How To Fund A Two Year College Budget In Aransas

THE PATH TO ACCELERATED COMPLETION AND EMPLOYMENT (PACE) INITIATIVE SUBMITTED BY: NORTHWEST ARKANSAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE ON BEHALF OF A CONSORTIUM OF ALL TWENTY-TWO TWO-YEAR COLLEGES IN ARKANSAS IN RESPONSE TO: SGA/DFA PY 10-03, TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND CAREER TRAINING GRANTS PROGRAM

TABLE OF CONTENTS TAB PART I: COST PROPOSAL SF424 1 SF-424A 2 BUDGET NARRATIVE.. 3 PART II: THE PATH TO ACCELERATED COMPLETION AND EMPLOYMENT INITIATIVE (PACE): TECHNICAL PROPOSAL.. 4 PART III: ATTACHMENTS ABSTRACT. 5 LETTER OF COMMITMENT SIGNED BY EMPLOYERS 6 LETTER OF COMMITMENT SIGNED BY CONSORTIUM MEMBERS. 7 COMMUNITY OUTREACH DOCUMENTATION.... 8

TAB 1: SF-424

TAB 2: SF-424A

TAB 3: BUDGET NARRATIVE

1 BUDGET NARRATIVE The following cost centers provide funding for the Path to Accelerated Completion and Employment (PACE) Initiative consortium, which are essential for implementation of this project. Cost Center Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Total Personnel $ 3,686,000 $ 2,446,140 $ 1,412,034 $ 7,544,174 Fringe $ 830,500 $ 558,318 $ 331,420 $ 1,720,238 Travel $ 62,700 $ 62,700 $ 60,300 $ 185,700 Supplies $ 2,638,500 $ 127,500 $ 127,000 $ 2,893,000 Contractual $ 662,015 $ 657,575 $ 662,273 $ 1,981,864 Indirect $ 177,900 $ 145,423 $ 118,523 $ 441,846 Other $ 9,200 $ 9,200 $ 9,200 $ 27,600 Total $ 8,066,815 $ 4,006,857 $ 2,720,750 $ 14,794,422 Personnel - $7,544,174 Project Management Team -$364,726 Title Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Total Project Director $50,000 $51,500 $53,045 $154,545 Finance Director $40,000 $41,200 $42,436 $123,636 Project Assistant $28,000 $28,840 $29,705 $86,545 Subtotal $118,000 $121,540 $125,186 $364,726 (Note: Fringe is not included in this chart, see P.5 for fringe) This is a statewide consortium of ALL 22 two-year colleges in Arkansas. The coordination necessary for implementation requires a full-time Project Director. The Project Director will be the member of the Project Management Team responsible for directing all administrative aspects of the project including staff, budget, reporting, relationship building, and collaboration between partners, consultants, and DOL staff. The Project Director will reside at NorthWest Arkansas Community College (NWACC) and work with other members of the Project Management Team and consortium institutions as necessary to ensure that reporting, data, and other administrative responsibilities are executed in a timely manner. The Project Director, along with the Accountability and Continuous Improvement Coordinator described in the Contractual line, is responsible for creating performance

2 and fiscal reports. The amount of $50,000 is budgeted for this position in Year 1 with Years 2 and 3 reflecting a 3 percent pay raise each year. Working with a 22-college consortium will require significant attention to the fiscal management of the initiative. As such, a full-time Finance Director will be responsible for overseeing all financial draw downs, billing, disbursements, and have close relationship with the NWACC Business Office and the NWACC Restricted Funds Accountant. This position will be housed in the NWACC Business Office and report to the Project Director. The amount of $40,000 is budgeted for this position in Year 1 with Years 2 and 3 reflecting a 3 percent pay raise. Additionally, given the large number of partners in the consortium, significant coordination support will be needed. As such, a full-time Project Assistant will provide administrative support to the Project Director. The amount of $28,000 is budgeted for this position in Year 1 with Years 2 and 3 reflecting a 3 percent pay raise. Two-Year College Project Coordinators - $2,039,994 Each college will be funded with a 0.5 FTE Project Coordinator, who will be responsible for coordinating the planning, implementation, accountability, and continuous improvement of strategies described in the Technical Proposal at their institution. This individual is funded at $30,000 in Year 1 with a 3% pay raise in each of Years 2 and 3. Title Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Total Project Coordinator $30,000 $30,900 $31,827 $92,727 Subtotal x 22 institutions $660,000 $679,800 $700,194 $2,039,994 (Note: Fringe is not included in this chart, see P.5 for fringe) Additionally, each college will be funded for implementation of the three strategies described in the technical proposal See the Two-Year College Budget Worksheet below on P.6.

3 Two-Year Colleges Strategy Implementation Personnel - $4,992,000 (See Table on Page 6) For Strategy 1 (Developmental Education Redesign), in Year 1 $20,000 is budgeted for each college to assign a Developmental Math Redesign Lead. This individual is an instructor, paid through release time, to redesign developmental education math for career-technical programs. Each released instructor will be paid overload or backfilled by adjunct instructors to teach their course load. Similarly, $20,000 is budgeted for Developmental Language Redesign Lead for overload or adjunct backfill. To support the Leads during Year 1, each college is budgeted $6,000 for two onecourse releases. During Year 2, each college s Lead is budgeted $6,000 for a two-course release; plus an additional $6,000 is budgeted for another two-course release to assist the Lead. These individuals are responsible for implementing campus accountability and continuous improvement protocols during Year 2. There is no personnel budget associated with this strategy during Year 3. The total personnel budget for this strategy is: Year 1 - $46,000, Year 2 - $12,000, Year 3 - $0, Subtotal - $58,000 per college x 22 colleges = $1,276,000. For Strategy 2 (Streamline Pathways), each college will restructure certificate and degree pathways for improved and accelerated completion. Nineteen colleges are restructuring two pathways; three colleges are restructuring one pathway. In Year 1, $20,000 per pathway is budgeted for colleges to assign a Pathway Restructuring Lead. This individual is an instructor, paid through release time, to be the curriculum architect of each restructured pathway. To support the Leads during Year 1, each college is budgeted $6,000 per pathway to pay for two one-course releases. During Year 2, Pathways Restructuring Leads are budgeted $6,000 per pathway to pay for one twocourse release. These individuals are responsible for implementing campus accountability and continuous improvement protocols during Year 2. And, each college is budgeted $3,000 per pathway to pay for one one-course release to assist the Leads. During Year 3, each college is budgeted $3,000 per pathway to pay for one one-course release to support accountability and continuous

4 improvement tasks. Additionally during Years 2 and 3, colleges are budgeted $10,000 per 100 certificate/degree awards completed (based on projected completion numbers) to pay for faculty overload. The personnel cost for this strategy is: Year 1 - $26,000 per pathway; Year 2 - $9,000 per pathway for release time, plus $400,000 to pay for faculty overload (11 colleges receive $10,000; 7 colleges receive $20,000; 2 colleges receive $30,000; 1 college receives $40,000; 1 college receives $50,000); Year 3 - $3,000 per pathway for release time, plus $400,000 to pay for faculty overload (same overload breakdown as in Year 2). Subtotal - $38,000 per pathway, plus $800,000 for faculty overload. Nineteen colleges are restructuring two pathways = $76,000 per college x 19 colleges = $1,444,000; three colleges are restructuring one pathway = $38,000 per college x 3 colleges = $114,000. Total personnel cost for this strategy = $2,358,000. For Strategy 3, (Enhanced Advisement and Placement), colleges will be implementing technology-driven strategies for enhancing advisement and placement services. In Year 1, $25,000 per college is budgeted to assign a 0.5 FTE Advisement and Placement Lead. This individual is responsible for implementing new advisement and placement technologies at the institution and launching a Virtual Career Center in partnership with the local Workforce Investment Board. Additionally, $10,000 is budgeted for personnel to support development for the Virtual Career Center strategy. During Year 2, the Lead is again budgeted 0.5 FTE ($25,000) to continue his/ her work with an emphasis on continuous improvement. There is no personnel budget associated with this strategy during Year 3. The total personnel cost for this strategy is: Year 1 - $35,000, Year 2 - $25,000, Year 3 - $0, Total per college - $60,000 x 22 colleges = $1,320,000. Regional Coordinators - $185,454 Arkansas colleges are currently organized into four regions; the consortium will utilize this regional infrastructure for this initiative. NWACC will assign a 0.25 FTE Regional Coordinator, located at one college in each region, to assist with regional meeting coordination, technical

5 assistance and professional development coordination, and communication supporting accountability and continuous improvement. Regional Coordinators are budgeted per year 0.25 FTE x $60,000 x 4 regions = $60,000 in Year 1 with a 3% increase in Years 2 and 3. Subtotal $185,454. Fringe- $1,720,238 Fringe is calculated at 33 percent for the Project Management Team; Year 1 - $118,000 x 0.33 = $38,940, Year 2 - $121,540 x 0.33 = $40,108, Year 3 - $125,186 x 0.33 = $41,311, subtotal =$120,360. Regional Coordinators are also budgeted with a 33 percent fringe rate; Year 1 - $60,000 x 0.33 = $19,800, Year 2 - $61,800 x 0.33 = $20,394, Year 3 - $63,654 x 0.33 = $21,006, subtotal = $61,200. Fringe for implementation personnel at institutions, which includes each college s Project Coordinator, is calculated at 22 percent, which is a discounted rate due to the lower fringe rate assigned to adjunct faculty; Year 1 - $3,508,000 x 0.22 = $771,760, Year 2 - $2,262,800 x 0.22 = $497,816, Year 3 - $1,223,194 x 0.22 = $269,103, subtotal = $1,538,679. Total fringe = $1,720,238.

6 Two-Year College Budget Worksheet Strategy Implementation Personnel (Note: Fringe is not included in this chart, see P.5 for fringe) Strategy 1 Cost Strategy 2 $ / pathway Strategy 3 Cost Total Year 1 1 x FTE release time $20,000 1 x FTE released time $20,000 1 x.5 FTE Math Redesign Lead Pathway Redesign Lead Advisement $25,000 Specialist 1 x FTE release time $20,000 2 x 1 course release time $6,000 Virtual Career $10,000 Language Redesign Pathways Support Center develop. 2 x 1 course release $6,000 Redesign Support Subtotal $46,000 $26,000 $35,000 2 x 2 course release $12,000 1 x 2 course release time $6,000 1 x.5 FTE Year 2 Redesign Support Pathways Support Advisement $25,000 Specialist Faculty overload $10,000/ 100 completers* 1x 1 course release time $3,000 Pathways Support Subtotal $12,000 $9,000 + $25,000 overload Year 3 n/a 1x 1 course release time $3,000 n/a $0 Pathways Support Faculty overload $10,000/ 100 completers* Subtotal $0 $3,000 + $0 overload Total per college $58,000 Total per pathway $58,000 Total per $60,000 college 22 colleges $1,276,000 20 college are restructuring 2 pathways; 2 colleges are restructuring 1 pathway $2,358,000 22 colleges $1,320,000 $4,954,000 *11 colleges receive $10,000; 7 colleges receive $20,000; 2 colleges receive $30,000; 1 college receives $40,000; 1 college receives $50,000.

