college readiness student success- university of alaska

1. College Readiness & Student Success- University of Alaska By Dana Thomas, Pete Pinney, and Shirish Patil (UAF) Sarah Kirk (UAA) Jo DeVine-Acres (UAS) President Hamilton’s Retreat for UA Faculty Alliance October 18, 2006 Fairbanks, AK

3. Plan for the Day……. MAU Presentations: Status, plans, and vision Roundtable discussion (including UA and K-12 Partnership) Identify and prioritize action items Discuss and develop concept plan for implementation at UA Discuss and identify resources needed

4. Thrive for Success and CQI

5. By Dana Thomas Pete Pinney Shirish Patil With Contributions from: Linda Hapsmith, Cindy Hardy, and Ataur Chowdhury University of Alaska Fairbanks

6. Developmental Education at UAF The Department of Developmental Education, established in 2003, is part of the College of Rural and Community Development. We have faculty on the UAF Fairbanks campus, Tanana Valley Campus Bristol Bay Campus, Chukchi Campus, Interior Aleutians Campus, Kuskokwim Campus, and Northwest Campus.

7. The Mission of Department of Developmental Education: making educational opportunity and success possible for each UAF student; developing student skills and attitudes necessary for academic, career, and life goals; assessing students’ levels of preparedness and placing students in appropriate classes; enabling student competencies for success in college courses, thus maintaining academic standards; enhancing retention of students; and promoting cognitive and affective learning theory in all UAF course offerings.

8. The Department of Developmental Education works with support services throughout UAF Academic Advising Center, Student Support Services, Rural Student Services, the Math Hotline, the Writing Center, ASUAF Tutoring Services and Disabilities Services.

9. The Developmental Education Department offers one-credit “skills” classes available as support classes for students taking English or Math classes. We also offer: Skills for College and Career Success Introduction to Distance Education University Communications Reading Skills Intensive Reading Development Elementary Exposition for ESL (ESL) students.

10. In 2008: We anticipate greater need for Developmental Education classes as mandatory placement and selective admissions take effect. We are coordinating with Math and English and the Core departments to develop placement requirements. We have set the following five- year priorities: NADE Certification of our department, CRLA Certification of tutors, A Learning Center that includes developmental student advising, tutoring, study cohorts, and student service coordination, Ongoing tracking of developmental students through our courses and the core, Continued placement and assessment of incoming students, Orientation for incoming developmental students, Intervention with academic probation students.

11. UAF Baccalaureate Admission Standards (2008)

12. UAF Mandatory Course Placement (Fall 08) MATH & DEVM – placement or prerequisite course Perspectives on the Human Condition – ENG 111 placement or above CORE Science - placement in DEVM 105 & ENG 111 or above

13. Current Activities at UAF Freshman progress reports Outreach – identify students at risk Intervention – working with those on academic probation or disqualification RSS – intensive advising model SSSP – tutoring & goal setting DEVS & RD/ANS study skills courses

14. Activities under discussion at UAF Preparing for new baccalaureate admission standards and mandatory placement Student Interview Supplemental Instruction (had in past) Broaden Intensive Advising pre-majors & all developmental Bridge program & required seminar Improved accountability related to student progress through course sequences Block course work for pre-majors

15. Focus on College Readiness Problems: Particular problems in Mathematics and English Impact of No Child Left Behind: Particular attention on minimal high school standards vs. college preparedness Solutions? Begin a statewide initiative to improve college readiness Develop a web page to promote discussion between UA & school districts across the State: How many students attend UA by school district? What proportion are college ready (math, writing and reading)? What proportion have completed FASFA and ACT before arriving?

16. College Readiness Benchmarks High School GPA Content area achievement (math and English reading/writing)) Relationship between ACT Composite Scores, Cumulative first-year GPA and retention

17. Recognize our students: First time freshman baccalaureate students, certificate intended students, rural students, distance learning students, and adult students Develop criteria for success for each population Identify the needs for each group at the entry level Properly place the students according to the needs One size doesn’t fit all!

