Student Equity Plan 2014-2017 November 6, 2014 2
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (SDCE) provides adult education for the San Diego Community College District. SDCE is the largest, separately accredited continuing education in the United States, and serves more than 70,000 students each year at seven main campuses around San Diego. Students attend noncredit classes for a variety of reasons. Some are preparing for college, others have plans to complete a certificate program for specific job training, and many are looking to sharpen career skills, or attend lifelong learning classes. As noted in the SDCE Philosophy Statement; We are a multicultural institution dedicated to providing educational access and lifelong learning opportunities. Our commitment is to all students who come through our doors, without regard to their academic skill or life s challenges, offering innovative, high quality instruction and student support services. We believe that people have the capacity to change and that education can positively transform individuals, enriching their lives and contributing to our community. Student Equity Plan The Student Equity Plan focuses on increasing access, course completion, ESL and basic skills completion, degrees, certificates and transfer for all students as measured by success indicators. Success indicators are used to identify and measure areas for which disadvantaged populations may be impacted by issues of equal opportunity. Each college is charged with developing specific goals/outcomes and actions to address disparities that are discovered, disaggregating data for indicators by student demographics. College plans are required to describe the implementation of each indicator, as well as policies, activities and procedures as they relate to student equity. The Student Equity Plan is prepared with a three-year timeframe in terms of planned activities and improvements, and to align with the Student Success and Support Program Plan. The Plan will be updated annually. Process The process for creating the Student Equity Plan for was collective and collaborative. Campus stakeholders involved included students, classified staff, faculty, administrators, and district personnel. All participated in widespread discussions and contributed significantly in the drafting of the Student Equity Plan. Noteworthy is that this process is intended to be ongoing and requires a continuous cycle of praxis (theory, reflection, and action) on an institutional and structural level. The primary purpose of the Student Equity Plan is to address disproportionate impact in order to bring forth significant parity that creates equitable opportunities and outcomes for all students. The following timeline reflects activities that led to the creation of the most recent most version of the Student Equity Plan. Planning Activities include April 2014 6
District Sponsored Student Equity Data Summit San Diego Miramar College Attended by administrator July 2014 Student Equity Planning Data Summit #1 Attended by staff, faculty, administrators, and district researchers July 2014 Student Equity Planning Data Summit #2 Attended by staff, faculty, administrators, and district researchers August 2014 Regional Student Equity Workshop San Diego Mesa College Attended by administrators August 2014 Convocation Presentation and Flex Activities September 2014 Student Success and Support Program and Student Equity Training Sacramento, California Attended by Administrator October 2014 Academic Senate Presentation Classified Senate Presentation Establishment of official Student Equity Committee (to be comprised of students, staff, faculty, and administrators) May 2014-Present and ongoing Planning Meetings with District Office of Institutional Research and Planning May 2014-Present and ongoing Planning discussions at varied Divisional/Department Meetings May 2014- Present and ongoing Student Equity Planning Contributor Discussions Target Groups and Student Equity Indicators Target student groups examined in the creation of the Student Equity Plan included: 7
Ethnicity Gender Disability Status Veterans Status Economically Disadvantaged Status Foster Youth Status Student Equity indicators examined included: Access Course Completion (Retention) ESL and Basic Skills Completion Degree and Certificate Completion Research Findings, Goals and Activities The Student Equity Plan addresses 8 research findings, establishes 8 goals to address those findings, and proposes 30 activities to support the goals. The following identifies the indicator, research findings, goals, and activities proposed within the Student Equity Plan. A. Student Success Indicator for Access Compare the percentage of each population group that is enrolled to the percentage of each group in the adult population within the community served. Research Finding #1: There exists an overall decline in Continuing Education enrollment. Disproportionate impact exists within certain target groups as indicated by direct and proxy indicators. Currently a data gap exists for a more comprehensive overview and analysis of Veterans, Foster Youth, Economically Disadvantaged, and DSPS student groups. A.1 Goal: Establish a comprehensive approach to data collection that can be used to set a baseline and monitor disproportionate impact on Veterans, Foster Youth, Economically Disadvantaged, and DSPS student groups. Activities: A1.1 (Administrative) Redesign the Continuing Education registration application to capture accurate demographic information identifying Veterans, Foster Youth, Economically Disadvantaged, and DSPS student status. A1.2 (Student Services-Coordination) Hire a Student Equity Coordinator to oversee the delivery of proposed student support and instructional services to targeted student populations. 8