7 Travel - $185,700 The lead college is budgeted to send two representatives to national meetings in Washington D.C. The cost for these meetings includes airfare ($500 x two tickets), hotel ($150/ night x 3 nights x 2 rooms), ground transportation ($200), and meals ($50/ day x 3 days x 2 people). The subtotal is $2400 per national meeting x 2 national meetings = $4,800 (Year 1 - $1,200, Year 2 - $1,200). Additionally, each college is budgeted to send a representative to one national conference per year; the subtotal is $1200 per trip x 22 colleges x 3 years = $79,200 ($26,400/YR). Additionally, as part of the Complete College America (CCA) learning network the consortium will budget to send five representatives to semi-annual peer-learning meetings facilitated by CCA and attended by representatives from a national network of states; the subtotal is 5 representatives x $750/trip x 2 meetings/year x 3 years = $22,500 ($7,500/ YR). As part of the implementation and technical assistance strategy, the lead college will contract with coaches and technical assistance providers to facilitate statewide and regional meetings. There will be four state meetings per year held in Little Rock that coincide with Steering Committee meetings (see the Project Management section of the Technical Proposal for a description of the Steering Committee). Each college is budgeted for 300 miles round trip travel at $0.50 per mile for each of the four meetings per year. The travel subtotal for state meetings is: Year 1 - $600 per college, Year 2 - $600 per college, Year 3 - $600 per college = $1800 per college x 22 colleges = $39,600 ($13,200/YR). There will be regional meetings held quarterly for each of the three implementation strategies, and an additional meeting for the first strategy. Each college is budgeted for 100 miles round trip travel at $0.50 per mile for each of the quarterly (4) strategy (3) meetings. The travel subtotal for regional meetings is: Year 1 - $600 per college, Year 2 - $600 per college, Year 3 - $600 per college = $1800 per college x 22 colleges = $39,600 ($13,200/YR). The total travel budget is: Year 1 -$62,700, Year 2 - $62,700, Year 3 - $60,300 = $185,700

8 Supplies - $2,893,000 Each college is budgeted $25,000 in the first year to purchase computers for each pathway that is being restructured under the second implementation strategy described in the Technical Proposal. These computers will support the implementation of new instructional technologies and blended instructional models. There are 19 colleges restructuring two pathways and three colleges restructuring one pathway. This computer purchase totals $1,025,000. This will be a one-time purchase during Year 1. In Year 1, each consortium college is budgeted $20,000 per pathway restructured under the second implementation strategy to purchase instructional supplies. These supplies will support the adoption of technology-driven learning models. This equates to $820,000 budgeted for instructional supplies purchases during Year 1 only. Consortium colleges are budgeted $20,000 each to support new advisement technologies during Year 1; $20,000 x 22 colleges = $440,000. Colleges are also budgeted $10,000 during Year 1 to purchase supplies to support the development of Virtual Career Centers; this totals $220,000 for all 22 colleges. The lead college is budgeted $10,000 per year to support communications and outreach for the purposes of recruitment and media relations; the other consortium colleges are budgeted $5,000 per year for this purpose. Year 1 - $115,000, Year 2 - $115,000, Year 3 - $115,000 = $345,000. The lead college is budgeted $10,000 per year to purchase meeting-related supplies and materials supporting statewide and regional meetings; $30,000 Additionally, the lead college is budgeted to receive $8,500 in Year 1, $2,500 in Year 2, and $2,000 in Year 3 for the procurement of office supplies to support the administration of the grant. The subtotal of office supplies is: $13,000. The total budget for supplies is: Year 1 - $2,638,500, Year 2 - $127,500, Year 3 - $127,000 Total $2,893,000.

9 Contractual - $1,981,864 Yr1 Yr2 Yr3 Total Arkansas Association of Two-Year Colleges $ 146,015 $ 140,825 $ 144,750 $ 431,590 Technical Assistance/ Professional Development $ 326,000 $ 326,000 $ 326,000 $ 978,000 External Evaluation $ 165,000 $ 165,000 $ 165,000 $ 495,000 Arkansas Department of Higher Education $ 25,000 $ 25,750 $ 26,523 $ 77,273 Total $ 662,015 $ 657,575 $ 662,273 $ 1,981,864 Arkansas Association of Two-Year Colleges - $431,590 Cost Center Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Total Accountability and $ 67,500 $ 69,525 $ 71,611 $ 208,636 Continuous Improvement Coordinator Project Assistant $ 28,000 $ 28,840 $ 29,705 $ 86,545 Fringe $ 31,515 $ 32,460 $ 33,434 $ 97,409 Travel $ 12,000 $ 6,500 $ 6,500 $ 25,000 Supplies $ 7,000 $ 3,500 $ 3,500 $ 14,000 $ 146,015 $ 140,825 $ 144,750 $ 431,590 The Arkansas Association of Two-Year Colleges (AATYC) will be procured through a sole source procurement process described in the technical proposal to assist with project coordination. AATYC is a statewide association whose membership is comprised of the 22 institutions included in this consortium. AATYC is uniquely positioned to provide coordinating support to the lead college. The association has 14 years of experience coordinating the colleges activities and is recognized as the leader of two-year colleges in Arkansas. AATYC will assign a 0.75 FTE Accountability and Continuous Improvement Coordinator who will oversee quality control for the planning and implementation stage, including monitoring and benchmarking college planning and implementation

10 progress, implementing Accountability and Continuous Improvement Protocols to ensure colleges are meeting timelines and deliverables, the management of technical assistance, and coordination with the evaluation team. The coordinator, in consultation with the Project Director, will oversee the selection of coaches and technical assistance to ensure the quality of personnel and, thus, the end product. The coordinator will report to the Project Director. The budget for this position is $67,500 for Year 1 with 3% percent increase per year. AATYC will also assign a 1.0 FTE Project Assistant to help implement the Accountability and Continuous Improvement Protocols. This position is budgeted for $28,000 during Year 1 with a 3% increase per year for Years 2 and 3. Fringe is budgeted at 33 percent. Additionally, the Accountability and Continuous Improvement Coordinator will do significant travel throughout the state over the period of the grant. As such, $12,000 is budgeted in Year 1to support significant mileage and overnight stays related to regional meetings; and $6,500 per year in Years 2 and 3. $7,000 is budgeted to support office equipment and office and project supplies during the first year of the project; and $3,500 is budgeted per year during Years 2 and 3 to support office and project supplies. The budget for AATYC is: Year 1 - $146,015, Year 2 - $140,825, Year 3 - $144,750; Subtotal $431,590. Technical Assistance - $978,000 A robust technical assistance strategy is planned to assist colleges with planning and implementation. Subject matter experts, described locally as coaches, will be procured to facilitate statewide and regional peer-learning meetings and to conduct third-party review of products and deliverables. These experts will work with the lead college and AATYC Accountability and Continuous Improvement Coordinator to facilitate four statewide sessions per year in which all colleges in the state attend and relevant topics are presented and discussed. $4000 per session is

11 budgeted for coaches, plus $2000 to pay for the coaches travel. At $6000 per session x 4 sessions per year, this cost for this is: Year 1 - $24,000, Year 2 - $24,000, Year 3 - $24,000, subtotal - $72,000. Coaches will facilitate one peer learning session per strategy (3 strategies, plus an additional session for Strategy 1: Developmental Education Redesign to accommodate both Math and Language redesigns) per region (4 regions) per quarter (4 quarters) to support college planning and implementation on a continuous basis. These sessions will present and facilitate key discussions drawn from the feedback obtained through statewide technical assistance meetings, the Steering Committee, AATYC s Accountability and Continuous Improvement Protocol, the evaluation team, and direct coach contact with colleges. $2000 per session is budgeted for coaches, plus $1000 to pay for coaches travel. At $3,000 per session x 4 strategies x 4 regions x 4 quarters, the cost for this is: Year 1 - $192,000, Year 2 - $192,000, Year 3 - $192,000; subtotal - $576,000. Additionally, NWACC is allocated a professional development budget to be disbursed to colleges to support implementation and adoption of new strategies and technologies on campuses. The budget is centrally controlled at NWACC in anticipation that schools may be able to share professional development services and that this sharing will be more easily coordinated by the Project Director and Accountability and Continuous Improvement Coordinator. Professional development is budgeted at $5,000 per year per college: Year 1 $110,000, Year 2 - $110,000, Year 3 - $110,000; total $330,000 The total technical assistance/ professional development budget is: Year 1 $326,000, Year 2 - $326,000, Year 3 - $326,000; total $978,000. External Evaluation Support - $495,000 An external evaluation team will be procured to conduct implementation and outcome evaluations of this initiative. The team, which will be procured after the grant is awarded, will coordinate with the Project Director and Accountability and Continuous Improvement Coordinator

12 to design the specific evaluation strategy in accordance with the parameters described in the technical proposal. The evaluator will also assist the Project Director to ensure that reporting to DOLETA is done accurately and in a timely manner. Additionally, the external evaluator will coordinate with Arkansas Department of Higher Education and Arkansas Department of Workforce Services staff to organize and coordinate data collection and analysis to include higher education and wage record data matching and analysis. The external evaluation team will provide quarterly reports on implementation and outcomes. A senior project lead ($150,000 x 0.5 FTE = $75,000), senior quantitative research support ($100,000 x 0.25 FTE = $25,000), junior research support ($60,000 x 0.25 FTE x 2 researchers= $30,000), fringe and overhead (20 percent x $130,000 = $26,000) and travel ($9,000 per year, includes air, hotel, and ground transportation for site visits). $165,000 is budgeted annually for evaluation services. Subtotal $495,000. Arkansas Department of Higher Education - $77,273 The Arkansas Department of Higher Education is budgeted 0.25 FTE per year to provide data collection support. The budget for this position is $25,000 for Year 1 with 3% increases annually for Years 2 and 3 for a subtotal of $77,273. Indirect Costs - $441,846 Indirect costs are calculated at 50 percent of NWACC s personnel (Project Management Team, plus NWACC s strategy implementation personnel) and fringe costs. Fifty percent is the rate supplied by the Federal Cognizant Agency. Year 1 - $355,800 x 0.5 = $177,900; Year 2 - $290, 846 x 0.5 = $145,423; Year 3 - $237,047 x 0.5 = $118,523. Subtotal = $441,846 Other - $27,600 $8,000 is budgeted per year to support rent for office space for AATYC staff support; $1,200 is budget per year for accounting support for AATYC. $9,200 per year = subtotal $27,600.

PART II: THE PATH TO ACCELERATED COMPLETION AND EMPLOYMENT (PACE) INITIATIVE TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

1 TAB 4: Technical Proposal Arkansas needs to transform its postsecondary education system. The state is one of the nation s poorest with a poverty rate of 18 percent and a median income nearly $13,000 below the national average ($38,500 vs. $51, 400). Two-year colleges have increased enrollment by 72 percent since 2000, yet Arkansas is still ranked 50 th in the nation in postsecondary award attainment. As a result, the focus is now on student retention and completion. Several national initiatives operating in the state, including Achieving the Dream and Complete College America, have primed the state to tackle these issues; and the two-year colleges have responded by creating a Center for Student Success within the Arkansas Association of Two-Year Colleges, which promotes practice and policy to improve retention and completion. A consortium of ALL 22 two-year colleges in the state, in partnership with lead college NorthWest Arkansas Community College (NWACC), endeavors to seize on this momentum, and proposes the Path to Accelerated Completion and Employment (PACE) initiative to improve retention and accelerate completion for TAA workers and students statewide. The intent is to demonstrate broad success through the initiative proposed in this application; to take these efforts to scale across the two-year college system; and to dramatically transform higher education in Arkansas. As permitted in the Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA), the Statement of Need focuses on one region Central Arkansas to illustrate the circumstances in all areas served by the consortium; however, the area served through this consortium will be the entire state and all outreach, data collection, and proposed strategies will apply to the entire state. The application consortium area (the state) is divided into four regions, which align with existing collaborations of colleges already established to meet regional education and training needs and implement regional sector strategies supporting job development.

