ctag report final 12-12 (3) (1)
TRANSCRIPT
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
1/68
DECEMBER2013
CLOSINGTHEACHIEVEMENTGAPTASKFORCE
FINALREPORTANDRECOMMENDATIONS
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
2/68
ReportoftheClosingtheAchievementGapTaskForce
Page2
MEMBERSHIPLISTING
JudyAckerman ShakennaAdams MariaAdams*
KeciaAddisonScott NaanaAkoAdjei ChristopherAnkney
BrianBaker DanaBaker EricBenjamin*
DianaBenson KimBishop ArleneBlaylock
AnnellBond* DebraBright* MarciaBronstein
KimBrown* MonicaBrown* IvonneBruneauBotello
HenryCaballero* KarenCallender CarolynCamacho
FranciscoCaragena DerekCarter CinderCooper
EverettDavis AngelaDawson FabianDrain
EnasElhanafi MichaelFerby SharonFechter*
BerthaFlores MariaGarcia AdaGarciaCasellas
EvelynGonzalez JeriGresham JenniferHatleberg*TonyHawkins* NancyLawrenceHill CaraHoppe
DelHornbuckle* DiegoUriburu WindyJeffersonJackson
ShannonKahle GloriaKalotra MargaretLatimer
LucyLaufe JuanLlajaHerrera Susan Madden*
AlanMarroguin TonyaMason* CliftonMcKnight
PedroMejia JackieMiddleton DarrylMisher
CarolMoore CarlosMoya MarcosMoya
ForrestOfford EllenOlmstead CarolinaPena
KennethNelson KarenPenndeMarnez* DeborahPreston
JasonRivera* LindaRobinson EugeniaRobinson
ElenaSaenz* MichelleScott KarlaSilvestre
DarrenSmith HildaSmith* ZeporiaSmith
JamesSniezek ClemmieSolomon* MariaSprehn
JaneSsemanda AnestineTheophileLaFond* IsaiahWallace
TimothyWarner LauraWhite MattWilson
NormaWinffel* KathrynWoodhouse* MargoWoodwardBarnett
TeresaWright SuniZabala GilbertoZelaya
*SteeringCommitteeMembers
ThemeGroupLeader
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
3/68
ReportoftheClosingtheAchievementGapTaskForce
Page3
CONTENTSExecutiveSummary............................................................................................................................................ 4
ClosingtheAchievementGapRecommendationsSummary............................................................................. 5
Introduction........................................................................................................................................................ 7
CompletionandTransferDataforAfricanAmericanandLatinoStudentsatMontgomeryCollege............8
TheClosingtheAchievementGapTaskGroups............................................................................................... 11ClosingtheAchievementGap:OnlineResources............................................................................................ 12
ClosingtheAchievementGapSteeringCommittee......................................................................................... 12
OperationalRecommendationsforClosingtheAchievementGap.............................................................. 13
OpportunityGap............................................................................................................................................... 13
RecommendationsforClosingtheOpportunityGap:.................................................................................. 14
MontgomeryCollegeStudents......................................................................................................................... 15
LiteratureReview......................................................................................................................................... 15
Recommendations:MontgomeryCollegeStudents.................................................................................... 16
TeachingandLearningCurriculumInsidetheClassroom........................................................................... 17
LiteratureReviewandFindings.................................................................................................................... 17
Recommendations:TeachingandLearningCurriculumInsidetheClassroom...................................... 18
StudentInvolvement OutsidetheClassroom............................................................................................... 19
LiteratureReview......................................................................................................................................... 19
FocusGroups................................................................................................................................................ 20
StudentInputandFeedback........................................................................................................................ 20
Recommendations: StudentInvolvementOutsidetheClassroom.......................................................... 21
CivicEngagement............................................................................................................................................. 21
LiteratureReview......................................................................................................................................... 21
Recommendations:CivicEngagement......................................................................................................... 22
CounselingandAdvising................................................................................................................................... 24
LiteratureReview......................................................................................................................................... 24
Recommendations:CounselingandAdvising.............................................................................................. 24
FinancialAid,GrantsandScholarships............................................................................................................. 25LiteratureReviewandFindings.................................................................................................................... 25
Recommendations:FinancialAid,GrantsandScholarships........................................................................ 26
BenchmarksandOutcomes.............................................................................................................................. 27
LiteratureReviewandFindings.................................................................................................................... 27
NoncognitiveVariablesofSuccess.............................................................................................................. 28
SummaryandAnalysisofData..................................................................................................................... 28
Recommendations:BenchmarksandOutcomes......................................................................................... 34
References........................................................................................................................................................ 35
APPENDIXA SummaryofFocusGroupFindings............................................................................................ 40
APPENDIXBMontgomeryCollegeDegreeProgressAnalysis Fall2008Cohort 4YearsLater...................42
APPENDIXCDevelopmentalEnglish,EN001SuccessonFirstAttemptandThreshold............................. 43APPENDIXDDevelopmentalEnglish,EN002SuccessonFirstAttemptandThreshold............................. 45
APPENDIXEAmericanEnglishLanguageProgram,EL104SuccessonFirstAttemptandThreshold........47
APPENDIXFMath094SuccessRates............................................................................................................ 49
APPENDIXGSurveyofInitiativesandActivitiestoClosetheAchievementGapatMontgomeryCollege...51
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
4/68
ReportoftheClosingtheAchievementGapTaskForce
Page4
CLOSINGTHEACHIEVEMENTGAPTASKFORCE
FINALREPORTANDRECOMMENDATIONS
EXECUTIVESUMMARYMostAmericansbelievethateducationisthegreatequalizer,theengineofopportunity. Formostofthe
twentiethcentury,ahighschooleducationwasenoughtosustainthemiddleclass. Today,somecollege
attainmentisastandardrequirementtoemployability.TheMontgomeryCollegemissionseeksto
empowerourstudentsandenrichthecommunitybyprovidingqualityeducationtoenrichthelivesofour
students.Wefurtherholdourselvesaccountablefortheresultsachieved. Unfortunately,dataindicatethat
ourAfricanAmericanandLatinostudentsachieveatalowerratethantheirpeersdo. Thereisclear
evidenceofanachievementgapbetweenAfricanAmericanandLatinostudentsandthewholeofthe
studentpopulation.
Theachievementgapreferstodisparitiesineducationalperformancebetweenhighandlowperforming
studentgroups,knownassubgroups. Measuresoftheachievementgaptypicallycompareperformance
differencesbetweenwhite,Asian,andhigherincomestudentstoblack,Latino,andlowerincomestudents.
TheachievementgapisnotuniquetoMontgomeryCollege;itisalongstanding,nationalchallenge.
Effectivelyclosingthegaprequiresimprovingtheperformanceofallstudentswhileacceleratingthe
performanceoflowperformingsubgroupssotheycatchuptotheirhigherperformingpeers. Research
findsthatavarietyofschool,community,economic,andfamilialfactorscorrelatewiththeachievement
gap,butviewsaredivergentonhowtonarrowthegap. Overthepastdecade,federal,state,andlocal
policieshavemadetheclosingoftheachievementgapatoppriority.MontgomeryCollegehasalsomadeit
apriority.
TheSeniorVicePresidentforStudentServicesandSeniorVicePresidentforAcademicAffairsidentified
ProfessorHildaDecenaSmithandDr.TonyD.Hawkinstoserveascochairsoftwotaskgroupstostudythe
achievementgapissuesforbothLatinoandAfricanAmericanstudentsofMontgomeryCollege. Acollege
widecallforvolunteersresultedinover80volunteerswillingtoaddressthiscriticalissue. Groupswere
establishedaroundsixthemes:
MontgomeryCollegeStudents TeachingandLearningCurriculumInsidetheclassroom StudentInvolvementOutsidetheclassroom CivicEngagement CounselingandAdvising/FinancialAid,GrantsandScholarships MeasurementOutcomesandBenchmarks
Thethemegroupsproceededtostudytheirareasindepth,identifyingbestpractices,exploringsignificant
research,andmakingrecommendationsforsupportingandimprovingthesuccessofAfricanAmericanand
LatinostudentsattheCollege. Theresulting47recommendationsarelistedandfullydescribedinthis
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
5/68
ReportoftheClosingtheAchievementGapTaskForce
Page5
report. Recommendationsarealignedwitheachofthesixpreviouslymentionedthemes.Inadditiontothe
recommendations,thetaskforceforbothgroupsstronglybelievethattherearesomeexistingcollege
programsandinitiativesthatarepivotalinclosingtheachievementgap. Amongthemare:
DevelopmentalAdvisingModel TheproposedCommunityEngagementCenters AchievingCollegiateExcellenceandSuccess(ACES)program andsomeexistingmentoringprograms
Therecommendationsclearlyaddressthecurrentliteratureonclosingtheachievementgap,theysupport
theMontgomeryCollege2020strategicplan(MC2020),andtheyweredevelopedwiththeintentofbeing
includedintheFY14andFY15initiativesofthestrategicplan.
OncereviewedandacceptedbytheCollege,thetaskforcesuggeststhataclearandevidentchainof
responsibilitybeestablishedandcommunicatedwidely. Thetaskforcefurthersuggeststhedevelopment
ofanimplementationteamtoensureimplementationoftheacceptedrecommendations.
WerecognizethatmuchworkneedstobedoneifMontgomeryCollegeistocontinueitspowerfulroleas
theprincipalarbiterofeducationalopportunityforallthecitizensinMontgomeryCounty. However,we
believethattheriskandeffortarebothworthwhileandthattheproposedrecommendationswillensure
equalopportunitiesfortheeducationalendeavorsofALLourstudents.
CLOSINGTHEACHIEVEMENTGAPRECOMMENDATIONSSUMMARYClosingtheAchievementGap OperationalRecommendations
CreateanofficetohelpleadandoverseetheimplementationoftheservicesrequiredtoClosethe
AchievementGapatMontgomeryCollege.
AssembleacollaborativeboardwithparticipantsfromMontgomeryCollegeandthecommunitytoadvisetheoffice.
ImplementandassesstheserecommendationsthroughClosingTheAchievementGapactiongroups.
Regularlycollect,raciallydisaggregate,andwidelyshareMontgomeryCollegeachievementdatathatis
clearlydelineatedanddifferentiatedbystudentpopulations.
CollaborativelyworkwithandfollowtheprogressofthetwoMCPSClosingTheAchievementGapaction
groups.
AddresourcestoandmaintaintheClosingTheAchievementGaplibraryguides(libguides).
Developmarketingstrategies,scholarships,andpromotionsthroughtheOfficeofInstitutional
AdvancementandtheOfficeofCommunications.
ClosingtheOpportunityGap Recommendations
Purposefully
advertise
all
faculty,
staff,
and
administrator
openings
in
appropriate
media
to
interest
groups
relatedtothetargetpopulation.
CommunicatetotheCollegecommunitythevalueofhavingaworkforcethatreflectsandsupportsour
studentpopulation.
SeekfeedbackfromLatinoandAfricanAmericanfacultyandstaffaboutprofessionaldevelopment,release
time,andcareeradvancementopportunities.
Provideresourcesandreleasedtimeopportunitiesforfacultyandstafftodevelopandimplement
initiativestoeffectivelyclosetheachievementgap.
Provideevaluationtoolsanddataanalysistoassessthesuccessoftheseinitiatives.
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
6/68
ReportoftheClosingtheAchievementGapTaskForce
Page6
IncreasethepercentageofAfrican/AfricanAmericanandLatinofulltimefacultyaswellasparttimefaculty
toenhancetheapplicantpoolforfulltimefacultysearches.
