2016 EOA National Best Practices Center Directory (2nd Ed.)

2016 EOA National Best Practices Center Directory (2nd ed.) David R. Arendale, Editor Published by Educational Opportunity Association and University of Minnesota 2016 EOA National Best Practices Center Directory (2nd ed.) David R. Arendale Editor The Education Opportunity Association (EOA) and the University of Minnesota sponsor the EOA National Best Practices Center. Copyright ©2016 by EOA and the University of Minnesota by its College of Education and Human Development, Department of Curriculum & Instruction, Minneapolis, MN. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of the publisher. Printed in the United States of America. EOA and the University of Minnesota are committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, or sexual orientation. EOA National Best Practices Center, David R. Arendale, Manager 275D Peik Hall, 159 Pillsbury Drive SE Department of Curriculum & Instruction, College of Education and Human Development University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN 55455 Email: [email protected] Phone: (612) 625-2928 EOA Center Website: http://besteducationpractices.org Recommended citation: Arendale, D. R. (Ed.). (2016). 2016 EOA National Best Practices Directory (2nd ed.). Minneapolis, MN: Educational Opportunity Association and University of Minnesota, College of Education and Human Development, Curriculum & Instruction Department. Available from http://z.umn.edu/eoabestpractices Acknowledgements Many people and organizations helped with production of this monograph and support for the work of the EOA National Best Practices Center. Critical has been the support provided by the co-sponsors for this work. The Educational Opportunity Association (EOA) provided the authority, guidance, financial assistance, and educational practices featured in this inaugural volume. The Department of Curriculum & Instruction at the University of Minnesota provided an office, web site support, and other assistance. Special thanks to the talented professionals who graciously provided expertise in review of submissions to the EOA Center as members of the External Expert Panel. Their background in TRIO and related educational programs was invaluable for providing rigorous review of the education practices that met high expectations for inclusion in this volume and the EOA Center. Their names accompanied by short biographical sketches are featured in an appendix at the end of this directory. Several groups guide the EOA Center. Nationally known experts in service to low-income and first-generation in college students serve as the EOA Center’s advisory board. Some of them are current and past officers of EOA and others are well-known leaders within EOA and the national community of TRIO practitioners. Many thanks to Dr. Trent Bell, Clark Chipman, and Bruce and Sharyn Schelske. Thanks to educators who submitted practices to the EOA Center for evaluation. Sharing at a conference is one avenue, but taking time and effort to write and then submit for evaluation is another. These educators shared how to take their education practices and implement for use with students in others parts of the country. Their contact information is provided on the first page of their education practices shared in this monograph. Ask them what it was like to submit a practice and what they learned from the process. They would be happy to share more information about their practice and answer your questions. Even though the age-old adage states: "Greater than the tread of mighty armies is an idea whose time has come," the idea does not become a reality without a person who not only is a believer but who can implement that belief. That person has been Deltha Colvin, Associate Vice-President for Campus Life and University Relations, Special Programs at Wichita State University. Ms. Colvin saw the need to embrace and expose a broad spectrum of her multiple program components to the Best Practices regimen. Her success is a testament to the need to recognize how critical it is that the sharing of proven practices must be a critical priority for the TRIO family to celebrate its achievements. Table of Contents Executive Summary .................................................................................................... 1 Background on the EOA Center and TRIO ................................................................. 2 Defining a Best Education Practice ............................................................................. 4 Educational Talent Search Programs A. Peer Coaching Handbook ....................................................................................... 7 B. Academic Improvement Plan .................................................................................. 17 C. Middle School Summer Curriculum ........................................................................ 31 Upward Bound Programs A. Upward Bound Senior College Exploration ............................................................. 39 B. Study Hall Days at a College Campus .................................................................... 46 B. Podcasting Academic and Career Counseling ....................................................... 53 C. Academic Advising Management System .............................................................. 66 D. Planning Effective Campus Visits ........................................................................... 75 Educational Opportunity Centers A. Right Start to College Seminar for Adults ............................................................... 83 B. Post Service Assessment Tool ............................................................................... 93 Disability Services A. Access College Today (ACT) Program ................................................................... 98 Student Support Services Programs A. Creating Global Experiences for College Students ................................................ 106 B. Advising Syllabus ................................................................................................... 141 C. Integrated Approach to the First Year Experience ................................................. 151 D. Horizons Study Abroad Experience ....................................................................... 179 E. Procedures for a Study Abroad Program ............................................................... 207 F. Evaluation Tools for a Study Abroad Program ....................................................... 222 G. Integrated Learning (IL) Course ............................................................................. 238 H. Tutoring for Students with Disabilities ..................................................................... 255 I. Tutor Training and Professional Development ......................................................... 265 Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Programs A. McWrite: Developing Scholarly Writing Skills ......................................................... 275 GEAR UP Programs A. GEAR UP Model for High School Financial Literacy Curriculum ............................ 286 Appendices Appendix A: Profiles of TRIO and GEAR UP Programs with Best Practices .............. 293 Appendix B: EOA Center and External Expert Panelists ............................................ 299 Appendix C: Procedures for Submission to the EOA Center ...................................... 304 Executive Summary The EOA National Best Practice Center identifies, validates, and disseminates practical activities and approaches to improve success of students who are low-income, first-generation, and historically underrepresented in education. Rather than looking to others for solutions, the federally funded TRIO and GEAR-UP grant programs have the expertise needed. The key is sharing it more widely and comprehensively with each other. The co-sponsors for the Center are EOA and the University of Minnesota. It seems everyone is talking about best practices today. The business world has talked about them for decades. From the business perspective, a commonly accepted definition for best business practice is what the businesses in the top five percent of their industry (generally defined by profitability) are doing throughout their companies. In education, there is little agreement on what is a best practice. Often little empirical evidence is offered. The EOA Center is more precise. In the next section of this document, What is a best education practice? explains how it is defined and connected to evaluation. The Center defines best education practices as “the wide range of individual activities, policies, and programmatic approaches to achieve positive changes in student attitudes or academic behaviors.” The administrative and education best practices in this publication have been reviewed and approved by multiple members of an external expert panel of qualified reviewers. Each practice has been approved as promising, validated, or exemplary based on the level of evidence supporting it. The rigorous standards applied during the review process are similar to previous national evaluation efforts by the U.S. Department of Education. More information about the rigorous standards and the external expert panel is contained in Appendix B of this publication. The practices approved thus far by the EOA Center represent each of the five major TRIO grant programs: Educational Talent Search, Upward Bound, Educational Opportunity Centers, Student Support Services, and the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Programs. One practice is from a GEAR UP program. For readers unfamiliar with TRIO programs, a short history is provided on the following pages. While the education practices come from TRIO programs, they could be adapted for use with nearly any student academic support and student development program. TRIO and GEAR UP programs are incubators of best practices to serve the needs of historically underrepresented students and the general student population. Readers can use this publication as a guide for implementing the education practices contained within it. Detailed information about the education practices purposes, educational theories that guide the practice, curriculum outlines, resources needed for implementation, evaluation process, and contact information are provided by the submitters of the practice who have practical experience implementing the practices. You are encouraged to contact them for additional information. -- David Arendale, Editor and EOA National Best Practices Center Manager 1 Background of the EOA National Best Practices Center and Federal TRIO Programs History of the EOA Center For decades, leaders like Clark Chipman, former regional administrator for the U. S. Department of Education, and David Arendale, former president of the National Association for Developmental Education, advocated for a one-stop shop to locate education practices that had undergone rigorous evaluation by an external expert panel to validate their effectiveness. A quick search of the Department of Education website or even the online ERIC database reveals little to guide effective practices. During the past five years, Clark Chipman and David Arendale worked with EOA (formerly MAEOPP) to develop a pilot center to highlight effective practices from TRIO and other education opportunity programs administered by EOA members. The EOA Center became operational in 2011. A partnership between EOA and the University of Minnesota operates the pilot best education practices center. A precedent for a national information dissemination program existed for several decades in the Education Department’s Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI). Within OERI was the Program Effectiveness Panel (PEP). PEP reviewed educational practices submitted by educators. Through a rigorous evaluation process, some practices were "validated." These validated practices were disseminated to the education community. OERI's National Diffusion Network (NDN) provided grants to a selected number of PEP certified programs for national dissemination. Due to budget cuts, both PEP and NDN were eliminated in the mid- 1990s. The EOA National Best Practices Center is unique since the NDN focused nearly exclusively on curriculum and pedagogy at the elementary and secondary level. Instead, this center focuses on first-generation and historically underrepresented students meeting eligibility guidelines for TRIO and GEAR UP programs at the secondary and postsecondary level. The same validation process could also be applied to other federally funded programs to identity promising and best practices. History of TRIO One of the priorities of the Civil Rights Movement and President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty was reducing barriers to education for historically underrepresented students. These students were defined as low-income. Later this definition grew to include students who were both low-income and the first-generation in their family to complete a college degree. The Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 created the Upward Bound (UB) Program, which focused on high school students. The following year, Talent Search (TS) was created through the Higher Education Act (HEA) to provide outreach services to middle and high school students. In 1968, Student Support Services (SSS, originally named Special Services for Disadvantaged Students) was created through an amendment of the HEA to serve college students. These three 2 federally-funded programs were known collectively as "TRIO." With reauthorization of the HEA in 1972, the current and subsequent TRIO programs were consolidated within the Office of Higher Education Programs. The original programs were expanded to provide more services to youth 6th grade through college: Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC, 1972), Upward Bound Veterans Program (UBV, 1972), Training Program for Federal TRIO Programs (1976), Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program (1986), and Upward Bound Math/Science program (1990). EOC, UBV, and McNair serve students who are not necessarily considered youth. More than 750,000 students, 6th grade through college, from disadvantaged backgrounds are currently served by nearly 2,800 programs nationally. While differences in emphasis guide TRIO program categories, these programs are committed to providing academic enrichment, tutoring, counseling, mentoring, financial training, cultural experiences, and other supports (McElroy & Armesto, 1998; USDOE, 2014). References McElroy, E. J., & Armesto, M. (1998). TRIO and Upward Bound: History, programs, and issues--past, present, and future. The Journal of Negro Education, 67(4), 373380. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2668137 U.S. Department of Education. (2014). Federal TRIO Programs web site. Retrieved http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/trio/ 3 Defining a Best Education Practice Everyone it seems is talking about best practices today. The business world started the conversation several decades ago. From the business perspective, a commonly accepted definition for best business practice is what the businesses in the top five percent of their industry (generally defined by profitability) are doing throughout their companies. Commonly, there is no discernment regarding which individual practices, within the collection of everything the company does, makes the difference with higher productivity and profitability in comparison to their peer competitors. Classic books on this subject include "The search for excellence" (author,1982) and "A passion for excellence" (author,1989). Before implementing a best education practice, we must agree on how to define it. In education, the phrase best education practice is used for a wide variety of activities and approaches that may or may not have been rigorously evaluated. Because of frequent use, the term is practically meaningless. A Google search for this phrase identified nearly 550 million web pages. Adding the word definition to the previous search phrase helped slightly; Google identified 172 million web pages. Defining Best Education Practices This center defines best education practices as the wide range of individual activities, policies, and programmatic approaches to achieve positive changes in student attitudes or academic behaviors. This umbrella term encompasses the following designations: promising, validated, and exemplary; each level is distinguished according to the evidence supporting the desired student or institutional outcomes A. Promising Education Practice. Contains detailed information describing the practice, along with its theoretical basis and guidance on how to implement it. Data collection is in process, but rigorous evaluation has not yet been completed. B. Validated Education Practice. A promising education practice, which has undergone rigorous evaluation, that documents positive student outcomes in one education setting. The evaluation design could be experimental, quasiexperimental, qualitative, or mixed. A similar term used to describe this type of practice is evidence-based education practice. C. Exemplary Education Practice. A validated education practice that has been successfully replicated at multiple education settings with similar positive student outcomes. The federal Department of Education describes this type of practice with the term scale-up, since the practice has high potential for successful implementation at other education sites. Whether at the promising, validated, or exemplary level, best education practices are described in sufficient detail for implementation by providing: (a) detailed descriptions; (b) critical elements for implementation; (c) relevant educational theories; (d) essential resources, both personnel and financial; and (e) processes used to gather impact data for rigorous evaluation of the practice. 4 Some may say, why not skip the promising practices until they prove themselves? Instead, we believe that educators should decide which practices to investigate. Promising education practices can be modified, improved, and implemented by other colleges. Besides, every validated and exemplary practice was at the promising level initially. Why wait when others can experiment with them now? Difference Between a Best Education Activity and a Best Education Program Within these three levels of practices, there are different levels of complexity. Some practices are small, discrete activities or policy decisions. Other practices are programmatic approaches that include a carefully selected bundle of activities or policy decisions. The following definitions differentiate these levels. A. Best Education Practice Activities. These activities are behaviors or policies by faculty, staff, and administrators that result in positive changes in student attitudes or academic behaviors. Examples include: mandatory assessment of students for proper advisement and placement in their classes; training student tutors before they begin their work; active learning activities within the classroom; and classroom assessment techniques to provide non-graded feedback, resulting in changed student learning behaviors. B. Best education Practice Programs. These programs are composed of a carefully coordinated collection of individual best practice activities. Examples of exemplary education practice programs from the area of academic support include Supplemental Instruction, Peer-Led Team Learning, the Emerging Scholars Program, and Structured Learning Assistance. The Supplemental Instruction program is composed of many validated best education practice activities such as active learning, classroom assessment techniques, cooperative learning activities, and Universal Instructional Design, just to name a few. Best Administrative Practices This center defines best administrative practices as the wide range of individual activities, policies, and procedures used to achieve positive results for the benefit of a student, a program, or an organization. The practices should contain the following detailed information for implementation: (a) detailed description; (b) innovation of the practice; (c) critical elements for implementation; (d) relevant research; (e) essential resources, both personnel and financial; and (f) claims of effectiveness. Importance of the Definitions It may seem excessive to define these terms so precisely. One benefit of defining best practices is having confidence that the practice will work. Another benefit is clear communication with policymakers, legislators, the media, and the public. 5 Educational Talent Search Programs Best Education Practices 6 Talent Search Peer Coaching Handbook TRIO Educational Talent Search Program Alpena Community College (Alpena, MI) For more information: Robert Newton, email: [email protected] http://acctalentsearch.com/ Approved October 31, 2016 as an Administrative Practice by the EOA National Best Practices Center, http://besteducationpractices.org Revised 10/31/16 Readers utilizing this education practice are requested to send a brief email how it was used. Send to the EOA Center at [email protected] This academic practice was developed through team efforts of Robert Newton (Director), Ross Corpe, Tom Smith, Brandinn Keetch, Jaime Kurowski, Bonnie Johnson, Julie Nowak, and Kristen Schnell. Abstract Research suggests that coaching programs can improve the academic performance and persistence of students. It has been determined that students who have a sense of belonging are more likely to stay in school and be successful. The main goal of the TTS Peer Coaching program is to create the sense of belonging and assist new TRiO Talent Search students to successfully adapt to the numerous academic, career, social, and personal issues that accompany being a successful student. Need Mentoring is an essential component for improving college completion for firstgeneration college and economically-disadvantaged students. Levin and Nidiffer (1996) identified the enormous challenges for these students who do not have successful role models to help them with successfully navigate barriers to college. The first of those barriers is simply believing that they have the potential to be successful in college. It is not enough to read about their own potential, rather they need a personal one-on-one relationship with another who has overcome the same obstacles as them. Bennis, Phinney, and Chuateco (2005) studied 100 first-generation students of color and found their lack of a peer mentoring support system was a negative predictor of college adjustment and lower grade point averages. Crisp and Cruz (2009) identified that careful training of mentors is critical to improve the benefits for the mentee. 7 Description of the Practice Welcome Peer Coach We are so glad you are helping our TTS family in your new role as a Peer Coach. We hope that this handbook and your training will provide you with everything you need to do a great job. Your role as a Peer Coach is very important to our students. You can make a difference in their academic success and even in their lives overall, by the way you assist them. We hope you enjoy this unique position and find it fulfilling. We’re looking forward to working with you… A Sense of Belonging Research suggests that coaching programs can improve the academic performance and persistence of students. It has been determined that students who have a sense of belonging are more likely to successfully complete high school, go on to college and be successful. The main goal of the TTS Peer Coaching program is to create the sense of belonging and assist new TRiO Talent Search students to successfully adapt to the numerous academic, career, social, and personal issues that accompany being a successful student. What is a Peer Coach? A coach has been defined as a “kind of guide who, despite having been far enough to know something of what’s down the path, comes back to walk with you, and thus leads without leaving you to follow” (Boyd, 1988). A Peer Coach will provide information, encouragement, skills, perspective, and feedback to TTS students who are first generation, low income, or from underrepresented groups. What are the goals of the Peer Coaching Program? 1) Implement Peer Coach training that emphasizes “Building a Peer Coach Relationship,” “Communication,” “Qualities of a Coach,” and “Time Management.” 2) Improve the retention and graduation rates in TRiO Talent Search (TTS) college students. 3) Provide a support and information system. 4) Involve students in school activities. 5) Increase students’ awareness and use of resources. 6) Increase students’ knowledge and sense of belonging to the Alpena Community College TRiO Talent Search Program. 7) Encourage student to student and student to teacher & TTS advisor communication. 8) Provide support and information on career development and exploration using career programs that are available on the TTS website (www.acctalentsearch.com).. 8 9) Encourage TTS students to use technology by introducing the participants to our eCoaching System. a) Many students feel uncomfortable with interaction with new and unfamiliar people. Many of these students appreciate the “safety” of electronic communication medium and are more willing to be open with their issues and questions. b) Although e-Coaching may not be the answer for everyone, most of the participants will find it useful. One main attraction is it’s a synchronicity. This allows people to carry on extended discussions without the constraint of time requiring them to be present with the other people. 10) Utilization of the TTS Facebook page and website to each student’s advantage. Peer Coach Job Description What are the criteria for being a Peer Coach? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Be an active TTS participant or alumnus. For current students, be in good academic standing with a minimum GPA of 2.0. Be a junior or senior member or alumni of TTS. Willing to commit for one academic year (September until May). Ability to develop rapport with students from diverse backgrounds. Have a strong desire to help other students attain academic and career goals. Establish and maintain appropriate conduct with assigned student. Committed to keeping information confidential. What are the Responsibilities of a Peer Coach? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Provide assistance to students participating in the Coaching program. Help in the development of skills necessary for students to succeed in college. Motivate students toward achieving positive academic progress. Serve as a resource person for the student. Serve as a role model for the student. Provide a caring connection for the student. What is specifically required of a Peer Coach? 1. Establish and maintain contact with assigned student, based on their stated preference for type and frequency of communication (e.g. text once a week) 2. Document all contacts with your Student according to the TTS Coach Program guidelines, and turn documentation into the appropriate TTS staff member within the required time frames. 3. Follow all TTS Coach Program guidelines. 9 4. Use direct communication to discuss any issues or problems with the coaching relationship. Performance Standards 1. Peer Coaches who are current students are required to maintain satisfactory academic progress. Students placed on Probation or Suspension are not eligible to continue work. A detailed discussion of the Standards of Academic Progress is in the College Catalog. 2. Peer Coaches are expected to perform their duties in accordance with the standards established by the TTS Coaching Program. 3. Peer Coaches may not work during a scheduled class of theirs or their students unless the class did not meet or they were released early from class. 4. Peer Coaches must adhere to the guidelines provided to them regarding confidentiality. Support from TTS The TRiO Talent Search program at Alpena Community College will support the Coaches in the following ways. 1. Provide Orientation and Training to the Coaches via workshops. 2. Provide information, structure and resources to assist the Coaches in developing a plan for the Coaching relationship. 3. Answer questions and help problem-solve when needed. 4. Provide academic and social opportunities in which the Coaches and Students can participate. 5. Provide a place to check in on a regular basis with an assigned staff advisor. 10 Effective Practices for TTS Peer Coaching Primary Concern: Career Goals One of the most effective practices is helping students gain career clarity. Identifying career goals can be a difficult process for undecided students. A student who is uncertain about career goals struggles with the ability to persist in a class that may seem irrelevant. This indecision can result in dramatic negative effects on a student’s ability to stay in school and eventually complete a degree program. Peer Coaches can encourage students to pursue career clarity through meeting with their TTS advisor or utilizing TTS resources to gain important career information. Primary Concern: Academic Planning Appropriate courses and course load levels are carefully regulated through early advisement and planning. The Peer Coaches can encourage students to meet with their advisor/counselor throughout the semester – not just at registration. Primary Concern: Maintaining the Integrity of a GPA Increased contacts through Peer Coaching throughout the semester can prevent unnecessary withdrawals. Peer coaching can encourage students to receive tutoring and perhaps help in the formation of study groups among TTS students enrolled in the same course. Helping to encourage students to communicate with their teachers can foster healthy working relationships. These can carry over into a work environment. Students can gain confidence to persist. Students can then be scheduled to meet with their advisor/counselor to review their progress until the end of the semester. Primary Concern: Effective and Personal College Planning Encourage students to participate in scheduled College Campus visits. Group college visits with a career emphasis can help add relevance to the student experience. 11 TRiO Talent Search Alpena Community College PEER COACHING CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT As a coach in the TTS Peer Coaching Program, I understand that I may have access to confidential information such as grades, student records, test results, student progress in class, and similar data, as well as a student’s personal information such as personal, family or medical problems. I am aware that I may receive verbal or written communication with my supervisor, other TTS staff or students concerning any of the above referenced information, which should be kept confidential. I also understand that participation in the TTS Peer Coaching Program means I must accept responsibility to preserve the confidentiality of this information and that failure to adhere to these guidelines may result in the termination of my role as a peer coach. I have read the above confidentiality statement and understand and accept the responsibility to preserve the confidentiality of privileged information. Coach Signature __________________________________________________ TTS Staff member Signature_________________________________________ Date____________________________________________________________ 12 Peer Coach Training Building a Peer Coach Relationship The TTS staff will do their best to match you with a student whom we believe would be a compatible match in terms of either age, interests, gender, major or other criteria indicated by student requesting a peer coach. Although the assigned student will have indicated their desire to have a peer coach, it will be your job to pursue building the relationship at least initially. You may want to suggest to the assigned student that you meet in person initially just to get to know each other first, then move to the form and frequency of communication indicated as the preference of the assigned student. Communication Clear, direct communication is always best for fostering a healthy, open and beneficial helping relationship, such as the Peer Coach-Student relationship you will be building. Once the initial relationship is established, please use the form and frequency of communication indicated as the assigned student’s preference to communicate with them (e.g. meet monthly in person, email weekly, call every other Monday etc.). It is possible that the assigned student may want to utilize more than one form of communication. Whatever you work out between you both that is mutually beneficial is probably going to be most effective. Please be as flexible as possible, based on the student’s needs and your schedule. Qualities of a Coach A Peer Coach needs to be patient, caring, encouraging and knows the limits of his/her own expertise. A Peer Coach does not have to be the expert on everything the assigned student is experiencing or may be struggling with. Using active listening skills to understand fully the issues experienced and knowing how to advise or refer, when necessary is very important. A Peer Coach should use clear, direct, open communication, but should always remember that listening is usually more important than talking. Knowing when to refer an assigned student to another person or department will help the student more than the Peer Coach trying to solve a problem that he/she is not equipped to handle. If in doubt, ask your TTS counselor what to do. Non-Cognitive Skills Part of the importance of the Peer Coaching experience is helping your assigned student to build their non-cognitive skills. This can cover a wide variety of areas, but is basically anything that is not directly academic in nature. Academic support is important such as organizational skills, understanding homework demands, being prepared for class, time management and punctuality. Other non-cognitive skills can include building 13 a sense of belonging in the school and TTS, being involved in clubs or other supportive groups, as well as being involved in the community. Encouraging your assigned student to persevere through difficult experiences could be an important part of your role. It will help to know their longer term goals. Sometimes students need increased self-confidence or self-awareness. Occasionally they may need help keeping priorities in perspective or they may need encouragement to speak up in class or talk to their instructors. Look for ways to help them where they may be struggling. If you are concerned that your assigned student may be struggling with issues beyond your expertise or understanding, please do not hesitate to talk with your TTS Advisor or school administrators immediately. Your role is to come alongside this newer student and help guide them to the extent they need it and to the extent you can offer it, but you are not expected to be a counselor or to be able to fix any problems they may have. If you are unsure about anything, let us know. That is why we are here! TTS Peer Coach Policies Peer Coach Responsibilities 1. Perform assignments in a serious and responsible manner. 2. Notify TTS staff when illness or some other unforeseen circumstance prevents participation in the Peer Coach program. 3. Remain in the Peer Coaching position for at least the entire academic term, preferably the academic year. This is very important in developing relationships with the student assigned to you. 4. Notify TTS of any changes in your contact information, such as name, address, phone number, email address etc. 14 PEER COACH CONTACT FORM 1. How did you contact your assigned student? (Circle as appropriate) Text Phone 2. Email In-Person Facebook Skype FaceTime Issues Discussed: (check all that apply) ___ Study habits ___ Motivation ___ Adjusting to the demands of school ___ Organizational Skills ___ Time Management ___ Social issues ___ Test-taking skills ___ Career Goals ___ Personal / Relationship issues ____ Personal goals ___ Other: ________________________________________________________ 3. How was it resolved? ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________ 4. Additional help needed? Yes No ______________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Peer Coach: ________________________________________________________ Assigned student: ___________________________________________________ Contact Date: ______________________________________________________ 15 References Crisp, G., Cruz, I. (2009). Mentoring college students: A critical review of the literature between 1990 and 2007. Research in Higher Education, 50(6), 525-545. doi: 10.1007/s11162-009-9130-2 Dennis, J. M., Phinney, J. S., & Chuateco, L. I. (2005). The role of motivation, parental support, and peer support in the academic success of ethnic minority firstgeneration college students. Journal of College Student Development, 46(3), 223-236. Levine, A., & Nidiffer, J. (1996). Beating the odds: How the poor got to college. The Jossey Bass Higher and Adult Education Series. San Francisco, CA: JosseyBass. ERIC Number ED388129. 16 Talent Search Academic Improvement Plan TRIO Educational Talent Search Program Alpena Community College (Alpena, MI) For more information: Robert Newton, email: [email protected] http://acctalentsearch.com/ Approved November 1, 2015 as a Promising Practice by the EOA National Best Practices Center, http://besteducationpractices.org Revised 6/15/16 Readers utilizing this education practice are requested to send a brief email how it was used. Send to the EOA Center at [email protected] This academic practice was developed through team efforts of Robert Newton (Director), Ross Corpe, Tom Smith, Brandinn Keetch, Jaime Kurowski, Bonnie Johnson, Kristen Schnell, and Jean Waeiss. Abstract The Academic Improvement Plan (AIP) is one component of the Educational Talent Search (ETS) program’s approach to improving academic success for students. This system is implemented when a student is identified through placement on academic probation by the school. The ETS staff and student work together to complete a review of academic concerns and reasons for difficulty, assessment of personal barriers, examination of academic goals, examination of career goals, development of a detailed academic action plan (identifies specific obstacles, two solutions for each, and completion dates), and additional recommendations for academic success. The student and ETS advisor sign the AIP plan. Need for the Practice The Educational Talent Search Program (ETS) hosted by Alpena Community College serves approximately 1400 students in 16 school districts in rural northeast Michigan, covering 12600 square miles. Roughly 8% of these students had been placed on academic probation before ETS started this system. Of these students, 70% were dismissed from the ETS program for not improving grades to lift the probation. The Academic Improvement Plan (AIP) is one part of the comprehensive Educational Talent Search (ETS) Program. Due to the unacceptably high rate of students dismissed from high school for academic reasons, the ETS program established four purposes of the AIP: 17 • • • • Students learn that they are not making satisfactory progress towards college-readiness and risk not attending postsecondary education. Notify parents their student was not on track to being college-ready and graduation from high school could be jeopardy. Students who want to attend college choose an action plan to put them back on academic track. Document why a student was discharged from the ETS program if their choice was not to follow through with the AIP. Description of the Practice Letters are sent out to both student and parents stating the reason for action and the purpose of the Talent Search program. Students meet with their ETS advisor and the AIP is developed. It is made clear to the student they need to follow through with the plan (AIP) or the consequence is dismissal from ETS. The ETS program is considering whether to share the AIP with the school counselor or other staff members. The following describes the specific activities and the timeline for them to be accomplished. The AIP is dependent upon careful monitoring of student academic performance, timely communication with students and parents, skillful intervention by the ETS staff, and careful record keeping. 1. Semester/trimester grade requests will be submitted to all schools by the TRiO Talent Search (TS) Secretary approximately two weeks before the end of the semester/trimester. 2. When grades have been collected, they are calculated and entered in the database by the TS Secretary. After grades have been entered in the database, the Secretary will submit a Grade Report (Appendix 16) for each school to the TS Director. 3. The TS Director will review the Grade Reports (Appendix 16) noting academic changes for individual students with the following designations: concern, probation, congratulations, or drop. The grade report is forwarded to the TS Advisors for review and comment. 4. The TS Director will forward the returned reports to the TS Secretary for database entry and to send the appropriate letters (see below). a. For All Students that fall below a 2.0 Cumulative GPA in CORE classes (English, math, science, social studies) and/or a current or cumulative GPA overall – it is the TS Director’s discretion to place the student on academic probation. Every student with a current or cumulative GPA below 2.0 overall or in core classes must have a documented meeting with their TS Advisor in which they will complete an Academic Improvement Plan (AIP). Some TS Advisor discretion pertaining to discharge (drop) from TS due to poor academic performance is allowed with the TS 18 Director’s approval. A Letter of Concern (Appendix 17) is sent to students with a cumulative GPA below 2.0. b. For students placed on probation OR remaining on probation – two Probation letters will be sent; 1) a letter to the student explaining the TS probation procedures and expectations (Appendix 18) , and 2) a letter to the parent with a return response form and postage paid return envelope (Appendix 19). c. For students that have improved their grades, but their GPA remains below 2.0 – a Congratulatory Letter-Grades Improved (Appendix 20) is sent to the student in care of the parent. d. For students removed from probation: for improving their cumulative and/or core course GPA – a Congratulatory Letter-Grades Improved/Off Probation (Appendix 21), or for unimproved grades – a Discharge Letter (Appendix 22) is sent to the student in care of the parent. 5. For matriculation and final year end grade reports, the TS Director will review each school’s Grade Report and return reports to the TS Secretary for database entry and to send the appropriate letters (above). Copies of each letter will be forwarded to the TS Advisor for placement in the student’s file. 6. The Academic Improvement Plan (AIP) should be completed within four weeks of the following semester and submitted to the TS Secretary for database entry. The AIP (Appendix 24 a/b) will be returned to the TS Advisor within two weeks. 7. TS Advisors are expected to regularly monitor the progress of all students with a GPA below 2.0, verify that probationary students are following the terms of the AIP and discuss any concerns/ problems the student may be having. Students will be released from probationary status at the TS Director’s discretion. TS Advisors may notify the TS Director at any time during the school year to change a student’s probationary status. Request for probationary status change should be made in written form. 19 20 21 Resources Needed to Implement the Practice After the initial start-up of the AIP program, a small amount of time is spent by the ETS program. The key activities and resources for success in the program include: • ETS staff meet with students (usually in group settings) and provide positive reenforcement to them and help them complete the AIP. • High school staff provide quarterly grades for the students. • Involvement of parents with helping the students to correct academic behaviors. Resources are provided to the parents through the ETS middle school or high school ETS resource guide. Parents choose their level of involvement. The resource guide helps the parents and the students to identity career goals and establish practical steps to accomplish them. Program Evaluation Roughly 8% of the students were on probation before the ETS program started this system. Seventy present were dismissed as a result of not improving their grades. After introduction of the AIP system, the average loss is six ETS students annually. High school graduation rate for the students is close to 100% during the past three years. Eighty-nine percent of the 340 high school seniors attended college during the succeeding fall. When these former ETS students are examined three years later, 75% are still attending college. 