Alvin Community College
Evidence-based professional development and student support initiatives are driving passage and persistence rates of Alvin Community College (ACC) students.
Approximately 10% of the college’s student population is enrolled in developmental education. However, ACC’s student success programming has shown promising results. Specifically, the Learning Strategies (PSYC 1300) class, which offers soft skills to students with developmental needs, has been scaled in the last year to further the initiative’s success.
Originally an intervention targeting some 10% of the college’s developmental population, scaling the intervention grew participation to 27% of that same population. This course allows students testing into three developmental courses an option and an opportunity to genuinely make progress to and at the college level.
The extended availability of, and the expanded subject matter expertise in tutoring has also helped to drive higher passage and persistence rates for students.
As of the Fall 2009 Semester, ACC served a total enrollment of 5,240 students. Seeking to provide accessible educational services to all of its students, including a 73% part-time student population, and a 25% Hispanic population, ACC offers varied formats and schedules, addressing a wide spectrum of individual needs.
Since 2008, ACC leadership has spent massive amounts of time and resources recovering and rebuilding from the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. Despite the otherwise prohibitive financial hurdles that continue to persist, ACC is making great progress with its Achieving the Dream work, specifically with the creation and expansion of the Learning Strategies course.
ACC designs educational programming with the specific economic and employment needs of the surrounding community in mind. The college offers career training options through partnerships with local industrial, business, professional organizations, government, and other educational institutions.
The Achieving the Dream Model
Achieving the Dream community colleges commit to our Student-Centered Model of Institutional Improvement. Based on four principles, the model frames the overall work of helping more students, particularly low- income students and students of color, stay in school and earn a college certificate or degree.
Each college approaches the work differently, but Achieving the Dream’s five-step process provides practical guidelines for keeping the focus where it belongs and building momentum over time. Throughout the process, Achieving the Dream coaches offer customized support and help each college’s core team implement data-informed programs and policies that build long-term, institution-wide commitment to student success.
