Developmental Education: Key to Access and Success. WVCCA/WVADE Conference Edward A. Morante, Ed. D.

Transcription

1 Developmental Education: Key to Access and Success WVCCA/WVADE Conference Edward A. Morante, Ed. D. October 25, 2013

2 Developmental Education Without a comprehensive, effective developmental education program, a college (or state) will limit access, lower standards, or both.

3 Components of Developmental Education 1. Mandatory assessment & placement 2. Student-centered instruction 3. Intrusive support systems 4. Comprehensive evaluation

4 National Reports There is a need for more workers with higher levels of skills Higher level skills require more students needing postsecondary education. Enrollment expanded by over 1.6 million students at community colleges over the last decade No increase in funding per student Percentage of funding from states for higher education has decreased over this time period

5 National Reports (continued) This has created daunting financial challenges for colleges and for students State funding for higher education has been traditionally based on enrollments and largely without incentives for promoting student success. Significant numbers of students enter college lacking many of the skills, both cognitive and affective, needed for college success. Lack of skills especially prevalent in math

6 National Reports (continued) Weak assessment and placement policies Student success rates, especially in developmental education courses at community colleges, are unacceptably low Too many students taking too long to complete developmental education Too many students drop out and/or do not complete their programs or degrees There is a wide range of standards, policies, courses and services across states and within most states

7 How Can We Reconcile: o Need for more workers with higher skills? o Significant numbers of underprepared entering students? o Too many students not completing their programs or degrees? ANSWER: Reform Developmental Education to Make it More Effective

8 TRENDS Many states are looking at improving current efforts and saving money Some states are adding financial incentives based on student success outcomes Recent flawed research is leading to flawed conclusions, potentially counterproductive policies and poor practices Developmental education is too often blamed and scapegoated The potential to close the open door is gaining momentum

9 Recent Research in Developmental Education A number of recent reports from foundations and research centers (e.g., MDRC, CCRC, Compact with America, Jobs for the Future or JFF) have pointed to inadequacies in the success of developmental education. These reports were often written by individuals who have little or no background in either developmental education or community colleges.

10 Research Flaws Too many of these reports are based on flawed methodologies and broad overgeneralizations: case studies, in-house reports without external professional evaluation, inappropriate use of statistics, etc. Professional responses to these reports were written by Goudas & Boylan and published in recent editions of the Journal of Developmental Education.

11 Goudas and Boylan Much of recent research in postsecondary developmental education leaves the distinct impression that most remedial courses in community colleges are unsuccessful in helping students and that they should be entirely overhauled. Legislators and administrators are now taking these recommendations very seriously and are ready to cut programs that are ineffective out of their budgets. However, if this research is read in depth, it is clear that the data do not completely support these claims of inefficacy.

12 Example of Flawed Research MDRC Evaluation of Achieving the Dream (ATD): Studied ATD after two years Concluded that ATD was not effective Found no difference and/or limited improvements

13 What MDRC Missed First year of ATD is a planning year: identify strengths and weaknesses, select priority areas for improvement, select appropriate methods to improve Almost all colleges began pilots to limited numbers of students Sufficient time had not elapsed to either demonstrate success or to scale to an institution-wide program College efforts and success fell along a continuum

14 Flawed Research in Assessment and Placement CCRC (Hughes, 2011; Scott-Clayton, 2012): Implies placement tests are borderline worthless Relies too heavily on high school GPA for placement Uses predictive validity inappropriately Encouraged some colleges to eliminate placement testing

15 Placement Test: Definition A placement test is a basic skills achievement test that measures skills proficiency (e.g., in reading, writing and/or mathematics) for the purpose of assisting entering college students in selecting appropriate beginning courses. It is an inappropriate methodology to use predictive validity (e.g., correlating test scores with grades) to assess the validity or effectiveness of a placement test.

16 Two Examples A thermometer measures temperature, not predict the weather. A thermometer provides a snapshot of the temperature at the time measured. It has proven validity for measuring the temperature. It does not have predictive validity of what the temperature will be in the future. Similarly with Pre- and post-testing. This common method to assess changes in learning provides a snapshot of what students know at the time of testing. The pre-test does not predict what future learning will be. It does not have predictive validity

17 Success in High School Does NOT Necessarily Predict Readiness for College Different standards Different courses taken Time between high school and college Knowledge of college policies, procedures, etc. Social/work issues Affective factors

18 Reform IS Needed in Developmental Education How to decrease the underpreparedness of entering students, both in number and level? How can testing and placement be improved? How to improve movement and success through developmental education? How to improve success rates, especially in math? How to improve retention and graduation rates? What policies need to change? What practices seem to work best? For whom?