22 23 24 25 Appendix 20 – AIP Workbook (Pages One and Two) 26 Appendix 20 – AIP Workbook (Pages Three and Four) 27 28 29 30 Middle School Summer Enrichment Program Instructional Curriculum TRIO Talent Search Program, Wichita State University (Wichita, KS) For more information: Larry Ramos, [email protected] http://www.wichita.edu/thisis/home/?u=specialprograms Approved September 25, 2013 as a Promising Practice by the EOA National Best Practices Center, http://besteducationpractices.org Revised 10/11/13 Readers utilizing this education practice are requested to send a brief email how it was used. Send to the EOA Center at edpractices @eoa.org Abstract The Summer Enrichment Program (SEP) is designed to assist students in improving learning skills and provide college awareness while they develop a sense of achievement in both? knowledge and motivation. The goals of the SEP are to prepare students for postsecondary education; improve students' attitudes toward learning and education in general; and reduce learning loss that some students experience during summer vacation. Research has shown that students' skills and knowledge often deteriorate during the summer months, with low-income students facing the largest losses. Instruction during the summer has the potential to stop these losses and propel students toward higher achievement (McCombs et al., 2011). The focus of this description is on the curriculum of the Summer Enrichment Program. Students are administered a pretest and a posttest to measure their knowledge before and after completing the summer program. The goals of the SEP curriculum are to advance motivation for core subject matter; engage students to take an active role in the learning process; improve upon their pretest scores; reduce some of the skills and knowledge loss that occurs over the summer months; and increase motivation for postsecondary education. The subjects, taught by certified teachers, consist of mathematics, science, language arts, computer technology, and life skills/financial literacy. Each instructor is assisted by tutor aides in order to maximize student learning. On average, students increased their scores on the posttest by eight percent. A College Access Challenge Grant was received from the Kansas Board of Regents to support the SEP instructional curriculum. Overview of the Practice The Talent Search instructional curriculum component of the summer enrichment program (SEP) is designed to motivate and engage middle school students in math, language arts, science, and computer technology. Additionally, to support the students’ 31 growth and development within and outside the school environment, the curriculum includes a life skills/financial literacy course. The goals of the SEP curriculum are to advance motivation for core subject matter; engage students to take an active role in the learning process; improve upon their pretest scores; reduce some of the skills and knowledge loss that occurs over the summer months; and increase motivation for postsecondary education. According to McCombs et al (2011), many students lose knowledge and skills during summer vacation and summer programs may address this loss and in many cases increase achievement. All SEP students are administered a pretest on the core subjects taught and then grouped according to their knowledge and skill level. Group size is limited to 10 students, allowing the instructor to introduce curricula appropriate for each group. Instructors are certified by the State of Kansas and hold licenses to teach. Each instructor is assigned an undergraduate or graduate level student to serve as a tutor and teacher’s aide. Classes are held four days a week for 45 minutes. The SEP is divided into two sessions: one for the 6th and 7th grade, and one for the 8th grade students. Each session lasts four weeks. At the end of each session, students are administered a posttest. The posttest scores are compared to the pretest scores to measure improvement. While the demographic profile of the SEP participants fluctuates from year to year, more than 50% of the students receive free or reduced-price lunches, and over half are from minority groups including African Americans, Latinos or multiracial groups. Over half of the students are female and nearly all students are from the Wichita Public School District (USD 259) and mirror demographics of the overall student population where 62% of the students are non-white and over 66% qualify for free and reducedprice lunches. Students are selected on a first-come first-served basis as long as they meet certain selection criteria. First, students must meet the federal guidelines for participation in TRIO Talent Search (low-income eligibility and/or potential firstgeneration college student), or have another need for services including, but not limited to, academic or social needs. However, at least two-thirds of the participants selected must be both low-income and potential first-generation college students. All students must be at least 10 years of age. An additional requirement includes having at least a 2.0 grade point average; preference is given to those students who have been active participants already in the program. Since males tend to be underrepresented in the SEP, a concerted effort to achieve gender equality among participants is paramount. Need for the Practice The majority of research on the impact of summer programs has been on those geared toward gifted students (Beer et al., 2008). The researchers contend that summer programs can be effective in motivating low-income and at-risk students. McCombs et al (year) contend that summer programs with strong instructional components can reverse summer learning loss, achieve learning gains, and give low-performing students a chance to acquire skills not previously learned during the school year. 32 Preliminary studies, including those conducted by Elam, Donham, and Soloman (2012), reveal a positive impact on students’ attitudes toward engineering after attending a two-week summer program. Sheridan’s research team (2011) found that a summer science camp at Canisius College was successful in increasing interests of middle school students in sophisticated chemistry material. Additionally, a pilot summer camp funded by the U.S. Department of Education entitled “Partnerships in Character Education” was found to be effective in improving the social skills of at-risk middle school students (Allen et al., 2011). The importance of summer programs, particularly those that focused on strong instructional components for low-income students, provided the impetus for the Talent Search program at Wichita State University to develop its long-standing summer enrichment program for middle school students. Although the summer program has evolved over time through trial and error, it has now become a focal point of the program’s identity in addressing the significant need that exists within the school district whence students come for four weeks. According to the advocacy group Success in the Middle, housed at Coleman Middle School in Wichita, KS, approximately 3,000 middle school students did not pass the state reading or math assessments. The state of Kansas’ Department of Education reported that only 12 of 16 middle schools in USD 259 (Wichita, KS) met the 2011 Adequate Yearly Progress requirement under the No Child Left Behind Act. Theory and Research Guiding the Practice Research in social learning theory (Bandura, 1977) supports the foundation upon which SEP is based. Three core concepts compose social learning theory: (a) observational learning; (b) intrinsic reinforcement; and (c) modeling the process steps of attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation. Observational learning (a) offers a model for another person to see in action. Most people learn better by watching others rather than by listening to someone abstractly talk about the desired behavior or by reading about it in a book. Intrinsic reinforcement (b) shifts the focus from a person performing a behavior because of an admonition by another (a teacher) to the person choosing the behavior because he or she wants the feeling of achievement and sense of pride that comes from the accomplishment. The modeling of attention. The person must focus his or her attention on the behavior to be learned and avoid distractions or multitasking. The second step is retention. It does no good to learn behaviors and then quickly forget them. The retention step often requires active involvement by the person to recall what was learned, explain it to another, or answer questions about it on a test. Reproduction is the third step. More than just talking about the behavior, the person needs to reproduce the behavior for observation by another. Repeated practice of the behavior ingrains it more deeply and increases likelihood of retention for the future. The final step is motivation. A person’s motivation is key to increasing the likelihood of repeating the new behavior. Reinforcement and punishment are external means to motivate a person. Internal motivations could be the gain of higher self-esteem from mastering the behavior and the feeling of pride in the accomplishment. 33 The SEP provides a high-quality learning environment, positive reinforcement, experiential learning, and self-efficacy to students. These experiences improve student learning through their cognitive, behavioral, and environmental influences. Description of the Practice Scope: Middle school students who have completed the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades can participate in the program. One session is for fifty 6th and 7th graders and the other session is for 25 8th graders. Curriculum and Instructional Approach: Instruction is provided in classroom settings at Wichita State University. Instructors are certified by the State of Kansas. Curriculum includes math, science, language arts, computer technology, and life skills/financial literacy. Each instructor is assigned a tutor/instructor aide to support the instructor’s needs and course content needs. Students are divided into groups of no more than 10 students. This approach facilitates maximum group and individual interaction among students and instructional staff. Learner Activities: Each course includes a curriculum similar to lesson plans for middle school students that are taught in USD 259. Lesson plans are developed for individual groups. Since each group is comprised of students with similar skill levels, instructors create basic, moderate, and difficult lesson plans. For example, instructors may teach one group basic math skills while teaching another group advanced algebra concepts. Students attend each class for 45 minutes, four times a week. Each course’s general topics are described as follows: (a) the mathematics course provides a review of middle level math concepts, including pre-algebra and algebra; (b) the science course reviews biology and chemistry applications; (c) the computer technology course involves photography and photo editing as well as Internet safety. Each student is required to complete a photo essay acceptable for submission to the Digi-Text competition of the National TRIO Quest program sponsored by the University of Washington; (d) language arts course focuses on grammar, composition, and narrative development. Feedback on writing is emphasized; and (e) life skills/financial literacy exposes students to budgeting, balancing a checkbook, spending, saving, and money management. Students also learn about credit, costs of attending college, and setting financial goals. Finally, this course teaches students how to dress for success. Learning Materials: Using a variety of learning materials ensures that students have a learning experience that is both educational and meaningful. Each course enlists textbooks, worksheets, handouts, and reading materials that instructors utilize to maximize learning. For example, the text Financial Literacy for Teens by Chad Foster provides reading opportunities and individual and group exercises to introduce students to the importance of budgeting, spending, and managing money. Students learn traditional math concepts through Fraction Tool Kits and learn about geometry by examining WSU's outdoor art pieces. Digital cameras are used by students in the computer technology class to improve image quality resulting in professional-level photos used to produce a photo essay worthy of submission to the National TRIO Quest Digi Text competition. The following chart outlines the learning materials used for each course. While not exhaustive, the list identifies the key elements used by the instructors to enhance a dynamic, hands-on experience for students. 34 Materials/Supplies Quantity Course Financial literacy textbooks 75 Life Skills/Financial Literacy Filler paper As needed Life Skills/Financial Literacy Glue sticks 10 Life Skills/Financial Literacy Composition notebooks Legal paper Multi-colored paper 3 prong pocket folders Glue sticks Beakers Transfer pipettes Lip gloss containers Pure cocoa butter Beeswax Antacids Lemon juice Olive oil Vinegar Honey Food coloring Baking soda Bathroom cups Memory cards Cameras Flash drives Fraction toolkit 75 2 reams 2 reams 75 10 20 50 75 1 lb. 1 lb. 1 bottle 1 bottle 1 bottle 1 bottle 1 bottle 4 pack 1 box 100 10 10 75 1 Language Arts Language Arts Language Arts Language Arts Language Arts Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Computer Technology Computer Technology Computer Technology Math Percent index card game 1 Math Staff Activities – Each course is taught by a certified instructor. The tutor/instructor aide is an undergraduate or graduate student attending WSU. The instructor leads all lesson plans and the tutor/instructor aide facilitates understanding and learning during in-class projects and assignments. Tutor/instructor aides also make copies, obtain supplies from the program office, and grade papers and assignments. All courses are held on campus, often in the same building. Two other key areas that the staff develops are student recognition and evaluation of the instructional curriculum. The student who scores the highest on the pretest and the student who scores the highest on the posttest each receive a certificate for their accomplishments. The staff also administers the program evaluation to students at the end of the SEP. On the evaluation, students are asked to rate whether or not the classroom instruction will help them for the upcoming school year and if the instructor provided good instruction. Students are also administered a pretest and posttest by the staff to measure the effectiveness of the instruction on their learning. For the most recent group of students who participated in the SEP (summer 2012), on average, the students scored 62.97% on the pretest and 70.17% on the posttest. The improvement made by the students lends support to the value of the instruction received during the SEP and may even bridge the gap for any learning loss that might 35 have occurred over the summer months. Prior groups participating in the SEP showed similar improvement. Key Skills/Traits for Staff – Each instructor must have certification in the subject area being taught. Tutor/instructor aides must have a major in the subject area or in a closely related field. More importantly, staff must be cognizant of the problems that face low-income and potential first-generation college students. Staff must also demonstrate the ability to serve as good role models and possibly serve as mentors to middle school students. Key Factors for Success of the Practice Key Factors – There are several key elements of the SEP instructional curriculum that differentiate it from other summer classes or programs that offer academic development: • • • • • • • Students undergo a selection process that identifies their compatibility with the summer program and its instructional curriculum; Instructional staff are carefully screened and selected from a large pool of potential certified instructors and WSU students; Courses offered in the summer program are required for students; Pretests and posttests are administered to students to measure learning achieved; Class sizes are limited to no more than 10 students to enhance learning; Tutor/Instructional Aides provide academic support to struggling students on lessons found to be difficult; and University resources such as museums, art collections, labs, and libraries enhance lessons when appropriate Resources Needed to Implement the Practice The annual financial and personnel resources needed for the Talent Search Summer Enrichment Program consist of instructional curriculum are described below: Requirements included five consultants, preferably from the Wichita school district, to serve as instructors in language arts, mathematics, science, computer technology, and life skills/financial literacy. Five tutor/instructional aides assist the instructors in class. Materials and supplies consist of binders, pencils, pens, paper, pencil pouches, dividers, textbooks, glue sticks, composition notebooks, pocket folders, beakers, transfer pipettes, lip gloss containers, cocoa butter, beeswax, antacids, lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar, honey, food coloring, baking soda, bathroom cups, memory cards, cameras, and flash drives. The university provided five classrooms for instruction as an in-kind donation. Talent Search provided instructional curriculum to 75 students in five subject areas of mathematics, science, language arts, computer technology, life skills, and financial literacy at a total cost of $38,082, an average cost of $508 per student. Personnel costs consist of payment for five consultants, and five tutor/instructional aides for a cost of $29,840. Costs include all materials and supplies utilized by students and 36 instructional staff was $8242. The personnel and material/supplies cost were fully supported by the College Access Challenge Grant received through the Kansas Board of Regents. Evaluation of the Practice The program uses a variety of data collection systems to evaluate progress towards achievement of the program outcomes. Some of these data systems are already described in this submission. Once a rigorous analysis of the data is completed, the submission will be revised; the expanded document will be resubmitted to the EOA Center for evaluation at the higher level of “validated education practice.” The program currently engages in formative evaluation through survey responses from participants, interviews with staff involved with the program, and other data collection methods. As described earlier, this information is used for program revisions and planning purposes. References Allen, J., Anderson, D. R., Baun, B., Blair, S. N., Chapman, L.S., Eriksen, M., & Pelletier, K. R. (2011). Reflections on developments in health promotion in the past quarter century from founding members of the American Journal of Health Promotion Editorial Board. American Health, 25(4), ei-evii. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.4278/ajhp.25.4.ei Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84(2), 191-215. Beer, J. S., Stallen, M., Lombardo, M. V., Gonsalkorale, K., Cunningham, W. A., & Sherman, J. W. (2008). The Quadruple Process model approach to examining the neural underpinnings of prejudice. Neuroimage 43, 775–783. Elam, M., Donham, B., & Soloman, S. R. (2012). Journal of STEM education: Innovations and research, 13(2). Kansas State Department of Education. (2011, August 9). Kansas State Department of Education report. Topeka, KS: Author. McCombs, J. S., Augustine, C. H., Schwartz, H. L., Bodilly, S. J., McInnis, B., Lichter, D. S., & Cross, A. B. (2011). Making summer count: How summer programs can boost children’s learning. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation. Retrieved from http://www.wallacefoundation.org/knowledge-center/summer-and-extendedlearning-time/summer-learning/Documents/Making-Summer-Count-HowSummer-Programs-Can-Boost-Childrens-Learning.pdf 37 Upward Bound Programs Best Education Practices 38 Upward Bound Senior College Exploration TRIO Upward Bound Program, Kent State University (Kent, OH) For more information: Thomas Jefferson, [email protected] http://www.kent.edu/trio Approved November 1, 2015 as a Promising Practice by the EOA National Best Practices Center, http://besteducationpractices.org Revised 06/15/16 Readers utilizing this education practice are requested to send a brief email how it was used. Send to the EOA Center at [email protected] This education practice from Kent State University is submitted by Thomas Jefferson, Director, Upward Bound Classic Academy; Krystle Rivera, Assistant Director, Upward Bound Classic Academy; and Stephon Brown, Academic Coordinator, Upward Bound Classic Academy. Abstract The Kent State University Upward Bound Classic Academy supports high school senior success and transition into postsecondary education through a senior curriculum. Designated activities occur during the residential Summer Institute between a student’s junior and senior year. Curriculum is designed so students complete most of the activities online if they are unable to attend the Summer Institute. The Summer Upward Bound Senior Curriculum creates opportunities for students to be better prepared and equipped with handling some of the pressures of life as a high school senior. This document focuses on college exploration. Many of the activities throughout the senior curriculum are interwoven to build upon each other. The college exploration activities lead students to reflect on their personal preferences, detailed research on institutions, and matching their preferences with college choice selection. Goals of the senior college exploration activities are to (1) create a personalized action plan for senior year; (2) gain knowledge of the colleges the student will pursue; and (3) self-reflect on their interests, preferences and qualifications to ensure their college choices are the right fit and meet their needs academically and personally. Need for the Practice Navigating the postsecondary education search process can be a daunting task for any student. First generation and low-income students may experience extra anxiety since they may lack the resources or individuals to assist them in this process. It can be a challenging process for students to select an institution that fits them. Often students 39 may not know or understand why they are applying or attending the colleges they are choosing. The exploration activities serve as a tool to help students pilot through their search. Previously, many students went into their search without prior knowledge. They may apply to a school because a friend or someone else told them it was a good school, not because the student felt the institution was a good fit for them academically or personally. When the staff developed the postsecondary exploration activities, three learning outcomes were identified for the students: • • • Self-reflect on interests, preferences and qualifications to ensure their college choices are a right fit and meet their needs academically and personally. Demonstrate knowledge of how to conduct an in depth postsecondary institution search process Compare and assess choices to determine which may be the best fit for them By focusing on these simple learning outcomes, the expectation is for students to attend a postsecondary institution meeting their needs so the student is more likely to be retained and graduate with a degree within six years of high school graduation. Description of the Practice The Kent State University Upward Bound Classic Academy college exploration activities are focused on seniors (rising into the 12th grade). Coupled with other activities as part of a comprehensive senior curriculum, the Classic Academy staff offers seniors and opportunity to jumpstart this process in comparison with some of their peers. The senior curriculum is based on sixteen activities; the college exploration has three activities as part of the comprehensive curriculum: Activity #1: College Exploration- Part 1: Two-step questionnaire asks the student specific personal questions ranging from what do they hope to gain from college to having the students to think about climate and geography of where the student would like to live. A sample page is included in the resource section. Activity #2: College Exploration- Part 2: using the information presented during part one, students are to complete a thorough two-step research assignment on a particular college. Detailed questions students may answer ranging from admissions requirements, to study abroad opportunities, to financial aid. A sample page is included in the resource section. The college chosen should be the top school the student will apply for admission to. Activity #3: College Admissions Requirements: Based on college exploration activities and other parts of the senior curriculum, seniors are asked to research at least five colleges to which they plan to apply during early fall in their senior year. The colleges must be based on their responses from the exploration activities and is a fit for the student academically. Students are not expected to be as thorough as in the postsecondary exploration part 2 activity, but are encouraged to do so for their top two choices. 40 As students’ progress through the exploration activities they meet and discuss their responses with the Classic Academy staff. This helps students to be meaningful in their responses. Staff also help students to identify postsecondary institutions from which the student has a better chance to matriculate and graduate. The college exploration activities are required for all seniors. Students complete the assignments, email them to the staff for feedback, and then they make adjustments as necessary. If a student is not present during Summer Institute then the student is required to meet with a staff member in person at least twice throughout summer to provide feedback on their activities. A staff member reviews that they thoroughly completed each assignment. This is a checks and balances for the student and as staff to ensure the student needs are being met. The Classic Academy staff has participated in several professional development activities to confirm their training and skills are current. Staff participate has in the annual articulation program conducted by the Ohio Association for College Admission Counseling (OACAC). During the staff members’ training, they receive updates from the public and private universities in the state, state Board of Higher Education, College Board, and the American College Testing Service (ACT). They also participate in a college fair. The Classic Academy staff has also go to state regional ACT workshops. Staff attend a variety of state and regional conferences for professional development. The information learned at the various venues is discussed with other staff members how it may be put in the “toolbox” to be used as part of the curriculum. Resources Needed to Implement the Practice Three main resources are needed to complete this practice are: • • • Classic Academy Staff Folder, binder, or flash drive that includes a copy of activities for students Students will need access to a computer and Internet to complete activities Attached are samples of what students are expected to complete through the college exploration activities. Program Evaluation The program is evaluated relative to the three learning objectives. Data is collected in the following areas to measure program effectiveness. • • • Percent of the students that create a personalized action plan. Knowledge gained of particular colleges. Student self-reflections on their interests, preferences, and qualifications regarding particular college. The program uses a variety of data collection systems to evaluate progress towards achieving program outcomes. Some data collectors are included in this submission. When final analysis of the data is completed, this best practice submission will be revised with addition of this report. Then, the expanded document will be 41 resubmitted to the EOA Center for evaluation at the higher level of “validated education practice.” The program engages in formative evaluation through survey responses from participants, interviews with staff involved with the program, and other data collection methods. The information is used for revisions and planning purposes. 42 Appendix College Exploration - Activity 1 Kent State University Upward Bound Programs College Exploration (Step 1) Step 1 Before you begin your research, you should figure out what kind of school you would like to attend. The following questions are meant to help you with this process. It is important that you answer these questions thoroughly and honestly. The goal is for you to enjoy college and be successful. The more detailed and through your responses are the easier it will be to find the college that best fits your personal needs and the clearer the vision for your future will become. You may use extra paper if needed. 1. How do you see yourself growing and changing in the next few years? What would be the best environment for that growth? 2. What do you hope to gain from college? 3. What worries you most about going to college? 4. Are there any special interests you want to pursue in college? Do your interests require special facilities or programs? 5. At what level of academic challenge do you work best? Do you want a demanding program or one that allows you to do well without knocking yourself out? How well do you respond to competition and academic pressure? 43 College Exploration - Activity 2 Kent State University Upward Bound Programs College Exploration (Step 2) Answer the following questions about one postsecondary school. This school must meet the criteria you established in steps 1 and 2. In other words, you should not research Arizona State University (student population: 50,000) if you said that you would be happiest on a small campus, and you shouldn’t research a school that doesn’t offer a major in architecture if you indicated that you wanted to study architecture. 1. First, and most important, what school are you going to be researching? Choose one college in which you are interested and write down where it is located. 2. It is also important that this school offer programs of study in which you are interested. Please list three major fields of study at this school in which you are interested. a. __________________________________________ b. __________________________________________ c.___________________________________________ Admission Requirements 3. List the high school courses that you are required to take for admission to this College/ University. 4. Is there a GPA requirement at this school? If so, what is the minimum GPA you need to apply? 5. Do you have to report your ACT scores to this school when you apply? If so, is there a minimum score required for admission? What is it? 6. If ACT scores are required, what is the average score for students who are admitted? College Admissions Requirements – Activity 3 44 Kent State University Upward Bound Programs 5 Colleges and Universities Admissions Requirements Dear: Senior You are required as part of your senior experience in Upward Bound to complete a college admissions requirement search. The search must consist of five (5) colleges and/or universities that you will be eligible to apply for during your senior year. This assignment is geared towards helping you find the top 5 schools of your choice and becoming familiar with the requirements that must be met in order to apply to each of these colleges and or universities. Be sure to only research colleges that interest you and that you would realistically apply to. Due Date: 10/11/15 Requirements: • Name of college or University • Briefly describe why you chose each school • Does the school offer the major of your choice Yes or No • Outline each of the college and or universities admission requirements - GPA Requirements - SAT/ACT Requirements • What is the colleges application fee 45 Upward Bound Study Hall Days at a College Campus TRIO Upward Bound Program, Wichita State University (Wichita, KS) For more information: Wilma Moore-Black, [email protected] http://www.wichita.edu/thisis/home/?u=specialprograms Approved October 15, 2013 as a Promising Practice by the EOA National Best Practices Center, http://besteducationpractices.org Revised 10/15/13 Readers utilizing this education practice are requested to send a brief email how it was used. Send to the EOA Center at [email protected] Abstract The Communication Upward Bound’s (CUB) model supports high school student success through a variety of carefully coordinated activities. One of them is Study Hall Days, a structured study hall hosted on the Wichita State University campus when public school classes are not in session. Most high school students remain at home or come to the school only for athletic team practices when school officials have in-service days for staff development or professional meetings. Research studies document the adverse effects this interruption has on learning. The CUB model of Study Hall Days creates an activity-rich learning environment for them. Several activities include: (1) use of supplemental curriculum materials to deepen understanding of current topics in their classes, including use of the ComFit Online Learning Center, (2) private tutorial sessions with CUB tutors and staff members, (3) practice of time management and metacognitive skills to strengthen students’ development as autonomous learners and proficiency with self-directed learning, (4) attendance at college classes related to their future academic majors, (5) interactions with college faculty members and students, and (6) preparation for college entrance and course placement assessments. These activities groom participants to higher success in high school and college. Multiple goals of the WSU Study Hall model are to 1) sustain focus on current learning topics, 2) increase understanding of the benefits of studying and learning skills, 3) complete assignments of current classes, 4) prepare for upcoming major exams, 5) access CUB program computers and technology and 6) promote online tutoring to encourage further studying at home. To determine the success of a customized study hall at the college campus, the staff collects qualitative data, especially from interviews, surveys, and case studies. Unique Features of the Practice The innovation of the WSU CUB Study Hall Days model is capturing potentially wasted learning time when students’ high school classes are cancelled, whether for teacher professional or other reasons, and making it productive. Rather than working by 46 themselves at home or engaged in nonacademic activities, CUB students engage in the structured study hall learning experience under mentorship of the CUB tutors and staff members. This model can be replicated and adapted to any TRIO program. Psychologist and educational reformer John Dewey is known for “making connections between subjects and a child’s life (Childs, 1956; Cremin, 1961). Dewey’s progressive model has been influential in the development of the modern school curriculum (Coughlin, 1975). This same concept of progression can be implemented in the delivery of services at a study hall offered at any college campus worldwide. In order for a high school student to engage fully in a college-based study hall, he or she must understand its benefits. By definition, an autonomous learner is "one who solves problems or develops new ideas through a combination of divergent and convergent thinking and functions with minimal external guidance in selected areas of endeavor” (Betts & Knapp, 1981). CUB provides a program that is intentionally relevant to students’ needs and prepares students to undertake the role of self-directed learner. Need for the Practice Numerous studies document the negative impact on student academic achievement when classes are dismissed at their local school (Bayard, 2003; Beavers, 1981; Bowswell, 1993; Cantrell, 2003; Lewis, 1981; Manatt,1987; Pitkoff, 1989; Smith, 1984; Summers & Raivetz, 1982; and Womble, 2001). One study found that 10 or more days of missed instruction constituted a critical threshold. The result was a consistent, statistically significant negative impact on student achievement (Clotfelter, Ladd, & Vigdor, 2007). A second negative outcome of students dismissed from classes may be a loss of academic performance on high-stakes tests. There are implications for students and the schools. There are financial consequences for schools that fail to meet standards set by No Child Left Behind and other legislative mandates for performance testing that are tied to funding (Miller, Murane, & Willett, 2008). Finally, there is a financial and emotional impact upon parents and guardians who are employed and have to rearrange their personal and professional schedules, perhaps incurring additional expenses to care for their children when dismissed from school. Low socio-economic status (SES) families are least able to pay for special arrangements for their children or cancel work to supervise them at home. Miller, Murane, and Willett (2008) documented the statistically significant drop in scores for students when teachers are absent ten or more times. On average, nearly 40 percent of teachers are absent ten or more days annually. The students most often impacted are African American and Latino students (Miller, 2012). Miller suspected that achievement gaps between these students and other groups might be due to “a teacher attendance gap” (2012, p. 5). Research studies held consistent on the negative impact when either school was dismissed or substitute teachers took the place of assigned classroom teachers. The impact was worse for students who came from low socioeconomic backgrounds since those families did not have the cultural capital to compensate for lost formal instruction. During any given day, five to six percent of teachers in this study were absent from class, nearly twice the rate for any other industrialized country in the world and three times the rates of other professional employees (Ballou, 1996; Podgursky, 2003). The direct harm cited by the studies for 47 dismissed school was a loss of instructional intensity (Gagne, 1977; Varles, 2001). The same harm also occurred when substitute teachers were employed, since their academic preparation is less and does not carry the same academic intensity in the class sessions (Henderson, Protheroe, & Porch, 2002). Disruption of the learning routine is a second consequence of dismissing classes or staffing with substitutes (Rundall, 1986; Turbeville, 1987). The Communication Upward Bound (CUB) program at Wichita State University (WSU) was not only new to the Wichita public school system, it was the only program in the United States focused on careers in the communication, media, technology, and public speaking fields. To comply with the program’s mission and Upward Bound (UB) goals, CUB students were required to participate in the program’s academic support activities. Engagement and participation were the primary means to ensure that students in the UB program achieved the program’s goals and desired outcomes. Initially, low attendance at program activities, coupled with the newness of the program, were the main obstacles to the success of the program. The CUB program activities were carefully selected by the Assistant UB Director and Curriculum Coordinator, who had taught at the secondary level. It was her responsibility to pursue inviting and engaging activities that would increase student involvement. Thus, the study hall concept was developed. In addition, there was the challenge of keeping students focused on improving their GPAs. The CUB curriculum is designed to encourage students to become autonomous learners and practice self-directed learning so they become independent of instructors’ guidance. Therefore, participants in this newly funded pre-college program have to be introduced to study strategies essential for the successful completion of a high school diploma and post-secondary education. CUB participants are a diverse group of high school students who attend public schools in Wichita, the largest city in Kansas. They meet eligibility requirements of either limited-income or first-generation status. Wichita is the major population and economic center in Kansas with aircraft manufacturing, agriculture, banking, business, education, medicine, and oil production among the major industries. These industries require communication professionals. The CUB program offers its students an opportunity to develop such skills as writing, public speaking, and marketing and multimedia design, and to utilize those skills in both their high school course work and the communication field. In addition, when the need for skilled employees required by communication-specific organizations is considered, the numerous employment opportunities for college-educated communication professionals can be appreciated. The Wichita area has 10 senior high schools that serve more than 12,500 students each year. There are many low SES students attending the Wichita high schools. For the 2011 academic year, more than half (67%) of the students qualified for free or reducedcost for lunch. Of those in 9th grade, which is the recruiting pool for CUB, 72 percent receive free or reduced-cost lunches and are, therefore, eligible for program services. Theory and Research Guiding the Practice Researchers, educators and psychologists offer theories that guided the Communication Upward Bound’s curriculum designer. Professors George Betts and Jolene Kercher devised The Autonomous Learner Model (ALM) to promote self-directed 48 learning in gifted and talented students. The model presents five main dimensions that can serve as a guide and be adapted, modified and revised for any Upward Bound students who meet the federal eligibility requirements for a pre-college curriculum. Like the ALM model, the study hall at a college campus is designed to “facilitate the growth of students as independent, self-directed learners, with the development of skills, concepts and positive attitudes” (Betts & Kercher, 1999) The readings of John Dewey and his revolutionary educational theories also guided development of Study Hall Days by incorporating directly and practically what students seek to know. Description of the Practice Unique to the CUB program, the concept of Study Hall Days is an innovative way to keep students engaged in current learning topics and to encourage them to improve study habits, time management skills, skill with college entrance exams, and their college readiness. This activity has been implemented since 2009. The CUB Associate Director promoted and introduced the academic support services as an opportunity to open the college door to high school students. Every year, 50 students, both males and females in grades 9 through 12, participate in the program. They are invited to Elliott Hall, home of the School of Communications at WSU, to study, work on papers, do college prep, or address whatever their academic needs are during their time away from school. The staff has access to student transcripts, rigorous curriculum guidelines and state high school graduation requirements. The CUB program’s goals include repetition of the message that grades in both high school and college are part of a permanent record, which is reviewed for academic scholarships and by potential employers. Continuous motivation and encouragement are stressed to help students realize that it is important to strive for educational excellence. The annual parent-teacher calendars list the dates that schools are in session and when administrative offices and schools will be closed for in-service training or conference release days. At those times, students are invited to Study Hall Days. Flyers and letters are mailed, and telephone calls are made, to inform parents and students about the special study hall time at the host campus. The CUB staff encourages parents and guardians to bring students to the WSU campus and pick them up at the end of the day. For those with transportation challenges, the CUB program provides bus tokens for the public transportation system. Refreshments and meals for the students are provided by WSU. The study hall is located in the Elliott School of Communication, where staff has access to classrooms, laptop computers and several conference rooms. CUB staff work with students individually to develop an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for their work in Study Hall Days. The following are the different activities in which students may engage: 1. Students can work individually to complete current assignments. High school textbooks are available at the college campus courtesy of a collaborative TRIO afterschool program, Homework Assistance Program (HAP). In addition, students are 49 advised to bring handouts, textbooks, and supplemental classroom materials to study hall. 2. As part of their IEP, students may work with the ComFit Online Learning Center (http://www.comfit.com/) provided through an annual contract by the CUB program. ComFit offers individualized support in developing academic learning skills, mathematics, reading, and writing skills. Students can also work towards mastering general test preparation skills and applying them to course placement assessments (Accuplacer and Compass) and college entrance exams (ACT and SAT). Students receive immediate reinforcement for their mastery of new knowledge through mini assessments that occur at the end of each learning module. ComFit uses an online assessment to identify specific skills gaps and show students on which learning modules they need to focus. The CUB staff monitor student progress through the ComFit reporting and learning management tools. Students unable to participate in Study Hall Days can access the ComFit Online Learning Center from home, the public library, or any other connected computer by using the proper password. Students in CUB program have access to ComFit throughout the year. 3. Students may work with CUB staff and tutors for help with completing current assignments, preparing for upcoming exams, and developing time management and metacognitive skills. CUB staff and tutors use ComFit to help individualize student learning objectives during Study Hall Days. 4. With the assistance of CUB staff, students may attend WSU college classes to learn more about academic expectations at the collegiate level. 