Academic Makeover XTREME STRUCTURED SUPPORT FOR GREATER STUDENT - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

qep: Project Xtreme Academic Makeover XTREME STRUCTURED SUPPORT FOR GREATER STUDENT ENGAGEMENT North Central Texas College www.nctc.edu

North Central Texas College

Project Xtreme: Foundation To transform students’ academic behaviors and create a contextual learning environment to ensure college readiness and improve success in core curriculum/gateway courses.

Project Xtreme: Renovation • Focuses on college readiness • Aligns with the college’s Strategic Plan under Framework #2: Student Readiness, Learning and Success  Facilitate the achievement of teaching excellence and in-depth learning through innovative faculty and student programs and activities  Implement a holistic model of student advising  Improve student success in college preparatory ( developmental ) and gateway courses

Project Xtreme: Design scheme • Research – QEP Committee members attended college readiness & student success conferences – Conducted literature review and researched best practices – Drafted QEP Mission statement, Identified student learning outcomes and overall assessment design • Development – Developed QEP Narrative – Input and feedback from History, Math and English faculty, students, student service personnel, Instructional Council, President’s Cabinet and Board of Regents

Project Xtreme: development and implementation Discovery Phase: April 2008 - June 2009  Topic selection committee formed  Utilized quantitative & qualitative analysis of institutional strengths, weaknesses, survey, performance data, comparative analysis of other college and institutional research. Topic Selection Phase: Spring 2008 - Fall 2009  Reviewed institutional & state data, identified 10 potential topics  Broad based communication across all campuses  Faculty, staff & students voted to select top three topics  Concept papers on top 3 topics Development Phase: October 2009 - August 2011  Quality Enhancement Plan committee was formed to fully develop a five year QEP  Secured first and second year funding through Comprehensive Student Success Program- THECB

Title III initiatives: transformation • Orientation Renovation  In-person orientation had been replaced with online version ONLY ( required of all FTIC students )  Most services had moved online ( registration, catalog, etc .), causing disconnection • Advising  Advising was split amongst faculty, counselors, and advisors, and approaches differed  Very little interaction between Instruction and Student Services ( other than with College Prep. faculty )

Title III initiatives: transformation • Career Exploration and Transfer Assistance • College Success Seminars and Course  Goal Setting, Time Management, Learning Styles, Test-Taking/Test Anxiety, etc.  Learning Framework course ( EDUC/PSCY 1300 ) • Early Alert  No formal system in place • Tutoring  No tutoring at any campus ( other than faculty volunteering their time )

Support services: structure • Academic Advising (Phase 1)  This phase introduced the concepts of college readiness, course sequencing, and educational planning.  All first-time college students are required to meet with an advisor and participate in New Student Orientation beginning Fall 2011 (a policy which has been revised and reinforced as a direct result of Project Xtreme). • Academic Advising (Phase 2)  Students in Xtreme sections are required to complete an academic advising assignment/academic plan as a course requirement.  This assignment is distributed to Xtreme students during the first weeks of the semester, and all sections of Xtreme courses receive an in-class visit from their assigned advisors during the second week of the semester and a campus tour of support services and library resources.

Support services: structure • Tutoring and Supplemental Instruction  Increasing awareness, perceived value, and utilization of support services is another initiative and measurable outcome of Project Xtreme. Tutoring hours for the on- campus Math and Writing Labs were established by the beginning of the Fall 2011 semester, and Supplemental Instruction (SI) Leaders for the Xtreme sections of HIST 1301 were also identified and trained.  Additional online tutoring hours are purchased each semester through our current provider, GradeResults , in order to meet the increased demand for this service as students in Xtreme sections have a 5-hour tutoring requirement built into their courses.  Mandatory training for all tutors and SI Leaders is required.

