2013 Annual Report Summary NE The mission of the Ohio College Tech Prep Regional Centers is to support the facilitation of state-approved Tech Prep/ Programs of Study by facilitating curriculum alignment and bilateral articulation agreement development work. The Ohio College Tech Prep Regional Centers also assist in the assessment of college readiness for secondary College Tech Prep students and in interventions to aid assessed students in attaining college-ready standards. SW NW C SE EC Vision Overview The initiative s primary activities and purposes are reflected in the College Tech Prep Vision: A program plan of coursework and learning opportunities that spans at least 9 through 14. High-level academics (e.g., Ohio s core graduation requirements) that lead to non-remedial preparation for post-secondary study. 21st century skill development. Knowledge and skill development that Ohio s business/industry wants and needs. Work-based learning. Valid and reliable assessment. Eligibility for seamless, nonduplicative post-secondary study. Transcripted post-secondary credit for college-level academic/technical coursework done while in high school. Industry-recognized technical credentials that can be applied to post-secondary study leading to degrees and/or additional credentials. College Tech Prep is a national educational reform that began in 1990 through the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Act, a federally funded program. Launched in Ohio in 1991, College Tech Prep represents a high school through college program with a seamless, rigorous sequence of academic and technical coursework culminating in postsecondary degrees and/or industry recognized credentials that support workforce pipelines for the 21st century economy. Responding to the elimination of federal funding for College Tech Prep as of June 30, 2011, Ohio s College Tech Prep initiative restructured from 23 consortia to six broad regions. These six Ohio College Tech Prep Regional Centers support the program goals of: High school to college pathways (Programs of Study) Alignment of curricula and better articulation between education levels Reducing the need for remediation at the college level The Regional Centers have had a successful and productive two years of operation since their inception in 2011. The following provides a snapshot of best practices that have emerged from their work.
Funding In the former 23 Tech Prep consortia structure, Ohio received on average $4 million in federal funds and a match of $4 million in state funds. The distribution of funds was determined by size of the consortia small, medium or large based on student enrollment in Tech Prep programs with a percentage assigned to the three sizes. When federal funding was eliminated, the state match, which had been reduced through the years to $2.8 million, was awarded directly to the College Tech Prep Regional Centers via formula. Since the Regional Centers encompassed perfectly all 23 consortia, the size percentage from the former consortia structure was totaled and awarded to the appropriate Regional Center. A separate state line-item for roughly $260,000 in FY12 and FY13 also allowed for Tech Prep Support Funds and was evenly awarded among the six College Tech Prep Regional Centers. Contacts Central Tom Kluding North Central State College 419.755.5659 tkluding@ncstatecollege.edu East Central Kelly Herold The University of Akron 330.972.8832 kherold@uakron.edu Northeast Rebecca Wyatt Cuyahoga Community College 216.987.6133 Rebecca.wyatt@tri-c.edu Northwest Nancy Pietras The University of Toledo 419.530.7229 nancy.pietras@utoledo.edu Southeast Gary Williams Washington State Community College 740.374.8716 ext. 1875 gwilliams@wscc.edu Southwest (FY12-13) Karen Blocher (FY14-15) Terry Benedict Cincinnati State Technical and Community College 513.218.1350 terry.benedict@cincinnatistate.edu Best Practices In FY13, the Northwest Tech Prep Center focused on improving the rate of Northwest Ohio high school students meeting the benchmark goals for college readiness as established by ACT: COMPASS in math, reading and writing. The Regional Center became an ACT:COMPASS Assessment Center; created an internal system for secondary and postsecondary partners; assigned a go-to COMPASS Regional Center staff member; and created a plethora of web-based resources at www.techprepnwo.org. Student progress revealed a 15 percent region-wide increase in college-readiness, specifically when junior assessment results were used as a counseling tool for students. The Southwest Tech Prep Center continued to refine access to data contained in the regional articulation database. In FY14, two tools are set to be launched in the Cincinnati area: a searchable database that includes images of signed articulation agreements for students, parents and schools, and a secure portal that provides access to data and reporting functions to stakeholders. For more information, visit www.techprepswohio.org/articulation. An analysis of the bilateral articulation process by the Central Tech Prep Center prompted the implementation of an electronic signature process to more easily facilitate the signing and tracking of bilateral articulation agreements as well as CTE-26/Program of Study submissions in January 2013. DocuSign allows the Regional Center to efficiently manage and track documents through the secondary to postsecondary process, reducing the process time from weeks to hours. Through collaboration with ideastream /WVIZ PBS and 90.3 WCPN, The Northeast Tech Prep Center produced a series of Tech Prep video segments targeted to middle school and early high school students, as well as families and caregivers, to encourage young people to consider Tech Prep programs. Each of the 16 Tech Prep career fields is highlighted, as well as an overview video presenting the advantages of a Tech Prep education. To view the videos, visit: www.techprepnecenter.com/center/students-parents/career-fieldsprograms. A regional electronic Request for Articulation (RAF) system was an instrumental tool used by the East Central Tech Prep Center, allowing the region s four higher education partners to provide more than eleven hundred articulation agreements to 116 secondary partners in the ten-county region. Using the online system, local schools entered articulation requests one time, while the Regional Center disseminated requests and pertinent program information to all the higher education partners in the region. The Southeast Tech Prep Center partnered with Washington State Community College and Center for Student Success to bring local and regional K-12 and postsecondary math educators and administrators together for a Math Summit in FY13. The purpose of the Summit was to start a dialogue and look at best practices in helping to reduce the number of high school students that need to take developmental math classes in college. Collaborating partners included TRIO programs and Race to the Top. The Summit resulted in a better understanding of the goals, challenges and expectations of high schools and colleges.