5. Students may request help of CUB staff to identify college professors and other college students with whom to talk about their future academic and vocational interests. These conversations are scheduled in advance to take place during Study Hall Days. Resources Needed to Implement the Practice CUB supervisors, graduate assistants and tutors are scheduled to work in the structured study hall. Technical support and training, particularly in ComFit. The CUB program owns laptop computers and has access to classrooms inside the university’s Elliott Hall, which serves as a partner to the UB program. There are no other training costs. Supplies such as pencils, notebook paper, and other school files are stored in the CUB offices and can be purchased by students as needed. Evaluation of the Practice The program uses a variety of data collection systems to evaluate progress towards achievement of the program outcomes. To determine the success of a customized study hall at the college campus, the staff collects qualitative data, especially from interviews, surveys and case studies. When collection is completed, the submission will be revised to include a rigorous analysis of the data. The expanded document will then be resubmitted to the EOA Center for evaluation at the higher level of “validated education practice.” The program currently engages in formative evaluation 50 through survey responses from participants, interviews with staff involved with the program, and other data collection methods. As described earlier, this information is used for program revisions and planning purposes. References Ballou, D. (1996). The condition of urban school finance: Efficient resource allocation in urban schools. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Bayard, S. R. (2003). A study of the relationship between teacher absenteeism, teacher attributes, school schedule and student achievement (Unpublished dissertation). Florida Atlantic University. Beavers, H. J. (1981). The relationship between selected educational variables and student achievement in a selected school district (Unpublished dissertation). East Texas State University. Betts G. T., & Kercher J. K. (1999). Autonomous Learner Model: Optimizing ability. Greeley, CO: ALPS. Betts G. T., & Knapp J. (1981) The Autonomous Learner Model: A secondary Model. In Secondary programs for the gifted and talented. Los Angeles, CA: National/State-Leadership Training Institute for the Gifted and Talented. Boswell, C. B. (1993). The relationship between teacher absenteeism and student achievement in secondary schools in South Carolina (Unpublished dissertation).. University of South Carolina. Cantrell, S. (2003). Pay and performance: The utility of teacher experience, education, credentials, and attendance as predictors of student achievement at elementary schools in LAUSD. Los Angeles: Los Angeles Unified School District, Program Evaluation and Research Branch. Childs, J. L. (1956). American pragmatism and education. New York, NY: Henry Holt. Clotfelter, C. T., Ladd, H. F., & Vigdor, J. L. (2007). Are teacher absences worth worrying about in the U.S.? (Working paper). Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research. Coughlan, N. Y. (1975). John Dewey. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. Cremin, L. A. (1961). The transformation of the school: progressivism in American education, 1876-1957. New York, NY: Vintage Books. Gagne, R. M. (1977). The conditions of learning (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston. Henderson, E., Protheroe, N., & Porch, S. (2002). Developing an effective substitute teacher program. Arlington, VA: Educational Research Service. Lewis, J., Jr. (1981). Do you encourage teacher absenteeism? American School Board Journal,168(11), 29-30, 40. Manatt, R. P. (1987). Lessons from a comprehensive performance appraisal project. Educational Leadership, 7(44), 8-14. 51 Mayhew, K. C., & Edwards, A. C. (1966). The Dewey School: The laboratory school of the University of Chicago, 1896-1903. New York, NY: Atherton Press. Miller, R. (2012). Teacher absence as a leading indicator of student achievement: New national data offer opportunity to examine cost of teacher absence relative to learning loss. Washington, DC: Center for American Progress. Retrieved from http://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/TeacherAbsence6.pdf Miller, R. T., Murnane, R. J., & Willett, J. B. (2008) Do teacher absences impact student achievement? Longitudinal evidence from one urban school district. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 30(2), 181-200. Retrieved from http://www.nber.org/papers/w13356 Pitkoff, E. (1989). Absenteeism among urban high school employees: Organizational variables. Unpublished dissertation, Columbia University Teachers College. Podgursky, M. (2003). Fringe benefits. Education Next, 3(3), 71-76. Rundall, R. A. (1986). Continuity subbing: Problems and solutions. Clearing House, 59(5), 240. Smith, D. B. (1984). A study of the relationship between elementary teacher absenteeism and the achievement of elementary pupils in reading and mathematics (Unpublished dissertation). Michigan State University. Summers, A., & Raivetz, M. (1982). What helps fourth grade students to read? In A. Summers (Ed.), Productivity assessment in education ( pp. 29-42). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Turbeville, I. F. (1987). The relationship of selected teacher characteristics on teacher absenteeism in selected school districts of South Carolina (Unpublished dissertation). University of South Carolina. Varlas, L. (2001). Succeeding with substitute teachers. Education Update, 43(7). Womble, M. (2001). Teacher absenteeism: The relationship between teacher absence due to illness and school performance (Unpublished dissertation). East Carolina University. 52 Podcasting Academic and Career Counseling for Post 9/11 Veterans TRIO Veterans Upward Bound Program, Wichita State University (KS) For more information: Shukura Bakan-Cozart, [email protected] http://www.wichita.edu/thisis/home/?u=specialprograms Approved October 13, 2013 as a Promising Practice by the EOA National Best Practices Center, http://besteducationpractices.org Revised 10/13/13 Readers utilizing this education practice are requested to send a brief email how it was used. Send to the EOA Center at [email protected] Abstract Adding audio podcasting to the Upward Bound Veterans program allows our students to listen to important information when and where they want. Podcasting is a simple way to provide information through the human voice, which some students prefer, rather than from reading a handout. Listening to audio and video podcasts has rapidly grown recently due to widespread ownership of iPods, smartphones, and desk/laptop computers. Podcasting can be as simple or complex as you want. The most important element is the quality of information and relevance to the listeners. Need for the Practice The introduction of the robust 9/11 GI Bill and the subsequent Veterans Retraining Assistance Program (VRAP for pre-9-11 Veterans) by the Veterans Administration has resulted in record numbers of veterans returning/entering postsecondary education. Statistics show that 60 percent of veterans entering college drop out after the first year. This rate is higher than the overall population of first-year students (Tinto, 1993). Veterans Upward Bound-WSU exceeded its retention goals by having more than 75 percent of its veterans persist through four years and/or graduate. The TRIO program provides a variety of services for our program participants. One of our workshops, Transitioning from Combat to the Classroom, addresses key issues on transitioning to the college environment and using academic success strategies. Another service we produced is an audio podcast From Combat to the Classroom, 60 Seconds to Success” It addresses specific topics and issues in 60 to 120 seconds and is a free subscription from Apple’s iTunes online media store. Use of social media continues to accelerate among college students; approximately 80 percent of college students are frequent users of social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, others. Research shows that such media channels are especially appealing because they allow access to information at any time and any where. Students prefer to use the same technology for both their personal life 53 and academic life; technology offers a higher degree of perceived connectivity to both environments (Dahlstrom et al., 2012; Smith, Raine, and Zickuhr, 2011). Theory and Research Guiding the Practice Technology-based career counseling and planning is appealing to many students, including returning veterans (Niles and Harris-Bowlsbey, 2009). This is especially true with mobile computing with laptops, iPods, and smartphones. This is an example of Universal Learning Design that states learning materials should be available in a variety of formats so that students can choose how they want to access them (Higbee & Goff, 2008). The audio portion of audio podcasts links the student listeners with the narrators in a personal way that is not possible just from reading a text. Technology has been embraced as a critical tool for academic and personal advising at the postsecondary level (McCauley, 2000). Advocates caution that its use should be part of a carefully coordinated strategic plan that employs multiple communication channels to reach students effectively with critical information and to engage them in deep discussions (Carter, 2007; Esposito et al., 2011; Johnson, Adams, & Cummins, 2012; Pasquini, 2013). Historically, email has been the predominate channel of communication. This is shifting due to the rapid growth of social networking sites maintained by college advising units. Instant messaging (Lipschultz and Musser, 2007) and Facebook (Traxler, 2007) have become more frequently used. A growing number of institutions are using podcasting as a communication channel for academic advising purposes (National Academic Advising Association, 2013). An example of the use of podcasting comes from Fresno State University (2013). A student narrator provides short audio messages about important advising topics for students. In this example, the user navigates to a web page and clicks on the audio messages they wish to hear. Clicking on the web link opens an audio player (installed on most computers) and immediately begins to play the message. Description of the Practice From Combat to the Classroom- 60 Seconds to Success is the name of the free audio podcast provided to members of the WSU Veterans Upward Bound program. The topics were selected from the customized curriculum developed by the UB program staff at Wichita State University. The free podcast can be found in the Apple iTunes directory of audio and video podcasts. Each individual episode can be downloaded and played on a desktop or laptop computer, an iPod, or a smartphone (Apple or Android). Subscribing and listening to the podcasts requires downloading the free Apple iTunes software. Listed at the end of this document are books, websites, and podcasts about creating your own podcast. YouTube has many videos about podcasting; one of the best is Podcasting in Plain English at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7V-CBgpsmI Veterans UB podcast episodes to date: • Overview of the Department of Education TRIO programs - how to connect veterans, spouses and children. • Combat to classroom – transition services, timing, synchronization and support 54 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Online education options FAFSA – financial aid and scholarships GI Bill application for benefits Academic advising to assist in selecting a major and/or a career? Transfer of veterans benefits to spouse or children Estimated future earnings Job availability in different fields after graduation College-readiness Typical academic obligations: homework, study and preparation Part–time jobs Cooperative education and internships, optional or mandatory Complete college experience GI Bill stipend on time without interruptions Montgomery GI Bill, Post 9/11 GI Bill or Pell Grant Each episode of the podcast series is recorded on a digital audio recorder, and then transferred to a computer for final editing and uploading. The narrator prepares a transcript for the podcast and then reads it while recording the audio. Using a prepared script helps to keep each podcast short and verify that all the information is recorded. The podcasts are uploaded and stored on a computer server at WSU. It is possible that your college provides free hosting services for podcasts through its computer network. If this is not possible, external commercial companies can host the podcasts. An example is from Libsyn, http://www.libsyn.com Other podcasters can also be excellent sources for information about podcasting; one of the most influential is podCast411 (http://www.podcast411.com/ ). The website has many resources for recording, hosting, and registering a podcast so others can subscribe to it through Apple’s iTunes directory. YouTube is a great source for video tutorials about podcasting in general and has specific tutorials on how to create them. A good starting point is an eight-part video tutorial on how to podcast, available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qD9AsooUcU Two major sources for software to create audio podcasts are Audacity and GarageBand. Audacity operates on Apple and Windows. It can be downloaded for free at http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ Apple sells GarageBand ($15) as an app for Apple computers; more information is available at http://www.apple.com/ilife/garageband/ Music Alley offers free music that can be played on the podcast; it is available at http://www.musicalley.com/ A commercial firm that hosts podcasts is Libsyn at http://www.libsyn.com Key Factors for Success of the Practice The Veterans Upward Bound program offers the following advice to campuses that want to use podcasts to reach students: • • Select high-demand topics of immediate interest to the students. Keep the podcast short (one to two minutes) to increase likelihood of listening to the entire episode. 55 • • Ask the campus technology office to help with the technical issues of recording and posting the podcast episodes online. Provide written transcripts of the audio podcasts upon request to ensure access to students who prefer to read when learning. Evaluation of the Practice The program uses a variety of data collection systems to evaluate progress towards achievement of the program outcomes. Some of these data collectors are included in this submission. When collection is completed, the submission will be revised to include a rigorous analysis of the data. The expanded document will then be resubmitted to the EOA Center for evaluation at the higher level of “validated education practice.” The program currently engages in formative evaluation through survey responses from participants, interviews with staff involved with the program, and other data collection methods. As described earlier, this information is used for program revisions and planning purposes. References Carter, J. (2007). Utilizing technology in academic advising. Manhattan, KS: National Academic Advising Association. Retrieved from http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Clearinghouse/ Dahlstrom, E., de Boor, T., Grunwald, P., & Vockley, M, (2012). The ECAR national study of undergraduate students and information technology, 2012. Boulder, CO: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research. Retrieved from http://www.educause.edu/library/resources/ecar-study-undergraduate-studentsand-information-technology-2012 Esposito, A., Pasquini, L. A., Steele, G., & Stoller, E. (2011). A world of tomorrow: Technology in advising. In J. E. Joslin & N. L. Markee (Eds.), Academic advising administration: Essential knowledge and skills for the 21st century (Monograph No. 22) (pp. 261-274). Manhattan, KS: National Academic Advising Association. Fresno State Advising Services. (2013). Fresno State advising services podcast. Fresno, CA: Fresno State University. Retrieved from http://www.fresnostate.edu/studentaffairs/advising/freshman-suc.html Grant, A. M. (2006). A personal perspective on professional coaching and the development of coaching psychology. International Coaching Psychology Review, 1(1), 12-22. Higbee, J. L., & Goff, E. (Eds.) (2008). Pedagogy and student services for institutional transformation: Implementing Universal Design in higher education. Minneapolis, MN: Regents of the University of Minnesota, Center for Research on Developmental Education and Urban Literacy, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota. Johnson, L., Adams, S., & Cummins, M. (2012). The NMC horizon report: 2012 higher education edition. Austin, TX: The New Media Consortium. 56 Lipschultz, W. & Musser, T. (2007). Instant messaging: Powerful flexibility and presence. Manhattan, KS: NACADA. Retrieved from http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Clearinghouse/ McCauley, M.E. (2000). Technological resources that support advising. In V. N. Gordon, W. R, Habley, & Associates (Eds.). Academic advising: A comprehensive handbook. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Boss. National Academic Advising Association. (2013). Institutional podcast, vodcast, webcast, and audio downloads. Manhattan, KS: Author. Retrieved from http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Clearinghouse/ Niles, S. G., & Harris-Bowlsbey, J. (2009). Career development interventions in the 21st Century (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Pasquini, L. (2013). Implications for use of technology in advising, 2001 national survey. Manhattan, KS: NACADA. Retrieved from http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Clearinghouse/ Smith, A., Rainie, L., & Zickuhr, K. (2011, July 19). College students and technology. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/College-students-andtechnology.aspx Sotto, R.R. (2000). Technological delivery systems. In V. N. Gordon, W. R, Habley, & Associates (Eds.). Academic advising: A comprehensive handbook. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Boss. Tinto, V. (1993). Leaving college: Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition. (2nd ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Traxler, J. (2007). Advising without walls: An introduction to Facebook as an advising tool. Academic Advising Today, 30 (1) . Retrieved from http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/AAT/NW30_1.htm#10 57 Resources Geoghegan, M. W., & Klass, D. (2005). Podcast solutions: The complete guide to podcasting. Berkley, CA: Apress. http://www.friendsofed.com This book is bundled with a basic podcasting equipment package bought from the BSW company. It provides an excellent overview of podcasting and provides technical suggestions for making the podcast better. A CD with more resources accompanies the book. Hill, B. (2006). Blogging for dummies. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Based on the awardwinning series for making any task understandable, this book explains how to create and use a blog. Islam, K. A. (2007). Podcasting 101 for training and development. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons. A practical guide to selecting equipment and software to record podcasts, develop the scripts for the podcast episodes, and share the podcast with others. Max, H., & Ray, T. (2006). Skype: The definitive guide. Indianapolis, IN: Que. This book provides an overview of Skype, which is an Internet-based telephone service. Skype is popular among some podcasters since it is inexpensive (or sometimes free) to “telephone” people using their computer. The big advantage is that, assuming all the technical issues are addressed, the sound quality is far superior to recordings of conversations over the telephone. Skype is often discussed in other podcasting books. Morris, T., & Terra, E. (2006). Podcasting for dummies. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Based on the award-winning series for making any task understandable, this book focuses on the practical steps for listening to and recording podcasts. In addition to the very helpful information inside of it, an audio podcast also accompanies the book, with examples of the topics discussed. Information for subscribing to the podcast is contained in a separate handout that recommends specific podcasts for listening. Plummer, M. (2006). Garage Band 3: Create and record music on a Mac. Berkeley, CA: Peachpit Press. Another book from the Apple Training Series, this is probably the most comprehensive book and training guide to using Apple’s Garage Band software. It comes with a DVD-ROM disk of lessons and media files to complete the tutorial lessons provided in the book. This is a “must read” to understand all the features of this software. Walch, R. & Lafferty, M. (2006). Tricks of the podcasting masters. Indianapolis, IN: Que. An excellent guide for either the beginner or advanced podcast producer or listener. Half of the book provides short profiles of the leading podcasts in a wide variety of fields. The other half offers practical suggestions for beginning a podcast. Rob Walch, one of the coauthors, is the host of the Podcast411 podcast described earlier. Williams, R., & Tollett, J. (n.d.). Podcasting and blogging with GarageBand and iWeb. Berkeley, CA: Peachpit Press. This is a short book with plenty of photographs and screen shots of showing how to create podcasts and use a blog to distribute them. While other books may have more complete descriptions, the simple and direct approach of this book is particularly useful, especially with the many photographs. 58 Websites and Podcasts Related to How to Podcast These podcasts provide general information about the field and offer training on how to create podcasts. The accompanying websites offer additional information and web links. Podcast411. Hosted by Rob Walch, this audio podcast provides two weekly episodes that feature interviews with the hosts of the top podcasts; this is the podcasting community’s version of the famous TV show, “Inside the Actor’s Studio.” While few of the programs are directly related to education directly, the episodes provide valuable insights on how to effectively create podcasts and provide an inviting environment for others to subscribe. Also, the website provides loads of practical tutorials on navigating the practical aspects of creating a podcast. The “directory of directories” provides the most comprehensive list of all existing podcasts. Podcast Website link: http://www.podcast411.com Subscription link: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=73330788 Podcast Academy. This audio podcast features lectures and discussions by the leading figures in the podcasting community. Most often the presentations talk about podcasting within the business community. While not designed with the educator in mind, this podcast forecasts the future of podcasting and provides examples from the business world that could be applied in education and other nonprofit organizations. Podcast website link: http://pa.gigavox.com Subscription link: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=174903044 Learn to Podcast. A short video podcast by the Apple Computer company on tips for making a podcast. Subscription link: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=116098295 Podcasting for Dummies. An audio podcast that accompanies and extends topics covered in their popular “how to” book series. Practical lessons are provided for improving the quality of a podcast. See separate handout for more information about this highly recommended resource book. Subscription link: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=129278483 59 Academic Advising Management System TRIO Upward Bound Math Science Center, Wichita State University (Wichita, KS) For more information: V. Kaye Monk-Morgan, [email protected] http://www.wichita.edu/thisis/home/?u=specialprograms Approved October 11, 2013 as a Promising Practice by the EOA National Best Practices Center, http://besteducationpractices.org Revised 10/11/13 Please send a short email with feedback about this education practice and how it was used. Send to the EOA Center at [email protected] Abstract The Upward Bound Math Science Center is hosted by Wichita State University (WSU) and serves 74 students from diverse backgrounds throughout the state of Kansas. High school students are recommended to participate in the Center based in part on their ability and propensity for study in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). They are often from economically disadvantaged families or show potential to be the first in their families to graduate from post-secondary education. The mission of the UBMS Center is to educate students with the interest and propensity for study in STEM and motivate them such that that they realistically consider pursing a STEM related career. Academic advising is one of the services that the WSU Upward Bound Math Science (UBMS) Program provides to support its mission. A key practice with the WSU approach is the data collection and management of information essential for effective advising of the students. This information includes students’ progress towards completion of their required curriculum and their enrollment patterns in math and science courses. It is also used for strategic planning purposes by the UBMS program personnel, for whom the information helps inform study group formation, tutoring needs and summer course design. While Upward Bound programs commonly provide academic advising services to their students, the WSU approach is more comprehensive and includes additional stakeholders. For example, the information is synthesized and provided to the high school counselors working with their students. This value-added approach strengthens the partnership between the high schools and this UB program. In addition, the data management system allows the UBMS program to provide interventions for students as needed. The center’s staff are able to assist students in the following ways: • • • Monitor requests to change their academic schedules at their respective high schools. Make recommendations for summer school if needed. Make recommendations for concurrent enrollment opportunities. 60 • • Make referrals for e-school or credit recovery programs if needed. Support recommendations regarding desire for early graduation. Need for the Practice The UBMS Center serves 74 students from almost 10 different school districts within the state of Kansas. Each district has different requirements for high school graduation and most districts have different definitions of rigor. Requirements related to graduation, rigor, proficiency and college readiness are now inherent to all UB programs, making advising and monitoring of course progression more necessary than ever. In response to this need, the UBMS Center created a process to help mitigate the inadequate number of counselors working with their students and the low motivation of students to engage in high school rigorous coursework. The student-counselor ratio within the public schools of the target area served by the UBMS Program is high, 508:1. The American Counselor Association recommends a ratio of 250:1. The Kansas Counselors Association suggests a 100:1 ratio. Target area school counselors are overwhelmingly burdened with administrative responsibilities and crisis management. Student discipline, master schedule building, proctoring state assessments, and dealing with truancy are high priorities for counselors, leaving little time for thorough and effective assistance to students in the critical areas related to thorough advisement and college planning. The Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR), the governing body for state-funded postsecondary institutions, has established the Kansas Scholars Curriculum as the standard for scholarship in the state of Kansas. None of the three districts that house the target high schools in this proposal has adopted this curriculum as the standard for high school graduation. Instead, there is a different standard for graduation in each district, which usually requires fewer rigorous math courses, fewer science courses with a lessor lab requirement, and less foreign language (Table 1). Table 1: Requirements for Rigorous Curriculum at Target Schools USDE Rigorous Secondary School Program of Study USD 259 USD 457 USD 500 4 years of English Yes Yes Yes 3 years of math; including algebra I and a higher level Yes Yes NO class 3 years of science; including 2 of these: biology, NO NO NO chemistry, physics 3 years of social studies Yes Yes Yes 1 year of language other than English NO NO NO Source: Kansas Board of Regents, 2011, KCKPS 2010, USD 259, USD 500 KS Scholar Req. Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes While a rigorous curriculum is loosely defined (Table 1, above) by the state (KBOR), participation is not widespread, especially considering the TRIO eligible population. Barriers to college enrollment are substantial and all seem to stem from a 61 lack of sufficient resources – including few rigorous course offerings, high student-tocounselor ratios, crowded classrooms, no take-home textbooks, and students and families lacking the knowledge and resources about the importance of selecting rigorous coursework. The UBMS Target School Need Survey (January 2012) shows the limited number of courses available. Six of the sample schools offer three or fewer AP courses each semester. The courses that are available fill very quickly. While counselors attempt to encourage the rigorous curriculum, many students fall through the cracks, due in part to high student-counselor ratios and failures of students to demonstrate, via state assessments, more than basic skills and knowledge. An indicator of the course availability and the rigor of the overall high school curriculum is the number of students completing the Kansas Scholar’s Curriculum. Only 10% of seniors graduating from the target schools completed the Kansas Scholars Curriculum and only one percent of the same were designated as Kansas Scholars (Kansas Board of Regents, January 2012). Furthermore, only three percent of those students completing the most rigorous curriculum in the state hail from the target schools and only one percent of Kansas graduates named Kansas Scholars come from the target schools. Unique Features of the Practice Academic advising is a component of most UB programs. The WSU UBMS approach differs from its TRIO counterparts at other institutions in two major ways: how it collects the data and how data is used. Many UB programs complete audits based on semester grade cards. Other programs collect high school transcripts from participants if they are not available from the high school. Others collect, as WSU does, from the school registrars or the school district administration. In most instances, the data is used to complete annual performance reports and to document service delivery by the program. While the UBMS program at WSU uses it for counseling, that is not always the case; if it is, the service is focused on students in academic trouble rather than all students. Additionally, in the UBMS program, the data is shared with parents and students via individual conferences and with the corresponding high school and TRIO program. The communication loop used by the WSU UBMS program allows for engagement and empowerment of all information stakeholders. Most programs review transcripts for progress towards graduation and many also review for college admissions eligibility. Few take the added step of meeting with every student and parent/guardian to review said progress and even fewer report back this information to TRIO programs and high schools as we do. The high school counselors, many of whom have up to 500 students, appreciate that the information is analyzed and provided to them by the WSU UB program. Rarely do high school staff have the opportunity to review transcripts and note progress. When they do, it is in preparation for senior year, which is often too late for credit recovery, class changes, or summer school/learning center enrollment. 62 Theory and Research Guiding the Practice The UBMS Program academic advising process is built according to the Integrative Advising Theory advanced by Matthew Church, an academic advisor in the freshman/sophomore division of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Louisville. Mr. Church’s theory integrates five other theories – prescriptive, engagement model, academically centered, developmental, and student-centered – that have merit on their own in certain situations. The Integrative Theory takes the best of each theory and maximizes its benefit to the student/advisee while holding true to the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) Core Values Statement, which lists academic advisors' various responsibilities that should be incorporated into any viable academic advising theory (Church, 2005). The Integrative Advising Theory has five components: core formed by NACADA's core values and Kitchener's ethical traits: beneficence, no maleficence, autonomy, and fidelity; prescriptive advising to convey the essentials of the curricula; focus on a well-rounded education; reductive advising focused on identifying career goals or interests and arranging complementary course schedules; and student approval. NACADA outlines six main responsibilities of academic advisers; they are responsible: (a) to the individuals they advise; (b) to their institutions; (c) to higher education; (d) to their educational community; (e) for their professional practices for themselves personally; and (f) for involving others when appropriate in the advising process (NACADA, 2004). The core values statement should be at the heart of all advising procedures and actions. Description of the Practice Figure 1 UBMS Academic Advising Loop Academic Audit Counselor Feedback Form Parent/ Student Conference The figure above represents the coordination between collection of information and its use with students, parents, UBMS staff, and counselors in the target high schools. A system is needed to manage the data collected and generated from all the sources. Careful analysis enables effective advising by the UBMS staff and the high school counselors. 63 The UBMS Program academic advising process is scheduled to take place twice per year just after report cards are issued by the 10 target schools, in January for the fall semester and May for the spring semester. The UBMS partners collect an average of 115 transcripts per year. Transcript Solicitation All UBMS participants complete a “Release of Records” form upon entry into the program and again, when possible, upon completion of the bridge or senior year. These release forms are critical to gaining access to student transcripts. The senior administrative assistant, with direction from the curriculum coordinator, is responsible for sending a request for transcript letter with accompanying release forms to each school served. Some schools respond by faxing transcripts to the Center. Some districts have the ability to forward the transcripts by email; either method is satisfactory. Upon receipt, care is taken to secure student records for confidentiality and FERPA concerns with data security protocols concerning both the computer data and the paper files in the UBMS offices. Complete Release of Records Make Request of Target Schools 64 Figure 2 UBMS Release of Records Authorization 65 Figure 3: Letter to High School Counseling Staff Requesting Transcript 66 Academic Audits After collection, transcripts are given to the curriculum coordinator and academic audits are performed. The Academic Audit form allows staff to track course completion by category (i.e. Math, English, foreign language). Also noted are the earned GPA’s for each student as well as information used for submission of the Annual Performance Report required by the U.S. Department of Education. The form, found on the following page, begins with static information about each student that is fairly straightforward. • • • • • • • • • • • • The “batch year” field refers to the batch year for the Annual Performance Report. Particular attention is paid to the number of credit hours earned and those yet needed to graduate from high school, according to the requirements for the district. Class rank (i.e. 54/678) and the percent rank (8%). This information helps to ascertain admissibility to college based on class rank. Anticipated graduation dates are noted next. These inform staff about high school graduation rates for the program and provide data for the Annual Performance Report. Next, staff review transcripts by semester, noting course results or grades. Each two semesters are noted on one blank. For example, Algebra 1 Honors may be reflected on the Academic Audit as such A/B-Algebra 1 Classes not already listed on the form can be added in the open blanks. Notes are made related to student proficiency. If a student has tested and their results are none, that is noted. If a student has not yet tested, that is noted. If a student has tested and results are not known, that too is listed. A determination is made as to the type of curriculum that each student is pursuing (i.e. high school, KS Qualified Admissions, KS Scholars, or UBMS). Other pertinent information found on a transcript is noted for reference and to expose trends, if any exist. ACT test scores, also found on transcripts, are noted as well. Notes are made regarding the progress a student is making, along with any interventions or follow-up needed. Upon completion of the Academic Audit, the form and the transcript are forwarded to the program assistant or student assistant for data entry. 67 Figure 4 UBMS Center Academic Audit Form Calculation of Qualified Admissions and KBOR GPA Once the data has been entered, the curriculum coordinator enters grade information in the Kansas Board of Regents Qualified Admission Curriculum and the Kansas Scholars Curriculum Template set up by the WSU Office of Admissions. This 68 form allows the UBMS office to use the same tool as the host institution to determine admission eligibility. The template automatically calculates the requisite grade point average, based on the required curriculum. Some high schools publish this information on their actual transcripts; however several of the smaller high schools with less sophisticated systems don’t report this information. Providing this information to students and schools on an annual basis alerts both entities of the need to complete the curriculum or to improve performance in order to attend one of the six universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. Figure 5 Computer Screen for Admissions Curriculum Database Database Entry The program assistant, under the supervision of the curriculum coordinator, is responsible for entering the student transcript information into the UBMS database. The UBMS database is home-grown and built with Microsoft Access. Information is kept digitally for easy access and for the ability to run reports and queries about student enrollment trends and highlights. It is important that this duty be restricted to one or two persons maximum. Doing so increases the likelihood that the data entry is consistent. For example, our center’s 69 staff has been trained to report that students who enroll in trigonometry should be noted as such, not trig, or trigon, or even trig/calc. The importance of an agreed upon nomenclature cannot be overstated. Figure 6 UBMS Database Screen Shot Student Parent Conference Parent/student conferences are held at least annually for each UBMS student. The actual advising session is integrated, per Church’s Integrative Theory of Academic Advising (2005). The focus of the conference changes slightly as students matriculate through high school and present different needs. All conferences are scheduled for 30 minutes, with 15 minutes between appointments. Students with special circumstances, or for whom 30 minutes is inadequate, are scheduled at the last appointment of the day. Students typically have an opportunity to sign up for conferences at times that best work with family schedules. Post cards are mailed and phone calls made to make sure parents are aware of the arrangements made by the student. Conferences are routinely held in the evenings and on Saturdays. The curriculum coordinator is the lead on all conferences. The director attends all freshmen and seniors conferences and 70 others as needed. The center often hosts conferences for 20-40 students in targeted grade levels in a two-week period. Below is a typical schedule used for sign-up. Table 2 Draft Conference Sign up Tuesday. October xx, 2014 Wednesday. October xx, 2014 Thursday. October xx, 2014 Saturday, October xx, 2014* 4:00 4:00 4:00 1:00 4:45 4:45 4:45 1:45 5:30 5:30 5:30 2:30 6:15 6:15 6:15 3:15 4:00 4:45 Because time is short for each conference, there is an established plan for the information covered. The list of topics shortens as the student’s tenure, familiarity with the center’s staff, and trust increase. The Academic Audit form and transcript begin each conference; additional focus is on goal setting, college planning, and career discussions. Students are then prompted, with a copy of the audit in hand, to complete enrollment for the upcoming year or approach their high school counselors for assistance with schedule modifications or additional resources. Figure 7 Conference Agendas by Grade Level Freshmen Conference Agenda Sophomore Conference •Transcript Review •Career goals •Academic Support Plan •Student Involvement Plans •High School Transition issues •Review of UBMS Graduation plan vs. HG graduation requirements vs. KBOR graduation requirements •Sophomore Course Selection •Parent Concerns •Student Concerns •Goal Review •Transcript Review •Career goals •Review expectations for UBMS rigor •Academic Support PlansReview graduation requirements •Review KBOR graduation requirements •JR Course Selection •Career goals •Parent Concerns •Student Concerns •Goal Review Agenda Junior Conference Agenda •Transcript Review •SR Course Selection •Concurrent Enrollement •ACT/SAT Preparation & Goals •College selection and admission criteria •Academic Support Plans •Parent Concerns •Student Concerns •Goal Review Senior Conference Agenda •Transcript Review •College Applications •Schoalrship Applications •ACT and SAT Preparations •Essay topics and completion •WSU Bridge Admission •Concurrent Admission •College selection and admission standards •Parent Concerns •Student Concerns •Goal Review Counselor Feedback Upon completion of parent/student conferences, a cover letter is attached to all of the academic audits for a particular school and mailed or dropped off to the head counselor. Schools with domain counseling provide the information to the post- 71 secondary counselor. Schools with “alphabet-driven assignments” or counseling by grade level distribute the information to the counselor who works with the student of record. For those academic audits that are straightforward and require no intervention, the counselor simply becomes aware of the process and notes the information for their files. In some cases, comments or feedback is provided to a UBMS staff member, especially if there was an error or misinterpretation of the transcript. The process is complete for this group of students which typically account for 90% or so of the UBMS student body. The process continues for those students who’s academic audit showed a need for intervention. This select group of participants typically will require program and parent support to make adjustments to their schedules or to even get past the front door of the counselors office with a request. The most common interventions include: • • • Requests for modifications of schedules including adding a science course or foreign language course. Request for change of schedule for enrollment in an AP or Honors section of a course Requests for summer school attendance for Juniors who want to double up on “certification” in a particular academy i.e. Engineering and Health Sciences Nearly all counselors are very appreciative of the feedback and count on the delivery of this service. A few find our process to be intrusive. In any event, this step adds to the communication had with the served high schools and provides another touch-point for Center staff. Key Factors for Success of the Practice The key factors to success with this Center activity are at least tri-fold. First the Center has to have a solid relationship with the target school or district. Securing copies of transcripts, in a timely and efficient manner, is key to the success of the service. Counselors and registrars have to either find value in the service or know that their compliance to our request is supported by the administration. Preferably both are true. Having an updated and air-tight Release of Records form on file for each student is also imperative. Schools are hesitant at best to share any information without the requisite release. The Center sends a release for every student every time, even though the school received the same request merely four months ago. Additionally, parent buy-in and acceptance of the Center’s suggestions and recommendations are both essential. Parents have to believe that the advice and counsel provided by Center staff is solid and will benefit their student. When sending parents to communicate with school personnel, the Center has been known to “role-play the experience with the parent to prepare them for the discussion. This is especially important when working with the counselors who are less excited about students and parents who engage is self-advocacy. 