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Basic Skills Initiative, Regional Spring Workshop, April 23 and 24, 2009

Writing in the End Zone

James Carranza and Lucia OlsonDepartment of EnglishCollege of San Mateo

1700 W. Hillsdale Blvd., San Mateo, CA 94402Carranza@smccd.edu & olsonl@smccd.edu

What student-athlete participants say about Writing in the End Zone

I love being in a learning community even though coach is always on my bumper. (ChrisWatson)

This also in the long run is a better study environment for me to come and learn at since I dont have to feel like I am being judged. (Jabarri White)

This program helps the student-athlete put more effort into their school work as theywould do on the field, and for the students who learn a little slower than some, it reallyhelps them get a better understanding of the subject and gives a student a better view of

school and how positive it is to learn. (Ryan Battle)

Its always a positive learning environment. (Carlos Gonzalez)

I usually hate school but this class motivates me to come. (Sean Connor)

Writing in the End Zone is a great concept because it allows people who are comfortablewith each other to learn together. It allows you to be comfortable with making a mistake,whereas in a regular English class some people feel like a fish out of water. (PierreTyson)

General background and rationale

Writing in the End Zone I , II , and III is a three-semester, learning-community sequencewhich links PE and Fitness football courses with basic, developmental, and transfer Englishcomposition courses. Students begin in Writing in the End Zone I in the fall, and, if they aresuccessful, they proceed to Writing in the End Zone II in the spring and then to III the next fall.English instructors Jon Kitamura, Teeka James, and James Carranza, and assistant head footballcoach Bret Pollack have worked together to organize this learning community and to develop thespecialized reading and writing curriculum it requires.

Dean of Physical Education Andreas Wolf, Coach Larry Owens, and Coach Brett Pollack

mailto:Carranza@smccd.edumailto:Carranza@smccd.edumailto:olsonl@smccd.edumailto:olsonl@smccd.edumailto:Carranza@smccd.edumailto:olsonl@smccd.edu

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have confirmed that English is the single biggest stumbling block for students playing football atCollege of San Mateo, the majority of whom are members of traditionally underrepresentedgroups, primarily African American and Pacific Islander. While Writing in the End Zone at firstglance may have the look of special treatment for college football players, we are, in fact,

creating a successful environment for traditionally underserved students by taking seriously their academic needs, interests, and unique backgrounds. We believe that linking their greatest passionand raison d'tre footballto their nemesisEnglish Compositionwill result in morestudents from this cohort persisting through the English program, graduating from CSM, andtransferring to four-year institutions. This student population is one that the CSM English facultyhas been trying to reach out to for years. Our approach has been effective in ways other successand retention programs have not been.

Challenges that student-athletes face lack of interest in academic subjects lack of confidence in academic abilities feeling unwelcome in classroom environment feeling misunderstood by faculty and students confronting athlete and ethnic stereotypes negotiating the athletic/academic paradox resisting negative peer pressure

Challenges that coaches face academic failure/athletic ineligibility monitoring athlete academic success confronting coach and player stereotypes administrative wrangling and academic advising and counseling bridging the communication gap between coaches and faculty

Challenges that faculty face transforming student-athletes negative attitudes about academics addressing poor attendance and chronic tardiness

o

(Math instructor Rob Komas in a tizzy: Football players? In my classes? Student-athletes? Anoxymoron! They never show up; when they do, they dont contribute anything positive. Theyrarely finish let alone pass our classes.)

making composition and reading meaningful confronting teacher stereotypes addressing the student-athletes low level of academic preparation and general lack of

academic experience and discipline boosting student-athletes academic confidence in the face of serial failure helping student-athletes cultivate academic curiosity

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Building relationships, creating success

The learning community model has helped us to meet the needs of student-athletes, coaches, andEnglish faculty. Bringing these three usually disparate areas together has enabled us to develop astrong sense of community and team membership, to build trust and understanding, and toestablish and enforce academic standards.

Community

Coaches and classroom instructors come to appreciate each others challenges andaccomplishments.

Student-athletes, coaches, and faculty are joined in a common purpose. The team dynamic is used to facilitate learning. The distraction of non-athlete classmates is removed. Peer pressure is used in a positive way to build confidence and reinforce positive

behaviorwe subvert the power of the Tree and the limitation of the Ride. Support services are made readily available.

Student-athletes

InstructorsCoaches

End Zone

Learners

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English and football are alignedboth are made equally important. Collaboration between coaches and instructors creates an added safety net for student-

athletes.

Sequence of reading/writing assignments Essay assignments: Writing in the End Zone I

Basic composition , Fall

1. Examining Our Goals and Ourselves2. Recommending an Article to Use for

Motivation of Athletes3. Comparing Career Paths4. Legalizing Marijuana: Community Impact5. Final: Analyzing the Effects of Enforcing the

NFLs Five-Yard Bump Rule

Essay assignments: Writing in the End Zone II

Developmental composition , Spring

1. The Importance of Goal Setting2. Nutritional Analysis and Application3. To be or not to be . . . Inducted into the Hall

of Fame? (Pete Rose)4. Major League Baseballs Steroid Scandal5. Inmate Education in California

6. Final: Reforming College Athletics

Essay assignments: Writing in the End Zone III

Transfer-level composition, 1A , Fall

1. Defining Masculinity2. Athletes as Activists3. Lessons for Living: Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist 4. A Philosophical Investigation into the Nature of Happiness5. Patterns of Racism and Prejudice: A Close Reading of Ellisons Battle Royal

Points of emphasis in the End Zone instructional approach:

Curriculum Less is more (debunking the myth of remediation and basic skills). Reading and writing are taught as composing processes involving audience awareness,

purpose, planning, drafting, revision, reflection (not necessarily in that particular order nor in lock-step).

Academic criteria for reading and writing assignments are made absolutely clear. All writing assignments are text-based and rely heavily on inquiry. Assignments begin

close to home or in comfort zone and finish in abstract/academic End Zone. Modeling expository writing is essential. Grammar and usage are taught in the context of students own writing and on an as-need-

to-know basis. To teach correct English usage, we address patterns of error in studentwriting in a carefully measured and systematic way, specific to the students' ownlanguage backgrounds.

Students are provided numerous hands-on opportunities to read and write in class, inworkshops, and in our Writing Center/800 Lab.

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Community We build a precedent of success immediately. We facilitate the exchange of expertise, English to football, football to Englishthe

power of the local expert. Positive behavior and high-quality work in class is named, rewarded, and praised. The structure of consequence used in athletics is applied in the classroom. For example,

missing class or assignments means the student or entire team may have to run bleachers. Coach attends class regularly to model appropriate academic behavior; teacher attends

practice/games to reinforce the importance of community. Rules and guidelines for course participation are consistent with the rules and guidelines

coaches use for team participation.