2013 Annual Report Summary Northwest Regional Center The Northwest Ohio College Tech Prep Regional Center provides services to all secondary career-technical centers and public community colleges and universities in the region. A central office is located at The University of Toledo and five staffed satellite offices are located at Clark State Community College, Northwest State Community College, Owens Community College, Rhodes State College and Terra Community College. Best Practice Historically, Northwest Ohio high school students have not met the designated benchmark goals for college readiness as established by ACT: COMPASS in math, reading and writing. Therefore, the Northwest Regional Center focused on this issue in FY13 implementing the following action steps: Assigned a go-to staff member to coordinate the Regional Center COMPASS efforts; Became an ACT:COMPASS Assessment Center and created an internal system for secondary and postsecondary partners; and Created a plethora of web-based resources at techprepnwo.org. Student scores were tracked by program level for each Career Technical Planning District, specifically tracking the progress of the Class of 2013 from junior assessment to senior exit assessment. Results included: An increased use of junior assessment as a counseling tool; A significant increase in scores if the school utilized the assessment as a counseling tool; Region-wide, a 15 percent increase in college readiness; and Drastic increases in the number of college-ready students when the program instructor had students utilize the online Student COMPASS preparation resource. FY 2013 Performance Review In the last year, the Northwest Regional Center aided secondary partners in renewing their career technical programs and assisted postsecondary partners with revising their Programs of Study. Multiple meetings were held with secondary and postsecondary partners to review agreements for articulated and/or transcripted credit and create new agreements for credit. In addition, the Regional Center facilitated (CT) 2 certification workshops for eligible secondary and postsecondary programs. The Regional Center increased communication in multiple ways in FY13. First, the Regional Center developed the bi-monthly Quick Bytes Newsletter for stakeholders, distributing a total of 15 issues. The Regional Center staff also partnered with the Race to the Top Initiative to produce a college assessment brochure that provides tips for testing, including the importance of testing. Another partnership included High Schools That Work in hosting six professional development workshops for teachers and administrators. Finally, The Regional Center website, www.techprepnwo.org, was significantly updated to include events, information and resources for educators, students and parents. Programs of Study & Bilateral Articulation Agreements The Regional Center hosted 28 Programs of Study and bilateral articulation agreement meetings between secondary and postsecondary partners in FY13 and updated 317 Programs of Study for postsecondary partners that were created or reviewed for articulation agreements or dual enrollment opportunities and based on college majors. The chart on the next page displays the breakdown of this work.