72 Other Resources While the list of resources is fairly short, they are not optional. Staff members are key to the success of this activity. The table below outlines the best case scenario, which presupposes that: • • • Release of Information forms are on file and ready to copy and fax/scan and email. The Request for Transcript letters are already made in a template that simply require updating Database table or spreadsheet for tracking aggregate enrollment. Table 4 Staff Resources Position Lead Activity Time Spent in hours Program Timeline Senior Administrative Assistant Curriculum Coordinator Transcription Collection 1 hour requesting 1 hour preparing for audit (~2 hours) Academic Audit w 5-10 minutes per intervention notes transcript (~14 hours) January and May (two weeks each) Program Assistant Data Entry January and May (two weeks each) Director Curriculum Coordinator Review & Comment Follow up with Counselors Varied Staff Inventions 3-5 minutes per transcript/audit (~ 7 hours) 3 minutes for per audit (4 hours) Varied but less than 30 minutes per school. Varied on student needs January-February 6 weeks August-September 6 weeks February and September February and September September - May Costs to Implement the Practice The costs associated with this program practice are primarily those associated with staffing. This effort could be done by one person, but would take a lot of dedicated time, which seems hard to find in the UBMS office. Supplies involved are limited: • Copies of forms (Release of Information, Request for Transcript, Academic Audits). • Filing supplies (files, file cabinet). • Computing supplies (software). • Printing supplies (paper, ink, printer) - dependent on number of students. • Postage for mailing, or mileage for personal delivery, of academic audits to counselors - dependent on number of target schools. 73 Evaluation of the Practice The program uses a variety of data collection systems to evaluate progress towards achievement of the program outcomes. Some of these data collectors are included in this submission. When final analysis of the data is completed, the submission will be revised with addition of a rigorous analysis study of the data. At that time, the expanded document will be resubmitted to the EOA Center for evaluation at the higher level of “validated education practice.” The program currently engages in formative evaluation through survey responses from participants, interviews with staff involved with the program, and other data collection methods. As described earlier, this information is used for program revisions and planning purposes. References Church, M. (2005). Integrative theory of academic advising: A proposition. Unpublished manuscript. Retrieved from http://dus.psu.edu/mentor/old/articles/050615mc.htm NACADA. (2004). NACADA statement of core values of academic advising. NACADA Clearinghouse of Academic Advising Resources. Manhattan, KS: Author. Retrieved from http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Clearinghouse/ViewArticles/Core-values-of-academic-advising.aspx 74 Planning Effective Campus Visits TRIO Communication Upward Bound, Wichita State University (Wichita, KS) For more information: Ashley Cervantes, [email protected] http://www.wichita.edu/thisis/home/?u=specialprograms Approved September 25, 2013 as a Promising Practice by the EOA National Best Practices Center, http://besteducationpractices.org Revised 11/01/13 Readers utilizing this education practice are requested to send a brief email how it was used. Send to the EOA Center at [email protected] Abstract Conducting college campus visits for aspiring postsecondary students is a common practice for many precollege programs. The Communication Upward Bound (CUB) program at Wichita State University has developed an approach to make this process highly efficient and effective for its students. Rather than accepting the standard campus visit program by the host college that all visiting groups experience, the CUB programs works collaboratively with the institution to customize the experience based on the needs and interests of the students. This approach has increased student interest and engagement in comparison to previous years when the campus visits were not differentiated and customized. Initial expectations for enrolling in college are an important factor influencing the final decision to enroll in postsecondary education. Regardless of their level of academic preparedness, low-income students are less likely to pursue a college degree than their more affluent counterparts (Tierney, et al., 2009). In 2002, an estimated 400,000 college-qualified students were unable to attend a four-year college due to financial barriers. The Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance estimated that two million college-qualified students would be denied access to college by the end of the decade. Students who are the first in their family to attend college perceive more barriers to higher education than students with parents and other family members who have attended college. These barriers include lack of guidance and confusion about the admissions process (Gibbons & Borders 2010, Tierney, et al., 2009, Bloom 2008). College visits help students overcome perceived barriers and provide some guidance in the process of choosing and applying for college. Effective college campus visits increase student knowledge of the types of postsecondary options available; expose students to a variety of information about each institution including academic programs, student-teacher ratio, financial aid options, and campus life activities; and ultimately allow students to envision postsecondary achievement as a realistic goal. The CUB program often schedules several campus visits over the span of a few days when their students are on a cross-country tour exploring postsecondary opportunities. Therefore, it is important to work with 75 admissions representatives to schedule visit activities in ways that engage students. Ensuring that students are exposed to a variety of information and activities helps these visits make more of an impact on students. In order to maximize the potential impact of a college campus trip, CUB considers several factors in the planning process including destination choice, campus visit activities, and providing a well-rounded experience. Campus visits are tailored as much as possible to student interests. Preparation and follow up activities ensure that students get the most from the experience and also provide an avenue for encouraging academic achievement. Need for the Practice During the past 25 years, students desiring a college degree doubled from 40% in 1980 to 80% in 2002. However, those aspirations have not translated into the same rate of degree attainment. An increasing percent of low-income students are enrolling in college out of high school, but their numbers are still lagging behind those students of middle- and high- income families (Nagaoka, Roderick, & Coca 2008). The expectation of enrolling in college is an important factor in postsecondary enrollment. Low-income students are less likely to pursue a college degree, even if the research study took into account the level of college readiness (Tierney, et al., 2009). As the percentage of low- income students increases, it is important to develop strategies that help them overcome barriers to pursing higher education. In 2002, an estimated 400,000 college-qualified students were unable to attend a four year college due to financial barriers. The Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance estimated that 2 million college-qualified students would be denied access to college by the end of the decade (Tierney, et al., 2009, page v). Students who are the first in their family to attend college perceive more barriers to higher education than students who are not. In a recent study, potential firstgeneration students cited family issues, lack of role models, racial/ethnic discrimination, and lack of guidance as barriers to college enrollment. These students also reported a lower expectation that a college degree would be beneficial to them (Gibbons & Borders, 2010). The college application process itself can be difficult for low-income and potential first-generation students. They may lack sufficient resources to help them take the steps they need to enroll in college. Students need to be made aware of their postsecondary options, admissions requirements to those institutions, and the application process. Many families, particularly those from low- income backgrounds, may lack the ability to help their students through the process and may also be uncomfortable reaching out for help from schools (Tierney, et al., 2009, Bloom 2008). College campus visits help students make decisions about postsecondary options by increasing their knowledge of admissions requirements, financial aid options, and programs of study. 76 Theory and Research Guiding the Practice An important theory that explains the effectiveness of repeated campus tours is Zajonc’s Mere-Repeated-Exposure theory (2001), which states that the more an individual is exposed to a particular stimulus – in this case, a college campus tour – the more likely the person will prefer it. This is especially important for first-generation and historically underrepresented students who may have never visited a college campus before, or even felt welcomed there. The impact described by this theory occurs across cultures and individuals from diverse backgrounds. “The repeated-exposure paradigm can be regarded as a form of classical conditioning if we assume that the absence of aversive events constitutes the unconditioned stimulus. Empirical research shows that a benign experience of repetition can in and of itself enhance positive affect, and that such affect can become attached not only to stimuli that have been exposed but also to similar stimuli that have not been previously exposed, and to totally distinct stimuli as well.” (Zajonc, 2001, p.224). Description of the Practice Conducting college campus visits for aspiring postsecondary students is a common practice for many precollege programs. The Communication Upward Bound (CUB) program at Wichita State University has developed an approach to make this process highly efficient and effective for its students. Rather than accepting the standard campus visit program by the host institution that all visiting groups experience, the CUB programs works collaboratively with the institution to customize the experience based on the needs and interests of the students. This approach has increased student interest and engagement in comparison to previous years when the campus visits were not differentiated and customized. The CUB program serves high school students in the Wichita, Kansas area. Wichita is the major population and economic center in Kansas with aircraft manufacturing, agriculture, banking, business, education, medicine, and oil production among the major industries. The Wichita area has 10 senior high schools that serve more than 12,500 students each year. For the 2011 academic year, more than half (67%) of those students qualified for free or reduced lunches. The CUB program serves 50 students each year. The CUB program offers participants several opportunities to visit various colleges and universities throughout the year. College visits are typically scheduled after the completion of the summer program, during fall and spring breaks during the academic year, and at times when school is out of session such as district in-service days. Although some of the considerations outlined in this document apply to all campus visits, including visits to local institutions, the campus visits described here typically take place over the course of 3 to 5 days and involve at least a few hours of travel. Customized Planning for the Campus Tour When choosing potential locations for campus visits, CUB considers several factors such as student interests, institution type, and budgetary constraints. Campus 77 visits are tailored as much as possible to student interests, which are identified through surveys and group or individual discussion (see example survey questions). Surveys encourage students to indicate a specific institution or type of institution they wish to visit. CUB staff also try to engage students in individual discussions about their future goals or postsecondary plans. Campus visits are most effective when students are exposed to a variety of institutions including 4-year universities, 2-year community colleges, and both private and public universities. Exposing students to a variety of institution types increases their knowledge of the postsecondary options available to them. In recent years, CUB students have indicated an interest in visiting historically black colleges or universities (HBCU). Budgetary constraints are a necessary consideration when choosing a destination. Transportation and lodging tend to be the bulk of the costs associated with college visits. Costs vary depending on the number of days and the distance needed to travel. CUB staff make every effort to broaden the experiences students have with a variety of postsecondary institutions while adhering to the program budget. The WSU TRIO model for effective campus visits includes collaboration with those institutions to determine college visit agendas and consideration to the timing and scheduling of other cultural and educational activities. CUB staff also create activities to prepare students for the visits, keep them engaged during the visit, and gauge student interest for follow up and goal setting purposes. Often times universities have a standard campus visit agenda that they offer to groups wanting to find out more about their school. These typically include presentations about admissions and financial aid information in addition to the campus tour; while important, these sessions can get repetitive and tedious when students visit several colleges and universities over a short period of time. Finding ways to make each visit novel is in the interest of both the students and the admissions representatives. Each institution will make a larger impression on students if they offer varied activities. Admissions and financial aid information can be compared in depth during follow up activities. Activities often negotiated by the CUB program staff include host institution student panels, mock lectures by campus faculty members, and student activities presentations. These allow students to become aware of several facets of campus life in addition to increasing student engagement. Student panels are a great way for students to become informed about campus life and have their questions answered by actual college students. During a recent college visit, a CUB graduate was invited to join the student panel. This gave current CUB participants the opportunity to hear about the university from a student with a similar background. Mock lectures give students a unique experience of a college or university. Students have the opportunity to hear a lecture or participate in a classroom activity led by an instructor who teaches at the university. Because CUB program participants are recruited based on their interest in a career in the field of communication, customization of the campus experience is essential. Mock lectures from instructors in an institution’s communication or marketing department are relevant to the majority of CUB’s program participants. Presentations about student activities or a specific academic department provide students with useful information. Visiting college residence halls also provide students a concrete view of 78 college life. Sometimes these activities are included in the regular campus tour, but must be requested separately at some institutions. Effective college visits increase students’ knowledge of the programs and resources available at a college or university and allow them to make more informed decisions when choosing a postsecondary institution. Varying the activities students participate in during each college visit ensures that students are engaged in learning about each institution and are exposed to a variety of information. Scheduling Concurrent Activities while on Tour Another unique feature of the CUB program is scheduling concurrent cultural activities while in the host city or along the campus tour route. They provide educational opportunities and extra incentives for student attendance and engagement. Students have the opportunity to visit museums, theatrical performances, or historical sites they may not otherwise get to see. Scheduling concerns include allowing plenty of time for transportation between scheduled events as well as providing flexibility for potential delays or changes. Many hotels are willing to provide conference space for no charge when booking sleeping rooms for the CUB students and staff. This serves as a great meeting place and private space for group activities. The CUB staff schedule time during the college visit to complete reflection activities designed to procure student feedback and encourage students to consider and compare each college further. CUB creates activities for students to complete prior to, during, and following each college visit to help students become more informed and to keep them engaged. Writing assignments and photo scavenger hunts are two examples of successful activities that CUB has implemented to increase student engagement during campus visit trips. Students may be assigned to write about specific parts of the trip. For example, a student interested in sports might be asked to compare the sports teams or recreational centers of the colleges or universities visited. These may be compiled into a newsletter to share with parents and other students about their experiences during each college visit. Photo scavenger hunts may ask students to find specific items at each college campus. These pictures may then be compiled in a newsletter or displayed on the CUB program’s bulletin boards. Campus Tour Readiness Activities Prior to the college visit, CUB students research college demographics such as student-teacher ratio, tuitions and fees, scholarship opportunities, and the types of academic programs. Posters or handouts can then be created using this information (see attached example). This activity is designed to prepare students to ask informed questions during campus tours. Students can refer to this information during campus visits to ask specific questions. The CUB staff also take time to review college demographics with students prior to the campus visit and suggests potential questions. For example, students may ask a student panel about average class size or student activities on campus. The CUB program also uses these handouts to inform parents about activities students will participate in during campus visits. 79 Follow-Up Activities After Campus Tour Follow up evaluations and activities may also provide an avenue for setting goals for academic achievement. Students complete daily reflection activities and end of trip surveys. CUB uses this information to determine which students are interested in attending or finding out more about each institution. Student academic performance is assessed against college admissions requirements and/or scholarship opportunities available at the institution of choice. Admissions requirements vary depending on the type of institution, but are typically related to GPA, ACT/SAT score, or a combination thereof. Scholarships, particularly those that meet the entire cost of tuition, typically recruit students with a higher GPA than admissions requirements. This provides students with a concrete goal and additional incentive to achieve at a higher level, especially for those students considering out-of-state or private institutions. For example, a student may need to improve his or her GPA slightly, or increase his or her ACT score by a specific amount, in order to meet admissions requirements or be eligible for institutional scholarships. Summary of the WSU TRIO Approach to Campus Tours The WSU TRIO program’s approach to the traditional campus tour has yielded higher learning outcomes for the students with a minimal increase in operating costs. The customization of the experiences among the host colleges based on student interests have had a noticeable impact in comparison to previous campus tours, which did not implement the design elements described earlier in this document; students are more likely to ask questions relevant to their interests, giving them a stronger basis for making postsecondary decisions. Feedback from tour guides has also been positive; typical comments include praise for the quality of student questions as well as general acknowledgement and appreciation of the high level of student interest as a group. The next step in measuring the impact of this model will be to analyze the long-term effects on student success. For example, efforts will be made to compare the number of completed college and scholarship applications and admission rates of those students who participate in these activities to those students who do not. Resources Needed to Implement the Practice The resources needed for long-distance college visits vary depending on the duration of the trip, mode of transportation, distance from base university, and other activities scheduled. Once the program determines what funds are available for a college visit, hotel, food, travel accommodations, and activities can be planned accordingly. Food and lodging are two of the largest expenses associated with these trips. Keeping these costs as low as possible allows more flexibility in scheduling additional activities. Arranging for students to eat lunch on campus before or after the campus tour is typically more cost-effective than going to fast food restaurants. This also gives students additional insight into what the college or university has to offer. Dining halls are generally all-you-can eat and offer a variety of food options. Some student dining halls are closed during summer or academic year breaks, but student unions with private food establishments may still be open. 80 Admissions representatives can help arrange or provide contact information for arranging discounted meal tickets or affordable meal options. In some cases, colleges will offer complementary lunch for visiting groups. Hotel rooms represent a large portion of the cost of a long-distance college visit. Booking rooms at least four weeks in advance is recommended in order to ensure that the hotel has rooms available and will be willing to negotiate a reasonable rate. The hotel experience can also be turned into a learning opportunity for students, by scheduling conversations about etiquette and behavior expectations. Also, many students have their first long-distance traveling and hotel experiences during these college visits. Hotel stays can be made more affordable by increasing the number of students placed in each room. Three to four students can sleep comfortably in a double room with a pull out couch or rollaway bed. Also, as mentioned previously, hotels will often offer complementary meeting spaces. Finally, although there is no cost associated with the actual college tours, scheduling educational and cultural activities can pose a challenge. Keeping food and lodging costs as low as possible may allow more funding for these activities. Most museums and theatre venues offer group discounts and may also offer a specified ratio of chaperone tickets at no cost. In fact, some museums charge no admission at any time or offer free admission on certain days each month. City tourism websites are good resources for finding events and activities. Many allow users to search for activities by category such as educational, family friendly, or free activities and also offer a calendar of special events that may take place during a specified timeframe. References Advisory Committee for Student Financial Assistance. (2002). Prospective FirstGeneration College Students: A Social-Cognitive Perspective. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education. Bloom, J. (2008). The pedagogy of college access programs: A critical analysis. (ASHE/Lumina Policy Briefs and Critical Essays No. 5). Ames, IA: Iowa State University, Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Gibbons, M. M., & Borders, L. D. (2010). Prospective first-generation college students: A social- cognitive perspective. Career Development Quarterly, 58(3), 194-208. Retrieved http://search.proquest.com/docview/219448474?accountid=15042 Nagaoka, J., Roderick, M., & Coca, V. (2009). Barriers to College Attainment: Lessons from Chicago. Washington, D.C.: American Progress. Retrieved from http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/highereducation/report/2009/01/27/5432 /barriers-to-college-attainment-lessons-from-chicago/ Tierney, W. J., Bailey, T., Constantine, C., Finkelstein, N., & Hurd, N. F.. (2009). Helping Students Navigate the Path to College: What High Schools Can Do. Washington, D.C.: National Center For Educational Statistics. Zajonc, R. B. (2001). Mere exposure: A gateway to the subliminal. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 10(6), 224-228. 81 Educational Opportunity Centers Best Education Practices 82 Right Start to College Seminar for Adult Learners TRIO Educational Opportunity Center, Wichita State University (Wichita, KS) For more information: Vic Chavez, [email protected] http://www.wichita.edu/thisis/home/?u=specialprograms Approved October 12, 2013 as a Promising Practice by the EOA National Best Practices Center, http://besteducationpractices.org Revised 10/12/13 Please send a short email with feedback about this education practice and how it was used. Send to the EOA Center at [email protected] Abstract Wichita State University serves as host to nine TRIO programs. Among these is the Educational Opportunity Center (EOC), which helps adults complete their high school diploma, their GED, or with their entry to college. One of the services EOC provides to adults entering college is The Right Start to College 101 Seminar (Right Start). It introduces attendees to the culture of college, along with its barriers for many adult students, and how to maximize their life experiences for success in the college environment. The seminar also helps them assess their current strengths and apply them to college. The Right Start approach is an adaptation of a traditional college success program offered at many colleges. This program has been customized to effectively serve first-generation/limited income adults participating in the Wichita State University (WSU) TRIO EOC program for adult college students. Students entering college can be underprepared academically or psychologically for what they will encounter within the classroom or on campus. Being adequately prepared academically can increase the probability of graduation (Adelman, 1998). Right Start is a learning activity that helps EOC participants, aged 25-45, successfully transition to postsecondary education. It emphasizes academic support and other critical skills for success. Learning modules of the seminar begin students on the path to improving their skills and increasing their confidence to bridge the gap to the new college environment. While these adult students may have experienced considerable success in the work world, family life, and other dimensions, the unique requirements of the college world can be especially challenging. Right Start offers insight into college success strategies and provides information about the many facets of institutional life as well as the requirements of the academic system. Being prepared psychologically can be as important as being academically prepared. The seminar is designed to address the fears, concerns, and challenges that are common to adult learners. To provide motivational support and encouragement, participants are given meals, certificates of completion, group photos and a college academic kit (filled with college success items). Other resources include 100 Things Adult Learners need to Know about College (Hardin, 2000) and 7 Habits of Highly 83 Successful College Students (Covey, 2004). College-ready adults are enrolled in Right Start upon acceptance into the TRIO EOC program. Students reserve placement in the seminar throughout the spring and the seminar held in June of each year. The four-hour seminar is limited to 25 students per session. Need for the Practice Adult learners bring a wide variety of life experiences to the classroom that traditional students do not (Risquez, Moore, & Morley, 2007/2008). When teaching adults, individual differences must be considered and adapted to. These characteristics of adult learners are addressed through the Right Start seminar. By limiting the size of each session, students’ individual needs can be addressed. As a group, adult learners are more directly motivated to learn practical knowledge. They attend college with a purpose in mind and can be more driven than the traditional college-age students. But these adult students may lack key tools and knowledge to be successful. Therefore, their strong motivation needs to be paired with the practical information and skills of how to be successful in the college classroom and the college environment (Ross-Gordon, 2003). It is essential to attract and graduate more older adult students to increase the diversity of the college as well as compensate for a decrease in students immediately enrolling post high school (Jones, Mortimer, & Sathre, 2007; National Center for Education Statistics, 2006). In addition, older adults need support for continuing education to meet the ever-changing demands of the workforce (Kasworm, 2009). All students entering college go through a period of adjustment. However, adult students may need special assistance if they are to succeed (Schlossberg, 1989; Terenzini & Pascarella, 1998). “Paradoxically, if these adults are to be successful in negotiating their entry into higher education, then compensating for and, to some extent at least, overcoming these disadvantages can actually become a strength for them as learners” (Richardson & King, 2008, p. 69). The fears that adult students feel upon entry into college can become a “self-fulfilling prophecy” that can sabotage their academic success. Dealing with these fears upfront can avoid this cycle of failure. The stereotype of adult students as strugglers can be avoided as can the condition of “math phobia”, which causes some students to experience failure in math courses. In addition to academic anxieties and deficiencies, adult learners may struggle with simple logistical barriers (transportation, childcare, time limitations, unemployment, two or more jobs, etc.) that could keep them from attending class or succeeding in higher education. Siebert and Walter (1996) suggest that it is important for administrators, faculty, and student services staff to understand the fears, concerns, and challenges common to adult learners and then develop programs to help adult students overcome them. Helping them to transfer the skills they have already used successfully in the work world and other venues makes the successful transition to college life quicker. Right Start is designed specifically for under-resourced potential college students, and is a catalyst event for spurring new adult learners to adjust, develop new skills, and translate current skills for college success. Specifically, the objectives for the adult students are: 84 • • • Increase awareness of the collegiate settings, expectations, procedures, and educational methods; Increase internal motivation and confidence of workshop participants; and Increase awareness of problem-solving strategies and their correct application through simulated challenges during the workshop. Right Start participants discover a variety of educational tools and experiences that foreshadow the educational journey they are about to embark upon. An important component is the interaction of the participants with college professors, who serve as guest presenters. This seminar is free for adults participating in the WSU TRIO Educational Opportunity Centers Program. Low-income and first-generation adult college students are the target population for this workshop. Ethnicity and gender are non-specific and students may come from an urban, suburban or rural background. While these students are recruited by EOC education specialists, they are also self-selecting in that they see themselves as underprepared in some way and decide to attend. Theory and Research Guiding the Practice Many adult learners bring to college anxieties that are intensified with a new and truly daunting endeavor. As Maslow (1943) noted in his hierarchy of needs, students must have their basic needs met before they can be successful learners. For adults, those basic needs include providing for a family, meeting employment obligations, meeting family obligations, maintaining key relationships, etc. while addressing all of the normal issues of other students. These basic issues and concerns must be understood and addressed (if possible) before learning is optimum. Adult students also bring oftenunrecognized strengths from their life experiences. Hensley and Kinser (2001) defined adults who had dropped out of college for at least one academic term, or had attended more than one college at some point in their careers, as ‘tenacious persisters’. “They had learned from past academic experiences and had transformed former obstacles into strengths. Prior stressors – divorce, children, finances, negative academic experiences, lack of direction – were now viewed as motivating forces, urging students on towards degree completion” (p. 185). Too often stereotypes about older students create artificial barriers to their success. Due to their life experiences, they have developed resilience. Understanding how to adapt to the college environment and use those life lessons helps to explain why some adults are successful and others are not (Keith et al., 2006). Helping adult students understand how to leverage their experiences into sources of strength, rather than excuses for failure, is part of what the Right Start seminar and other services of this EOC program strive to achieve. The Right Start seminar provides an interactive environment where adults can experience a college setting and learn from each other during the workshop. Academic deficiencies themselves cannot be addressed in a one-day workshop but teaching students where support resources are available and providing them with motivation and confidence will lead to greater success rates. Adelman (1998) examined the critical relationship between remedial coursework and college completion. He found that the amount and type of remedial work are particularly important. “Among students who had 85 to take remedial reading, 66% were in three or more other remedial courses, and only 12% of this group earned bachelor’s degrees. Within this environment, it is even more important that students have access to a support structure. Further, having access to such support can yield greater confidence and higher retention. In addition to cognitive concerns, adult students bring other issues. “In these studies, older adults reported entering the classroom with anxiety and self- consciousness about their place in a youth-oriented learning setting and about their ability to perform; they considered themselves deficient because they were too old and perhaps no longer capable of the intellectual demands of the classroom” (Kasworm, 2009, p. 146). (See also Chism, Cano, & Pruitt, 1989; Lynch & Bishop-Clark, 1994). Kasworm continues with why it is critical to address affective domain challenges for older adult students, “Drawing on critical, postmodern, and poststructuralist theories, a number of recent studies have examined institutional culture bias and varied sociocultural roles affecting adult student identity. These analytic studies have focused on institutional context, suggesting limited power, privilege, and advocacy for adult students, leading to institutional invisibility and to alienated and marginalized identities for adult learners” (2009, p. 146). (See also Quinnan, 1997; Sissel, 1997; Sissel, Hansman, & Kasworm, 2001). Right Start is a structured and focused learning experience adapted to assist EOC participants to confidently transition to postsecondary education. While strengthening academic skills may be necessary, Right Start places an emphasis on academic support resources and development in confidence. In addition, learning modules of the seminar provide students with the skills and confidence needed to bridge the gap to college. In this way, motivation and self-confidence are increased and perpetuated through academic success. Participants who complete the seminar will receive a framed certificate of achievement. Right Start offers proven college success strategies, providing new students with information about the character of institutional life and about the requirements of the academic system that they are entering. Description of the Practice The planning for Right Start begins with the receipt of assessments from previous years’ programs. Results of pre- and post- surveys are used as formative and summative evaluations to determine the most effective and least effective sessions or strategies used in the seminar. Students are signed up throughout the spring semester, speakers contacted, and venues are reserved. Activities and sessions are implemented in a highly interactive methodology allowing participants to communicate needs and work through personal barriers to education. Sessions are positive in their approach and provide individual support for specific needs. Every student comes to campus with his or her own specific goals, fears, and misconceptions. The overall goal of the seminar is to prepare adults to enter and be successful in college. Specific activities include lessons in each subtopic below: • Understanding habits of highly successful college students – In this session, students are introduced to success in the form of practices and habits of successful students. They are given the opportunity to discuss and formulate 86 how they would incorporate these habits into their own specific learning situation. • Time Management- In this session, students are introduced to time management strategies that they can use even if they do not possess strong time management skills. The presentation allows each participant to start planning for the upcoming semester by organizing his or her commitments and available time. • Study skills- This session gives students usable study skills that yield strong results and aid in time management efforts. The session focuses on understanding when and how each participant learns best. • Individual Learning Styles are explored and explained to participants to identify the most effective study practices, and the most effective learning medium. • Test Taking- In this session, participants are taught effective test preparation strategies that aid in better retention. Students are instructed in dealing with test anxiety and how to prepare themselves intellectually and emotionally for an upcoming test. • Learning from a College Level Textbook- This session teaches study strategies for different learning styles and focuses on how to get the most out of a textbook. The session deals with effective note taking, finding desired information in a textbook and using the table of contents, index and works cited to best advantage. • Sample Class Syllabus- In this session, participants is given information regarding the information available within a typical syllabus. This document is shown to contain specific information to the given course as well as valuable information regarding important university policies. • Technology Skills and Introduction to Course Management Systems (e.g., Blackboard)- This session provides information regarding the technological knowledge and skills necessary in college and gives an introduction to basic software utilized in freshman classes. The uses and purposes of Blackboard are also introduced. • Internships and Service Learning- Learning opportunities are presented and explored, such as cooperative education, job shadowing, internships and other educational and training options. • Financial Literacy- This session stresses the basic knowledge needed to make informed financial decisions. Focusing on personal finance while in college, strategies are stressed on how to stay out of debt and avoid amassing large student loans. • The College Triangle – This session deals with balancing family, work, social lives, and education. This balance can be difficult to achieve and sacrifices will usually have to be made. This activity explores the inevitable choices that will be encountered. 