2 Table 1: Statewide Consortium Regions and Participants, ALL Arkansas Two-Year Institutions Regions Institutions Arkansas AR State University Newport, AR Northeastern College, Mid-South Community Delta College, East AR Community College, Phillips Community College Central UA Community College at Morrilton, AR State Univ. Beebe, Pulaski Technical Arkansas College, National Park Community College, College of the Ouchitas, Southeast AR North Arkansas Southwest Arkansas College Northwest AR Community College, North AR College, AR State University Mountain Home, Ozarks College, UA Community College at Batesville, Black River Technical College 1. Statement of Need Rich Mountain Community College, Cossatot Community College, UA Community College at Hope, Southern AR University Tech, South AR Community College i. Impact of Foreign Trade in Community(ies) to be Served In relation to the state s population, Arkansas has been significantly impacted by foreign trade with 112 TAA Certification determinations statewide and 32 in the Central Region since 1/1/2007. Currently, 4,841 workers statewide are eligible for TAA benefits with 1,252 of those in the Central region. As required in the SGA, a TAA Certification determination in the region: TAW# Company Decision Date Narrative 73547 Acxiom Corp. 9/1/2010 There was a shift of interactive marketing services (Acxiom s business)to Poland, China, and India contributing importantly to worker separations ii. Targeted Population in Community(ies) to be Served In the Central Region 91 percent of TAA certified companies (29 of 32) are in manufacturing (94 percent statewide). The industries of TAA certified companies in the Central Region are: Industry Industry Sub-sector (number if not 1) Fabrics, Garments(2), Wood Manufacturing and Milling(2), Soaps and Cosmetics, Tires and Inner Tubes, Rubber Gaskets and Sealers, Footwear, Primary Metals(2), Secondary Metals, Electrical Equipment(2), Tools, Ironware, Pipe and Valve Fittings, Food Products, Pumping Equipment, Heating and Cooling Equipment, Records and Tapes, Electronic Manufacturing Connectors(2), Electronic Sensors, Motor Vehicle Parts Other Book Publishing and Printing, Business Services(2), Health Practitioners (Source: TAA Certification Determinations, Arkansas Department of Workforce Services)

3 Nearly all TAA eligible workers were in low-skilled jobs requiring a high school diploma or less. The education levels of the 1,252 TAA eligible workers in the Central Region are shown in the table below, which closely resembles the statewide numbers. During the community outreach process the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades confirmed this profile. Further, the average age of TAA workers is 48 years, with most having been out of school long periods of time. High school or less 88 percent Some postsecondary, no award 7 percent Postsecondary award 4 percent Noncredit postsecondary award 1 percent (Source: TAA Profile Report, Arkansas Department of Workforce Services) Advanced manufacturing and healthcare are the primary targeted growth sectors in the Central Region and statewide. Despite that nearly all TAA certified companies and workers are emerging from the manufacturing sector, the industry is growing statewide with several targeted sub-sectors projecting strong growth in the next decade. In both industries, there is demand for work at the middle-skill level, where postsecondary technical certificates and associate degrees are desired. Arkansas s TAA population (and adult student population generally) is time-pressured and resource-constrained. When going back to college, they need programs that can quickly return them to family-sustaining work. The vast majority of the state is rural, so travel time and work schedules make class attendance challenging for the target population. The cost of attendance presents a serious challenge as well. Reducing time to completion, as the PACE Initiative is designed to do, will both expedite completion and reduce costs for the target population. iii. Targeted Industries and Occupations Advanced manufacturing is shedding low-skilled jobs while higher-skilled technical jobs are in demand. Overall, the industry represents approximately 8 percent of jobs in the Central Region (11 percent statewide); and is projected to grow by 3 percent regionally (6 percent statewide) by 2016. There are several rapidly growing subsectors and occupations within the Central Region.

4 NAICS NAICS Title 2010 Emp. 2018 Emp. Net Change Percent Change 337 Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing 1,901 2,714 813 42.77% 332 Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing 6,088 8,025 1,937 31.82% 333 Machinery Manufacturing 2,130 2,768 638 29.95% 336 Transportation Equipment Manufacturing 5,049 6,104 1,055 20.90% 311 Food Manufacturing 9,537 10,163 626 6.56% Source: Arkansas LMI SOC SOC Title 2010 Emp. 2018 Emp. Net Change Percent Change 49-9000 Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Techs 4,045 4,995 950 23.49% 51-4000 Metal Workers and Plastic Workers 3,103 4,285 1,182 38.09% 43-5000 Material Recording, Scheduling, and Distribution Workers 1,893 2,105 212 11.20% 51-2000 Assemblers and Fabricators 1,804 2,287 483 26.77% 51-9000 Other Production Occupations 1,343 1,693 350 26.06% Source: Arkansas LMI Healthcare is a high-growth industry with demand for skilled workers. The industry encompasses 13 percent of jobs in the Central Region (12 percent statewide) and overall the industry is projected to grow by 23 percent (21 percent statewide) by 2016. Rapidly growing industry subsectors and occupations in the Central Region are shown in the following two tables: NAICS NAICS Title 2010 2018 Net Percent Emp. Emp. Growth Growth 621 Ambulatory Health Care Services 20,674 24,702 4,028 19.48% 622 Hospitals 37,052 46,760 9,708 26.20% 623 Nursing and Residential Care Facilities 12,698 15,440 2,742 21.59% Source: Arkansas LMI SOC SOC Title 2010 2018 Net Percent Emp. Emp. Growth Growth 29-1000 Diagnosing/Treating Practitioners, inc. nurses 17,456 22,514 3,866 30.98% 31-1000 Nursing and Home Health Aides 8,565 10,706 770 24.52% 29-2000 Health Technologists and Technicians 7,595 9,355 1,342 23.15% 31-2000 Occupational and Physical Therapist Assist s 258 341 83 32.17% Source: Arkansas LMI

5 All two-year colleges conducted comprehensive outreach to employers, chambers of commerce, industry associations, economic developers, and other local stakeholders. In all, 131 organizations provided input in the Central Region (426 organizations statewide). Employers identified the following occupations, which are validated by our labor market information research: o Advanced Manufacturing: Industrial maintenance technicians, technical welders, environmental managers, engineering technicians, electrical technicians, mechanical technicians, computer technicians, information technology specialists, transportation specialists, petroleum technicians. o Healthcare: Certified nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, occupational therapy assistants, medical assistants, emergency medical technicians, health information specialists, and networking/computer specialists. The need for trained nurses is especially acute according to hospitals and primary care providers. As a result of input from employers, including those in advanced manufacturing and healthcare, and strong indication of cross-sector demand from labor market information reports, the consortium also agreed to include information technology occupations in the Central Region: SOC SOC Title 2010 2018 Net Percent Emp. Emp. Growth Growth 43-4000 Information and Record Clerks 6,267 7,581 430 27.92% 15-1000 Computer Specialists 4,154 4,568 414 9.97% Based on the above labor market data and employer need/demand, colleges identified pathways aligned with demand industries and occupations comprised of stackable, linked certificates/ degrees for inclusion in this initiative. Pathways are comprised of certificates of proficiency (less than one year), technical certificates (one year or more), and Associate of Applied Science degrees. In order to complete each pathway, students are required to demonstrate mastery of basic, general education skills (reading, English, and mathematics) as well as industry-related

6 knowledge and skills necessary for the entry- and mid-level jobs identified above. In all, 104 certificate and degree programs were selected statewide for inclusion in this initiative, including 42 associate degree programs. Below is an example of the pathways selected by one college: Institution National Park Community College Target Occupations Pathways Certificates/ Degrees Manufacturing (1)Advanced (1) Manufacturing CP, Machine Tool Tech Technicians Manufacturing, TC, Manufacturing Tech - AAS Nurses (2) Nursing (2) Certified Nursing Assistant-CP, Licensed Practical Nurse-TC, Allied Health-TC, Registered Nurse-AAS iv. Gaps in existing education and career training programs As noted, Arkansas ranks last in the nation in postsecondary degree and certificate attainment, despite the aforementioned 72 percent attendance increase over the past decade. With this phenomenal increase in access, several gaps have been magnified that are keeping completion rates stubbornly low. Only about 18 percent of two-year students complete either a certificate or associate degree within three years of initial enrollment. 1 For the time-pressured and resource constrained target population in Arkansas, program structures must improve and accelerate completion to help return workers to the workforce quickly. Three principal gaps, which are detailed below, contribute to program attrition; and while in most cases there is adequate physical and faculty capacity to conduct business-as-usual education and training, shortfalls in capacity and expertise to drive innovation and under-utilization of technology tools due to resource constraints hinder adoption of new program structures and models. First, there is a tremendous need for remediation among Arkansas s two-year college student population, which often adds lengthy time to program duration leading to program attrition. It is estimated that 90 percent of Arkansas TAA eligible workers do not have the math, English 1 Arkansas Department of Higher Education database

7 and/or reading skills to be successful in college-level courses. 2 Overall, an alarming 76 percent of two-year college students take at least one developmental course 3 ; this is compared to recent analyses, which show that national rates of remediation may be close to 60 percent. 4 When tracking cohorts of Arkansas two-year college students, 72.6 percent of students remediated in at least one subject drop out within two years indicating a strong relationship between remediation and dropping out. 5 Remediation in these basic skills areas can take dozens of credit hours that require payment of full tuition and a full semester of time, but do not count toward graduation credits. For students requiring remediation, only 9.4 percent of full-time attendees obtain associate degrees within three years (2.8 percent for part-time attendees). Programmatic solutions designed to accelerate developmental education and enhance flexibility require resources colleges currently lack to augment staff capacity for planning and implementation of new models and resources for much-needed computers for student use in technology-based delivery models. Second, programs are structured inefficiently, which contributes to excessively long time-tocompletion and program attrition. In Arkansas, the average time to complete a 2-year associate degree for full-time students is 5.4 years (6.9 years for part-time students); the average time to complete a 1-year certificate is 3.9 years for full-time students (5.9 years for part-time students). 6 Additionally, programs require like-to-have, not need-to-have, courses making the credits-tocompletion for many programs unreasonably high. Although the traditional standard is 60 credits for an associate degree and up to 45 credits for a technical certificate, in Arkansas the average number of credits that full-time students take in order to complete an associate degree is 85.5 (77.3 2 Estimate is based on 90 percent remediation rate for individuals 25 years and older at two-year colleges in Arkansas according to Arkansas Department of Higher Education data 3 Arkansas Department of Higher Education database 4 Thomas Bailey, Rethinking Developmental Education in Community College. Community College Research Center, CCRC Brief No. 40 (February 2009). http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/publication.asp?uid=672 5 Arkansas Department of Higher Education database 6 Arkansas Department of Higher Education database

8 credits for part-time students); the average number of credits that students take when completing certificates is 69.9 for full-time students (78 credits for part-time students). As noted, traditional program delivery requires learning to occur in classrooms over 16 week semesters, resulting in thousands of hours of seat time over the course of programs, which is challenging for individuals with family and work obligations. The uncoordinated scheduling of most program courses further prolongs completion. To restructure programs, colleges require resources they currently lack to augment staff capacity for planning and implementation of new models and resources for muchneeded computers for student use in technology-based delivery models. Finally, the target population lacks information about career pathways and educational requirements, including very basic information on required courses and program expectations. This makes decisions regarding program and course selection unnecessarily difficult, producing unnecessary credit accumulation and prolonging time-to-completion. All consortium institutions agree that students often have limited knowledge to make informed career decisions and choices regarding academic/occupational programs, and are not sufficiently guided to completion once enrolled in a program of study. Furthermore, colleges in Arkansas struggle to monitor and support academic progress because they lack the staff capacity and expertise to enhance systems to support student advisement and success. 2. Work Plan and Project Management (i) Evidence-Based Design and Overview of Proposed Strategy This SGA provides Arkansas with a tremendous opportunity to take significant steps towards transforming the delivery of higher education within the two-year college system. Through high-impact, evidence-based strategies, ALL two-year colleges will revolutionize higher education delivery, streamlining pathways to completion with program restructuring and implementation of state-of-the-art student advisement technologies and systems. These strategies first will be piloted at

9 all institutions within the selected high-demand pathways (104 certificate and degree programs statewide, including 42 associate degree programs); once demonstrated to be successful, the strategies will be scaled institution-wide and system-wide. The colleges will focus on improving retention and achievement rates and reducing time-to-completion (SGA Priority 2) with strategies to: (1) transform developmental education, (2) streamline certificate and degree pathways, and (3) enhance student advisement and job placement technology. Accompanying each of the strategies is the driving hypothesis and supporting evidence. Each of the strategies is considered new or innovative and grounded in preliminary research findings and reasonable hypotheses. Strategy 1: Transform developmental education to accelerate student advancement. Hypothesis #1: Reducing the time to complete developmental education improves student success rates in academic and occupational programs. This strategy emerges from a body of research suggesting that time is the enemy for developmental education students; the longer students are engaged in developmental education coursework, the less likely they are to advance. 7 As Tom Bailey notes, developmental education is not very effective in promoting academic advancement, in part because many students do not finish their required developmental course sequences. 8 Given the high percentages of students that require developmental education in Arkansas (76 percent), an emphasis on streamlining and accelerating students progress through developmental education and into college-level courses is necessary to improve retention and success rates. 9 These findings as well as others noted within specific strategies below form the basis for proposed activities. 7 Nate Johnson, Three Policies to Reduce Time-to-Degree. HCM Strategists, for Complete College America (February 2011). http://www.completecollege.org/docs/three%20policies%20to%20reduce%20time%20to%20degree%20- %20Nate%20Johnson.pdf 8Bailey, 2009 9 Ibid.