Looking Ahead For FY14, The Northwest Regional Center is committed to gaining approval for all current high school and college programs/majors that qualify for (CT) 2 opportunities. To meet this goal, an inventory has been compiled of programs that have not yet completed the requirements to become (CT) 2 approved. The Northwest Regional Center will also focus on sustainability of services for the future. The original Greater Northwest Ohio Tech Prep Consortium still has a governing board and continues to meet each year to award nearly $17M in grants focused on similar goals to the Regional Center. In addition, many postsecondary partners have committed three percent of their Perkins funds to support secondary student college-ready initiatives. Additional strategies and partners will continue to be examined moving forward. Finally, the Northwest Regional Center will continue its 12-year partnership with High Schools That Work to provide professional development for Center staff. The Regional Center is also involved in two Race to the Top grants: HS-PS Curriculum Alignment with a focus on the alignment of English and math to reduce remediation rates. Contact Nancy Pietras, Chief Administrator The University of Toledo 2801 West Bancroft MS462 Toledo, OH 43606 419.530.7229 nancy.pietras@utoledo.edu (CT) 2 Initiatives College Partner Programs of Study In addition to bilateral Rhodes State 18 articulation agreement credit opportunities, the University of 6 Northwestern Ohio Regional Center strived in FY13 to provide further college credit opportunities for students in the region by facilitating (CT) 2 approvals Owens Community College University of Toledo Lourdes University 82 38 18 for all secondary and Davis College 1 postsecondary programs Northwest State 58 that were eligible. Eight Community College workshops were held throughout the region Terra Community 44 College to assist postsecondary and secondary partners BGSU-Firelands Campus 9 in completing the (CT) 2 Edison State 12 application process. A total of 134 out of the Clark State TOTAL 31 317 164 eligible program applications were submitted. Of those eligible, 130 or 79.3% were submitted and are either approved, waiting for approval or waiting for revisions. College Readiness and Assessment In 2011, the Northwest Ohio Tech Prep Regional Center established an ACT: COMPASS testing site to provide college-readiness assessments to its secondary partners. The data suggests that nearly 9,000 students, representing 16 secondary districts and charter schools, were tested in FY13. To supplement the assessment, a COMPASS Resource workshop was developed to assist teachers in using a variety of online resources to support student success. In addition, a revised User s Guide was developed to extract district data from the COMPASS site so that secondary partners could access student testing data and sort and report to fit district needs. A system was also developed for postsecondary partners to provide direct, secure access to the COMPASS site for student college-ready scores. The following chart displays the overall Northwest Regional Center data for college readiness: Number of Students tested % college ready % remedial in math % remedial in ELA % remedial in both Math and ELA 3897 Juniors 3.5% 95.6% 38.5% 96.5% 4611 Seniors 7.9% 90.5% 37.2% 92.1%
2013 Annual Report Summary Southwest Regional Center The Southwest Ohio Tech Prep Regional Center serves 16 secondary career-technical centers and nine public community colleges and universities in a diverse 15-county area. The region is divided into three sub-regions; Ohio South (Portsmouth), Greater Cincinnati and Miami Valley (Dayton). This structure allows each to address local needs while still promoting regional goals. Best Practice In FY13, the Southwest Regional Center continued to refine access to data contained in the regional articulation database through a planning effort to launch two pilot tools in FY14. Set to be launched at the beginning of next school year in the Cincinnati area, are two tools: a searchable database including images of signed articulation agreements and a secure portal providing access to data and reporting functions. Using a link published on the Regional Center website, parents, students and school partners will able to input school and program information and download scanned copies of individual articulation agreements. Agreements can be printed or stored and access is open and unlimited. In addition to providing more access and information to parents and students, each secondary and postsecondary partner will be provided a unique code that opens portal access to proprietary articulation data, where they can access data to generate reports. The launch will include targeted communication and teacher training. User feedback will also be collected and considered to enhance the tools for regional implementation. FY 2013 Performance Review The Southwest Ohio Regional Center is organized to preserve and expand existing relationships while collectively promoting regional goals related to college credit articulation agreements (bi-lateral and statewide), Programs of Study, college readiness and transition services. In FY13, the Regional Center facilitated 48 curriculum alignment meetings that included participation from 570 secondary and postsecondary staff, as well as hosted numerous professional development opportunities that reached 549 teachers, guidance counselors and administrators. Programs of Study & Bilateral Articulation Agreements While a majority of the Southwest Region s career-technical education (CTE) programs transitioned to Tech Prep during FY12, the Regional Center focused FY13 on identification and transition of remaining programs. In many instances, stand-alone or satellite programs required enhanced support. There was also significant activity in supporting new program start-up and expanding articulation opportunities for established programs. SW Tech Prep Region Programs of Study/Articulation Agreement Data CTE-26 New Programs CTE-26 Transition to Tech Prep Articulation Only TOTAL Cincinnati 31 42 35 108 Miami Valley 15 91 0 106 Ohio South 3 29 6 38 TOTAL 49 162 41 252 Dual Enrollment Miami Valley continued to expand its dual enrollment opportunities through secondary and postsecondary collaboration and an online For more information, visit: www.techprepswohio.org/articulation