Establishstudentchaptersofrelevantminorityprofessionalorganizationsrelatedtothestudent
populationsaffectedbytheachievementgap.
MontgomeryCollegeStudentsRecommendations
Establishacomprehensiveandcollegewidementoringprogram.
Developspecialcollegewideprogramstospecificallyaddresstheacademicsuccess,retentionandcompletionofAfricanAmericanandLatinostudents.
TeachingandLearningRecommendations
Enhancetheculturalcompetenceoffacultytowelcomestudentsofdiverseethnicbackgrounds.
Makenonacademicsupportintrusive.
TrackthesuccessofinterventionsandcohortsthatarecurrentlyinplaceforAfricanAmericanandLatino
students.
TargetcoursesthatareroadblocksforsubstantialnumbersofAfricanAmericanandLatinostudentsfor
interventions.
StudentInvolvementRecommendations
DevelopandreplicatetargetedcohortgroupsforAfricanAmericanandLatinomaleandfemalestudents.
Createmorecollegecommunitybuildingactivitiestoincreaseschoolpride/spirit.BuildpartnershipswithcommunityorganizationstosupportAfricanAmericanandLatinostudentsand
increasetheirawarenessofscholarshipandserviceopportunitiesbeyondcampus.
CivicEngagementRecommendations
Expandpartnershipswithanarrayoforganizationsandbusinessestoincreaseaccess.
Createstrategicallylocatedcommunityengagementcenterstohelpformkeypartnershipsanddirectly
engageresidentstoenhanceaccess.
Engageinaconsistentandintentionaldialoguewithkeycommunityleadersandorganizationstohelp
identifysystemicchangestobetterservethesestudentpopulations.
EnhancetheCollegespresenceatcommunityeventstoincreaseawarenessoftheinstitutionandthe
importanceofpostsecondaryeducationamongAfricanAmericanandLatinofamilies.
Bringthe
community
(e.g.
social
service
providers)
to
campus
to
help
mitigate
socio
economic
barriers
to
success,andforgeoneononeconnectionsthatprovidestudentaccesstopeople(mentors)ofinfluencein
theireducation.
Engagethecommunitytoenhancetheunderstandingofandaccesstocareerandtechnicaleducationfor
allresidentsofthecounty.
Promoteandenhanceservicelearning,internships,andcivicengagementopportunitiesforstudents.
Breakdownbarrierstoaccesstosuchopportunities.
Engagethestudentcommunitythroughtechnology(forexample,socialmedia)tofosterasenseof
connectedness,community,andbelongingtothecollege.
CounselingandAdvisingRecommendations
Utilizeaholisticapproachtocounselingandadvisingstudents.
Adoptanintrusiveadvisingapproach.
Providestudentsopportunitiestoengagewithcounselingfacultyandinstructionalfacultythrough
developmentaladvisingsessions.
FinancialAid,GrantsandScholarshipsRecommendations
IncludeamandatoryfinancialaidplanthatisdonepriortoNewStudentOrientation(currentlyunderway
atsomehighschools)aspartoftheoverallmandatoryeducationplan.
IncludecompletionasafundingpriorityduringtheMCcampaign.
Includeseveraladditionalsourcesofinformation/linksaboutFAFSAandfinancialaidstepsinallwelcome
packagesandinitialcommunicationswithstudents.
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
7/68
ReportoftheClosingtheAchievementGapTaskForce
Page7
IncludeanactionitemrelatedtoFAFSAateachinformationsession.
Createfocusgroupstobetterunderstandwhysomestudentswaittostartthefinancialaidprocesslate.
Findadditionalwaystoincentivizeallstudentstomeettherequiredfinancialaiddeadlines.
BenchmarksandOutcomesRecommendations
AllocateresourcesfordataanalysisandcoordinationofLatinoandAfrican/AfricanAmericanstudent
matriculation.
TargetinterventionwithDevelopmentalNonCompletersutilizingNoncognitivePredictorsofStudentSuccess.
AnalyzestudentsuccessratesseparatelyforAfricanAmericanandnonnativeAfricanAmericanstudents.
AnalyzesuccessratesofUSeducatedLatinostudentsseparatelyfromthoseofLatinostudentseducated
abroad.
StudytheACCUPLACERtestretestreliabilityforstudentsplacingintoEN002andRD099.
INTRODUCTIONTheMontgomeryCollegemissionclearlystates,Weempowerourstudentstochangetheirlives,andwe
enrichthelifeofourcommunity. Weareaccountableforresults. Thismissionstatementholdstruefor
notjust
aportion
ofthe
community,
but
applies
to
all
ofthe
countys
residents.
Still,
the
evidence
indicates
thatthelivesofourAfricanAmericanandLatinostudentsareenrichedataratefarlowerthanthatoftheir
peers. Clearevidenceofanachievementgapexistswhentheplacement,retention,successingateway
coursesandgraduationratesofthesestudentscomparedwiththerestofthestudentpopulationare
examined. Asaresult,oneoftheFY13initiativesintheMC2020strategicplandirectstheCollegeto
develop,implement,andsecureresourcestoencouragemeaningfulstudentengagementopportunities
andreducetheeducationalachievementgapforHispanic/LatinoandAfricanAmericanstudents,especially
males. ThisreportreflectstheculminationoftheworkbytwotaskgroupsClosingtheAchievementGap
forAfricanAmericanStudentsandClosingtheAchievementGapforLatinoStudentswhichexplored
resourcesandbestpracticesinsupportofthesestudents.
Membersofthetaskgroupshavepreparedthisreportandrecommendationsforclosingthegapinstudent
successforAfricanAmericanandLatinostudentsatMontgomeryCollege. Thisreportwasprepared
followingaseriesofpresentationsandmeetingswithmembersoftheCollegecommunityfaculty,staff,
administrators,students,andasignificantnumberofexternalrepresentativesandpartners. Theoverall
goaloftherecommendationsinthisreportistofulfilltheFY13initiativeintheMC2020strategicplanto
closetheachievementgap. TheserecommendationsweredevelopedforinclusionintheFY14andFY15
initiativesintheMC2020strategicplan. Animplementationteamwillbechargedwiththeexecutionofthe
recommendationsoncereviewedandaccepted.
IncreasingthegraduationratesofMarylandshighschoolandcollegestudentsisamajorgoalforGovernor
MartinOMalley. Hisaimistoimprovestudentachievementandschool,college,andcareerreadinessin
Marylandby25percentby2015. BysigningtheCollegeandCareerReadinessandCollegeCompletionAct
of2013(CCRCCA),theGovernorandtheGeneralAssemblysettheattainmenttargetforallinstitutions,
establishingwaystoholdcollegesanduniversitiesaccountablefortheirperformanceandfulfillthe
completionagenda. Identifyingthecognitiveandnoncognitivebarrierstosuccesswillgivethesestudents
greateropportunitytotakeadvantageofthebenefitsofhighereducation,improvetheacademic
performanceoftheunderserved,andsupportthebroadergoalsofCCRCCA.
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
8/68
ReportoftheClosingtheAchievementGapTaskForce
Page8
AccordingtoastudybytheSchottFoundationforPublicEducation(2012),thenationalhighschool
graduationrateforAfricanAmericanmalestudentswas52%comparedtothe78%rateforWhite,non
Latinomales. TheLatinostudenthighschoolgraduationrateisalittlehighernationallyat58%. Thefigures
presentaslightlybetterpictureforhighschoolstudentsinMontgomeryCountywith57%and62%for
AfricanAmericanandLatinomalesrespectively. Thereisstillagapingraduationrateswhencompared
withtheirWhite,nonLatinocounterpartsat81%.
CompletionandTransferDataforAfricanAmericanandLatinoStudentsatMontgomery
College
ThedisparityexistsforAfricanAmericanandHispanicstudentsofMontgomeryCollege. Dataprovidedby
theOfficeofInstitutionalResearchandAnalysisrevealsevidenceinthegraduation,transferandretention
ratesofourstudents.
Figure1:GraduationandTransferRatesofFall20091stTime,FTDegreeSeekingAllMCStudents3years
afterentry
Threeyearsafterentry,firsttime,fulltimedegreeseekingAfricanAmericanandHispanicstudentswere
lesslikelytograduateandlesslikelytotransferthantheirWhiteorAsianpeers(IPEDSGraduationRates
201213Survey).
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
9/68
ReportoftheClosingtheAchievementGapTaskForce
Page9
Figure2:GraduationandTransferRatesofFall20091stTime,FTDegreeSeekingMaleStudents3years
afterentry
AfricanAmericanandHispanicmalestudentshadthelowestgraduationratethreeyearsafterentryand
thelowesttransferratecomparedtoWhiteandAsianstudentsandallfall2009entrants(IPEDSGraduation
Rates201213Survey).
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
10/68
ReportoftheClosingtheAchievementGapTaskForce
Page10
Figure3:GraduationandTransferRatesofFall20091stTime,FTDegreeSeekingFemaleStudents3years
afterentry
AfricanAmericanfemalestudentshadthelowestgraduationratethreeyearsafterentry. Latinafemale
studentshadthelowesttransferratethreeyearsafterenteringMontgomeryCollege(IPEDSGraduation
Rates201213Survey).
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
11/68
ReportoftheClosingtheAchievementGapTaskForce
Page11
Figure4: DegreeProgressofFall2005,2006and2007enteringcohortsafterentry: Graduatedwithan
award
Forthreedifferentcohortgroupsinthreedifferentcohortyearsthedataconsistentlyshowedadistinct
differenceingraduationratesforAfricanAmericanstudentsfouryearsafterentry. HispanicorLatino
studentsinthe2005cohorthadsimilarsuccessasAfricanAmericanstudents,butthesucceedingcohort
groupsweremoresuccessful(StateMandatedPerformanceAccountabilityReport).
Asthesenumbersmakeclear,AfricanAmericanandLatinostudentsattheCollegestruggletostay
engaged,andcompletecollege,andthusrequirespecialattentionasasubunitofourstudentpopulation.
THECLOSINGTHEACHIEVEMENTGAPTASKGROUPSTheSeniorVicePresidentforStudentServicesandSeniorVicePresidentforAcademicAffairsidentified
ProfessorHildaDecenaSmithandDr.TonyD.Hawkinstoserveascochairsoftwotaskgroupstostudythe
achievementgapissuesforbothLatinoandAfricanAmericanstudentsofMontgomeryCollege. Acallfor
volunteerswassentoutcollegewide,resultingintheexpressedinterestsinthetopicfromnumerous
faculty,staff,studentsandadministrators. Additionalmembersweresolicitedfromthecommunity,county
government,andMCPS. Inanattempttobeasinclusiveaspossible,noonewasdeniedparticipationinthe
project. Toroundoutthemembership,otherswereinvitedtoparticipatebecauseoftheirexpertiseand
interestinthetopic. Thecombinedmembershipofbothtaskgroupswasmorethan80volunteers.
ThetwogroupsheldtheirfirstmeetingonMarch26,2013andwerechargedbytheseniorvicepresidents.
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
12/68
ReportoftheClosingtheAchievementGapTaskForce
Page12
TheClosingtheAchievementGapTaskGroupswill:
meet,research,reviewbestpractices,solicitrelevantfeedbackanddiscussissuesandsolutionspertainingtoclosingtheachievementgapatMontgomeryCollege;
deviseplansofactionthatwilldelineatedevelopmentandimplementationstagesandresourcerequirements;and
submitarecommendationplan[totheseniorvicepresidents]byDecember2,2013.Thetaskgroupsmetsixtimesoverthecourseofninemonthstohearpresentationsonimportantactivities
andinitiativescoveringavarietyoftopics,includingthedevelopmentalcounselingandadvisingmodel,the
CollegeandCareerReadinessandCollegeCompletionActof2013,theMCMCPSAchievingCollegiate
ExcellenceandSuccess(ACES)program,researchonnoncognitivevariablesofstudentsuccess,andcurrent
MCdata. MembersofthetaskforcealsoheardpresentationsbyresearcherDeborahSantiagoof
ExcelenciainEducation,Identity,Inc.(acommunityorganizationtoempowerLatinoyouthtoreachtheir
fullpotential)andtheClosingtheAchievementGapInitiativesintheMontgomeryCountyPublicSchools.
