Delaware County Community College
“Achieving the Dream is simply who we are,” says one faculty member from Delaware County Community College (DCCC), where there is an upward trend in retention rates for students in all racial and ethnic subgroups.
From 2006 to 2011, the retention rates at DCCC have increased for each racial and ethnic subgroup. Gaps in retention rates between students of color and white students have also narrowed. In 2011, retention rates for each non-white racial/ethnic category were higher than the overall retention rate and the rate for white students.
Many students of color have academic risk factors that are addressed by DCCC’s Achieving the Dream interventions. For example, mentoring is an approach that pairs a student with a professional and a peer mentor. The program includes specific efforts to reach out to African American males in developmental math. DCCC has also implemented many other interventions aimed to increase course success and retention.
DCCC is based in Media, Pennsylvania and serves Delaware and Chester counties through six locations. In Fall 2011, there were 13,250 students, and of those students 25% were African American, 4% were Asian Americans, and 62% were white.
DCCC offers cooperative education and internship opportunities, allowing students to gain practical experience in local industries and organizations. The college is also home of the new Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Complex, which has some of the most progressive technologies in the region. In order to keep the curriculum relevant, the college works with major corporations like hospitals, Boeing, Excelon, Sunoco, and Aker to develop curriculum that is industry-specific and guarantees jobs for students upon completion.
DCCC has launched several interventions to help at-risk students succeed in their coursework and advance to college-level courses. These interventions include:
- Jumpstart Math, which is an intensive summer math program designed to accelerate student progress through basic math so they can advance to Introductory Algebra
- An Academy for College Excellence (ACE), which is a highly collaborative learning community that promotes student self-exploration, self-improvement, and persistence
- Mandatory Supplemental Instruction in over 30 sections of various subjects
- A K-12 Partnership, which is a joint effort to offer programs that put young, at-risk students on the path to higher education and careers
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.
Achieving the Dream Leader Colleges
Leader Colleges are demonstrating the power of the Achieving the Dream Student-Centered Model of Institutional Improvement. They show us it is possible to raise persistence and graduation rates, close achievement gaps, and change lives. Leader Colleges embody the ultimate goal of Achieving the Dream, and as such, serve as mentors within our community of learners.
To be eligible for Leader College distinction, colleges must show three or more years of improvement on one or more of these five measures:
- Course completion
- Advancement from developmental to credit-bearing courses
- Completion of college-level math and English courses
- Term-to-term and year-to-year retention
- Completion of certificates or degrees
