AddressingAddressingCollege ReadinessCollege Readiness
in High Schoolsin High Schools
Richard M. Rhodes, Ph.D.PresidentEl Paso Community College
Preparing to Dream Spring WorkshopHouston, Texas
May 6, 2009
80% Hispanic Median Household Income
El Paso County = $32,111 State of Texas = $44,922 United States = $48,451
• Educational Attainment/Persons 25 Years and Older:32%
23% 21%
6%
12%
6%
No Diploma High SchoolGraduate
SomeCollege - No
Degree
AssociateDegree
Bachelor'sDegree
Graduate orProf. Degree
El Paso, Texas
Five Campuses located throughout El Paso County
El Paso Community College
85.7%
8.1%2.2% 0.8% 0.3% 3.1%
Enrollment by Ethnicity – Fall 2008
A Lumina Foundation funded initiative designed to increase the
percentage of students who accomplish the following:
Successfully complete the courses they take;
Advance from remedial to credit-bearing courses; *
Enroll in and successfully complete gatekeeper courses;
Enroll from one semester to the next;
Earn degrees and/or certificates;
Especially for low income students and students of color.
Achieving the Dream
FTIC Course Placements MathFall 2003
No Remediation No Remediation RequiredRequired
DevelopmentalDevelopmentalMathMath
HS < 1 YrHS < 1 Yr 2%2% 98%98%HS > 1 YrHS > 1 Yr 1%1% 99%99%
GEDGED <1%<1% >99%>99%
No HS or No HS or GEDGED
0%0% 100%100%
FTIC Course Placements ReadingFall 2003
No No Remediation Remediation
RequiredRequired
DevelopmentalDevelopmentalReadingReading
HS < 1 YrHS < 1 Yr 32%32% 68%68%HS > 1 YrHS > 1 Yr 40%40% 60%60%
GEDGED 38%38% 62%62%No HS or No HS or
GEDGED26%26% 74%74%
FTIC Course Placements WritingFall 2003
No No Remediation Remediation
RequiredRequired
Developmental Developmental WritingWriting
HS < 1 YrHS < 1 Yr 35%35% 65%65%HS > 1 YrHS > 1 Yr 42%42% 58%58%
GEDGED 36%36% 64%64%
No HS or No HS or GEDGED
15%15% 85%85%
AtD Priority Areas at EPCC
Reduce the time required to complete DE course work.
AtD
EPCC Reduce the time required to complete ESL course work.
EPCC Increase the number of students who are college-ready.
EPCC Increase the number of recent high school graduates who are college-ready.
El Paso Area College Readiness Consortium
Relationships Need Great Partners!
Dr. Diana NatalicioDr. Diana NatalicioPresidentPresident
University of Texas at El PasoUniversity of Texas at El Paso
Ysleta ISD
El Paso ISD
Canutillo ISD
Clint ISD
San Elizario ISD
Tornillo ISD
Socorro ISD
El Paso Area College Readiness Consortium
A partnership with UTEP and all area school districts to accomplish
the following:
Test high school juniors and seniors
High schools become Accuplacer test sites
Compilation of test preparation and intervention strategies
Share experiences across districts
El Paso Area College Readiness Consortium Charge
Design strategies that will ensure that the initial enrollment of college bound high school graduates is in entry-level college courses.
AtD Community Advisory Committee
• Representative from the EPCC Board of Trustees• President of EPCC Foundation• President & Provost of the University of Texas at El Paso• Dean of the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center• Member of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board• Superintendents & Administrators from all school districts• Executive Director of Region 19 Educational Services Center• Representative from Congressman Reyes’ office• Mayor of El Paso• Representatives from local chambers of commerce• Representatives from local business and industry• Representatives from local non-profit agencies• Publishers of local newspapers
Mission Early College High SchoolOpened July 2006
Third year of operation360 StudentsReceived Exemplary Status from TEA each year23 Juniors will graduate with Associate Degree and attend UTEP
Valle Verde Early College High SchoolOpened July 2007
Second year of operation215 StudentsReceived Exemplary Status from TEA
Northwest Early College High SchoolOpened Summer 2008
First year of operation103 StudentsTSTEM
Greater Texas FoundationGreater Texas Foundation
First year of operation125 StudentsTSTEM
Transmountain Early College High SchoolOpened Summer 2008
Cotton Valley Early College High SchoolOpening Summer 2009
Fabens ISDFort Hancock ISDSan Elizario ISDTornillo ISD
Advantages of Early College High Schools
High School DiplomaAssociate Degree (first two years of college)Incentive to attend collegeDecreases time to degree completionReduces college costsUpper Division Courses
2,605%
Dual Credit Enrollments
Through the College Readiness Initiative we have increased the percentage of entering students who are college-ready.
Through interventions to elevate placement we have reduced the time required to complete developmental education course work.
Math Placement Levels
ReadingPlacement Levels
WritingPlacement Levels
2003 2008
We have reduced the number of developmental education areas that students are placing into.
Spring 2006 to Spring 2008Spring 2006 to Spring 2008
Math No ChangeReading - 24 %Writing - 37 %
College Readiness Consortium & College Readiness InitiativeRestructured Developmental Education.Established Developmental Education & ESL Councils.Implemented Summer Bridge Program & Prep Program.Requiring all students to take a college success course.Hired Directors of Student Success & College Readiness.Held workshops and funded site visits for faculty development.Conducted mini-workshops for student development.Revised cut-scores for placement exam.Aligned outcomes and expectations within DE levels.Reducing levels of DE Math from 4 to 3.Piloted the use of non-course-based instructional materials.Piloted modified version of Math Emporium.Completed Foundations of Excellence study.
Fall Credit Enrollment
8.6%
23,015
24,999
2003 2008
Graduates – Degrees & Certificates
69%
2,432
1,443
2003 2008
Given focus to EPCC.Helped build closer relationship with partners – K-12, university, and foundations.Provided better information – to be shared with Board/faculty/staff/community.Helped in creating state policy.Provided foundation for creating a new college-going culture in the community.
El Paso Community College Tops the Charts in All Three ListsEl Paso Community College Tops the Charts in All Three Lists
Number 1 in awarding the most Associate Degrees to Hispanics
Number 1 in percentage of Hispanic student enrollment
Number 1 in number of Hispanic faculty
Source: Hispanic Outlook Magazine – March 10 , 2008 Issue
Thank You!Thank You!
El Paso Community CollegeThe Best Place to Start
www.epcc.edu