Background

Sinclair Community College serves residents of Dayton and Montgomery County in Western Ohio. High levels of poverty and poorly-performing secondary schools are characteristics of the neighborhoods surrounding Sinclair’s inner-city campus.

Sinclair has a variety of programs, services and policies to improve outreach and college readiness of underserved students. Its tuition for county residents is the lowest in Ohio, and it funded 1,112 scholarships amounting to more than $1.5 million during 2004-05. Its newest initiative is a partnership with the Dayton Public Schools to build and co-manage a technology high school. Its various efforts have increased access and are helping with retention, but the college’s graduation rate is 9 percent.

Achieving the Dream Goals

Sinclair will use the initiative to identify the most successful strategies to support low-income and minority students’ learning, and the most effective way to direct resources to expand successful strategies. College leaders intend to make systematic changes to improve student outcomes by

Establishing a culture of evidence;
Using business intelligence tools to develop predictive models of student success;
Facilitating communication;
Encouraging the use of data to meet students’ needs.

College leaders are considering expanding Sinclair’s Individual Learning Plans and customizable support services, as well as an Early Alert system that identifies low student achievement and barriers to success. Other options under consideration include instituting learning communities, offering professional development to help faculty and staff understand how low-income and minority students experience the culture of college, and adding assessment and transition strategies.

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