Practical and Workable Ideas for
Learning Communities
Julie Phelps, Achieving the Dream (AtD) Project Director & Professor, Mathematics
Christy Cheney, College-wide Coordinator of Learning in Communities (LinC)
& Professor, Student Success
East Campus
Winter Park Campus
Criminal Justice Institute
Sand Lake Center
Osceola Campus
West Campus
Valencia Community College now has four major campuses, two academic and administrative centers, and two more major campuses in the planning stages.
Overview of Presentation Strategic Planning
Initial Data analysis 2000-2005 3 Gaps Indentified in Success Rates Targeted Courses, Implementation Timeline & Participation #s Closing the Gaps
Research Plans 1) Supplemental Learning (SL) 2) Learning in Communities (LinC) 3) Student Success (SLS)
Wrap-up
Gaps in Student Achievementas Identified by Valencia for AtDGap 1. Between under prepared and college-
ready students
Gap 2. Between racial and ethnic groups
Gap 3. Between success rates in math courses and success rates in other discipline
courses
Gap 1: Progression and Completion rates are lower for under prepared students (Fall 2000)
Completed Developmen-
tal in 2 Years
15 college level credits in 3 years
Completed Degree in 4
years
Completed Degree in 5
years
College Ready
0 0.72 0.33 0.38
Non-Col-lege Ready
0.49 0.49 0.15 0.18
5%
15%
25%
35%
45%
55%
65%
75%
74%
26%
Fall 2000FTIC Students
n = 3741
n = 966n = 2775
Gap 1: Progression and Completion rates are lower for under prepared students (Fall 2006)
Completed Developmental in 2 Years
15 college level credits in 3 years
College Ready 0 0.78
Non-College Ready
0.55 0.57
5%
15%
25%
35%
45%
55%
65%
75%
85%
77%
23%
Fall 2006FTIC Students
n = 4011
n = 758n = 2575
Progression Rates by Ethnicity FTIC Under Prepared Students - Fall 2000
60%65%
24%
51% 54%
16%
47% 49%
13%
36%42%
8%
CompletePrep in
2 Yrs
Complete15 CL hrsin 3 Yrs
CompleteDegree in
4 Yrs
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
Asian/Pac/Isldr Caucasian Hispanic Afr/Amer
(Cohort Rate = 48%)
(Cohort Rate = 51%)
(Cohort Rate = 15%)
Gap 2: Hispanics and African Americans fall below other groups;
Asians lead
Gap 2: Hispanics and African Americans fall below other groups; Asians lead
Progression Rates by EthnicityFTIC Under Prepared Students – Fall 2006
Complete Prep in 2 Yrs Complete 15 CL hrs in 3 Yrs0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%72% 72%
57% 58%55%
60%
46% 48%
Asian/Pac/Isldr Caucasian Hispanic Afr Am
Courses with 10 Lowest Success Rates All Students - Fall 2004
39.4%
42.3%
43.1%
52.4%
54.7%
55.8%
56.0%
56.4%
56.8%
57.8%
Prep Math Intens
Beginning Algebra
Pre-Algebra
Pre-Calc Algebra
Intro to Programming
Calc (Bus & Soc Sci)
Interm Algebra
Principles of Accntg
Principles of Econ
College Trig
0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0%
MAT0020 (203)MAT0024 (2,641)
MAC2233 (428)
MAT0012 (1,855)
MAT1033 (2,373)
ECO2023 (863)
MAC1140 (437)
ACG2021 (970)
MAC1114 (510)
( Enrollment) Success Rate
(Courses = 10,503 enrollments or 12% of Fall enrollment))
COP1006 (223)
(Success = Grade of A, B, or C)
Gap 3: Math courses dominate the list of 10 courses with lowest success rates
Gap 3: Math has high enrollment and low success rates
AtD Targeted Courses
Developmental Pre-Algebra Beginning Algebra Intermediate Algebra
Gateway College Algebra Freshman Comp I U.S. Government
Strategy Implementation Timeline
Phase ISupplemental Learning
Phase IILinked SLS Course (LinC)
Phase IIILinked Interdisciplinary Courses (LinC)
2005-06 2006-07 2007-082008-09 2009-10
ENC1101, POS2041,MAC1105 w/ Other Courses
SLS LinC w/ MAT 0012, 0024, 1033 & w/ ENC 1101, POS 2041, MAC1105 as option
Phase IVRequired SLS Enrollment
3 Prep Course Mandates
MAT 0012, 0024, 1033
ENC 1101, POS 2041, MAC 1105
2 Prep Course Mandate
Under Review
Participants: Spring 2006-2009
34, 223 students (Goal was 25,285)
1,497 class sections
820 faculty and staff (duplicated headcount)
