New Jersey Community College Council (NJCCC) English as a Second Language (ESL) Concept Paper Transforming ESL at NJ Community Colleges.

Transcription

1 New Jersey Community College Council (NJCCC) English as a Second Language (ESL) Concept Paper Transforming ESL at NJ Community Colleges January 2013 Eric Friedman, Vice President Academic Affairs Hudson County Community College Maris Lown, Vice President Academic Affairs Union County College 1

2 Table of Contents Introduction...3 Purpose...5 Statement of Key Principles...6 National Initiatives/Models...7 Snapshot of NJCCs credit and non-credit programs...10 Toolkit...13 Action Plan. 16 Resources...17 Appendix - Results of ESL Survey

3 I. Introduction In New Jersey, Credit English and Non Credit English programs for Academic Purposes (EAP) provide wide access to higher education, serving a diverse immigrant population of approximately 10,500 students (9200 Credit EAP and 1300 Non- Credit students) with students from over 150 countries, varied educational backgrounds, and ages from 18 to 70 (NJCCC survey of 13 of 22 colleges). Our English as a Second Language (ESL) students range from those who held low skilled jobs to those who enjoyed professional careers in their countries. Additionally, a large number of students who came to the US as children, and who began their US education in middle school or high school are placement tested into intermediate or advanced levels of ESL. These students have special needs that are served by EAP programs and/or a combination of ESL and Developmental English programs. New Jersey's comprehensive EAP credit programs provide a strong foundation for student success, focusing on improving academic English proficiency while serving students with educational foundations that range from high school through advanced university degrees. They prepare students for college readiness. In general, EAP programs in NJ have four to six levels, from beginning to advanced, with some programs offering only more advanced levels, and ranging from one to three years. The financial aid limitations on the number of semesters for students to complete 2-year and 4-year degrees have become a concern for colleges. The recent decrease from 18 semesters of financial aid to 12 semesters as well as the elimination of lifetime access to financial aid has placed additional pressures on ESL programs. For many of these non-traditional students, financial aid has provided initial access to educational opportunities for ESL students to enter community colleges; however, with current six level models, a student may not be able to complete a two year degree on financial aid depending on acceleration and number of ESL credits. While an argument can be made that students who reach financial aid limitations are able to utilize student loans and other federal programs, they will graduate with the burden of considerable debt. While non-credit options are available, they can be costly. Some have argued that initial access for beginning to advanced ESL students is essential, and advisement is needed to inform students on the financial aid regulations, so they can make their own choices in regards to taking credit or non-credit ESL. While traditional and non-traditional students in EAP programs face the reality that language learning is a time consuming process that requires practice, financial aid limitations are also a reality. Although ESL students complete four to six levels of study, they generally do not receive a credential. In order to recognize the achievement of those students who do not receive traditional degrees, there is a need to develop ladders of completion, which through certificates of achievement and other milestones, will reflect the success of many students who develop their English and cognitive skills to a high level, who become more employable, and who contribute to the economic well-being of NJ. By creating ladders of completion, the progress ESL students are making toward educational and career goals can be more readily identified. An additional need in NJ is the expansion of full time non-credit free programs for students who want to learn English for their life skill and vocational needs. Community colleges offer non-credit programs (workforce and continuing education) that focus on life skills and vocational ESL. However, non-credit 3