Looking Ahead The Southwest Regional Center activities for FY14 will primarily reflect the goals and deliverables of the grant. To carry out this work, the Regional Center has identified four intertwined, overarching strategies: 1. Collaborate with lead economic/ workforce development initiatives to identify points of common interest for partnerships. Likewise, forge new relationships with apprenticeship, adult workforce and certificate programs that can expand postsecondary training options for students. 2. Continue to use the sub-regional secondary and postsecondary pathway committee structures to update existing Program of Study/ articulation agreements and add additional postsecondary options. 3. Create a comprehensive regional model for professional development, expanded postsecondary options and enhanced business partnerships to transition secondary careertechnical education content standards to a new course format. This model will be used over a twoyear period to transition one-third of career tech standards to this new structure. 4. Extract data from the Southwest Region Tech Prep database for needs assessment, program verification and reporting. The Regional Center will draw on the database to create a vehicle to store, map and communicate various combinations of secondary courses and postsecondary options. In addition to addressing the state Tech Prep goals, the Southwest Regional Center will continue to focus on improving the processes and tools for successfully transitioning secondary Tech Prep students to college with the full complement of college credits earned while in high school. Contact (FY12-13) Karen Blocher, Chief Administrator (FY14-15) Terry Benedict, Chief Administrator Cincinnati State Technical and Community College 3520 Central Parkway Cincinnati, OH 45223-2690 513-218-1350 terry.benedict@cincinnatistate.edu test-out system. In FY13, approximately 9,000 college credits were awarded to Tech Prep students 80% in technical areas and 20% in academic areas. Greater Cincinnati worked with Cincinnati State, University of Cincinnati and Miami University Regionals to align curriculum and standardize credit transfer policies in FY13. Development of course outlines, rubrics and teacher interaction is underway for 18 Cincinnati State courses, while Miami University implemented a fee waiver and credit by examination policy for all Tech Prep articulation. The Colleges continue to collaborate with high schools to create transition tools to communicate opportunities and requirements. Ohio South developed online testing protocols for several high school business courses to supplement the college credit processes for the engineering pathways with its Shawnee State University partner in FY13. Career-Technical Transfer (CT) 2 Greater Cincinnati continued to incorporate (CT) 2 professional development into pathway meetings in collaboration with the Southwest (CT) 2 coordinator in FY13. In next steps, processes will be established on all campuses to transfer credit and communicate opportunities. Miami Valley added (CT) 2 student application processing to its system for transcription of test-out credit with over 700 credits to be processed in FY13. Ohio South s partner, Shawnee State University, developed an internal process for accepting and transcripting credit in FY1. In FY13, all regional college partners also successfully transitioned (CT) 2 courses to the semester course format. College Readiness and Assessment Testing As a secondary priority, the Southwest Regional Center was actively engaged in both college readiness testing and intervention initiatives in FY13. College Readiness Testing (COMPASS, Accuplacer) Cincinnati 2400 Miami Valley 2600 Ohio South 650 Intervention TOTAL 5650 (Juniors & Seniors) Ohio South: In FY13, two career centers served as sites for the implementation of a math remediation intervention pilot embedded into senior level math classes using the ALEX math remediation software program. ALEX is used as an intervention tool by the Shawnee State University. Through collaboration with the College, the intent of the project is to move the intervention down to the high school level so that students enter college academically prepared. Miami Valley: Through its Higher Education Alignment Grant, eight pilot schools participated in an intervention initiative that embedded college readiness content into senior level math and English courses for students with identified deficiencies. Results in FY13 showed that attaining college ready status in reading increased from 48% to 77%; writing increased from 24 % to 65%; and math increased 40% to 68%. Greater Cincinnati: The sub-region continued to support the use of Advancer+ math remediation software as a tool for integration into senior level math classes in FY13. The sub-region supported the student unit costs and teacher professional development activites.