87 • The Hidden Rules of College deal with the specific culture of college and the unique practices and structures (political and social) that exist on campus. In an effort to address attendance barriers, the seminar is free of charge and is offered day, evening, and weekends. It is highly interactive to address a variety of learning styles. Adults are enrolled upon their acceptance into the EOC program. Resources Needed to Implement the Practice The resources utilized in this seminar include college faculty members who volunteer to explain the culture of the college classroom, what to expect from college classes, as well as what is expected from them. 100 things every adult college student ought to know (Hardin, 2000). This text is given to participants as it is an important resource utilized throughout the seminar. The text deals with such topics as “how to calculate your GPA” and “the usefulness of orientation or transition classes.” The 7 habits of highly successful college students (Covey, 2004). This text is also provided and allows students to begin thinking like a successful college student before they have attended a class. It introduces them to common practices of very successful students and allows them to adopt strategies that will work for them in their own particular situation. To inspire confidence and motivation, Right Start also provides meals for participants, certificates (upon completion), a seminar completion photo, and a “College Academic Kit” filled with college success resources. The cost of the workshop, including materials, books, refreshments, and other items, is less than $40 per student. Evaluation of the Practice The program uses a variety of data collection systems to evaluate progress towards achievement of the program outcomes. Some of these data collectors are included in this submission. When final analysis of the data is completed, this submission will be revised to include a rigorous analysis of the data. The expanded document will be resubmitted to the EOA Center for evaluation at the higher level of “validated education practice.” The program currently engages in formative evaluation through survey responses from participants, interviews with staff involved with the program, and other data collection methods. As described earlier, this information is used for program revisions and planning purposes. 88 References Adelman, A. (1998). The kiss of death? An alternative view of college remediation. National CrossTalk. Retrieved from http://www.highereducation.org/crosstalk/ct0798/voices0798-adelman.shtml Chism, N. V., Cano, J., & Pruitt, A. S. (1989). Teaching in a diverse environment: Knowledge and skills needed by TAs. In J. D. Nyquist, R. D. Abbott, & D. H. Wolff (Eds.), Teaching assistant training in the 1990s (New Directions for Teaching and Learning No. 30; pp. 22-36). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Covey, F. (2004). The 7 habits of highly effective college students. Salt Lake City, UT: Franklin Covey. Hardin, C. J. (2000). 100 things every adult college student ought to know: A selforientation guide with definitions, customs, procedures, and advice to assist adults in adjusting to the start of college. Williamsville, NY: Cambridge Stratford Study Skills Institute. Hensley, L. G., & Kinser, K. (2001). Perspectives of adult learners on returning to college: A study of tenacious persisters. Academic Exchange Quarterly, 5(2), 181-186. Jones, D., Mortimer, K., & Sathre, C. O. (2007, November). Increasing productivity: Is higher education [as we know it] up to the task? Paper presented to the Association for the Study of Higher Education Conference, Louisville, KY. Retrieved from http://www.nationalcommissiononadultliteracy.org/content/nchemspresentation.pdf Kasworm, C. E. (2009). Adult learners in a research university: Negotiating undergraduate student identity. Adult Education Quarterly, 60(2), 143-160. Keith, P. M., Byerly, C., Floerchinger, H., Pence, E., & Thornberg, E. (2006). Deficit and resilience perspectives on performance and campus comfort of adult students. College Student Journal, 40(3), 546-556. Lynch, J., & Bishop-Clark, C. (1994). The influence of age in college classrooms: Some new evidence. Community College Review, 22(3), 3-10. Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50, 370396. National Center for Education Statistics. (2006). Table 13: Actual and high alternative projected numbers for total enrollment in all degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by sex, age, and attendance status: Selected years, fall 1995 through fall 2015 (Projections of Educational Statistics to 2015, 2006-084). Quinnan, T. W. (1997). Adult students “at-risk”: Culture bias in higher education. Westport, CT: Bergin & Garvey Richardson, J. T. E., & King, E. (2008). Adult students in higher education: Burden or boon? The Journal of Higher Education, 69(1), 65-88. 89 Risquez, A., Moore, S., & Morley, M. (2007/2008). Welcome to college? A richer understanding of the transition process for adult first year students using reflective written journals. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, theory, and Practice, 9(2), 183-204. Ross-Gordon, J. M. (2003). Adult learners in the classroom. In D. Kilgore & P. J. Rice (Eds.), Meeting the special needs of adult students (pp. 43-52). (New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education Number 102. San Francisco, CA: JosseyBass. Schlossberg, N. K. (1989). Improving higher education environments for adults: Responsive programs and services from entry to departure. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Siebert, A., & Walter, T. (1996). Student success: How to succeed in college and still have time for your friends. Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace College Publishers. Sissel, P. (1997). When “accommodation” is resistance: Towards a critical discourse on the politics of adult education. Retrieved from http://www.coe.uga.edu/hsp/monographs1/sissel.pdf Sissel, P. A., Hansman, C. A., & Kasworm, C. E. (2001, Fall). The politics of neglect: Adult learners in higher education. In C. A. Hansman & P. A. Sissel (Eds.), Understanding and negotiating the political landscape of adult education (New Directions in Adult and Continuing Education No. 91, pp. 17-28). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Terenzini, P. T., & Pascarella, E. T. (1998). Studying college students in the 21st century: Meeting new challenges. The Review of Higher Education, 21 (2), 151165. 90 Resources AGENDA for RIGHT START TO COLLEGE SEMINAR Activities: Register, check in & pick-up seminar academic kits and agenda. Enjoy a complimentary meal. Complete seminar forms: My Weekly Schedule & People Bingo Agenda 6:00 Welcome/Purpose/Introductions 6:15 Agenda Review 6:20 Mini Lecture: The Purpose of a College Education? What is a College? The College Workforce Connection. Kansas 2020 Education Goals. Top 10 reasons adults do not make it in college. 6:30 7:25 7:30 7:45 8:00 8:15 8:15 8:30 8:45 9:00 9:15 Module I Syllabus Stretch Break Module II Learning Styles Module III Test Taking Module IV Technology Skills & Blackboard Module V The College Triangle/ The Hidden Rules of College Stretch Break Module VI Financial Literacy Tips for College Students Module VII 7 Habits of Highly Successful Students Module VIII Co-op, Internships, and Service Learning Evaluation Certificates Group Photo 91 RIGHT START TO COLLEGE EVALUATION TRIO - Educational Opportunity Centers Program Date Facilitator Participant Name Please circle the number that rates your agreement with the following statements Section One: Knowledge BEFORE the seminar I clearly understand the true purpose of a college education _____ I know how to use a syllabus to be successful in a class _____ I understand my personal learning style contributes to my college success I know at least three test taking strategies to help me to study and pass exams I understand how knowing technology will help me be successful in college I have learned financial Literacy tips to help me manage my financial aid I know the 7 habits of highly successful college students I am motivated and also confident about attending college I understand my own personal barriers to being successful in college I understand COOP, internships, service learning and shadowing opportunities Overall, I feel that I am prepared to begin college Section Two: Knowledge AFTER the seminar I clearly understand the true purpose of a college education ____I know how to use a syllabus to be successful in a class ____I understand my personal learning style contributes to my college success ____I know at least three test taking strategies to help me to study and pass exams I understand how knowing technology will help me be successful in college I have learned financial Literacy tips to help me manage I know the 7 habits of highly successful college students I am motivated and also confident about attending college I understand my own personal barriers to being successful in college I understand COOP, internships, service learning and shadowing opportunities Overall, I feel that I am prepared to begin college. 92 Drafting and Implementing a Post Service Assessment Tool for TRIO TRIO Educational Opportunity Centers, Wichita State University (Wichita, KS) For more information: Alan Dsouza, [email protected] http://www.wichita.edu/thisis/home/?u=specialprograms Approved September 25, 2013 as a Promising Practice by the EOA National Best Practices Center, http://besteducationpractices.org Revised 10/11/13 Readers utilizing this education practice are requested to send a brief email how it was used. Send to the EOA Center at [email protected] Abstract There is a perennial need to develop assessment tools for TRIO program services in general, and Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC) program services in particular. The post-service assessment tool for an EOC program is designed to help EOC staff and administrators use a generic tool and collect relevant evaluation data to assess and improve the quality of services. The goals of this approach to assess service efficacy; measure the self-reported learning outcomes of the EOC services; and assess the efficacy of the EOC staff in providing these services. Research has identified that a cognitive approach to survey tools helps in assessing the outcomes of a service/event more accurately. By immediately helping the service beneficiary in filling out this tool, a double function is achieved: assessing the service, as well as reiteration of the service goals and outcomes with the beneficiary. Need for the Practice The need for evaluation and assessment is ubiquitous. All TRIO program activities are to be assessed and evaluated using rigorous evaluation methods. Generally, every TRIO or GEAR UP program has an evaluation plan that stipulates how activities will be assessed,, especially mandatory services. Assessment of individual services is a part of the overall program evaluation plan. The Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC) program offers its participants several services including one-on-one counseling and advising on academic issues, college selection, career advancement, etc. While it is recommended that each of the activities be assessed, it is not feasible to evaluate each and every session, nor to create a customized evaluation tool for each session or activity. Hence, there is a need to create a short, but comprehensive and generic tool to assess the program activity. The tool has to be practical, and its administration and analysis must be simple and coherent. This tool thus addresses a critical need of program evaluation. 93 The participants for this activity include the EOC project administrators, especially those who administer the EOC activities. It is recommended that the administrators working on this activity be exposed to the basics of data collection, instrument administration, and analysis. Theory and Research Guiding the Practice The three main evaluation theories that guide this best practice are: the process of program evaluation (Light, Singal, & Willett, 1990), the utilization-focused evaluation by Patton (2008), and the theory-driven evaluation by Chen (1990). The Handbook of Practical Program Evaluation defines program evaluation as “the systematic assessment of program results and, to the extent feasible, the systematic assessment of the extent to which the program caused those results” (Wholey et al., 2004, p. xxxiii). Also, Murray (2005) observed that “evaluation can occur in a formal, systematic way through the application of a professionally designed evaluation program, or it can be carried out with varying degrees of informally, ranging from gathering a few reports to completely impressionistic estimates about how things have been going” (p. 433). Best practices in constructing and using evaluation instruments are necessary since many program administrators are not trained in program evaluation, especially in outlining program theory, creating program logic models, and collecting data (McLaughlin & Jordan, 2004; Rossi & Freeman, 1993). However, most administrators today are making an effort to do some type of evaluation and performance monitoring. The evaluation approach for this best practice is supported by Patton’s utilizationfocused evaluation (2008), which implies that the evaluation will be used by a small group of primary stakeholders who will use the evaluation findings. In the context of this practice, it is the program administrators and the service providers – curriculum coordinators, program specialists, counselors, advisors – who will be able to assess the services immediately after they are provided and gage the effects of the services on the client. The effect of a service on a client is underlined in the theory-driven evaluation approach that has been defined by Chen (1990) as “a specification of what must be done to achieve the program’s desired goals, the important impact that may be anticipated, and how these goals and their impact would be generated” (p. 16). The evaluation instruments thus anticipate the outcomes of the service and incorporate them clearly into the evaluation report for review and potential action by EOC staff. Description of the Practice The participants in the assessment involve all adults to receive services from the Educational Opportunity Centers Program at Wichita State University. The participants in this activity receive the following services: • • • Career exploration counseling. High school completion counseling. GED completion counseling. 94 • • Postsecondary education advising. Computer skills lab. Each of the staff involved in these services is encouraged to: • Identify the process of how the counseling or activity is delivered. This includes a detailed vision of what an ideal service session would look like, with the idea that each session would have a beginning, a middle and an end to the session. • Identify the objectives and outcomes of the activity. This includes a note stating the main objectives of that service session and the expected outcomes of the activity. For example, in a lab session on computers, the objective may be familiarization with Microsoft Word and the outcome may be the ability of the participant to create, type in and save a Word document. • Assess the pre- and post-level understanding of the participants involved in the activity. For instance, in a session on applying to postsecondary institutions, the pre-assessment might ask what the participant knows about the application process and the post-assessment would measure. Resources Needed for the Practice The main resources needed include the services of the administrators and support, as required by any qualified evaluator to ensure validity of the instruments and analysis. While the administrators will be involved in the planning of the service, it is anticipated that about 10% of their time and effort may be devoted to the development, administration and analysis of the evaluation process. The equipment and software required include statistical software such as SPSS and materials may include the use of online forms or paper based survey instruments. References Chen, H.-T. (1990). Theory-driven evaluations. Newbury Park, CA: SAGE Publications. Light, R. J., Singer, J. D., & Willett, J. B. (1990). By design: Planning research on education. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. McLaughlin, J. A., & Jordan, G. B. (2004). Using logic models. In J. S. Wholey, H. P. Hatry, & K. E. Newcomer (Eds.), Handbook of program evaluation (pp. 7-32). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Murray, V. (2005). Evaluating the effectiveness of nonprofit organizations. In R. Heman (Ed.), The Jossey-Bass handbook of nonprofit leadership and management (2nd. Ed., pp. 345-370). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Patton, M. Q. (2008). Utilization-focused evaluation (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. Rossi, P., & Frdeeman, H. (1993). Evaluation: A systematic approach (5th ed.). Newbury Park, CA: SAGE Publications. Wholey, J. S., Hatry, H. P., & Newcomber, K. E. (Eds.). (2010). Handbook of practical program evaluation (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. 95 Resources Sample Evaluation Instrument 96 Disability Services Best Education Practices 97 Access College Today Program Disability Services Program, Wichita State University (Wichita, KS) For more information: Grady Landrum, [email protected] http://www.wichita.edu/thisis/home/?u=specialprograms Approved September 30, 2013 as a Promising Practice by the EOA National Best Practices Center, http://besteducationpractices.org Revised 10/12/13 Readers utilizing this education practice are requested to send a brief note how it was used. Send to the EOA Center at [email protected] Abstract The Access College Today (ACT) program provides students with disabilities a customized field trip in their junior or senior year of high school to Wichita State University, where they learn what they need to do to successfully transition from high school to a postsecondary institution. This approach – with special attention to the particular needs of these students – is unique among the common campus tours offered by most colleges for similar students. The goals of the ACT program are to: (a) expose high school students with disabilities to a four-year university; (b) learn what is required to be admitted to college; (c) learn about financial resources available to eligible students for college; (d) learn of the services available to them at the university based on their needs as a student with a disability; and (e) meet current or former college students and learn of their experiences at college. Many students with disabilities have historically not been encouraged to pursue a postsecondary education. Exposing high school students to the possibility of acquiring a college degree is the first step in the ACT program. Approximately three percent of teen-agers have been diagnosed with a learning disability. These students often struggle in high school classes. This frustration too often results in them giving up on hopes of college, setting back their job and career prospects according to the National Center for Learning Disabilities. Staff from the Wichita State University (WSU) Office of Disability Services and TRIO Disability Support Services coordinate this program with the WSU Office of Undergraduate Admissions and transition counselors at the local Wichita high schools, who invite their students with disabilities to attend the campus visitation day designed specifically for them. A criterion for student selection is that they have the potential or desire to attend a postsecondary institution. During their campus visitation, students receive information on admissions, financial aid, campus housing, disability services, and the services provided by TRIO Disability Support Services. A panel of current and former students also share their 98 experience of preparing for college, choosing a college, and what they learned through the process. Need for the Practice High school students with disabilities are less likely to attend 4-year colleges after graduating from high school. Reasons for this gap of access to college include the stereotype that students with disabilities may not have the intellectual ability to succeed in college or do not have the physical stamina to make it through a college program. Transition services are confusing for students with disabilities and for their parents. Most parents have not been educated about these services and do not know to ask for them to be included in their child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Although a variety of government agencies support these students to pursue postsecondary education, often their efforts are focused on job placement rather than career development through additional education. Differences between college and high school services are not often known to these students. Some are not even aware services may be available to them once they enter postsecondary education. In the K-12 educational system, the school identifies that the student has a disability, provides classroom services for the student, and develops an IEP for them, all of which include parental involvement. This is not the case in postsecondary education; students now must seek out services at the educational institution on their own. The ACT program at WSU educates and demonstrates how they can prepare for this new postsecondary education system The ACT Program was created as a result of meetings of WSU Campus Life directors and the director of the Office of Admissions. They identified the different campus visitation programs and groups to invited to campus. None focused on students with disabilities. The TRIO director approached the director of admissions about organizing a day specifically for students with disabilities. Also the local Unified Public School District Transition Council was approaches as to their interest. In the fall of 2006, staff from WSU Office of Disabilities, WSU TRIO Disability Support Services, and the city of Wichita USD 259 transition counselors met to discuss what this day would look like and what information to share with the students attending the Access College Today program. A subsequent meeting several weeks later included key staff members from the WSU Office of Admissions, which plans and coordinates other WSU campus visitation programs. At this meeting major decisions were made about the time of year to hold ACT, the maximum number of students and high school support staff to invite (100 people total), and session topics for the event. 99 Theory and Research Guiding the Practice Students with disabilities encounter the same challenges with personal growth as others except they face more barriers. Applying Chickering’s Comprehensive Theory of Personal Growth (Chickering & Reisser, 1993) to students with disabilities is no different than applying it to any other adolescent or young adult. However, many of the vectors of development are more difficult. For example, “developing competence” in intellectual, physical, and interpersonal skills can be a barrier to students with a disability in addition to the typical challenges of mastery. Accommodations and additional services by the institution and proactive strategies by the students are needed for success. Barber (2012) identified the personal role of staff in the campus disability services office as key to serving the needs of students with disabilities and therefore supporting their college completion. Barnett and Dendron (2009) identified the partnership between high schools and the college as an essential factor for student success. The transition between the two venues is more challenging for students with disabilities than the general population. Nicholas et al., (2011) found that the success of students with disabilities was improved when careful integration of programs in high schools, community, and college were developed. Students with disabilities need more support, mentoring, and other activities than other students. Description of the Practice During previous planning meetings among representatives from the local public school district, WSU TRIO staff, and other campus units at WSU, a division of labor was established for the event. 100 • WSU Office of Disability Services (a) coordinates the program; (b) maintains communication flowing among different groups; and (c) identifies current or recently graduated WSU students to be involved in the student panel. • WSU TRIO Disability Support Services (a) creates the session to discuss services provided by TRIO for eligible students; (b) provides accommodations for students with disabilities regarding session activities related to mobility, vision, auditory, and other areas; (c) selects several current TRIO students for the student panel; and (d) gathers items used for prize drawings throughout the day. • High school transition counselors (a) identify students with disabilities who are interested or have the potential to attend a postsecondary institution; (b) arrange for transportation from their high schools to WSU; and (c) obtain signed permission slips and coordinate student release from classes for the day. • WSU Office of Admissions (a) operates an online registration process for the students; (b) selects speakers for the Admissions and Financial Aid sessions; (c) coordinates lunch with Housing and Residence Life; and (d) arranges for a scholarship to be given to a student. • While major portions of the ACT program appear similar to the common campus tour for prospective students, it is customized for students with disabilities. The WSU Office of Disabilities and the WSU TRIO Support Services program have carefully crafted this event. • After the event, the WSU Office of Admissions tallies results of the ACT participant evaluations and sends a report to the rest of the event-planning group. This group holds a debriefing session to consider potential changes based on feedback from surveys and observations by the event staff. This information is used the following August, when the next event is planned for the subsequent April. Resources Needed to Implement the Practice Local Public School District Transition Counseling Team (TCT) • Recruits and registers students. • Obtains signed permission forms from parents or legal guardians of the participating high school students for the event participation and travel. • Provides busses for transportation. University Undergraduate Admissions • Provides the online registration information to TCT. • Makes name tags and other registration materials for each student. • Provides a $1,000 scholarship. • Provides gifts for students (t-shirts, sandals etc.). • Arranges meals with Housing Residence Life. • Coordinates speakers for Admissions and Financial Aids sessions.. • Provides buses to transport people to lunch. • Arranges campus tour guides for afternoon tours. 101 TRIO Disability Support Services • Provides students for student panel. • Provides prizes for drawing at the end of the day. University Office of Disability Services • Provides students for student panel. • Ensures accommodations for students with disabilities such as mobility, vision, auditory, and others. • Provides candy for students answering questions during sessions. • Coordinates and facilitates communications during planning. Evaluation of the Practice The program uses a variety of data collection systems to evaluate progress towards achievement of the program outcomes. Some of those data collectors are included in this submission. When final analysis of the data is completed, this submission will be revised with addition of a rigorous analysis study of the data. At that time, the expanded document will be resubmitted to the EOA Center for evaluation at the higher level of “validated education practice.” The program currently engages in formative evaluation through survey responses from participants, interviews with high school and college personnel involved with the program, and other data collection methods. As described earlier, this information is used for program revision and planning purposes. References Barber, P. (2012). College students with disabilities: What factors influence successful degree completion? A case study. NJ: John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development and the Kessler Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.heldrich.rutgers.edu/sites/default/files/content/College_Students_Disa bilities_Report.pdf Barnett, L., & Dendron, C. (2009). Enriched and inspired: Service pathways to college success (a report from Project Reach; Service inclusion for students with disabilities). Washington, D. C.: American Association of Community Colleges. Chickering, A. & Reisser, L. (1993). Education and identity (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Kauder, N. R., R., Krepcio, K., & Baker, D. (2001). Ready and able: Addressing labor market needs and building productive careers for people with disabilities through collaborative approaches. New Brunswick, NJ: NTAR Leadership Center. 102 Resources Sample agendas for Action College Today programs October 26, 2011 GROUP A Time Session 10:00a Welcome 10:20a 10:30a 11:30a 11:45a 12:45p Group A1 1:00p 1:30p Group A2 1:00p 1:30p 1:50p 2:00p Group A divides into smaller groups for tour Campus tour Tour of Fairmount Towers Fairmount Towers lunch Leave for RSC Financial Aid/Admissions Disability Support Services and Disability Services Disability Support Services and Disability Services Financial Aid/Admissions Complete and turn in evaluations Departure October 26, 2011 GROUP B 10:00a 10:20a 11:00a 10:20a 11:00a 11:20a 11:30a 12:20p 12:30p 12:45p 1:50p 2:00p Welcome Financial Aid/Admissions Disability Support Services and Disability Services Disability Support Services and Disability Services Financial Aid/Admissions Leave for lunch at Fairmount Towers Lunch at Fairmount Towers Group B divides into smaller groups for tours Tour of Fairmount Towers Campus tour Complete and turn in evaluations Departure Wednesday, October 24, 2012 9:00-9:30a 9:30-10:00a 10:05-10:25a 10:55-11:15a 11:20-11:35a 11:35a-12:20p 11:35a-11:55a 11:55a-12:15p 12:20-12:25p Check-in Welcome Session I, Financial aid/Admissions Session II, DS/DSS/Technology Session III. Student Panel (Preparing for college) Travel to Fairmount Towers for Lunch Lunch at Fairmount Towers Fairmount Tour 1 Fairmount Tour 2 Divide for tours (by major) 12:25-1:25p 1:30-1:50p 1:50-2:00p Campus walking tour Mock class Program wrap-up 103 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Sample Evaluation 1- Low, 5- excellent 1 2 3 4 5 Admissions 0 0 10 8 11 29 4.03 Disability Support Services 0 1 7 13 8 29 3.97 Financial Aid 0 1 10 7 11 29 3.97 Lunch 1 2 3 5 18 29 4.97 Fairmount Towers Tour 2 2 4 12 9 29 2.31 Campus Tour 0 1 3 11 14 29 4.31 Mock Class 0 1 6 3 19 29 4.38 Total Avg. What did you like best about the Access College Today program? Everybody was nice. Mock class was cool! The swords All of my questions were answered and lunch was amazing! Lunch-6 All of the programs available for disabled students Mock class-4 Campus tour-4 It was very educational I feel more confident about college all together now Library and dorm rooms How close everything is What they have to offer you The food and mock class Knowing I can get everything I need here Was there anything you would like to see or learn about today that you did not? If so, what? * No-17 * Dental program * I would have liked to see more buildings * Talking with current students * The science and art areas-2 104 Student Support Services Programs Best Education Practices 105 SSS Creating Global Experiences for First-Generation and Limited Income College Students TRIO Student Support Services Program Metropolitan State University (St. Paul, MN) For more information: Andrew Cseter, [email protected] http://www.metrostate.edu/msweb/pathway/academic_success/trio/sss/ Approved October 31, 2016 as a Validated Practice by the EOA National Best Practices Center, http://besteducationpractices.org Revised 10/31/16 Readers utilizing this education practice are requested to send a brief email how it was used. Send to the EOA Center at [email protected] Abstract As we live in a global-based economy, geopolitics and intercultural society – undergraduate students must gain experiential learning and navigating other cultures from a global perspective. Additionional, many higher education institutions value, encourage and even make part of their mission to offer global opportunities to the students they serve. Yet, college students across the nation including non-traditional and underrepresented are less likely to participate in long-term or short-term global experiences. For most limited income and first generation college students, the barriers and obstacles are too great to overcome for participation in a global experience. This best practice program provides faculty, support services and administrators both a research context on barriers and actual practical opportunities to overcome obstacles facing nontraditional and underrepresented college students. This promising practice of creating global opportunities illustrates significance of having a structured global opportunity which consists of: (1) other limited income and first generation students (creating a sense of community); (2) staff and faculty who are trusted by underrepresented students (creating a trusted and confident environment of support; and (3) integrated academic content and cultural knowledge (creating a meaningful growth experience). Need for the Practice During October of 2007, a survey of college students at the University of WisconsinStout asked “What is the top barrier you face in gaining an overseas experience.” Roughly 90% of the students responding were receiving a Pell grant from the federal government. Of the 268 respondents – 61% indicating financial barriers; 15% attitudinal 106 barriers, 13% emotional barriers, 11% indicated the lack of confidence as their top barriers (Cseter, 2007). It was not surprising that financial barriers was the top barriers for student. The survey was recreated a year later to (Fall, 2008) to gain an understanding of barriers other than financial. In 2008, a revised question was posed to college students at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. The question was “If financial barriers were removed, what is the top barrier you face in gaining an overseas experience.” Of the 281 responded, barriers of the lack of confidence (48%), attitudinal (38%) and emotional (14%) were the top obstacles facing students coming from limited income backgrounds (Cseter, 2008). Other studies, especially those global experience which are short-term, often become focused on service and a simple cultural experience (Tillman, M. (2013). There is a greater need to ensure that short-term global trips have a deeper integrated academic context. Without the academic context, the global experience becomes a trip or a social event, rather than a true global study experience. Description of the Practice Student who are coming from limited income backgrounds and are first generation college students often do not have the opportunity to participate in study abroad programs. For many, its lack of knowledge of the process, lack of global confidence, and limited resources. Telling an underrepresented student to go to the International Studies Offfice on their college campus and to study abroad is likely to fail and create a lost opportunity. A promising practice of creating global opportunities is to have a structured global opportunity which consists of: (1) other limited income and first generation students (creating a sense of community); (2) staff and faculty who are trusted by underrepresented students (creating a trusted and confident environment of support; and (3) integrated academic content and cultural knowledge (creating a meaningful growth experience). The TRIO-Student Support Services program at Metropolitan State University (Saint Paul, Minnesota) have create multiple opportunities for TRIO eligible college students (first generation, low-income and students with disabilities) to have a TRIO-designed global experience. The design of the program at Metropolitan State University was intentional organized to attract TRIO-Student Support Students who are often left out of an international or study abroad opportunity. The aim was to attract first generation, low-income (often including Pell Grant recipients, students with disabilities) never have had a prior global experience. The program was desirability to students because they felt that everyone was coming from comparable background and lack confidence and any global experiences. Because it was organized and promoted through a TRIO program, students already had development of a trusting rapport with TRIO staff. This was a significant impact on students’ willingness to take a leap in participating in a global experience. The design at Metropolitan State University is to create a faculty led short-term global experience built into a regular semester-long three or four credit course during the spring semester and to encourage undergraduate students (especially those who have not had a 107 previous global experience and face barriers in participating in global experiences). The program elements include: academic curriculum, global travel logistics, student engagement and peer support, and financial support Global opportunities must include focused academic instruction and cultural structure to offer students opportunities to transform study abroad into profound global experiences. Study abroad becomes global experience when a program emphasizes investment in making connections among academic content, cultural knowledge, and student growth (Grant, Hinrichs, 2015). The Metropolitan State University program included seven weeks classroom instruction on Czech history and literature followed by ten days in the Czech Republic. There is particular attention given to approaches and methods of encouraging students to make connections among academic inquiry (in this case into history and literature), locating new knowledge in a global context, and travel abroad as a way to apply knowledge. The overall goal is how global experiences can influence students’ academic and personal lives and how the classroom enhances the global experiences. Metropolitan State University and the TRIO-Student Support Services program provide three separate global experiences over a three year period. The experiences consisted on a semester long three or four credit course and included ten (10) day integrated short-term global experience. Syllabi included in the appendix. • 2010 Spring – HIST-353A: Topics in European History: Interdisciplinary and Global Perspectives: Budapest , Hungary. Four credits. (Dr. Jeanne Grant, History Department; Andrew Cseter, TRIO Programs). Fifteen (15) students with two faculty/staff • 2011 Spring – History 353A: Topics in European History: History and Literature of Prague, Czech Republic. Four credits.(Dr. Jeanne Grant, History Department and Dr. Danielle Hinrichs, Communication, Writing & Arts; Andrew Cseter, TRIO Programs). Twenty (20) students with three faculty/staff • 2012 Spring – 340A: Comparative Criminal Justice - London, England and Paris, France. Three credits. (Dr. Susan Hilal and Dr. James Densley, Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement; Andrew Cseter, TRIO Programs). Thirty (30) students with three faculty/staff Process and funding Metropolitan State University is a comprehensive urban university committed to meeting the higher education needs of the Twin Cities and greater metropolitan population of Minnesota. The university provides accessible, high-quality liberal arts, professional, and graduate education to the citizens and communities of the metropolitan area, with continued emphasis on underserved groups, including adults and communities of color. With this mission, Metropolitan State University enrolls over 11,000 students each year who are often working adults and students transferring community colleges or other universities to finish their undergraduate degrees. Majority of the students are first generation and or coming from limited income background. Nearly 40% are students of color, indigenous or recent immigrants. 108 The three global courses and experiences were offered in the spring of semester of 2012, 2011 and 2010. Recruitment and applications to enroll in the courses which included an embedded short-term global experience began in August and September. Commitment and enrollment into the global courses was concluded by early December. Marketing flyer is included in the appendix. The goal was to enroll 20 student TRIOStudent Support Services eligible students in each of the global courses. Since Metropolitan State University does not have an International Study Abroad Office, very few study abroad experiences are available to students and little logistical support is available to faculty and staff who would like to provide global opportunities. For these global experiences, TRIO-Student Support Services staff and faculty provided all the planning, logistical and financial mechanisms to coordinate a these global experiences. This included the curriculum integration, travel logistics, travel payments, and facilitate the day-to-day programming and logistics of the 10-day global experience with the students. During fall semester, students would be recruited, make application, participate in an interview and the provided permission to register for the selected course with the embedded global experience. As part of the normal student’s course load for the spring semester, students would also register for other courses – as the global experiences would not interfere with their other courses. At the time of registration, students would be charged normal tuition and fees associated with all the courses they were registered for the upcoming spring semester. The only difference was each student enrolled in an embedded global experience course was charged an additional $1,800 $1,950 course fee to their normal billing statement for the spring semester. The global course fee was to cover air travel, ground travel in country, lodging, travel logistics, entry to key landmarks and events, insurance and 1-2 meals per day. Most students received TRIOSSS grant aid (between $700-1,200) to assist with the additional course fee and financial need. Almost all students received additional scholarships through the institutional foundation and community foundations. All three Metropolitan State University courses were semester-long course, meeting oncampus in St. Paul, Minnesota for the first 7-8 weeks. Then there was a ten day global experiences (Budapest, Hungary in spring 2010; Prague, Czech Republic in spring 2011; and London, England/Paris, France in 2012) occurring over the spring-break. The remainder of the semester was reflective pieces back in St. Paul, Minnesota. Outcomes: • 65 students from Metropolitan State University participated in the TRIO-Global Experience (2012-2010). • 84.6% of students received federal Pell grants $72,100 TRIO Student Grant Aid • GENDER: (63%) – Females (37%) – Males • ETHNICITY: (58.5%) students of color • AGE: (38.4%) Under 25 ; (27.7%) 25-30; (24.6%) 31-40; ( 9.2%) Over 40 109 Learning Outcomes • Describe and analyze political, economic and cultural factors which contribute to the functioning of criminal justice systems in countries around the world.. • Demonstrate knowledge of the cultural and social differences that influence how criminal justice processes are carried out in countries around the world. • Analyze specific international problems that countries criminal justice systems encounter illustrating the cultural, economic and political differences that affect their solution. • Compare differences in criminal justice systems from around the world with the United States criminal justice system. • Demonstrate written communication skills. Program Evaluation 1) Research Paper • Each student will be writing a research paper prepared for this course. • The length of the paper will be a minimum of 12 pages. • Each student will be assigned a topic area and country in which they will be doing a research paper about. • Further details of the paper will be provided on a separate handout. 