achieving the dream at tulsa community college

Achieving the Dreamat

Tulsa Community College

Entering Freshman

What Happens?

The Four ComponentsWhat’s Wrong?(Quantitative Data)

Why?(Focus Group Student

Data)

Revised InterventionsNew Interventions

Policy Changes Assess Impact

Academic Preparation 60% reported ACT scores; average ACT composite score = 19.6

77% were tested for remedial needs 18% enrolled in developmental English/writing

29% enrolled in developmental reading

67% enrolled in developmental math

30%

40%

17% 13

%

Developmental Placement (based on entry-level assessment)

591 788 329 263

Graduation Rate by Number of Developmental Areas

Required

591 789 329 263

Graduation RateBy Writing Placement

1628 126 218

Graduation Rateby Reading Placement

1404 263 305

Graduation RateBy Math Placement

648 48 143 1133

Persist or Graduate

1972 1485 989 968 781 717

Persist or Graduate by Gender

Fall 2004

Spring ...

Fall 2005

Spring ...

Fall 2006

Spring ...

020406080

100100%

78%53% 52%

42% 39%

71%

46% 45% 36% 33%

Male (N=800)Female (N=1172)

Per

sist

ence

Rat

e

Persist or Graduate by Ethnicity

*The one Native Hawaiian was removed from the dataset

The Four ComponentsWhat’s Wrong?(Quantitative Data)

Goals

• Persistence (Year 2 – 4 )

• Developmental Reading (Year 3 – 4 )

• Developmental Math (Year 4 )

Why?(Focus Group Student

Data)

Revised InterventionsNew Interventions

Policy Changes Assess Impact

Why?

The Four ComponentsWhat’s Wrong?(Quantitative Data)

Goals

• Persistence (Year 2 – 4 )

• Developmental Reading (Year 3 – 4 )

• Developmental Math (Year 4 )

Why?(Focus Group Student

Data)

Revised InterventionsNew Interventions

Policy Changes Assess Impact

Student Focus Groups Three focus groups per campus

12 total groups

101 total students

Students volunteered and were accepted if they had completed their first semester in fall 2007 and had re-enrolled in spring 2008.

Student Focus Groups 4% African American males in both AtD

cohort and focus groups 44% Tulsa Achieves students Mean average age was

• 22.7 years for focus groups (more 18 year olds with Tulsa Achieves)

• 24.5 years for AtD cohort Mean average age of non-Tulsa Achieves

students was 25.8 years.

Most Frequent Barriers/Challenges

Adjusting to college Balancing school and life Textbook issues Tulsa Achieves implementation issues Communication issues with instructors Choosing courses

All six barriers/challenges were identified on all four campuses.

Specific Findings: Clusters

Adjustment Barriers

Service Barriers

Academic Barriers

82% of all barriers/challenges fell into one of three clusters.

Academic BarriersInstructional Issues

• Communication issues with instructors

• Instructional quality

• Understanding instructor’s course requirements

Student Issues

• Choosing courses • Meeting academic workload • Using Blackboard and MyTCC email

• Academically underprepared

• Lacking computer proficiency

• Course placement

Service Barriers Textbook issues Poor customer service Financial Aid service Confusing enrollment process Limited times and locations of classes Finding locations on campus

Adjustment Barriers Adjusting to college life

Balancing school and life

Time management

Lack of motivation

The Four ComponentsWhat’s Wrong?(Quantitative Data)

Goals

• Persistence (Year 2 – 4 )

• Developmental Reading (Year 3 – 4 )

• Developmental Math (Year 4 )

Why?(Focus Group Student

Data)

TopPersistence Barriers:

1. Adjusting to college

2. Balancing school and life

3. Textbook issues

4. Tulsa Achieves implementation issues

5. Communication issues with instructors

6. Choosing courses

Revised InterventionsNew Interventions

Policy Changes Assess Impact

Questions

• How do we revise current interventions to directly addresscommon barriers?