2013 Annual Report Summary Central Regional Center The Central Ohio College Tech Prep Regional Center provides services to all secondary career-technical centers and public community colleges and universities in the region. Best Practice An analysis of the bilateral articulation process by the Central Regional Center revealed that a significant amount of time and resources was being spent to obtain required postsecondary and secondary signatures. The Central Regional Center, therefore, conducted a study and implemented an electronic signature process to more easily facilitate the signing and tracking of bilateral articulation agreements as well as CTE-26/Program of Study submission in January 2013. The chosen vendor, DocuSign, allows the Regional Center to efficiently manage and streamline a once cumbersome procedure. A practice that previously may have taken days or weeks can now realistically be completed in a matter of hours. DocuSign allows the Regional Center to track the documents from start to finish. Using DocuSign eliminated the issue of following up on misplaced or lost documents. The Regional Center now has complete control over the process of obtaining signatures for these important official papers. The Regional Center s partners are satisfied with the simplicity and security of this time-saving tool. The intuitive process requires minimal training and is being implemented into a variety of Central Region transactions. FY 2013 Performance Review The primary services provided by the Central Region Ohio College Tech Prep Center to the region s Career-Technical Planning Districts (CTPDs) and partner colleges were: Regional workshops Sub-regional workshops Individual partner support Statewide initiative support Electronic communication College readiness Communication with partners State agency-local partner liaison Programs of Study & Bilateral Articulation Agreements As required by Ohio s Carl D. Perkins 5-year plan, all careertechnical programs had to be approved as Tech Prep programs by the end of FY 2013. The Regional Center consultants met with colleges and secondary institutions, both individually and in groups, to facilitate this effort. As a result, approximately 75 CTE-26/POSs were completed in FY 2013, and all known careertechnical programs within the region were submitted and approved (or are pending approval) by the Ohio Department of Education. Bilateral Articulation Agreements: The Central Regional Center consultants served as liaisons between CTPDs (secondary and adult education) and anchor colleges to develop bilateral articulation agreements to accompany each Program of Study. In addition, the Ohio Board of Regents Strategic Plan for Higher Education (2008) required public colleges
Looking Ahead In FY14, the Central Regional Center will continue to support the development of Programs of Study (POSs) for any remaining careertechnical education (CTE) programs and for new CTE programs being developed by Career-Technical Planning District partners and their local schools. The Regional Center will also support Ohio s plan to address a five-year renewal cycle for POSs. The Regional Center will continue to promote the understanding and expansion of the use of CTAGs at the secondary and postsecondary levels. Workshops and training that partner schools and the State deem necessary will be provided. Through improved communication, the Regional Center will build stronger relationships with partners, including, but not limited to: Business and industry; Secondary administrators and instructors; Adult education administrators and instructors; Two- and four-year postsecondary administrators and staff; and Ohio Department of Education and Board of Regents administrators. Contact Tom Kluding, Chief Administrator North Central State College 2441 Kenwood Circle Mansfield, OH 44906 419.755.5659 tkluding@ncstatecollege.edu to transition from quarter to semester courses. Each anchor college s bilateral agreements were reviewed and updated to reflect this change. Approximately 400 bilateral agreements were reviewed and updated for FY 2013 graduates. An evaluation of each anchor college s articulation agreement was conducted to identify commonalities. Based on that information, a regional agreement template was adopted and implemented. Career Technical Credit Transfer (CT) 2 : The Central Regional Center identified (CT) 2 as an area of major emphasis for FY 2013. As a result, Regional Center staff hosted 16 meetings that addressed all eligible program areas. Training focused on navigating the Ohio Board of Regents website, using the CEMS application and completing and submitting the student verification form. Participants rated these sessions as meeting or exceeding their needs. Dual Enrollment: As courses receive CTAG or TAG approval, they are no longer eligible for articulated credit. Through efforts of the anchor colleges, nearly 100 dual credit courses were available to Tech Prep students in FY13. Additional opportunities for dual enrollment courses will be explored for FY14-15. Curriculum Alignment: Alignment of curriculum is essential to the quality of Tech Prep programs. Regional Center staff assisted stakeholders in aligning secondary to postsecondary curriculum, program to course transition and (CT) 2 submission. College Readiness and Assessment The Central Regional Center continued to maintain its COMPASS Testing Center in FY13 to support the use of COMPASS as an indication of college readiness. Testing units purchased by the Regional Center were available to partner districts at no cost. In September, a workshop was conducted for Tri-Rivers Career Center Math and English instructors with an objective to enable them to utilize COMPASS data to improve teaching and learning. In November, a Basic Data Workshop was held for all Regional Center schools with the goal of teaching attendees how to create reports from the data in the COMPASS system. An Intermediate Data Workshop was offered in January which gave attendees the opportunity to learn how to prepare more sophisticated, customized reports specific to the data and needs of their institution. During the 2012-2013 school year, Regional Center s secondary partners used 11,830 COMPASS units to assess approximately 3,660 Tech Prep students.