10 Strategy 1.1: Assessment and placement processes will be redesigned to support accelerated advancement. Targeted students will: (a) engage in test practice prior to sitting for placement exams; (b) receive enhanced assessment of credit value for prior work and life experience. As Hughes and Scott-Clayton find, the effectiveness of the assessment and placement process can greatly impact students academic trajectories because they are often assessed as needing extensive coursework when shorter term solutions are possible. 10 One college, El Paso Community College, has developed a process for preparing students for placement exams and has seen dramatically improved placement scores. El Paso s Pretesting-Retesting Educational Program (PREP) provides practice before students take placement exams and offers re-take opportunities with access to a computerized tutorial assistance. After participation in PREP, 57 percent of students advance at least one course-level in math, 58 percent in reading, and 64 percent in writing. 11 All two-year colleges in Arkansas will adopt the PREP process for students enrolling in targeted pathways ensuring that students assessment scores and subsequent developmental course placements accurately reflect students knowledge/skills not other factors such as lack of computerized test-taking skills, test anxiety, or minor deficiencies on test topics. Additionally, the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) offers a Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) of students work and life experiences enabling many students to accelerate progress by not taking courses where knowledge has already been acquired. Students who earn credit through CAEL s PLA are 7 percent more likely to complete an associate degree than those who do not. All campuses will offer the CAEL PLA for students entering targeted pathways formalizing the mechanism in the state for enabling students to earn credit for prior experience. 10 Katherine L. Hughes & Judith Scott-Clayton, Assessing Developmental Assessment in Community Colleges (CCRC Working Paper No. 19, Assessment of Evidence Series), February, 2011. http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/publication.asp?uid=856 11 Achieving the Dream College Profiles, El Paso Community College: http://www.achievingthedream.org/aboutatd/collegeprofiles/texas/elpasoccdistrict/de fault.tp/aboutatd/collegeprofiles/texas/elpasoccdistrict/default.tp

11 (The consortium notes that, if this initiative is funded, the PREP and PLA strategies will be adopted for ALL students across the board, not just those in targeted pathways; for the purposes of this grant, the impacts will be measured and evaluated for students in targeted pathways). Strategy 1.2: Eliminate developmental education math courses for career-technical programs Washington State s Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (IBEST) program seeks to expedite people to credit and award attainments by embedding program-specific basic skills education into technical programs enabling students in these programs to obtain the necessary basic skills competencies for that program without having to go through a traditional developmental course sequence. The approach has demonstrated effective results: I-BEST increases the probability of obtaining any college credits within three years by 10 percent and a 7 percent increase in earning a certificate within three years for students in occupational programs. 12 Similarly, the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) has implemented a new model that allows each occupational program to design its own math requirements rather than assuming a blanket requirement designed for all programs. By allowing for the differences in math mastery necessary for different programs, the redesign removed unnecessary math content from some programs. While this model is unevaluated, it is grounded in solid reasoning and consistent with this consortium s hypothesis. Additionally, researched best-practices in developmental education suggest that students achieve better learning outcomes when they receive individualized and mastery-based instruction. 13 The National Center for Academic Transformation (NCAT) has demonstrated through their Program in Course Redesign that community colleges effectively adopting these instructional tenets, along with 12 Zeidenberg, Cho, and Jenkins, D. Washington State's Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training Program (I- BEST): New Evidence of Effectiveness (CCRC Working Paper No. 20), 2010. http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/publication.asp?uid=805 13 Boylan, H. What works: Research based best practices in developmental education. Boone, NC: Continuous Quality Improvement Network/National Center for Developmental Education, 2002. http://www.ncde.appstate.edu/publications/what-works/

12 increased integration of technology in the delivery mode, experienced improved course completion rates ranging from 6 to 8 percent above their previous rates. 14 Arkansas two-year colleges currently embed and contextualize math in career-technical programs for Certificates of Proficiency and Technical Certificates. However, for AAS (career-technical) programs, students are required to take developmental education if they are assessed to need it. The consortium proposes to establish a mastery-based modularized course called Technical Math for AAS programs in each college s selected pathways, which will replace traditional developmental education courses. Technical Math students will only be required to master modules needed for their chosen career-technical programs, thus reducing unnecessary math content for students that do not require it for their programs. In creating the new Technical Math course, faculty from each careertechnical program will identify the specific modules that students must master to be successful in their programs. Technical Math will adhere to the NCAT tenets: (1) Courses will be modularized and mastery-based, (2) Upon completion of a module, students can seamlessly transition to the next module through to completion regardless of the semester calendar, and (3) Courses will be technology-based with faculty shifting roles to active facilitators of learning who provide individualized support to students in the classroom setting, as opposed to the traditional lecture delivery role. A recent statewide workshop organized by the AATYC Center for Student Success has introduced faculty at most colleges to this concept. Strategy 1.3: All developmental English and reading courses will be redesigned for students in targeted pathways. Recent research has compared the success of students who enroll in developmental English and reading courses with that of developmental students who are mainstreamed directly in collegelevel courses, finding that for students who assess near the college-level cut-off point there is little 14Twigg, Carol. Increasing Success for Underserved Students: Redesigning Introductory Courses. The National Center for Academic Transformation, 2005. http://www.thencat.org/monographs/incsuccess.pdf

13 benefit from taking developmental courses. 15,16 Bailey notes two prominent approaches colleges take to accelerate developmental English and reading students through to the college-level. In one approach, colleges combine English and reading developmental courses, to reduce the number of courses students have to take. In another approach, developmental students near the assessment cut-off are mainstreamed directly into college-level coursework and provided additional instruction in parallel, as needed. 17 One successful example of mainstreaming is found in the Community College of Baltimore County s Accelerated Learning Program (ALP). Through ALP, upper-level developmental English students were mainstreamed and provided with supplemental tutoring assistance; the college experienced a nearly 35 percent increase in passage of English 101 among affected students relative to the comparison group. 18 For students in targeted pathways, Arkansas two-year colleges will cease delivery of upper-level developmental English and reading and mainstream students assessed at this level directly into college-level English coursework. Like in the ALP model, mainstreamed students will be required to enroll in a supplemental language tutorial taught in tandem with college English in a learning community format. Again, a recent statewide workshop organized by the AATYC Center for Student Success has introduced faculty at most colleges to this concept. 15 Bettinger, E. P., & Long, B. T. (2005). Remediation at the community college: Student participation and outcomes. New Directions for Community Colleges, 129(1), pp. 17 26. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cc.182/abstract 16 Calcagno, J. C., & Long, B. T. (2008). The impact of postsecondary remediation using a regression discontinuity approach: Addressing endogenous sorting and noncompliance (NCPR Working Paper). New York, NY: National Center for Postsecondary Research. http://www.postsecondaryresearch.org/i/a/document/8162_calcagnolongrevised.pdf 17 Bailey, 2009 18 Jenkins, D., Speroni, C., Belfield, C., Jaggars, S., and Edgecombe, N. A Model for Accelerating Academic Success of Community College Remedial English Students: Is the Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) Effective and Affordable? (CCRC Working Paper No. 21) 2010. http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/publication.asp?uid=811

14 All lowest-level developmental English and reading courses will be combined into one lowerlevel developmental language course. This will reduce the number of developmental education courses by one course for students assessed into both lower-level English and reading courses. One example of this model is found at the Community College of Denver, where after 36 months of enrollment, 48 percent of the lowest level developmental English/ reading students who had taken the combined courses had either graduated, transferred, or were still enrolled. 19 Strategy 2: Streamline certificate and degree pathways. Re-structure certificate and degree programs to reduce time-to-completion and credit-to-completion. Hypothesis: Inefficient program structures create unnecessary time-to-completion and credits-to-completion barriers for students resulting in lower student success rates. This strategy emerges from research on issues affecting lengthy time-to-completion duration and cumbersome credits-to-completion measures. Inefficiencies in program structures slow student progression to completion. Complete College America notes that programs often require students to take inordinate amounts of credits in order to complete. 20 As raised in the Statement of Need, fulltime students in Arkansas average 69.9 credits to complete a certificate and 85.5 credits to complete an associate degree. Strategy 2.1: Actively engage employers in extensive occupational program revision to reduce unnecessary content and accelerate time-to-completion. In the effort to improve time and credit-to-completion measures, employers must be actively engaged. Employers, as recipients of two-year college graduates, have long been discussed as critical partners in workforce and educational efforts, yet they are frequently restricted to light-touch roles 19Bragg, D. D., Baker, E. D., & Puryear, M. (2010, December). 2010 follow-up of Community College of Denver FastStart program. Champaign: University of Illinois, Office of Community College Research and Leadership. http://www.aypf.org/forumbriefs/2010/documents/2010%20follow- Up%20of%20Community%20College%20of%20Denver%20Fast%20Start%20Program.pdf 20 Johnson, 2010.

15 on advisory boards or committees. 21 Numerous studies make it clear that programs are more relevant to employer needs and students are better prepared for employment when employers are highly engaged in the curriculum development process. 22,23 In keeping with this strategy, all colleges will significantly engage employers in hands-on reexamination and validation of program content and delivery methods in our targeted pathways. Strategy 2.2: Streamline targeted programs using tested approaches. The Lumina Foundation makes the case that extended time-to-completion is a primary contributor to college attrition prolonged time-to-degree and low graduation rates go hand-inhand. 24 As noted in our Statement of Need, two-year college students often balance work and family obligations with their education, become exhausted in the process and stop attending. Complete College America highlights three approaches to help students overcome work-lifecollege barriers: (1) accelerate courses by compressing traditional length courses into shorter lengths of time, (2) schedule program courses in blocks to help students plan their off-campus schedules, and (3) blend technology with face-to-face classroom delivery to create flexible course delivery for students. 25 Program acceleration through these methods does not water down curriculum or 21Grubb W.N. Ed. Education through Occupations in American High Schools: Volume II, The Challenges of Implementing Curriculum Integration. New York, NY: Teachers College Press, 1995 http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/publication.asp?uid=305 22 Institute for a Competitive Workforce and the National Career Pathways Network. Thriving in Challenging Times: Connecting Education to Economic Development through Career Pathways. October 2009. http://www.cord.org/thriving-in-challenging-times/ 23 Sheila Maguire, Joshua Freely, Carol Clymer, Maureen Conway, Denna Schwartz. Tuning In to Local Labor Markets: Findings from the Sectoral Employment Impact Study. Public/Private Ventures, July 2010. http://www.ppv.org/ppv/publications/assets/325_publication.pdf 24 Johnson, N. White Paper: Using Institutional Data to Reduce Time to Completion. Lumina Foundation. http://www.collegeproductivity.org/institutionalanalysis 25 Complete College America. Essential Steps and Model Policies. http://www.completecollege.org/path_forward/essentialsteps/