• What newinterventions canbe implemented toaddress commonbarriers?

AtD Organizational Structure at TCC

1. Orientation◦ Fall 2008: Strategies for Academic Success◦ Expand orientation to all students

Multiple delivery optionsOptions for testing out

2. Advising◦ Compiling current interventions◦ Collaborating with student services and registration

3. Tulsa Achieves Implementation

Component 3: Revised Interventions/New Interventions

Time Management

MotivationCommunication with Instructors

Meeting Academic Workload

Strategies for Academic Success

Teaching Styles

Persistence Barriers

AdjustmentAcademic Balancing School & Life

Understanding Instructor’s Course

Adjusting to College

The Four ComponentsWhat’s Wrong?(Quantitative Data)

Goals

• Persistence (Year 2 – 4 )

• Developmental Reading (Year 3 – 4 )

• Developmental Math (Year 4 )

Why?(Focus Group Student

Data)

TopPersistence Barriers:

1. Adjusting to college

2. Balancing school and life

3. Textbook issues

4. Tulsa Achieves implementation issues

5. Communication issues with instructors

6. Choosing courses

Revised InterventionsNew Interventions

Policy Changes Assess Impact

Questions

• How do we revise current interventions to directly addresscommon barriers?

• What newinterventions canbe implemented toaddress commonbarriers?

• What policy changes

need to be made to address common barriers?

TCC State Policy Change Requests

Ensure dual credit for dual enrollment - Seniors, at least, should be able to take college classes rather than high school elective classes for dual credit.

Align Oklahoma's K-12 test outcomes with national standards

Allow Oklahoma community colleges to offer teacher education in math and science, to reduce the number of unqualified, or marginally qualified, math and science teachers in Oklahoma classrooms

TCC State Policy Change Requests Rescind required $13 per credit hour fee

on all developmental courses

Provide timely statewide reports tracking student transfer

The Four ComponentsWhat’s Wrong?(Quantitative Data)

Goals

• Persistence (Year 2 – 4 )

• Developmental Reading (Year 3 – 4 )

• Developmental Math (Year 4 )

Why?(Focus Group Student

Data)

TopPersistence Barriers:

1. Adjusting to college 2. Balancing school and life 3. Textbook issues 4. Tulsa Achieves

implementation issues5. Communication issues

with instructors 6. Choosing courses

Revised InterventionsNew Interventions

Policy ChangesQuestions

• How do we revise current interventions to directly addresscommon barriers?

• What newinterventions canbe implemented toaddress commonbarriers?

• What policy changes need to be made to address common barriers?

Assess Impact

Assessments

Formative:• To what extent did interventions(or policy changes)effectively addresscommon barriers?

Summative:• To what extent did interventionsincrease persistence?

The Four ComponentsWhat’s Wrong?(Quantitative Data)

Goals

• Persistence (Year 2 – 4 )

• Developmental Reading (Year 3 – 4 )

• Developmental Math (Year 4 )

Why?(Focus Group Student

Data)

TopPersistence Barriers:

1. Adjusting to college 2. Balancing school and life 3. Textbook issues 4. Tulsa Achieves

implementation issues5. Communication issues

with instructors 6. Choosing courses

Revised InterventionsNew Interventions

Policy ChangesQuestions

• How do we revise current interventions to directly addresscommon barriers?

• What newinterventions canbe implemented toaddress commonbarriers?

• What policy changes need to be made to address common barriers?

Assess Impact

Assessments

Formative:• To what extent did interventions(or policy changes)effectively addresscommon barriers?

Summative:• To what extent did interventionsincrease persistence?

Research AtD.org and other sites for interventions that work for community colleges

Complete a list of TCC existing interventions Identify specific advising components that

address student identified barriers Develop assessment protocols Identify systemic and standard methods of

collaboration and communication

AtD Planning: Summer to Fall

Next StepsTCC’s goal is to achieve a 3% increase in

student persistence each year.