Inan
attempt
to
organize
the
task
groups
into
manageable
study
areas,
smaller
groups
were
established
aroundthemes.
MontgomeryCollegeStudents TeachingandLearningCurriculumInsidetheclassroom StudentInvolvementOutsidetheclassroom CivicEngagement CounselingandAdvising/FinancialAid,GrantsandScholarships MeasurementOutcomesandBenchmarks
Thethemegroupsproceededtostudytheirareasindepth,identifyingbestpractices,exploringsignificant
research,andmakingrecommendationsforsupportingandimprovingthesuccessofAfricanAmericanand
LatinostudentsattheCollege.
CLOSINGTHEACHIEVEMENTGAP:ONLINERESOURCESAresourcesharingsitewasdevelopedforeachClosingtheAchievementGapTaskGroup,tocollectand
sharearticles,reports,andotherresourcesrelatingtotheworkoftheTaskGroups.Bothsitesare
accessiblethroughtheMontgomeryCollegeLibrarieswebsite:
ClosingtheAchievementGapTaskForce:AfricanAmericanStudents:
http://libguides.montgomerycollege.edu/achievementAA
ClosingtheAchievementGapTaskForce:LatinoStudents:
http://libguides.montgomerycollege.edu/achievementL
CLOSINGTHEACHIEVEMENTGAPSTEERINGCOMMITTEEFinally,inordertofacilitatetheworkoftheClosingtheAchievementGapTaskGroups,aSteering
Committeewasformedandchargedbythecochairs. SteeringCommitteemembershipwascomprisedof
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
13/68
ReportoftheClosingtheAchievementGapTaskForce
Page13
thethemegroupleaders,twodeansofstudentservices,thetwotaskgroupcochairsandseveralresource
members. Theroleandresponsibilitiesofthesteeringcommitteeinclude:
Servinginanadvisorycapacity. Providingguidanceanddirectiontotheoverallprocess. Workingcloselytofacilitatediscussionamongstthesubgroups. Providinginputondatacollection,bestpractices,andotheropportunitiesrelatedtoclosingthe
achievementgap.
Developingandprioritizingrecommendations. PreparingthefinalreportoftheTaskGroups. Reportingouttothelargergroupupdatesandinsightsofthethemegroupstheyrepresent.
Thesteeringcommitteemembersmetsixtimes. Thegroupconductedasurveyofinitiativescurrently
underwayattheCollegeintendedtoaddresstheachievementgap. Thesurveyresultsareappendedtothis
report.
Asaresultofthedatacollection,research,meetings,conversationsandfocusgroups,theworkgroupshavedevelopedthefollowingoverarching,operationalrecommendationsforimplementation.
OperationalRecommendationsforClosingtheAchievementGap
Thetaskgroupsrecommendthecreationofanofficewithappropriatestaffingandfiscalresourcesthatprovidesleadershipandoversightforthethoughtfuldelivery,
implementationandmanagementofservicesrelatedtoClosingtheAchievementGap.
Acollaborationboardwithmembershipfrominternalandexternalparticipantswilladvisetheoffice.
Implementationoftherecommendationswillbeaccomplishedwiththesupportofactiongroups
with
checkpoints,
benchmarks,
and
outcomes.
ToaccuratelymeasureprogressonclosingtheachievementgapforAfricanAmericanandLatino/astudents,MontgomeryCollegeachievementdatamustberaciallydisaggregated,
regularlycollected,andwidelyshared. Delineationofpopulationgroupsshouldbe
clarified,withmeasuresdifferentiatingstudentswhowereeducatedintheUSfromthose
whoreceivedthebulkoftheirpreviouseducationabroad.
MontgomeryCollegemustworkcollaborativelywiththetwoMCPSactiongroups,followingtheirprogressandsharingresourceswhereappropriate.
ResourcesshouldbeaddedtothelibguidesandmaintainedthroughoutthelifeoftheClosingtheAchievementGap.
TheOfficeofInstitutionalAdvancementandCommunicationsshouldengageinthedevelopmentofmarketingstrategies,scholarshipawards,andpromotionaleffortstoclosetheachievementgap.
OPPORTUNITYGAPBasedonresearchregardingcorrelatesoftheachievementgap,LindaDarlingHammonddescribesthe
achievementgapastheopportunitygapbecausewhentheevidenceisexamined,itisclearthat
educationaloutcomesfor(lowperformingstudentsubgroups)areatleastasmuchafunctionoftheir
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
14/68
ReportoftheClosingtheAchievementGapTaskForce
Page14
unequalaccesstokeyeducationalresources,bothinsideandoutsideofschool,astheyareafunctionof
race,class,orculture.
MontgomeryCollegesuffersfromanunderrepresentationofLatinofaculty,staff,andadministrators.
While12.5%ormoreofMCstudentsareLatino(withhigherpercentagesexpectedfromMCPSinthenear
future),lessthan4%ofMCfacultyareHispanic.Ofthese,themajorityareparttime.Amongstaff,lessthan
9%areHispanic,andanumberofthoseareconcentratedinnonprofessionalareassuchasbuilding
services.Lessthan2.5%ofexecutivestafforadministratorsareHispanic.Regrettably,betweenthe2010
DiversityAnnualProgressReportandthe2012report,therewasadecreaseinthenumberofHispanic
facultymembers(from53to51)andadministrators(from3to2)(MontgomeryCollegeDiversityPlan
AnnualProgressReport).Sincethepublicationofthe2012report,thecountofHispanicexecutivestaffhas
fallento1.
ConcertedeffortsshouldbemadetoincreasetherepresentationofHispanicsinprofessionalpositionsat
MCsothatstudentscanseemorerolemodels;employeeswhocurrentlyvolunteertheirtimeandefforts
canconnectwithandadvocateformoreLatinostudents;andtheburdenofservingonLatinofocused
committees,initiatives,andsearchcommittees(pertheproposedstrategyinthe20142020DiversityActionPlan)canbemorewidelyshared.TheCollegeshouldsupporttheeffortsofHispanicfacultyand
professionalstaffandshouldprovideacareeradvancementpathtogrowthenumberofexecutivelevel
Hispanics.
Therehasbeena3%decreaseinthenumberofBlack/AfricanAmericanadministratorsbetween2010and
2012. Thisdatapointshouldbecloselymonitoredaswell.
RecommendationsforClosingtheOpportunityGap:
Advertiseallfaculty,staff,andadministratoropeningsinsuitablemediaandinterestgroups,
such
as
The
Hispanic
Outlook
in
Higher
EducationMagazine,
Hispanic
Association
of
CollegesandUniversities,andHispanicprofessionalorganizations.
Tothefullestextentpossible,communicatetosearchcommitteesandtheCollegecommunitythecurrentunderrepresentationofLatinofacultyandstaffandthevalueof
havingaworkforcethatreflectsandsupportsourstudentpopulation.
SeekfeedbackfromLatinofacultyandstaffonthesuitabilityofprofessionaldevelopment,releasetime,andcareeradvancementopportunities.
ProvidebudgetresourcesandreleasetimeopportunitiesforfacultyandstafftodevelopandimplementinitiativesthatcouldimproveLatinostudentsuccess.Provideevaluation
toolsanddataanalysistoassessthesuccessoftheseinitiatives.
Departmentsanddisciplinesestablishstudentchaptersofculturallyrelevantprofessionalorganizations(forexampleMAESLatinosinScienceandEngineering,TheAssociationofBlackPsychologists,andNationalBlackMBAAssociation). Thiswouldallowforincreased
opportunitiesforLatinoandAfrican/AfricanAmericanstudentstogainknowledgeintheir
chosenmajor. Accordingtoawealthofempiricalresearchthiswouldsignificantlyaddto
theretentionratesofLatinoandAfricanAmericanstudents.
IncreasethepercentageofAfrican/AfricanAmericanandLatinofulltimefacultyaswellasparttimefacultytoenhancetheapplicantpoolforfulltimefacultysearches.
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
15/68
ReportoftheClosingtheAchievementGapTaskForce
Page15
Establishstudentchaptersofrelevantminorityprofessionalorganizationsrelatedtothestudentpopulationsaffectedbytheachievementgap.
Thefollowingisasummaryofadditionalresearchandrecommendationsofeachareaprovidedbythesub
groups. Includedinthefindingsisalistofreferencesforeachtopicconsidered.
MONTGOMERYCOLLEGESTUDENTSLiteratureReview
Researchhasdocumentedthebenefitsofmentoringforstudentsofcolor,includingimproved
relationships,areductionindrugandalcoholconsumptionandabuse,andpositiveacademicoutcomes. In
fact,agrowingbodyofevidencehasemergeddemonstratingthatmentoringcanhaveanumberofpositive
benefitsforyouth.(Sipe2002)Thereisavarietyofmentoringmodelsanditisimportantthatthepurposes
andintentionsofmentoringbeexplicitlyoutlined.
Mangan(2013)providesexamplesofsuccessfulprogramsforBlackmalestudentswhichincludementors.
Theresearchonnoncognitivevariablesparticularlytheavailabilityofastrongsupportpersonaspredictorsofcollegeacademicsuccessandretentionalsosupportsthebenefitsofmentoring(Sedlacek
1993;Sedlacekinpress).Strayhorn(2010)foundthatsocialandculturalcapitalfavorablyinfluences
academicachievementoutcomesofAfricanAmericanandLatinomalesincollege. Thus,whenAfrican
AmericanandLatinostudentshaveopportunitiestodeveloprelationshipswithacademicallystrongpeers,
professors,andotherschoolbasedpersonnel,thereisgreatpotentialforpositiveeffects.
TheliteraturesuggeststhatAfricanAmericanandLatinostudentsuccessiscontingentontheirabilityto
navigatetwoculturalsystems,theminoritycultureandthemajoritysociety. Thus,studentswouldbenefit
fromprogramsandsupportsthatprovidethemwiththeeducation,resources,andtoolstounderstandthe
nuancesofcollegegoingandcollegiateexpectations.
BarajasandPierce(2001)offeraculturallygroundedviewoftheeducationgendergapbyexploringhow
raceandgenderintersecttoshapeLatinopathstoschoolsuccessincollege. Theyacknowledgethatthe
successofstudentsofcoloroftenhingesontheirabilitytosuccessfullytraversetwoculturalsystemsthe
minorityculture,inthisinstanceLatinoculturespecifically,andthemajoritysociety. Cammarota(2004)
assertsthatEducatorsandresearchersmustacknowledgethemultiplestrugglesrelatedtoraceand
gender,inadditiontolanguageandculture,whichconstituteoppressivebarriersforLatinoyouth,and
explorehowschools,communities,andfamiliescanworktogethertosupportyouthinordertoovercome
thesebarriers(p.54).
