Early Alert at Sinclair Community College

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Early Alert at Sinclair Community College

• Elizabeth A. Price
• Early Alert Coordinator
• Student Success Planning Services

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Sinclair Community College

• An urban community college of 22,000 students in
  Dayton, Ohio.
• Sinclair has 2 additional campuses at local YMCAs
  and a regional campus in Mason, Ohio.
• Vanguard Learning College by the League for
  Innovation in the Community College
• Achieving the Dream Community Colleges Count
  grant.

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History of Early Alert

• A part of the award-winning Student Success Plan
  software and program designed for at-risk student
  retention.
• Implemented the home-grown early alert software
  and program in 2005.
• Funded by Title III.

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Presentation Overview

• Intro and definition
• Process in six steps
• Benefits
• Data processing
• Implementation Considerations
• Results

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Sinclairs Early Alert System

• Early Alert is an intervention program that
  allows faculty to notify advisors/counselors of
  ANY issues that may affect the success of a
  student. 
• It is a simple way of assisting students in
  difficulty find the help they need while taking
  very little time.
• Electronic Early Alert notifications are easy
  ways to promote retention and the success of
  students in classes.
• Currently utilized in all DEV courses, English
  111, select Math courses, and the First Year
  Experience courses.
• Preventative measure

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Creating the Link

• Faculty have frequent contact with students
  enabling them to identify potential problems.
• Advisors/counselors have the resources available
  to address problems.

The Link an online system that facilitates
communication, provides information on campus and
local resources, and records data.
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The Early Alert Process

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Instructor identifies a student or students
having difficulty in class

• Never Attended Class
• Excessive Absences
• Tardiness
• Academic Concern
• Low Homework/Quiz Scores
• Low Test Scores
• Personal Concern
• Other

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Notification is sent by the instructor through
the Student Success Plan (SSP) website.
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1). Choose the Class
Steven L Johnson Angela Sinclair ILP Mary Q Thom
as Charles X Jones EAL Margaret Y Tartan CAP
2). Double click on the students name until a
box appears. Click Send Early Alert.
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Angela Sinclair 0123456 angela.sinclair_at_sinclair.
edu ILP Yvonne Dorsett 10-424 512-3032 Student
Success Planning Services
Select the reason for the early alert
Click Add/Edit to insert your suggestions.
Opportunity for Comments
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Angela Sinclair 0123456 angela.sinclair_at_sinclair
.edu ILP Yvonne Dorsett 10-424 512-3032 Student
Success Planning Services
Click Send Early Alert.
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Professors have the option of sending a general
information letter to the student
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An email is automatically distributed to the
students advisor. 

• Students without an assigned advisor are
  automatically distributed to a pre-selected
  office or individual.
• Faculty receive an automatic email confirming the
  alert was delivered to the advisor.

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Students name, tartan id, phone number, and
address
Withdraw
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Advisor Contacts Student 

1. Phone
2. Email
3. Letter

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2nd STEP
Steps to closing an early alert
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Student Action Plan

• Optional an Action Plan can be created and given
  to the student.
• An action plan is a to-do list for the students
  with target dates the advisor can set.
• Information about local and campus resources
  appears providing the student with details, phone
  numbers and locations.

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Recording the Outcome

• The advisor records any attempt at reaching the
  student in the system.
• Any contact with the student should be recorded
  in the system.
• When the early alert is resolved, it is also
  recorded.

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Insert Comments
Save to enter comments
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Yes Contact was made and student responded by
phone, email, mail or in person. No further
action can be taken.
No Contact was attempted either by phone or
email. No response from the student. Further
action can be taken.
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Benefits
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Benefits

• Supports a team approach in student retention
• Less time consuming, easy to use
• Accessible from anywhere at anytime
• Flexible for the faculty and advisor to
  communicate freely
• Tracks and records Early Alerts and provides
  updates to the faculty throughout the process
• Creates detailed reports at any point during the
  year weekly, monthly, annually, or each
  semester. 

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Producing Data
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Data Tools

• Early Alert data provides information on
• Total number per semester, for each department
• Reason per class
• Resulting action
• Grade outcome per class

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Implementation Considerations
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Initial Questions to Ask

• Is there a need?
• Do we have the manpower financial backing?
• How will the instructors submit the early alerts?
• What classes should be included?
• Do the instructors advisors support this
  endeavor?
• Who would train the faculty and advisors?
• Who will distribute unassigned early alerts?
• Who will promote the program answer questions?

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Considerations

• Determine key players advisors, faculty,
  counselors, department chairs, Dean of Students,
  etc Get feedback and support.
• Decide how an early alert program will work best
  on campus paper, phone, email, internet system.
• Select pilot classes.
• Design process, identify participants duties.
• Constant and formal review of process.

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Results
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Within the SSP Database System

• As an important tool within the SSP system for
  at-risk students, Early Alert contributes to
  higher retention rates for SSP students than the
  general not at-risk population.

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• Minority students participating in the ILP
  program have retention rates 8 higher than the
  general minority population and 21 higher than
  their non-participating, at-risk counterparts.

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Questions?
Sinclair Community CollegeStudent Success
Planning Services 444 West Third StreetDayton,
Ohio 45402-1460 Elizabeth A. Price,
M.S.Ed. Post-Transition ILP Early Alert
Coordinator Phone [phone] Fax (937)
512-2392 elizabeth.price_at_sinclair.edu