Why We Must Achieve the Dream

1. Why We Must Achieve the Dream AMATYC 34th Annual Conference November 21, 2008 George R. Boggs

2. What is the Dream?

3. Community Colleges in the US

4. Community College Values • Access >>> Success • Community Responsiveness • Clear Focus on Student Learning • Resourcefulness Entrepreneurial Spirit Creativeness Innovativeness

5. Changing Face of America

6. The Degree Gap Percent with BA or higher (2000) • 28% of whites • 17% of African Americans • 11% of Hispanics

7. Rate 88.8% 68.2% 53.3% Family Income > $74,584 $25,064-$47,405 < $25,064 Relationship of Income to College Access

8. High Skilled & Unskilled Jobs as a % of the Workforce, 2000 to 2012 Societal Change Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

9. Certificates and Degrees change lives Higher levels of education lead to higher earnings for all racial and ethnic groups and for both men and women. People with associate degrees generally earn 20 to 30 percent more than people with only high school diplomas.

10. Source: Bureau of LaborStatistics

11. Shared Prosperity?

12. Projected Growth in Supply and Demand of Workers With Some Postsecondary Education, 1998 to 2028 Education Required Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau and National Alliance of Business

13. America’s Future at Stake • 75% of new jobs require some post-secondary education. • Only 35% of Americans (25-34) have 2 or more years post-secondary education. • -Source: 2000 dataNational Information Center for Higher Ed.

14. Job growth estimates for the 2010 workforce Based on 2005 U.S Census data +U.S. Department of Education, Office of Adult and Vocational Education, "The Economic Imperative for Improving Education," in The High School Leadership Summit, Issue Papers (Washington D.C., 2003), Figure 2.

15. Today’s Workforce: Data for 25+ year olds Source: 2005 U.S Census data

16. Overlapping these profiles shows a significant gap will need to be closed!

17. “Work gets done where it can be done most efficiently and effectively.” (Friedman, 2005)

18. 34% of doctoral degrees in natural sciences and 56% of engineering Ph.D.s in U. S. are awarded to foreign-born students. Source: Tough Choices or Tough Times, 2007

19. More Emphasis on STEM Competitiveness • NAS Gathering Storm report • Friedman’s flat world • NSB commission • ACGs and SMART Grants • WDI • AACC/NSF ATE PI conference

20. More Enrollment Pressure for CCs • Rising university tuition costs and increased selectivity will drive more students to CCs • Increased need for LLL will drive up enrollments • Retiring Baby Boomers will increase enrollments

21. Immigration will remain a political issue for a while • DREAM act will still be politically sensitive • May cool somewhat if economy continues to be strong • Growing recognition for need to retain some international students

22. Accountability Again • More focus on success of students—not just access • Evidence of student learning will be required by accrediting agencies, states, and federal government • Colleges will move toward a culture of evidence and use of data

23. We can help more community college students succeed • Achieving the Dream is about being open and forthright about performance — and doing what it takes to improve it.

24. Meaning for Students • Accepting responsibility for their learning. • Learning in a more cooperative and collaborative environment. • Making use of college support services. • Making use of available technology. • Making connections with other learners. • Extending learning into the community.

25. Traditional Thinking Lectures Reading assignments Writing assignments Problem sets Laboratory work Field work New Theories Constructivism Making connections Learning styles Involvement Learning in groups Learning to learn How Students Learn

26. Beyond Crossroads: Faculty Actions • Respect Diverse talents & ways of learning & teaching • Design & use a variety of activities, assignments, & assessments • Encourage student-faculty contact

27. Beyond Crossroads: Faculty Actions • Provide students with prompt feedback • Be attentive, expressive, enthusiastic, clear, &organized • Present multiple representations of mathematical concepts

28. Lessons from AtD • All AtD colleges are creating a “culture of evidence,” using data to make decisions • AtD colleges are engaging faculty in cross-college discussions • AtD colleges are working with high schools to align curricular standards and administering placement tests to HS juniors

29. Lessons from AtD • College Success Skills or Freshman Experience Courses improve student success. • More AtD colleges are initiating these courses; some are requiring them for matriculated students.

30. Lessons from AtD • Students who attend at least one Supplemental Learning (SL) session show higher success rates and withdraw less (Valencia CC) • SL provides a trained peer student who completes the class as a mentor.

31. Lessons from AtD • Reasons given for success of SL: • Less intimidating to ask a peer • SL Leader understands student pressures • SL Leader sat through classes amd knows what instructor expects

32. Lessons from AtD • Learning Communities improve student success and persistence (also see Beyond Crossroads) • Class attendance is a significant predictor of grade achievement across all racial groups (Valencia CC) • Use of Math Lab substantially increased pass rates (Jefferson CC)

33. Lessons from AtD • Referring students to tutoring increased retention and success rates (Alamo CCD) • Faculty development programs are increasing at AtD colleges • Cooperative learning • Assessing learning outcomes • Developing a culture of learning

34. Trend for Increased Student Mobility, but many are Place-Bound • Better articulation agreements with universities • More university centers on CC campuses • More distance learning opportunities

35. American Association of Community Colleges The Voice of America’s Community Colleges