The CCSSE-Texas Small Colleges Consortium: Working Together to Improve Student Success

Community College Survey of Student Engagement

What is CCSSE?

The CCSSE survey:

is administered directly to community college students during class sessions; asks questions about institutional practices and student behaviors that are highly correlated with student learning and retention; and uses a sampling methodology that is consistent across all participating colleges.

Community College Survey of Student Engagement

Background about CCSSE

Completed 5th national administration

700,000 students

548 community colleges

48 states, British Columbia, Marshall Islands

Community College Survey of Student Engagement

CCSSE in Texas

59 (82% of) Texas community and technical colleges have participated in CCSSE (2002- 2008)

48 of those colleges have participated more than once

Community College Survey of Student Engagement

The CCSSE-Texas Small Colleges Consortium

For four years, The Houston Endowment Inc. has funded the Texas Small Colleges Consortium, a project that has supported two years of participation for 29 Texas community colleges in the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE)

Community College Survey of Student Engagement

The CollegesAngelina College

Brazosport College

Cedar Valley College

Clarendon College

Coastal Bend College

College of the Mainland

El Centro College

Frank Phillips College

Galveston College

Grayson County College

Howard College

Kilgore College

Lamar Institute of Technology

Lamar State College – Orange

Navarro College

Northeast Texas Community College

Panola College

Paris Junior College

Ranger College

Southwest Texas Junior College

Temple College

Texas State Technical College Harlingen

Texas State Technical College Marshall

Texas State Technical College Waco

Texas State Technical College West Texas

The Victoria College

Trinity Valley College

Vernon College

Western Texas College

Community College Survey of Student Engagement

Continued Work

Under a new grant from the Houston Endowment Inc., colleges will receive a 50% grant-funded subsidy for their continued participation in CCSSE 2008 and 2010 or CCSSE 2009 and 2011 survey administrations.

Using CCSSE Results for Improvement

TRINITY VALLEY TRINITY VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE (TVCC)COMMUNITY COLLEGE (TVCC)

Texas Association for Institutional Research (TAIR)Galveston ConferenceFebruary 5, 2008

Presented by Tina Rummel Director of Institutional ResearchTrinity Valley Community College

About TVCCAbout TVCC TVCC has campus locations in Athens, Terrell, Kaufman and

Palestine. The college has grown to an enrollment of more than 5,800 students.

TVCC’s mission statement is a learning-centered college that provides quality academic, workforce, and community service programs to meet the educational needs of our students and the citizens of our service area.

TVCC has been reaffirmed by the Southern Association of College and Schools as of June, 2007 with no additional follow-up.

History of TVCC & CCSSEHistory of TVCC & CCSSE

TVCC was selected to participate in the Texas Small Texas College Consortium which was supported by the Houston Endowment for 2005 and 2007 and feel very honored to have had that opportunity.

TVCC ‘s commitment to the results and findings of CCSSE in 2005 and 2007 has motivated us to continue participation in 2009 and 2011. Partial funding has been made possible through the (CCSSE) Texas Small College’s Partnership.

(Continued on next slide)

Trinity Valley Community College administered CCSSE to over 700 students in the spring of both 2005 and 2007.

The results of the survey from 2005 revealed that 90% of the community colleges that participated in CCSSE performed better than TVCC in four of the five student engagement benchmark areas.

In 2005, faculty and administration were very alarmed and concerned by the results that TVCC received.

Since that time, TVCC has been working diligently to improve the level of engagement with our students.

The History The History (continued)

TVCC’s QUALITY ENHANCEMENT PLAN(QEP)

TVCC’s QEP became known as the Learning Initiative (LI).

The LI focuses on increasing students’ ability to read and write in crucial learning experiences by enhancing student engagement.TVCC continues to incorporate student engagement initiatives into the LI, which was prompted by 2005 CCSSE results. A number of activities under the leadership of the LI have been developed since the alarming results of the 2005 CCSSE.The college is in its third year of the project and has a number of pilot programs in place.

