creating academic pathways for student success

Creating Academic Pathways for Student Success

Passaic County Community College

August 27, 2015

1

Sabrina Crawford

Executive Director of Institutional Research and Effectiveness

St. Petersburg College, Florida

[email protected]

Introduction

mailto:[email protected]

Pathways at SPC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI9_kqgir9U



Here Come the Stats . . .

Source: Complete College America The Game Changers October 2013

And It Gets Worse . . .


6

One of the Many Causes


Evolution of Pathways at SPC

“Before” “After”

Since 2010 SPC has focused its strategic efforts on student success using an intentional data-driven way to help students “Finish What They Start”.

Pathways Analysis Questions

• How do we increase the number of new students who are motivated and prepared to enter a college-level program of study?

• How do we increase the rates at which new students choose and successfully enter a program?

• How do we ensure our programs prepare students for further education and career advancement?

•How do we accelerate rate at which students complete their program requirements?

CONNECTION From interest to

application

ENTRY From entry to passing

program gatekeeper

courses

PROGRESS From program entry to

completion of program

requirements

COMPLETION Completion of

credential of value for

further education and

labor market

advancement

Slides from Jenkins, D. (2014) Texas CC Teachers Association meeting ppt.

COMMUNITY COLLEGE RESOURCE CENTER

Connection/Entry Findings

• Many students drop out after 1-2 terms

• Many students undecided

• Undecided defaulted into “general education”

AA

• CTE program students older, clearer goals

• “Concentrators” more likely to complete

• Math & English 101 not only “gatekeepers”

• Students’ program progress not tracked


• Shared Governance

• Collaborative Strategies

• Transparency

• Business Intelligence Tools

• Key Metrics

• Training

Changing the Culture

WEEKLY WEBINAR – conducted online

every Wednesday from 8:30-9 for all employees

• New Student Orientation • Integrated Advising & Career

Services • My Learning Plan • Early Alert and Student Coaching

System • Out of Classroom Support

Link to Past Webinars

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GKeEJ_0CMk&list=PLhuGwmtXb0PAzLPxscv1aDvTAX6Dcmgjl

Adapting to No Dev Ed

Source: Pulse Business Intelligence System , Campus Success Rates dashboard, Data extracted January 11, 2015 Note: Success rates exclude Pass/Fail Grading basis courses and audits. FTIC refers to students who are First-Time-in-College (FTIC). .

Progress Findings

• Students very confused by transfer process

• Many students don’t follow recommended

program curriculum

• Low rate of gen ed core completion

• Many students self-advising

• Enrollment continuity may be as important

as enrollment intensity


Completion Findings

• Most students transfer without associate, despite

research showing importance

• Many graduates earn “excess” credits

• Many students “linger”

• Need to examine

credential “stacking”

patterns

• Critical to track outcomes

by program


PCCC Quick Facts 2013-14

What Are They?

• SPC’s solution to taking the guesswork out of planning a student’s college career.

• Chronological listings of all specific, DEFAULT courses in a degree-program in the suggested order in which a student should complete them.

Recommended Academic Pathway

XYZ-AS Program Course Title Credits 1. Course 1 3 2. Course 2 3 3. Course 3 1 4. Course 4 3 5. Course 5 3 6. Course 6 2 7. Course 7 2 8. Course 8 3 9. Course 9 3 10. Course 10 3 11. Course 11 3 12. Course 12 3

Smart-Start Finish-Strong Model

Smart Start

Academic Pathway

Five Session Orientation for all new to SPC students Recommended Linear Course Pathways for Students Wrap Around Support Services for Students – Out of Class Support, Early Alerts, Career Support Easy ‘on and off’ ramps for students – Embedded Certificates (Stackable Credentials) and Industry Certifications Identifiable Milestones for Students – 15 Credit Hours, 30 Credit Hours, 45 Credit hours Capstone Courses, Internships, Work Experiences, Interview Skills, Resume Writing

15 CHs

30 CHs

45 CHs

60 CHs

Finish Strong

• Baseline snapshot of how students move through a program and identify:

Progression Patterns

Early Gen Ed competency areas

Hidden Pre-Requisites

Overlapping requirements

Toxic Course Combinations

• Redesign the curriculum from a student-centered perspective

• Create a tool for students and advisors to use that will keep students on the path towards completion

Tip: Keep the conversation away from scheduling and focused on MOST students, not the exceptions

Why?