A1.3 (Research) Hire a part-time researcher to collect accurate enrollment data for various target populations. The researcher will be charged with establishing a relevant research agenda in conjunction with Program Deans and the Vice President of Instruction and Student Services. A1.4 (Facilities) Improve student services office signage at various campus sites in order to clearly identify where the Student Services offices are located. Research Finding #2: Continuing Education currently serves approximately two times more women than men. A.2 Goal: Increase overall male student enrollment in Continuing Education. Activities A2.1 (Student Services-Outreach) Establish a Continuing Education Outreach Program to include the hiring of a full time Outreach Coordinator and Student Ambassadors that provide targeted outreach to potential students, placing a specific emphasis on increasing male student participation. A2.2 (Student Services-Outreach) Increase student services and instructional support for programs with high male enrollment. A2.3 (Student Services-Counseling/Outreach) Provide counseling, outreach and student services support to programs with low male student enrollment. (e.g. Allied Health programs) A2.4 (Student Services-Outreach) Increase awareness of programs Continuing Education offers by conducting targeted outreach to educational and social services providers that work with predominantly males (e.g. P.A.C.T., Community Connections, Behavioral Institute, etc.). Increase awareness of programs Continuing Education offers by conducting targeted outreach to local high schools and credit colleges staff, faculty, and administrators. A2.5 (Student Services-Outreach) Develop outreach materials designed to specifically recruit males to Continuing Education programs with a particular emphasis in marketing Allied Health program offerings. A2.6 (Instructional) 9
Offer evening counseling and an array of flexible course offerings over a wider range of times (e.g., weekends, evening, online, and accelerated) and at varied locations to accommodate male students who have work traditional work schedules. A2.7 (Professional Development) Provide professional development opportunities to increase the understanding of contributing factors influencing the academic achievement of male students. Research Finding #3: Females are underrepresented in specific programs (e.g. Career Technical Education/Welding, Metal Fabrication, etc.) offered by Continuing Education. A.3 Goal: Increase female enrollment and instructional support in programs that have low female representation (e.g. Career Technical Education/ Welding, Metal Fabrication, etc.) offered by Continuing Education. A3.1 (Student Services-Outreach) Develop a comprehensive and strategic Outreach Plan to increase female student enrollment in specific programs with low female enrollments. Plan includes strengthening partnerships with community and governmental agencies where females are predominantly served. A3.2 (Student Services-Outreach) Increase student services and instructional support for programs with low female enrollment. A3.3 (Research & Instruction) Administer a survey to current Continuing Education female students in order to identify barriers and best practices that influence academic achievement. A3.4 (Student Services-New Horizons/Gender Equity Programs) Collaborate with existing New Horizons/Gender Equity program at Continuing Education to provide students with academic support services resulting in an increase in female participation in non-traditional career programs. B. Student Success Indicator for Course Completion Ratio of the number of credit courses that students by population group actually complete by the end of the term compared to the number of courses in which students in that group are enrolled on the census day of the term Research Finding #1: The number of students who transition from non-credit to the college represents 5% of the overall Continuing Education student population. Within this 5%, African American, American 10
Indian, and Latino students are disproportionately impacted in their first-term course completion rates. B.1 Goal: Prepare Continuing Education students for transition to the credit college, and provide them with the resources necessary to increase successful course completion rates for first-term college students. This includes dedicating resources to the development of curriculum for courses designed to transition CE students to the credit side. The goal specifically targets African American, American Indian, and Latino students to receive these transitional support services. Activities B1.1 (Instruction) Coordinate with the credit colleges to provide assessment test preparation for students who are transitioning and are expected to complete English and math assessments as part of new SSSP requirements. B1.2 (Student Services-Outreach) Collaborate with the credit colleges within the district to organize Continuing Education Days whereby the credit colleges host transitioning Continuing Education students to visit the campus and interface with various student support services (e.g. counseling, financial aid, EOPS, CalWORKs workshops etc.) B1.3 (Student Services-Counseling) Assign a counselor designated to provide transition counseling services to Continuing Education students interested in attending the credit college. B1.4 (Instructional) Expand articulation agreements with credit colleges within the district in order to promote student transition and successful course completion. B1.5 (Research) Conduct survey, and accompanied data analysis, to better understand the contributing factors of successful transition to the credit colleges and/or the workforce. B1.6 (Student Services-Counseling) Assign Continuing Education Career Counselor to assist students in identifying their abilities and interests. Career Counselor will work in conjunction with transition counselor is order to assist student in identify appropriate courses, programs, and services necessary at the credit college previous to attending. B1.7 (Instruction) Integrate college readiness skills into existing secondary education curriculum and ensure course sequences are aligned to provide clear transition pathways. Dedicate resources to 11