4 programs are often limited. A few colleges have free full-time workforce/grant programs for levels ranging from literacy to low advanced, but most colleges have less intense part time workforce and feebased continuing education programs with fewer levels. Students have a wide-range of proficiencies and academic backgrounds (a significant number with low literacy), and many in these programs are not at first seeking an academic credential. However, as they work through the curriculum, many non-credit students become interested in academic programs and seamless transitions to college credit programs should be developed. Graduation rates are a national and state concern and have been the target of legislators, taxpayers, and students. Currently, many community colleges are striving to improve their graduation rates, although statistics often do not take into account the number of students who transfer to other schools before completing a program or degree, those who move into noncredit programs, or those simply stop attending after meeting their personal educational goals. A major goal at this time is to provide access and effective language instruction to the growing number of ESL students, to accelerate instruction, and increase opportunities for completion beyond the traditional AA, AS, AAS degrees. The goals of this report are to provide a toolkit of suggestions that have the potential to enhance and accelerate ESL student language proficiency and to increase graduation rates while maintaining access for ESL students. Suggestions which explore the administrative and instructional commonalities among the colleges so that they can develop the most effective approaches for their institution are also included in this report. Under the leadership of Dr. Friedman and Dr. Lown, this report was developed by a committee of ESL professionals dedicated to the community college mission of access, excellence, and affordability. They embraced this task with energy and a commitment to evidence based change. Representative of our institutions, the committee members included: David Edwards, Middlesex County College Dr. Negar Farakish, Union County College Howard Pomann, Union County College Dr. William Jiang, Bergen County College Patricia Ishill, Union County College Richard Roy, Middlesex County College Nancy Silvestro, Passaic County College Richard Strada, Ocean County College Chris Wahl, Hudson County Community College 4

5 II. Purpose As charged by the Presidents Council, this ESL Concept Paper, Transforming ESL at NJ Community Colleges, provides an overview of ESL programs in NJ, identifies effective national and statewide initiatives/models, and makes recommendations for ESL Education in our community colleges. These recommendations include ESL student identification, teaching and learning strategies, and learning and success outcomes. As part of the study, a survey was conducted of ESL Credit and Non-Credit programs in Community Colleges in NJ. While programs, student population demographics and educational backgrounds vary across the state, there are many common elements among the ESL programs which provide the foundations for the recommendations in this paper. The following concepts guided the development of this paper. a. Identify and recommend strategies for increasing student completion of ESL programs and completion of AA, AS, AAS, Certificates and Certificates Achievement. b. Identify various stages of ESL student completion and recommend additional pathways for ESL students to achieve completion beyond the traditional graduation and transfer definitions. c. Identify and recommend effective approaches for accelerating student completion of ESL programs. d. Identify and recommend additional ways for ESL students to earn college credits while in their ESL programs e. Identify and recommend effective and efficient best practices which will provide ESL students with the skills necessary to acculturate and gain proficiency in English for pursuing and achieving their career/educational goals. f. Identify commonalities among the NJ community college ESL programs and recommend the most effective strategies for program administration, testing, and teaching and learning. g. Identify and recommend effective national initiatives/models. 5

6 III. Statement of Key Principles The Academic Officers at the nineteen community colleges in New Jersey: agree that every initiative must start with the student and be connected to learning outcomes; are committed to using a data-driven process, using, as one measure of common effort, the information provided in the Student Success Model; agree that all initiatives related to transforming ESL education should be carefully measured for student outcomes and the results widely shared; are committed to improving pedagogy related to ESL education; are committed to mainstreaming strategies whenever possible; recognize that each institution has the right to offer curricula and support programs that meet the unique needs of its student body and agree that there is no mandatory model for the state; commit to institution-specific efforts to improve programs and pedagogy related to ESL education; value a process of inclusion; and will make recommendations to the Council of County Colleges and the presidents of the colleges for transforming ESL education. 6

