california acceleration project: where we are now

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The California Acceleration Project:

Where We Are Now

Katie Hern & Myra SnellStrengthening Student Success Conference

October 3-5, 2012

http://cap.3csn.org
http://cap.3csn.org/http://cap.3csn.org/


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CALIFORNIA ACCELERATION PROJECThttp://cap.3csn.org/

Supporting California s 112 Community Colleges

To Redesign Developmental English and Math Curricula

And Increase Student Completion

An initiative of the California Community Colleges Success

Network (3CSN), funded through the Basic Skills Initiative of the

state Chancellors Office. Additional support from the

Walter S. Johnson Foundation, LearningWorks, and Scaling

Innovation, a project of the Community College Research Center

funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
http://3csn.org/developmental-sequenceshttp://3csn.org/developmental-sequences


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Our Starting Pointshttp://cap.3csn.org for Links to Relevant Research

Shockingly few students make it through developmental sequences

nationwide, and the lower down a student starts, the less likely she

is to complete college Math or English.

- Studies by the Community College Research Center

High attrition rates are structurally guaranteed in muti-level

developmental sequences. The more exit points in students path,

the fewer who complete transfer-level courses in English and Math.

- Article by project leaders Katie Hern & Myra Snell

In California, Black and Latino are disproportionately placed 3-4

levels below college math, and all students of color are

disproportionately placed 3-4 levels below college English.

- Study by EdSource


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Placement tests are the most high-stakes assessments that

students face in community colleges, with students initial placement

determining their likelihood of transferring or completing a credential.

Yet nationwide studies have demonstrated that these tests are

remarkably weak predictors of student capacity.- Studies by the Community College Research Center and others

Low-scoring students have performed unexpectedly well in

accelerated pathways, undermining the assumption that these

students would be better served by longer pathways.

- Studies of accelerated classes at Chabot and Los Medanos


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At colleges like Chabot, Las Positas, Los Medanos, and the

Community College of Baltimore County, students in accelerated

pathways complete college English and Math at significantly higher

rates than non-accelerated students.- Multiple research studies

-


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Shared Principles

Increasing completion of college-level English and Mathrequires shorter developmental pathways and broaderaccess to college-level courses.

We must reduce our reliance on high-stakes placement

tests, which are poor predictors of student capacity.

Streamlined developmental curricula should reflectthree key principles:

Backwards design

Just-in-time remediation

Intentional support for affective issues


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Long-Term Accelerated Model:Chabot College

English 102:Reading, Reasoning, and Writing (Accelerated)

A one-semester 4-unit developmental English courseleading directly to English 1A

An alternative to two-semester, 8-unit sequence

No minimum placement score, students self-place in either theaccelerated or two-semester path

Developed with backwards design from college English:Students engage in the same kinds of reading, thinking, and

writing of college English, with more scaffolding and support

College has expanded accelerated offerings in last decade: in Fall11, course constituted 75% of entry-level sections


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Higher Completion of College English

Fall 2006 Cohorts

Data from the Basic Skills Progress Tracker, Data Mart, California Community Colleges

Chancellors Office. Students are followed for three years from their first enrollment in a basic

skills English course (English 101A or 102) and tracked for all subsequent enrollments in English,

including repeats.

Students completing college English: 33% Students completing college English: 56%

Chabot CollegeFall 2006 Cohorts


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Data Consistent for a Decade

Completion of English 1A in 3 years


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New Model: Fullerton College

Sections of a 4-unit developmental course two levels below

college English taught to outcomes of the course onelevel

below; college ready students can skip to transfer level

Early Results:

Spring 2012 Pilot SemesterEnrolled in accelerated sections two-levels-below transfer 100% (102 students)

Retention (completed full semester) 88% (90 students)

Success (passed course) 78% (80 students)

Advanced to one-level-below transfer (no skip) 20% (20 students)

Advanced to transfer-level English course (skip) 59% (60 students)

Percentages follow the original cohort of students.


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New Model: Butte College

New 4-unit course 1-level below transfer. Provides a one-semester alternative for students placed two-levels below.