2) Presentations: • Each student will be doing an in-class presentation regarding information they learned from their paper. Presentations can be done individually or in pairs of two. If done in pairs, BOTH members must speak and will be evaluating he contributions of their partners. Students can select if they would like to work with someone or work independently. • The presentation must be at least 15 minutes. • Further details of the presentation will be provided on a separate handout. 3) Unit Assignments • Each student will complete unit assignments designed to further enhance your learning. • Details of each of the assignments will be provided one week before they are due. 4) Quizzes There will be 4 quizzes in this class. These will be done prior to leaving for London and France. They will be multiple choice and short answer and cover information from the text and class lecture. 5) News Paper Article Reviews (1 of them in London) Read the local paper (the actual newspaper, not on-line) • Find an article that addresses criminal justice in some way shape or form. The article should be dated from March 1st-10th, 2012 • Keep a copy of the article. 110 • • • • • At the top of your assignment, give the name of the article, the author, date, and page number. Summarize the article related to a crime and justice issue (1/2 page) How does this relate to what you have learned, observed, and/or read about in your coursework related to criminal justice (1+ pages). Include a copy of the article with your write-up. This is something you will be turning in when we get back in March. It is due our first class meeting when we are back. Don’t forget the article. 6) Interview • Interview a local criminal justice personnel (police officer, security officer, transit authority, someone you meet during our visits, etc.) in a public space. You can do this in groups of 2 if you would like (but you will each be turning in your own assignment). Try to find a CJ personnel, but if you can’t you can speak with a local about their perceptions regarding the CJS. • Create a list of questions you would like to ask them before you interview them. Keep the list handy (like in your journal, purse, wallet), so during the day if you meet someone you want to interview, you will be prepared. • You can ask questions about their job/why they picked it/how they got into it/requirements/what other agencies they work with/what they think are the biggest crime issues in the area. • The interview should last about 10 minutes (some may last longer). • Provide a two-page summary of what you learned, how you felt when you interviewed them, etc. • Give details of when/where/who regarding the interview. Ask them if they have a business card. 7) Journals • Travel journal is a written record of your responses to what you have experienced or heard or observed during your travels. The travel journal is an appropriate evaluation mode for a travel experience because it is a learning activity that encourages reflective observation. It keeps you from losing your experiences, promotes focus and helps clarify your thinking and feelings, increases your observational powers, assists in assimilating your experiences, helps enlarge your vision and reduces stereotyping, and helps you become a better writer (This was adopted from: “The Travel Journal: An Assessment Tool for Overseas Study” by Nancy Taylor) • A study journal will be provided through TRIO program that withstand the rigors of travel, packing, etc. prior to leaving for London and France • You will including a minimum of 8 journal entries while abroad and 1 before you leave and 1 when you get back. • For the ones in country, each entry should be at least two full pages long (on regular size notebook paper, if your journal is smaller, write more). Details for the entry before we leave and the entry for when we get back will be discussed in class. 111 • • At the top of each entry, write the date, time and location of where you are doing your journaling. Each entry should reveal that time was taken to reflect and write the entry. Aim to be vivid in your writing (rather than summarizing in generalities). Each journal entry will include Daily Observation • Anecdotal description of what you did and saw that day. • Make it a brief summary of your day. Write enough that you can look back at it at some time (once you are alumni) and remember what you did and where you went. Impressions • The purpose of this section is to jot down fragments of impressions – topics you may consider more in depth; helps you get going on the actual writing. Some things that could be included here: • What were your impressions about what you saw today? • What did the experience mean to you? • How did what you experience relate to ... • What are the personal implications for you? • What are the macro implications for this culture? • How do your observations relate to social development? At least 1 of 3 below: • Narrative – relay a story, Strange encounters, embarrassing moments, incidents too good to forget • Descriptive – recreate images, art / architecture, music, food / drink, people, customs / culture , body / health, places, other … your ideas • Expository – explain Assumptions, Reversals – alterations in perception, how what is experienced differs from what is anticipated, quotations, intersections – parallels between cities, time periods, cultures, individuals, languages, etc., questions, conclusions / insight , Reflect upon how this crosscultural learning experience (encounter) is related to what you know life is like in your American culture. (Dual consciousness), Identify the times when you imposed your cultural biases upon situations you witnessed in Jamaica. 8) On-Line Discussion • Throughout the semester will be required to participate in on-line discussions. • Discussion need to happen when they are assigned, they cannot be made up for any reason, again, regardless of the reason you missed the discussion post, if you miss it, it will be a zero. • Details of these discussions will be provided in-class. 112 Resources Needed to Implement the Practice Penn, E. B., & Tanner, J. (2009). Black Students and International Education: An Assessment. Journal of Black Studies, 40(2), 266-282. Fischer, K. (2012). In Study Abroad, Men Are Hard to Find. The Chronicle of Higher Education 58, 25. Grant, J.E. & Hinrichs, D. (2015) Teaching Students to Fly: Faculty-Designed Study Abroad in the Czech Republic. The Middle Ground Journal, Number 10. Retrieved from http://TheMiddleGroundJournal.org Harris, A. L., Belanger, F., Loch, K., Murray, M. C., & Urbaczewski, A. (2011). Study Abroad as an Education Experience: Challenges, Realizations, and Lessons Learned. Communications of AIS, 2817-30. Richardson, J. W., Imig, S., & Ndoye, A. (2012). Developing culturally aware school Leaders: Measuring the impact of an international internship using the MGUDS. Educational Administration Quarterly February 2013 49: 92-123, first published on August 27, 2012. Lewis T., & Niesenbaum R. (2005, June 3). The Benefits of Short-Term Study Abroad. Chronicle Of Higher Education, 51(39), B20. Salisbury, M., Paulsen, M., & Pascarella, E. (2011). Why do All the Study Abroad Students Look Alike? Applying an Integrated Student Choice Model to Explore Differences in the Factors that Influence White and Minority Students' Intent to Study Abroad. Research in Higher Education, 52(2), 123-150. Slotkin, M. H., Durie, C. J., & Eisenberg, J. R. (2012). The benefits of short-term study abroad as a blended learning experience. Journal of International Education in Business, 5(2), 163-173. Stuart, R. (2007). Stepping up to study abroad. Diverse Issues in Higher Education, 24(19), 16-19. Tillman, M. (2013). Student Learning Abroad: What Our Students Are Learning, What They're Not, and What We Can Do About It. International Educator, 22(2), 20-21. Grant, J. E., & Hinrichs, D. (2015) Teaching Students to Fly: Faculty-Designed Study Abroad in the Czech Republic. The Middle Ground Journal Number 10. Retrieved from http://TheMiddleGroundJournal.org. Evidence of Effectiveness Through the multi-dimensional evaluation system that collected both quantitative and qualitative data of the students, more than 90% of the students achieved or exceeded the learning objectives for the course and received a final course grade of A. 113 APPLICATION for COURSE ENROLLMENT CJS-340A Comparative Criminal Justice (3 Credits) This is a semester long classroom course with a short term-global experience to London and Paris (March 1-10, 2012) Last (PRINT CLEARLY) First M.I Phone nt ID # Stude Requirements The following are required criteria for consideration to enroll in the course and global experience. Please check all that applies to you: ( ) I am a degree-seeking undergraduate student at Metropolitan State University ( ) I have successfully completed Writing I (WRIT 131 or equivalent) Where you took the course: Course Grade: ( ) I am in good academic standing Current Cumulative GPA: ( ) I am eligible to obtain a passport* (I have access to one of the following): ( ) Previously issued, undamaged U.S. Passport ( ) Certified birth certificate issued by the city, county or state (not a copy) ( ) Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Certification of Birth ( ) Naturalization Certificate ( ) Certificate of Citizenship * Student will be responsible to obtain their own passport at their own expenses before December 1st Priority for Selections Besides demonstrating a maturity to travel and ensuring the group has cultural and gender diversity, the following are other selection criteria used to consider your enrollment into the course and the global experience. Please check all that applies to you: ( ) Earned at least 25 credits at Metropolitan as of September 1, 2011 ( ) Demonstrated success of academic achievement ( ) Interested in studying crime and justice related issues from a global perspective ( ) Have not traveled overseas since the age of 11 ( ) Previously or eligible to participate in TRIO: Student Support Services ( ) Receiving Pell grant through federal financial aid 2011-12 ( ) On track to graduate from Metropolitan State University Expectations CJS-340A Comparative Criminal Justice is a regular upper-division three credit course which meets regularly throughout the 2012 Spring semester on Tuesdays 1:00-3:30 in Brooklyn Center (LECJEC). The course also includes a short-term global experience (March1-10, 2012) to central Europe (Great Britain and France). In addition to normal tuition and fees, the course has an approximate additional $1,900 course fee* (please note this is at estimate, until final airfare and accommodations costs are secured). This 114 will cover some of the travel costs and logistics. Besides obtaining a passport, it is estimated that students will need to cover an additional $400-600 of expenses for some meals and incidentals. Selected students will complete additional release and wavier liability, health, and commitment forms. ( ) I understand these expectations and would like to be considered for enrollment into the course and the global experience. Signature Date *TRIO: Student Support Services has limited funds for a limited number of eligible students to receive up to $1,400 of grant aid for the Spring 2012. There is a separate application to be considered for TRIO Grant Aid (you may inquire at the TRIO office for more information). Additional Essay Questions Please include a resume and essay answers to the following questions on a separate sheet of paper to this cover application. Students will also need to participate in an interview. • Students graduating with a four-year degree and that have traveled overseas are becoming more appealing to potential employers. An overseas experience offers students confidence, cultural experience, logistical travel exposure, and looks great on a resume. Explain in several paragraphs how you will use this experience to enhance your long-term educational, personal and career goals. If applicable, in an additional paragraph, include information about your travels outside of the U.S. (include where, when and under what circumstances you traveled). • Students going on a short-term global experience need to be academically motivated and able to work independently without constant direction from faculty. Students are given lists of books, readings and projects that they are expected to master prior to their short stay in another country. Lectures assist the learning process but the student is expected to take initiative and responsibility for learning. Students are required to work in small groups on projects for the course. Explain in a paragraph or two, whether in your honest judgment, you have the academic ability, motivation and self-initiative to perform well in this academic experience. • Students on a short-term global experience are representative of the U.S., Minnesota, and Metropolitan State University. Their academic and personal behavior reflects on the university and can have a positive or negative impact on the future of this class. In your honest judgment, do you have the intellectual maturity and personal integrity to represent Metropolitan State University in a positive manner? Explain in a paragraph or two. • Students must adapt, to various extents, a different culture, standard of living, and university environment while on this short-term global experience. Students with rigid attitudes or fixed expectations often have a hard time adjusting to the 115 changed environment. Other students may find it difficult to adjust to being so far from home, family and friends. In your honest judgment, do you have the personal maturity and personality to adapt to the cultural differences that will be encountered? Explain in a paragraph or two. Completed applications will be accepted immediately with a priority deadline of October 12, 2011 and applications will continue to be accepted until the course is filled. Please return (1) Cover Application, (2) Resume and (3) Answers to Essay Questions to: Andrew Cseter, TRIO Director Metropolitan State University 700 East 7th Street - 240 Founders Hall, St. Paul, Minnesota 55106 FAX: 651-793-1547 [email protected] Completed application does not mean automatic enrollment into the course. Additional interview is required prior to acceptance. Office use only: Scheduled for interview: @ 116 Global Experience Student Interview Question 1. Briefly describe how you balance your school, work, family and social time. 2. How will you use this experience to enhance your long-term educational, personal and career goals? 3. Have you ever traveled outside of this country? Explain. 4. How long have you traveled in a situation that was nonstop and what mode of transportation was it? (car, train, bus, airplane, etc.) 5. Describe a recent situation where you walked briskly for one to two miles and what were your reactions. 6. What are your food and drinking (all beverages) habits? Do you have special nutrition/dietary needs? 7. Do you tend to try new foods or do you prefer to stay conservative with specific tastes? 8. You will have one, two, three or more roommates for your global experience. Do you have concerns or would you be uncomfortable with this situation? Explain. 9. Do you have health or medical conditions which might impede your full and safe participation in this global experience? Explain 10. Do you foresee any potential situation which may cause you not to fully participate in this course? 117 2012 Spring Global Experience (Central Europe) Metropolitan State University CJS-340A: Comparative Criminal Justice London, England and Paris, France 2012 Spring Global Itinerary (6 hours ahead of USA time in London 7 hours ahead in Paris). All times are local. MARCH 1 (THURSDAY): LEAVE MSP AIRPORT (comfortable travel attire, eat before for arrive, food/snack served on plane) 6:45PM Meet at MSP airport - lower-level (Group Ticketing/Check-in) 9:00PM Boarding Airplane 10:05PM Delta flight #0040 takes off MARCH 2 (FRIDAY): ARRIVE IN London (food/snack served on plane; light lunch/snack in London, change to causal for dinner) 12:15PM arrival London (terminal #4) (tube to Hostel-Russell Square–Piccadilly Line) When leaving the station walk straight across the road – Marchmont Street. At the bottom of Marchmont Street turn right at the traffic lights, you are now on Tavistock Place. The Generator London is at number 37 2:00PM Hostel http://www.generatorhostels.com/en/london-rooms/private-room/ 5:30PM Meet and take brief walking tour (tube/transit system, city layout) 7:00PM-Group Dinner (Paid meal): Belgo -50 Earlham (Metro Covent Garden-blue line) MARCH 3 (SATURDAY): London ( Walking tour) (comfortable outside walking attire; walk 5-7 total miles; dress nice for pending show) Breakfast (paid ticket) – hostel with meeting and review of the day AM: ( Walking tour) - Buckingham Palace, US Embassy, Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall, Westminster Abbey, House of Parliament, Big Ben PM: Lunch ($on own) - walk by London Eye, Thames River, Shakespeare Globe, Tate Modern Gallery (portrait gallery/national gallery), St. Paul Cathedral, Royal Courts of Justice, British Museum Must pick a museum of your choice (pair-up/ small groups) to visit for an hour or so Grab a quick dinner ($on own); get ready for show/evening Optional Evening Show: optional buy ½ price tickets in morning MARCH 4 (SUNDAY): London (Castle Theme) (comfortable outside walking attire) AM: Breakfast ($on your own) - reflection/ journal writing/ church options 10:00 am Leave hostel (Tube: Russell Square to Tower Hill, 25 minutes) 10:30- 12:30 Tower of London (paid ticket) Lunch ($on own) near Tower of London or St. Katherine Dock -tower bridge 12:45pm travel to Waterloo Station 1:15pm Waterloo to Hampton Court, 35 minutes) 2:30-4:30 pm Hampton Courte Palace (paid ticket) 4:35pm Train Hampton to Waterloo (Tube Waterloo to Russell Square) Dinner ($on own)/ Evening free time 118 MARCH 5 (MONDAY): London (Court system/Police) (Dress business casual; respectable attire) AM: Breakfast (paid ticket) – hostel with meeting and review of the day 9:30am leave hostel 10:00-4:00pm: visit with Barrister, court system (Royal Courts of Justice); Scotland Yard Lunch ($on own) Dinner ($on own) Optional Activity #1: Jack the Ripper walking tour (paid ticket) Optional Activity #2: Harry Potter walking tour (paid ticket) MARCH 6 (TUESDAY): London (Oxford University) (Dress casual business attire, respectable attire) Breakfast (paid ticket) – hostel with meeting and review of the day 8.15am: Leave hostel, catch tube from Russell Square to London Paddington Station ("Piccadilly" Line to Piccadilly Circus, change for the "Bakerloo" Line to Paddington, approx. 30 minutes) 9.20am-10am: "First Great Western" Train Service from London to Oxford 10am-11.30am: Walking tour of Oxford: Oxford Castle, The Covered Market, Examination Schools, Radcliffe Camera, Bodleian Library, the Bridge of Sighs, Sheldonian Theatre, Blackwell's Bookshop. 11.30 am-12.20pm: Lunch (either the Turf Tavern or King's Arms pubs) 12.30-1pm: Walk to Manor Road Building, get situated. 1pm-2pm: Lecture by Prof. Federico Varese, "Mafia's on the Move: How Organized Crime Conquers New Territories" in Seminar Room A (first floor) of the Manor Road Social Sciences building 2pm-3pm: Shopping on way back to train station. 3pm-4pm: Train back from Oxford to London Paddington (Back to hostel – Russell Square) Evening on your own Optional activity #1 (meet at hostel at 5:30): soccer frenzy – Arsenal Nite (Highbury/Islington area) Optional activity #2 (meet at hostel at 5:45): MARCH 7 (WEDNESDAY): London/Paris (comfortable outside walking attire) Breakfast – hostel with meeting and review of the day Pack and clean rooms (luggage will be stored) AM: (two groups – switch between the CCC and CO19/20) Group 1: Metropolitan Police Service Central Communication Command (CCC) - Lambeth Venue Group 2: Kennington Police Station • Central Operations19 (Specialist Firearms Command) • Central Operations20 (Territorial Support Group-order for Olympics) • Operational Withern (disorder and violence, including London riots) Lunch ($on own); depending on time – visit another museum, landmark 2:30 Pick up luggage form hostel, leave for St. Pancras train station 4:00pm for Paris Chunnel (paid ticket) 7:30pm arrival in Paris Walk from Gare du Nord to Hostel (less than a mile) Hostel: Angleterre, 6 Rue Bervic – (Metro Stop: Anvers or Barbes-Rocheshouart) Dinner – to be planned 119 MARCH 8 (THURSDAY): Paris (comfortable outside walking attire) Breakfast (paid ticket) – hostel with meeting and review of the day 8:00am leave hostel (city layout, using the metro system) 9:30-12:30pm Historic Paris Walking Tour (paid ticket) includes written text/map on each location. Point zero, Notre Dame, Deportation Memorial, Ile St. Louis, Left Bank Bookstore, Maedieval Paris, Shakespeare Bookstore, St Severin, Place St, Andre-des-Arts, Place St. Michel, Sainte-Chapelle, Cite Metro Stop, Conciergerie, Place Dauphine, French Supreme Court, Statue of Henry IV, and Point Neuf Lunch ($on own) 2:00-5:00pm: Champs-Elysees Walk and end at the Eiffel Tour (paid ticket) Dinner/evening ($on own) MARCH 9 (FRIDAY): Paris (comfortable outside walking attire) Breakfast (paid ticket) – hostel with meeting and review of the day 8:30 leave hostel to US. Embassy (via a walk through the Latin Quarter) 10:30-12:00 U.S. Embassy – 2, rue Saint-Florentin 75001 Paris (Metro stop: Concorde) Lunch ($on own) 1:00-5:00 Lourve and other museums of choice Evening on own: recommendations Montmartre (Sacre-Coeur), Champs-Elysees, take bus #69 bus MARCH 10 (SATURDAY): DEPART PARIS FOR USA (comfortable travel attire) 7:30AM Check-out Hostel 8:00AM leave hostel to airport 10:50AM Depart PARIS Charles de Gaulle (Delta 0219) Aerogare 2; Terminal: E 1:45PM Arrival MINNEAPOLIS May take up to one additional hour to 90 minutes to get through customsNOTE: When call from UK or France to the USA – dial 00+1+AreaCode+number. In London: Generator Hostel, 37 Tavistock Place, Russell Square, WC1H 9SE London, UK. Phone: 20 7388 7666 Tube stop: Russell Square – Piccadilly Line. When leaving the station walk straight across the road – Marchmont Street. At the bottom of Marchmont Street turn right at the traffic lights, you are now on Tavistock place. The Generator London is at number 37. Emergency: 999 (major emergency); 112 (Ambulance); 111 (less emergency); 0845 46 47 (medical/illness advice). U.S. Embassy: 20-7499-9000. The Embassy is located on Grosvenor Square #24 which is in Mayfair. If you are traveling by London Underground, take the Central Line to Bond Street or Marble Arch. If approaching the Embassy from Oxford Street, walk down North Audley Street, which is the street opposite the Marble Arch Marks & Spencer's store and Selfridges. Access to the Embassy is via the Security Checkpoint. In Paris Angleterre Hotel - 6 rue Bervic, 75018 Paris Phone: 01 46 06 75 21. (Metro Barbes – 120 Rochechouart) 50 meters from the hotel. Emergency: Police 17 Medical 15. English pharmacy 01 45 62 02 41. British and American Pharmacy (01.42.65.88.29) 1, rue Auber 75009 Paris (Metro: Place de Clichy ; Bus RATP 81 – Auber). Dhéry Pharmacy (01.42.25.49.95) 84, avenue des ChampsÉlysées 75008 Paris (Metro: George-V). U.S. Embassy: 01-43 12 22 22 Office of American Services, 4, Avenue Gabriel 75008 Paris. Metro: Concorde 121 SYLLABUS LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE CJS 340A Comparative Criminal Justice Spring 2012 (3 credits) Important Dates MARCH 1- MARCH 10 out of country January 2012 03-Jan-12 Tuesday, Faculty begin spring semester 2012 duty day09-Jan-12 Monday, Spring 2012 semester begins 15- Jan-12 Sunday, Last day to drop spring 2012 courses with refund (reminder there is no refund for the supplementary course fee) 16- Jan-12 Monday, Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday/no classes/buildings closed 20-Jan12 Friday, Deadline for registering for spring 2012 graduation February 2012 07-Feb-12 Tuesday, Precinct Caucus/no evening classes 10-Feb-12 Friday, Last day to withdraw from first spring session 2012 courses 20-Feb12 Monday, President's Day/classes held/offices open 25-Feb-12 Saturday, Graduation Expo 02-Mar-12 Friday, Last day to register for spring 2012 alternative learning strategies March 5th- March 9th, Spring Break/no classes/offices open 26-Mar-12 Monday ,Summer and Fall 2012 priority registration begins 06-Apr-12 Friday, Last day to withdraw from spring 2012 full-term courses 18-Apr-12 Wednesday, Tuition payment deadline for first session and full-term summer 2012 courses 26-Apr-12 Thursday, Spring 2012 Commencement 1- May-12 Tuesday, Spring semester ends Required Text Dammer, H. & Albaneese, J. (2011). Comparative criminal justice systems. (4th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. ISBN 978-0-495-80989-0 Course Description This course will provide students with international perspectives on criminal justice. Through a review of cross-national research, students will examine the features, successes and failures of various criminal justice systems around the world and use that information to compare with the Americancriminal justice system. Students will examine how criminal justice systems are shaped by the values, norms, customs and history of the societies in question. 122 Study Abroad This course has a special global experience focus by providing students with the opportunity to live and learn in England and France for 10 days. The course provides students with opportunities to explore the relationship between crime, poverty, political and economic realities, tourism policies, and family and gender issues. Students will compare and contrast the organizational structures of the England and France’s criminal justice system with those they are familiar with in the United States. Students are challenged in the course with readings, lectures, agency visits, and presentations by criminal justice professionals. Learning Outcomes Students who successfully complete this course should be able to: 1. Describe and analyze political, economic and cultural factors which contribute to the functioning of criminal justice systems in countries around the world. 2. Demonstrate knowledge of the cultural and social differences that influence how criminal justice processes are carried out in countries around the world. 3. Analyze specific international problems that countries criminal justice systems encounter illustrating the cultural, economic and political differences that affect their solution. 4. Compare differences in criminal justice systems from around the world with the United States criminal justice system. 5. Demonstrate written communication skills. Competence Statement Knows the systems and procedures of criminal justice systems from various countries well enough to compare with the United States criminal justice system. Student Conduct and Academic Honesty Students should review the Metropolitan State Student Handbook (on the university web-site) for information regarding the university's academic conduct code and plagiarism. Students are subject to the university Student Conduct Code while participating in this course and all rules of conduct specifically established for this program. Students are expected to demonstrate appropriate, respectful and civil behavior to other students, faculty, staff, guests and all associated with the course and global experience. Students may not purchase, possess, and/or use any illegal or unauthorized drugs during the duration of the program, including free time. This ban covers drugs that are illegal in the United States and/or the country of participation. Students who violate the student conduct code, program rules of conduct, or participate in illegal activities will be expelled from the program, lose all academic credit for the program, and remain responsible for full payment of all fees and transportation costs to return home. Plagiarism In simple terms, plagiarism is using another person's words or ideas and presenting 123 them as your own, without acknowledging the original source. This is a very serious offense and in many schools are grounds for expulsion. Plagiarism often takes the form of a student's copying information from one source and presenting it in a paper or report without the use of footnotes or direct mention of the source in the body of the paper. Naturally, students are expected to read and use a variety of sources when writing a paper, but when the exact words (or words with a slight modification) or ideas of others are used, the sources should be properly acknowledged. When instructors read student papers, they want to know which ideas are the student's and which belong to other sources. It is also unacceptable to turn in another person's paper or examination as your own. In such cases, instructors may impose sanctions such as a failing grade. If you have questions about the use of footnotes or other notations, consult William Coyle's Research Papers, available at the Metropolitan State Bookstore or ask for assistance in the Writing Center. Any incidence where a student is caught plagiarizing will receive an F in this course. **This includes not properly citing your work by using quotation marks to indicate a phrase is a verbatim quote or not providing citations when words are paraphrased. **This includes using a paper you already submitted in another class. Course Evaluation Criteria COURSE REQUIREMENTS: When in Minnesota • Students will do a presentation on their assigned topic. • Students will complete quizzes. • Students will complete unit assignments. • Students will complete one research paper. • Students will participate in weekly on-line discussions. When in London and France • Students will present themselves in the community at all times as professionals (both in terms of behavior and dress) so as to positively reflect the criminal justice profession, Metropolitan State University, and study abroad students as a whole. Students must participate sensitively in every interaction while abroad. Nobody will exhibit any behavior that is disrespectful in any way, shape, or form. • Students will attend ALL required activities. Missing one required activity while in country, will be a full letter drop of a student’s final grade. • Students will complete one newspaper reviews (one in England ) 124 • • Students will write in a journal Students will interview two criminal justice practitioners/locals (one in England and one in France) in a public space. EVALUATION: Presentation Newspaper Review Quizzes Journaling Interviews Research Paper Unit Assignments On-line discussions Total 40 points 20 points 80 points 60 points 40 points 90 points 40 points 30 points 400 points Grading Scale: A AB+ B BC+ C CD F 365-400 360-364 356- 359 324-355 320-324 315-319 284-314 280-283 240- 279 239 and below EVALUATION CRITERIA EXPLAINED Research Paper • Each student will be writing a research paper prepared exclusively for this course. • The length of the paper will be a minimum of 12 pages. • Each student will be assigned a topic area and country in which they will be doing a research paper about. • Further details of the paper will be provided on a separate handout. Presentations: • Each student will be doing an in-class presentation regarding information they learned from their paper. Presentations can be done individually or in pairs of 125 • • two. If done in pairs, BOTH members must speak and will be evaluating he contributions of their partners. Students can select if they would like to work with someone or work independently. The presentation must be at least 15 minutes. Further details of the presentation will be provided on a separate handout. Unit Assignments • Each student will complete unit assignments designed to further enhance your learning. • Details of each of the assignments will be provided one week before they are due. Quizzes There will be 4 quizzes in this class. These will be done prior to leaving for London and France. They will be multiple choice and short answer and cover information from the text and class lecture. News Paper Article Reviews (1 of them in London) Read the local paper (the actual newspaper, not on-line) • Find an article that addresses criminal justice in some way shape or form, • Keep a copy of the article. • At the top of your assignment, give the name of the article, the author, date, and page number. • Summarize the article related to a crime and justice issue (1/2 page) • How does this relate to what you have learned, observed, and/or read about in your coursework related to criminal justice (1+ pages). • Include a copy of the article with your write-up. • This is something you will be turning in when we get back in March. It is due our first class meeting when we are back. Don’t forget the article. Interview Interview a local criminal justice personnel (police officer, security officer, transit authority, someone you meet during our visits, etc. )in a public space. You can do this in groups of 2 if you would like (but you will each be turning in your own assignment). Try to find a CJ personnel, but if you can’t you can speak with a local about their perceptions regarding the CJS. • Create a list of questions you would like to ask them before you interview them. Keep the list handy (like in your journal, purse, wallet), so during the course of the day if you meet someone you want to interview, you will be prepared. • You can ask questions about their job/why they picked it/how they got into it/requirements/what other agencies they work with/what they think are the biggest crime issues in the area. • The interview should last about 10 minutes (some may last longer). • Provide a two-page summary of what you learned, how you felt when you interviewed them, etc. 126 • Give details when/where/who for interview. Ask them for a business card. Journals A travel journal is a written record of your responses to what you have experienced or heard or observed during your travels. The travel journal is a particularly appropriate evaluation mode for a travel experience because it is a learning activity that encourages reflective observation. It keeps you from losing your experiences, promotes focus and helps clarify your thinking and feelings, increases your observational powers, assists in assimilating your experiences, helps enlarge your vision and reduces stereotyping, and helps you become a better writer (This was adopted from: “The Travel Journal: An Assessment Tool for Overseas Study” by Nancy Taylor) • A sturdy journal will be provided through TRIO program that withstand the rigors of travel, packing, etc. prior to leaving for London and France • You will including a minimum of 8 journal entries while abroad and 1 before you leave and 1 when you get back. • For the ones in country, each entry should be at least two full pages long (on regular size notebook paper, if your journal is smaller, write more). Details for the entry before we leave and the entry for when we get back will be discussed in class. • At the top of each entry, write the date, time and location of where you are doing your journaling. • Each entry should reveal that time was taken to reflect and write the entry. Aim to be vivid in your writing (rather than summarizing in generalities). • Each journal entry will include • Daily Observation Anecdotal description of what you did and saw that day. • Make it a brief summary of your day. Write enough that you can look back at it at some time(once you are alumni) and remember what you did and where you went. • Impressions o The purpose of this section is to jot down fragments of impressions – topics you may consider more in depth; helps you get going on the actual writing. Some things that could be included here: o What were your impressions about what you saw today? o What did the experience mean to you? How did what youexperience relate to ... o o o What are the personal implications for you? What are the macro implications for this culture? How do your observations relate to social development o At least 1 of 3 below: § Narrative – relay a story, strange encounters, embarrassing moments, incidents too good to forget § Descriptive – recreate images, art / architecture, music, food / drink, people, customs / culture , body / health, places, other … your ideas 127 § Expository – explain o Assumptions, Reversals – alterations in perception, how what is experienced differs from what is anticipated, quotations, intersections – parallels between cities, time periods, cultures, individuals, languages, etc., questions, conclusions / insight , Reflect upon how this cross- cultural learning experience (encounter) is related to what you know life is like in your American culture. (Dual consciousness), Identify the times when you imposed your cultural biases upon situations you witnessed in Jamaica. 1) On-Line Discussion • Throughout the semester will be required to participate in on-line discussions. • Discussion need to happen when they are assigned, they cannot be made up for any reason, again, regardless of the reason why you missed the discussion post, if you miss it, it will be a zero. • Details of these discussions will be provided in-class. 2) Attendance Students will attend all required activities when abroad. This includes being on time. We will not wait for you if you are late. One non-excused absence at any required event abroad will result in an automatic letter grade drop to a student’s final grade. When in Minnesota, students should not miss any classes. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of the class and at the end. You must sign in both times to have attendance count. Again, you must be on time and stay through the class to have it count. PLAN ACCORDINGLY. Do not plan on being gone from class, but if you have to, you can only miss two classes. The third absence will be a 20 point reduction in your point total at the end of the semester and your fourth absence will be an automatic F. We do NOT need to know the reason why you miss a class, it will be azero regardless. Again, the reason does not matter, your third absence will be a point deduction and your 4 absence will be an automatic F. Prior to leaving abroad we will be covering very important information that you must know about it. When we get back from being abroad, we will only be meeting 3 additional times. This means we will have a total of 11 on-campus meetings. ****You will not have access to computers while you are in country, unless you bring your own or use an Internet café (at your own expense), which is not required. You will not need a computer while you are in London/France to complete your coursework. Consequently, you need to bring your own writing supplies. We suggest 1 spiral notebook that you can easily carry with you as you travel around. It is a good for jotting down observations and taking notes. You also bring your journal with you. Writing Format ALL WRITING ASSIGNMENTS require APA format if you are a criminal justice or law enforcement major. If you are another major you must identify what style you are using (it must be an actual style like ASA, MLA, Chicago) and cite correctly in that format. 128 Other Policies and Procedures It is expected that students turn their work in on time. Any late assignments (except the papers) will receive a zero on it. Do not ask for an exception to this rule. Plan accordingly. Any late research paper will be docked 10 points per 24 hours for 72 hours (the clock starts at 1:00PM the day it is due), at which point the assignment will receive a zero, regardless of the reason. Technical problems will not be an excuse. Again, if for some reason you cannot upload an assignment to the drop box, please bring it to class, if there is not a class meeting or you are not going to be in class, please email it. If you can’t email it, you can post it to the discussion board. If you cannot do that, you can fax it to 763-657-3799 Email We will only communicate with you through your METROSTATE email account. It is your responsibility to check your email account regularly (at least 3-4 times a week). Do not email us from any other email account besides your METROSTATE account. This is a FERPA policy. When you email, please identify what your name is and what course you are in so we know how to respond to your comment/question/concern. Assignment Submission You MUST upload assignments in MS Word (.doc/.docx), Rich Text Format (.rtf) or a PDF. If we cannot open your document because you have chosen another word processing program and failed to save the document in a readable format, we will send you a note in the drop box. If you do not resubmit your assignment within 24 hours in a MS WORD/RTF/ PDF format it will be a zero. Double check when you submit your assignment that the file extension reads either a .doc/.docx/.rtf/pdf. As the instructors, we reserve the right to modify the direction, specific content areas, and other aspects of the course, perhaps with your input as a member of this class. We may not make changes, but simply reserve the right to do so. In that same spirit, you as a student and consumer are encouraged to let me know what, if anything, you think could be changed to make your learning experience better. 129 COMMITMENT TO PARTICIPATE FORM CJS-340A: Comparative Criminal Justice (3 Credits) 2012 Spring Term NAME METRO ID ADDRESS STREET CITY, STATE, ZIP I understand that by signing this form I am making a commitment to fully participate in the CJS-340A Comparative Criminal Justice course, which includes a shot-term global experience to London, England and Paris, France. I understand that I will be charged, along with normal tuition and fees, an additional $1,950 supplementary course fee for enrolling into this course, which will be part of my spring semester billing statement. I understand that Withdrawals, Drops or Cancellations by the student will follow normal university policies, procedures and timelines for refunding tuition. However, no refunds for the $1,950 supplementary course fee will be granted after November 15, 2011 (even if approved for a retroactive drop or a retroactive withdrawal). I understand that I am responsible to obtain my own valid passport in a timely manner. PRINT Full Name EXACTLY how it is/will be on your passport Signature Date RETURN TO: Andrew Cseter, TRIO Director 700 East Seventh Street 240 Founders Hall St. Paul, MN 55106 FACT SHEET 130 GLOBAL EXPERIENCE COURSE: Metropolitan State University Key Departments/Persons Contacts: • • • • TRIO: Student Support Services – Andrew Cseter, Director of TRIO Programs History Department – Dr. Jeanne Grant, Assistant Professor Communications, Writing and Arts Department – Dr. Danielle Hinrichs, Asst Prof Eighteen (18) undergraduate students from Metropolitan State University What: Metropolitan State University offered a History/Literature course during the Spring 2011semester (Topics in European History and Literature: Prague, Czech Republic). The semester long course consisted of academic instruction in history, culture, language and literature and included a global experience to the Czech Republic March 3-12, 2011. Purpose: The College of Arts and Sciences in connection with TRIO: Student Support Services has created an opportunity for students, especially those who come from limited backgrounds and those who have had limited or no international travel experiences. The goal is to limit the financial barriers and create structured global opportunities in order for college student to gain in global confidence while learning about the history and culture. Who: Eighteen undergraduate Metropolitan State University students, along with three faculty/staf participated in the course and the global experience. Most of the students have never had an international experience and few have ever been on an airplane. The students participate in the TRIO Student Support Services, which is a federallyfunded program designed to improve the retention and graduation rates of college students who are first in their families to obtain a four-year college degree, or are coming from limited income backgrounds or are military veterans. Some eligible students received additional grant aid money to cover the cost of the global experience. Quotes: • • • • “Limiting the financial barriers and providing timely information to students, we are creating opportunities for limited income students and those who have not travelled internationally to fully gain in global confidence. “ Andrew Cseter “As a history major, I found it particularly rewarding to have traveled to Prague’s historic district. The experience brought to life what we learned from our readings in the classroom.” Tony Krosschell Senior History Major Minneapolis, MN “See the world, step out of your norm and embrace the unfamiliar like a new born experiencing life for the first time.” – Dominic Mutschler Senior Economics Major St. Paul, MN “The global experience broadened my worldview in all aspects. It was amazing to see how many differences there are between countries. It was well worth it and do not regret anything.” Zong Pha Junior Social Work Major St. Paul 131 History 353A: Topics in European History: History and Literature of Prague, Czech Republic Spring 2011 Room: SJH Room L7, St. Paul campus 4:20PM Day & Time: Thursdays, 1:00- Jeanne E. Grant, Ph.D. Danielle Hinrichs, Ph.D. (instructor of record) (instructor of record) History Department Communication, Writing, & the Arts [email protected] Department (I usually answer emails [email protected] within 24 hours, though not Office: EPP P (Midway campus) on the weekend.) 