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Success is what counts.
Achieving the DreamSuccess is What Counts
(A National Initiative)
2009 SHEEO
Higher Education Policy ConferenceAugust 13, 2009 Session
Tools and Strategies Relevant to States and SHEEOs
Success is what counts.
Presenters
Frank Renz, PhD – Educational Consultant
Coach for Achieving the Dream
[email protected] Debra Stuart, PhD – Vice Chancellor for
Educational Partnerships, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
[email protected] Jan Yoshiwara – Deputy Executive Director for
Educational Services, Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
Success is what counts.
Success is What Counts
Achieving the Dream was created to help more community college students succeed – complete courses, earn certificates and earn degrees. The initiative is built on the belief that broad institutional change – informed by student achievement data – is critical to achieve this result.
Success is what counts.
Why the Concern About Student Success?
Our performance as a Nation is lagging in the global economy
Access has improved but there are still disparities…those with low income, 36% (but better than earlier years); those with high income, 78%
Completion rates are lagging…BA rates: 4 in 10 after 4 years; 6 in 10 after 6 years; BA rates by age 24…high SES, 75%; low SES, 9%
Success is what counts.
Why the Focus on Community Colleges?
CC traditional success indicators worse…less than 1/4th succeed through Dev Ed; 1 in 10 earn certificate/degree within 3 years; 1 in 15 in 6 years
Concern that Community Colleges as open door institutions were becoming revolving doors focusing more on access than success
Many non-traditional students (students of color and low-income) begin at community colleges
Success is what counts.
About Achieving the Dream
Began in 2004 with 27 community colleges in 5 states
As of mid-2009, the Initiative has grown to more than 100 institutions enrolling more than one million in 22 states
Co-designed by Lumina Foundation for Education and seven National partners (ATD is the largest non-government Initiative in CC history
Since Lumina, 12 other Foundations have contributed
Success is what counts.
About Achieving the Dream The 27 colleges and 5 states in Round One
(plus Ohio) of the Initiative are now officially done but 20 (possibly 21) of the colleges have been designated ATD Leader Colleges
Additionally,15 of these colleges and 5 states have received Gates funding for a new three-year Developmental Education Initiative
Plans continue in 2009 for a National Expansion with 20 colleges joining the Initiative (proposing 20 or so colleges be added each year…mostly self-funded)
Success is what counts.
Achieving the Dream…Working on Five Levels
ATD is a long-term effort to increase the success rates of traditionally underserved students at community colleges at 5 levels…
Promote and support institutional change Develop supportive state and national policies Engage the public to support access and
success Build knowledge about what works in
strengthening student outcomes Enhance the capacity of national organizations
to work long-term for improved student success
Success is what counts.
Achieving the DreamLevel I Work
Promoting and Supporting
Institutional Change
Success is what counts.
Colleges Making Progress…
Develop institutional research capacity throughout the institution
Provide routine reports to their Board and other stakeholders
Share and present data in user- and level-friendly formats
Identify a limited number of priorities, goals and intervention strategies… based on data
Success is what counts.
Colleges Making Progress…
Are serious about using evidence to…
a)Evaluate and modify interventions…based on data
b)Stop ineffective practicesc)Bring effective interventions to
scaleNote: Which are determined only
after analysis of a college’s context, data and priorities
Success is what counts.
If You Don’t Know Where
You’re Going…You’ll End
Up Somewhere Else
Yogi Berra
Success is what counts.
Encouraging Interventions that are Emerging
Assessment and placement (mandatory) Orientation for first-time students (mandatory) Advising and career counseling (mandatory for
the first 30 college credits) Case management/success coaches Early alert systems Student success course (especially for the
developmental education student)
Success is what counts.
Encouraging Interventions that are Emerging
Offering late start/mid-term course options Learning lab participation Supplemental instruction (built in schedule) Tutoring options Learning communities (paired courses for
cohorts of students) Summer Bridge programs/Boot Camps Help with financial aid/child care/transportation
Success is what counts.