18. Student Success Personal/demographic characteristics Academic Readiness Financial conditions Attendance patterns and academic performance

19. Accountability Develop a evaluation system and assess impact of implemented changes

20. Key Factors Affecting Persistence and Degree Completion (State of Illinois BHE; October 2002) Here are the Here are the

21. Public Four-Year Retention & College GPAs by ACT College Benchmarks

22. Comprehensive College Readiness Agenda (IBHE 2001) Identify and meet remediation needs early in student educational experience Align high school graduation requirements with college admission standards Develop statewide consensus on what constitutes minimum college level work Develop a system wide student record system that can share data

23. Institutional Policies & Practices: Impact on Persistence and Degree Completion (Source: State of Illinois) Summer “bridge” programs for academically at-risk freshman for smooth transition to college Student advising- load, sequence and time commitment Automated degree audit for students Providing sufficient number of required course sections offered at convenient times each semester Developing articulation agreements with feeder institutions assuring transfer for students who leave (ensure impediments to student progress are eliminated or minimized)

24. UAF Priorities Advising and Mentoring Financial Assistance for Part-Time students Writing centers (English language programs) Support units for targeted groups Assistance to undecided majors Dual admission programs (MAU and Community colleges) Summer bridge/Transition programs

25. University of Alaska Anchorage By Sarah Kirk With contributions from Gerry Busch

26. At UAA, we measure Student Success by the following: Course Attrition Retention (Fall to Fall) Graduation

27. Course Attrition UAA Attrition Study 2001 Overall UAA attrition was 19.5% Overall CPDS attrition was 19.9% UAA Focus: Course Attrition AY04 Tiered admission Mandatory advising for targeted populations

28. Retention

29. Retention Strategies Implemented at UAA Student Support Services Grant Student success (advising) coordinators Learning Communities Supplemental Instruction Orientation Programs Service Learning Alaska Native Oratory Society Notable college/campus programs

30. UAA Targets for Retention UAA projects slowly and steadily increasing our retention rate by a tenth of a percentage point each year for the next six years, reaching a high of 65.2% in FY12. A worst case scenario predicts 60.6% and a best case scenario predicts 66.2%. From Performance ’06, pg 19

31. Future Strategies to Increase Retention Institutionalize/secure current, successful programs that increase student success Expand current, successful programs that increase student success Turn retention cohorts into real people Develop retention strategies training workshops for adjunct faculty Develop retention toolkit for students

32. Graduation National Average (Boylan and Bonham, 1992) Graduated or still are enrolled after 5 ½ years: 4-year public institution 28.4% 42% of UAA graduates have taken at least 1 developmental education course

33. At the developmental level, we measure Student Success by the following: Course completion Completion of developmental course sequence Successful completion of first college course in the field (math or English) beyond developmental level course

34. Course Completion From 1999 to 2006, Course Completion rates for CPDS ranged from 57% to 63% Rates are better for English than Math Rates are better at the developmental 100-level than at the 0-level National standards for course completion of developmental courses are hard to find. Not many institutions publicize these rates, and definitions of “course completion” vary.

35. Completion of developmental course sequence National data is minimal and thus inconclusive CPDS Data (2002 – 2005) Math - 41% Composition – 44% NOTE: The CPDS data is incomplete and thus the current focus of our assessment plan Data from reading is not comparable because reading courses are not required in the same way that math and composition courses are Once again, national data is hard to find. Our data is incomplete because we haven’t tracked persistence through all levels. Data from reading is not comparable, because reading courses are not required in the same way that math and composition courses are.Once again, national data is hard to find. Our data is incomplete because we haven’t tracked persistence through all levels. Data from reading is not comparable, because reading courses are not required in the same way that math and composition courses are.

36. Recommended Benchmarks for Student Success in Developmental Education Programs National Averages (Boylan and Bonham, 1992) Percentage of students who, after passing developmental courses, subsequently took and passed related first college level courses Developmental/College Math 77.2% Developmental/College English 91.1% Developmental Reading/College Social Science 83%

37. Successful completion of first college course in field (CPDS Data 2001-2006) MATH 105 to 107 72% pass on 1st attempt; additional 10% pass on subsequent attempt. UAA overall success in Math 107 is 65% PRPE 108 to ENGL 111 80% pass on 1st attempt Those who pass PRPE 108 and complete ENGL 111 have an 89% success rate. UAA overall success in ENGL 111 is 75% CPDS compared to UAA overall. This data has been very consistent over several years, and we no longer track it annually. We are currently spending our data collection efforts on course completion and sequence-completion. CPDS compared to UAA overall. This data has been very consistent over several years, and we no longer track it annually. We are currently spending our data collection efforts on course completion and sequence-completion.

38. Retention Strategies Implemented for CPDS Developmental Students Centralized Developmental Education Department with Tenured Faculty Mandatory Placement Testing Placement Advising Validation of Placement tools and scores Collaboration with CAS English & Math Departments on college readiness Course offerings meet the needs of student demand Assessment Plan Advisory Board

39. Retention Strategies Implemented for CPDS Developmental Students (contd.) Academic Support Staff Specialized Dev Ed math and writing labs Tutor training in writing and math Composition Computer Classroom Smart Start Program Course Materials Reserve Technology Enhanced Instruction Karen Hedlund Fund Professional Development for Faculty and Adjuncts Adjunct Faculty Mentoring

40. Future Strategies to Increase Retention of Developmental Students Full time faculty placement advisor Mandatory Placement Advising Centralized Student Academic Support Services and Developmental Programs in an integrated learning center Community Outreach: Rural Educational Communities ESL Community Partnerships

41. Future Strategies to Increase Retention of Developmental Students (Contd.) Portfolio web-based Developmental English Program On-line math homework (MyMathLab) Coordination with other UAA units to offer summer bridging programs Offer study skills course sections using major cohort groups Peer mentoring

42. College Readiness College Readiness is defined at UAA by our courses Entrance into ENGL 111 and MATH 107, for example, means that a student is “college ready.”