1380 Energy Lane Office Hours: Office: Founders Hall L105 Tuesdays and Wednesdays 10-12 Office Hours: Mondays 2-5 or by appt. or by appt. Andrew Cseter, MA Director of TRiO andrew.cseter@metro state.edu Office: Founders Hall 222 Office Hours: by appt. Course Description A person understands his or her own communities best by experiencing and coming to understand others. This course facilitates such understanding through the global experience of a different part of the world. In Spring 2011, it is traveling to Prague, Czech Republic. The course provides an interdisciplinary background in the history and literature of Prague and the Czechs. It also provides students with logistical tools and the support needed to travel to Prague, and fosters the integration of global experience with historical and literary knowledge. 4 credits, Prerequisite: WRIT 131 Writing I or equivalent. Notes: This course requires special permission and approval prior to registering. Contact Andrew Cseter or instructor to enroll. This course has an additional course fee of approximately $1,800 to cover some of the travel costs. Course Goals for the Student Upon successul completion of this course, students will: be able to demonstrate an understanding of the global context of Prague and East Central Europe; • have traveled with the class to Prague, Czech Republic, and participated in classorganized events as well as personally chosen event(s) there; • be able to demonstrate a historical and literary understanding of Prague, Czech Republic, and East Central Europe; • be able to communicate to an American audience how knowledge of a place enriches travel and how travel enriches knowledge and understandin Assignments & Grades See syllabus schedule below for the assignments’ due dates and see separate handouts for thorough descriptions of the assignments. 132 • • • • • • Travel Journal & Essay (30% and 10%). 10 three-paragraph journal entries and a 2-3 page typed essay. The 10 journal entries will count as 30% of the semester grade and the journal essay will count as 10% of the semester grade. Short Paper (5%). This short 2-3 page paper will demonstrate the student’s knowledge of Czech literature and history by answering one question from a list of questions. The paper will count as 5% of the semester grade. Research Paper and Global Experience Essay (30% and 15%). The research paper will be on a student-designed topic, and the global experience essay will be based on the research paper and the global experience. The global experience essay must be submitted for publication (though it is not required that it is accepted for publication). The research paper will count as 30% of the semester grade, and the global experience essay will count as 15% of the semester grade. Quizzes (10%). An average of the quiz scores will count as 10% of the semester grade. Quizzes will be graded throughout the semester and during the global experience in the Czech Republic. Participation and Attendance. Students are expected to attend every class meeting and to come prepared to participate in class. Every absence from a required class meeting will result in a deduction of 3 (three) percentage points from the student’s semester grade (i.e., if a student earned a 78% for the semester but missed one required class meeting, that student’s semester grade changes to a 75% -- that is, from a C+ to a C.). Late Assignments. Any assignment not completed and turned in, in class or on D2L, by its deadline is late. Being absent does not excuse a student from the assignment(s) due that day. Any assignments turned in late will lose a (plus or minus) letter grade for each day late, including weekends, and any assignment not submitted within 7 days will earn a zero. D2L’s time stamp will determine if an assignment is on time or late. Assignments will not be accepted as email attachments. Please, turn in assignments on time. We have scheduled the assignments to help you learn the material and so that we can grade them and get them back to you in a timely manner. If you do not do the assignments on time, you are most likely forcing yourself to fall behind in the readings, and we cannot guarantee that we will grade late assignments in a timely manner, so you may not get opportune feedback that will help you with subsequent assignments. A AB+ B BC+ C CD F SEMESTER GRADES 93 to 100% 90 to <93% 87 to <90% Good 83 to <87% 80 to <83% 77 to <80% Adequate 73 to <77% 70 to <73% Partially Adequate 60 to <70% Failure <60% Excellent 930-1000 points 900 to < 930 points 870 to < 900 points 830 to < 870 points 800 to < 830 points 770 to < 800 points 730 to < 770 points 700 to < 730 points 600 to < 700 points < 600 points 133 Incompletes. The temporary grade of I (incomplete) is possible only for very unusual reasons explained to and accepted by the professor and in compliance with Metro State’s policies regarding incompletes. Other Requirements of the Course 1. Attendance. Attendance will always be taken in class. Because this course involves a global experience abroad, attendance is mandatory. If, however, extraordinary circumstances arise, a student should contact the professor as soon as possible. “Extraordinary circumstances” include only truly uncommon events; students are expected to be able to fit History 353A into their schedules with no conflicts. Being absent does not excuse a student from the assignment(s) due that day. Late arrival to or early departure from class should be done discretely and with the least interruption of class as possible. Students should always show respect to the class and their fellow classmates; this includes (but is not limited to) turning cell phones completely off, listening to others’ well-thought-out views, and coming to class prepared to participate. 2. D2L will be used in this class. Whenever feasible handouts from class will be posted on D2L for students who missed class. Also, language resources will be made available on D2L. 3. Email. All students are required to use their Metropolitan State University email addresses, both in order to receive emails sent out to the entire class and to communicate individually with the professors. Plagiarism. Plagiarism and other forms of cheating will not be tolerated in this course. Plagiarism includes copying and pasting paragraphs, sentences, or parts of sentences from on-line sources without proper quotation marks and citation information, describing another writer’s idea without citing it, or submitting a paper wholly or partially written by another student or family member. An offense of plagiarism might result in a grade of F (Failure) on the assignment or an F in the course and could be referred to the judicial affairs office for further discipline. Information about plagiarism is available on Metropolitan State’s library website and in class. Students are responsible for understanding and avoiding plagiarism. Turnitin.com will be used to check for plagiarism. 4. Students with Disabilities. Metropolitan State University offers reasonable accommodations to qualified students with documented disabilities. If you have a disability that may require accommodations, it is essential that you be registered with the Disability Services Office. You may contact the Disability Services Office, at Founders Hall, Room 221, St. Paul Campus or (651) 7934- 1549, or email [email protected]. For additional information on Disability Services, please visit: http://www.metrostate.edu/msweb/pathway/academic_success/disability/index.html. Required Books Agnew, Hugh. The Czechs and the Lands of the Bohemian Crown. Hoover Institution Press, 2004. Paperback, ISBN: 978-0817944926. 134 Hrabal, Bohumil. Closely Watched Trains. Northwestern University Press, 1995. ISBN: 978- 0810112780. Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis, The Penal Colony, and Other Stories. Schocken, 1995. ISBN: 978-0805210576. Wilson, Paul. Prague: A Traveler’s Literary Companion. Whereabouts Press, 1995. ISBN: 978- 1883513016. Other readings will be drawn from the recommended further reading list and distributed either in class or on D2L. Recommended Further Reading Students are required to read more than the assigned readings in order to complete their papers and essays. Some of these recommended readings are available only through interlibrary loan. Burton, Richard. Prague: A Cultural History. Northampton, MA: Interlink Publishing Group, Inc., 2009. ISBN: 978-1566564908. This is an original guide to Prague that discusses the history and some literature of the city in a way that no regular tourist guidebook does. Cosmas of Prague. The Chronicle of the Czechs. trans. Lisa Wolverton. Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 2009. This primary source, translated by an eminent historian of medieval Bohemia, is the first major work of history written about the Czechs by a Czech cleric, Cosmas of Prague (d. 1125). A very short except from the chronicle is assigned. Fudge, Thomas. The Crusade against Heretics in Bohemia, 1418-1437: Sources and Documents for the Hussite Crusades. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing, 2002. These primary sources from the fifteenth-century Hussite Revolution are some of the few to be found in superb translation. Hašek, Jaroslav. The Good Soldier Švejk. (various translations; consult professors) The Good Soldier Švejk is a Czech classic. It is too long to read in its entirety as a class and students are encouraged to consider it for their research paper (though there are many other classic authors to consider as well, including Seifert, listed below). Hupchick, Dennis P. and Harold E. Cox. A Concise Historical Atlas of Eastern Europe. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1996. This and Magocsi’s atlases are excellent for their detailed explanations of historical periods in East Central European history. Magocsi, Paul Robert. Historical Atlas of Central Europe. Revised and Expanded Edition. University of Washington Press, 2002. Paperback, ISBN: 9780295981468. 135 Seifert, Jaroslav. The Early Poetry of Jaroslav Seifert. trans. Dana Loewy. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press, 1999. Thomas, Alfred. A Blessed Shore: England and Bohemia from Chaucer to Shakespeare. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2007. This very subtle and nuanced study of literary history challenges students and inspires to read the (literary) primary sources analyzed. SCHEDULE N.B., students are to come to class ready to discuss the readings listed for each week. PART I: Understanding Prague, the Czech Republic, and East Central Europe Week 1 (Jan. 13) Introduction to the Course Readings & Discussion (in class): • “Prague from Above,” “Czech Pronunciation,” and “Introduction” in Richard Burton, Prague: A Cultural History, (Northampton, MA: Interlink Publishing Group, Inc., 2009), pp. x, xv-xvi, and 1-9. (Prague_Introduction.pdf on D2L) Czech Language: Pronunciation • Selections from the atlas by Hupchick and Cox. These maps should be utilized throughout the semester when needed. (Atlas.pdf on D2L) Week 2 (Jan. 20) Medieval Readings: • Chapters 1-4 (pp. 1-54) in Agnew; • (Cosmas.pdf on D2L) an excerpt from the primary source Cosmas of Prague’s Chronicle (p. 33-53, 63-69); • (Hussites.pdf on D2L) Hussite primary sources: “Song about Archbishop Zbynek” (p. 43-44) and “Battle Song of the Hussites” (p. 66-68); (Hussites_KutnaHora.pdf on D2L) Hussite primary sources: “Pre-crusade suppression of Hussite heretics” (p. 40-41), “Battle for Kutná Hora” and “Aftermath of the battle of Kutná Hora” (p. 137- 142); • (WycliffiteWoman.pdf on D2L) Thomas, “Wycliffite Woman” (p. 119-148, 213-215); • Alois Jirásek “The Legend of the Old Town Clock” in Wilson. Czech Language & Culture: Greetings Week 3 (Jan. 27) Early Modern (c. 1450-1900) Readings: • Chapters 5-9 (pp. 55-145) in Agnew; • Gustav Meyrink, “The Golem” in Wilson • Jan Neruda, “What Shall We Do with It?” in Wilson. Czech Language & Culture Week 4 (Feb. 3) Modern (WWI) Readings: 136 • Chapters 10 (pp. 146-172) in Agnew; • Kafka: Metamorphosis, In the Penal Colony (pp. 67-132, 191-227); • • Karel Čapek, “The Receipt” and Jaroslav Hašek, “A Psychiatric Mystery” in Wilson; (Hasek.pdf on D2L) an excerpt from Jaroslav Hašek, Good Soldier Švejk. Czech Language & Culture Week 5 (Feb. 10) Modern: Interwar Period & World War II Readings: • Chapters 11-12 (pp. 173-232) in Agnew; • Jiří Weil, “Mendelssohn Is on the Roof” in Wilson; • František Langer, “The Sword of St. Wenceslas” in Wilson; • Jiří Kovtun, “A Prague Eclogue” in Wilson; • Jindřiška Smentanová, “American, Josef Vrkoč, Vinohrady” in Wilson. • selected poetry of Jaroslav Seifert (handout in class) Czech Language & Culture DUE: Short Paper (submit to D2L dropbox) Week 6 (Feb. 17) Communism Readings: • Chapter 13 (pp. 233-260) in Agnew; • • Hrabal, Closely Watched Trains; Hrabal, “The Hotel Paříž” and “The Magic Flute” in Wilson. Movie: excerpts from Closely Watched Trains. • Czech Language & Culture Recommended Research Paper and Global Experience Essay Goals: Decide on a theme for your research; find academic sources and request them through interlibrary loan if necessary. Use your individual D2L discussion board to discuss your theme with the professors. Week 7 (Feb. 24) Late Communism & Post-communism Readings: • Chapters 14-16 (pp. 261-331); • Karel Pecka, “The Little Bulldog” in Wilson; • Josef Škvorecký, “Tenor Sax Solo from Washington” in Wilson. Czech Language & Culture Final Preparations for Travel DUE: First Two Travel Journal Entries Week 8 (March 3) Part II: Global Experience Sojourn in Prague, Czech Republic: Thursday, March 3 to Saturday, March 12 (Spring Break is March 6-12) See separate Travel Itinerary for details Journal Check: Eight journal entries (Journals will be checked for completion of all eight remaining entries the night before our departure from Prague; not completing all eight remaining entries will result in a 10% deduction from the Travel Journal grade.) 137 Part III: Independent Synthesis of Global Experience and Research Week 9 (March 17) Class meets to evaluate the sojourn as a global experience. Class discussion. Week 10 (March 24) Class does not meet formally, but students may find Dr. Grant and Dr. Hinrichs in the classroom to seek individual help on assignments and a movie may be shown (check D2L). Students work on assignments. Week 11 (March 31) Class meets to turn in journal and essay. Movie TBA. DUE: Travel Journal and Essay Students work on assignments. Class does not meet formally, but students may find Dr. Grant and Dr. Hinrichs in the classroom to seek individual help on assignments and a movie may be shown (check D2L). Students work on assignments. Week 13 (April 14) If you would like Dr. Grant and/or Dr. Hinrichs to review a draft of your papers in person (drafts will not be reviewed electronically), this is the last opportunity; after this they will still be available in the classroom to seek other individual help and a movie may be shown (check D2L). DUE: D2L survey re: where essay will be submitted for possible publication. Students work on assignments. Week 14 (April 21) Class does not meet formally, but students may find Dr. Grant and Dr. Hinrichs in the classroom to answer questions and a movie may be shown (check D2L). Week 15 (April 28) Class meets. Students informally present their topics. DUE: Research Paper and Global Experience Essay in class and on D2L. (Students present to the class about their papers.) 138 2011 Spring Global Experience (Central Europe) Metropolitan State University HIST-353A: Topics in European History: Interdisciplinary and Global Perspectives Prague, Czech Republic 2011 Spring Travel Itinerary Prague, Czech Republic (7 hours ahead of USA time). All times are local MARCH 3 (THURSDAY): LEAVE MSP AIRPORT 4:45pm Meet at MSP airport - lower-level (Group Ticketing/Check-in) 7:00pm Boarding Airplane 7:45pm Delta flight # 264 takes off MARCH 4 (FRIDAY): ARRIVE IN Prague, Czech 11:00am arrival in Amsterdam 1:10pm KLM flight #1355 takes off 2:40pm arrival in Prague (transit to Hostel) 4:00PM Check into Machova Hotel http://www.dhotels.cz/hotel-machova/en/ 5:45PM Meet and take brief walking tour (transit system, city layout) 7:00PM-Group: Traditional Czech dinner @ Lvi Dvur Restaurant MARCH 5 (SATURDAY): Prague Breakfast – hostel with meeting and review of the day AM: Group Walking Tour Prague Overview (5 hours): Castle Area- St. Vitus Cathedral, Lesser Town and crossing the famous Charles Bridge. Vyšehrad with the church of St. Peter and Paul. New Town Area including the St. Wenceslas square and Narodni Trida with memorial of Velvet Revolution 1989. Lunch on own ($) (grab as we go) PM: Photo Hunt (small group) Dinner as a Group (debriefing /reflection) MARCH 6 (SUNDAY): Prague Breakfast – hostel with meeting and review of the day AM: Self-directed activities (ideas: walk, shopping, church) Lunch on own ($) PM: Josefov (Jewish Quarters-Prague) Walking Tour traces the history of the largest Jewish Ghetto in Europe your group will explore Maisel Synagogue, Pinkas Synagogue, Klaus Synagogue, Spanish Synagogue, Ceremonial Hall and one of the oldest European Jewish Cemetery Dinner as a Group (debriefing/reflection) MARCH 7 (MONDAY): Prague- Terezin Breakfast – hostel with meeting and review of the day AM: 7:30amTravel to Terezin (bus) Terezin Ghetto Museum; Terezin Memorial (90 min guided tour) Small Fortress; Magdeburg Barracks Lunch on own ($) 2:00pm head back to Prague PM/Evening: Group Work Dinner on own ($) MARCH 8 (TUESDAY): Kutna Hora Breakfast – hostel with meeting and review of the day 139 AM: leave hostel 7:15am catch 8:02 train arrival at 8:59 in Kutna Hora Gymnazium Jiri Orten (visiting school system/service learning) Lunch @ the school PM: Kutna Hora Train leave Kutna Hora 5:00pm arrival in Prague 5:57pm Dinner (Pot Luck???) MARCH 9 (WEDNESDAY): Prague Breakfast – hostel with meeting and review of the day AM: Group Projects Lunch on own ($) PM: Charles University in Prague visit (Professor Dr. Martina Moravcova) 8:00 Opera “Rigletto” (Verdi) Prague State Opera (New Town, Prague 1) Dinner - ??? MARCH 10 (THURSDAY): Prague Breakfast – hostel with meeting and review of the day AM: Vysehrad, Emmaus monastery, Bethlehem Chapel, Underground Old Town Lunch on own PM: Student Group Reports Dinner: U Ceskych Panu Medieval Restaurant (New Town, Prague 1) MARCH 11 (FRIDAY): Prague Breakfast – hostel with meeting and review of the day AM- National Museum (exhibit: Czech Legends) Lunch on own ($) PM- Self-Directed ‘No Regret’ Dinner as a Group – Pizza Party MARCH 12 (SATURDAY): DEPART PRAGUE FOR USA 7:30am leave hostel to airport 11:00am KLM flight#352 takes off 12:40pm arrival in Amsterdam 2:40pm Delta flight# 265 takes off 4:40pm arrival in MSP (may take up to one additional hour to get through customs) 140 SSS Advising Syllabus TRIO SSS Program, Northeast Iowa Community College (Peosta, IA) For more information: Cindy Virta, [email protected] https://www.nicc.edu/trio/ Approved October 31, 2016 as an Administrative Practice by the EOA National Best Practices Center, http://besteducationpractices.org Revised 10/31/16 Readers utilizing this education practice are requested to send a brief email how it was used. Send to the EOA Center at [email protected] Abstract An advising syllabus is a great two tool to use for two main purposes. First, as a college advisor, it is important to have a strong understanding of one's personal philosophy in regards to advising your students. By taking time to review the various models and methods of advising, one can hone in on a specific approach that caters not only to the needs of the students but also validates and solidifies one's own approach to helping students. This advising syllabus is used with community college students attaining their Associate in Arts Degree. Developing Your Personal Advising Philosophy1 The development and articulation of a personal advising philosophy represents a paradox in professional development and growth. While educators are usually confident in their knowledge and skills, which are highly routinized in daily practice, they are rarely challenged to reflectively engage in the context of their work. Creating an advising philosophy is a professional journey that requires personal introspection, an understanding of advising as a discipline, and the ability to clearly communicate how and why you do what you do. Furthermore, the philosophy is designed to give structure to your daily interactions with students and lends credibility to the often ambiguous statement “the way we do things around here.” The following are questions you should begin asking yourself before formally drafting a personal advising philosophy. • What is my program’s thematic goal – the single focus that is shared by everyone in the office? 1 Dyer, Allen N. (2007). Advisement philosophy. In Folsom, P. (Ed.) The new advisor guidebook: Mastering the art of advising through the first year and beyond (pp 47-48). Manhattan, KS: National Academic Advising Association. Gordon, V.N., Habley, W.R., Grites, T.J. (2008). Academic advising. A comprehensive handbook. 2nd Ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 141 • • • • • • • What is my purpose? How does my practice directly support the program’s thematic goal? What is my answer to the question: “What do you do?” What is my WHY? What are three primary strengths I possess? What excites me about my job? What topics and/or areas of research interest me about my field? How do I make a difference? Keys to Developing an Academic Advising Syllabus2 Advising is teaching. An advising syllabus is one way we can help students close the gap between curricular and co-curricular issues. For example, advisors model and teach life and professional skills that support student academic success. Additionally, advising is one of the few resources students find consistent from semester to semester; thus it is at the center of student education and engagement. When developing an advising syllabus it is important to take an honest look at your institution and department. Your advising syllabus should outline the advising relationship you wants t have with your advisees. We encourage you to consider eight elements when developing your syllabus: • First and foremost, an advising syllabus must be relevant. It should meet the needs and customized for an individual advisor. It may also reflect institutional rules in an advising philosophy. Some situations may call for a short two-page overview while others may require a longer, more detailed review. • The advising syllabus should adhere to the course syllabus guidelines used by campus faculty. It is important to use the tool in a recognizable and consistent format for students and campus stakeholders. • The syllabus should include a three to five sentence definition of advising and/or the advising mission statement used on campus. • Clear contact information is necessary so students can easily contact the correct advising office. • An advising syllabus should include a set of student expectations and/or responsibilities; when these are clearly delineated we can legitimately hold students responsible for their part of the advising relationship. • Likewise, an advising syllabus would include a corresponding list of responsibilities and/or expectations for the advisor; if we expect to hold students accountable then we must do the same ourselves. • Advising syllabi should include expected outcomes of advising. Students must easily understand how advising impacts their success and why it is important. These outcomes may differ widely from office to office, but they are an important method for communicating and measuring our impact on students’ lives. 2 Trabant, T.D. (2006). Advising Syllabus 101. Retrieved from NACADA Clearinghouse of Academic Advising http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Clearinghouse/View-Articles/Creating-an-Advising-Syllabus.aspx Lowenstein, M. (2005, Fall). If Advising is Teaching, What do Advisors Teach? NACADA Journal, 25 (2). (pp.65-73) 142 • The final element includes tools, resources, and/or recommendations for students. For example, a syllabus can include calendars of advising events and appointment times, readings or Web site recommendations, detailed location descriptions, or a blank line for advisors to personalize the syllabus with a recommendation. Learner activities in this education practice When students show up for their first advising appointment to register for classes the following semester, a copy of the advisor’s personalized advising syllabus is included in the folder of materials they are given. The syllabus is reviewed before the session begins so that the student understands the advisor's responsibilities as well as what the student is responsible for. Learning materials used • Decide on your own advising philosophy. There are many models of advising; which one speaks to your own style? Remember, what works for you may be a combination of a few types. Be clear in articulating this in your syllabus. Your students are looking to you to be the authority; what type of authority would you like to be? Review the "Developing your personal advising philosophy" document for guidance as to how to get started.. Review the different advising models or by doing research with major professional associations representing advisor interests like NACADA or NASPA. Talk to colleagues about how they approach advising. Decide the pros and cos of those models to pick the one that suits you best. • Review the sample advising syllabus. This is a model that you can use to formulate your own personalized syllabus. Think about what makes the college you work at unique and what is most imperative for students to know. Work responsibilities of the staff involved with this activity Work responsibilities are listed within the learning materials. This would be a great assignment for a new academic advisor. Key skills or traits for selecting staff members for this activity Anyone at the community college level who advises students. Additional professional development and training was provided to the staff Follow a timeline for creation of your syllabus. For example, summer may typically be slower, so an advisor could set out each Thursday morning from 8am to 10am for four weeks to generate a product to be used the following semester. Here is a sample schedule: 143 • • • • Meeting 1: Review the materials listed. Conduct research on other advising models. To prepare for the next meeting, decide on an advising model. Meeting 2: Discuss models chosen and create a brief philosophical statement to be included in the advising syllabus. To prepare for the next meeting, gather upcoming dates important for students to know for the upcoming year. Meeting 3: Begin creating a syllabus template with information a student needs to know to be successful at the college. Meeting 4: Finalize the syllabus and make copies for distribution to students. Process to collect evaluation data about this education practice Make sure to give a copy to each advisee at the first registration appointment. One recommendation is to give a student the syllabus in a folder specifically labeled “Advising” or something that will make sure the student is gathering information in a specific place. Encourage the student to bring these materials each time s/he meets with the advisor. Feedback should be asked for at the second advising appointment. Sample questions could be: • Did you find this information helpful? Why or why not? • What else would you include? • How could we make this better for you? What are the annual financial and personnel resources needed • Time to create the syllabus, approximately 8 hours. • Materials and supplies: Cost to print out the syllabus for each advisee. How do we know the education practice is making a difference? Review the advising process to collect evaluation data. 144 Academic Advising Syllabus Sample Advisor Information Name Title Email Address Phone Number Fax Number Office Location Office Hours Advisor Introduction Advising Framework My TRIO-SSS Advising Philosophy Advising and the NICC Curriculum Advising Concepts Cindy Virta TRIO-SSS Director [email protected] 563-556-5110, ext 406 563-557-0359 Peosta Campus, Rm 142 Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. I have worked for the TRIO-SSS Grant at NICC since 2003. I attained my Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education from Michigan State University. I received my Master's Degree in Post-Secondary Education: Student Affairs from the University of Northern Iowa. I worked in a variety of settings such as teaching, working in human resources and training data entry workers. My current position is my dream job, as I love helping students find their passions while also being in charge of this important federal grant. Outside of work, I really enjoy kickboxing, strength training, and spending time outdoors either backpacking or gardening. Academic Advising is an ongoing, intentional and collaborative educational process. The advisor/advisee partnership requires commitment and participation on the part of both individuals. Founded in an actions-oriented approach, the advising partnership will focus on achieving learning outcomes, promoting academic success and pursuing identified goals. Academic Advising is an instructional process (advising is teaching) designed to complement the teaching and learning mission of the College. 145 Expectations Advisor Responsibilities – what you should expect Advisee Responsibilities – what is expected of you Advising Outcomes – what will be achieved together • Effectively communicate the curriculum, graduation requirements, and policies of the College. • Provide a safe and confidential environment in which you may share your aspirations, concerns, interests, successes, and barriers. • Support and encourage you to gain the skills and knowledge necessary for your success at NICC and beyond. • Assist in developing realistic goals and identifying personal learning styles. • Mentor and encourage an advanced level of social and community awareness through all TRIO-SSS experiences. • Address immediate academic needs and concerns by suggesting strategies and/or resources essential for a successful resolution. • Provide community resources and/or referrals when appropriate. • Support the development of critical thinking and problem solving abilities. • Demonstrate commitment to your education at NICC. • Show evidence of active involvement in the TRIO-SSS program as stipulated in the Student Contract. • Take advantage of any of our services at least twice each semester. Ø Academic Advising Ø Tutoring Ø FAFSA completion Ø Lunch & Learn/Workshops Ø Transfer tour(s) Ø Welcome Back Week Ø Mid-Term Advising Ø Cultural Experience(s) • Check your NICC e-mail account daily and respond to appropriate communications from your advisor. • Arrive to appointments on time and prepared with questions and/or topics for discussion. • Discuss all scheduling decisions and changes before taking action. • Ask questions if you do not understand or are concerned about an academic issue. • Treat all TRIO-SSS staff and participants with respect. • Students will develop an education plan for successfully achieving individual goals and completing their program of study. • Students will be able to identify and hone their individual learning strengths. • Students will understand the value of a liberal arts education and how an associate’s degree will benefit their long-term goals. • Students will possess the necessary skills and confidence for self-advocacy. • Students will be able to accurately understand and take responsibility for their Degree Requirements. • Students will be aware of the various resources and services offered at NICC. 146 Quick Guide Communicating with Advisors and/or Faculty Study Tips Updating Personal Contact Information FAFSA Add/Drop a Class Satisfactory Academic Progress Printing my Degree Requirements • Always introduce yourself at the beginning of every semester to all your instructors. • Communicate clearly, never use slang or profanity when communicating with a faculty or staff member and be mindful of body language. • Address faculty and staff appropriately (Mr., Ms., Dr.) • Never allow emotion to cloud your judgment. • If you have a concern or complaint, address the issue in a professional manner with a faculty or staff member directly. • Before addressing a concern with a faculty or staff member, consider drafting a list of talking points. • Attend all class sessions, be on time, and stay until the end. • Take notes and engage in class discussions. Ø Ask for study strategies. • Read all assigned materials before class. • Honor established assignment deadlines. • Submit all course projects in an appropriate format and on time. • Use good judgment when planning and preparing for the completion of course projects. • Take ownership of your learning experience – do not make excuses. • Please notify TRIO-SSS when you make any changes to your personal contact information (phone number, address, e-mail, etc.) TRIO-SSS personnel will have you fill out a “Personal Information Update” which will provide the information for both the TRIO-SSS program and NICC. • Students will need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at the beginning of each calendar year. Students should have the FAFSA completed preferably by March 1st but no later than June 1st. • To complete the FAFSA, visit: www.fafsa.ed.gov • Students may obtain assistance in completing their FAFSA by contacting their NICC Advisor, the NICC Financial Aid Office, or attending the TRIO-SSS FAFSA workshop. • Students are able to access their NICC Financial Aid information online at: www.nicc.edu After accessing the NICC page: Login; Click on Student Records tab (at top of page); Scroll down to Financial Aid and click • Participants must meet with their advisor prior to registering for classes. • TRIO-SSS participants must communicate with their advisor and Financial Aid before dropping or withdrawing from a class. • Students participating in the TRIO-SSS program must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher and stay in good academic and financing aid standing. Students can view their degree requirements online at: www.nicc.edu After accessing the NICC page: Login; Click on Student Records tab (at top of page); Scroll down to Academic Record and click; On left side of screen, find My Degree Requirements and click; Choose active program and submit 147 Transcript Request Transfer Support NICC Information Academic Dishonesty/ Plagiarism Refund Policy Nondiscrimination Syllabus Disclaimer Students interested in transferring to another institution may request an official copy of their transcript at: www.nicc.edu: Login; click on Student Records tab (at top of page); Scroll down to Academic Record and click; On left side of screen, find Request Official Transcript and click; and Choose Transcript Request FormPeosta • Student who have an intent to transfer should visit the online transfer resource at: www.transferiniowa.org • Applications and details on transfer agreements and admission partnership programs are available at www.nicc.edu/transfer • Common institutions of transfer include, but are not limited to: University of Dubuque; Loras College; Clarke University; University of WisconsinPlatteville; Iowa State University; University of Northern Iowa; University of Iowa; Upper Iowa University • Students interested in transferring should communicate this educational goal with their advisor early in the advising process. Students are encouraged to review NICC’s Academic Misconduct Policy online at: www.nicc.edu: Login; Click on Academics tab (at top of page); Scroll down to Academic Policies and click Work that violates these values is incompatible with the goals of this college and will not be tolerated. Students who are found responsible for a violation of the Academic Misconduct Policy may receive a failing grade for the course. Students have the right to appeal and may do so by following the procedures described in the Academic Misconduct Policy. Refunds are given for overpayment of grants and loans and will be added to the account designated with Higher One. Refund dates and amounts vary by semester and course. Refund dates are posted on the Xpress calendar. NICC and TRIO-SSS shall not engage in or allow discrimination covered by law. This includes harassment based on race, color, national origin, creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age and disability. Veteran status in educational programs, activities, employment practices, or admission procedures is also included to the extent covered by law. Individuals who believe they have been discriminated against may file a complaint through the Provost’s office. This syllabus is representative of materials that will be covered during the advisor/advisee relationship. It is not a contract between the student and the TRIOSSS program. It is subject to change without notice, including dates outlined on the “Advising Calendar” section (see below). Any potential exceptions to stated policies and requirements will be addressed on an individual basis and only for reasons that meet specific requirements. If you have any problems related to the TRIO-SSS program or any course in which you are enrolled, please feel free to discuss them with me directly. 148 Advising Calendar Week or Date Aug 21 Sept 9 Sept 29 Oct 8, Event Day of Fall classes “Tips from the Tutor” Lunch & Learn TRIO-SSS Scholarship Applications available Schedule appointment to pre-register for next semester “Test Taking Help” Lunch & Learn Oct 13-17 Mid-Term Advising Oct 13-17 Composition Workshop Oct 22 Nov 5 Registration begins for Spring and Summer semesters Graduation Applications Due for Fall Graduates NICC Scholarships and TRIO-SSS Scholarship Apps Due – by NOON Financial Literacy Lunch & Learn Nov 25 Professional Communication Lunch & Learn Dec 15-17 Dec 22 Jan 12 Feb 4 Finals Winter Break Online classes begin 1st Day of Spring semester Tax Filing Lunch & Learn Feb 17 Feb 24 National TRIO Day FAFSA Lunch & Learn Mar 1 Mar 2 Carver Scholarship Deadline TRIO-SSS Scholarship Applications available NICC Scholarships and TRIO-SSS Scholarship Apps Due – by NOON Mid-Term Advising Sept 29-Oct 3 Oct 24, Oct 31 Apr 1 Mar 2-6 Mar 6 Mar 9-13 Mar 16-20 Mar 25 Notes 1st Graduation Applications Due for Spring and Summer Graduates Spring Break Schedule appointment to pre-register for next semester Student Loan Lunch & Learn Lean helpful study strategies hints Stop by my office for an application Learn how to take some guess work of tests, exams and quizzes Stop by my office so we can review how your classes are going Stop in with your Composition Portfolio and our Tutor Coordinator will review it Let us help you create and/or perfect your personal budget Learn the top ten ways of interacting as a professional Learn about free tax filing services in our area Bring in your completed taxes and we will help file your FAFSA Stop by my office so we can review how your classes are going Learn about the NSLDS Website 149 Mar 30-Apr 3 Composition Workshop Apr 2-6 Apr 8 Apr 28 Easter Break Registration begins for Fall Semester Interview Skills Lunch & Learn May 11-13 May 15 Finals Graduation Ceremony TRIO-SSS office closed Summer and May Term classes begin 1st day of Fall semester May 18 Aug 20 and verify your loan amounts Stop in with your Composition Portfolio and our Tutor Coordinator will review it Learn how to effectively answer any question during an interview 150 SSS Integrated Approach to the First Year Experience at College TRIO Student Support Services Program Department of Postsecondary Teaching and Learning University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN) For more information: Kristin Cory, [email protected], 612-625-2942 http://www.cehd.umn.edu/TRIO/ Approved October 31, 2016 as a Validated Practice by the EOA National Best Practices Center, http://besteducationpractices.org Revised 10/31/16 Readers utilizing this education practice are requested to send a brief email how it was used. Send to the EOA Center at [email protected] Abstract This submission explains the framework for the College of Education and Human Development’s First Year Experience (FYE) Program at the University of Minnesota, designed and implemented through the Department of Postsecondary Teaching and Learning and the campus TRIO SSS unit. This FYE program builds on multiple, interrelated and multidisciplinary strategies that support a multicultural, diverse student body’s entrance into and successful movement through college to timely graduation. Key FYE program components are described as conceived, assessed, and revised through an ongoing reflective process of program development which responds to student learning and development outcomes, classroom structure and practice, and development of faculty capacity to effectively support these in First Year college students. Approximately 25 percent of the entering students into the College of Education and Human Development are also TRIO SSS participants. The campus TRIO staff worked with the college and department leaders to codesign the FYE program to meet needs of their students. An integrated FYE design includes academic courses: one team-taught multidisciplinary, writing intensive course “FYI” First Year Inquiry (Pstl1525w) in the Fall and a pair of 1000-level disciplinary courses linked in a Learning Community in the Spring, while students take additional independent courses. Both semesters of the First Year Experience coursework showcase the implementation of multidisciplinary, reflective and intentional pedagogy and practices to support the development of collegelevel writing and critical thinking. The FYE Program focuses on intentionally supporting two of the University’s undergraduate student learning and development outcomes -Communicating Effectively and Appreciation of Differences -- into all FYE courses, in addition to the disciplinary-, course-, and/or instructor-specific learning outcomes. These program -wide student learning and development outcomes expressly prepare students for successful navigation of future academic work and for real-world work 151 environments that demand competence and innovation in diverse and collaborative settings in order to solve complex problems. The FYE Program-wide core practices of collaborative and integrative learning are vehicles for supporting these outcomes and fostering high levels of student engagement. Need for the Practice Current research on persistence to graduation points to the first year as a critical foundation for students’ long-term academic success and satisfaction (Muraskin and Lee 2004; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005; Upcraft et al, 2004). Moreover, the first-year can serve to acculturate students to the new environment, expectations and opportunities of college (Barefoot, 2000). However, without appropriate support and scaffolding, the first-year can also reinforce lack of belonging and institutional connection particularly for underrepresented students. First- Year Experience Program The First Year Experience (FYE) program in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) design provides a rich academic curriculum combined with TRIO and other student support services to smooth students’ transition to college and increase retention and graduation rates for a diverse student population. The FYE was initially designed and implemented in the fall of 2008. Programming includes multidisciplinary academic courses, career development, academic advising, special events, and a focus on building peer networks to facilitate a sense of community for students at the University of Minnesota. Of primary importance is ensuring that students gain knowledge of and access to university resources and culture and develop confidence in navigating these. The following goals have guided the development, assessment, and revision of our First Year Experience program. These goals reflect research on best practice, our department mission and values, our faculty expertise and our commitment to serving a diverse student body. Goal 1: To Develop Academic and Social Skills to Successfully Navigate the University – FYE embeds strengths-based development tools, navigation of University resources, and collaborative peer interactions into multidisciplinary curriculum that supports development of academic, career and life goals. FYE sets students on the path to timely graduation and responsible citizenship at the University and beyond. This goal grows out of a rejection of the outdated paradigm that learning and development or academic and social skills are separable and distinct categories, or that students can be well served, supported and successful without addressing both. Goal 2: To Communicate Effectively-- Fostering verbal and written communication skills and developing the ability to address diverse audiences is crucial to student success in the world of academia and beyond. FYE aims to foster flexible and strategic communication skills. An emphasis on active learning helps students build communication and research-based critical inquiry skills through collaborative projects, and develop confidence and effective strategies for communicating in a range of contexts. 