments • 37.6% increase in enrollment from College Connection High Schools from Fall ’04 to Fall ’05 • Positive effect on Early College Start enrollments • 25.6% increase in enrollment from Fall ’04 to Fall ’05 • Positive effect on Tech Prep enrollments • 647% increase in number of students receiving Tech Prep credit from Fall ’04 to Fall ’05

25. College Connection Program National Acclaim & Recognition

26. The College ConnectionWeb Site • Information in English and Spanish • Information for parents • Information for students • Information for school district personnel • Calendars • Links to pertinent Austin Community College sites

28. Early College StartOverview

29. Early College Start Program (ECS) • Students qualify academically • Enroll in ACC courses • Complete classes for college credit • Use college credit to meet graduation requirements

30. ECS • District signs MOU • ECS liaison helps with: • academic year planning; courses on your campus; counselor updates • pre-enrollment services offered at high school campus • information session • assessment testing • academic advising

31. Student Enrollment • Complete ACC application, ECS Form • Requires approval from counselor, principal (or designee) • Requires signature of parent • Students limited to 2 courses each semester (includes summer) • Test, if not exempt via TAKS, SAT, or ACT • Complete ACC 101 online pre-advising • Obtain signature of ACC academic advisor • Register for classes by phone or web • Pay for classes, if necessary

32. Student Costs • Out-of-district students pay a low cost • $40 per course for courses at ACC campus or distance learning • Free for courses at Elgin HS or any other HS facility • Textbooks, materials • Official college transcript • Parking permit (if parking on ACC campus)

33. ECS at Elgin HS • Courses offered in Spring semester for 5 years • “Singleton” courses (criminal justice, personal computing, government, psychology, sociology, German) • Some taught by Elgin teachers, some taught by ACC adjunct faculty • Scheduling challenges (time of day); sufficient enrollment • Faculty challenges (ACC SACS changes)

34. Scheduling Courses at Elgin HS • Work with ECS liaison to request courses • ECS liaison requests approval from ACC Department Chair; staffing affects approvals • College schedule development timeline differs from HS—start early • Must schedule appropriate class period and semester length • Summer courses possible

35. Who Provides Faculty? • Elgin HS faculty • Must meet SACS qualifications • Master’s degree with 18 graduate hours in content area • Go through ACC faculty hiring process • ACC adjunct faculty • ACC sends adjunct faculty member

36. Who Pays for Faculty? • Elgin HS faculty • EISD pays if faculty teaching as part of assigned load • ACC pays if faculty teaches during zero hour, after school, or during conference period • Even if EISD pays, the faculty member is under the supervision of ACC Dept. Chair for the college instruction, and must complete all ACC requirements (portfolio, evaluation, etc.) • ACC adjunct faculty • ACC pays

37. Elgin ECS Resources • Link Davidson • 689-4819 (ACC mobile number) • 512-353-7224 ACC San Marcos Center • Leave message • Linkd@austincc.edu • ECS Website http://www.austincc.edu/ecs/index.html

38. For a copy of this presentation: www.austincc.edu/isd/RTESC/071306Presentation.ppt