Alternative Structures for CTE Issue Caucus Theresa Rowland Career Ladders Project Peter Simon CLP Consultant Kelley Karandjeff RP Group 2011 Strengthening Student Success Conference
Theresa RowlandCareer Ladders ProjectPeter SimonCLP ConsultantKelley KarandjeffRP Group
2011 Strengthening Student Success Conference
Today’s Agenda:
• Introductions and Session Overview (15)• Rationale and What the Research Says (25)• Activity: Group work and Meta “Driver” Diagram (40)• Wrap Up (10)
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Intro and Session Overview: Introductions: TR and PS from CLP. CLP fosters educational and career ladders through research, policy initiatives, and direct assistance to community colleges. Overview: This caucus will focus on promising practices to help colleges begin to rethink completion via pathway programs, specifically CTE programs We will take a quick look at the rationale and research which may be useful as we leverage the expertise in the room.
• focus on outcomes desired through pathway programs; • identify innovations (drivers) that can help students move
through a pathway;• identify interventions that will help students complete
programs.
Why use a pathway model?
Think about your students...– Where do they stop out before completing a
certificate, degree or transfer?
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Pose the above question Think about your program or college. Where do you lose the most students? If you don’t know for sure, where do guess your college or program experiences the biggest “leeks”?
Why use a pathway model?
connection entry progress completion
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Present rough framework that there are several places where we lose students: from connecting to the college, to entering, to progressing through courses and programs to reaching completion of a certificate, degree or transfer Don’t get connected to the college in a meaningful way in the first place They experience barriers upon entry and don’t get past introductory courses or experience They encounter challenges that hamper their intermediate progress and impede their achievement of a certificate, degree or transfer
Why use a pathway model?
Research suggests…
– A lack of structure can impede students’ connection, entry, progress & completion
– A “best process” approach can support student outcomes
Jenkins, D. (2011). Get with the Program: Accelerating Community College Students’ Entry Into and Completion of Programs of Study. CCRC Working Paper No. 32. Retrieved from: http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/Publication.asp?uid=885
Scott-Clayton, J. (2011). The Shapeless River: Does a Lack of Structure Inhibit Students’ Progress at Community Colleges? CCRC Working Paper No. 25. Retrieved from: http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/Publication.asp?UID=839
Shulock, N., Moore, C. (2011). Sense of Direction: The Importance of Helping Community College Student Select and Enter a Program of Study. California State University – Sacramento, Institute of Higher Education Leadership and Policy. Retrieved from: http://www.csus.edu/ihelp/PDFs/R_Sense_of_Direction.pdf
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Share one statistics about completion to frame the issue: National: Of 100 students entering a CC for 1st time, only 15 will complete a degree or cert w/in 3 yrs; 45 leave w/o completing any credential (National Center for Education Statistics, Shapeless River) Some research indicates lack of structure can impede connection, entry, progress and completion: An abundance of options (& limited understanding thereof): students numerous course options and program choices Inadequate advising: they have limited support making these choices and research finds many make almost at random as opposed to based on their interests or an understanding of what program might entail Complex systems & requirements: they encounter confusing and complex systems for engaging with the college—starting with enrollment, understanding placement, accessing financial ai Lack of curricular coherence: curriculum is not necessarily integrated or coherent, programs and related support not necessarily structured in a way that makes it easy for students to move from one point to the next Delayed engagement w/ program of study: students aren’t quickly focusing on completing a concentration of courses in a program area and the more they delay this concentration, the less likely they are to complete Unsuccessful completion of gatekeeper courses: research shows that many students attempt to concentrate but are unable to complete introductory courses Optional supports: students don’t necessarily connect to academic and personal support along the way that helps them overcome challenges they’re encountering Limited understanding of where students stop out & why: limited data collection that specifically looks at who completes and where students fall out of the system All wrapped up in a system that often engages students w/ the least higher education experience Research suggests that to support completion, several strategies need to come together in a coherent whole, what Davis jenkins talks about a “best process” approach rather than a “best practice” approach…moving from a discrete bunch of practices to an overhaul in how college works together to support students to completion Better information & advising – help students make better, more informed choices Limited bureaucratic obstacles – implement systems that help students efficiently access the educational offerings and services they want and need Tight, consciously structured programs – create more coherent, integrated, constrained curricula More immediate engagement with program of study – encouraging students to more quickly take a concentration of courses in a program area Successful movement through gatekeeper courses – consider what policies and practices will help students more effectively complete introductory coursework Focused, intrusive support – determine Improved understanding of student progress – track student progress, identify points where students fall out and apply interventions Pathway models off the comprehensive structure for addressing challenges to students connection, entry, progress and completion Enter a program of study when take 9 college level units in a program area; entering a program of study increased likelihood of completion; and timing = important; much more likely to complete a certificate, degree or transfer if enter a program of study w/I first yr; rates decline after first year Many studnets (75%) try to enter by attempting but less are successful at entering – don’t pass initial intro courses required
Key Elements of “Stackable Certificate” Curriculum Model
• Aligned with industry-defined career pathways and job classifications
• Progression of courses and short-term certificates that build credits toward 1 and 2 year CTE Certificates of Achievement and AS Degree / Transfer
• May start with Non-credit “Bridge” or “Prep”program but leads to entry into credit-bearing college classes
• From student perspective, points of entry into and exit from program (“On and Off Ramp”) very easy to understand
• Makes explicit what jobs are available upon completion of each certificate and, ideally, local wage range of those jobs
• Linked to contextualized Basic Skills English, Math, and ESL where needed
National Pathways work
• At least 10 states have significant career pathway efforts aimed at adults or out of school youth. – AR, CA, KY, IL, MA, OH, OR, VA, WA, WI– Perkins: every state must have pathways for high school students.
• Half a dozen states have career pathway bridge initiatives – IL, IN, MD, MN, OH, OR, WA, WI– New Gates’ Accelerating Opportunity grants will expand this.– Some states have focused state adult ed plans/RFP’s on this. IL, IN– CA new ABE strategic plan moving in this direction.
• Career pathways and bridges becoming a focus of federal policy. – DOL TAACCCT grants, Career Pathway Innovation Grants, Career
Pathway TA Institute; ED’s Career Connections and Pathways to Prosperity; DHHS’ Innovative Strategies to Self-Sufficiency. Pathways and bridges part of President’s jobs proposal and the ikely focus of forthcoming Innovation Fund.
• identify innovations (drivers) that can help students move through a pathway;
• identify interventions that will help students complete programs
Why use visual tools?
Reasons for using visual tools:– Focus a potentially unwieldy conversation– Provide a frame or skeleton for analysis – Illustrate complexities and interconnections – Show different takes on an issue – different analyses
may lead to different conclusions – Point to action – Give people a chance to think out loud
Increased World History
Comprehension from a
multi-nation perspective
Outcome Drivers Interventions
Pedagogy
Reading Material
Research Topics
Teacher training
Increase knowledge beyond traditional topics
World view vs. political correctness
Increase primary sources
Public access to world communications e.g. previously censored
Assignments with world view perspective, asking questions in a different way
Simple Driver Diagram Example
Example provided by Scott Rowland, 9th grade
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Mapping our collective ideas using a Visual Map, For today we are using a Driver Diagram, simple example to illustrate DRIVERS are bigger ideas, umbrellas; INTERVENTIONS are specific, measurable, ways to operationalize
A Start to the Driver Diagram
Presenter
Presentation Notes
A start to the Meta Driver Diagram
Small Group Work
• agree on one driver of interest, • develop related interventions, • think about how to apply at local
college and district levels
Wrap Up
• What is one new thought/ discovery/action step you are taking away from this session?