2013 Annual Report Summary Northeast Regional Center The Northeast Ohio College Tech Prep Regional Center provides services to all secondary career-technical centers and public community colleges and universities in the region. The Center provides program guidance and oversight to three geographic partner locations serving Lake, Lorain and Cuyahoga counties that operate semi-independently to best serve the needs of their service areas. Best Practice The Northeast Regional Center collaborated with ideastream /WVIZ PBS and 90.3 WCPN to showcase Tech Prep education in the region via a series of Tech Prep video segments. These videos were targeted to middle school and early high school students, as well as families and caregivers, to encourage young people to consider Tech Prep programs. In FY12, ideastream kicked off the project with the production of a five minute overview video presenting the advantages of Tech Prep education and highlighting the Tech Prep career fields. Throughout FY13, ideastream produced a series of 16 videos, each focusing on a Tech Prep career field. Video footage for this initiative, which began late FY12 and continued throughout FY13, was shot onsite at Careertechnical Planning Districts (CTPDs) and school districts throughout the region and featured students actually working in, and talking about, their Tech Prep programs. These presentations will be uploaded to the Northeast Regional Center website and will also be made available to Tech Prep partner organizations for their use in promoting Tech Prep in their districts. FY 2013 Performance Review In FY13, The Northeast Regional Center provided direct technical assistance to its partners and stakeholders on the development of articulation agreements, Programs of Study, CTE-26 work, college readiness assessment and intervention and professional development opportunities. Programs of Study & Bilateral Articulation Agreements In collaboration with its three geographic partner institutions, the Northeast Regional Center provided significant assistance in CTE-26, Program of Study and bilateral articulation services to school districts and Career-technical Planning Districts (CTPDs) in its service area. Programs were evaluated and services were provided for new or transition CTE-26 applications, creation or renewal of bilateral articulation agreements, and alignment of Programs of Study. The North Coast Tech Prep Partnership (operating through Cuyahoga Community College) provided service for CTPDs within its direct service area for the following: CTE: 26 conversions for 24 programs Articulation Agreements for 45 programs Programs of Study in 43 areas Lakeland Community College worked with its four CTPDs and faculty at Lakeland to provide the following services: CTE: 26 conversions for 21 programs Articulation Agreements for 21 programs Programs of Study in 21 areas
Looking Ahead The Northeast Center will continue its work with unwavering institutional commitment to the Tech Prep/Program of Study model. As evidence of commitment, existing college-funded positions are already in place at Cuyahoga Community College and Lorain County Community College. The Northeast Regional Center s sub-agreement with each geographic partner institution requires that institution to identify resources to sustain Tech Prep processes and positions, should state-supported Tech Prep funding expire. All necessary Tech Prep-related processes and procedures are continually refined and tested, so that should Tech Prep grant funding cease after the two-year grant period - the individual colleges/universities will have institutionalized processes in place to maintain Tech Prep agreements. Moving forward, a review and maintenance schedule will be implemented and bridges will be built between the secondary and postsecondary partners for a successful transition from Regional Center assistance to direct contact and institutionalization. In addition, all three Northeast Regional Center geographic partner institutions have established relationships within their operating structures that facilitate day-to-day problem solving and decision making for Tech Prep and Regional Center staff. Lorain County Community College worked with its two CTPDs to provide: CTE-26 conversions for 11 programs Articulation Agreements for 12 programs Programs of Study in 12 areas College Readiness and Assessment The Northeast Regional Center and its geographic partner institutions provided college readiness assessment and intervention resources to the secondary students in their respective service area during FY13. The North Coast Tech Prep Partnership provided students with access to COMPASS testing licenses and PLATO licenses. More than 820 students signed up for COMPASS testing sessions. Twelve PLATO licenses were renewed, providing students with 24/7 access to the web-based materials to work through learning modules to better prepare for COMPASS testing. Lakeland Community College continued a pilot group for assessment and intervention begun in FY12. Remediation activities were provided in math and English with the use of A+dvancer software. The pilot group of students was also assessed using COMPASS testing. Class of 2013: Junior Results Contact Rebecca Wyatt, Chief Administrator Cuyahoga Community College 2900 Community College Avenue MCC 120 Cleveland, OH 44115 216.987.6133 Rebecca.wyatt@tri-c.edu Class of 2013: Senior Results Lorain County Community College purchased PLAN testing and ACT Online Prep for use within its school districts. The PLAN testing licenses were implemented to help students better prepare for the ACT. The ACT Online Prep licenses were used for students who required remediation in specific content areas.
