success is what counts. achieving the dream success is what counts (a national initiative) 2009...

Success is what counts.

Achieving the DreamSuccess is What Counts

(A National Initiative)

2009 SHEEO

Higher Education Policy ConferenceAugust 13, 2009 Session

Tools and Strategies Relevant to States and SHEEOs


Presenters

Frank Renz, PhD – Educational Consultant

Coach for Achieving the Dream

[email protected] Debra Stuart, PhD – Vice Chancellor for

Educational Partnerships, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education

[email protected] Jan Yoshiwara – Deputy Executive Director for

Educational Services, Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges

[email protected]


Success is What Counts

Achieving the Dream was created to help more community college students succeed – complete courses, earn certificates and earn degrees. The initiative is built on the belief that broad institutional change – informed by student achievement data – is critical to achieve this result.


Why the Concern About Student Success?

Our performance as a Nation is lagging in the global economy

Access has improved but there are still disparities…those with low income, 36% (but better than earlier years); those with high income, 78%

Completion rates are lagging…BA rates: 4 in 10 after 4 years; 6 in 10 after 6 years; BA rates by age 24…high SES, 75%; low SES, 9%


Why the Focus on Community Colleges?

CC traditional success indicators worse…less than 1/4th succeed through Dev Ed; 1 in 10 earn certificate/degree within 3 years; 1 in 15 in 6 years

Concern that Community Colleges as open door institutions were becoming revolving doors focusing more on access than success

Many non-traditional students (students of color and low-income) begin at community colleges


About Achieving the Dream

Began in 2004 with 27 community colleges in 5 states

As of mid-2009, the Initiative has grown to more than 100 institutions enrolling more than one million in 22 states

Co-designed by Lumina Foundation for Education and seven National partners (ATD is the largest non-government Initiative in CC history

Since Lumina, 12 other Foundations have contributed


About Achieving the Dream The 27 colleges and 5 states in Round One

(plus Ohio) of the Initiative are now officially done but 20 (possibly 21) of the colleges have been designated ATD Leader Colleges

Additionally,15 of these colleges and 5 states have received Gates funding for a new three-year Developmental Education Initiative

Plans continue in 2009 for a National Expansion with 20 colleges joining the Initiative (proposing 20 or so colleges be added each year…mostly self-funded)


Achieving the Dream…Working on Five Levels

ATD is a long-term effort to increase the success rates of traditionally underserved students at community colleges at 5 levels…

Promote and support institutional change Develop supportive state and national policies Engage the public to support access and

success Build knowledge about what works in

strengthening student outcomes Enhance the capacity of national organizations

to work long-term for improved student success


Achieving the DreamLevel I Work

Promoting and Supporting

Institutional Change


Initiating Five-Step Process for Institutional Improvement


Colleges Making Progress…

Develop institutional research capacity throughout the institution

Provide routine reports to their Board and other stakeholders

Share and present data in user- and level-friendly formats

Identify a limited number of priorities, goals and intervention strategies… based on data


Colleges Making Progress…

Are serious about using evidence to…

a)Evaluate and modify interventions…based on data

b)Stop ineffective practicesc)Bring effective interventions to

scaleNote: Which are determined only

after analysis of a college’s context, data and priorities


If You Don’t Know Where

You’re Going…You’ll End

Up Somewhere Else

Yogi Berra


Encouraging Interventions that are Emerging

Assessment and placement (mandatory) Orientation for first-time students (mandatory) Advising and career counseling (mandatory for

the first 30 college credits) Case management/success coaches Early alert systems Student success course (especially for the

developmental education student)


Encouraging Interventions that are Emerging

Offering late start/mid-term course options Learning lab participation Supplemental instruction (built in schedule) Tutoring options Learning communities (paired courses for

cohorts of students) Summer Bridge programs/Boot Camps Help with financial aid/child care/transportation


Philosophical Lessons Learned

Non-traditional students “don’t do optional”