Further,AfricanAmericanandLatinostudentsmustbeencouragedtobuildrelationshipswithothermen
whosharecommonvaluesandculturalexperiences. Gloria,Castellanos,Scull&Villegas(2009)assert,
Theseconnectionscouldoccurbyreferringstudentstoculturallyrelevantclasses,groups,andfacultywho
couldultimatelyhelpthemdevelopcommunityoracademicfamilies(p.334). Theliteraturesuggests
thatthesetypesofsupportiverelationshipsandthedevelopmentofprogrammodelsthatfosterthese
typesofrelationshipsareofgreatimportfortheycanhelpBlackandLatinostudentsaddressand
potentiallydismantlemicro andmacroeducationalbarriers(Gloriaetal.,2009,p.334)andcontributeto
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
16/68
ReportoftheClosingtheAchievementGapTaskForce
Page16
thelikelihoodofthemstayinginandsuccessfullycompletingcollege(Harper&Associates,2014;Saenz&
Ponjuan,2009).
InregardstomentoringatMontgomeryCollege,itwouldbeimportanttoreviewservicegapsand
proceduresacrosstheCollegewhichcanpotentiallybecomebarriersforallstudents,butparticularly
studentsofcolor.Additionalresourcesareneededtoaddressandimprovethebureaucracythatcan
impedethesuccessofstudentsofcolorastheynavigatetheCollegessystem.Mentoringprogramscanbe
extremelyhelpfulbutcannotsolvesystemicissues.
Recommendations:MontgomeryCollegeStudents
Establishacomprehensiveandcollegewidementoringprogram Establishacomprehensiveandcollegewidementoringprograminordertoconnect
AfricanAmericanandLatinostudentswithfacultyandstaffwhocanassistthese
studentsastheynavigatetheCollegesystem,aswellasfosterstrongerstudent
engagementandencouragegoalcompletion.Thementoringprogramshould:
addressparityofaccesstomentoringacrosstheCollege provideopportunitiesforfacultyinvolvement havededicatedresourcesforsustainability includeafocusonnoncognitivevariablesthatpredictsuccess includeaplanforongoingassessmenttoreviewoutcomes considertheincorporationofpeermentors considereffortstoreacharangeofstudentsofcolor,includingparttimestudents,
returningadults,immigrantstudents,firstgenerationstudents,andstudentswith
children
Conductamoredetailedreviewofbestpracticesatothercommunitycolleges,historicallyblackcollegesanduniversitiesandHispanicservinginstitutions,inorderto
determinespecificmodelsthatwouldworkbestatMontgomeryCollege,includingreviewingprogramsatmulticampusinstitutions.
ReviewcurrentlyexistingmentoringprogramsattheCollegeforpossiblecollegewideexpansion.
Pilotthenewmentoringprogram;thisinitialpilotcouldbeavailabletostudentsonacollegewidebasis,inordertoprovideparityofopportunityforAfricanAmericanand
LatinostudentsacrosstheCollege.
Provideallfacultywithinformationabouthowtofostergreateracademicsuccess,retentionandcompletionofAfricanAmericanandLatinostudents.Thesemessages
couldbedeliveredthroughtheGovernancesystem,includingtheFacultyCouncil,as
wellas
department
chairs,
inorder
to
provide
stronger
visibility.
Implementationplanningcouldincludethefollowingaspects:facultyandstafftrainingandworkshops,costbenefitanalysis,resourceexploration,studentcommunication
andoutreachstrategies,liabilityissues,highschooltocollegetransitionissues,
assessmentandevaluation,timeline,andfeedbackthroughthegovernancesystems,
campusforumsandotheravenues.Trainingandworkshopscouldinvolvethe
assistanceofCTLandCPOD. Inaddition,furtherconsiderationcouldincludethe
feasibilityofhiringdedicatedstafftocoordinateacollegewidementoringprogram.
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
17/68
ReportoftheClosingtheAchievementGapTaskForce
Page17
Developspecialcollegewideprogramstospecificallyaddresstheacademicsuccess,retentionandcompletionofAfricanAmericanandLatinostudents.
Establishspecializedprogramsthatdirectlypromotethesustainedacademicsuccess,retentionandcompletionofAfricanAmericanandLatinostudents.Theseprograms
should:
addressissuesofparityacrosstheCollege,sothatstudentshaveaccesstotheprogramsonacollegewidebasis
havededicatedresourcesforsustainability includeafocusonnoncognitivevariablesthatpredictsuccess includeaplanforongoingassessmenttoreviewoutcomes considereffortstoreacharangeofAfricanAmericanandLatinostudents,including
parttimestudents,returningadults,immigrantstudents,firstgenerationstudents,
andstudentswithchildren
ExpandsupportforAfricanAmericanandLatinostudentstakingdevelopmentalcoursestoensuregreatersuccess,improvedcompletionofdevelopmentalcoursework,
andeffectivetransitiontocreditbearingcourses.Dedicateresourcesforspecific
programstosupportstudentstakingdevelopmentalcoursework,particularlyconcentratingresourcesonLatinoandAfricanAmericanstudentsindevelopmental
coursesandtheLatinoandAfricanAmericanhighschoolgraduatesenrolledinAELP
and1.5generationstudents.
FollowingtheexampleoftheBoystoMenprogram,developprogrammingthatprovidessimilaropportunitiesonacollegewidebasisforAfricanAmericanandLatino
males,aswellasAfricanAmericanandLatinofemales.
Possibleprogramexamplesincludethefollowing:multiculturalstudentcenteroroffice,highschooltocollegetransitionprogram,learningcommunities,cohortprogram,skills
developmentprogram,parentprogram,transferbridgeprogram,parttimestudent
supportprogram,anddevelopmentallearningcommunityand/orsupportprogram. Connectstudentsmoremeaningfullywithexistingsupportcenters,FirstYear
Experience,summerprograms,andcampusresources.
Establishwebbasedresourcesforstudentsofcolor,includingawebsitewithresourcesforundocumentedstudentsandforLatinostudents.Thiswebsitecouldincludealistof
SpanishspeakingpersonnelattheCollege,scholarshipsandinternshipsforLatino
students,andcontactsatlocaltransferschoolsforSpanishspeakers.
Conductamoredetailedreviewofbestpracticesatothercommunitycolleges,historicallyblackcollegesanduniversitiesandHispanicservinginstitutions,inorderto
determinespecificprogrammodelsthatcouldworkbestatMontgomeryCollege,
includingreviewingprogramsatmulticampusinstitutionsandsummerbridge
programs.
TEACHINGANDLEARNINGCURRICULUMINSIDETHECLASSROOMLiteratureReviewandFindings
Aculturallycompetentfacultyadoptsmodelsoflearningthatbenefitadiverserangeoflearnersandfoster
successfulmatriculationfromthecommunitycollegetofouryearinstitutions. Cushner,McClellandand
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
18/68
ReportoftheClosingtheAchievementGapTaskForce
Page18
Safford(2009)notethatcultureandtheprocessoflearningaboutculturearecriticaltoframingfaculty
knowledgeaboutdiversity. GrantandSleeter(2007)advocateforteacherselfreflexivityandanalysisasa
pathwaytoeffectiveteachingandlearninginadiverseenvironment.Thesescholarsaresupportedby
ClaytonPedersen,Parker,SmithMarenoandTeraguchi(2007)andAnderson(2008)intheclaimthat
educatorscanmakearealdifferencewhentheyareflexibleinteachingandutilizedifferencesinthe
classroomasassetsratherthanobstacles.
Professionaldevelopmenteffortscanincreasetheculturalcompetenceoffacultyandstaff,helpingthem
createawelcomingclimateandincreasingacademicachievementforAfricanAmericanandLatino
students.Facultyassumptionsandexpectationsmaynotmatchtheexperiencesoftheirfirstgenerationor
minoritystudents(Collier&Morgan,2008),sotrainingfacultytocommunicate,mentor,andencourage
thesestudentsisessential.Facultymulticulturaldevelopmentshouldnotbemerelyanannualactivity
thateachprofessormustcomplete.Rather,itshouldbepartofacollegewideefforttoinvolvefaculty,
departments,anddisciplinesintheprocessofmeasurablyimprovingoutcomes.AssuggestedbyAchieving
theDream,acultureofevidenceandinquirythatseekstoinformdecisionsthroughdataisabout
creativeproblemsolving,studentsuccess,andempoweringfacultywithtoolsthatcanhelpthemdowhat
theydobetter.(Birnback&Friedman,2009).
Socialandacademicactionsmustworkintandemtosustainrigorouseffortsatsupportingstudents
retentionandsuccessfulcompletionincollege. Effectiveminorityachievementprogramswillincrease
retentionandfostersuccess.McGlynn(2009)reportsonthesuccessfuleliminationofthegraduationgap
atFSUattributedtoanacademicretentionandenhancementprogramtargetingfirstgeneration,low
income,andminoritystudents.AnissuebrieffromtheInstituteforHigherEducation(2012)citesbarriers
facedbyfirstgenerationcollegestudentsfrom30colleges.Theseincludefamilyandworkobligations,low
finances,lowacademicpreparation,andlimitedinformationonapplyingandpreparingforcollege.Clayton
Pedersenetal(2007)assertthatwelldevelopedandsupported,comprehensiveandsystematicinitiatives
mustaddressaccessandsuccesstoincludefocusonrace/ethnicityandincomestatus(pp.105107),whichalsoservetostrengthentheconnectionbetweenhighschool,thecollegecommunity,andthewider
neighborhood.
Knowledgethatstudentsneedforcollegenavigation,suchasstudyskills,timemanagement,and
mechanismsforaccessingfinancialaid,tutoring,andmentoring,canbewidelydisseminatedinthe
classroomorasanintegratedaddon,suchasarequiredorincentivizedoutsideactivity. TheCommunity
CollegeResearchCentersuggestsmakingnonacademicsupportsintrusivesothatstudentsareforcedto
encounterthem(Karp,2011).
Recommendations:
Teaching
and
Learning
Curriculum
Inside
the
Classroom
Enhancetheculturalcompetenceoffacultyinordertomakestudentsofdiverseethnicbackgroundswelcome.TheCollegesmulticulturalrequirementforfacultyshouldbemore
targetedtowardshelpingstudentssucceed,ratherthansimplyattendingafoodfairor
concert.Modelsthatworkfortrainingfacultyandevaluatingandimprovingtheir
effectivenessshouldbeidentified.
Makenonacademicsupportintrusive.Targetthedevelopmentofskillsandknowledgethatstudentsneedfornavigatingcollege,includinggettingadvisingormentoringand
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
19/68
ReportoftheClosingtheAchievementGapTaskForce
Page19
developingfinancialaidandfinancial(aid)literacyskillsaswellasstudyskills.Identifyways
tointegratetheseskillsintotheclassroomorintoadvisingandmentoringrelationships
thatareavailabletostudentsplacedatrisk. Provideprofessionaldevelopmenttoprepare
facultywiththeinformationandskillstodothissuccessfully.
Trackthesuccessofinterventionsandcohortsthatareinplace(learningcommunities,DScourses,participationinACES,TRIOorBoystoMen,tutoringhours,etc.)forAfrican
AmericanandLatinostudents.Explorethepossibilityofallowingstudentswithlowertest
scoresintodesiredcreditlevelcoursesiftheycommittoorenrollinoneormoreofthese
programs.Identifymodelsthatincreaseretentionandsuccessandbringthemtoscale.
TargetcoursesthatareroadblocksforsubstantialnumbersofAfricanAmericanandLatinostudentsforinterventions.Interventionsshouldbeevaluatedforeffectivenessagainst
baselinedataandthenmodifiediftheyshowpromiseormorewidelyimplementedifthey
areclearlysuccessful.
