Implementing Change: A Holistic Approach to Developmental Education

1
Implementing Change A Holistic Approach to
Developmental Education

• Sue Cain, Director
• Transition and University Services
• Eastern Kentucky University

2
What is a Holistic Approach?

• Faculty development
• High school and adult education collaborations
• Academic and support services
• Attention to the needs of the students and
  intentionally incorporating these needs in
  program development
• Program assessment

3
Six Recommendations of the Dev. Ed. Taskforce

• Update College Admission Regulations
• Create an Integrated Accountability System Tied
  to Performance Funding
• Fund Infrastructure Improvement
• Align College Readiness Standards and Tie to
  Educator Professional Development
• Better Link Educator Preparation to College
  Readiness
• Develop Early Student Interventions

4
Goal of a Holistic Approach

• Maximize the number of students enrolling in
  post-secondary institutions ready for
  college-level coursework.
• Minimize the number of students entering with
  developmental education needs.
• Prepared for every student entering the
  institution.

5
What is a Good Developmental Education Program?

• Institutional commitment to the program through
  coursework, services and all campus planning
  efforts is evident.
• Courses and programs are delivered by
  well-trained educators.
• The program is student centered and holistic.
  Students are valued and encouraged to build their
  knowledge base.
• The program is connected to the
  college curriculum with goals and
  outcomes consistent with those
  of the institution.

6
What is a Good Developmental Education Program?

• The program is well-coordinated at both
  institutional and departmental levels.
• The program is based on explicit goals and
  objectives for faculty, staff, and students.
• The program incorporates critical skills into all
  activities. Students must learn, think
  critically, and study effectively.
• The program is evaluated. Evaluation data is used
  to revise and improve the program.

7
The holistic plan must

• Ensure that student-faculty ratio is appropriate.
• Provide placement services that assure
  appropriate course placement.
• Provide mentoring services to help students
  transition and understand services available.

8
The holistic plan must

• Build collaborations with high school and adult
  education programs and services.
• Promote college readiness.
• Enhance and expand (summer) bridge programs for
  students not meeting college readiness levels
  prior to the students first fall
  semester.

9
The holistic plan must

• Expand and enhance tutoring and online student
  resources that support student learning.
• Provide extensive faculty training programs for
  all full- and part-time faculty.
• Provide an intentional plan to work with students
  exhibiting at risk behaviors early in the
  semester.
• If needed, expand counseling services.

10
The holistic plan must

• Provide dependent care services.
• Provide faculty release time for program
  coordination for each content area.
• Provide professional development course training
  at the graduate level for faculty.
• Provide academic, financial, and advising
  workshops throughout the semester to support
  student needs.

11
The holistic plan must

• Maintain content alignment between developmental
  and college-level coursework.
• Maintain continuous assessment of all programs
  and services that support underprepared students.

12
The Holistic PlanFaculty Development

• Provide a mandatory professional development
  program for all full- and part-time faculty.
• Provide at least one professional development
  opportunity for each faculty and staff member
  each year.
• Provide release time for faculty coordination and
  assessment of each content area.
• Design and institute an online Developmental
  Education Research Program for English,
  mathematics and reading to support
  faculty training.

13
The Holistic PlanHigh Schools and Adult
Education

• Create a statewide, mandated program for rising
  high school seniors not meeting college readiness
  thresholds.
• Create summer bridge programs for graduates.
• Enhance and expand existing bridge programs for
  marginally prepared students.

14
The Holistic PlanAcademic and Student Support
Services

• Expand academic testing services to include both
  placement and diagnostic services.
• Develop transition to college courses for
  students with more than one developmental area
  need.
• Enhance all support services tutoring,
  mentoring, and advising.

15
The Holistic PlanAcademic and Student Support
Services

• Enhance early alert programs and services.
• Provide dependent care services.
• Enhance professional counseling staffing and
  services.
• Provide student support services and academic
  skills workshops throughout the year.

16
The Holistic PlanProgrammatic needs

• Ensure student-faculty ratio is appropriate.
• Ensure staffing needs support all instructional
  units.
• Maintain continuous program assessment.
• Monitor first to second year retention rates,
  developmental course success rates, success rates
  of students in college level
  coursework, and graduation rates.

17
Questions and Ideas

18
EKU Websites

• Office of Developmental Education
• www.developmentaleducation.eku.edu
• Office of Transition and University Services
• www.transition.eku.edu
• Office of Academic Skills
• www.academicskills.eku.edu
• Office of Academic Testing
• www.testing.eku.edu/
• Office of Academic Advising and Retention
• www.advising.eku.edu/