Central Piedmont Community College
Central Piedmont Community College has a well-established, evidence-based planning process and a reputation for developing innovative programs. However, rapid enrollment growth and the complexity of a multi-campus structure challenge its implementation of broad-based solutions.
With Achieving the Dream, the college will:
- Create a college-wide culture that empowers collective action for student success
- Engage local school districts, universities, and other stakeholders in identifying and overcoming obstacles to student success
- Participate in the statewide student success agenda
- Require student orientation for developmental students with an emphasis on making students aware of available resources to help them succeed and, subsequently, increase student success in developmental mathematics courses
- Decrease the average number of developmental mathematics courses required per incoming student through interventions such as the use of practice testing and review sessions
- Improve success for online students via required online course orientation for first-time online course-takers and required training for faculty teaching online
North Carolina is one of six states involved in the Developmental Education Initiative (DEI). A team of developmental math instructors from across the state are currently designing a new developmental math curriculum going into effect Fall 2012. The four courses (four credit hours each) currently in existence will be replaced by eight one-hour modules. In addition, a new placement test will be created with a diagnostic component to more accurately place students. Central Piedmont Community College expects to be a beta test site in Fall 2011 and a pilot site in Spring 2012. In addition, CPCC is dedicated to the mission and goals it has set for becoming an Achieving the Dream Institution. Student success has become the center of all initiatives and discussions, and has recently been added to the College’s mission statement.
Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) serves the increasingly diverse Charlotte metropolitan area. The college, founded in 1963, offers over 200 degree, diploma, and certificate programs at six campuses and online. In Fall 2009, the college had 19,360 students; 38% were students of color.
The college's service area has experienced more than 600% growth among immigrant populations in the past decade. The college's enrollment has grown significantly among first generation, minority, low-income, and low-skilled students. Of Charlotte metropolitan area high school graduates who took the placement test 37% placed into developmental level math.
Online courses are also a focus of CPCC due to their increasing popularity. In Fall 2009, online versus traditional delivery mode was the single biggest college-wide gap found in gatekeeper courses. From Fall 2008 to Fall 2009, there was a 22% increase in the number of new students enrolling in online courses. In Fall 2009, 30% of 5,600 new students took one or more online courses with a 16% gap in A-C grades.
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.