Besides the traditional 3 Rs… importance of the new 3 Rs (especially again for non-traditional students)…Relationships, Relevance and Rigor


Achieving the DreamLevel II Work

Developing Supportive

State and National Policies


State Policy Goals

Promote changes in state-level priorities, rules, regulations and resource allocations that make it easier for participating colleges to improve outcomes

Move proven institutional practices of participating college statewide


Expected Outcomes of State Policy

Make success of underprepared students an explicit policy goal

Routinely use student outcome data to inform decision-making and to assess policy needs and options

Identify and implement specific policy changes that promote success of underprepared


Framework for the State Policy Work (Policy Levers)

Clear public policy commitment to student success

Strong data-driven accountability systems Aligned expectations, standards, and

assessments across education sectors (K-12, 4-year, adult education and workforce)

Incentives for improving success for underprepared students

Financial aid policies and incentives that enhance persistence

Public support


JFF Created a State Policy Self-Assessment Tool

Participating states are annually addressing 60 questions (Rating… no/under consideration/in process/yes) in 5 categories…

1.Data and Performance measurement (20 questions)

2.Student success policies (17)3.K-12 and Postsecondary alignment (9)4.Transfer and articulation (7)5.Financial Aid policies (7)


Examples of Questions Posed

Does the state have the ability to share student-level information between K-12, community college, and other higher education data systems?

Is performance funding tied to improvements in low-income, underprepared students’ success or narrowing success gaps (e.g., funds sent to schools that increase retention and/or completion rates of Pell Grant recipients)?


Percent Changes Between Baseline year and 2009

14 ATD States by Policy Area…

% decrease % increase

“No’s” “Yes’s”

Data Systems -71% 38%

Student Success -38% 35%

K-12 Alignment -49% 81%

Transfer/Articulation -53% 38%

Financial Aid -48% 42%


Examples of Policy

Changes Under Each

Policy Lever


Policy Lever IClear Public Policy

Commitment Creating clear statement of overarching student success policy goals, objectives

Specification of measureable goals for improved student outcomes (such as statewide goal to reduce college remediation rate by 10% by 2015)

Developing broad stakeholder buy-in (ex. through cross-agency State Policy teams)


Policy Lever IIStronger Data Systems

Linking unconnected data systems

Strengthening college and system capacity to use data for evaluation and improvement

Creating “Report Cards” on performance for state and colleges

Analyzing state data on institutional reform


Policy Lever IIICross-System Alignment

K-12 systems…P-20 Coordinating Councils; efforts to define “college readiness”; “readiness feedback” to schools; statewide standardization of placement test cut scores; examining dual enrollment policies

Postsecondary Alignment…Growing interest in alignment with Adult Basic Education/GED; better student and parent information on transfer of credits to different schools; transfer core that is accepted statewide


Policy Lever IVPerformance Measurement

Changes in state accountability measures for community colleges…focusing on progress in developmental education; momentum points

New interest and approaches to performance funding


Policy Lever VFinancial Aid

Enhancing need-based aid, including support beyond just tuition

Enhanced interest in financial aid programs for part-time and transfer students

Improving central aid tracking systems Interest and piloting of “Opening Doors” model

(performance-based aid) Strategies to increase federal financial aid up-

take


Policy Lever VIPublic Support

Media campaigns

Public awareness

Stakeholder ID and campaigns

Focus on importance of issues, state commitment, and progress


SummaryLessons Learned on Policy

Front Promising Impacts:

Shifting conversations from strictly access to success

Making tangible policy changes

Increasing focus on data-driven decisions

Cross-State fertilization (ex., Data WorkGroup) Challenges:

Budget crisis and funding implications

Leadership changes and staff turnover

IR capacity (local and state level)


Some Examples from

Washington and Oklahoma

In Addressing State and

Local College Issues


Questions

and

Answers

success is what counts. achieving the dream success is what counts (a national initiative) 2009...

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