2013 Annual Report Summary East Central Regional Center The East Central Ohio College Tech Prep Regional Center provides services to all secondary career-technical centers and public community colleges and universities in the region. The region encompasses the Akron area, Kent State University and its regional campus system, Mahoning and Stark Counties. Best Practice The regional electronic Request for Articulation (RAF) system was an instrumental tool in the success of the East Central Regional College Tech Prep Center during its first two years of operation. This online system made it possible for the region s four higher education partners to provide more than eleven hundred articulation agreements to 116 secondary partners in the ten county region. Using this tool, local schools entered articulation requests one time and the Regional Center disseminated requests and pertinent program information to all of the higher education partners in the region. In the future, this system will be used to identify new programs being developed and will provide the framework that will assist the Regional Center in renewing existing articulation agreements with College Tech Prep programs. FY 2013 Performance Review Major services provided by the East Central Regional College Tech Prep Center in FY13 included providing leadership and support to all secondary stakeholders within the region in the creation of articulation agreements and Programs of Study for all programs. Additional services included: Collecting and Reporting Data College Readiness Assessments and Remediation Intervention Activities Encouraging CTAG Development Providing Professional Developing Assisting in Communication Between All Stakeholders Programs of Study & Bilateral Articulation Agreements The chart below provides data on the work completed in FY13 by the Regional Center in comparison to FY12. FY12 # POS documents 700+ 100% of 8 identified Career Fields addressed in FY12 FY13 450+ 100% of 8 remaining Career Fields addressed in FY13 # Bi-lateral articulation elements 700+ 450+ # Dual Enrollment programs UA 1 UA 1 # Students diagnostically assessed for 632 710 college-readiness # Students participating in intervention as 606 710 a result of college readiness assessment # Students participating in ACT Prep Workshop 26 215
Looking Ahead In FY14, the East Central Regional Center will focus on sustainability. The higher education partners in the region have seen and benefited from the partnerships and alliances the former College Tech Prep Consortia have provided and understand the need and benefit of regionalization of services. All partners have already institutionalized their former Tech Prep directors to some degree to assist with services and outreach to K-12 partners. With key contacts on each campus retained and the transition to Tech Prep completed by the end of FY13, the Regional Center sees the major thrust of work in FY14 and beyond revolving around the renewal of existing agreements, professional development in conjunction with the Ohio Board of Regents and the Ohio Department of Education, professional development support for area teachers and administrators, CT 2 support, public awareness and the development of new agreements as programs are developed. All partners are committed to the mission of the Regional Center and to increase the state collegegoing rate. The sustainment of this Regional Center will allow for easier navigation of the higher education system and provide expertise in the development of POS/articulation agreements. Contact Kelly Herold, Chief Administrator The University of Akron 302 Buchtel Common Akron, OH 44325-6001 330.972.8832 kherold@uakron.edu College Readiness and Assessment The ECRC utilized FY13 funds to continue three College Readiness Pilot Programs within the region that were implemented in FY12. The Kent State University (KSU) College Readiness Pilot Project was established in concert with three area career centers Buckeye Career Center, Columbiana County Career & Technical Center and Trumbull Career & Technical Center and focused on mathematics. ALEKS was the web-based tool used for assessment and intervention with customized courses that correlated with five math courses at KSU. The pilot project was at no cost to students and if they successfully passed the module and enrolled at KSU within three years of graduation, they were enrolled in the next level math course, saving them the cost of tuition. The second pilot program was at The University of Akron (UA) and was established with the Six District Educational Compact for Career Technical Education programs offered at Theodore Roosevelt High School (TRHS) in Kent, Ohio. In November 2011, students took the COMPASS and based on their scores, students had the option to participate in one of the following: College-Ready: a one-day ACT Prep workshop Borderline College-Ready: one-day ACT Prep workshop Remedial (Math): one-on-one tutoring and access to A+dvancer for four months Remedial (Reading/Writing): tutoring by a high school language arts instructor who had received UA training and resource material The third pilot was the Youngstown State University (YSU) College Readiness Bridge to Math (B2M) pilot targeted at developmental mathematics. The purpose was to expose students to developmental math content prior to graduating from high school and enrolling in college; thus increasing the possibility of students testing into college-level math. The developmental math course was offered for five semester, non-credit hours and if students passed with a 75 percent, they earned a certificate to go on to the next level math course at YSU without testing. Choffin Career Center and Mahoning County Career and Technical Center participated using the same content, but different approaches. Choffin utilized Pearson s MyLabPlus with an YSU instructor, while Mahoning offered the course as an add-on to Algebra II students. Of the three pilots, the Kent State University pilot proved to be the most impactful: Buckeye Career Center Columbiana Co Career & Tech Center Trumbull Career & Tech Center # of students in project 112 47 141 # of students in module 102/29/1/0 0/0/47/0 7/128/6/0 10021/10022/10023 # students with at least 34/4/4 0/4/41 29/22/30 10/20/30 pt score increase Average Initial Score/ 74/81 28/71 41/58 Average Final Score Average increase 9% 61% 33% # of students passed 1 course/2 courses 67/17 19/0 38/0
