Davidson County Community College
Davidson County Community College strives to treat students equitably, responding to individual students' needs with programs, services, or activities. The college now wants to use data to determine what interventions work.
With Achieving the Dream, the college will:
- Build institutional capacity to support student success
- Increase the percentage of students who complete developmental math in their first year via mandatory registration for, and consecutive enrollments in, developmental math
- Raise the proportion of students who complete gateway math with a grade of C or better by the end of year 2 through mandatory enrollment in gateway math during the first semester eligible (unless prohibited by course/program sequences) and distribution of a grade report at the 30% point of the course combined with a required meeting with the advisor for students with below a C average
- Improve the percentage of students completing a credential by the end of year 3 by employing more comprehensive advisement, student support services, and mandatory registration in a student success course during the first semester of enrollment
- Examine its policies and practices and adjust those that create barriers for particular groups of students; at DCCC, African-American male students’ scores need more assistance than any other group, especially in math
For Breaking Through’s Ready for College initiative, developed to help low-literacy adults, DCCC has developed award-winning contextualized curricula for 12 different programs of study. The curricula combine individual study, computerized instruction, and small group activities for the lowest-performing students.
Davidson County Community College (DCCC) is the only college in the 817-square mile radius of Davidson and Davie counties. It began in 1958 as an industrial education center and in 1965 became a community college. In Fall 2009, the college had 4,100 students; 20% were students of color. The semi-rural area's Hispanic and Asian populations have grown in recent years, and the college now offers ESL services to native speakers of 12 different languages.
The majority of students served by the college's two campuses and three centers are economically distressed due to the closure of furniture and textile manufacturers. One in 10 residents have lost their jobs since 2002. In 2009, 81% of the students enrolled in degree or certificate programs received financial aid.
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.
