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Developmental Education: A Work in Progress October 9, 2009

Developmental Education: A Work in Progress October 9, 2009. The National Scene: The Challenge. Economic recovery will require an educated workforce “…by 2020 America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world…”

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Developmental Education: A Work in Progress October 9, 2009

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  1. Developmental Education: A Work in Progress October 9, 2009

  2. The National Scene: The Challenge • Economic recovery will require an educated workforce “…by 2020 America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world…” “…every American will need to get more than a high school diploma.” (President Obama) • Governments (national and state) will put money into things that affect access and graduation rates in higher education. • Community colleges will be key education/training providers

  3. The National Scene: Opportunities • Student population: Displaced workers and veterans will come in increasing numbers • Funding: Grants will be available for community colleges to test promising practices to get students through faster and more successfully to graduation OR a meaningful credential • Ways of working: Grants will be available for college and workforce partnerships

  4. Private Foundation Funding • Foundations will influence the developmental agenda through dollar amounts dedicated to the work. (Gates alone has committed $500,000,000 to its Developmental Education Initiative) “The pressing need to shore up weak academic skills in first year students is one of the most significant but least discussed problems facing higher education.” Gates Foundation • The Carnegie Foundation recently hired a senior partner to address “the extraordinarily high failure rates among students in developmental mathematics in community colleges.”

  5. What foundations will fund: • Research and application to validate best practices • Training for people to use best practices • Training for institutions to evaluate the impact of what they are doing • Establishing policies at the state level that make developmental education work • Examples already in place: • Achieving the Dream (Gates) • Breaking Through (Mott) • For more, go to jff.org and click on “projects”

  6. Other Changes • The amount of research to guide practice will increase. • Credentials and degrees for developmental educators from firmly established programs in developmental education will become more valuable. • The amount of media coverage will increase.

  7. The State Scene: • One in three working-age Michigan adults—1.7 million people—lack the basic skills or credentials to attain a family-sustaining job. • Almost 700,000 Michigan residents do not have a high school credential. • In Michigan, as in other states, developmental educators—for the first time--will be asked to become involved in designing and implementing state-wide plans to increase college access and success.

  8. The State Scene continued • Michigan will require partnerships between adult education providers and developmental education programs at community colleges. • The Michigan Developmental Education Consortium (mdec.net) will become an increasingly visible and important player in making partnerships happen—state support for current year went from $2,500 per year to $30,000 per year.

  9. MDEC and you • Encourage your developmental educators to be members and attend the state conference (Lansing, April 8 & 9) • Attend or send a representative to a fall 2010 “drive up” half day conference on building internal developmental partnerships within institutions—date TBA

  10. Discussion Point • What value would awareness of national and state issues related to developmental education bring to your campus? • How well positioned is your campus to meet the coming challenge of collaborations between adult education, developmental education, and workforce development? • Is there anything you would like from MDEC?

  11. Adult and Developmental Education at GRCC: A Decentralized Model

  12. What Decentralization Requires • An institutional commitment to the work at the highest levels—needs to be part of the strategic plan • A healthy organization with a high level of trust to facilitate bridges between academic, student support, and workforce areas (This model depends on good will.) • Well trained, competent leader(s) with a clear vision • Common understandings and practices that can be adapted to fit the various programs elements

  13. A cross college team to provide guidance, feedback, and oversight • A budget that allows for faculty development and any program components not covered by another area • Staffing • A full time director who is at the associate dean level or higher • OR a full time director and an associate dean who has support of developmental education as part of his/her work • Release time for coordinators in various subject or service areas

  14. Discussion Points: • What are the pros and cons associated with centralized and decentralized developmental education programs?

  15. Program Overview • The theoretical foundation: A holistic, self growth program, based in cognitive and positivist psychology. • The goal: To improve post-secondary outcomes for underprepared students. • The Method: Integration of instructional and support strategies to create effective pathways through pre-college, training, and degree-level programs

  16. Four goals that guided us in our program development • Integration of academic and support services • Increased support services • Faculty/staff development in the area of developmental education • Placement of students in appropriate learning environments • College policies—e.g. mandatory placement • Curriculum improvements

  17. Six best practices we are starting to infuse throughout the program • Clear pathways that are accessible and easy to understand • Comprehensive assessment • Strong support services • Accelerated options • Relevance to the world of work • Trained faculty and service providers, committed to working with underprepared students

  18. Adult and Developmental Education at GRCC: A Decentralized Model

  19. Student Assessment: four areas • Cognitive Assessments • Accuplacer/Writeplacer • TABE/CASAS for GED, ESL • Career Assessments • Assessment of personal barriers • Learning strategies assessments

  20. Instruction • For Credit: • Mathematics—2 levels of basic math • Reading—2 levels • Writing—1 level • Psychology—College and Life Success—On Course • Computers—1 level • Non Credit: • GED Plus • ESL Plus • Coming soon—Job Training

  21. Learner Support • Program counselors—case management • Mandatory counseling—in planning stage • Counselor/classroom initiative • Summer bridge in math • Required Supplemental Learning Assistance in lowest level math class and in selected developmental writing classes

  22. Learner Support continued • Summer fast track for higher scoring developmental students—in planning stage • Peer mentoring—beginning phases • Career coaches for GED plus and ESL plus • Deliberately designed peer support—Career Advancement Program

  23. Delivery of instruction and services • Standard classroom • Cohort/learning communities • Contextualized instruction • Accelerated instruction • OE/OE • On Course pedagogy infused into all instruction and service delivery

  24. Professional Development • Program faculty trained by subject area coordinators • One day-long, whole-program training event provided each year • GED/ESL faculty and career coaches trained by college staff • Conferences—MDEC and other • Kellogg Institute • Faculty Action Research project—On Course

  25. Program Assessment • Measures of Success • Course Success • Success in subsequent courses • Persistence • Completion • Satisfaction • NADE certification

  26. Questions for discussion • What are the pros and cons of various reporting lines for developmental education? Student Services, Arts and Sciences, Workforce Development, some combination of these? • Which of the program circle/components are strongest on your campus? Which need the most attention? • What is your biggest challenge related to developmental education?

  27. Success data • It is too early to see the results of all of our recent innovations, but we are seeing success rates in our developmental classes gradually go up. • English 59% Math 48% Reading 1 60% Reading II 72% • Students who have been in our developmental program and move on to non developmental classes have the same or better success rates as non developmental students in EN 100, EN 101, and MA 104. • Developmental math students who attend four or more tutoring sessions per semester increase their chances of course success by 13 percentage points over those who attend between 0 and 3 sessions.

  28. Without institutional support, coordination, integration, and collaboration, campus developmental education programs cannot produce the benefits these activities were designed to attain.” Hunter Boylan in What Works: Research-based Best Practices in Developmental Education

  29. Linda Spoelman, Ed.S. Director of Developmental Education Grand Rapids Community College lspoelma@grcc.edu 616-234-4385

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