2013 Annual Report Summary Southeast Regional Center The Southeast Ohio College Tech Prep Regional Center provides services to all secondary career-technical centers and public community colleges and universities in the region. The Center is located at Washington State Community College with five satellite offices at post-secondary institutions: Belmont College, Eastern Gateway Community College, Hocking College, Rio Grande Community College and Zane State College. Best Practice The Southeast Ohio Tech Prep Regional Center partnered with Washington State Community College and Center for Student Success to bring local and regional K-12 and postsecondary math educators and administrators together for a Math Summit in FY13. The purpose of the Math Summit was to start a dialogue and look at best practices in helping to reduce the number of high school students that need to take developmental (remedial) math classes in postsecondary. The day long Summit featured brainstorming solutions to the math skills gap, presentations by collaborating summit groups, and a review of current best practices. Collaborating partners also included TRIO programs and Race to the Top. A follow-up meeting is planned in FY14 to continue the discussion. Those in attendance agreed that the Summit resulted in a better understanding of the goals, challenges and expectations of high schools and colleges, which could lead to improved communication and cooperation in the future. FY 2013 Performance Review The Southeast Regional Center s primary services for the FY13 grant period included: Development of Programs of Study for all career-technical education programs in the Regional Center s service area; Creation and maintenance of bilateral articulation agreements between secondary and postsecondary partners; and Implementation of mathematics and ELA remediation intervention programs in partner secondary schools as appropriate. The Regional Center also collaborated with Race to the Top initiatives, the We Are STEMM project and the STEM Equity Pipeline, hosted college visits for over 400 local Career and Technical students and coordinated a Regional Tech Prep Showcase with over 40 participants. Several professional development activities and meetings were conducted for constituents as well. Programs of Study & Bilateral Articulation Agreements During FY13, the Regional Center completed over 244 bilateral articulations for over 106 individual college courses. These courses are part of over 40 different college majors, and over 94 secondary career-technical education programs. Institution # Programs of Study # Bilateral Articulation Agreements Washington State Comm College 33 153 Belmont College 18 24 Eastern Gateway Comm College 1 37 Hocking College 11 29 Rio Grande Community College 2 2 Zane State College 37 84
Looking Ahead The Southeast Regional Center and partner secondary and postsecondary institutions are committed to the design and implementation of innovative solutions for economic, Program of Study, articulation and pathway development. As the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) and Ohio Board of Regents (OBR) expand the use of state-standardized course curriculum, statewide credit transfer agreements and a variety of other initiatives, the Southeast Regional Center will focus on the following: Facilitate workforce development, education and industry partnerships; Maintain and expand Programs of Study and bilateral articulation agreements; Continue to facilitate and expand communication channels between stakeholders; Support the continued expansion of dual enrollment opportunities; Provide expertise and professional development to stakeholders; Provide logistical and human resource support to ODE and OBR; Develop alternative postsecondary pathway options including adult technical training and apprenticeships; Coordinate a regional steering committee for oil and gas exploration and similar efforts; Advocate for career-technical student success at all levels of education; and Maintain a high level of professional development among Regional Center personnel. College Readiness and Assessment In FY13, nine math and English Language Arts (ELA) remediation intervention programs were implemented at partner secondary schools throughout the region, providing services to 5,576 students. These projects include: Mathematics Remediation Intervention Programs: Vinton County High School and Buckeye Hills Career Center A web based remediation intervention software for mathematics was developed to provide services to 45 students at Buckeye Hills Career Center and 12 students at Vinton County High School. Coshocton County Career Center and Mid-East Career & Technology Centers - Mathematics remediation intervention programs were developed at Coshocton County Career Center and Mid-East Career & Technology Centers, serving 80 and 316 students respectively. Swiss Hills Career Center This pilot utilized the STAR Math program. Of the 61 student participating in the program, 45.9% showed significant gains on post-tests. Tri-County Career Center A mathematics remediation intervention program was developed at Tri-County Career Center that provided services to 69 students. Jefferson County JVS A college readiness assessment program was developed and used to assess 82 Career Technical students. Results determined that 96% of the students required remediation in mathematics. English Remediation Intervention Programs: Washington County Career Center A remediation intervention program for Enlighs Language Arts was implemented at the Career Center, serving 23 students. Jefferson County JVS A college readiness assessment program was developed to serve 82 students. Results showed 74% of those students required remediation in English Language Arts. Hocking College conducted a pilot project with Tri-County Career Center, aimed at integrating technology into the classroom. Contact Gary Williams, Chief Administrator Washington State Community College 710 Colegate Drive Marietta, OH 45750 740.374.8716 ext. 1875 gwilliams@wscc.edu