What We Can Do To Increase College Completion Rates 30 th Annual Conference for The First-Year Experience February 7, 2011 George R. Boggs
What is the Dream?
Community Colleges in the US
Community College Values Access >>> Success Community Responsiveness Clear Focus on Student Learning Resourcefulness Entrepreneurial Spirit Creativeness Innovativeness
White House Summit College Completion Pathways to the Baccalaureate Partnerships with Business Service to Military & Military Families Financial Aid & Affordability 21 st Century Community Colleges
Thousands Education Required Projected Growth in Supply and Demand of Workers With Some Postsecondary Education, 1998 to 2028 Jobs requiring some postsecondary experience 150,000 Workers with some postsecondary experience 140,000 130,000 120,000 110,000 100,000 90,000 80,000 70,000 60,000 1998 2008 2018 2028 Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau and National Alliance of Business
Top Ten Issues The Economy Sustainability Student Success Education Alignment Inclusion Globalization Skills Gap/STEM Competitiveness Aging Population Returning Veterans Leadership & Accountability
Funding Issues will Remain More competition for state resources For-profit institutions will become more aggressive in seeking public funds More Equitable Funding Models Are Needed CCs will become more adept in seeking private resources, earmarks, and grants
1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 State Tax Appropriations for HE as a % of Expenditures 8.0% 7.5% 7.0% 6.5% 6.0% 5.5% 5.0% 4.5% 4.0% 3.5% 3.0% Year SOURCE: U.S. Census, Grapevine Database
Community Colleges Serve 54% of Public HE Students Community Colleges Receive 28% of H.E. Federal, State, and Local Revenues CC Students Are Less Likely to Receive the Financial Aid they Deserve
Education s Societal Value http://www.youtube.com/solutions4ourfu ture
Immigration will remain a political issue for a while DREAM act will still be politically sensitive May cool somewhat if economy continues to improve Growing recognition for need to retain some international students
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
More Focus on K-12 Transitions Expectations for HE need to be made clear Transitions need to be improved League s CCTI GEAR-UP Concurrent enrollment Early College HS
Current Political Climate Likely political gridlock in Washington, DC Unlikely to approve any additional state stimulus Desire to keep taxes low Pressure to cut spending Unlikely to pass immigration bill
More Enrollment Pressure for CCs Economic Downturn has caused enrollments to surge 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
Fulfilling the Promise of the Community College: Increasing First-Year Student Success A Monograph co-sponsored by NRC &AACC (Brown, King, & Stanley (EDs)) Offers Key Recommendations Publication in April, 2011
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.
Lessons from ATD All ATD colleges are creating a culture of evidence, using data to make decisions ATD colleges are engaging faculty in crosscollege discussions ATD colleges are working with high schools to align curricular standards and administering placement tests to HS juniors
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.
Lessons from ATD Learning Communities improve student success and persistence (also see AMATYC 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 OH)
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
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.
Strategies from CCSSE Strengthen Classroom Engagement Integrate Student Support into Learning Experiences Expand Professional Development Focused on Engaging Students Create Policy Conditions to Promote Learning & Completion
Lessons from SENSE Early Completion of Placement Tests Refresher workshop for Placement Tests Early Alert & Warning Program
Lessons from SENSE Completion of registration before classes start Meeting early with an Advisor Structured Freshman Experience Explanation of Attendance Policies
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.
How Students Learn 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
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
Thank You Thank you for all you do to help students to be successful. George R. Boggs gboggs@palomar.edu