Trident Technical College
The commitment among Trident Technical College’s (TTC) leadership and staff toward their goals and strategies has been unwavering since their initial application to be an Achieving the Dream college.
Throughout the year, TTC continued to engage the college community in Achieving the Dream initiatives, with involvement of all faculty and staff in understanding and communicating important strategies to students. The students in the 2010-2011 school year’s Achieving the Dream cohort participated in 8 surveys and 7 focus groups; resulting data will inform improvements. The Achieving the Dream philosophy of using data to drive decision-making has permeated throughout the college.
The efforts most directly related to the college’s Achieving the Dream efforts include collaboration with the Regional P-20 Council, whose efforts focus on the alignment of math, science, and English requirements across all educational levels with the requirements of the workforce. In the past year, TTC’s priority has been student success in mathematics courses. The results have been gratifying, with revisions and interventions showing increased performance in several areas:
- Success rate of students overall who completed a Student Success Course in Fall 2010 was 76%, compared with 55% for those who did not take the course
- Revision of the Probability and Statistics (Math department) Online Course resulted in a 25 percentage point increase in student success rates
- Implementation of Computer-Assisted Instruction Supplemental Component in developmental math courses showed very strong Fall 2010 pilot results, with students in the CAISC course out-performing students in traditional sections
- Employment of MyMathLab intervention resulted in a statistically significant increase in the overall success rate compared to standard sections of the course who were not enrolled in the program
Trident Technical College is a public, two-year, multi-campus institution that provides quality education and promotes economic development in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties in South Carolina. The college provides lifelong learning opportunities for traditional and nontraditional students. These opportunities enhance the economic, social and cultural life of the community. Accessible and responsive to the needs of this multicultural community, TTC prepares students for a rapidly changing global environment.
In the Fall 2010 semester, approximately 15,700 students were enrolled at TTC. The curriculum includes programs in allied health sciences; aeronautical studies, business technology; family and child studies; hospitality; film, media and visual arts; industrial and engineering technology; law-related studies; nursing; and science and mathematics. Of the students enrolled in Fall 2010, 93% received financial aid and students of color comprised nearly 40% of the school population.
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.
