Colleges

Achieving the Dream Leader Colleges are increasing student success and completion outcomes, especially for low-income students and students of color. The following are examples of progress against the indicators at our newest Leader Colleges:

• Aiken Technical College (Aiken County, SC)

Increased success rates in Math 031 (lowest level of Developmental Math) from 54% in 2007 to 69% in 2010. This improvement is associated with the Lecture/Lab Prescriptive Remediation that has been scaled to reach almost 40% of developmental students. 

• Bunker Hill Community College (Boston, MA)

Increased fall-to-fall retention rates for students of color from 45% for the 2006 cohort to 51% for the 2009 cohort. This improvement is associated with enhanced professional development centered on student support and success, the Learning Community Seminar for first-year students, Learning Community Clusters, and Success Coaching. These interventions have been scaled so 41% of students are being taught by faculty receiving new professional development opportunities and 50% of first-time full-time students participate in Learning Community Seminars.

• College of the Mainland (Texas City, TX)

Increased the percentage of students successfully completing developmental mathematics courses within the first year from a 46% average in years 2003-2006 to 54.8% in 2009. This improvement is associated with several interventions including the implementation of a student success course (Psychology/Education 1300) which is geared towards developmental students. This intervention has been scaled to reach 11% of students each semester and 46% of the firsttime in college students in the fall 2010 cohort. Additional interventions that are associated with the improvement in developmental math success include professional development focused on student learning and success and stricter enforcement of college policies including early completion of development education coursework and attendance requirements. 

• Community College of Allegheny County (Pittsburgh, PA)

Increased the percentage of students completing developmental reading coursework by the second year from 38% for the 2005 cohort to 47% for the 2009 cohort. They have also increased the percentage of students completing all developmental coursework in two years from 31% in 2006 to 35% in 2009. This improvement is associated with a variety of interventions including Early Intervention, elimination of “D” as a passing grade, and eliminating late registration, which has been scaled to reach 100% of students.

• Community College of Beaver County (Monaca, PA)

​Increased fall semester course completion for all full-time first-time-in-college students from 67% in 2007-2008 to 70% in 2010-2011. This improvement is associated with several policy and curricular changes including: stricter placement testing and enrollment requirements, greater use of student success data including the Community College Survey of Student Engagement, use of My Math Lab in developmental math courses, enhanced professional development for developmental education professors, and realignment of developmental coursework with gateway courses. These interventions have been scaled to reach 100% of full-time first time in college students and 25% of all students.

• Community College of Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA)

Increased first-time, fall-to-fall black male student persistence from 33% in 2007 to 44% in 2010. This improvement is associated with intensive faculty professional development on promising teaching practices. This training has been scaled to reach 36% of faculty.

• Community College of Vermont (Montpelier, VT)

Increased first-time, fall-to-fall retention rates for first-time-in-college students from 38% in 2006 to 41% in 2009. This improvement is associated with the Dimensions First intervention, a required first semester seminar that helps students to build strong information literacy and critical thinking skills, teaches them how to engage in the academic community, and provides a space for goal-setting and reflection. Dimensions First has been scaled to reach 35% of first-time-in-college students and 6% of all students.

• Delaware County Community College (Media, PA)

Increased fall-to-spring retention from 68% in 2007 to 73% in 2011. This improvement is associated with a combination of interventions: English conferencing, Supplemental Instruction, JumpStart Math, Academy for College Excellence, Reading/Counselor Pairings, New Student Orientation and Mentoring that in combination have been scaled to reach 31% of all students.

• Galveston College (Galveston, TX)

Increased Math 0303 (developmental math) success rates from 21% in fall 2006 to 58.6% in fall 2010. This remarkable improvement is associated with changes to the developmental math curriculum including increased contact hours and use of MyMathLab software. These interventions have been scaled to reach 100% of developmental math students and 18.8% of all students.

• Highline Community College (Des Moines, WA)

Increased the percentage of upper level ESL students advancing from remedial to credit-bearing courses within 8 quarters of enrollment from 6% in 2004-2005 to 19% in 2009-2010. This improvement is associated with the ESL-to-Credit Transition Support intervention which includes the Transition Resource and Referral Center (TRRC) for advising. This intervention has been scaled to reach 5% of students.

• Lee College (Baytown, TX)

Increased the success rate (earning a grade of C or better) for developmental education courses from less than 40% in 2007 to almost 60% in 2010. During this time period, developmental education success rates also increased for all subgroups including black and Hispanic students. This improvement is associated with changes to the 6 development course curriculum which included: fast-track courses, additional counseling, and increased course contact hours. Changes to developmental coursework have been scaled to reach 100% of developmental education students and 24% of students.

