Early Alert at Sinclair Community College

1. Early Alertat Sinclair Community College Elizabeth A. Price Early Alert Coordinator Student Success Planning Services

2. Sinclair Community College • An urban community college of 22,000 students in Dayton, Ohio. • Sinclair has 2 additional campuses at local YMCAs and a regional campus in Mason, Ohio. • Vanguard Learning College by the League for Innovation in the Community College • Achieving the Dream: “Community Colleges Count” grant.

3. History of Early Alert • A part of the award-winning Student Success Plan software and program designed for at-risk student retention. • Implemented the “home-grown” early alert software and program in 2005. • Funded by Title III.

4. Presentation Overview • Intro and definition • Process in six steps • Benefits • Data processing • Implementation Considerations • Results

5. Sinclair’s Early Alert System • Early Alert is an intervention program that allows faculty to notify advisors/counselors of ANY issues that may affect the success of a student.  • It is a simple way of assisting students in difficulty find the help they need while taking very little time. • Electronic Early Alert notifications are easy ways to promote retention and the success of students in classes. • Currently utilized in all DEV courses, English 111, select Math courses, and the First Year Experience courses. • “Preventative measure”

6. Creating the Link • Faculty have frequent contact with students enabling them to identify potential problems. • Advisors/counselors have the resources available to address problems. The Link: an online system that facilitates communication, provides information on campus and local resources, and records data.

7. In Six Steps The Early Alert Process

8. STEP 1 Instructor identifies a student or students having difficulty in class: • Never Attended Class • Excessive Absences • Tardiness • Academic Concern • Low Homework/Quiz Scores • Low Test Scores • Personal Concern • Other

9. STEP 2 Notification is sent by the instructor through the Student Success Plan (SSP) website.

10. 1). Choose the Class Steven L Johnson Angela Sinclair ILP Mary Q Thomas Charles X Jones EAL Margaret Y Tartan CAP 2). Double click on the student’s name until a box appears. Click “Send Early Alert.”

11. Angela Sinclair 0123456 angela.sinclair@sinclair.edu ILP Yvonne Dorsett 10-424 512-3032 Student Success Planning Services Select the reason for the early alert Click “Add/Edit” to insert your suggestions. Opportunity for Comments

12. Angela Sinclair 0123456 angela.sinclair@sinclair.edu ILP Yvonne Dorsett 10-424 512-3032 Student Success Planning Services Click “Send Early Alert.”

13. Professors have the option of sending a general information letter to the student

14. STEP 3 An email is automatically distributed to the student’s advisor.  • Students without an assigned advisor are automatically distributed to a pre-selected office or individual. • Faculty receive an automatic email confirming the alert was delivered to the advisor.

15. Student’s name, tartan id, phone number, and address Withdraw

16. STEP 4 Advisor Contacts Student  • Phone • Email • Letter

17. 2nd STEP Steps to closing an early alert

18. STEP 5 Student Action Plan • Optional: an Action Plan can be created and given to the student. • An action plan is a to-do list for the students with target dates the advisor can set. • Information about local and campus resources appears providing the student with details, phone numbers and locations.

22. STEP 6 Recording the Outcome • The advisor records any attempt at reaching the student in the system. • Any contact with the student should be recorded in the system. • When the early alert is resolved, it is also recorded.

25. Insert Comments “Save” to enter comments

26. Yes = Contact was made and student responded by phone, email, mail or in person. No further action can be taken. No = Contact was attempted either by phone or email. No response from the student. Further action can be taken.

27. Benefits

28. Benefits • Supports a “team approach” in student retention • Less time consuming, easy to use • Accessible from anywhere at anytime • Flexible for the faculty and advisor to communicate freely • Tracks and records Early Alerts and provides updates to the faculty throughout the process • Creates detailed reports at any point during the year: weekly, monthly, annually, or each semester. 

29. Producing Data

30. Data Tools Early Alert data provides information on: • Total number per semester, for each department • Reason per class • Resulting action • Grade outcome per class

32. Implementation Considerations

33. Initial Questions to Ask • Is there a need? • Do we have the manpower & financial backing? • How will the instructors submit the early alerts? • What classes should be included? • Do the instructors & advisors support this endeavor? • Who would train the faculty and advisors? • Who will distribute unassigned early alerts? • Who will promote the program & answer questions?

34. Considerations • Determine key players: advisors, faculty, counselors, department chairs, Dean of Students, etc… Get feedback and support. • Decide how an early alert program will work best on campus: paper, phone, email, internet system. • Select pilot classes. • Design process, identify participants & duties. • Constant and formal review of process.

35. Results

36. Within the SSP Database System • As an important tool within the SSP system for at-risk students, Early Alert contributes to higher retention rates for SSP students than the general “not at-risk” population.

37. Minority students participating in the ILP program have retention rates 8% higher than the general minority population and 21% higher than their non-participating, at-risk counterparts.

38. Questions? Sinclair Community CollegeStudent Success Planning Services444 West Third StreetDayton, Ohio 45402-1460 Elizabeth A. Price, M.S.Ed. Post-Transition ILP & Early Alert Coordinator Phone: (937) 512-2449 Fax: (937) 512-2392 elizabeth.price@sinclair.edu