Philosophical Lessons Learned
Non-traditional students “don’t do optional”
Besides the traditional 3 Rs… importance of the new 3 Rs (especially again for non-traditional students)…Relationships, Relevance and Rigor
Success is what counts.
Achieving the DreamLevel II Work
Developing Supportive
State and National Policies
Success is what counts.
State Policy Goals
Promote changes in state-level priorities, rules, regulations and resource allocations that make it easier for participating colleges to improve outcomes
Move proven institutional practices of participating college statewide
Success is what counts.
Expected Outcomes of State Policy
Make success of underprepared students an explicit policy goal
Routinely use student outcome data to inform decision-making and to assess policy needs and options
Identify and implement specific policy changes that promote success of underprepared
Success is what counts.
Framework for the State Policy Work (Policy Levers)
Clear public policy commitment to student success
Strong data-driven accountability systems Aligned expectations, standards, and
assessments across education sectors (K-12, 4-year, adult education and workforce)
Incentives for improving success for underprepared students
Financial aid policies and incentives that enhance persistence
Public support
Success is what counts.
JFF Created a State Policy Self-Assessment Tool
Participating states are annually addressing 60 questions (Rating… no/under consideration/in process/yes) in 5 categories…
1.Data and Performance measurement (20 questions)
2.Student success policies (17)3.K-12 and Postsecondary alignment (9)4.Transfer and articulation (7)5.Financial Aid policies (7)
Success is what counts.
Examples of Questions Posed
Does the state have the ability to share student-level information between K-12, community college, and other higher education data systems?
Is performance funding tied to improvements in low-income, underprepared students’ success or narrowing success gaps (e.g., funds sent to schools that increase retention and/or completion rates of Pell Grant recipients)?
Success is what counts.
Percent Changes Between Baseline year and 2009
14 ATD States by Policy Area…
% decrease % increase
“No’s” “Yes’s”
Data Systems -71% 38%
Student Success -38% 35%
K-12 Alignment -49% 81%
Transfer/Articulation -53% 38%
Financial Aid -48% 42%
Success is what counts.
Policy Lever IClear Public Policy
Commitment Creating clear statement of overarching student success policy goals, objectives
Specification of measureable goals for improved student outcomes (such as statewide goal to reduce college remediation rate by 10% by 2015)
Developing broad stakeholder buy-in (ex. through cross-agency State Policy teams)
Success is what counts.
Policy Lever IIStronger Data Systems
Linking unconnected data systems
Strengthening college and system capacity to use data for evaluation and improvement
Creating “Report Cards” on performance for state and colleges
Analyzing state data on institutional reform
Success is what counts.
Policy Lever IIICross-System Alignment
K-12 systems…P-20 Coordinating Councils; efforts to define “college readiness”; “readiness feedback” to schools; statewide standardization of placement test cut scores; examining dual enrollment policies
Postsecondary Alignment…Growing interest in alignment with Adult Basic Education/GED; better student and parent information on transfer of credits to different schools; transfer core that is accepted statewide
Success is what counts.
Policy Lever IVPerformance Measurement
Changes in state accountability measures for community colleges…focusing on progress in developmental education; momentum points
New interest and approaches to performance funding
Success is what counts.
Policy Lever VFinancial Aid
Enhancing need-based aid, including support beyond just tuition
Enhanced interest in financial aid programs for part-time and transfer students
Improving central aid tracking systems Interest and piloting of “Opening Doors” model
(performance-based aid) Strategies to increase federal financial aid up-
take
Success is what counts.
Policy Lever VIPublic Support
Media campaigns
Public awareness
Stakeholder ID and campaigns
Focus on importance of issues, state commitment, and progress
Success is what counts.
SummaryLessons Learned on Policy
Front Promising Impacts:
Shifting conversations from strictly access to success
Making tangible policy changes
Increasing focus on data-driven decisions
Cross-State fertilization (ex., Data WorkGroup) Challenges:
Budget crisis and funding implications
Leadership changes and staff turnover
IR capacity (local and state level)
Success is what counts.
Some Examples from
Washington and Oklahoma
In Addressing State and
Local College Issues