STUDENTINVOLVEMENT OUTSIDETHECLASSROOMLiteratureReview
Withinhighereducation,thechallengesofachievingacademicsuccessforAfricanAmericanandLatino
studentshavebecomeatopicofnationaldiscussionandconcern.AccordingtoBeckles(2008),thereiswell
documentedevidencethatthesestudentscollectivelyencounterdifficultyinachievingacademicsuccess
throughouttheirentireeducationalexperience(K16)(p.1).Moreover,Becklesindicatesthatthese
difficultiesinclude:adisproportionaterepresentationinspecialeducationprograms,highratesof
suspensionandexpulsion,highdropoutrates,lowerscoresonnormreferencedtestsandotherassessment
devices,labeling/trackingtactics,loweredteacherexpectations,stereotyping,thethreatofstereotyping,
andfeelingsofpersonalimpotence(p.1).AllofthisnotonlydirectlyimpactsthedecisionsofAfrican
AmericanandLatinostudentstopursuepostsecondaryeducationinthefirstplace,butalsoaffectstheir
retentionand
success
rates.
For
these
students,
too
often
lower
retention
and
academic
success
are
the
resultofbeingunderpreparedfinancially,socially,andacademicallyfortherigorsofcollegelife(Manning
andEverett,2008;Beckles,2008;Clayton,Hewitt,andGaffney,2004;GreerandBrown,2011;Allen,1992;
Banks,2010;GreerandChwalisz,2007).WhilemanyAfricanAmericanandLatinostudentsstrugglewith
thesechallenges,researchsuggeststhatstudentswhofindwaysofengagingwithfaculty,staff,andother
studentsaremorelikelytopersistandattaintheiracademicgoals(GardehireCrooks,Collado,Martinand
Castro,2010).
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
20/68
ReportoftheClosingtheAchievementGapTaskForce
Page20
FocusGroups
Thestudentinvolvementsubcommitteewastaskedwithexploringtheimpactsofstudentinvolvementon
achievement.Thisexplorationentailedsurveyingthecurrentliteratureonthesetopics.Thesubcommittee
determinedthatitwascriticaltospeakdirectlywithMontgomeryCollegestudentstoobtaintheir
perspectivesandincorporatetheirvoicesamongtherelevantdata.Inordertocollectthisstudentdata,the
committeeconductedaseriesoffocusgroups.Aprimaryintentofthefocusgroupswastoexplorethestudents'totalexperience,includinghowtheyexperiencefacultyandstaffattheCollege,andspecific
peopleandresourcestheyperceivesupporttheiracademicsuccess.Thefocusgroupinterviewswere
conductedbyaskingtheelevenquestionsbelowandasummaryofthefindingsisappendedtothisreport.
1. DescribeyourexperiencehereatMontgomeryCollege.2. IstheresomethingparticularaboutbeingAfricanAmericanorLatino/athatyoubelievehas
impactedyourexperience?
3. Whatdoesitmeantobeinvolvedoutsideoftheclassroom?4. Whyareyouorarentyouinvolvedoutsideoftheclassroom?5. Ifyouareinvolvedinthecommunityandnotinthecollege,why?6. Whatcampusactivitiesorprogramswouldencourageyourinvolvement?7. Whohasplayedasignificantroleinsupportingyouracademicsuccess?8. Describeanexperiencewithaprofessor,counselor,orstaffmemberthatmayhavehelpedyour
success.
9. Describeanexperiencewithaprofessor,counselor,orstaffmemberthatmayhavehinderedyoursuccess.
10.Whenyoufacechallengesofanykindthatimpactyourabilitytobesuccessfulincollege,whatdoyoudo?
11.HowcanMontgomeryCollegehelpyoutobemoreacademicallysuccessful?StudentInputandFeedback
DeveloptargetedcohortgroupsforAfricanAmericanandLatinostudents.Forexample,replicate"BoystoMen"witha"SistertoSister"mentoringgroupfor
females.
MakeDS107(oranequivalentFreshmanSeminarcourse)mandatoryforallfirsttime,degreeseekingstudents.Ifthisisnotpossible,encourageallstudentstobuild
arelationshipwithacounselortoprovidesupportthroughouttheiracademic
experience.
Requireeducation/degreeplansforallstudents;tobedevelopedpriortoorduringtheirfirstsemester.
Increasethenumberoftutorsinthewritingcentersandlengthentutoringsessionsfrom30minutesto45or60minutes.
RedesignMA094toaccommodatestudentswhodonotlearnwellviacomputerbasedinstruction.
Implementmandatorystudyhallforallstudentathletes. Createmorecollegecommunitybuildingactivitiestoincreaseschoolpride/spirit. Createastudentunionwithloungesandstudyspaces,aswellasactivityspace.
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
21/68
ReportoftheClosingtheAchievementGapTaskForce
Page21
Expandtheservicelearningprogramtoincorporatemorecareerrelatedopportunities.
Increaseawarenessofstudentlifeactivities,programs,andstudentclubs. BuildpartnershipswithcommunityorganizationstobettersupportAfrican
AmericanandLatinostudentsandincreasestudentsawarenessofscholarshipand
serviceopportunitiesbeyondcampus.
Recommendations: StudentInvolvementOutsidetheClassroom
DeveloptargetedcohortgroupsforAfricanAmericanandLatinostudents.Forexample,replicate"BoystoMen"witha"SistertoSister"mentoringgroupforfemales
Createmorecollegecommunitybuildingactivitiestoincreaseschoolpride/spirit. BuildpartnershipswithcommunityorganizationstobettersupportAfricanAmericanand
Latinostudentsandincreasestudentsawarenessofscholarshipandserviceopportunities
beyondcampus.
CIVICENGAGEMENT
LiteratureReview
Theliteratureclearlyindicatesthatstudentswhoareengagedinthecommunityaremorelikelytosucceed
intheclassroom(CCSSE2013). Targetedengagementactivities,bothpublicandprivate,insideandoutside
theclassroom,andonandoffcampuscanhelptobroadenaccesstopostsecondaryeducation,enhance
studentsuccess,andultimatelyenrichthelifeofourcommunity(CCSSE2013). Engagementactivitiescan
bridgeopportunitygapsforthestudentandthecommunity,andhelptoenhancethenoncognitiveskills
non academicskillswhicharepowerfuldriversofsuccessofthestudent. Thefollowingsection
acknowledgesthepowerandthevaluethatstudentengagementandinstitutionalengagementwiththe
communitycanbringtoeffortstoclosetheachievementgap.
TheachievementgapinthecountryandintheCollegescommunitybeginswithaccess. Itiswelldocumentedthatthemajorityofthejobsofthefuturewillrequirepostsecondaryeducation(Reports,The
Partnershipfor21stCenturySkills). ThisisparticularlytrueinMontgomeryCountyaneconomythatis
universallyacknowledgedasonethatisdependentontheknowledgebaseofitsworkers(FY20142015
StrategicPlan,MontgomeryCountyEconomicDevelopmentdepartment). However,nationallythecollege
goingrateoflow incomeAfricanAmericanandLatinostudentsisfarlowerthanthatofhighincomeWhite
students. ThirtypercentofMontgomeryCountyPublicSchoolstudents(MCPS)qualifyorhavequalifiedfor
FreeorReducedMealsanindicatorofpovertyinacommunity. Thatnumberisequaltothetotalnumber
ofstudentsenrolledinpublicschoolsinWashington,D.C. Barrierstostudentsuccessandcompletion
clearlyincludesocioeconomicstatusandtherelatedchallengesofbalancingcompetingpriorities,suchas
family,schoolandworkresponsibilitieswhichoftenresultinpatternsofinterruptedschooling(Pathwaysto
Success,2012).
Withthechangeddemographyofthecountyandthegrowingnumberoffirstgenerationcollegegoersin
theMCPS,moreresidentsneedabetterunderstandingofhowtoaccessandenrollinaninstitutionof
higherlearning. Outreacheffortstoengagethecommunitywouldalsoservetotakethemysteryoutofthe
collegegoingprocessforthesestudentsandtheirfamiliesbybringingclaritytotheenrollmentprocess,to
thearrayofoptionsinbothtraditionalacademicandcareerandtechnicaleducation,totheideathat
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
22/68
ReportoftheClosingtheAchievementGapTaskForce
Page22
collegeisaninvestmentinonesfutureandtothewaysinwhichtopayforcollege. BarrierstoCollege
Attainment:LessonsfromChicago(2009)describesthreemajorfactors:theaspirationsattainmentgap,
academicqualificationsandthesocialcapitalgap;thelatterincludeslackofinformationaboutselecting
collegesandmanagingtheapplicationandenrollmentprocesses.
ThereisaneedtoengagethecommunitytobetterunderstandtheneedsofAfricanAmericanandLatino
studentsandtheirfamiliesbyengaginginconsistentandintentionaldialoguewithkeycommunityleaders
andorganizations,theCollegecanidentifythesystemicchangestobetterserveandenhancethesuccessof
thesestudents. InRethinkingtheCompletionAgenda,SanfordC.Shugart(InsideHigherEducation,
February2013)emphasizesthatcommunity/businesspartnershipsrequire:clarificationofterms(suchas
collegereadiness),earlymajordeclarationandcleardegreepathways,strengtheningarticulationand
transfer,identifyingdegreepathways,andthinkingoftheeducationalecosystembeyondtheinstitution.
Communityengagementcentersinkeyunderservedareascanalsobeutilizedforthispurpose:reach
communityleaders,reinforceearlyparentinvolvement,connectwithprospectivementorsandinternship
placements,andputtheCollegeintheneighborhood.
Identity,ayouthorganizationbasedinGaithersburg,MD,suggeststhattheachievementgapforLatinostudentsbeaddressedinthefollowingways: helpstudentsunderstandthearrayofpostsecondary
options;provideclearandwellunderstoodpathwaystocertificatesanddegrees,provideclearanddirected
guidanceattheoutsetincludingacleardiscussionregardinggoals,andspecificcreationofthepathway;
providingmoreoptionsforshorttermcredentials,andestablishingpeermentoringprogramsthatprovide
stipendstostudentswhoactaspeermentors. (Identitynotesthatmanystudentsalreadyonrelyoneach
othertonavigatethecollegegoingprocesswhichcouldbeformalizedwithapeermentorprogram.)
Asnotedearlierinthisreport,thepowerofmentorshipthepowerofanindividualtoenrichthelifeof
anotheriswelldocumentedinresearchandsupportedanecdotallyamongfacultyandstaff. Enhanced
andstrategically
targeted
mentorship
opportunities
for
students
can
help
to
overcome
opportunity
gaps
andenhancethenoncognitiveabilitiesthathelpanindividualsucceed.Finally,studentsengagetheir
collegecommunitythroughtechnology. Socialmediacanbeapowerfultooltocreateasenseof
community. Forexample,athleticsandtheRaptormascotcouldeasilybepromotedthroughsocialmedia
tohelpcreatethatsenseofbelonging/community.Dynamicinteractiveexperimentsthroughsocialmedia
canhelptheCollegemovefromfosteringsocialnetworkssuchasasemesterlongclassorstudygroup,
intosustainedcommunitiesofsharedinterests,interactingatleastpartlythroughsocialmedia(Wu,2010).
MontgomeryCollegecannotpresumetohavealltheanswerstothechallengesfacingourcommunityorto
fullyunderstandtheneedsofthecommunityweserve.Ifthecollegeistoenrichthelifeofthecommunity,
itmustallowthecommunitytoenrichitsthinkingandunderstandingoftheirlivesandtheirhopesand
needsfortheirfutures.
