Contextualized Developmental Education for Student Success

1
Contextualized Developmental Education for
Student Success

• California Community College Association for
  Occupational Education Conference 2007
• Mary B. Cottier
• Mcottier_at_mail.accd.edu

2
St. Philips College

• Founded in 1898 as an industrial school for young
  African-American women
• One of the most diverse and oldest community
  colleges in the nation
• Historically Black College
• Hispanic serving institution
• A comprehensive community college focused on
  providing a quality educational environment which
  stimulates leadership, personal growth, and a
  lifelong appreciation for learning.

3
St. Philips College

• SPC has a semester enrollment of approximately
  10,000 students.
• 98 of the FTIC (first time in college) students
  require remediation in at least one area.
• Approximately 48 of the students declare majors
  in Applied Science and Technology Programs.
• 51 of the students declaring majors in Applied
  Science and Technology Programs are enrolled in
  Allied Health Programs.

4
Quest

• A community inspired economic development program
  created in 1992 by a partnership of state and
  local government, business and industry, and
  community organizations.
• Mission
• To demonstrate the substantial social and
  economic benefits that can be achieved through
  investments in long-term training for those who
  otherwise would not have the opportunity.
• Defines the skills required to succeed in
  targeted, hard-to-fill occupations and then
  recruits, trains, and develops adults so that
  they are qualified and ready to fill industry
  needs.
• Provides comprehensive educational support (paid
  tuition, books, fees) and intensive case
  management and professional development to
  low-income individuals.

5
Quest

• St. Philips and QUEST developed an educational
  pathway that utilized context-based teaching in a
  learning community format.
• Students begin classes as a cohort, taking their
  contextualized developmental course work.
• Each subject teaches required competencies while
  applying healthcare specific concepts and
  examples.
• Students benefit from the arrangement because
  nursing and allied health instructors are
  involved in the delivery of the developmental
  education courses.
• A learning community is formed because all
  relevant disciplines interact in the instruction
  and development of the student.

6
The Process

• Fall 2005
• SPC accepted students Quest screened and
  identified for enrollment in the Vocational
  Nursing and Allied Health cohorts.
• Students math, reading, and writing skills would
  be approximately 9th grade level.
• Mapped out sequencing of courses for cohorts.
• Approval and funding for released faculty
  salaries was sought.
• Identified possible textbook and/or curriculum.

7
The Process

• Spring 2006
• Math, Reading, and English instructors were
  granted one course (3 hours) release time to
  develop course materials and work with Allied
  Health faculty.
• Students took math, reading, English, and
  Student Development classes together.
• Instruction would be contextual and
  cross-discipline.
• Math and Reading curriculum was accelerated. (8
  week flex sessions)

8
The ProcessRadiography Technology
9
The ProcessVocational Nursing
10
Reading

• Dr. Janet Flores
• Associate Professor of Reading
• jaflores_at_accd.edu

11
READ 0302 Reading Techniques

• Presented in Flex I (first 8 weeks)
• Includes two labs per week
• Textbook--Advancing Vocabulary Skills, Townsend
  Press (level 11-13)

12
READ 0302 Reading Techniques

• Week 1
• Chapter 1--Vocabulary in Context
• Week 2
• Chapter 2 3--Stated Main Idea
• Week 3
• Chapter 4 5--Supporting Details
• Week 4
• Chapter 6Relationships, Word Parts, Patterns
  of Organization
• Week 5
• Chapter 7 8--Unstated Main Idea Inferences
• Week 6
• Chapter 9 10--Purpose Tone Fact Opinion
• Week 7
• Chapter 11 12Argument Word Parts Critical
  Reading
• Week 8
• Review Nelson-Denny FINALS

13
READ 0303 Reading Improvement

• Presented in Flex II (second 8 weeks)
• Includes two labs per week
• Week 1
• Chapter 13 14--Word Parts Case Study of Work
  Situations
• Week 2
• Chapter 15 16--Word Elements Medical
  Terminology
• Week 3
• Chapter 17 18--Origins Modalities Left
  brain/Right Brain Learning Styles