7 IV. National Initiatives/Models Introduction EAP credit programs and non-credit programs at community colleges in NJ nationwide reflect the diversity of programs nationwide with most EAP programs in NJ having 4-6 levels and a wide variety of non-credit programs to serve the ESL population. The structure of the programs within each state is related to funding formulas for credit and non-credit programs. Some states have much larger free or lowfee full time non-credit programs in addition to their EAP programs. According to the CAAL Research, non-credit ESL is almost always provided at no charge and is supported by federal and state adult education funding. The primary focus of the curriculum is usually on life skills English. Most colleges do not receive enough funding to serve all the students who wish to enroll in life skills ESL classes. The predominant professional organization related to the ESL profession TESOL (Teachers of English as a Second Language) recognizes several issues related to ESL education. Among these is the recognition that placement assessment is important, yet there is not a single instrument that can accurately place students with varying academic and linguistic proficiency backgrounds. Much of the literature recommends establishing multiple measures to effectively place students. The organization also recognizes that what happens in ESL classrooms is more akin to a combination of language arts and upper level foreign language classes than a developmental or remedial class, and that institutions should consider granting credit toward graduation to students who successfully complete an EAP program. Additionally, TESOL posits that English language learners acquire language at varying rates. Institutions that understand this variance can expect greater student success and completion rates. A summary of selected specific national initiatives follows: Acceleration a. Miami Dade College - Since 2009, MDC has successfully implemented Project ACE, which combines Levels 3-4 and Level 5-6 in its ESL program. The accelerated ACE program focuses on English for Academic Purposes (EAP). The Level 5/6 course is taught as a learning community of 12 hours of ESL (6 hours reading and writing and 6 hours grammar, listening, and speaking) and is paired with a 3 credit Psychology course and a 1 credit Library Research course for a total of 16 hours. The curricula for ESL classes integrate a developed academic corpus related to Psychology and other areas into the ESL reading, writing, grammar, listening, and speaking courses. The Level 3/4 course is taught as a learning community with 8 hours reading and writing and 8 hours of grammar, speaking, and listening, including a Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) lab. Recruitment for the accelerated courses focuses on students who have attended university/taken some university credits in their countries and students who have demonstrated the ability to accelerate in their classes. Students in the program receive integrated academic counseling services. The results of the program have been strong. 7

8 b. Community College of Baltimore County, Accelerated Learning Program, has a nationallyrecognized model for developmental English in which a group of 8 students in an upper-level pre-college class joins 12 program-ready students in a college composition class. The 8 pre-college students are concurrently enrolled in a developmental class taught by the same faculty member as the composition class. CCBC is exploring this model for use with ESL students. This initiative has gained traction at other institutions. c. The STELLAR Program at University of Minnesota Morris is an intensive summer program designed to acclimate international students to the expectations of a western university. This could be a model for an ESL summer bridge program. d. The study CAAL Research on ESL programs at Community Colleges (2004) indicates that student progress is enhanced in non-credit ESL programs through high intensity programs of hours. Increased College Completion with Outcomes Related to CCs Mission a. Integration of Skills Training (IBEST), predominant in the west and south, consists of a series of integrated ESL and college-level occupational classes. These programs are designed to provide opportunities for ESL and basic skills students to benefit from postsecondary occupational education and earn a credential. Students who complete IBEST programs can move directly into college-level coursework. b. Stackable certificates are increasingly popular in states like Ohio, California (Skyline College), and Massachusetts. These are workforce development programs with easy on-and-off-ramps. There is seamless articulation between noncredit and credit programs. y.php c. Specified tracks (i.e. ESL for the health sciences, social sciences, or business) Outcomes for ESL Completion a. The Florida EAP Consortium is a group of Community Colleges who are developing consistent completion outcomes for Florida CCs. b. Credentialing ESL students: The University of Findlay (Ohio) grants degrees in English as an International Language (ENIN). Credits in upper-level ESL classes count toward graduation for both ENIN and other undergraduate programs. It should be noted that the vast majority of students are international students who do not plan to stay in the United States after graduation. default.htm 8

9 Learning Communities and paired courses Studies of credit programs at LaGuardia Community College in New York, Seattle Central Community College and Kingsborough Community College indicate that students in learning communities have higher pass rates in their paired content and ESL courses, and demonstrate strong student persistence to the next year. ESL Composition 1 and Credit for advanced ESL courses a. The Conference on College Composition Position Statement on Second Language Writing and Writers states that ESL Comp 1 should be offered and foreign language credit be given to prerequisite ESL courses: The Second language sections of first-year composition courses should be offered for credit that satisfies the college s or university s writing requirement. Second language writing courses prerequisite to required composition courses should be offered for credit that can be used toward satisfying the foreign-language requirement and should receive the same credit accorded other prerequisite composition courses. This position paper also specifies the special placement and pedagogy needs for ESL students in composition courses. b. Many ESL students who first came to the United States in elementary, middle school and high school are fluent in English, but have not fully developed academic literacy in their native language. At the same time, these Generation 1.5 students demonstrate many of the characteristics of traditional ESL students. Successful programs for these students include special criteria for identification and placement of these students, special reading/writing classes for these students that include development of academic literacy, grammar knowledge, and editing skills, which are different that traditional ESL or Developmental approaches. Support Services a. ESL Student Success courses are being developed in several colleges, based on positive results of Student Success courses designed specifically for Developmental students. b. Dedicated ESL tutoring, advising, or other support services are offered at many colleges. 9