16 compromise student learning. 26 In fact, recent studies indicate that blended delivery is a very effective way to learn for today s students. 27 Arkansas colleges will adopt the Complete College America recommendations for compression, blended delivery, and block scheduling: Increase program speed by creating four- and/or eight-week terms as opposed to traditional 16-week terms in up to 50 percent of courses in targeted programs. Reduce in-class seat time through technology-driven blended delivery that allows extensive out-of-class work in up to 50 percent of courses in targeted programs. Improve the predictability of scheduling by creating back-to-back course scheduling that allows students to attend at their preferred time of day (morning, afternoon, evening). It is anticipated that faculty coaching and professional development will be needed to successfully plan and implement new, restructured program models. Strategy 3: Enhance student support technology and systems. Transform student advisement systems as a means for reducing time-to-completion and unnecessary credit accumulation; and for improving academic performance and job placement. Hypothesis #3: Students have significant information gaps related to career, program, and course choice that can be remedied through the effective and efficient use of technology. This strategy emerges from a body of research indicating that information shortfalls between students, institutions, and employers impede student success. As noted above, students accumulate tremendous numbers of credits. While some of this is attributable to the inefficient program structures dealt with in Strategy 2, another challenge is that many students lack information to make 26 Wlodkowski, R. J. (2003, Spring). Accelerated learning in colleges and universities. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education. No. 97. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. http://media.wiley.com/product_data/excerpt/47/07879679/0787967947.pdf 27 U.S. Department of Education, Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development, Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies, Washington, D.C., 2009. http://www2.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/tech/evidence-based-practices/finalreport.pdf

17 decisions regarding program and course selection impacting credit accumulation and time-tocompletion especially first-generation and older students, who are highly represented in Arkansas two-year student population. In The Shapeless River, Scott-Clayton likens the way students navigate college systems to travelling along a shapeless river in the dark with no guides, signposts, or landmarks. She describes students decision-making methods as containing elements of trial and error taking unnecessary courses, starting and stopping, or changing direction. 28 Evidence indicates that good student advising mitigates information gaps. In one randomized study, early advising for academically-challenged college students improved retention by 10-15 percent and completion rates by 13 percent. 29 Also, through the national Opening Doors demonstration, MDRC found that grade point averages, year-to-year retention rates, and completion outcomes increased the more students were exposed to counseling and intensive academic advising. 30 Complete College America recommends the creation of road maps for students laying out courses and requirements and helping students stay on their chosen routes. 31 Rosenbaum, Deil- Amen, and Person note the importance of helping community college students to overcome information barriers through advisement services and recommend improvements in counseling, provision of information, and monitoring student progress. They emphasize that technology should play a prominent role in these functions. 32 28Judith Scott-Clayton. The Shapeless River: Does a Lack of Structure Inhibit Students Progress at Community Colleges? New York: Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University, January 2011. http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/publication.asp?uid=839 29 Eric Bettinger and Rachel Baker, The Effects of Student Coaching in College: An Evaluation of a Randomized Experiment in Student Mentoring. NBER Working Paper No. 16881, January 2011. http://www.nber.org/papers/w16881 30 Thomas Brock and Allen LeBlanc, Promoting Student Success in Community College and Beyond: The Opening Doors Demonstration, (New York, NY: MDRC, May 2005). http://www.mdrc.org/publications/409/overview.html 31 Johnson, 2011. 32 Rosenbaum et al. (2006). After Admission: From College Access to College Success, New York, NY: Russell Sage Foundation. https://www.russellsage.org/publications/after-admission

18 Arkansas campuses are under-resourced and in need of technology and complementary professional development that will help advisors provide students much-needed information on career choice, program options, and roadmaps for students to stay on track. Strategy 3.1 Implement technologies that will provide active guidance, monitor student progress, inform students of milestones/decision points and require all students in targeted programs to commit to a program map and completion plan during their first semester Arkansas colleges will launch enhanced student support technology that will include student interest/aptitude assessments, occupational program mapping and completion plans, regular degree or progress audits, early alert systems for struggling students, and a means for tracking students activities and progress and communicating with students throughout on a variety of matters including key milestones and decision points. Colleges will require individualized course/program advising for all targeted students from admission to completion. This will include the CAEL Prior Learning Assessment institutionalized under Strategy 1. Utilizing extensive technical assistance and staff professional development described in subsequent sections colleges will be supported in integrating these enhanced technologies into advising systems. Strategy 3.2: Partner with local Workforce Investment Boards to create a Virtual Career Center at every institution. Job training literature stresses that job placement services can improve the quality and frequency of matches between job seekers and employers. 33 Local workforce systems place heavy emphasis on placement services making them natural partners in job placement efforts. Rosenbaum et al., note that students at two-year colleges lack information about the relevancy of coursework to careers, indicating that familiarity with jobs and career-related information improves student engagement in their programs of study. 33 O Leary, C., Straits, R., and Wandner eds. Job Training Policy in the United States. Kalamazoo, MI: Upjohn Employment Institute, 2004. http://www.upjohninst.org/publications/titles/jtp.html

19 Arkansas colleges will invest in a Virtual Career Center (VCC) on each campus to augment career services already provided on campuses. The VCC will provide online information and services to students including: job aptitude and interest tools; inventory of past experience; local and regional job availability; local and regional salary/benefit information; job postings; resume development; and placement assistance. These services will be integrated with the current Kuder system already in place and the Career Readiness Certificate working with the One-Stops. It would also enable students to communicate electronically or schedule appointments with career counselors. Note on intellectual property rights and the feasibility of technologically-enabled strategies All products and deliverables produced through this initiative will comply with the intellectual property specifications of the SGA. Through these strategies, the consortium implements technology-driven instructional and student services models. As part of the grant development process, each college s technological readiness for implementing the proposed strategies was evaluated. Each college s network infrastructure is adequate to support these strategies. Procurement of supplies to include computer technology, instructional technology, and student services technologies is integrated into the initiative s budget. A robust technical assistance and professional development plan has been proposed, and is described below in the Project Management section, to assist the colleges with implementation of new technologies and tools. Many of the courses and materials developed through this initiative will immediately impact a broader population of students than just those defined for measurement under this proposal. Furthermore, a significant emphasis is placed on peer-learning in the initiative s project management strategy. It is anticipated that the curricula and tools developed through this initiative will be suitable for sharing, re-purposing, and reuse especially as the efforts move towards scalability near the end of the grant period; and that these activities will be facilitated by the peer-learning strategy implemented under this initiative.

20 (i) Project Work Plan Priority 2 Improve retention and achievement rates and reduce time to completion. Activities Implementers Costs Time Deliverables Strategy 1: Transform Developmental Education Year 1 1.1 Hire/ assign Project Director, Finance Director, and college project leads 1.2 Procure Accountability and Continuous Improvement Coordinator from AATYC, technical assistance, coaches, and external evaluator 1.3 Sub-awards to partners 1.4 Steering Committee meetings 1.5 State and regional coaching meetings 1.6 College redesign teams formed 1.7 Accountability and continuous improvement processes installed 1.8 Technology and other products procured 1.9 Redesigned curricula approved by institutions 1.10 Faculty/ staff professional development Steering Committee NWACC Two-year colleges Arkansas Association of Two-Year Colleges Coaches, technical assistance and evaluation partners Strategy Total: $4,431,570 Equipment: n/a Supplies: $531,833 Per student cost: (Number of projected Award Completers (6,192) x projected need for Dev Ed (76%) = 4,706 $4,431,570/ 4,699 = $943 per student Year 1: $2,538,686 Year 2: $1,108,963 Year 3: $783,921 Start Date: 7/1/11 End Date: 6/30/14 Milestones: Year 1 1.1 Personnel hired/ assigned/ procured: 8/1/11 1.2 Sub-awards made: 8/1/11 1.3 Steering Committee: quarterly 1.4 Coaching meetings: quarterly 1.5 Technology and other products procured: 2/1/12 1.6 Redesigned curricula approved: 3/11/12 1.7 Student intake and assessment begins: 6/1/12 Year 1 1.1 Personnel hired/ assigned 1.2 Meetings occur 1.3 Accountability processes in place 1.4 Curricula redesigned 1.5 Technology procured 1.6 Student assessment primer program

21 1.11 Student advisement, intake, and assessment begins 1.12 Evaluation activities Year 2 1.13 New models implemented 1.14 Accountability and continuous improvement processes ongoing 1.15 Steering Committee meetings 1.16 State and regional coaching meetings 1.17 Professional development ongoing 1.18 Evaluation activities Year 2 1.8 Steering Committee meetings: quarterly 1.9 Redesigned curricula launched Fall semester 2012 1.10 Enhanced student services launched Fall semester 2012 1.11 Coaching meetings: quarterly Year 2 1.7 12,197 individuals enrolled in assessment primer 1.8 9,270 individuals enrolled in redesigned courses Year 3 1.19 Accountability and continuous improvement processes ongoing 1.20 Steering Committee meetings 1.21 State and regional coaching meetings 1.22 Professional development ongoing 1.23 Evaluation activities Year 3 1.12 Steering Committee meetings: quarterly 1.13 Coaching meetings: quarterly Year 3 1.9 12,197 individuals enrolled in assessment primer 1.10 9,270 individuals enrolled in redesigned courses

22 Activities Implementers Costs Time Deliverables Strategy 2: Streamline pathways. Year 1 2.1-2.4: See 1.1 1.4 Above 2.5 State and regional coaching meetings 2.6 College streamlining teams formed 2.7 Accountability and continuous improvement processes installed 2.8 Technology and other products procured 2.9 Streamlined curricula approved by institutions 2.10-2.12: See 1.10-1.12 Year 2 2.13 New models implemented 2.14 Accountability and continuous improvement processes ongoing 2.15 Steering Committee meetings 2.16 State and regional coaching meetings 2.17-2.18: See 1.17-1.18 Year 3 2.19-2.23: See 2.14-2.18 Steering Committee NWACC Two-year colleges Arkansas Association of Two-Year Colleges Coaches, technical assistance and evaluation partners Strategy Total: $6,736,610 Equipment: n/a Supplies: $1,516,833 Per student cost: Projected number of award completers (6,192) $6,736,610/6,192 = $1,088 / student Year 1: $3,476,344 Year 2: $1,776,841 Year 3: $1,483,425 Start Date: 7/1/11 End Date: 6/30/14 Milestones: Year 1 2.1-2.5: See 1.1-1.5 above 2.6 Redesigned curricula approved: 3/11/12 2.7 Student intake and assessment begins: 6/1/12 Year 2 2.8: See 1.8 above 2.9 Streamlined programs launched Fall semester 2012 2.10 Coaching meetings: quarterly Year 3 2.11-2.12: See 1.12-1.13 Year 1: See 1.1-1.3 above Year 2: 2.4 12,197 individuals enrolled in programs 2.5 1,377 attain certificates (<one year) 2.6 1,020 attain certificates (> one year) 2.7 587 attain degrees Year 3: 2.8 12,197 individuals enrolled in programs 2.9 1,479 attain certificates (< one year) 2.10 1,098 attain certificates (> one year) 2.11 631 attain degrees