14
READ 0303 Reading Improvement

• Week 4
• Chapter 19 20--Review Main Idea/Details Order
  of Operations Procedures
• Week 5
• Chapter 21 22 Review Outlining Mapping
  Summaries
• Week 6
• Chapter 23 24--Critical Thinking Opposing
  Viewpoints

15
READ 0303 Reading Improvement

• Week 7
• Vocabulary Review--Analytical Reasoning
  Graphs/Charts
• Week 8
• Nelson-Denny Projects Due FINALS
• Students must exit at Level 12 on Nelson-Denny

16
English

• Lauri Humberson
• Instructor of English
• Lhumberson_at_accd.edu

17
English 0311 Fundamentals of English II

• Presented in 16 weeks
• Includes two labs per week
• Conventional lab
• Computer lab
• Activities that foster critical thinking
• Process analysis
• Personality styles inventory (with SDEV 0370)
• Cultural studies
• Translating using word parts (with READ 303)

18
English 0311

• Process AnalysisInstructions to students
• Write a complete set of instructions for drawing
  this geometric figure.
• Your audience will not be able to see the figure.

19
English 0311

• Process Analysis--Students
• Collaboratework in groups of 3 to 4
• Analyzethink through which steps have to be
  performed in which order no single order the
  correct one
• Consider alternative ways to give instructions
• Work with their audience in mindwhat does their
  audience need to know in order to complete the
  procedure?

20
English 0311

• PSI Synthesis Paper--Students
• Take an online personality styles inventory
• Relate this information to personal experiences
• Use research from Occupational Outlook Handbook
  and other sources about career choice
• Based on this research, discuss the easiest and
  most challenging aspects of their chosen
  occupation

21
English 0311

• Other Activities
• Cultural Studies--Question
• What issues concerning culture should you be
  aware of when interacting with your patients or
  clients?
• Translating from specialist to nonspecialist
  language (with READ 303)
• How might you help patients and patients family
  members understand medicalese?

22
Mathematics

• Renita Mitchell
• Assistant Professor of Mathematics
• rmitchel_at_accd.edu

23
Math 0301/0302

• Flex I Prealgebra, Flex II Elementary Algebra
• Topics were adjusted to include
• Review of fractions,
• Roman numerals,
• Apothecary household measuring systems,
• Dosage by body surface area and body weight
• Radiography cohort had to be prepared to take the
  College Level Math Class for their program (Math
  1374)
• The LVN cohort had to pass the AR EAR portions
  of the ACCUPLACER tests with grades 90 and 76
  respectively

24
Math 0301/0302

• Added components
• Two projects
• Measurement project
• Healthy Body Project
• Article Discussion
• Two articles
• Classroom discussion
• Both cohorts took a comprehensive final for Flex
  I
• The LVN cohort did not take a comprehensive final
  for Flex II

25
Math 0301/0302

• Problem that arose
• the math skill level of students in the
  Vocational Nursing cohort was not at the 9th
  grade level.
• As a result
• Students were not prepared for the AR test
  because the Pre-Algebra course did not cover
  enough arithmetic skills.
• The LVN students were not exposed to math content
  necessary to pass the EA ACCUPLACER.
• It became apparent that the existing
  developmental math courses would have to be
  modified to work for these students.

26
Math 0310/0311/0312

• Fall 2006 and Spring 2007
• Cohorts

27
Course Topics

• Rad Tech/Occup.
• Prealgebra Flex I
• Elementary Alg Flex II
• Not much change in topics from the previous
  attempt
• Content is structured to prepare students for
  college level mathematics and expose them to
  contextual problems.

• LVN
• Basic Math Prealgebra Flex I
• Elementary Alg Intermediate Alg Flex II
• Topics have been adjusted to include content
  necessary for nursing students (contextual) and
  necessary to pass the ACCUPLACER.

