scaffolds to success: trio learning communities for underprepared students yakima valley community...
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Scaffolds to Success: TRiO Learning Communities for
Underprepared Students
Yakima Valley Community College• Kerrie Abb, Dean of Arts and Sciences• Marc Coomer, Asst Dean for Student Support• Wilma Dulin, SD Instructor/Faculty Director OIE• Gordon Koestler, English Instructor
YVCC’s Student Population
• About 11,000 students a year for 4400 FTE• 60% students of color• 2/3 female• 2/3 transfer/workforce students (~6,500)– 95% required to take at least one dev. ed. course– 85% must take two or more dev. ed. courses– 85% report being first generation*– 57% receive Pell grants*– 3% identify as having disabilities**these are optional reporting items, so % reflect of those who provide this data
YVCC’s SSS Target Population
• First Generation AND• Low Income AND• Under-prepared in both English and Math• May have disabilities
Each Fall Quarter, this is about 170 of the 550 incoming first time college student cohort - about 30%
SSS serves about 75 new, incoming students each year - 40% of so of eligible
Elements of the SSS program for incoming students
• Proactive recruitment
• Relationship-Focused Orientation
• Guided First Year Schedule
• Academic Support
Proactive Recruitment
• Role of OIE/Registrar• Both 1st gen & low $• Enrollment Services
Identifying potential students
• Letters• Personal calls• Orientation invitation
Personal Contact
Relationship-Focused Orientation
• Run by TRiO Faculty, Staff, and Students
• Small groups & introductions
• College information & Tours
• Advising & Early Registration
• Book loans• Financial aid support• Welcome Event
Guided First Year ScheduleFa
ll Q
uart
er ENGL 095 +
SD 075
Math
Win
ter Q
uart
er ENGL& 101 +
CMST& 220
Math
Sprin
g Q
uart
er ENGL 102
choice
Math
Why Learning Communities?
Collaboration
Integrate Knowledge and Skills
Relationship building
Learner and Learning Centered
Integrated Focus on Critical Thinking
Critical thinking about • Self • Academic skills • College readiness
Using a recursive teaching style that has students• Reflecting• Responding• Reviewing• Revising
Key Content
Becoming a Critical Thinker!• Who am I?• What do I want to do
with my life?• What education is
needed to do this?• How will I pay for this
education?• Am I college-ready?
Common Elements
• All instructors are academic advisors for SSS
• Use common texts and, whenever possible, open source materials
• Collaborative learning and team assignments
• Study skills integrated in the classroom
• Weekly seminars
Example: How to Seminar Lesson
• Think and Brainstorm: Quality discussions• Set up note taking for video• Show Video• Compare notes• Add to brainstorm• Share rubric• Assign seminar topic• Seminar
Integrated Assignment:Career Presentations & Essays
SD 075 Assignments• Identify personal attributes• Research chosen career– WOIS + 3 resources– Career interviews
• Create a presentation outline
• Create a poster• Participate in a “poster
session”
English 095 Assignments• Summarize and respond to
assessment results • Create a works cited page in
MLA style for resources• Utilize word processing
software• Write an essay on their career
choice, integrating at least four resources, interviews, and personal assessments
Integrated Assignment Example:
Additional Support provided by TRiO SSS
• Math support groups• Financial workshops • Cultural events & Campus visits• Student club• Book loans• Scholarship opportunities• Online Canvas TRiO Toolkit
How do we know this is working?
• We use a matched-cohort protocol for analyzing quantitative outcomes– All students in the cohorts are 1st gen, low-income and
enrolled in English 095 Fall Quarter– SSS Cohort enrolled in the learning communities– SSS eligible enrolled in ENGL 095 but not in LC
• We use pre-/post efficacy surveys, focus groups, and student interviews for gathering qualitative data
2010-2012 three-year averagesSuccess Measure Matched
CohortTRiO SSS Cohort
Difference
Completion of Developmental English 78% 97% +19%
First quarter enrollment in math 70% 87% +17%
First quarter retention 76% 94% +18%
Continuous enrollment in math 43% 69% +26%
Successful completion of English 101 in first year
36% 58% +22%
Reenrollment in a second year (fall 2010 & 2011 cohorts only)
63% 81% +18%
SAI Points per student and Highest Momentum Earned
Momentum Points Matched SSS Difference
Points per Student 2.90 3.01 +.11
No Momentum 8% 0% -8%
College Ready (English or Math) 28% 41% +13%
15 college Level Credits 29% 40% +11%
30 College Level Credits 21% 9% -12%
Quantitative Point 13% 10% -2%
Tipping Point <1% 0% =
Qualitative Data
• College and English Efficacy Surveys: Statistically significant increases
• Focus groups: SGID model; ATD coaches
• Interviews with students: TRiO staff
Bottom line: Students think this works!
Data shows us this program works!
• Higher course completion rates
• Higher retention rates
• More persistence in Math
• Developmental work before college-level work
• Strong student support
Collaborations are integral
• Arts and Sciences Division Funding– Identifying faculty– Scheduling – courses, rooms, computer labs– Writing and Math Center
• Student Services– Admissions and Registration– Financial Aid– Counseling, Advising and Disability Support
• Office of Institutional Effectiveness (OIE)
What would it take to take this to scale?
• Currently serving about 25% of eligible• Increase the number of sections from the
current two to eight• Train English instructors to integrate the SD
content into existing English courses and/or teach the SD course
• Add counselors to teach the SD course• Guarantee students an annual schedule of
sequenced courses to help us plan
To recap…
To contact us…
• Kerrie Abb [email protected]
• Marc Coomer [email protected]
• Wilma Dulin [email protected]
• Gordon Koestler [email protected]