Annual Student ParticipationFTIC Degree-Seeking
05-06 06-07 07-08 08-090%
10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%
SLLinCSLSAny
**Yr 05-06 Yr 06-07 Yr07-08 **Yr08-09
SL 184 678 905 912
LinC 0 158 403 380
SLS 400 2264 2822 2825
Any (unduplicated) 533 2640 3539 3491
Total Students Enrolled 2003 6723 7880 7415
**Note: Year 05-06 includes Spring and Summer only. Year 08-09 includes Fall and Spring only.
1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 1999-00 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-080%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
75.3% 76.9% 76.1% 76.7%78.6% 79.9% 79.2% 80.5% 79.2% 79.7%
81.6% 81.5%
55.3%56.8% 56.4%
58.2% 58.5% 58.7% 58.4% 59.6% 60.3% 61.3% 62.4% 63.8%
Fall Cohort Retention RatesFTIC Degree-Seeking Students
Fall-Spring Retention
Fall-Fall Retention
Fall Cohort to Spring/Fall the Following Year
Re
ten
tio
n R
ate
Closing the Gaps
• Overall, success in the 6 Gateway courses increased by 3% from 2004 to 2008.
• Success gaps between African American and Caucasian students closed from 13.4% in 2004 to 3.6% in 2008.
• Success gaps between Hispanic students and Caucasian students closed from 1.8% in 2004 to Hispanic students having higher success rates than Caucasian students by 4% in 2008.
AFRICAN AMERICAN – CAUCASIAN SUCCESS RATE GAP
Gateway Course Gap Analysis
17
18
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 FA08-40.0%
-30.0%
-20.0%
-10.0%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
African American - CaucasianSuccess Rate Gap by Course
ENC1101
POS2041
MAC1105
MAT0012C
MAT0024C
MAT1033C
Average Total Combined Gap
Academic Year
Dif
fere
nce
in
Su
cces
s R
ate
Negative values mean African-Americans are not performing as well as Caucasians on average.
HISPANIC – CAUCASIAN SUCCESS RATE GAP
Gateway Course Gap Analysis
19
20
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 FA08-30.0%
-20.0%
-10.0%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
Hispanic - CaucasianSuccess Rate Gap by Course
ENC1101
POS2041
MAC1105
MAT0012C
MAT0024C
MAT1033C
Average Total Combined Gap
Academic Year
Dif
fere
nce
in
Su
cces
s R
ate
Negative values mean Hispanics are not performing as well as Caucasians on average.
AtD Research Reports
• Supplemental Learning (SL)
• Learning in Community (LinC)
• Student Success (SLS1122) Mandate (for students in 3-prep)
Meaningful Improvement
Statistically significant improvement in target quantitative measures
Reflection on the human impact in terms of the goals of
the initiative and the mission of the institution
Economic efficiency in relationship to difficulty of the task at hand
A consideration of faculty perception as it relates to benefit versus cost
A consideration of student perception as it relates to benefit versus cost
Supplemental Learning (SL)
www.valenciacc/dream/supplearning.asp
SL assisted courses provide students with a trained peer mentor. The SL leader acts as a model student in class and leads group study sessions outside of class.
SL Organization Coordination
Collegewide Coordinator 4 Campus Coordinators 2 Campuses have student leaders assisting coordination
Recruitment Recruiting SL Faculty Recruiting and Training SL Leaders Recruiting Students
Growth Spring 2006 – 35 sections collegewide Today, Spring 2009 – over 100 sections collegewide
Supplemental Learning (SL)Course Success In each comparison, Fall, Spring and Summer:
Success (A, B, or C) was higher for SL sections Unsuccess (D, F, or WF) and Withdrawal (W, or WP) were lower for
SL sections Fall Success rates were significantly different for SL sections (*p<.10) for
all ethnicities (N = 65 Instructors, N = 5157 students) African American students
All courses: 10.36% higher (p=0.029) Developmental: 8.53% higher (*p=0.167) Gateway: 15.65% higher (p=0.019)
Hispanic students All courses: 7.07% higher (p=0.007) Developmental: 7.59% higher (p=0.025) Gateway: 6.65% higher (p=0.099)
*With one exception.