LI ProjectsLI ProjectsTrinity Valley Community College’s Quality Enhancement Plan Report, Engaged Learning: Pathways to Success, identifies four projects to be implemented as a part of the QEP.

An Open Learning Lab

The Learning Academy

Discipline-Specific Reading Tests

Student Networking Groups

Open Learning LabA central part of the LI planning is to provide a free lab where students can receive professional tutoring and computer-assisted learning.

The labs are designed to provide additional tutorial help to students who have difficulty with learning as well as a place to check email, work on distance education classes, and have a relaxing place to call home. The Terrell and Palestine campuses have joined the Athens campus in efforts to create permanent open Learning Labs at their facilities. Many faculty at the respective campuses have volunteered an hour of their office time to the lab, which has increased multi-campus awareness and involvement. The Learning Lab on the Athens campus has been relocated to a larger space on the 3rd floor in the newly opened Baugh Technology Center. A full-time coordinator has been hired effective Spring 2008.The LI office will track student and faculty involvement in the Open Learning Lab as a part of a LI Annual Report.

Learning Academy

The Learning Academy is a professional development program for faculty and staff designed to shift the emphasis from teaching to learning.

The idea is that a significant portion of our faculty and staff will become graduates of the Learning Academy, thus creating a culture where fellow colleagues can openly talk about teaching and learning.A class of the Learning Academy is targeted to include 10 to 15 faculty or staff members a year. The learning academy’s popularity has generated a sophomore class as well as a freshman class of faculty and staff.On the next slide, these are the key elements that have come out of the Learning Academy.

(Continued on next slide)

Key Elements of the Learning Academy◦ Classroom Assessment Techniques – Participants suggest at least two new

classroom assessment techniques for the group.◦ Instructional Design Technique Effectiveness – Participants document their own

learning about learning as a result of the reengineered learning experience.◦ Project Portfolio -- Participants complete a project portfolio designed to be at

the conclusion of their entire learning experience for the Learning Academy. This portfolio includes documentation of the completion of the stated learning outcomes identified above. Due by July 15th following the spring term of class participation, the portfolio takes numerous forms, including a paper copy, an interactive web portfolio, a video portfolio, or a combination of the above.

◦ Learning Day – Participants document their progress toward these outcomes by providing evidence of such growth in their Project Portfolio and by presenting the results of their attempts to apply these concepts in their courses. These are to be shared with the entire campus during the Learning Day in the following fall semester. Learning Day has been officially added to the TVCC Calendar each fall semester. All classes are dismissed for the day for an intensive in-house opportunity for professional development.

Discipline-Specific Reading Tests As a result of the data collected by the administration of the Pre-TASP (tests 01 and 02) in fall

2005, the LI Council decided to explore the idea of developing Discipline-Specific Reading Tests. The concept came at both the recommendation of the director of the Texas Assessing Student

Learning Project as well as out of a need to respond to faculty demands to have information on reading which was practical and useful.

In the case of the Pre-TASP test, none of the testing material was specific to particular disciplines.

A major pilot for the fall 2006 semester was built around the concept of Discipline-Specific Reading Tests. A series of ready-to-use tests were developed around textbook readings taken from U.S. History, Speech, General Psychology, Fundamentals of Nursing and Human Anatomy & Physiology. Students were asked to read a section of each textbook and respond to questions specific to that reading.

Tests were created in each of these courses to measure the reading skills of the students enrolled.

Student results on those assessments were immediately available so faculty could quickly recommend remediation, if needed.

Post-tests were developed and administered to measure any reading gains. The tests have been put online using WebCT and we are in full swing with this process and

making improvements as we go.

Student Networking Groups

This concept was to teach and train faculty in new group or team techniques and allow them to experiment before attempting to make major changes in course design.

With Student Networking Groups, faculty would structure their classes to divide into working groups that would function to foster student to student interaction. Teaching methods would encourage active and collaborative learning between students while concurrently encouraging students to take responsibility for their learning.