10 V. Snapshot of New Jersey Community College ESL Programs Credit Programs 1. Program enrollment, completion, faculty, levels, and entrance proficiency level a. Programs range from 4 to 1900 students Fall 2011 b. ESL completions for FY ( ) ranged from c. The total number of faculty range from 1 to 83, with F/T faculty ranging from d. The number of levels ranges from 2-7 with most programs having 4-6 levels. e. The number of credits per level averages 12 credits per level. f. Entrance proficiency levels range from beginning to high intermediate, with most programs starting at the beginning level. 2. Placement Testing at NJ CCs a. Most colleges have a specific set of questions either on the admissions application or at the time of placement which are given to determine if a student is required to take the ESL Placement test. At some colleges, students self-identify. b. All colleges require students who went to K-12 or university in non-english speaking countries to take the ESL placement test. Students who came to the United States while in K-12 are also required to take the ESL placement test if the student came to the US during high school. Some colleges additionally require students who came while in middle school to take the exam or be interviewed. Identification of ESL needs All of the colleges have a series of questions to identify ESL students that address issues such as: - Is English your native language? - Did you go to middle school in the United States? - Did you go to high school in the United States? c. EAP programs utilize 3 kinds of tests to determine the placement of students in ESL or non-esl programs: the ESL Accuplacer, Compass, and In-house tests. d. Nearly all programs administer an essay and reading portion, with most also including a grammar test. Additionally, some programs include listening and speaking. e. Placement essays are scored by ESL faculty. Two colleges utilize faculty review of Writeplacer ESL computer scoring. 10

11 3. Outcomes Criteria for Completion a. Multiple criteria are used by most EAP programs for students to pass onto English Comp I with no restriction on credit level courses. These criteria include departmental finals, departmental holistic writing exams, course essays, portfolios, and portions of the ESL Accuplacer with one program utilizing regular Accuplacer. b. After completing the EAP programs, students in most programs continue onto English Comp I, and to credit courses with no restrictions. At a few colleges, students may need to go into Developmental Reading and/or Writing. c. In several programs, students go into English Comp 1 course taught by ESL faculty. At one institution students go into a 2 semester English Comp 1 course taught by ESL faculty. d. Three programs provided outcomes data; the data indicated that ESL completers do well in their subsequent English and credit level courses. 4. Content Credit Courses, Learning Communities, and Generation 1.5 a. Students in all programs can take content area non-credit and credit while in ESL courses. The most common courses are in the areas of mathematics, computer science, administrative support, and engineering at the appropriate levels. b. Courses such as Psychology, Sociology, and Business are often taught in paired courses/ learning communities linking an ESL reading/writing courses to the content area courses at the upper levels. Some other paired courses/learning communities include an ESL Allied Health LC for advanced level students linked to a non-credit Anatomy and Physiology course, and an ESL English Composition I course linked to a College Success and a Library course. c. EAP programs have implemented various specialized courses for Generation 1.5 students, with some coordinated with developmental English. 5. Credit for ESL Courses Three EAP programs offer credit for the completion of program, but these courses may not satisfy general education requirements. Giving foreign language credit for completion of ESL course sequence recognizes the high level of achievement that the students have achieved in a second language, and provides students with credits towards completion and graduation. 11