Tutoring • Established Math Labs and Writing Labs on each campus • Introduced Supplemental Instruction ( originally courses with lowest pass rates-Algebra and A&P ) • Online tutoring through Grade Results, connects students to real tutors in real time • Established tutor training schedule • CRLA certification- Level I & II (recently applied for Level III) • Tutoring labs also serve as computer labs- places where students congregate to form study groups or complete homework

Support services: tutoring Spring 2014 Corinth • CRLA certified Math Lab Writing Lab Rm. 182: Rm. 188: Monday: 9:00 am - 6:00 pm Monday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Tuesday: 9:00 am - 6:00 pm Tuesday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Wednesday: 9:00 am - 6:00 pm Wednesday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Thursday: 9:00 am - 6:00 pm Thursday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm • Extended hours Friday: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm Friday: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm Flower Mound MathLab Writing Lab Rm.112 : Rm. 112: Monday: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm Monday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Tuesday: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm Tuesday: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm • History Wednesday: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm Wednesday: 9:00 am - 2:00 pm Thursday: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm Thursday: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Friday: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Friday: 9:00 am - 2:00pm supplemental Gainesville Math Lab Writing Lab instruction Room 114 : Room 111: Monday: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Monday: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm Tuesday: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Tuesday: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm Wednesday: 9:00 am - 6:00 pm Wednesday: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm Thursday: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Thursday: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm Friday: 10:00 am - 2:00 pm Friday: 10:00 am - 2:00 pm • Increased the Bowie Math Lab (Rebecca Graves) Writing Lab (Mary Ann Ewing) number of Monday: 12:30 pm - 2:00pm Thursday TBA Wednesday: 12:30 pm - 2:00pm tutors Graham Math Lab (Ginny Renner) Writing Lab (Nancy Clayborn) Tuesday: 12:30-4:30 pm Tuesday: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm Wednesday: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm

Tutoring and SI

Data collection • Quantitative information has been collected via questionnaires ( Likert scales ). Data analysis is conducted after each semester to determine the impact of the intervention services offered. • Estudias Enterprise/ZogoTech systems, ACCUTRACK, and Check-IN student tracking systems are used to determine services utilized, enrollment and withdrawal information, and course performance. • All QEP Intervention aspects, in each content area, are calculated as 5% of the students’ overall course grade.

Project data Since implementation of the project in Fall 2011: • 3,451 students have been served. • Success rate increase- students earning a “C” or higher in ENGL 1301, HIST 1301 and MATH 1314, has improved 7%. • 30% of Xtreme students completed 5 or more hours of tutoring and 55% had some usage ( combination of face to face, online and Supplemental Instruction ). • 62% of Xtreme students met with an advisor and have an Academic Plan on file. • 88% of Xtreme students completed the Time Management Assignment ( including Structured Support Presentation and Library Resource tour ). • Students who utilize support services ( tutoring and academic advising ) have a 1.8% higher GPA. • 45% increase in the number of associate degrees awarded, and 20% increase in the number of certificates awarded.

Student feedback • “I have to say, the writing center has been a big help; I really liked being one-on-one with the tutors and having their input on any improvements needed on my assignments. Having the writing center available to me was very helpful when revising my papers.” • “Requiring us to go to the writing center has helped me learn that it is okay to reach out for help, and that no one is a perfect writer. I feel that the individual conferences and requiring students to go to the writing center is truly beneficial.” • “Structured Support was a great help during my learning process; I could clarify doubts and fix mistakes in grammar and style, and I improved my scores. In particular, GradeResults was a very useful tool; its tutors are always available and willing to help. I used GradeResults so much that I had to ask for extra time college in order to continue obtaining GradeResults ’ help. As a result, I obtained A - on my first two assignments. Thus, this semester I learned and applied the ways in which discourses are shaped.”

Program highlights • Almost $1M in grant funding for the first three years of the project, allowing for:  Program expansion: 82 sections in Year Three (130 total)  Hired three additional full time advisors  Increased number of tutors, SI leaders, and GradeResults • Student incentives:  380 students utilized the HIST textbook lending program  90 students received a free HIST access code for MyHistoryLab  40 students utilized the calculator lending program for MATH 1314 • Positive college wide changes in the areas of student success, faculty engagement, and student services.