23 Activities Implementers Costs Time Deliverables Strategy 3: Enhance student support technology and placement Year 1 3.1-3.4: See 1.1-1.4 3.5 State and regional coaching meetings 3.6 College student support teams formed 3.7 Accountability and continuous improvement processes installed 3.8 Technology and other products procured 3.9-3.11: See 1.10-1.12 3.12 New technology and services implemented Year 2 3.13 Accountability and continuous improvement processes ongoing 3.14 State and regional coaching meetings 3.15-3.16: See 1.17-1.18 Year 3 3.17-3.21: See 3.15-3.18 Steering Committee NWACC Two-year colleges Arkansas Association of Two-Year Colleges Coaches, technical assistance and evaluation partners Strategy Total: $3,626,242 Equipment: n/a Supplies: $844,333 Per student cost: Projected number of award completers (6,192) $3,626,242/6,192 =$586 / student Year 1: $2,051,784 Year 2: $1,121,053 Year 3: $453,405 Start Date: 7/1/2011 End Date: 7/1/2013 Milestones: Year 1 3.1-3.5: See 1.1-1.5 3.6 New student supports launched: 6/1/12 3.7 Placement services begin: 6/1/12 Year 2 3.8: See 1.8 above 3.9 Coaching meetings: quarterly Year 3 3.10-3.11: See 1.12-1.13 Year 1 See 1.1 1.3 above 3.4 New tech. procured 3.5 12,197 students receive advise. services Year 2 3.6 12,197 students receive advise. services 3.7 2,984 students receive placement services 3.8 2,089 individuals enter employment 3.9 1,671 individuals retain emp. 2Q s 3.10 1,525 individuals retain emp. 3Q s Year 3 3.11 12,197 receive support services 3.12 3,208 receive placement svcs 3.13 2,246 enter employment 3.14 1,797 retain emp. 2Q s 3.15 1,640 retain emp. 3Q s

iii. Project Management A Steering Committee will meet quarterly with representation from each partnering institution to review progress and engage in strategic decision-making for the initiative. NWACC, as the lead college in this consortium, will manage the initiative and be responsible for fiscal management, performance management and reporting, and overall project direction in coordination with the Steering Committee. A Project Management Team will be assembled consisting of a Project Director, Financial Analyst, and an Accountability and Continuous Improvement Coordinator (ACIC); project assistance will also be assigned. Building on the existing regional infrastructure of the partnership, four Regional Coordinators will be assigned at institutions to assist the ACIC with communications, accountability, and continuous improvement management. Technical assistance and evaluation expertise will be leveraged to support the initiative. Each partnering college will assemble teams of faculty and staff to implement the three strategies. Upon grant receipt a full-time Project Director will be hired or assigned at NWACC. The Project Director, at a minimum, will have experience working at an executive level within a community college or community college system, understand the curriculum development and approval process, and have a clear understanding and experience working with campus support systems including information technology, student advisement, and career services. The Project Director will be an effective communicator and project manager with experience managing large projects with diverse partners, including federally funded initiatives. This individual s responsibilities will include oversight of grant deliverables, timelines, outcomes, reporting, and budgets. The Project Director will coordinate the activities of the Project Management Team and oversee the procurement and management of external resources including technical assistance and evaluators. Given the complexities of managing the financial aspects of a consortium involving 22 institutions, a full-time Finance Analyst will be assigned to the project. The Finance Analyst will

25 oversee the disbursement of funds to partner institutions. He/ she will oversee all elements related to the budget, expenditures, and procurement administration, including fiscal reporting. Immediately upon award receipt, through a sole source procurement process described in further detail in a later section, NWACC will procure the services of the Arkansas Association of Two-Year Colleges (AATYC) to provide assistance with Accountability and Continuous Improvement. AATYC is the statewide association that connects the 22 colleges in this consortium, and has an extensive track record of implementing state-wide projects on behalf of the colleges. AATYC maintains a unique position to provide accountability and quality control for the colleges, a role it has played successfully for several large, state-wide federal grants. Additionally, AATYC is dedicated to supporting system-wide adoption of evidence-based strategies for student success, an important long-term goal for this project and the primary mission of the AATYC Center for Student Success. AATYC will assign a 0.75 FTE Accountability and Continuous Improvement Coordinator (ACIC) to develop and work with colleges to implement an Accountability Protocol during the first year that ensures colleges are meeting milestones and progressing towards deliverables and outcomes. Sites will report progress monthly as part of the protocol; the ACIC will communicate directly with sites leaders regularly. The Accountability Protocol will include: o Planning and implementation benchmarks to ensure colleges are progressing towards implementation adequately; o Partnership criteria to ensure that colleges are engaging employers, Workforce Investment Boards, and internal partners as required; o Outcome expectations per quarter, as detailed in subsequent sections, to ensure that colleges are meeting their expected outcomes for the initiative; o Criteria for professional development and technical assistance for faculty and staff.

26 During the second and third years, the ACIC will develop and work with colleges to implement a Continuous Improvement Protocol that ensures colleges are implementing a datadriven feedback loop to improve upon their first year implementation. Furthermore, each college s project coordinator is responsible for implementing the protocol to ensure that coursecorrecting actions are being implemented. Faculty release time is budgeted during years two and three of the initiative to support continuous improvement. The protocol will include: o Engagement of employers and local partners in the continuous improvement cycle; o Continuous improvement benchmarks to ensure colleges are identifying and addressing challenges adequately; o Professional development of faculty and staff on implementation and continuous improvement topics; o Participation in activities with technical assistance providers and evaluators. The ACIC will work closely with the Project Director to ensure that technical assistance (described in more detail below) is procured to support the needs of partner colleges. Historically, the colleges have operated in a regional framework with institutions in each region serving as coordinators of regional activities. Building on this infrastructure, a 0.25 FTE Regional Coordinator will be assigned in each region at the time of grant award to assist the Project Director and ACIC with communications and coordinating functions related to the Accountability and Continuous Improvement Protocols and project-related convenings. Each institution will be funded with a 0.5 FTE local Project Coordinator to oversee planning and implementation of the initiative. Project Coordinators will organize institution-based teams of faculty and staff to redesign programs and course curricula. Project Coordinators are also responsible for ensuring that employers are rigorously engaged in program and curriculum redesign processes. These teams are described in detail in the budget narrative. Release time is budgeted to

27 provide faculty and staff with time to execute the proposed strategies. Each partnering institution will: (1) participate on the Steering Committee, (2) assign faculty and staff to plan, implement, and continuously improve the strategies in keeping with the project description and work plan, (3) engage with coaches and technical assistance providers, (4) participate in evaluation activities, and (5) provide data and materials for reporting as required by the Project Management Team. Employers will serve as active participants on local curriculum restructuring and redesign teams at each institution. They will also serve as a crucial part of the continuous improvement loop providing feedback on completers on-the-job performance. The workforce system will partner with college advisement and placement personnel as part of our third strategy to integrate better advisement and placement technology. Workforce system partners will co-design the proposed Virtual Career Centers with each institution. Organizational Chart for Project Management The organizational chart below depicts the consortium s management structure. Institutions will work directly with the Project Management Team and Regional Coordinators providing as described above.

28 Steering Committee (All 22 colleges represented) Project Management Team (NWACC/AATYC) Third-Party Evaluation Team Technical Assistance Team Regional Coordinator (Delta) Regional Coordinator (North) Regional Coordinator (Central) Regional Coordinator (Southwest) Leveraged Expertise Significant technical assistance resources will be leveraged to assist institutions throughout the planning and implementation phases. The Project Director in coordination with the ACIC will oversee technical assistance procurement. A team of technical assistance coaches will be procured to facilitate quarterly in-person sessions with institutions and peer-learning among institutions; plus quarterly state meetings to coincide with Steering Committee meetings. Principal technical assistance resources will include: (1) Developmental education redesign specialists in math and language, (2) Curriculum restructuring specialists, (3) Student advising and technology specialists. These coaches will serve as third-party reviewers of all materials and products developed through this initiative.

29 Immediately upon receipt of the grant, NWACC will procure a third-party evaluator to help facilitate the continuous improvement process, including implementation and outcome evaluations, in partnership with the Project Management Team. The partnership will leverage Creative Commons, Carnegie Mellon's Open Learning Initiative, CAST, and the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. These highly experienced organizations will provide comprehensive infrastructure support and capacity building assistance in: (1) open content licensing, insuring interoperability of content, (2) support in the design, implementation, evaluation and continuous improvement of open web-based learning environments, (3) technical support integrating Universal Design for Learning tenets into restructure and redesigned programs and courses, (4) accessing best practices in adoption and use, policies and professional development. Services will be coordinated through Creative Commons, at zero budget impact to the partnership. Additionally, as a member of the Complete College America (CCA) Alliance of States, if awarded this grant, the partnership will join a learning network along with other successful CCA state consortia to share promising practices, engage in peer to peer learning exchanges through multiple means such as periodic in-person meetings, webinars, conference calls, and the use of social networking tools. Topics will include common challenges and successes; evaluation processes, progress, and results; strategy implementation; opportunities to leverage curriculum design and other implementation issues. Departments at NWACC may make procurement requisitions tied to specific funds or projects for approval by a primary and a secondary purchasing authority, usually a department chair and department administrator. Requisitions are subject to an approval process that requires signatures by a cabinet member, approval by Budget and Purchasing offices, and approval by the Information Technology department, if applicable. The purchase agent will implement a competitive bid process

30 if state law requires. Sole source procurement is allowable if it is deemed that only one vendor can adequately meet the needs of the requisition. The consortium has examined the responsibility for accountability and continuous improvement and has determined that AATYC, due to its expertise, reach, and capacity, is the only entity that can adequately provide those functions within Arkansas; and therefore will be procured using a sole source process. NWACC uses the Banner software system which is supported by SunGard Systems. The college s accounting and administration department oversees Accounting and Reporting; Budgeting; Human Resources and Information Technology; and Procurement and Disbursement. The accounting records and financial reporting of NWACC are maintained on an accrual basis and are in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Financial statements are reported in accordance with Governmental Accounting Standards and are reported on a business activity basis. All financial recording and financial reporting also comply with requirements as prescribed by the State of Arkansas. The staff of the Accounting and Reporting function consists of the Director of Accounting and accountants assigned to certain areas of responsibility including general ledger, fixed assets accounting, restricted funds and grants accounting and reporting. The Restricted Funds Accountant balances the various Restricted Funds on a monthly basis, provides reconciliations and necessary supporting documentation to the Funds Directors for their review and approval. All financial reports and information have been submitted to the sources of funding on an accurate and timely basis. This is an ideal project for third-party evaluation because the consortium, through the Arkansas Department of Higher Education s student database, has the capacity to capture individual unit-level data for participants on all outcome measures required for this application; furthermore, there will be ample opportunity to construct comparison analyses because the implementation takes place within defined parameters. The project s scope will be sufficiently large to derive statistical

31 significance from collected data. Additionally, Unemployment Insurance wage records are available for use in the evaluation through the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services. Drawing on grant funds, the Project Management Team will hire an evaluator to conduct a rigorous evaluation throughout the grant period. iv. Sustainability All strategies in this proposal are designed to be sustainable with minimal need for ongoing funding beyond the grant period. Each strategy involves significant upfront planning and implementation assistance, but once implemented will require minimal investment beyond the grant period for staff costs associated with the strategies outlined in the Technical Proposal. The minimal funding for continuation will be achieved through reallocation of existing budgets used for developmental education and targeted certificate and degree programs. The 7.5 percent increased completion rates described in the section below will continue indefinitely beyond the end of the grant period and significantly increase the project s return-on-investment over time. Strategies that lead to successful outcomes will be replicated and taken to scale institution-wide and system-wide, creating transformative, systemic change to increase completion rates in Arkansas. During the expansion stage that will follow the grant period, AATYC will assume the coordinator role for activities of the state-wide initiative. 3. Measurement of Progress and Outcomes (i) Progress and Implementation Measures The NWACC Project Director and the ACIC will facilitate a Continuous Improvement Process that includes quarterly reporting on progress and outcome measures, rigorous evaluations, and facilitated feedback loops involving institutions and local partners. The procured third-party evaluator will conduct implementation and outcome evaluations with quarterly reports to the Project Management Team and support the Continuous Improvement Protocol. Additionally, the evaluator

32 and ACIC will utilize the quarterly coaching and peer-learning sessions previously described in the Project Management section to support continuous improvement. For each strategy, the evaluator will conduct rigorous implementation and progress assessments that capture qualitative details of planning and implementation processes. Each institution will be monitored and benchmarked to ensure that they are assembling implementation teams, engaging employers and local partners, redesigning and restructuring curricula according to the project s timeline, procuring necessary products, and otherwise meeting implementation milestones. Implementation measures that are of key interest are: Strategy Implementation Measure 1. Transform developmental education # of courses and sections redesigned under each developmental redesign strategy Pre-assessment prep module and experiential learning assessment created at each institution 2. Streamline program and degree # of award-granting programs restructured pathways # of employers engaged in restructuring # of hours of seat-time reduced by restructuring # of credits reduced by program restructuring 3. Enhance student advisement and placement technologies Enhancement of online services available as part of student advisement Virtual Career Centers created at each institution The third-party evaluator will capture quantitative participant-level data on progress measures relative to a comparison group. Key progress measures are included in the table below: Strategy Progress Measure 1. Transform developmental education Number and percentage of students who enroll in and complete each redesigned course Number and percentage of impacted students who enroll consecutively fall-to-spring and fall-to-fall Number and percentage of impacted students who persist into college-level English or Math courses Number of students taking the pre-assessment prep module at each institution who advance into a higher level course as a result 2. Streamline program and degree structures Number and percentage of students who are enrolled and complete restructured programs Number and percentage of students who enroll consecutively fall-to-spring and fall-to-fall in restructured programs