• Montgomery County Community College (Blue Bell, PA)

Increased success rates in developmental math from 49% in 2007 to 52% in 2010. This improvement is associated with changes to the developmental math curriculum including replacing the lowest level of developmental math (arithmetic) with a new course called Concepts of Numbers and accelerating students through developmental math where appropriate. Additionally, the SmartStart advising program, and the Minority Male Mentoring Program both provided an extra layer of student support. Concepts of Numbers has been scaled to reach 61% of first level developmental math students and will be expanded to 100% of this target population in the 2011-2012 school year. 

• Northern Essex Community College (Lawrence, MA)

​Increased the percentage of students successfully completing both Basic Algebra II (a developmental course) and College Algebra or College Algebra & Trigonometry (college-level courses) from 49% in 2006-2007 to 64% in 2009-2010. This improvement is associated with the introduction of the math center and supplemental instruction, interventions that have been scaled to reach 13% of all students and 38% of students taking math courses.

• Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College (Orangeburg, SC)

Increased success rates for developmental and gatekeeper courses in which students are receiving supplemental instruction from 52.8% in 2007-2008 to 59% in 2010-2011. This improvement is associated with the introduction of supplemental instruction, an academic assistance program that uses peer-assisted study sessions. Supplemental instruction has been scaled to reach 20% of students.

• Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas (Helena, AR) 

Increased course success rates from 57% for the 2004-2006 cohorts to 78% for the 2010 cohort, and three year degree or certificate completion rates increased from 10% in 2004 to 24% in 2008 (with resources from Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation). These improvements are associated with changes to developmental education coursework including the implementation of supplemental instruction labs, increased contact hours, creation of an additional developmental reading level, and professional development to more substantially engage faculty in improving student learning outcomes. These interventions have already been scaled to reach 41% of students.  

• Pulaski Technical College (North Little Rock, AR) 

Increased term 1 to term 2 retention for first-time, degree or certificate-seeking, full-time students from 82% for the 2007 cohort to 87% for the 2010 cohort. This improvement is associated with the new student orientation program that has been scaled to reach 12.6% of students.

• Renton Technical College (Renton, WA)

Increased the percentage of students who have earned a certificate or degree or are still enrolled from 61% in 2007-2008 to 74% in 2010-2011. This improvement is associated with the Reading Apprenticeship program that helps 7 students improve their reading comprehension. The Reading Apprenticeship program has been scaled to reach 53% of workforce students.

• Roxbury Community College (Roxbury, MA)

Increased the rate at which students starting in developmental math advance to college-level math by their third semester from 11% in 2006 to 25% in 2009. This improvement is associated with changes in developmental math coursework including: new placement procedures, addition of a lab component, use of modules and technology-assisted instruction, and collapsing the developmental math sequence for most students. These developmental math interventions have been scaled to reach 43% of all new students and 100% of developmental math students.

• San Jacinto College (Pasadena, TX)

Increased fall-to-spring persistence from 73% in 2007 to 78% in 2010. This improvement is associated with a combination of interventions including the First Year Experience Calling Program, Mandatory New Student Orientation, a student success course, free tutoring, and the Men of Honor program. Overall these interventions have been scaled to reach 27% of students.

• Sinclair Community College  (Dayton, OH) 

Increased the three-year certificate and degree completion rate (for first-time, degree-seeking students) from 8% in 2005-2006 to 12% in 2008-2009. This improvement is associated with the elimination of graduation applications and fees, the redesign of the developmental math curriculum and teaching approaches including: content alignment, introduction of MyMathLab, faculty professional development, and the use of active, collaborative learning strategies. 

• Tacoma Community College (Tacoma, WA) 

Increased fall-to-fall retention rates for students enrolled in two or more developmental courses from 47% for the 2005 cohort to 58% for the 2009 cohort. This improvement is associated with the Declared and Prepared advising model, an intrusive advising approach that includes an Advising Dashboard, an improved HD 101 student success course, new student orientation focused on hands-on educational planning, and the Welcome Week where staff are stationed throughout campus to answer questions. This intervention has been scaled to reach 11% of students and 85% of students in developmental education.

• Wayne County Community College District (Detroit, MI) 

Increased first year fall-towinter retention from 49% in 2006-7 to 64% in 2009-10. This improvement is associated with the Early Alert System intervention strategy which provides intrusive advising to students in developmental English and math as well as students in learning communities. This intervention has been scaled to reach 15% of all students.

• Westmoreland County Community College (Youngwood, PA) 

Increased fall-to-spring retention from 72% in 2006 to 75% in 2009. This improvement is associated with changes to developmental coursework including mandatory placement testing, mandatory enrollment in appropriate developmental coursework before taking college level courses, smaller class sizes, scheduling changes, required tutoring labs, and fast track options for students near placement cut-off scores. These interventions have been scaled to reach 100% of students in developmental courses and 35% of all students.