Student Success

What is it? How can we assess it? Whose responsibility is it? What role do you play?

Student Success, Cont’d

Years of research have revealed certain elements and capacities – conditions, policies, practices, and behaviors – that are foundational to student success.

Grounded in a student focused culture, exemplary colleges demonstrate skill and commitment to these elements and capacities:

Student Success, Cont’d

Leadership and Vision Data and Technology Equity Teaching and Learning Engagement and Communication Strategy and Planning Policies and Practices

Student Success, Cont’d

The conditions, policies, practices and behaviors include:

Institutional leaders, including board members and faculty, are continuously engaged in fulfilling the institutional mission, which focuses on the success of students pursuing their educational goals.

Student Success, Cont’d

Grounded by the mission, a sustained focus on student learning and achievement is practiced by all stakeholders.

A culture of evidence and inquiry is pervasive in the institution, including cohort tracking, using disaggregated data and strong support from the institutional research unit.

Student Success, Cont’d

The institution demonstrates broad and continuous faculty, staff, student, and community engagement and collaboration in support of student success.

A sense of urgency drives a shared vision and communication around a focus on student learning and achievement with internal and external stakeholders.

Student Success, Cont’d

An equity agenda is integrated with efforts to improve student learning and achievement.

Planning and budgeting, including reallocation of resources, are aligned with the vision, priorities, and strategies defined for student success at the institution.

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The institution has an agenda for student success that integrates all significant initiatives, including legislated programs, grants, strategic, planning, and accreditation.

Each student is given a clear roadmap to success, a pathway that leads to further education and/or employment.

Student Success, Cont’d

Redesign dev. ed., incorporating principles from community college research and practice, including acceleration, contextualization, compression, collaborative learning, and integrated student and academic support.

Require enrollment in developmental English and math courses during the first semester.

Increase students’ understanding of admission requirements, application, and financial aid processes.

Develop dual/concurrent enrollment opportunities for high school students.

End late application and registration before classes begin.

Student Success, Cont’d

Student Success, Cont’d

Mandate orientation to college and ongoing advising for students, including a course on success in college.

Engage faculty and staff across typical silos to design integrated support for students.

Monitor student progress, providing frequent feedback and support.

Student Success, Cont’d Construct coherent, structured pathways to

certificate and degree completion and transfer. Simplify choices for students, using defaults that

give students a recommended program of study that can be customized.

Develop cohort learning groups around developmental education courses and a course on student success in college.

Student Success, Cont’d

Professional development, inclusive of board members, CEO, leadership throughout the institution, full-time and adjunct faculty, and staff, is aligned with the priorities and strategies of the institutional focus on student success.

Resources

Community College Research Center (CCRC), Teachers College, Columbia University (www.ccrc.tc.columbia.edu)

Student Success Initiatives, University of Texas at Austin (www.studentsuccessinitiatives.org)

Achieving The Dream (www.achievingthedream.org)

Resources, Cont’d

Center for Community College Student Engagement (www.cccse.org)

American Association of Community Colleges (www.aacc.org)

Association of Community College Trustees (www.acct.org)