33 3. Enhance student advisement and placement technologies Credit attainment for students in targeted programs Time-to-completion and credits-to-completion for students in restructured programs Number and percent of students in restructured programs who are served by advisement technologies Number of students who access Virtual Career Centers at each institution The number of students receiving services through the new advisement and VCC approaches who obtain and retain work, and their wages The participant-level data that will drive these analyses are collected throughout each academic semester by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education, which enable the reporting of all progress and educational outcome measures described above. Quarterly Unemployment Insurance wage records are accessible from the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services enable reporting on employment and earnings data. Data analyses will begin immediately upon award of the grant to create a baseline for students in targeted programs; the third-party evaluator will monitor the progress of strategies using these data. (ii) Outcome Measures The consortium endeavors to increase award completions by 7.5 percent per year above the baseline, or 15 percent in total, while ensuring that completers are placed and retained in jobs in targeted industries and occupations. The Annual Outcomes Table below depicts the annual scale of this initiative, which ultimately will produce 6,183 certificate and degree completions. For the purposes of measurement, the Arkansas Department of Higher Education s participant-level data includes demographic, enrollment, course performance, and completion/ award data. This data is merge-able with records from the state s Unemployment Insurance Wage record database, which includes employment status, employment duration, and earnings data. Using this data, we are able to report data on the seven outcomes listed in the SGA: (1) entered

34 employment rate, (2) employment retention rate, (3) average earnings, (4) attainment of credits towards degree(s), (5) attainment of industry-recognized certificates (less than one year), (6) attainment of industry-recognized certificates (more than one year), and (7) and graduation number and rate for degree programs. For the purposes of strictly defining the participants in this initiative, the consortium s reported participants will be those who are officially enrolled in programs in the targeted pathways. It should be noted that this strategy will impact far greater numbers of students than depicted in the Annual Outcomes Table because enrollments in redesigned developmental education courses and courses in restructured pathways will not be restricted to access to students who meet the strict participant definition. Furthermore, restructured student support services will also serve far greater numbers of students than just those defined for the measurement purposes of this initiative. Therefore, a very large secondary effect is expected that is not reflected in the consortium s projected outcomes. The consortium anticipates working with USDOL if the grant is awarded to define outcomes suitable for capturing the secondary effects of the initiative. For the purposes of comparison, two comparison group strategies will be utilized to strengthen the validity of the evaluation results: o Comparison group analysis#1: Participant group members who enroll in redesigned developmental education courses will be compared to (1) developmental education course takers before redesign, and (2) similar non-participants (those who are enrolled in non-targeted/ nonrestructured pathways) who take non-redesigned developmental education at the same time as our participants. o Comparison group analysis #2: Participant group members who enroll in restructured pathways will be compared to (1) individuals in the same pathways before restructuring, and (2) similar

35 non-participants, who are enrolled in non-targeted/ non-restructured pathways at the same time as our participants. The Annual Outcomes Measures detailed in the table below are constructed with merged data from the Arkansas Departments of Higher Education and Workforce Services. The table below presents data ONLY for completers in the pathways targeted for restructuring under Strategy 2 (Streamline pathways), which is the strategy that produces program completers. The other two strategies (Strategy 1: Redesign developmental education, and Strategy 3: Enhance student services) are integral to the consortium s overall approach to improved and accelerated completion and will affect a far larger population of students; yet they will produce implementation and progress measures rather than completions. Through its data and accountability systems, the consortium has the capability to track progress on implementation and progress measures. Measure Demographics Age Gender Ethnicity Race Disability Status Veteran Status Degree seeking status (f/t or p/t) Entered employment rate Annual Outcome Measures Target for TAACCCT Program Total degrees/ certificates attained: 7.5% increase/year Year 1: n/a Year 2: 2,984 Year 3: 3,208 Total: 6,192 No expected change in demographic breakdown 70 percent Year 1: n/a Year 2: 2,089/2,984 Year 3: 2,246/3,208 Total: 4,335/6,192 Comparison Cohort Most Recent Data (Baseline, AY 2010) Total Baseline: 2,772 degrees or certificates attained Demographics are not detailed here, but are collected in ADHE database 58 percent (1,608/ 2,772)

36 Employment retention rate 2 nd Q after completion: 80 percent (3,468/4,335) 3 rd Q after completion: 73 percent (3,165/4,335) Average six month earnings (2nd and 3rd Qs after completion) Credit attainment rate: Annual number and percentage of students completing credit hours within their first year in the program Attainment of industry-recognized certificate (less than one year) Attainment of industry-recognized certificate (more than one year) Attainment of degree(more than one year) $13,247 $13,247 90 percent of students will complete at least 1 credit hour in the first year of enrollment Reflects 7.5%/year over the baseline Year 1: n/a Year 2: 1,377/3,551 Year 3: 1,479/3,551 Total: 2,856/7,102 (40 pct) Goal is to increase 7.5%/year over the baseline Year 1: n/a Year 2: 1,020/2,632 Year 3: 1,098/2,632 Total: 2,118/5,264 (40 pct) Goal is to increase 7.5%/year over the baseline Year 1: n/a Year 2: 587/6,014 Year 3: 631/6,014 Total: 1,218/12,028 (10.1 pct) 2 nd Q after completion: 80 percent (1,286/1,608) 3 rd Q after completion: 73 percent (1,174/1,608) 86 percent of students in targeted pathway programs complete at least 1 credit hour in their first year of enrollment Certificate attainment rate: 36.0 percent 1,279/3,551 Certificate attainment rate: 36.0 percent 948/2,632 Degree attainment rate: 9.1 percent 545/6,014

PART 3: ATTACHMENTS

1 TAB 5: ABSTRACT Path to Accelerated Completion and Employment (PACE) Initiative NorthWest Arkansas Community College (NWACC) is applying as lead applicant on behalf of a consortium of ALL 22 two-year colleges in the state of Arkansas. NWACC is located in Bentonville, Arkansas, which is in the northwest part of the state. The partners in this consortium are located throughout the state, thus the entire state of Arkansas will be served by this grant. The consortium is requesting $14,794,422 to implement the Path to Accelerated Completion and Employment (PACE) initiative. The PACE initiative will focus on improving retention and achievement rates and reducing time-to-completion (SGA Priority 2) through three strategies: Strategy 1: Transform developmental education using approaches to accelerate student advancement. Strategy 2: Streamline certificate and degree pathways. Re-structure certificate and degree programs to reduce time-to-completion and credit-to-completion. Strategy 3: Enhance student support technology and systems. Transform student advisement systems as a means for reducing time-to-completion and unnecessary credit accumulation; and for improving job placement. Statewide, the consortium has identified the advanced manufacturing and healthcare sectors as primary targets. Each is a large employment sector projected to have significant occupational growth in the coming five years. Currently, advanced manufacturing represents 11 percent of employment in Arkansas and is projected to grow by 6 percent in the state by 2016; healthcare represents 12 percent of employment in the state and is projected to grow by 21 percent statewide by 2016. Each partner institution conducted extensive outreach to employers and others in its local area coupled with labor market research to determine key occupational needs within these two sectors. Based on this outreach and labor market process each college identified up to two pathways for inclusion in this initiative. Pathways, which are aligned with demand industries and

2 occupations, are comprised of stackable, linked certificates/degrees - certificates of proficiency (less than one year), technical certificates (one year or more), and Associate of Applied Science degrees. Statewide, 104 certificate and degree programs will be restructured to accelerate completion, including 42 associate degree programs. The goal is to increase program completions in these targeted programs by 15 percent above the current baseline by the end of the grant period. The three aforementioned evidence-based strategies to support accelerated completion of developmental education and technical content, as well as, augmented student support and career placement services will drive these completion outcomes. The intent is to implement these strategies within the targeted programs, and as they demonstrate success, expand them institution-wide and system-wide. Below is an example of the pathways selected by one college: Institution National Park Community College Target Occupations Pathways Certificates/ Degrees Manufacturing (1)Advanced (1) Manufacturing CP, Machine Tool Tech Technicians Manufacturing, TC, Manufacturing Tech - AAS Nurses (2) Nursing (2) Certified Nursing Assistant-CP, Licensed Practical Nurse-TC, Allied Health-TC, Registered Nurse-AAS This project will serve Arkansas TAA population and adult students more generally. In relation to the state s population, Arkansas has been significantly impacted by foreign trade with 112 TAA Certification determinations statewide (the required proof of determination is included in the Technical Proposal). Currently, 4,841 workers statewide are eligible for TAA benefits. Each institution conducted significant outreach to employers and other entities in its local area as described in Tab 8: Community Outreach Documentation. This process included outreach to Workforce Investment Boards (WIBS) and the state Department of Workforce Services, local economic development agencies and industry associations, labor organizations, and local education agencies. In all, 426 organizations provided input through the statewide outreach process. Sixteen

3 employers in our targeted industries have signed the letter of commitment four from each of the state s four regions. Additionally, the local WIBs in each college s area will partner to implement our third strategy, which involves enhancing career counseling and placement services for students. The 15 percent total increase projected by Year 3 will be a permanent enhancement that will continue beyond the end of the grant period in the targeted programs. Furthermore, as the evidencebased strategies show results, they will be expanded to other programs creating institution and system impact. The three-year outcomes of this initiative are projected as follows: Measure Baseline Yr 1 Yr 2 Yr 3 Total (2010) Enrollment in Targeted Pathways 2,772 n/a 2,984 3,208 6,192 Entered employment rate 58% n/a (70%)2089 (70%)2246 (70%)4335 Employment retention rate 2Qs after completion 80% n/a (80%) 1671 (80%)1797 (80%)3468 Average earnings (2 nd and 3 rd quarters after completion) n/a $13,247 $13,247 $13,247 $13,247 Credit attainment rate 86% n/a 90% 90% 90% Attainment of industry-recognized 36% n/a 39% 42% 40% certificate (less than one year) 1279/3551 1377/3551 1479/3551 2856/7102 Attainment of industry-recognized 36% n/a 39 % 42% 40% certificate (more than one year) 948/2632 1020/2632 1098/2632 2118/5264 Attainment of degree(more than one year) 9.1% 545/6014 n/a 9.7% 587/6104 10.5% 631/6014 10.1% 1218/12028 The public contact for this grant will be: Ricky Tompkins, Ed.D., Associate Vice President for Grants and Institutional Research, College at the Crossing - NorthWest Arkansas Community College, (479) 619-4325, rtompkins1@nwacc.edu. Keywords/ Tags: Accelerate Progress, Achievement Rates, Assessment Technology, Blended Learning, Block Scheduling, Certificate Attainment, Degree Attainment, Developmental Education, Employer Partnership, Enhanced Student Services, Industry-Recognized Credentials, Modular Curriculum, Personalized Instruction, Self-Paced Learning, Skill Assessments, Technology Enabled Learning