the development of curriculum for courses that are designed to identify and transition CE students to the credit side. Research Finding #2: The current data collected regarding transition is one-dimensional and only defines course completion as it relates to the credit college. B2 Goal: Create a research agenda that addresses and accounts for the different types of course completion and transition in order to take into consideration all aspects of the mission of Continuing Education. Activity: B2.1 (Research) Identify success and achievement indicators that provide analysis of course completion and transition tracking for the following types of Continuing Education transition: a) Transition from Continuing Education to the workforce b) Transition from the credit colleges to Continuing Education. c) Transition between certificate programs within Continuing Education. C. Student Success Indicator for ESL Completion The ratio of the number of students by population group who transition to an SDCCD credit college for the first time after completing eight or more ESL course hours to the number of students in that group who received a credit college degree or certificate within four or six years of their transition. Research Finding #1: Only 9% of recent non-credit ESL transition students achieved a credit college degree or certificate within four years (57 out of 613) and 17% achieved an award within six years (33 out of 200). Students ages 50 and over were also disproportionately impacted when tracked over six years. C1 Goal: Increase ESL Completion by providing instructional support services to prepare students for the academic rigors of the English sequence after transition to the credit colleges. Activity: C1.1 (Student Services-Instruction) Establish an ESL Writing Skills Lab with an emphasis on providing instructional writing support services to ESL students. 12
C1.2 (Research) Administer a survey to ESL students who successfully transitioned to the credit college in order to identify barriers and best practices that influenced academic achievement. C1.3 (Student Services-Outreach/Counseling/Transportation/Books) Provide services to ESL students over the age of 50 to increase their ESL completion and transition rates to the credit colleges. Activities include targeted outreach, counseling services, bus passes, and book assistance. Research Finding #2: Only 36% of non-credit ESL transition students received counseling/educational planning services their first term at the credit colleges. C2 Goal: Increase ESL college completion by providing more counseling services to increase student awareness of the matriculation process and the academic rigors of the English sequence after transition to the credit college. Activity: C2.1 (Student Services-Counseling) Provide expanded counseling services to ESL students. Specifically, providing educational planning information to level 7 advanced ESL students. C2.2 (Student Services-Counseling) Provide workshops to ESL Levels 5-7 regarding the benefits and opportunities afforded by increased educational levels. D. Student Success Indicator For Degree and Certificate Completion The number of students by population group who receive a degree or certificate. Research Finding #1: DSPS students earned a lower volume of CE Certificates of Completion and High School Diplomas. D.1 Goal: Provide increased supplemental instructional support to DSPS students in order to increase the number of Certificates of Completion and High School Diplomas. Activity: D1.1 (Student Services-DSPS Counseling) Provide extended DSPS counseling hours to accommodate students who attend evening classes. D1.2 (Instruction-DSPS) 13
Fund DSPS Resource Specialist and High Tech Lab Instructor to provide instructional support services to DSPS students outside of the classroom. E. Student Success Indicator for Transfer Ratio of the number of students by population group who complete a minimum of 12 units and have attempted a transfer level course in mathematics or English to the number of students in that group who actually transfer after one or more (up to six) years. This indicator is specific to the colleges preparing students to transfer from the community college to the four-year college/university. Continuing Education is a noncredit institution and did not address this indicator. Resources Budgeted The Student Equity allocation for is $424,679. Planned expenditures include [Activity Reference]: Allied Health Adjunct Counselor [A2.3] BIT Adjunct Counselor [A3.2] Bus Passes (Eligible Students) [A2.2, A2.3, A3.2, A3.4] Bus Passes (ESL 50+) [C1.3] Bus Passes (Veterans & Foster Youth) [A2.2, A2.3, A3.2, A.3.4] Career Adjunct Counselor [B1.6] DSPS Adjunct Counselor [D1.1] DSPS High Tech Lab Adjunct Instructors [D1.2] DSPS Resource Specialist [D1.2] ESL Adjunct Counselor [C1.3, C2.1, C2.2] ESL Writing Success Lab Coordinator/Instructor [C1.1] ESL Writing Success Lab Tutors [C1.1] Evening Adjunct Counselor [A2.6] Outreach Coordinator [A2.1, A2.2, A2.3, A2.4, A2.5, A3.1, A3.2, A3.4, B1.1, B1.2, C1.3] Professional Development Funds [A2.7] Student Equity Coordinator [A1.1, A1.2, A2.1, A2.2, A2.3, A2.4, A3.2, A3.3, A3.4, B1.2, C1.2] Student Equity Researcher (.50) [A1.1, A1.3, A3.3, B1.5, B2.1, C1.2] Student Outreach Ambassadors (5) [A2.1, A2.3, A2.4, A3.2] Text Book Lending Library (Eligible Students) [A2.2, A2.3, A3.2, A3.4] Text Book Lending Library (ESL 50+) [C1.3] Text Book Lending Library (Veterans & Foster Youth) [A2.2, A2.3, A3.2, A3.4] Transition Adjunct Counselor [B1.4, B1.6] Travel (in state) [A2.7] 14
Student Equity Contact Star Rivera-Lacey Dean, Counseling and Student Success (619) 388-4845 srivera@sdccd.edu 15