2010 • Mandate to “Move the Needle”

2010 – 2015 • College Experience Support Initiatives

2013

• Developed Program Outcomes

• Mapped PLOs to Course Outcomes

2014

• Developed Academic Pathways

• 9 weeks to complete the process

• 6 months to review and prepare for implementation

2015 • Embedded Industry Certifications

Timeline

Collaboration from program administrators, faculty, and advisors is essential to make sure all factors of student progression and success is considered.

• Program administrators: accreditation, State, institutional requirements, student success rates across sections/campuses

• Program faculty: Industry requirements; student success rates by course; writing/math-intensive courses; field experiences

• Advisors: Gateway courses; student feedback; general education requirements

• General education faculty/deans: Recommendations on general education courses, based on curricular relevance of programs

First - Engage Your “Village”

• Gather existing curriculum/advising documents (e.g. Program of Study, Admission Guides, etc.)

• Identify course types used by your institution (Core, Subplan, Elective, etc.) and build operational definitions for each

• Create course labels for all courses listed on a POS using different colored labels – identify prerequisites

Step 2 – Map your Program

• Begin posting

course labels on a blank wall

• Begin with placeholders for all General Education courses that are not specified in a POS

• Remember to include placeholders for all field experiences (e.g. practicum, internships, capstone, licensure testing)

• Note courses not accounted for in the POS – for example, a prerequisite course – label it and post it where it belongs

CONGRATULATIONS! You just experienced your college curriculum from the perspective of your students.

Note the Following

Creating the Pathway

AS Program Courses

1. GEN ED: Communications

2. Course 2

3. GEN ED: Math

4. Computer competency

5. Course 4

6. GEN ED: Social/Behavioral SC

7. Course 5

8. Course 6

9. Course 7

10.Course 8

11.Course 9

• Consider groupings from a full and part time student track

• Take a picture of the map and develop your initial chronological list

Identify key learnings from the process: discuss implications to the curriculum and student success

• Are there general education courses identified at appropriate points to allow student to successfully progress through future courses?

• Are all prerequisites identified and sequenced before the courses for which they are required?

• Is there a balance between theory and application courses each term?

• Are there any terms in which there is a heavy concentration of writing, math or critical thinking courses?

• Area there any support, core, or elective courses that also satisfy a general education requirement? If so, place a dot on that course label.

• Are there any support, core, or elective courses that also satisfy a competency requirement? If so, place a dot on that course label.

Step 3 – Regroup and Reflect

Academic Pathways

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Pathway Features

In addition to communications and math, computer competency needs to be met early in most programs

Shared courses have different prerequisites for students in different programs

Confusion over support courses and articulation rules may cause students to take additional, unnecessary courses

Some accreditation requirements mandate maximum semesters, making it difficult to build Academic Pathways to Graduation

We offer too many course choices; we try to meet a variety of career options through one program

Key Learnings Institution-Wide

Provided a vehicle for cross-program dialogue

Helped to ask the right questions about student success and our curriculum

Advisors input was invaluable

Facilitated mapping exercise helped to engage everyone

Prevented us from “overthinking” and “getting stuck in the weeds”

Helped us to think about sequencing differently (e.g., for curricular relevance/student success, and not scheduling purposes)

Helped us to define better tracks within

our programs

Helped us to realize that Gen Ed was

an important aspect of the program

We created multiple sequences based

upon career options

Key Learnings - Process

Greatest Challenges Shifting Paradigms:

We had to get over thinking that we’d already done the sequencing

Believing that this wouldn’t work for our program

Not thinking about scheduling, especially given Guaranteed Annual Scheduling

Listing courses without identifying those offered

only once a year or that could not be taken in the summer

Coming to consensus on order sequencing of courses

Determining how to give students an opportunity to

take major courses early in the program

Selecting Electives:

Choosing specific courses from a list of open electives

Determining what course was best when presented with multiple courses that satisfy the same requirement

Defining specific electives in specific slots

There needs to be flexibility for assigning slots for electives

Choosing to embed certificates – sometimes creates excess courses

• Program Based GPA • Connects GPA to Pathway

• Allows Progression Tracking • Allows for

• Connecting to Non-Credit Side of the House • Embedding Industry Certifications (On and Off)

• Mapping Competencies • Increased State Completions and Funding

• Looking carefully at K-12 Articulations & Direct Connection to Universities

• Faster Entry • Better Preparedness

• AA Transfer Plans

Next Steps

Questions?

creating academic pathways for student success

Documents