Recommendations:CivicEngagement
Engagethecommunitytopromotetheimportanceofandvalueininvestinginpostsecondaryeducation.SpecificallytheCollegeshouldseekouttoexpandandenhance
communitypartnershipswithanarrayoforganizationsandbusinessestoincrease
outreachandaccess:
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
23/68
ReportoftheClosingtheAchievementGapTaskForce
Page23
MontgomeryCountyCollaborationCouncilonChildrenandYouth MontgomeryCountyRecreationDepartmentreachbothyouthandadults PTAsintargetedareasofthecounty(ACEShighschools,TitleIschools,etc.) Alumni MontgomeryCountysyouthopportunitycenters ImpactSilverSpring HousingOpportunitiesCommission&housingnonprofits PTAsatTitleIschools MCPScommunityengagementeffortsinkeyschools Nonprofitswithmissionstoalleviatepoverty,addressworkforcedevelopment,
youthservingetc.
Interdenominational,interfaithandfaithbasedgroups EthnicservingnonprofitsincludingbutnotlimitedtotheNAACP,theNAACP
ParentsCouncil,andIdentity
ContinuetoenhancetheCollegespresenceatcommunityeventstargetedatAfricanAmericanandLatinofamiliestoincreaseawarenessoftheinstitutionandtheimportance
ofpostsecondaryeducation. Strategicallylocatedcommunityengagementcenters(in
underservedcommunitiesandcolocatedwithnonprofitsorgovernmentfacilitiesto
maximizeopportunitiesforpartnerships)agoalinMC2020wouldbetterenablethe
Collegetoformkeypartnershipsandengageresidentsdirectlytoachievethisimportant
accessgoal.
Bringthecommunitytocampustohelpmitigatesocioeconomicbarrierstosuccess. Partnerwithnonprofits,CommunityActionBoard,MontgomeryCountyHHSetc. ResearchestablishmentofSingleStoptyperesourcecentersoneachcampus Enhanceemploymentopportunitiesforstudentsthroughbusinesspartnerships
Bringthecommunitytocampustoforgeoneononeconnectionsforstudentsandprovidestudentsaccesstoandtheopportunitytoengagesuccessfulpeopleofinfluence. Enhancementoringandcoachingprogramsandprogramsthatexposestudentsto
successfulpeoplewiththeCollegesmanypartners,includingbusinessesledbyAfrican
AmericansandLatinos,Accenture,DiscoveryCommunications,Chambersof
Commerce,HolyCross,youthorganizations,faithcommunities,fraternitiesand
sororities.
ConnectorganizationsandindividualswhocaninfluenceMCstudentstosucceed,guideandengagestudents,andhelpstudentsenhancethenoncognitiveskillsthatleadto
success.
Engagethecommunitytoenhancetheunderstandingofandaccesstocareerandtechnicaleducation
for
all
residentsofthe
county
Providebackgroundinformationtokeycommunityleaderstomotivateresearchandconversationonbarrierstosuccessandtheneedforbroadeducationalaccessacross
allpopulations;
Sponsororleadintentionalcommunitydialoguesandpublicpolicyconversationstoenhancetheunderstandingandvalueofsuchpostsecondaryeducationprograms.
Studentsengagethecommunitypromoteandenhanceservicelearning,internships,andcivicengagementopportunitiesforstudents
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
24/68
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
25/68
ReportoftheClosingtheAchievementGapTaskForce
Page25
college. Thisrecommendationwillrequiretheparticipationofinstructionalfaculty,as
therearenotenoughcounselingfacultymemberstomeetwithallstudentsinindividual
sessions. Incorporatinginstructionalfacultyintheadvisingsystemwillrequiretraining,
andtherewouldbecostsassociatedwithtraininginstructionalfacultyadvisors.
FINANCIALAID,GRANTSANDSCHOLARSHIPSLiteratureReviewandFindings
Researchconfirmsthatlackoffundingisakeybarriertocompletion(LunaDeLaRosa2006)andthat
studentsclearlyneedmoreinformationinthisarea(AmericanCouncilonEducation2004). Furthermore,
strongevidencesuggeststhatdifficultycompletingtheFAFSAposesamajorhurdletomanystudents.
Removingthathurdlehasasignificantimpact(Fergus,FitzGibbonandSoria2011). Othercaseshaveshown
thatlow andmoderateincomecollegestudentsdonottakeadvantageoffinancialaidopportunitiesby
completingtheFAFSA,suggestingthatthepopulationswhowouldbenefitmostfromfinancialaidarenot
receivingit.InthecaseofLatinostudents,Latinoyouthareoftenresponsiblefortakingtheinitiativein
securingfinancialaidinformationaswellascontributingtotheeconomicwellbeingoftheirhouseholds
(ZarateandPachon2006). Awarenessingeneraloftheavailabilityofandthemechanismsforreceivingfinancialaidislow. Manylowincomestudentswhodonotapplyforfinancialaidbelievetheydonotneed
it(AmericanCouncilonEducation2004). AtMontgomeryCollege,57%ofallfinancialaidrecipientsare
AfricanAmericanorLatino. Amongstudentswiththelowestincomes,71%ofPellGrantrecipientsat
MontgomeryCollegeareAfricanAmericanorLatino.
Consequently,financialaidadvisingiscrucial. Almost80%of11thand12thgradersrelyonteachers,
counselors,andcoachesforfinancialaidinformation,followedcloselybycollegerepresentatives,family,
friendsandclassmatesandasignificantportionofstudentsandparentsobtaincollegerelatedinformation
fromtheinternet(LunaDeLaRosa2006). ThefactisthatAfricanAmerican,Latino,andlowincome
studentsarethemostdependentonhighschoolpersonnelforinformationaboutcollege(ZarateandPachon2006),allofwhichsuggestsaneedforasystematicplantointroducetheseconceptsappropriately
atthehighschoollevel. Infact,Chan(2008)assertsthatfinancialaidismosteffectivewhenstudentsand
familieslearnaboutitearlyenoughtomaketherightchoicesandplansabouthighschoolcoursework,
familysavings,workandearnings,andcollegeoptions.
Asnotedabove,thosewhoareeligibleforfinancialaidaretheleastlikelytoknowaboutit,although
awarenesslevelsarerelativelylowamongstudentsandparentsatallincomelevels(SallieMaeFundand
HarrisInteractive2003). FurthercomplicatingtheissueisthefactthatPellGrantrecipientsareoftenfirst
generationcollegestudentsandtheylackessentialinformationaboutfinancialaidandadmissions
information(McSwain2008).
Severalstudieshaveaddressedtheissueoftargetedfunding.Bresciani&Carson(2002)callforincreased
fundingforprogramsprovidingsupportforstudentswhohavebeenidentifiedasatrisk(atpromise)fornot
meetingtheireducationalgoals. Furthermore,fundingshouldbeincreasedforprogramsthathavebeen
knowntoincreasecompletion.Theyassertthatifinstitutionswanttoimproveretentionrates,theyshould
increasefinancialaidtoneedystudentsandminimizeunmetneed(Bresciani&Carson2002). Giventhe
factthatfamilyneedassessmentandactualneedamountfallsshortofreality;newfundsprovidedthrough
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
26/68
ReportoftheClosingtheAchievementGapTaskForce
Page26
achievementgapspecificfundraisingcouldfillthatgap(Bresciani&Carson.2002).Finally,institutions
shouldconsiderPerformanceBasedScholarships(PBS)whereineligiblestudentsareabletoallocatemore
timetoeducationallyproductiveactivitiessuchasstudying,whichshouldinturntranslateintogreater
educationalattainment(Barrow,RichburgHayesetal2012).
Recommendations:FinancialAid,GrantsandScholarships
IncludeamandatoryfinancialaidplanthatisdonepriortoNewStudentOrientation(currentlyunderwayatsomehighschools)aspartoftheoverallmandatoryeducationplan.
Creatingaplanwillmakecleartostudentsthevalueofincorporatingfinancialaidaspartof
acomprehensivecompletionplan.
IncludecompletionasafundingpriorityduringtheMCcampaign. Allwelcomepackagesandinitialcommunicationswithstudentsshouldincludeseveral
additionalsourcesofinformation/linksaboutFAFSAandfinancialaidsteps,soasto
increaseawarenessaboutfinancialaidopportunities. (SallieMaeFundandHarris
Interactive2003).
Thefollowingrecommendationsaremadeinordertoincreaseawareness. Allnewstudentsshouldbeprovidedflashdriveswithsteps/keystosuccessand
planning,whichwouldincludefinancialaidinformationanddeadlines;thereshouldbe
easilyaccessiblylinkstoinformationaboutneedsbasedscholarshipsavailableto
students. AllflashdriveswillbeloadedwithnecessarystepstocompleteFinancialAid
requirements(ZarateandPachon2006).
ProvidelinkstoeasilyaccessibleinformationontheMontgomeryCollegeDreamersFundandotherscholarshipopportunitiesthatmaybeavailabletononFAFSAfilers,
whichdonotrequiresocialsecuritynumbers.(SzelenyaandChang2002).
IncorporatethelinktotheCollegesnewonlinescholarshipapplicationsinallmaterialsfornewstudents.
Thenumberofontime(completedbyMay15)financialaidapplicationsattheCollegehasincreased62%withinthepastfiveyears,butmanystudentsstillwaituntilthelastfewweeksbeforethesemestertoapplyforfinancialaid. Createfocusgroupscomprisedof
theselateapplicantstudentstobetterunderstandwhytheywaitsolatetostartthe
financialaidprocess.Also,toassesswhetherallfinancialaidapplicantswouldbewillingto
receivetextcommunicationsthatrelatetofinancialaidinformationanddeadlines
(Burdman2005).
Findadditionalwaystoincentivizeallstudentstomeettherequiredfinancialaiddeadlinesduringthepeakfinancialaidseason(JanMay)(Davidson2013).
DuringtheidentifiedpeakfinancialaidseasonprovideincentivesfundedbytheMCFoundationsuchas:
Araffleforallstudentsthatcompletepaperworkbyapredetermineddate(Feb1orFeb14whichiseasyforstudentstoremember)
MCbucks($50 $100forbooksandsupplies) Freestudentparkingpass Kindlecurrentlykindlesareanincentive.Althoughadvertisedonallcampus
lobbies,keywordsshouldbeincludedandhighlightedFREE,GIFT,REWARDS,$$$,
etc.
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
27/68
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
28/68
ReportoftheClosingtheAchievementGapTaskForce
Page28
NoncognitiveVariablesofSuccess
TraditionallytheAmericanpubliceducationsystemhasstressedthathigheramountsofcomponential
(cognitive)intelligencewereindicativeofhighperformingstudents. Therehasbeenarecentfocuson
collegereadinessineducationalliterature.Thisisanimportantshiftinemphasisfromviewingadmissions
inhighereducationasafunctionseparatefromthewiderangeofattributesastudentwillneedonce
enrolled(Conley,2005). Whilereadinessforcollegeincludestakingtheappropriatecourses,gettinggoodgrades,andscoringwellonadmissionstests,thereisevidencethatmanyotherattributeswilldetermine
whethermoststudentswillsucceedinhighereducation.
Thetermnoncognitiveisusedheretorefertovariablesrelatingtoadjustment,motivation,andstudent
perceptions,ratherthanthetraditionalverbalandquantitative(oftencalledcognitive)areastypically
measuredbystandardizedtests. Whilenoncognitivevariablesareusefulforallstudents,theyprovide
viablealternativesinfairlyassessingtheabilitiesofpeopleofcolor,women,internationalstudents,older
students,studentswithdisabilities,orotherswithexperiencesthataredifferentthanthoseofyoung,
White,heterosexual,ablebodied,EurocentricmalesintheUnitedStates(traditionalstudents).Thereisa
significantbodyofresearchthathasfoundthatnonWhiteandfemalepopulationsemployrelativelyhigher
amountsofexperientialandcontextualintelligencetoconceptualizeandsolveproblemsthanWhitemale
populations. Thereasonsforthisaretheoretical,andtheycenteraroundtheneedtolookatsolutions
frommultipleperspectivesandstrategiesduetotheperceptionthattraditionalandstandardwaysmaybe
blockedtothem(Sedlacek,2010);
TheeightnoncognitivedimensionsontheNoncognitiveQuestionnaire(NCQ)are:(1)Positiveselfconcept
orconfidence,(2)realisticselfappraisal,especiallyregardingacademicabilities,(3)understandingand
dealswithracism,(4)preferslongrangegoalstoshorttermorimmediateneeds(5)availabilityofastrong
supportperson,(6)successfulleadershipexperience,(7)demonstratedcommunityserviceand(8)
knowledgeacquiredinafield.