Early Results:2011-12 Pilot Year

TraditionalSequence

Accelerated Sequence

Enrolled two-levels below 100% N/A

Passed two-levels below 72% N/A

Enrolled one-level below 59% 100%

Passed one-level-below 45% 65%

Enrolled transfer-level 39% 63%

Passed transfer-level 31% 45%

Percentages follow the original cohort of students.Traditional: Tracked 3 yrs, with repeats. Accelerated: 1 year, no


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NEW MODEL OF

ACCELERATED MATH: Path2Stats

Los Medanos College

A 6-unit developmental Math course with no prerequisite:

Intended for non-STEM students

Bypasses standard 4-course sequence leading to Pre-Calculus

Developed through backwards design from college Statistics:

Includes those elements of algebra and arithmetic relevant toStatistics (plus a few others)

Just-in-time remediation of relevant algebra and arithmeticas students engage in statistical analysis

Successful students eligible to take college Statistics

Offered since 2009


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RATIONALE FOR Path2Stats

Misalignment of Developmental Math withStatistics


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(EMERGING) PROOF OF CONCEPT:

SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN COMPLETION


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FURTHER PROOF OF CONCEPT

Early Data from Colleges in the CAP

Community of Practice, 2011-12

Traditional Algebra PathStudent completion of anytransferable math course(in 3 years)

Pre-Statistics PathStudent completion oftransferable statisticscourse (in 1 year)

National Data 20% N/A

Los Medanos College 21% 60% (71 of 119)

City College San Francisco 17-19% 37% (30 of 81)

Cuyamaca College 20% 81% (22 of 27)

College of the Canyons(PALS: Pre-stat and

statistics in one semester)

12-16% 78% (39 of 50)


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Intentional Support for

Affective Issues

Take 5 minutes to read the first two sections

of Carol Dwecks article Brainology

(throughMindsets and Achievement

).


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Speed Dating Question #1

Explain Dwecks assertion that students with

growth and fixed mindsets have radically

different beliefs about effort. Use specificexamples from your experience to illustrate.


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Describe how a student with a fixed mindset

might react to an academic setback, and

how a student with a growth mindsetmightreact to an academic setback. Give specific

examples from your experience.


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If fixed mindsets adversely affect students

motivation, effort, and persistence, what can

teachers do to address these problems?Brainstorm several solutions with your

partner and make a list to share.


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A Catalyst for Self-Reflection

As faculty across the state have shared the

Dweck article in their classrooms, weve

seen students have powerful insights aboutthemselves as learners.

Video: http://youtu.be/laRommqVuTs
http://youtu.be/laRommqVuTshttp://youtu.be/laRommqVuTs


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Focus on Ground-Level

Classroom Practice

Providing a concrete vision of the possible

What does it look like to design backwards from

the college-level course?How can remediation be done just-in-time rather

than front-loaded?

How can we support students affective needs

while maintaining high cognitive demands?


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Sample Materials from a

Reading-Writing Classroom

Sample Essay Prompt:When you consider the experiments described in The Perils of Obedience,

would you say that these were goodexperiments? Yes? No? Somewhat? And

why do you see it like you do? (Your answer should be summarized in your

thesis statement in your introduction.)

In your essay, be sure to discuss the major elements of the ethics debate about

Milgram. These are:

Whether his deception of subjects was ethical

Whether subjects were harmed

Whether his findings were significant

Whether his experiments really tell us about real-world human behavior

(think about Baumrinds claim that people were more obedient because

they were in an unfamiliar lab setting)


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An Intentional Instructional Cycle

Key Tool Used in CAPs Community of Practice:

Link to Handout:

http://cap.3csn.org/files/2012/02/Instructional-Cycle-Integrated-Class-rev-March-19.pdf

Faculty use this cycle to create lesson plans and

course materials on one or more shared texts.
http://cap.3csn.org/files/2012/02/Instructional-Cycle-Integrated-Class-rev-March-19.pdfhttp://cap.3csn.org/files/2012/02/Instructional-Cycle-Integrated-Class-rev-March-19.pdfhttp://cap.3csn.org/files/2012/02/Instructional-Cycle-Integrated-Class-rev-March-19.pdfhttp://cap.3csn.org/files/2012/02/Instructional-Cycle-Integrated-Class-rev-March-19.pdfhttp://cap.3csn.org/files/2012/02/Instructional-Cycle-Integrated-Class-rev-March-19.pdfhttp://cap.3csn.org/files/2012/02/Instructional-Cycle-Integrated-Class-rev-March-19.pdfhttp://cap.3csn.org/files/2012/02/Instructional-Cycle-Integrated-Class-rev-March-19.pdfhttp://cap.3csn.org/files/2012/02/Instructional-Cycle-Integrated-Class-rev-March-19.pdfhttp://cap.3csn.org/files/2012/02/Instructional-Cycle-Integrated-Class-rev-March-19.pdfhttp://cap.3csn.org/files/2012/02/Instructional-Cycle-Integrated-Class-rev-March-19.pdfhttp://cap.3csn.org/files/2012/02/Instructional-Cycle-Integrated-Class-rev-March-19.pdfhttp://cap.3csn.org/files/2012/02/Instructional-Cycle-Integrated-Class-rev-March-19.pdfhttp://cap.3csn.org/files/2012/02/Instructional-Cycle-Integrated-Class-rev-March-19.pdfhttp://cap.3csn.org/files/2012/02/Instructional-Cycle-Integrated-Class-rev-March-19.pdfhttp://cap.3csn.org/files/2012/02/Instructional-Cycle-Integrated-Class-rev-March-19.pdf