12 Table 1 Common elements of an informal survey of the five largest community college credit EAP programs: Bergen CC, Hudson CC, Middlesex CC, Passaic CC, and Union CC Community colleges (by #levels) CC1 CC2 CC3 CC4 CC5 # of levels Hours per level Identification of ESL students on application or Y Y Y Y Y at placement through questions Years of schooling in the US to be required to 6 years 6Y 4Y 2Y 5Y take the ESL placement test Accuplacer or In- House Placement Test AC IH AC IH AC Scoring of ESL Placement Essay by Faculty (F) F F F F C or by Computer (C) After completion of ESL, go to Credit English CR CR 2 sem. CR and CR CR Comp I and/or Developmental Eng. Comp1 DEV Learning Communities Y Y Y Y Y Non-credit programs P/T F/T P/T P/T P/T Workforce (free)(wf), Cont ed (fee) WF, CE WF, CE CE CE CE Non-Credit Programs Community colleges offer non-credit programs (workforce and continuing education) that focus on life skills and vocational ESL. Response to the surveys was limited for noncredit programs. Most colleges indicated that they had some ESL workforce or continuing education courses. Four colleges indicated that they had workforce programs, which were 24 weeks or more, averaging 4-6 hours a week. One college indicated that they had an intensive full time workforce program with hours of instruction with levels ranging from low literacy to low advanced. Continuing education programs usually offer ESL courses a few hours a week and also provide ESL courses to business and industries. These programs are usually fee-based. The total number of students in each noncredit program range in size from 10 to 700, with two colleges serving over 300+ students and another serving approximately 700 students. For workforce programs, the TABE class E, holistic essays are generally utilized to place students into programs and measure progress. Overall, the non-credit programs are serving a limited number of students and levels. 12

13 VI. Suggestions for an ESL Toolkit The focus of the Toolkit is to offer a flexible framework within which our institutions can increase program completion rates and college graduation rates. ESL programs vary throughout the state depending on size and populations, and the toolkit reflects a number of suggestions that can help individual institutions, depending on the size and needs of their ESL students, to best serve their ESL students. 1. Identification of Students and Placement a. Develop a specific set of questions to be utilized statewide to identify ESL students. b. Recommend a range of years of schooling in the US for which HS students are required to take the ESL placement test. c. Review ESL Accuplacer, COMPASS, and other ESL Placement tests and make a recommendation for reliable ESL placement testing across the state. d. Develop common online modules for placement test preparation 2. Acceleration Through Programs a. Revise curricula to offer high intensity programs. b. Revise curricula to offer combined levels for those students who can accelerate, similar to the Miami Dade ACE program. c. Develop and implement intensive boot camp programs for upper level students d. Increase the number of paired courses/learning communities 3. Language Learning Strategies Curriculum Revisions a. Revise curricula to offer integrated/combined skill courses (i.e. Reading and Writing). b. Expand models for Generation 1.5 students, in which specialized ESL courses are offered in conjunction with Developmental courses. c. Offer specific English Comp I credit courses for ESL students that are taught by ESL trained faculty. d. Integrate technology and training for faculty and students in strategies for effective Computer Assisted Language Learning. 13

14 4. Support Services Counseling and Tutoring a. Review successful student support models to provide ESL tutoring in all language skill areas. b. Review successful student support models to provide dedicated ESL counseling services, especially in transitioning students from their careers in their countries to the associated academic programs/degrees at the colleges. c. Review models of advisement that inform students about the financial aid regulations and assist them in regards to their choice to take credit or non-credit courses (when the option is viable and available). 5. Alternative Paths to Completion a. Investigate a proposal to award foreign language or elective credits for completing ESL programs, helping with credits towards graduation or transfer. b. Develop Certificates of Achievement (CA) in various content areas (i.e. Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management- 15 credits) in which advanced ESL students can take the required CA content courses along with their ESL courses. Students could earn a CA while in their EAP program or soon after completing their programs. Certificates of Achievement do not require general education courses. They provide an intermediary step in students education. The CA prepares students to find immediate employment and at the same time provides incentive to pursue a degree. c. Develop a Certificate of Achievement (in ESL and General Studies) for students who complete an EAP program plus 12 credits of general education courses. This certificate could be: 18 credits (6 credits foreign language + 12 Gen Ed. courses). This Certificate recognizes students accomplishment and provides motivation to pursue a degree. d. Develop pathways for advanced level EAP students to go into a workforce vocational training program, similar to the I-BEST model. This will enable students to enter the workforce more rapidly with a recognized credential. VII. Outcomes Outcomes are measurable statements that provide an approach to evaluating the success of any effort. The following outcomes reflect specific criteria by which our colleges can judge how well we are performing within the parameters described in this paper. In keeping with our toolkit approach, they offer flexibility and choice. 1. Develop statewide common multi-criteria outcomes for the highest level of ESL for all programs which lead directly into College Comp I and other college-level coursework (without a path 14