TheNCQwasdesignedtoassesstheeightnoncognitivevariablesdiscussedabove.Severalformsofthe
NCQhavebeendevelopedandemployedindifferentcontexts. TestretestreliabilityestimatesonNCQ
scoresforvarioussamplesrangefrom.74to.94,withamedianof.85(Sedlacek,2004).Interrater
reliabilityonscoresfromthethreeopenendedNCQitemsrangedfrom.73to1.00.
SummaryandAnalysisofData
WithinMontgomeryCollege2020areobjectiveretentionoutcomesarticulatedinthePerformance
Canvases.
PERFORMANCE
CANVAS
INDICATOR PERFORMANCEBASE PERFORMANCEGOAL GAP MC2020 THEME
FY11 FY20
FalltoFallRetention 75% 85% 10% II
TransferRate 52.90% 60% 7.10% II
StudentSuccess 75% 80% 5% II
TransferStudentSuccess 2.73 2.8 0.07 I
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
29/68
ReportoftheClosingtheAchievementGapTaskForce
Page29
Inordertomeetthesegoals,theBenchmarksandOutcomesworkgrouphasadoptedasystematic
approachwhichutilizescurrentstudentdataprovidedbytheOfficeofInstitutionalResearchandAnalysis.
Wehavedeterminedthat,basedoncurrentdata,whenthegoalsareconvertedfrompercentagestoactual
studentcounts,thetaskbecomessignificantlymoremanageable.AccordingtotheMontgomeryCollege
DegreeProgressAnalysis Fall2008Cohort 4YearsLater(AppendixB)theactualstudentgapsbetween
theperformancebaseandperformancegoalsareasfollows:
PERFORMANCECANVAS
INDICATOR PERFORMANCEBASE PERFORMANCEGOAL GAP GAP MC2020
THEME
2008COHORT FY20
EnrolledatMClasttermperiod 467 514 10% 47 II
Graduatedand/orTransferred 1252 1341 7.10% 89 II
StudentSuccess(grad.&transf) 1397 1467 5% 70 II
TransferStudentSuccess na 2.8 0.07 na I
LatinoandAfrican/AfricanAmericanstudentsrepresent45percentoftheMontgomeryCollegestudent
body. Hispanic,white,andmultiracialstudentsareexperiencingsignificantchangesinenrollmentrates.
ThenumberofnonHispanicwhitestudentshasdecreased.AccordingtotheMontgomeryCountyPublic
SchoolsFY201318CapitalImprovementsProgram,thisdecreaseinnonHispanicwhiteenrollment
appearslargelyduetodecreasingbirthratesofthisgroupinMontgomeryCounty.Thetotalnumberof
HispanicstudentsatMontgomeryCollegehasdecreasedbyapproximately1.5percentsincefall2008,
whilethenumberofstudentswhoselfidentifyasmultiracialhasincreased237.2percent.(Beginninginthe
fall2007,newstudentsatMontgomeryCollegecouldselectmorethanoneracialdesignator.)Ofthe
studentsselfidentifyingasmultiracial,approximately80percentidentifythemselvesasHispanicandanadditionalracialgroup.AccordingtoMontgomeryCollegesinternalanalysis,theadditionofthenewracial
designatorappearstoaccountforthedecrease.Inaddition,MontgomeryCollegehasidentifiedthatthe
enrollmentofHispanicstudentshasnotbeenconsistentwithHispanicstudentregistrationinMCPS,where
approximately26percentofstudentsareselfidentifiedasHispanic(MontgomeryCountyPublicSchools
FY201318CapitalImprovementsProgram). ThedifferencewithMCPSLatinostudentsmaybe
attributedtotwoprimaryreasons:(1)theCollegesadherencetofederalguidelinesinreportingstudent
demographicdata,whicharecalculateddifferentlyforMCPSand(2)alowerrateofregistrationsforLatino
MCPSstudentsatMCrelativetootherdemographicgroups.
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
30/68
ReportoftheClosingtheAchievementGapTaskForce
Page30
BaseduponprevailingcountywideandMontgomeryPublicSchoolsdemographictrends,Montgomery
Collegeis
expecting
enrollments
to
remain
relatively
stable
for
the
foreseeable
future.
MontgomeryCollegeEnrollmentProjectionsforFallSemesters201316
Projected
FallSemester 2013 2014 2015 2016
TotalStudents 27,719 27,721 27,621 27,650
TotalCreditHours 252,975 252,993 252,080 252,345
CurrentlyAfricanAmerican/Black,LatinoandLatino/Multiracialstudentscompriseslightlymorethanone
halfofthefullandparttimeenrollmentsofMontgomeryCollege. Whenexaminingthemostrecent4year
cohortgroupwhichenteredintheFallof2008,therewere3,889studentsbeginningcoursework. Ofthe
Fall2008cohortgroup27.5%weredesignatedascollegereadyandrequirednodevelopmental
coursework.
AllStudentEntrantsFall2008
(N=3,889)
CollegeReady 1071 27.5%
Asian 185 42.2%
Black/AfricanAmerican 222 19.5%
Hispanic 125 14.9%
White
529 37.2%
Ofthatpopulation80.5%ofBlack/AfricanAmericanand85%ifHispanicstudentsrequireddevelopmental
courseworkandaredesignatedasnotbeingcollegeready. Whenlookingatpatternsofmatriculation,
themeasurementoutcomeshaveidentifiedthatthegreatestareaofacademicconcernliesinwiththe
matriculationofthe72.5%ofMontgomeryCollegestudentswhohavebeendesignatedasnoncollege
American
Indian
0%Asian
12%
Black
31%
Latino
14%
MultiRacial
12%
White
31%
Other
0%
MCStudentEnrollmentByRaceFall2012
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
31/68
ReportoftheClosingtheAchievementGapTaskForce
Page31
ready,andespeciallythe34%ofMontgomeryCollegestudentsidentifiedasdevelopmentalnon
completers. Developmentalcompletersarethosestudentswhoareassessedasneedingdevelopmental
courseworkandcompletedtheentiredevelopmentalsequence(s)inwhichtheywereplaced. The
developmentalnoncompletersarethosestudentswhowereassessedasneedingdevelopmental
courseworkbutdidnotcompletethedevelopmentalsequence(s)intowhichtheywereplaced.
Furthermore,thispopulationisdisproportionatelycomprisedofAfricanAmericanandLatinostudents.
DevelopmentalEnglish(FirstAttemptandThresholdAppendixCandAppendixD)
EN001SuccessonFirstAttempt
ThepercentageofAfricanAmericanstudentssucceedingonfirstattempthasrisenfrom59%of2004
cohortto71%of2012cohort.Atthesametime,thepercentageofAfricanAmericanstudentssucceeding
onfirstattemptislowerthansuccessratesoverall,forWhitestudents,andforHispanicstudentsforall
cohorts(20042012).
ThepercentageofHispanicstudentssucceedingonfirstattempthasrisenfrom67%of2004cohortto84%
of2012cohort.ThepercentageofHispanicstudentssucceedingishigherthanoverallstudentsforseveralcohorts(20042007,20102012).Higherthanwhitestudentsfor20112012cohorts.
Malestudentsuccesspercentagesarelowerthanthoseforfemalestudentsforallcohorts(20042012).
EN001AchievingAcademicThreshold
TheoverallpercentageofEN001studentsachievingtheacademicthresholdrisesinthe20042008cohort,
butthenfallsagaintothe2004level(36%)in2010and2011.ThepercentagesforWhitestudents,African
Americanstudents,andmalestudentsseemtofollowthispatternaswell.
Amongallstudents36%ofthe2011cohortachievedtheacademicthreshold.AmongAfricanAmerican
students27%of2011cohort.Hispanicstudents43%of2011cohort(higherthanwhitestudents).Male
students33%of2011cohort.
PercentageofHispanicstudentsachievingthresholdwaslowerthanwhitestudents20042010cohorts.
2011cohortishigher(Hispanicstudents43%,Whitestudents39%).
Malestudentpercentageswerelowerthanfemalestudentsforallcohorts(20042011).
EN002SuccessonFirstAttempt
Forallcohorts(20032011),studentswhostartedinEN002hadahighersuccessratethanstudentswho
hadfirstcompletedEN001.
Overallsuccessonfirstattemptroseslightlyfor2004,2005cohortsbutfellbackto2003levelsby2011and
2012(66%).
AfricanAmericanstudentssuccessonthefirstattemptfellbetweenthe20042011cohorts;the2011
(55%)cohortislowerthanthe2003(63%)cohort.
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
32/68
ReportoftheClosingtheAchievementGapTaskForce
Page32
Hispanicstudentssuccessonfirstattempthasrisen,althoughnotsteadily,fromthe2004cohort(59%)to
the2011cohort(66%).AllHispaniccohortsarelowerthanWhitecohortsfrom20032011.Hispaniccohort
higherthanoverallsuccessfor2009cohort,equalfor2010and2011cohorts.
Malestudentpercentagesarelowerthanfemalestudentsforallcohorts(20032011).
EN002
Achieving
Academic
Threshold
Forallcohorts(20032011),studentswhostartedinEN002achievedtheacademicthresholdatahigher
ratethanstudentswhohadfirstcompletedEN001.
AfricanAmericanstudentsachievedtheacademicthresholdatalowerratethanstudentsoverall,white
students,orHispanicstudentsforallcohorts(20032011).
Hispanicstudentsinsomeyears,achievedtheacademicthresholdatahigherratethanwhitestudentsor
studentsoverall;inotheryears,theydidsoatalowerratethanwhitestudentsorstudentsoverall.
Malestudentpercentageswerelowerthanfemalestudentsforallcohorts(20032011).