Supplemental Learning ResearchPersistence
On average, students enrolled in the SL sections had higher persistence rates
As the size of the cohorts increase, this effect appears to lessen
The difference in persistence rates between SL and non-SL students decreases over time This analysis, however, does not account for
graduation
Supplemental Learning ResearchStudent Focus Groups
• Overall, students described the SL experience as positive, and felt that attending SL sessions helped their academic performance
• Students who did not attend SL sessions gave two major reasons:– time of session conflicted with work or other courses– felt confident in their own ability and did not need the help
• The following benefits of SL were reported:– learning study skill strategies– awareness of additional resources (CompHouse, SPA, etc.)– increased comfort with in-class participation and instructor
interaction
Supplemental Learning ResearchSummary and Recommendations
Supplemental Learning appears to have the most significant effect during the fall semester
Information about the scheduling of SL sessions at the time of registration may increase student participation in the sessions
Additional research is necessary to determine how to implement SL more effectively in Gateway College courses
Learning in Community (LinC)www.valenciacc.edu/linc
Two professors and a success coach collaborate to combine the content of two courses with integrated learning outcomes and activities. Students enroll in both courses at the same time.
LinC Organization Coordination
Collegewide Coordinator 3 Campus Coordinators Success Coach Coordinator
Recruiting and Training Faculty/Success Coach LinC Mixers Destination
Recruiting Students Student Services Staff Orientations
Business Process Analysis (BPA) Timeline Research Proposal
Atd Strategies: LinC courses
LinC courses: Students enrolled in LinC courses complete the courses with a grade of C or better at higher rates compared to non-Linc courses. This effect is greater for Hispanic and African
American students.
Learning in Community (LinC) Research Report
Students who enrolled in LinC courses successfully completed the courses at higher rates than students in the same courses that were not LinC’d (10.4%)
This effect was even greater for Hispanic (11.9%) and African-American (11.6%) students
The greatest effect was in math courses, particularly developmental courses
LinC Research ReportPersistence On average, students in LinC courses
showed higher persistence in the next term which diminished the term after that and increased over the next 2 terms
Each cohort has a different pattern of persistence (needs more time to study)
LinC Research ReportStudent Focus Groups Expressed enthusiasm for relationship
building with faculty and peers Described the courses as engaging, good
pace and interesting and found it was easier to ask questions
Cited specific academic and life skills they gained
Developed connections with college resources
LinC Research ReportFaculty Discussion Groups Changes in teaching practice included
increased confidence, more flexibility in delivering course content, incorporating success skills, more attention to student overall development, involving students in more group work
Comparatively, LinC courses were more interactive, challenging, students are more positive, open, engaged and loud
LinC Recommendations
Continuation of LinC courses, particularly in the four math courses studied
LinC coordination required
Student Success Expansion
www.valenciacc.edu/studentsuccessAn initiative to increase the number of students who benefit from the Student Success Course (SLS1122 - 3 credit hours), SLS is part of the LinC offerings, and the course is now required for students who test into all three college prep areas.
Student Success Organization History – before AtD
1988 – Started on a Title III Grant Centralized Program
4 Campuses 1 Director Student Success Course Guidelines
AtD Years Growth
Fall 2006 Mandate LinC Involvement Bridges Cohort Experience
Student Success Recruiting and Training Faculty
Masters Degree in Any Discipline
Step by Step Training—required for credentials
Monthly Trainings—Adjunct Associate Status
Adjunct Mentoring
Student Success Course Mandate Research Summary Fall to Spring persistence increased,
particularly for Hispanic and African American students
Fall to Fall persistence did not increase, except for Hispanic students
Course success rates increased for Hispanic and African American students
SLS Mandate Research ReportStudent Focus Groups
The SLS Mandate did not interfere with students’ decisions to come to Valencia or to continue on at the college
When discussing requirements, most students tended to focus on preparatory course requirements rather than the SLS1122 requirement
When asked if everyone should take the course: For students that did not successfully complete the
course – the course should not be mandated For students that did successfully complete the course –
everyone should take the course
SLS Mandate Research ReportCost Efficiency Analysis
Return on investment analysis is particularly challenging endeavor in higher education Valencia participated in a special study called “Making
Opportunity Affordable” conducted by Jobs for the Future
The cost template revealed that the expansion SLS Mandate would not, in itself, be a financial strain on the institution because much of the cost is absorbed by student tuition and the institution benefits from economies of scale.
SLS Mandate Research ReportFacilitated Discussion on the Data
Reactions to the data were generally positive and translated into support for the continued use and study of the SLS Mandate in its current form
Fall to Fall persistence data is still incomplete but there is good conversation concerning the meaning and solution to the perceived problem Expansion of Strategies to Spring / Summer
There is continued concern about the long term impact of demographic changes to SLS1122 brought on by the mandate
SLS Mandate Research ReportRecommendations for the Transition
There is general consensus to continue the mandate for 3-prep students and study of its effects.
There is general consensus about the value of the content of the SLS1122 course.
There is general consensus about the value of embedding “success skills” into other courses.
Contact Information
Julie Phelps Email: [email protected]
Christy Cheney Email: [email protected]
National AtD web site: http://www.achievingthedream.org