TVCC’s Commitment to CCSSETVCC’s Commitment to CCSSE

TVCC’s goal is to improve 10 deciles in 2009 and 10 deciles in 2011 on the CCSSE Benchmark comparisons.

Although the journey to be reaffirmed has ended for now, the goal of increased engagement will remain a focus for TVCC as we move into the future.

Thank you for taking the time to listen today, I hope that you have enjoyed the presentation.

Any Questions!!Any Questions!!

How Do I Find Out More?How Do I Find Out More?

Tina RummelDirector of Institutional Research,Trinity Valley Community College

100 Cardinal DriveAthens, Texas 75751

(903) 675-6282trummel@tvcc.edu

www.tvcc.edu/institutionalresearch

Lamar Institute of Technology’s

PASS ProgramPartnership in Achieving Student Success

Texas Association for Institutional Research Galveston Conference

February 5, 2008

Presented by Mr. David Mosley, Director Institutional Research & Planning, SACS Accreditation Liaison

Overview

• SACS Accreditation • Quality Enhancement Plan• Identification of a QEP topic• LIT’s PASS Program

– College Success Skills Course– Quality Academic Advising

• Assessment Results– Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE)– WorkKeys Listening, Reading for Information, and Writing

Tests– Retention Data

SACS Accreditation Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP)

• Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement:• Core Requirement 2.12 “requires an institution to develop an

acceptable Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) and show that the plan is part of an ongoing planning and evaluation process. Engaging the wider academic community, the QEP is based upon a comprehensive and thorough analysis of the effectiveness of the learning environment for supporting student learning and accomplishing the mission of the institution. It is used to outline a course of action for institutional improvement by addressing one or more issues that contribute to institutional quality, with special attention to student learning*.”

• * SACS Visiting Committees expect Multiple Direct Measures of Student Learning!

Empirical Data (THECB)Retention Rates

Full time, FTIC Students

2000 2001 2002 2003

LIT SI LIT SI LIT SI LIT SI

LIT and Similar Institutions

48% 77% 67% 79% 54% 78% 65% 52%

Statewide Average

63% 79% 79% 78%

SI = Similar Institutions

Full time FTIC students who did not receive remediation in the Fall and who returned the following Spring

What Do the Numbers Mean?

Statewide LIT

Establishing a Focus….

• Review of relevant research

• LIT Strategic Plan – Empirical data (Data Resources for

Institutional Effectiveness)

• Educational consultant (Noel Levitz)

• Faculty Assessment Survey

• Campus-wide Focus Groups

• Office of Student Services data

Faculty Assessment Survey

• 30% of faculty indicated that 6 or more students were unsuccessful in courses they taught

What Would Help?Very likely Likely

Study Skills Course 25.0% 26.3%

College Orientation Course 7.2% 31.9%

Learning Communities 11.1% 30.6%

Academic Advising 12.2% 18.9%

Career Counseling 27.0% 20.3%

Faculty Assessment Survey

Very likely

Likely

Personal Problems 21.9% 27.4%

Reading Comprehension 39.5% 22.4%

Critical Thinking Skills 30.1% 39.7%

Failed to Prepare for Class 73.3% 20.0%

Excessive Absences 59.2% 25%

Academically Unprepared 50.7% 24.0%

Inadequate Study Skills 52.6% 28.9%

Poor Time Management 48.0% 29.3%

Valid Percents

Partnership in Achieving Student Success (PASS Program)

• Mission– The PASS program seeks to improve the quality of student life and

learning through improvements, enhancements, or additions to the institution’s educational programs and services. (STUDENT ENGAGEMENT)

• Goal– Design and implement a College Success Skills Course to improve the

quality of student life and learning– Provide quality academic advisement for students– Provide professional and paraprofessional training to support PASS

initiatives• Student Learning Assessment Measures

– Academic Advisement Survey administered to all First-Time LIT students and to all graduating students.

– Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) initially administered Spring 2004 (Pre-QEP) and subsequently every two years.

– ACT’s WorkKeys™ Listening, Reading for Information, and Writing tests administered in the College Success Skills Course

Assessing the PASS Program• Principal measures

– Pre-test and Post-test (WorkKeys™)– Community College Survey of Student

Engagement (CCSSE)

– Academic Advising Pre-test and Post-test

• Other measures– Supplemental Evaluations– Retention data

• Future measures– Survey of Entering Student Engagement (LIT to participate in Fall 2008)

www.enteringstudent.org

WorkKeys™ Data

• * - Texas Peer Group consists of Clarendon College, Coastal Bend College, Navarro College, Panola College, Texas State Technical College Marshall/Waco/West Texas, The Victoria College, and Western Texas College.

Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) Retention Index Benchmarks - 2004 to 2006 Comparative Results

LIT vs. Texas Peer Group*

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54.3

51.8

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53.852.5

55.4

51.953.7 53.6

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Benchmark ScoresLIT : Spring 2004CCSSEBenchmark ScoresTexas Peer Group :Spring 2004 CCSSEBenchmark ScoresLIT : Spring 2006CCSSEBenchmark ScoresTexas Peer Group :Spring 2006 CCSSE

CCSSE Retention Index Comparison LIT vs. Texas Peer Group*

• 2004 LIT Retention Index = 151.96• 2006 LIT Retention Index = 161.70 (a gain of

9.74 points or +6.4%)

• 2004 Texas Peer Group* Retention Index = 158.60

• 2006 Texas Peer Group** Retention Index = 159.20

• (LIT's 2006 gain over the Peer Group = 2.5 points or +1.6%)

• *Texas Peer Group:• Clarendon College, Coastal Bend College, Navarro College, Panola College, Texas State Technical College

Marshall/Waco/West Texas, The Victoria College, and Western Texas College

Active & Collaborative Learning Benchmark

• In your experiences at this college during the current school year, about how often have you done each of the following? Asked questions in class or contributed to class discussions:

• Made a class presentation.

• Worked with other students on projects during class* (Effect Size=0.24)

• Worked with classmates outside of class to prepare class assignments.

• Tutored or taught other students (paid or voluntary)

• Participated in a community-based project as part of a regular course

• Discussed ideas from your readings or classes with others outside of class (students, family members, co-workers, etc.) * - Statistically significant CCSSE Survey Item(s) with positive “Effect Size”

Student-Faculty Interaction Benchmark• In your experiences at this college during the current school year,

about how often have you done each of the following:• Used email to communicate with an instructor.** (Effect Size: -0.29)

• Discussed grades or assignments with an instructor.

• Talked about career plans with an instructor or advisor* (Effect Size=0.44)

• Discussed ideas from your readings or classes with instructors outside of class.

• Received prompt feedback (written or oral) from instructors on your performance.

• Worked with instructors on activities other than coursework* (Effect Size=0.25)

** - Statistically significant CCSSE Survey Item(s) with negative “Effect Size”

* - Statistically significant CCSSE Survey Item(s) with positive “Effect Size”

Support for Learners Benchmark• How much does this college emphasize each of the following:• Providing the support you need to help you succeed at this college.

• Encouraging contact among students from different economic, social, and racial or ethnic background.

• Helping you cope with your non-academic responsibilities (work, family, etc.)* (Effect Size=0.20)

• Providing the support you need to thrive socially. (Effect Size=0.24)

• Providing the financial support you need to afford your education.

• Indicate how often you use the following services:• Academic advising/planning. (Effect Size=0.33)

• Career counseling (Eff. Size=0.21)

* - Statistically significant CCSSE Survey Item(s) with positive “Effect Size”

Thank you.

For more information:

David Mosley, CoordinatorInstitutional Research & Planning

SACS Accreditation LiaisonLamar Institute of Technology

PO Box 10043Beaumont, Texas 77710

409.880.2207, David.Mosley@lit.edu