DevelopmentalReading
AchievedAcademicThreshold
YEAR
GROUP 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 AVERAGE
TOTAL 365 405 400 427 444 450 498 427
READING BLACK 160 185 176 184 202 212 246 195
089/095 BLACKACHIEVED 40 46 50 46 46 61 76 52
% 25% 25% 28% 25% 23% 29% 31% 27%
LATINO 78 86 94 99 76 96 67 85
LATINOACHIEVED 21 30 29 38 31 34 23 29
% 27% 35% 31% 38% 41% 35% 34% 35%
BLACK+LATINOTOTAL 238 271 270 283 278 308 313 280
%OFTOTAL 65% 67% 68% 66% 63% 68% 63% 66%
YEAR
GROUP 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 AVERAGE
TOTAL 611 653 624 661 713 750 788 686
READING
099 BLACK 231 245 235 241 254 293 303 257
BLACKACHIEVED 83 98 99 101 109 134 118 106
% 36% 40% 42% 42% 43% 46% 39% 41%
LATINO 118 137 153 148 140 137 113 135
LATINOACHIEVED 41 58 66 69 76 64 70 63
% 35% 42% 43% 47% 54% 47% 62% 47%BLACK+LATINOTOTAL 349 382 388 389 394 430 416 393
%OFTOTAL 57% 58% 62% 59% 55% 57% 53% 57%
Fromthetableabove,itisreadilyapparentthatBlackandLatinostudentsarerepresented
disproportionatelyhighindevelopmentalreadingcourseswhencomparedtooverallstudentenrollments
atthecollege.AchievementofAcademicThresholdisdefinedashavingpassedEnglish101Aorits
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
33/68
ReportoftheClosingtheAchievementGapTaskForce
Page33
equivalentwithintwoyearsoftheirfirstattemptatareadingclass. Thisissignificantinthatthedifference
inthegraduationandtransferratesofstudentswhodonotsuccessfullycompletetheirdevelopmental
courseworkisover32%lowerthannoncollegereadystudentswhosuccessfullycompletetheir
developmentalcourseworkand43%lowerthancollegereadystudents. IfsuccessratesforbothLatinoand
African/AfricanAmericancollegereadyanddevelopmentalcompleterswereheldsteady,a10%decrease
indevelopmentalnoncompleterswouldresultinanoverallincreaseof5.1%ingraduationandtransfer
ratesatMontgomeryCollege. Thiswouldleaveonlya2%differencefortheoverallgoalofgraduationand
transferratesoutlinedinMontgomeryCollege2020. Alsoitwouldbeinthecollegesinterestin
conjunctionwiththeofficeofassessmenttoconductatestretestreliabilitystudyoftheACCUPLACERto
determineifthenumberofstudentswhoplaceintoRD099wouldbedeterminedtonotbeinneedofany
developmentalreading. Thisisduetothesignificantlyhighersuccessratesforstudentsassessedascollege
ready.
AmericanEnglishLanguageProgram(AveragesonEL104,FirstAttemptAppendixE)
LargenumbersofnonHispanicBlackstudentstakeEL104,thehighestlevelgatewayclassthatnonnative
EnglishspeakersmustpassbeforeenteringEN101.Amongthe3,311studentsmakingtheirfirstattemptat
EL104from20032009,1,109students(33%)wereBlack.Blackstudentssuccessrateswereatorabove
thoseofWhite,nonHispanicstudentsin3of7fallcohorts,withBlackpassratesrangingfromalowof66%
in2003toahighof89%in2006.Hispanicstudentssuccessrates,however,werelowerthanthoseof
Whitestudentsin6ofthosesame7fallcohorts,withpassratesamongthe819Hispanicstudentsranging
fromalowof69%in2009toahighof77%in2005.(Passratesamongthe438nonHispanicWhitestudents
intheseyearsrangedfromalowof75%toahighof90%.)
ItisinterestingtonotethatinEL104(asinEL101103),successrateswerelowerforstudentswhohad
completedhighschoolintheUnitedStatesthanforstudentswhoattendedforeignhighschools.Ofthe288
UShighschoolgraduatesmakingtheirfirstattemptatEL104inacademicyear20102011,71%earneda
gradeofCorbetter,versus78%ofthe782studentseducatedinforeignhighschools.InEL103,72%ofthe
208UShighschoolgradssucceeded,versus78%ofthe768foreignhighschoolcompleters. Whilethe
cohortsweresmallerinEL101and102,thepassrateswereevenlower,with50%of46UShighschool
studentspassingEL101(versus84%of285foreignstudents)and65%of156UShighschoolerspassing
EL102,versus83%ofthe595foreignhighschoolgrads.
SimilardisparitiesbetweenUS andforeigneducatedstudentswerefoundinRD101,102,and103,
althoughraciallydisaggregateddatawasnotreadilyavailableforthosecourses.
DevelopmentalMathematics(AppendixF)
AfricanAmericanandHispanicstudentsareoverrepresentedinthelowestleveldevelopmentalmathclass.
InFall2012,70%ofMA094studentswereAfricanAmerican,Hispanic,orMultiracial,althoughthese
groupscomprisedonly55%ofenrolledMCstudents.
38.8%ofMA094registrantswereAfricanAmerican,althoughAfricanAmericanswereonly30.6%ofMC
students.16.4%ofMA094studentswereHispanic,comparedwiththeir12.5%shareoftheoverallMC
population.15%ofMA094studentswereMultiracial,comparedwiththeir11.6%shareoverall.
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
34/68
ReportoftheClosingtheAchievementGapTaskForce
Page34
Ofevengreaterconcern,AfricanAmerican,Hispanic,andMultiracialstudentspassMA094atlowerrates
thanWhiteorAsianstudents.Whitefemales,aswellasAsianfemalesandmales,hadpassratesinMA094
above45%.42.9%ofWhitemalespassed.However,passratesforAfricanAmerican,Hispanic,andMulti
racialstudentswereallatorbelow42%,withonly29.7%ofAfricanAmericanmalesand29.9%ofHispanic
malespassingthecourse.Morethan1,150AfricanAmerican,Hispanic,orMultiracialstudentsfailed
MA094inthatsingleFall2012semester. Atincountyrates,thisrepresentsmorethan$500,000intuition
spentonfailinggradesforAfricanAmerican,Hispanic,andMultiracialMA094students.
InthehigherlevelmathcoursesnecessaryformostSTEMmajors,Hispanicsuccessrateswerenotably
lowerthanfornonHispanicstudents.47.1%ofHispanicstudentsearnedanA,B,orCinMA180,versus
59.6%ofnonHispanicstudents.58.3%ofHispanicstudentsearnedanA,B,orCinMA181,comparedwith
68.1%ofnonHispanicstudents.
Itmustbenotedthatthedatasetsdiscussedabovearenotuniformintimeperiodorevenindefinition.
(Forexample,BlackstudentstakingELcoursesmightbemoreaccuratelydescribedasAfricanorAfro
Caribbean,asopposedtoAfricanAmerican.)WhileOIRAhasbeenveryhelpfulinprovidingpreviously
requesteddataandrespondingtospecificnewquestions,theCollegelacksastandarddashboardofdatathatistrackeduniformlyfromyeartoyear.Thus,onerecommendationtoaccuratelymeasureprogresson
closingtheachievementgapforAfricanAmericanandLatino/astudents,MontgomeryCollege
achievementdatamustberaciallydisaggregated,regularlycollected,andwidelyshared. Delineationof
populationgroupsshouldbeclarified,withmeasuresdifferentiatingstudentswhowereeducatedintheUS
fromthosewhoreceivedthebulkoftheirpreviouseducationabroad.
Recommendations:BenchmarksandOutcomes
AllocateresourcesfordataanalysisandcoordinationofLatinoandAfrican/AfricanAmericanstudentmatriculation.
TargetinterventionwithDevelopmentalNonCompletersutilizingNoncognitivePredictorsofStudentSuccess
ConstructcoursesthatallowstudentswhohavesuccessfullycompletedRD099/103andarecurrentlyenrolledinEN002/EL103totakecreditlevelcoursesinalearningcommunity
typesetting(i.e.aPY102/AN101/SO101thatareblendedwiththeEN002/EL104course
concurrently)
AnalyzestudentsuccessratesseparatelyforAfricanAmericanandnonnativeAfricanAmericanstudents.
Similarly,analyzesuccessratesofUSeducatedLatinostudentsseparatelyfromthoseofLatinostudentseducatedabroad.
StudytheACCUPLACERtestretestreliabilityforstudentsplacingintoEN002andRD099.
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
35/68
ReportoftheClosingtheAchievementGapTaskForce
Page35
REFERENCESAbdulAlim,J.(2012,February6).Report:Intrusiveadvisingamongbestpracticesforcommunitycollege
studentsuccess.Diverse:IssuesinHigherEducation.Retrievedfrom
http://diverseeducation.com/article/16812/#
Abghari,S.(2007).AfricanAmericanmalebusinessstudentsperspectiveofacademicadvising:Aretention
andsuccessstrategy.Journalof
College
Teaching
&
Learning,
4(11),7377.
AchievingtheDream.(2012)WalmartPRESSforcompletiongrantprogram.Retrievedfrom
http://www.achievingthedream.org/initiatives/PRESS
Allen,W.(1992).Thecolorofsuccess:AfricanAmericancollegestudentoutcomeatpredominantlyWhite
andhistoricallyBlackpubliccollegesanduniversities.HarvardEducationalReview,62(1),2644.
AmericanCouncilonEducation.(2004).Missedopportunities:Studentswhodonotapplyforfinancialaid.
Washington,D.C.:AmericanCouncilonEducation.
Anderson,J.A.(2008).Drivingchangethroughdiversityandglobalization:Transformativeleadershipinthe
academy.Sterling,VA:Stylus.
Banks,K.H.(2010).AfricanAmericancollegestudentsexperiencesofracialdiscriminationandtheroleof
collegehassles.JournalofCollegeStudentDevelopment,51(1),2334.
Barajas,H.L.,&Pierce,J.L.(2001). ThesignificanceofraceandgenderinschoolsuccessamongLatinas
andLatinosincollege.GenderandSociety,15(6),859878.
Barrow,L.,RichburgHayes,L.,Rouse,C.E.,&Brock,T.(2011).Payingforperformance:Theeducation
impactsofacommunitycollegescholarshipprogramforlowincomeadults.Retrievedfrom
http://www.hks.harvard.edu/inequality/Seminar/Papers/Rouse12.pdf
Baum,S.,&Shireman,B.(2012).Financialaidandcollegecompletion:Evidenceandattitudesaboutthe
incentivestructureoffinancialaidpolicies.Retrievedfrom:
http://50.57.114.26/documents/gsehd/research/project%20findings/baum/Document1
Convenings.pdf
Beckles,W.A.(2008).Redefiningthedream:AfricanAmericanmalevoicesonacademicsuccess.Retrieved
fromProQuestDigitalDissertations.(UMINumber:3314150)
Birnback,L.,&Friedman,W.(2009).EngagingfacultyintheAchievingtheDreaminitiative:Principlesand
practicesof
student
success.Retrievedfrom
http://www.achievingthedream.org/sites/default/files/resources/PrinciplesAndPracticesofStudentS
uccess_EngagingFaculty.pdf
BlackIssues.(2004,July17).Awardwinningapproachestoretention.Diverse:IssuesinHigherEducation.
Retrievedfromhttp://diverseeducation.com/article/3860/
BonnerTompkins,E.,Richards,S.,&Sruggs,C.(2013,March12).TheachievementgapinMontgomery
County:AFY2013update.Retrievedfrom
http://www6.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/council/olo/reports/pdf/oloreport20134.pdf
Bowen,G.(2010).Civicengagementinhighereducation:Resourcesandreferences.Retrievedfrom
http://www.wcu.edu/WebFiles/PDFs/Civic_Engagement_Resources.pdf
Bresciani,M.J.,&Carson,L.(2002).Astudyofundergraduatepersistencebyunmetneedandpercentage
ofgiftaid.NASPAJournal,
40(1).
Burdman,P.(2005).Thestudentdebtdilemma:Debtaversionasabarriertocollegeaccess.Retrievedfrom:
http://projectonstudentdebt.org/files/pub/DebtDilemma.pdf
CaliforniacommunitycollegeslaunchtaskforcetoboostcompletionratesovernextdecadeLakeCounty
News.(2011,January18).Retrievedfrom:http://sd25.senate.ca.gov/news/20110119california
communitycollegeslaunchtaskforceboostcompletionratesovernextdec#sthash.lcgrwTLy.dpuf
Cammarota,J.(2004). ThegenderedandracializedpathwaysofLatinaandLatinoyouth:Different
struggles,differentresistancesintheurbancontext.Anthropology&EducationQuarterly,35(1),
5374.
-
8/12/2019 CTAG Report Final 12-12 (3) (1)
36/68
Reporto