19 Achieving the Dream (ATD) National Initiative Almost 200 colleges from 34 states Multiple (funding) partners Two Coaches Assigned to Each College Periodic Site Visits by Coaches DREAM (annual national conference)

20 ATD: Main Focus Increasing success rates of low-income students and students of color (i.e., African Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans) at community colleges

21 Specific ATD Goals Increase the percentage of students achieving academic success (C or better) in developmental education courses. Increase the percentage of students completing developmental education and enrolling in gateway courses. Increase the percentage of students enrolling from one semester to the next. Increase the percentage of students achieving academic success (C or better) in gateway courses. Increase the percentage of students achieving certificates and degrees.

22 Learned to Date from ATD Improvements in Student Success Have Been/Are Being Made Change is not easy. It takes time, leadership, perseverance, hard work, and some money. It frequently needs institutional change to have significant impact. Achieving goals of improving student success are heavily dependent on improving developmental education. They are inextricably interwoven.

23 Learned from ATD (continued) Some best practices are becoming clearer; others are still fuzzy. Merely offering services and expecting students to volunteer to use them rarely works, especially for those who most need these support services. Research on developmental education, best practices, and student success is not easy to do, too often mismanaged, and too easily misused to destroy rather than to build or improve.

24 Policies and Procedures that Work in Developmental Education and Student Success High Expectations Positive/supportive attitude and environment Institutional Commitment: leadership, coordination, integration Intrusive/mandatory: not merely offered: students don t do optional (Kay McClenney) Often it is the students who most need the help that are the least likely to seek it Engagement: students involved with the college in some way tend to be more likely to succeed

25 Policies and Procedures That Work (continued) Recognize that at-risk students need structure in courses and support services Student success is not left to chance. Affective and cognitive: active interaction with faculty and staff Multiple programs and services to serve the different needs of students Student-centered environment communicated early and often, reinforced with ongoing messages and training

26 Reforming Assessment and Placement a. Improve placement tests to provide more diagnostic information b. Never use one score on one test to make placement decisions c. Establish effective pre-assessment policies and practices d. Provide opportunities for review, relearning and retesting

27 Establish Appropriate Assessment Policies and Practices 1. Establish pre-assessment practices including: a. work with high schools b. provide understanding of meaning, purpose and consequences of placement and the test used c. use positive messages in all communications, balancing encouragement vs anxiety d. provide opportunity for sample questions and pre-testing.

28 Appropriate Placement Policies and Practices 2. Ensure that all entering students receive counseling/advising/placement services. 3. Use multiple variables along with placement test to make placement decisions. 4. Program computer system to ensure placement decisions are followed. 5. Create summer bridge and similar programs for skills development and retesting. 6. Offer late starting courses. 7. Do NOT permit multiple retesting.

29 Recommendations for Effective Developmental Education Multi-level instruction with lab component Multiple programs and services Early: first year, first month, first day, before college Early alert Adequate financial aid, with child care Careful selection of faculty and staff Professional development including adjuncts Curriculum redesign, especially in math Eliminate late registration

30 Recommendations (continued) Accelerated learning Mentoring Establish and enforce prerequisites Mandatory orientation and college success courses Mandatory, intrusive counseling/advising Prerequisites established and enforced Exit criteria for developmental courses should equal the entrance criteria for college courses Course linkages

31 Evaluation: Creating a Culture of Evidence Systematic, ongoing, longitudinal Used in planning, assessment, budgeting, decision-making, improvement Routine, institutional culture Both formative and summative Institutional and Subgroups Broad-based input and use

32 Minimum Outcome Goals Retention Academic success Graduation/program completion

33 NADE: Principles for Implementing Statewide Innovations for Improving Developmental Education Principle 1. Identify baseline performance before implementing mandates. Principle 2. Include an evaluation plan. Principle 3. Pilot innovations before mandating them. Principle 4. Allow for local flexibility in implementation. Principle 5. Provide for professional development. Principle 6. Recognize that there are no simple solutions. Principle 7. Involve those who will be implementing innovation in planning. Principle 8. Identify the impact of innovation on minorities and the poor. Principle 9. Identify what is already working well.

34 Developmental Education Bridges the gap between the skills of entering students and what is needed for success in college Provides opportunity for access and quality Helps to avoid the pitfalls of lowering standards