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A Shift in Pedagogy and Expectations:

Sample Changes to Classroom Practice

Away From: Toward:

Short, simple texts chosen based on

relation to the theme or type of writing

being done in that unit (normally

connected to a chapter of thetextbook and not individually

considered)

Reading done solely as homework,

often with several assigning readings

due on the same day in class

Reading quizzes done as a

gotcha

method of assessment, focus more

on basic comprehension/memorizing

Readings used more as models for

writing rather than as sources of

content for writing

Longer, more complex, traditionally

academic readings chosen because

they provoke thoughts that students

can wrestle with (gathered in a coursepack)

Reading done in class and at home

with significant support such as

instruction in using annotation and

grappling with difficult vocabulary

Reading quizzes and responses

used strategically for checking and

enhancing understanding

Writing assignments revolve around

the reading: students must think

critically about the ideas presented

and respondBridget Kominek, English Instructor, Fullerton CollegeCAP Community of Practice, 2011-12


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Away From: Toward:

Late work in traditional grading

Assumption: Late work = Laziness,

procrastination, inability, lack of will

Response: Swift consequences.Penalize late work with score /

grade reduction.

Results: instructor frustration /

anger; student frustration /

withdrawal. Work rarely submittedat all. Small penalties accrue to

overall failure.

Rethinking Accountability: Late Essay

Contract

New concept: Late work = confusion

and/or underestimation of timeneeded for complex new tasks.

New approach: Force a conversation;

sign a contract / completion plan. No

penalty.

New results: increased trust; morework completed; salvaged chance of

passing; higher retention rates.

Melissa Reeve, Solano CollegeCAP Community of Practice, 2011-12


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Feedback on Papers:

Intentionally looking for and

appreciating whats good in

students early work, notjust whats wrong.

-Andrea Sanelli, English,

CCSFhttp://youtu.be/A1eBhRar8

YE
http://youtu.be/A1eBhRar8YEhttp://youtu.be/A1eBhRar8YEhttp://youtu.be/A1eBhRar8YEhttp://youtu.be/A1eBhRar8YE


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Instructional CyclesAn instructional Cycle for Pre-Statistics Course


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A Shift in Pedagogy and Expectations

Auto insurance Problem:You work for an automobile insurance company, and your job is to minimize costs

for the company. Your boss has assigned you the task of reviewing recent auto

safety records and determining how that information may be relevant to your

company.

Data: vehicle categories, safety ratings (insurance injury loss)

Prepare a poster presentation for your boss that includes:

appropriate comparative graph(s) and a five-number summary (using Minitab);

descriptions of the injury ratings for each group of cars;

a comparison of injury ratings for the three sizes of cars;

your recommendation to your boss about your companys insurance policies.


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The Process:

We had 6 groups in most classes, so 3 groups presented theirposters simultaneously while the other 3 listener groups rotated to each

poster. There were three rounds, then we switched roles for the second set

of posters.

Presenters Information (repeated practice with communicating ideas)

For groups who are presenting, all group members remain with their poster

to give a 2-3 minute presentation of their findings. So the presenting group

gets three opportunities to communicate their results.

Audience Information (listening and responding routine)

Each audience member writes comments on Post-It notes and leaves

comments on the poster.

Yellow: something you liked about the presentation

2nd Color: one suggestion for improvement or a question that you have

about the presentation

Afterwards groups discuss feedback they received (using feedback)


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Sustaining and Scaling Changes with

Professional Development


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http://cap.3csn.org

Resources for colleges at all phases of

implementing acceleration:

Making the case

Developing pilots

Teaching accelerated courses


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Works Cited

Scott-Clayton, J. (Feb. 2012). Do High-Stakes Placement ExamsPredict College Success? CCRC Working Paper No. 41.New York:

Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia

University.

Belfield, C. & Crosta, P.M. (Feb. 2012). Predicting Success in

College: The Importance of Placement Tests and High SchoolTranscripts. CCRC Working Paper No. 42. .New York: Community

College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University.

Hern, K. (May/June 2012). Acceleration Across California: Shorter

Pathways in Developmental English and Math. Change: TheMagazine of Higher Learning. 44:3. 60-68.


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Works Cited

Jenkins, D. et al (Sept. 2010). A Model for Accelerating AcademicSuccess of Community College Remedial English Students: Is the

Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) Effective and Affordable?

(CCRC Working Paper No. 21). New York: Community College

Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University.

Hern, K. (Dec. 2011). Accelerated English at Chabot College: ASynthesis of Key Findings. Hayward, CA: California Acceleration

Project.

california acceleration project: where we are now

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