From Senioritis to College Credit: College 101 in High School Donna Younger, Director, Learning Center dyounger@oakton.edu Georgia Kariotis, Coordinator for Non-native Students, Learning Center kariotis@oakton.edu Kristine Panopio, Academic Advisor, Student Support Services TRiO, Learning Center kpanopio@oakton.edu July 27, 2006 Nineteenth International Conference on The First Year Experience Toronto, Ontario
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From Senioritis to College Credit: College 101 in High School Project Summary The pilot bridge program prepares high risk, secondary students for college during their last semester of high school. College 101, College Success Seminar is offered to college able students in collaboration with two district high schools. Students completing the course prepare for higher education and receive three college credits. College teachers use a hybrid online model. The specific learning goals of the program are to a) define student s goals b) develop learning skills c) prepare students for personal future success in career, communication, wellness, and money management. Funding is shared between the College, the high schools and a special grant from the Illinois Community College Board, P-16, allowing high school students to enroll in college classes. The program completed its third year with sixty students participating. Program Elements The foundation of the program consists of articulation activities for new first year students. The College Components in place at the college included high school on-site college placement testing, on-campus field trips for college information sessions, financial aid workshop, advising sessions for new students, and existing online College 101 course. College Success courses have been offered for fourteen years. The College uses the WEBCT course management system. The college provided instructors who met weekly or bi-weekly with the students and online assignments the remainder of the time. Other college offices cooperating in the project include Admissions, Registration/Records, Cashier, Advising, and Counseling. Students are able to use all college facilities such as library, computers, and fitness center. The High school A College and Career counselor at each high school worked with the college instructor in coordinating meeting times, rooms, student passes, and troubleshooting problems. At one high school, a Hispanic Family Liaison was also involved. Students Counselors selected prospective college able students from high level English as Second Language, first generation, 1.5 generation, students with disabilities, undecided, or other high-risk populations. Class size was small, from five to twenty students. Sixty students have completed the program during the last three years of the pilot. Course Materials Keys to Success in College, Career and Life, fourth edition, Carol Carter, Joyce Bishop, Sarah Lyman Kravits, with companion WEBCT course, and Super site. Prentice Hall, 2003. Your College Experience: Strategies for Success (with CD-ROM and InfoTrac), 6th Edition, companion website, John N. Gardner, A. Jerome Jewler, Thomson, 2005. Implementation Planning, trial and error, and revising were the mode. Several planning sessions were held with the high school counselors and college administrators during the year prior to implementing the program. Student selection and course logistics were considered during the fall term. An introductory/orientation for the prospective students was held at the end of fall term. Spring term
involved registration, launching the course and completing before high school graduation activities (12 weeks). Assessments Of the sixty students enrolled in the project over the last three years, at least twenty-five enrolled at the College. Fifteen students enrolled in other colleges or universities, and the remaining twenty students are working. Pre-and Post Learning Assessment Style Survey Inventories (LASSI) were completed in year two. No significant changes occurred in the students self- assessment of their learning skills. At the conclusion of the course, students were asked to identify their learning style and give examples of how it was used because of this course. The pilot project, 2004, received an Illinois Council of Community College Administrators Innovation Award. Program Infrastructure: Funding: current and future opportunities Seek state, institutional, and other funding to support the program. Program used State of Illinois, P-16 Grant, a grant of $2700 from the college s Educational Foundation, and a donation from a publisher. Cooperative Agreements Each high school is different in requirements for partnership agreements. Some schools are eager for emergent design and others require specific contracts. Outcomes Smoother transition and articulation for high school students. Increasing student retention and perseverance at the College and other institutions Enhancing high school-community college partnerships. Success, Challenges, and Lessons Learned Assumptions about high school students: High school students are computer capable Students can balance graduation requirements, work, outside activities and a college course. Students can afford college textbooks. Texts were provided in years one and three. In year two, only two students bought a text. Students will attend an extra class Students will be eager to participate, and buy in to the program. Challenges: With a hybrid independent class Computer/CD problems Infrequent contact (rely on emails, telephone, appointments) No regular classroom with computer lab access Low attendance and high drop-out rates Procrastination on big projects Most students are disorganized (students needed a 3 ring binder and student planner) Counselor selection of students and their abilities did not always match with required college skills
Future classes, emphasize: Transitioning from high school to college; assess motivation of students early Expectations of a college and on-line student; refer to Being a Successful On-line Student <http://www.ion.uillinois.edu/resources/tutorials/pedagogy/studentprofile.asp> Team-building exercises; everyone is accountable and supportive of one another Stronger connections with guidance counselors and support staff; meet few weeks before classes start, and throughout the semester Course goals that should include successful completion of current classes in high school; allow more time to reflect on current situation: Ask students, How does your current attitude and self-assessment affect current class performance? What current skills should you keep and improve upon.what needs to change? Smaller assignments; avoid assigning major projects at the beginning of the course Regular classroom and equipment; need easy access to computer labs with log in and hall passes Use of interactive and group assignments in class, perhaps less use of videos and DVD s Recognize student diversity in creating assignments and requirements The Future Short-term goals are to add one or two high schools each year. Long-term goals are to expand the project throughout the district high schools. A research project is planned to track students after the program, and their college success measured against a control group without the program. Develop a stronger partnership continuum with TRIO