4 TAB 6: LETTER OF COMMITMENT SIGNED BY EMPLOYERS Arkansas Community Colleges Consortium Proposal Community College and Career Training Grant Program U.S. Department of Labor Dear Grantor: We, the undersigned employer partners, will be actively engaged in the redesign of select college skills pathways programs that will focus on high demand jobs in our respective regions. We are aware that the Path to Accelerated Completion and Employment (PACE) Consortium proposal for the Community College and Career Training Grant will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Labor, in a project initiative to accelerate workplace skills development for our future employees. Our role as employer partners includes defining program goals, identifying necessary skills and competencies, providing highly engaged assistance with program design and delivery, and where appropriate, hiring qualified participants who complete the grant-specified training programs. We will be involved in program evaluation and feedback that provides information for continuous program improvement for this project. Our involvement will ensure that graduates of healthcare, advanced manufacturing and other high demand programs will possess workforce skills needed in our regions. We appreciate the outreach made by the Consortium to the employers of the state in the key targeted industries. Also, we understand that in developing the proposal, the Consortium conducted broad outreach and consultation with the public workforce systems. At various times during the process of preparing the proposal, Consortium leaders contacted and communicated with representatives of the public workforce systems, including representatives from all the Local Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) and state-level administrators. This outreach provided important information supporting the development of the Consortium s proposal, and established solid partnerships with the workforce systems statewide to implement the proposal, as noted below. As part of employment services for graduates of programs included in the proposal, our partner colleges will collaborate with local WIBs, One Stop Centers, and the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services. The Consortia will engage them in identifying and referring candidates for training, connecting graduates with employers, and providing support services for qualified individuals. Additionally, local WIBs and One Stop Centers within each region will be active partners with us in developing the proposed Virtual Career Centers and placement services at each college. We are eager to participate in the proposed program reforms that will assist TAA impacted workers and other similar workers in retraining and retooling to meet the workforce needs of Arkansas employers. Sincerely,

5

6 TAB 7: LETTER OF COMMITMENT FOR CONSORTIUM MEMBERS Arkansas two-year colleges are committed to using this SGA to drive transformative, system-wide changes in how higher education is delivered in the state. We, as individual institutions, agree to fulfill our institutional roles and responsibilities to achieve the goals and outcomes of the Path to Accelerated Completion and Employment (PACE) initiative. We are committed to improving retention and achievement rates and reducing time-to-completion (SGA Priority 2) by implementing three strategies: Strategy 1: Transform developmental education using approaches to accelerate student advancement. Strategy 2: Streamline certificate and degree pathways. Re-structure certificate and degree programs to reduce time-to-completion and credit-to-completion. Strategy 3: Enhance student support technology and systems. Transform student advisement systems as a means for reducing time-to-completion and unnecessary credit accumulation; and for improving job placement. NorthWest Arkansas Community College (NWACC) is designated the lead college for this consortium. NWACC will serve as the grantee and lead programmatic and fiscal agent of the consortium, responsible for all deliverables, and performance and fiscal reports. Each partner commits to providing all necessary information to NWACC to meet grant reporting requirements. Northwest Arkansas Community College Description Serve as lead college; manage Restructure certificate and degree pathways in: (1) emergency healthcare, and (2) environmental management for accelerated completion. Signature of the President/ Chancellor Budgeted Amount $3,801,157 Each member of this consortium is committed to implementing these three strategies, as outlined in the Work Plan and Project Management section of this grant application, within the certificate and degree pathways and with the budgeted amount indicated next to the consortium member s name. Each consortium member will be responsible for carrying out the goals and activities and achieving the outcomes indicated in the Work Plan and Project Management section of this grant application. Each consortium institution commits to achieving 7.5 percent improvement per year in Years Two and Three relative to the baseline of this grant period for each of the seven key outcome measures: (1) entered employment rate, (2) employment retention rate, (3) average earnings, (4) attainment of credits towards degrees, (5) attainment of industry-recognized certificates, less than one year, (6) attainment of industry-recognized certificates, more than one year, (7) graduation number and rate for degree programs.

7 Arkansas Northeastern College Certificate and degree pathways (1) Nursing (2) Ambulatory Care Signature of the President/ Chancellor Budgeted Amount $565,207 Arkansas State University - Beebe Certificate and degree pathways (1) Advanced Manufacturing (2) Green Technology Signature of the President/ Chancellor Budgeted Amount $540,807 Arkansas State University Mountain Home Certificate and degree pathways (1) Nursing (2) Funeral Science Signature of the President/ Chancellor Budgeted Amount $516,407 Arkansas State University Newport Certificate and degree pathways (1) Nursing (2) Transportation Technology Signature of the President/ Chancellor Budgeted Amount $589,607 Black River Technical College Certificate and degree pathways (1) Nursing (2) Health Professions Paramedic Signature of the President/ Chancellor Budgeted Amount $516,407 Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas Certificate and degree pathways Budgeted Amount (1) Welding $425,047 Signature of the President/ Chancellor

8 East Arkansas Community College Certificate and degree pathways (1) Nursing (2) Occupational Therapy Signature of the President/ Chancellor Budgeted Amount $516,407 Mid-South Community College Certificate and degree pathways Budgeted Amount (1) Medical Assisting $425,047 Signature of the President/ Chancellor National Park Community College Certificate and degree pathways (1) Nursing (2) Manufacturing Technology Signature of the President/ Chancellor Budgeted Amount $540,807 North Arkansas College Certificate and degree pathways (1) Nursing (2) Engineering Technology Signature of the President/ Chancellor Budgeted Amount $540,807 College of the Ouachitas Certificate and degree pathways (1) Nursing (2) Computer Information Systems Signature of the President/ Chancellor Budgeted Amount $565,207 Ozarka College Certificate and degree pathways (1) Nursing (2) Health Information Technology Signature of the President/ Chancellor Budgeted Amount $540,807

9 Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas Certificate and degree pathways Budgeted Amount (1) Allied Health (2) Nursing Signature of the President/ Chancellor $516,407 Pulaski Technical College Certificate and degree pathways (1) Allied Health (2) Computer Technology Signature of the President/ Chancellor Budgeted Amount $614,007 Rich Mountain Community College Certificate and degree pathways (1) Industrial Maintenance (2) Welding Technology Signature of the President/ Chancellor Budgeted Amount $516,407 South Arkansas Community College Certificate and degree pathways (1) Manufacturing (2) Computer Information Systems Signature of the President/ Chancellor Budgeted Amount $516,407 Southeast Arkansas College Certificate and degree pathways (1) Nursing (2) Computer Technology Signature of the President/ Chancellor Budgeted Amount $540,807 Southern Arkansas University Tech Certificate and degree pathways (1) Engineering Technology (2) Industrial Maintenance Technology Signature of the President/ Chancellor Budgeted Amount $516,407

10 University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville Certificate and degree pathways Budgeted Amount (1) Industrial Maintenance Technology $425,047 Signature of the President/ Chancellor University of Arkansas Community College at Hope Certificate and degree pathways Budgeted Amount (1) Industrial Maintenance (2) Welding Technology Signature of the President/ Chancellor $516,407 University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton Certificate and degree pathways Budgeted Amount (1) Nursing (2) Petroleum Technology Signature of the President/ Chancellor $540,807

11 TAB 8: COMMUNITY OUTREACH DOCUMENTATION Central Region The documentation below pertains to the community outreach conducted in the central region, the region within the consortium discussed in the Statement of Need section of the Technical Proposal. Each of the four regions within the consortium conducted similar outreach. In total, there were 131 organizations provided input in the Central Region and 426 organizations that provide input statewide to shape the proposal and guide the framework for implementation. List of Organizations Contacted Employers: Southwestern Energy; SEECO, Inc.; Desoto Drilling, Inc.; NOMAC Drilling; Schlumberger ; Ecosphere Energy Services; Tetra Technologies, Inc.; Halliburton; Rain for Rent; Quickit; TXD; New Park Drilling; JM Oilfield; Crescent Directional Drilling; Saxon Drilling Co.; Global Geophysical; Extreme Engineering; Pine Bluff Arsenal; Evergreen Packaging; Simmons First National Bank; Pine Bluff School District; Watson Chapel School District; Dollarway School District; Wal Mart; CoorsTek; Flakeboard; Scroll Technologies; Pactiv; West Fraser; Eaton Corporation; St. Jean Industries; L Oreal, DMP; Caterpillar; Bryce Corporation; Express Boats; SBI Metal Buildings; Welsco; Manufacturing Supply Baxley Equipment; Air Care; Heating and Air Conditioning Incorporated; AAA Heating and Air Conditioning; Triumph Airborne Structures, Inc.; Triumph Fabrications; Baxley Equipment; Taylor Made Crafts; Hot Springs School District; Lakeside School District; Lake Hamilton School District; Saint Vincent- Morrilton; River Chase Rehabilitation and Care Center; Saint Mary s Regional Medical Center; River Valley Kidney Center; Atkins Nursing and Rehabilitation Center; Con Agra; Russellville Nursing and Rehabilitation Center; Ozark Health, Inc.; Salem Place Nursing and Rehabilitation Center; Conway Regional Health Center; Jefferson Regional Medical Center (JRMC); Davis Life Care Center; Baptist Memorial Hospital Arkadelphia; Hot Spring County Hospital; Saline Memorial Hospital; ACH; White County Medical Center; U.S. Veterans Administration; St. Vincent Health System; Baptist Health; UAMS; Advance Care Hospital; Hot Springs Rehabilitation Center; HSC Medical Center; National Park Medical Center; St. Joseph Mercy Clinic; St. Joseph's Mercy Health Center; Garland Nursing & Rehab Facility; Good Samaritan Society; Quapaw Care & Rehabilitation; The Pines Nursing & Rehab Center; Fountain Lake Health Rehab. Government Agencies: (ADWS) Arkansas Department of Workforce Services, Trade Adjustment Assistance Program; ADWS Labor Market Information; Arkansas Economic Development Commission; Arkansas Department of Higher Education, Career Pathways Program; Arkansas Department of Career Education. WIBs: West Central Arkansas WIB; North Central Arkansas WIB; Central Arkansas WIB; Southeast Arkansas WIB; Little Rock Arkansas WIB. Labor Organizations: International Union of Painters and Allied Trades AFL-CIO

12 Economic Development Agencies: Jefferson County Alliance; The Greater Pine Bluff Chamber of Commerce; Hot Spring County and Clark County Economic Development Corporations, Southern Regional Education Board, Dawson Co-op; Searcy Regional Chamber of Commerce; Metro Little Rock; Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce; North Little Rock Economic Development Corporation; Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce; Garland County Economic Development Corporation (GCEDC); The Hot Springs Metro Partnership. CBOs: Fayetteville Shale Scholarship Fund; Arkansas Fluid Transporter Association; Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund; Weed and Seed; Oaklawn Foundation; Community Action Program for Central Arkansas, Inc.; Central Arkansas Development Council, Inc. (CADC); Arkansas River Valley Area Council, Inc; Pine Bluff Jefferson County Economic Opportunities Commission, Inc; Community Services Office; Garland County Habitat for Humanity; Jacob s Place; Dierksen Hospice; Searcy Family Medical Center; Jefferson Comprehensive Care Center; Open Hands Clinic; American Red Cross; Retired and Senior Volunteer Program; Samaritan Ministries of Hot Springs; Potter s Clay; Charitable Christian Clinic; CARES Coalition; Goodwill Industries; Salvation Army; Family Service Agency, Southern Good Faith Fund; Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance. Consortiums: Central Arkansas Two-Year College Consortium. Inventory of Existing Education and Training The six community colleges in the central region are the main providers of sub-baccalaureate career and technical training in the region in the targeted sectors. These colleges are: Arkansas State University Beebe; Pulaski Technical College; Southeast Arkansas College; College of the Ouachitas; University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton; National Park Community College. Each college serves a distinct district. All colleges offer nursing programs. The University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton has the only two-year Petroleum Technology program in the state. Pulaski Technical College has the only Anesthesia Technology Associate of Applied Science program in the state. The other nursing provider in the region is Baptist Health Schools in Little Rock, which is small and does not pose a threat to oversaturation. Also, Eastern College of Health in Little Rock provides dental assisting training. ITT Technical Institute in Little Rock provides some computer information technology programs. Best Practices Pulaski Technical College (PTC) is piloting practices in developmental education instruction that are very similar to the developmental education strategies described in this grant proposal. PTC is testing a modularized developmental education math curriculum which uses technology to deliver individualized instruction. Cassatot Community College of the University of Arkansas, a college in another region, has demonstrated excellent results using a similar approach to math, and will be using this grant to take this approach institution-wide. Several colleges in other regions, University of Arkansas Community College at Hope and Phillips Community College at the University of Arkansas, have adopted an intrusive advising model that will inform the implementation of the Enhanced Advisement and Placement strategy. The design of the Virtual Career Centers at each college will be informed by the successful center at Northwest Arkansas Community College.