15 through developmental coursework). Thus, a student completing a program at one CC would be recognized at other CCs. 2. Develop a common IR framework for counting students in the following categories: a. Students in ESL program b. Numbers of completers c. Progress of students who have completed ESL programs 3. Develop no cost full time non-credit programs for the lowest level of ESL courses. 4. Increase the number of students in certificate programs. 5. Increase the percentage of students who accelerate through the ESL program. 6. Increase the number of students who complete the ESL sequence/program. 7. Increase the number of students who complete English composition I. 8. Increase the number of college credits students earn during the ESL sequence/program. 9. Increase the graduation rates of ESL students. 15

16 Transforming ESL Education Action Plan, Based on the research and insights offered in this paper, the following recommendations for transforming ESL education, as approved by the Academic Officers at their January 2013 meeting, are presented to the Presidents of the Council of County Colleges. Sector wide changes in ESL education that are based on research, have the potential to transform our ESL programs and improve graduation rates. 1. Develop a sector toolkit of alternatives for ESL programs by establishing several ESL models (levels and credits) for use by our institutions depending on ESL population. A summit will be scheduled to initiate this effort. 2. Establish a common assessment test tool and cutoff score for ESL placement. 3. Develop statewide common multi-criteria outcomes for the highest level of ESL which would lead directly into English 101 and other college-level coursework (without a path through developmental coursework). 4. Identify college courses that students may take during each level in the ESL sequence. 5. Develop a common IR framework that will track the number of students who: a. complete each ESL level b. complete accelerated ESL courses c. complete the ESL Program d. achieve success in English Recommend approaches to no cost full time non-credit programs for the lowest level of ESL courses. 7. Analyze the pros and cons of offering certificates of completion, including offering the ESL program as a certificate program. 8. Emphasize professional development for full time and adjunct faculty teaching ESL courses through face to face efforts and through online modules. 9. Send ESL faculty and faculty who teach in gateway general education courses to the ESL Summit. 10. Collaborate with the sector ESL group. 16

17 Resources TESOL Position Statements Position Statement on the Acquisition of Academic Proficiency in English at the Postsecondary Level Acceleration Miami Dade College Community College of Baltimore County STELLAR Program at University of Minnesota Morris CAAL Research on ESL programs at Community Colleges College Completion Integration of Skills Training IBEST Stackable certificates in states like Ohio, California (Skyline College), and Massachusetts y.php Aligning Completion Outcomes The Florida EAP Consortium Credentialing ESL students: The University of Findlay (Ohio) grants degrees in English as an International Language (ENIN) default.htm Language Learning Strategies Learning Communities and paired courses ESL Composition 1 and Credit for advanced ESL courses Generation

18 Appendix Results of the ESL Survey Summary of Data - NJCCC Survey of ESL Programs (04/09/12) CREDIT ESL PROGRAMS Q1. How many students were in credit programs for 2011? #students #colleges 5 2 `2 1 `2 Q2. How many students completed the credit programs FY ( ) #completers # colleges Q3a. How many total faculty (full time and part-time faculty) in ESL programs? #total faculty # colleges Q3b. How many full time faculty in credit programs? #total faculty NR # colleges Q4. How many levels of instruction? #levels NR # colleges Q5. What is the entrance proficiency level? #levels NR beginning Low- Int. High Int # colleges Q6. Who needs to take the ESL placement test? Requirement for Schooling in a non English ESL Test speaking country including F-1 Visa students Entered US in HS (and may have taken ESL classes in HS) Entered US 7 th grade or later. # colleges Q7. Is there a set of questions on application or at placement testing? Admissions Self - Identify Screened by testing Set of questions process # colleges Q8. What ESL Placement Tests is administered? ESL Test ESL Accuplacer In house essay + ESL Accuplacer COMPASS CELT In-house essay and test # colleges Q10. How are essays scored by faculty or computer? Scoring of Essays Faculty Computer with faculty review # colleges