43. College Readiness (contd.) We have mandatory placement into ENGL 111 and MATH 107. We know for each student who attends UAA and attempts to get a degree whether or not he or she is college ready. We have Developmental English, math, and study skills courses to help students who are not yet college ready.

44. Implemented College Readiness Strategies UAA-wide Testing in high schools Tech Prep, Trio, CPDS East High “Write Place” Writing Center Department of English, CAS

45. Strategies to Increase College Readiness Host a conference to inform high school English teachers about college readiness and developmental strategies Increase Testing in high schools Increase Summer Bridging Programs

46. University of Alaska Southeast UAS Student Success and College Readiness By Jo DeVine-Acres

47. Associate Vice Provost Works directly with southeast school districts to develop, implement and improve UAS’ pre-college pathway programs, e.g., PITAAS, Early Scholars, Dual Enrollment, Tech Prep, and College Connections. Broad goals include: Providing greater academic opportunities for students in rural southeast; Increasing collaboration between southeast high schools, the University, and other relevant entities, so that high school graduates are better prepared for college. UAS used performance-based budgeting funds to create this position late in FY06.

48. FY07 Dev Ed Funding Proposal On September 15, 2006 UAS submitted a $25K funding proposal to UA Statewide to help expand Summer Bridge programs for incoming first-year UAS students during summer ‘07. The initial phase will include establishing a collaborative dialog among the staff and math faculty from UAS and southeast high schools. Curriculum, instruction, and technology workshops will be held for southeast Alaska high school math teachers. The residential Summer Bridge program will offer intensive math instruction and college preparation courses to entering freshmen. The following year, the same collaborative process will be expanded to include writing and reading instruction.

49. PITAAS program supports Native students from high school through teacher certification. Network of Mentor Teachers recruiting in 11 southeast communities. The mentor teachers advise students to take advanced courses, create classroom teaching experiences for the students, and provide intentional guidance through high school graduation. Two-week Summer Bridge program includes math, writing, college orientation, placement testing, team building, and early move in to housing. Block schedules during first semester; midterm progress reports; regular cohort-based meetings; one-on-one tutoring; peer mentoring. 54 achievement-based PITAAS scholarships were awarded fall ’06 (includes 16 freshmen). Grant funded by USDOE since 2000. Current grant ends August 31, 2008.

50. Early Scholars Program prepares Native students for college at JDHS. UAS provides financial support to cohort based academic support program for AK Natives at Juneau Douglas High School. Approximately 25 AK Native secondary students taking their social studies classes together in a cohort. The class meets one day a week at UAS. Guest lectures from UAS faculty and staff, as well as college classroom observations. New math cohort began fall 2006. Approximately 20 AK Native 9th graders taking their math sequence together. A math camp is in the preplanning stage, to help accelerate their progress so they reach pre-calculus and calculus by their 12th grade year.

51. TRiO program supports low income, disabled, and first-generation students. Program offers mentorship, tutoring, advising, workshops, scholarships, and additional support.

52. College Success Grant – First National Bank For the second year, UAS is flying in 60-100 11th & 12th grade students from southeast high schools to participate in the college fair, as well as a number of career planning workshops at UAS.

53. The Learning Center – Math and English Tutoring, Testing Services The mission of The Learning Center is to serve a diverse student population through academic support services that enable students to achieve personal, academic, and vocational goals.

54. Thank you The presenter’s would like to thank all the faculty and staff from UAA, UAF, and UAS, who made contributions to this presentation and are working hard towards making “Student Success and College Readiness” as institutional priority. Also, we would like to thank President Hamilton, VPAA&R Craig Dorman, AVP’s Ted Kassier and Dave Veazey for participating in these discussions and bringing the UA Administrator’s, Faculty Alliance member’s and key personnel from UAA and UAS to President’s Retreat. Thanks to the members of UA Faculty Alliance, who will discuss this subject for rest of the day and develop strategies through AY 2006-07, for achieving success for UA students in the year’s to come. Finally, our sincere thanks to Pat Ivey and Jodi Bailey for their support and patience.