28
Testing

• Rad Tech
• Testing takes place in the classroom
• Students allowed one retest per test
• Comprehensive final exam

• LVN
• All testing done in the computer lab to simulate
  the ACCUPLACER testing situation
• Mastery learning required and must be evident on
  all tests.
• Students will not take any final exams instead,
  they will take the AR ACCUPLACER for Flex I and
  the EA ACCUPLACER for Flex II.

29
Lab Component

• Both cohorts have a 1 hour lab everyday in our
  Developmental Math Lab.
• Grade is based on the number of hours spent in
  lab (each student logs in and out of lab on a
  daily basis).
• Students have access to PALS and MyMathLab
  (CourseCompass) in the Mathematics computer lab
  and from home.
• Students have access to math tutors in the
  paper/pencil lab.

30
Computer Lab

• In addition
• Both cohorts are still given articles to read
  dealing with medical errors.
• Each student must respond to the articles on the
  class message board (two separate message boards
  have been set up for the classes).
• Students can chat with the instructor on weekends
  during specified times (usually one hour on both
  Saturday and Sunday during the evening hours).

31
Success RatesSpring 2006

• Math 0301
• 100 retention
• 100 completion
• Math 0302
• 100 retention
• 100 completion
• Reading 0302
• 100 retention
• 100 completion
• Reading 0303
• 100 retention
• 100 completion
• English 0311
• 100 retention
• 81.8 completion

32
Success RatesSpring 2006

• Math 0301
• 95 retention
• 80 completion
• Math 0302
• 100 retention
• 62.5 completion
• Reading 0302
• 100 retention
• 100 completion
• Reading 0303
• 100 retention
• 100 completion
• English 0311
• 80 retention
• 75 completion

33
Success RatesFall 2006

• Math 0311
• 100 retention
• 100 completion
• Math 0312
• 100 retention
• 91 completion
• Reading 0302
• 100 retention
• 100 completion
• Reading 0303
• 100 retention
• 100 completion
• English 0311
• 96 retention
• 87 completion

34
Success RatesFall 2006

• Math 0310
• 100 retention
• 90 completion
• Math 0311
• 95 retention
• 50 completion
• Reading 0302
• 100 retention
• 100 completion
• Reading 0303
• 95 retention
• 90 completion
• English 0311
• 90 retention
• 60 completion

35
Success RatesFall 2006

• Math 0311
• 100 retention
• 73 completion

36
Success RatesSpring 2007

• Math 0312
• 90 retention
• 90 completion
• Reading 0303
• 100 retention
• 100 completion
• English 0311
• 80 retention
• 70 completion

37
Whats Next

• In Fall 2006, after discussion with all AST
  program coordinators/chairs the decision was made
  to create a new developmental math sequence for
  the Applied Science and Technology programs.
• One level of remediation was eliminated,
  re-aligned the developmental and college level
  math class (Math 1373) and renamed the
  developmental course.
• The new developmental math curriculum was
  approved by the Curriculum Committee in Spring
  2007 with implementation in Fall 2007.

38
Whats Next

• Quest cohorts requiring developmental coursework
  ended in Spring 2007.
• Based upon the success of the Quest initiative
  SPC decided to continue with the learning
  community, cohort model for developmental
  education.
• In Summer 2007, math, reading, and English
  faculty participated in a three day job shadowing
  at a local medical clinic and Lockheed/Martin.
• Job shadowing provided faculty with a better
  understanding of how their discipline is used in
  these work places.

39
Whats Next

• It was difficult to identify students in Allied
  Health and Transportation programs that required
  remediation in all three disciplines.
• The decision was made to create cohorts rather
  than a learning community.
• This semester six sections of the new
  developmental math course (Math 0350) are
  running. One section is a LVN cohort. Two
  other sections at our Southeast Campus are for
  Multi-Modal and Construction Trades.

40
Questions?

• Mary B. Cottier
• St. Philips College
• San Antonio, TX
• Mcottier_at_mail.accd.edu