19 Q13. What are the requirements to complete the ESL program in your institution? Requirements to complete Pass upper level courses Passing score on departmental exit tests Passing score on departmental exit tests and course grade 19 Pass ESL courses and take regular Accuplacer # colleges Q14. What criteria are used to pass the highest level courses? Combination of the following: What criteria Holistic Departmental Course Portfolios Standarized Tests essay finals Essays # colleges Q15. When students complete your program where do they enroll? After Completion College Comp 1 College Comp 1 for former ESL students Credit Courses Dev. Writing Dev. Reading # colleges Dev. R & W for ESL Q17. Which college level courses can ESL students take while in ESL? Students in all programs can take content area non-credit and credit while in ESL courses. The most common courses are in the areas of mathematics, computer science, administrative support, engineering at the appropriate levels. Q18. Does your program offer paired courses and/or learning community courses for ESL students. Yes 5 No 7 Courses such as Psychology, Sociology and Business are often taught in learning communities linking an ESL reading/writing courses to the content area courses at the upper levels. Some other learning communities include an ESL Allied Health LC for advanced level students linked to a non-credit Anatomy Physiology course, and an ESL English Composition 1 course linked to a College Success and a Library course. Q19. Does your program provide opportunities for students to accelerate through the program? Y 6 N 4 Q20. What courses do you have specifically for Generation 1.5 students (Generally defined as immigrant students who attended public school in the US). Y 4 N 6 EAP programs have implemented various specialized courses for Generation 1.5 students, with some coordinated with developmental English. Q21. Does your institution give credit towards graduation for ESL courses Yes 3 No 9 Three EAP programs offer credit for the completion of program, but these courses may not be approved general education classes Q24. Do you have statistics on any of the following student success outcomes 2010/2011. Mark all that apply? Colleges have stats, but not for 2010/2011? 3 colleges indicated having outcomes statistics Q25. Describe any support services. These are dedicated support services in addition to or in conjunction with regular support services. Type of support ESL Writing center ESL Tutoring Center or part of college tutoring center ESL Conversation groups ESL Computer Assisted Language Lab (CALL) ESL Advisement Staff # Colleges

20 NON CREDIT ESL PROGRAMS Q 26. How many levels of instruction? #levels None # colleges Q27. What is the entrance proficiency level? entry level Literacy 1 beginning zero level # colleges 3 5 Q28a. Do you have non-credit: continuing education, workforce development or other ESL programs Kind of program none workforce and cont. ed cont. ed. Yes, but no info # colleges Q28b. Hours a week Hours a week 4-5 hours 6 hours did not report hours # colleges Q29. How many students were in non-credit ESL programs for 2011? #students `1 1 `1 Q32. What are the requirements to complete the non-credit ESL program in your institution? 2 colleges -TABE Class-E, 1 college Holistic evaluation by the instructor Q33. What criteria are used for passing highest level courses 2 colleges TABE Class E, other colleges final exams, holistic essays or journals Q34. Does your program provide opportunities for students to accelerate through the program? 2- colleges students can skip based on level and on test scores Q38. Do you have statistics on any of the following student success outcomes 2010/2011. Mark all that apply. 3 colleges indicated having outcomes statistics on the number/percentage of students completing levels. Q39. Describe any support services. These are dedicated support services in addition to or in conjunction with regular support services. The following support services were indicated at some of the colleges: job developer, recruiters, peer mentors, literacy volunteers, conversation groups, guest speakers, annual commencement awards assembly, and international festivals