152 Goal 3: To Appreciate Differences— College of Education and Human Development articulates a strong commitment to diversity and to the premise that engaging diversity is critical to intellectual and human development. The FYE provides supported opportunities for students to engage and collaborate effectively with diverse people, ideas, and perspectives. CEHD’s commitment to diversity is enacted in many places, including in their admissions procedures. Table 1. Demographics of FYE cohorts Demographic Groups Cohort 08-09 Cohort 09-10 Cohort 10-11 CEHD (n=400) Rest of U of M (n=4,706) CEHD (n=457) Rest of U of M (n=4,943) CEHD (n=447) Rest of U of M (n=4,876) Black 16% 4% 17% 3% 15% 3% Am. Indian 4% 1% 3% 1% 2% 1% Asian 16% 15% 19% 15% 16% 9% Hispanic 4% 2% 5% 2% 2% 3% White 59% 75% 55% 76% 61% 78% SSS TRIO 24% (n= 97) 0 21% (n= 95) 0 23% (n=102) 0 Access to Success 46% (n= 183) 5% (n=256) 45% (n= 205) 4% (n= 229) College English Transitions 11% (n= 44) 0 12% (n= 55) 0 10% (n= 45) 0 Honors 3.3% (n= 13) 11% (n=586) 7% (n= 32) 11% (n=571) 5% (n=22) 11% (n=540) 43% (n= 193) 5% (n=264) History of First-Year Experience Program Since 2008, the First-Year Inquiry (FYI) course has been required of all first-year students in the University of Minnesota’s (U of M) College of Education and Human Development (CEHD). The U of M is located in an urban setting and draws students from the two surrounding metropolitan areas as well as the suburbs and nearby rural areas. Nearly 75% of the overall undergraduate student population and 25% of the firstyear students live off campus. 153 In 2007 the College of Education and Human Development became a freshmenadmitting college. The college faced the challenge of developing a comprehensive undergraduate experience that would begin with supporting students in the transition from high school to college and continue to build a supportive culture of academic excellence from year one to graduation. In the design of the program, extensive consultation about how to prepare students for upper-level undergraduate courses within the college’s majors and programs was required, as well as a fundamental and foundational dedication to diversity. CEHD admits the most diverse student population at the University and is home to the TRIO program (for first-generation, low-income college students), College English Transition (for English language learners) and a University-wide Access to Success program (for academically underprepared students). (See Table 1.) Creating a First Year Experience that could successfully support and challenge a range of cultural, linguistic, economic, and academic backgrounds was of primary importance. The FYE’s aim has been to offer a challenging yet supportive experience for all freshmen enrolled in the University of Minnesota's College of Education and Human Development (CEHD). Unique Approach of the First Year Experience Program The FYE Program was developed with close consultation with the TRIO SSS program staff. This close involvement of TRIO staff with curricular programming of their home academic unit follows a tradition of over four decades. Qualified TRIO staff members teach credit-bearing courses within the college, revise curriculum, serve on the panel for admission of new students to the college, and other essential core functions of the academic unit. Several former TRIO SSS staff members have been hired as tenure-track faculty members of the college’s Department of Postsecondary Teaching and Learning that offers the majority of the FYE program components. Both faculty members have now been awarded tenure within the department. Faculty and academic professionals with expertise in such areas of postsecondary education as developmental education, universal design and instruction, first-generation and second language learners came together to develop the FYE program in CEHD. The wide range of faculty and academic professionals expertise and experience teaching a diverse body of students was crucial to the development of an inclusive, integrated approach to first-year programming. In the program development, faculty and staff were adamant that the design of the FYE program did not segregate students by academic or cultural profiles and did not reinscribe an historic division between student learning and development, or the realms of academic and social support. With this equity and diversity focus, the resultant FYE program has several unique features compared to many other first year programs. The first being, the multidisciplinary nature of the FYE courses. In the fall, each large First Year Inquiry (FYI) section (approx. 75 students) focuses on looking at the questions “How can one person make a difference” through three disciplinary lenses. In the spring, students choose a learning community (LC) where they complete several common assignments that have them incorporate several disciplinary perspectives on common themes and/ or 154 ideas from the two linked courses. Another unique feature of the FYE program is that all students, regardless of major, college credits, test scores, or native language are in an FYI (fall course) and an LC together. Combined with the structural diversity of our college (See Table 1.), the FYE classroom spaces provide an opportunity for faculty to intentionally engage diversity through collaborative and integrative assignments and projects. Lastly, the FYE is a full year of programming that focuses on the holistic development of the first-year student. Theory and Research Informing the Education Practice The design of the FYE program is based upon principles of student engagement and high-impact teaching and learning pedagogies described by Kuh and others (Kuh, G. D., 2008; Kuh, G. D., Kinzie, J., Buckley, J. A., Bridges, B. K., & Hayek, J. C., 2007). Overall, this body of literature suggests that engaged and supported students are more likely to achieve desired learning and development goals, and persist toward degree completion. In this paper, the term under-represented refers to students whose demographic and academic characteristics are strongly predictive of attrition. Significant demographic characteristics include: low-income, first generation college students; racial and ethnic minorities. Kuh’s “High Impact Educational Strategies” identifies practices that support deep learning, not surface level; deep learning not only requires acquisition of content and information, but an understanding of the meaning and relationships underlying. Kuh (2008) describes high impact strategies as those that demand more time spent on purposeful task; demand interaction with faculty and peers on substantive issues; increase the likelihood that they will work people who are different from them; provide opportunities to synthesize, integrate and apply knowledge (Kuh, G. D., 2008; Kuh, G. D., Kinzie, J., Buckley, J. A., Bridges, B. K., & Hayek, J. C., 2007). At predominantly white, public institutions, students from under-represented demographic groups tend to have academic characteristics predictive of attrition: lower high school grade point averages, fewer opportunities for college preparatory coursework; and lower ACT and standardized entrance exam scores[1] (Adelman, 2006; Lotkowski, Robbins, & Noeth, 2004). In addition, minority students at public white institutions (PWIs) report feelings of isolation (Turner, 1994; Munoz, 1987). Eimers and Pike (1997) found that perception of academic integration plays a key role in minority student persistence. As academic and social integration increases, so does the likelihood of student persistence (O’Brien & Shedd, 2001; Tucker, 1999). Specific curricular structures and pedagogical approaches have been correlated to higher levels of engagement and perceptions of academic and social integration. Braxton, Millem, Sullivan (2000) found that active learning strategies, in particular, classroom discussion and higher-order thinking activities wield a statistically significant positive influence; knowledge level exams, on the other hand, yield negative influence. Effects of these strategies benefit all students, but tend to benefit historically underserved students even more. Active learning and group projects, when designed and implemented purposefully, can promote deep learning, fostering an engagement with course content, development of peer relationships, and enhancing responsibility and accountability on part of individual students for their learning (Kuh, 2008; Engstrom & 155 Tinto 2008). Learning communities are one curricular structure that has been shown to elevate levels of involvement, satisfaction, and personal, social and academic development than students not enrolled in LCs (Baker & Pomerantz, 2000; GansemerTuff-Schuh; Kuh 2008). The research is very clear that academic and non-academic factors are co-active ingredients in supporting retention and graduation, not only in the FY but longitudinally, and for all students. According to Lotkowski (2004), non-academic factors matter: students who master course content but fail to develop adequate self-confidence, goals and institutional commitment, and adequate social support are still at risk (Lotkowski, 2004). Benefits increase in correlation with decrease in students' income, and for underrepresented minority students, but benefits accrue to all students. “Faculty, staff, and academic advisers should attend to holistic development of the students – both academic and co-curricular – by promoting growth and learning not only in the classroom but in the university community as well” (Braxton & Mundy, 2001, p. 92). Appreciation of Difference and Communicating Effectively Low-stakes opportunity for engaging diversity, which have been identified as instrumental in promoting students comfort and confidence in having discussions across diverse perspectives. Low-stakes moments enable relaxed, informal exchanges without the pressure to develop a particular product in a specified timeframe. In order for students to achieve cognitive and affective diversity-learning outcomes, such as mindfulness or tolerance of ambiguity, they need not only to be exposed to different ways of thinking and ideas, but to have many opportunities to fit these new perspectives in their existing frameworks (Lee, Williams, & Kilaberia, 2011). Crossing of racial and cultural boundaries occurs more easily in “a supportive environment with structures that encourage investigation and reflection in conjunction with opportunities for meaningful, sustained, face-to-face interaction among people who are different from one another” (Wong, 2006, p. 1). During the initial phases of interaction in the classroom, collaboration may lead to considerable anxiety due to the close contact and coordination required. Overall, however, collaborative learning has demonstrated value in enhancing the academic achievement of students across racial and ethnic groups, and in reducing prejudice. Social relations in the classroom can be restructured in positive ways as students practice and improve their interaction skills with students from different backgrounds (Hurtado, 2001; Slavin, 1995). Description of FYE Program For each of the nine critical components below, we have first described central characteristics of the component in its current iteration and then given one example of how assessment has informed and shaped the component over time. Assessment is woven into our FYE culture in various manners, facilitating further reflection upon the success and/or challenges around each component and entire program. In the end, assessment and experience give a solid foundation upon which our department has used as to help guide the direction and development of the FYE program. We have chosen this descriptive structure to address the cyclical non-linear process of program 156 development and to highlight the responsive process of ongoing and organic change in components of the program as a result of assessment. 1. Ongoing Assessment and Evidence Assessment of the FYE program has been ongoing since its inception in the fall of 2008. The purpose of embedding assessment into the FYE program design is twofold: accountability and further development and improvement. In terms of accountability, assessment data provided evidence to both stakeholders internal and external of the college. Our goal was to develop dual purpose assessment modules: qualitative tools to provide teachers with formative feedback while the course was in process, and tools to provide tangible evidence of the progress towards our desired outcomes. In terms of program development and improvement, assessment data informed faculty about ways in which students’ were developing and learning in their first-year of college and areas they may need to rethink, revise or refine their practices to better student learning outcomes. These assessment data, thus, informed the changes we have made to each program component over the past five years and also the re-design of the FYI section of the FYE program for fall 2012. We also seek to collect data relevant to our institutional context; we therefore focused on measuring progress towards the University’s newly adopted student learning and development outcomes for all undergraduates on campus. The assessment strategy allows us to both improve our FYE over time and meet increased demands from accreditors for evidence of student learning. The main data collection methods used to assess the FYE program included focus groups, surveys, institutional metrics, reflective journals, and rubrics. Data collection methods and tools were flexible and responsive to the needs of the FYE program as it evolved. Initial data collected and tools utilized helped inform the refinement of questions of journal prompts and survey constructs. 2. Course Structures PsTL 1525W: Multidisciplinary Ways of Knowing, First Year Inquiry All First Year students enroll in PsTL 1525W: Multidisciplinary Ways of Knowing. This course, known as First Year Inquiry or FYI, is a writing intensive, team-taught multidisciplinary course designed around a common question: How Can One Person Make A Difference? Certain elements of the course are shared across all sections to provide a common experience and develop a collective identity in the first semester of college. These shared components include: learning and development outcomes (communciating effectively and appreciation of differences), core practices (integrative and collaborative learning), common book programming, advisor appointments, strengths-based decision-making and major /career planning, online reflective journals, and a shared core assignment criteria. Teams of instructors from different disciplines design team-specific curriculum independently to allow for thematic focus that matches their disciplinary expertise. Students meet twice weekly in small sections of 24 with one instructor and once weekly in large groups of 72 to 96 with instructor teams of two. Small classes promote high levels of student-student and student-instructor interactions around writing process and learning and development outcomes. Large class meetings are used to highlight multidisciplinary activities, presentations, guest lectures, common- 157 book related activities, etc. Honors students may choose to enroll in an honor’s section of the course. These students are integrated into regular sections of the course and meet a few additional times throughout the semester with the designated honor’s instructor who leads students in research-based or community-based engagement activities related to the common book. The two-person team structure and the twice-weekly small class meetings are both new structural designs that will be implemented in Fall 2012 after consideration of: (1) student reflective journal responses that indicated many students had a more difficult time maintaining focus and making connections (with material and with peers) in the large lecture sections; and (2) repeated faculty discussions of the time and energy that 3-person teams demanded in terms of maintaining clear and constant communication, coordination and planning. The new structure, among other things, will allow instructor teams more freedom in determining how often and when in makes sense to pull sections together for large, team-taught meetings and provide more intimate space for instructor-student and student-student work with writing process and collaborative work. The incorporation of an advisor-student-instructor panel on College majors and strength-based decision -making on one team-taught Friday in each section of the course represents our ongoing search for an effective mechanism for embedding collaboration with student services directly into the PsTL 1525W course. In previous iterations of this, student journals indicated the disjunctive quality of class meetings when advisers came to present on something seemingly unrelated to course content and faculty were clearly disengaged themselves. Although we collaboratively with Student Services in many ways outside the classroom (see Strategic Partnerships below), the intentional weaving of student services curriculum with academic content is an area that continues to be a challenge and that requires communication that bridges very different institutional perspectives. Spring Semester Learning Communities: Paired First-Year Disciplinary Courses: All first year students register for a Learning Community. Learning Communities highlight connections, synergies and integrative thinking by linking two courses in different subject areas through shared themes or common questions. For example, a Learning Community that links Psychology and Literature invites student to develop deeper understanding of both subjects by making connections between the two: students practice applying psychological concepts to literature, bringing new critical perspectives to their understanding of the human experience. Students also develop deeper connections within their classroom community that facilitate engagement with course content and support long-term social networks. Learning Communities fulfill liberal education and pre-major requirements and provide students with the opportunity to take multiple classes with their peers as they move into their major programs. 3. CEHD Reads Common Book Programming Each year the college selects a common book for the First Year Inquiry course that engages students in exploring the question “How can one person make a difference?” The book is chosen with an eye towards engaging a range of disciplinary approaches so that the expertise of the larger college community can be drawn upon, furthering interdepartmental connections and pathways to majors. The common book is 158 required reading for the fall semester PsTL 1525W course and is woven into each team’s curriculum. A common book-based writing assignment is required in each section of the course, with a minimum of two weeks dedicated to a critical exploration of the texts. In addition to the author of the book coming to campus to meet with students and discuss book content and writing process, other programming draws on community resources to create local connections. Faculty meet to create some curriculum ideas and support working with the text and have organized panel discussions on related topics that invite member of the University community as well as local professional and organizational members to particapte in a moderated conversation. Common book selections include: An Ordinary Man by Paul Rusesabagina, A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines, Prisoner of Tehran by Marina Nemat, Outcasts United by Warren St. John, The Other Wes Moore, by Wes Moore and The Latehomecomer, by Kao Kalia Yang. The guidelines for assignment weight and space and the manner in which the common book is embedded in the fall course have been shaped by student reflective journal responses that indicate that different sections spent varied amounts of time on the book and were able to connect the book to course concepts and texts to varying degrees. We are constantly being mindful of the balance between valuing shared experiences and consistency, on the one hand, and creating space of individual team’s innovation and inflections. The development of more common-book related events discussions required for all First year students, and open to the entire CEHD community has been informed by student reflective journal responses that suggest that these opportunities for all 450 students to gather together make a significant impact and create a sense of community among the cohort and around the college. 4. Strategic Partnerships In addition to the long-term working relationship between the campus TRIO program and the Department of Postsecondary Teaching and Learning (previously the General College), additional partners have joined the FYE Program collaboration. 1. Student Services: A dedication to bridging the divide between faculty and advisers in an effort to better support students has taken the form of faculty embedding required appointments with advisers into syllabi, scheduling majorrelated and campus resource FYI course material and advising. Student Service joins FYI students and faculty in common-book related discussions, activities and events, and student project presentations. The key and basic component to building this relationship is creating opportunities for advisers to become familiar with FYE instructors and courses (through Open Houses) and facilitating frequent and respectful communication about student progress. Our college has an electronic academic status reporting system for sending alerts and reports of excellence at any time, as well as required 8-week progress reports. We also encourage phone calls and email directly between faculty and advisers. Instructors meet mid-semester with TRIO advisers to discuss TRIO students’ progress in their courses. 2. CEHD Reads: This college-wide program hosts a number of “reads” throughout the year, including the Common Book. Over time, wider college participation in 159 the common book has grown as a result of continual commitment to publicize the common book author event throughout the college, development of an online college-wide submission process for common book suggestion as part of the selection process each year, common book selection criteria that includes the ability of a book to engage units and draw on expertise across the college, and invitations to members of the wider college community and departments to host and participate in common-book related panels and events that connect with areas of expertise. The FYE program has also developed a partnership with the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. The museum’s book club program provides public tours of works of art in the collection that relate to themes in a monthly book selection. Each year the FYE common book is also the museum’s November selection. Docents provide customized tours to first-year students. Students gain access to off-campus resources and continue to build community through experiential learning activities. 3. Learning Communities. College-wide departmental consultation and collaboration to develop interdepartmental Learning Commmunities, to invite college expertise into FYE classrooms, common book-related panel discussions and activities, and to build a shared understanding of and committment to supporting student learning and development. 4. Consultation in course planning and scheduling. Extensive consultation and collaborative decision-making between department chair, department administrator and course scheduler, program directors, and student service lead advisors, along with input from instructors on teaching preferences is required to design, staff and schedule courses that will support our students and build effective pathways to majors, that are economically sustainable, that meet University scheduling guidelines, that ensure equitable workscopes among faculty, and that do not undermine the viability of staffing or scheduling other programs in the department. This process demands high levels of communication and relationship building. 5. Interdepartmental Learning Communities: Over time, more learning communities have been developed that pair PsTL courses with courses in other departments within the college. These interdepartmental learning communities build early pathways to majors and bridge first year course work with student areas of interest that may focus their second year direction by fostering supportive relationships with professors in other programs. 5. iPad initiative Since fall 2009, the College of Education and Human Development has pioneered an initiative that provides all CEHD First Year students with iPads upon entry to the college. This initiative was not conceived of as a critical componeent of the FYE program, but was incorporated in response to the colleges’ technology mission. Instructors in FYE courses and advisors of FYE students responded to this initiative by working to embed use of the iPad into instruction and advising. This ongoing program 160 is the largest iPad deployment among any college of education in the U.S. and is larger than many institution-wide programs. The first year of the initiative was exploratory in nature-- looking at exploring the questions of if you give an instructor and student an iPad, what happens in the classroom? One thing that was learned is that the iPads are great for consuming and producing digital media. As a result the First Year Inquriy course requires students to complete a collaborative digital media assignment demonstrating a response to the common question (how can one person make a difference?) using the iPad. (See Assignment Criteria below, which are focused on particular components of the FYE program student learning outcome Communication Effectively and the student development outcome Appreciation of Difference.) The iPad initiative also ensures that all students are equipped with internet access and a tool that facilitates technological literacy and innovative use of media. 6. Common Criteria for Core and Integrative Assignments Multiple sections of the Fall PsTL 1525W course are taught by teams of instructors who inflect the course content and activities with with their own teams’disiciplinary areas of expertise and personal teaching styles. The Spring Learning Communities pair distinct disciplinary courses together. The space for variation, multiple iterations, and creativity in these sections and course pairings is essential to the multidisciplinary nature of our program and models the appreciation of differences and collaboration that we seek to support in our students. This flexibility supports the energy and excellence that characterize our program and department offerings. In order to maintain this dynamism and flexibility, we also see the need for structures that facilitate shared outcomes and consistency in student experience. One tool that supports these common goals is the development of common assignment criteria. Creating criteria for the PsTL 1525W core iPad assignment is one exmple of this. The development and adoption of these criteria was possible only after a small work group put in considerable time drafting and then consulting with the entire FYE faculty in program workshops to refine rubrics for the program’s student learning and development outcomes. • • • • PsTL 1525W FYI iPad Core Assignment Criteria: In each section of FYI students will complete an assignment that embeds use of the iPad and responds in some way to the common question how can one person make a difference? This assignment (from start to finish) will comprise 15 - 25 % of the total course grade. In working towards completion of the assignment (through scaffolded activities and processes that over time culminate in a digital product), students will: Collaborate with their peers and negotiate differences (see Appreciation of Difference Rubric) to build a strong product; Incorporate multiple forms of evidence to support a central idea (see Effective Communication Rubric); Use available resources to develop the technical skills to enhance the meaning/message (see Effective Communication Rubric) of their product. Reflect on their own process and learning. (The online reflective journals served two purposes: one for program assessment and two for supporting students reflective 161 capacity. As the online journals will no longer be required or collected centrally starting in Fall 2012, assessment is being re-tooled programmatically, and reflective learning should be intentionally embedded by instructors into curriculum in ways that make sense for each individual course. 7. Shared Core Practices Two core pedagogical practices that are central to the FYE program are collaborative and integrative learning. These two practices form the basis from which the core assignments for both the FYI and LC rest. Collaborative Learning Collaborative learning involves intellectual work in small groups to develop understanding, look for meaning or solutions, or to create a product. The collaborative model shifts away from teacher-centered and lecture-centered models and promotes student-to-student interaction, active learning, effective interpersonal/group communication skills and understanding of diverse viewpoints so as to appreciate differences. And in the global workplace, working effectively as a part of a diverse team is a skill noted as critical by employers. In the FYE program, collaborative pedagogies are integrated throughout the fall (FYI) and spring (LC). Faculty provide students with range of well-scaffolded, purposeful, and well-defined low and high stakes collaborative curriculum and assignments. These collaborative assignments facilitate students’ listening, observing, negotiating, collaborating, and appreciation of difference skills. Key findings in the Student Reflective Journals that have supported program commitment to these practices and that have helped to shape faculty development activities include: (1) students noted that when they were forced to work with people they did not know, open up, communicate, and work well together, especially as some noted if they wanted to receive a good grade; (2) students explained that in collaborative work they had to practice communicating well with their classmates so they could understand what we were saying and learn from it; and (3) in smaller and low-stakes activities students develop confidence in their own abilities to get up in front of peers and share their ideas. Integrative Learning Integrative learning is about making connections – across experience, disciplinary perspectives, and across contexts and time.As Carolyn Haynes writes, it is “the combining and synthesizing of various viewpoints, worldviews, and systems of thought.” In approaching the common question and related themes through this framework, FYI provides students with opportunities to develop self-awareness, critical thinking skills, and intellectual development that grow out of a deepening appreciation of the interconnectedness and complexity of experience, real world issues and academic knowledge. Criteria for development of integrative learning curriculum and assignments include crafting curriculum that is relevant to students and society; focusing on a few key understandings; drawing on curricular, co-curricular and community resources; providing regular opportunities for reflection on learning; scaffolding activities to address necessary cognitive strategies, academic knowledge/skills and academic behavior/culture for making connections between relevant experience and academic 162 knowledge; between perspectives and/or disciplines; between form and content, etc. Assessment of student journals indicates that intentionally scaffolded collaborative opportunities, such as FYI group projects, small group work, joint LC integrative projects, poetry reading, group presentations and the mock trial provide multiple opportunities to practice and hone communication skills, such as listening, observing, and negotiating and collaborating skills, such as working with each others’ strengths over time. More specifically, students noted that these types of assignments promote listening and respective different perspectives, facilitate the negotiation and communication of ideas, and develop confidence in sharing perspectives and ideas with peers. In order to effectively implement core practices (collaborative and integrative learning), assessment suggests that faculty must attend to the following: • Modeling: Faculty must model skills/ behaviors they expect students to develop and hone:respecting ideas and individuals, facilitating discussion, listening to students. • Intentionality: Faculty must facilitate student development through intentional, explicit, and scaffolded assignments. This requires considering what base students need in order to “practice” integrated learning, collaborative learning, effective communication with others (both oral and written), and engagement across diversity. • Communication of purpose: Faculty must clearly communicate expectations and purpose of assignment/ activity. 8. Ongoing Faculty Development Activities The core practices our FYE program engages (writing intensive, collaborative learning and integrative learning) and the cross-discipline team teaching and faculty collaborations that are foundations of our program design require sustained attention and support. We prioritize the creation of opportunities for the continuing development of faculty capacity to support student learning and development in mulitple areas and for the nurturing of crucial collaborative relationships. We know this work to be demanding, challenging, rewarding, time- and energy-intensive and of the highest importance for creating and sustaining a community of effective, dedicated, multidisciplinary instructors. Workshops and trainings are designed to be interactive, practical, participatory, and draw on our faculty expertise whenever possible. Pre-fall and postSpring semester while instructors are on contract are times when more in-depth and extensive workshops and activities can be scheduled. Topics for these workshops have included student learning and development outcomes rubric development, integrative assignment development, technology training, sharing of pedagogy and practice, working effectively with student writing, etc. Throughout the semester instructors participate in facilitated discussion of emergent themes and responses to student online reflective journals. These, as well as one-on-one formal and informal discussions among faculty and between the program director and faculty peers, are key to maintaining a connected, dynamic, and responsive student-centered community. One effective tool developed surveys faculty before our annual May FYE workshops. The survey asks faculty to rate both how important they feel facilitating different practices in the classroom are AND how effective they feel at facilitating those same practices. The intent of the survey is to discover what areas related to practices 163 that support the program student learning and development outcomes faculty value most and feel most competent or effective in. Aggregate results will help us see our areas of strength and areas where more development is needed. This can foster important discussions, aid in the development of new supports for increasing faculty capacity in certain areas, etc. The multiple ways we might use and respond to the survey results will help guide longer-term planning around program development. In addition, having faculty complete the survey before the May Workshops will support faculty reflection on their own practice and facilitate sharing of pedagogy and practice necessary for successful collaborate relationships and work. 9. FYE Administrative Structure -- Director and elected FYE Advisory Committee The FYE program has a director appointed by the department chair through a consultative election and approval by the Advisory Committee. The FYE Advisory Committee is an elected body (3 - 4 FYE faculty members). Members of the FYE Advisory Committee meet at least once a month during the academic year with the FYE Director to advise and assist with FYE program needs, including: development of policy and planning related to FYE curriculum and events. FYE Advisory Committee members participate in annual retreats for large-scale visioning of program priorities and structural development. Members are expected to provide leadership in the following areas: faculty development activity, recruitment events and materials, program assessment. The program director has a reduced teaching load, represents the program on the college curriculum committee and undergraduate leadership groups, and meets regularly with the department chair, the department administrator, other strategic partners in student service partners and the college. Members of the FYE advisory committee serve two-year staggered terms to ensure continuity and provide opportunity for development of new leadership. The Director meets monthly with the committee throughout the academic year and plans additional retreats for long-term visioning and discussion of program priorities. Key Factors for Success One of the largest challenges has been the development of a culture of collaboration. Faculty tend to value and operate with a traditionally autonomous and independent classroom framework in mind. The first-year curriculum that we have created is dependent upon faculty working together to create innovative multidisciplinary approaches to course content and critical inquiry that attend to what the literature tells us works to support student learning and development. This regularly includes sharing classroom space, as well as tolerance of ambiguity, negotiation of difference, listening and compromise. Developing these skills and competencies pushes our faculty in ways that we believe are unique as they challenge traditional conceptions of academic work within disciplinary boundaries and of the classroom as a space over which a single instructor have decision-making power. The rewards of this work are clear in the resulting quality of teaching and innovations in curriculum development, but also in a higher level of respect and openness and awareness of each other that pervades faculty interactions in our department. To reach this point it has been essential to create time and space, and when possible monetary compensation, for faculty development that builds foundations for 164 real collaboration: guided reflection on and sharing of teaching practices and pedagogy, disciplinary “norms”, building shared understanding of student outcomes, ability to see connections and synergies, and the communication skills necessary to establish shared responsibility for getting work done. The challenge of the work informs and supports our program structure and content. It also models for us the same kind of creative, critical and reflective process work we ask our students to do in order to become successful college undergraduates. The development work is never finished or completed at some point. This development is ongoing, requires continued attention. (see Critical Program Component #8) Because of the collaborative nature of the the First Year Experience curriculum both of the First Year Inquiry course in Fall and the Learning Communities in Spring), finding ways to support faculty without over-burdening them has been challenging. Over time faculty have developed collaborative strategies and skills that make the work more managable and efficient. When possible, we have worked to keep faculty teams together over multiple years, which facilitates the building of relationships and integration of course content. However, due to changes in workload, course needs, student populations, etc., this is not always possible. The anxiety that forging new connections and relationships inevitably produces in a faculty who are driven to do excellent work cannot be eliminated, but, over time, and with supportive structures in place, it can be navigated skillfully. Resources Needed The idea of replicating a program in a new and unique environment is problematic, as a program must be built around the particulars of a community and its needs. The factors critical to the FYE success and the challenges to implementation sections of this document provide our own learning on developing successful first year initiatives. This work has demanded a college. It has and continues to evolve as faculty develops more capacity to support student in diverse contexts, as we review our assessment data, as the incoming population of students changes, as institutional demands and resources change. If you are interested in more materials that might faciliate learning more about any aspects of collaborative culture within our department and within our integrative FYE program, please contact the Program Director. We might arrange class observations, sample course materials, consultations. Evaluation of the FYE Program As indicated earlier as one of the nine essential elements of the FYE Program, program evaluation has been continuous since inception. The evaluation efforts have been centrally-organized from the department leadership team as well as focused studies by PsTL departmental faculty members. These researchers studied the students involved in the FYE Program of which the TRIO students represented a quarter of the student population. I. Evaluation Studies by CEHD Faculty and Staff As part of their independent research agendas, faculty members from the 165 College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) conducting their own independent evaluation studies of the FYE program and related areas. Some of the studies involved members of the campus TRIO staff collaborating with the research. The faculty and staff members have reported their research findings through publication in peer-reviewed journals or presentations at peer-reviewed sessions at professional conferences. Their research studies reported the efficacy of the FYE Program for achieving student learning and student development objectives. Lee, Poch, Shaw, and Williams (in press) investigated broadly the dimensions of engaging diversity in undergraduate classrooms. Lee, Williams, and Kilaberia (2011) reported earlier findings about engaging diversity in first-year college classrooms. Tries and Kampsen (2012) studied the impact of bridging student services and academic programming to serve the needs of immigrant students in the campus TRIO SSS program. Kampsen currently serves as director of the campus SSS program. Wambach and Huesman studied a different population of the FYE Program students who and the impact of a first-year learning community for less prepared and well prepared students at the U of M (2011). Jehangir, Williams, and Pete (2011) investigated multicultural learning communities as vehicles for developing selfauthorship in first-generation college students. In the following year Jehangir, Williams, and Pete (2012) reported results of their investigation of the influence of multicultural learning communities on the intrapersonal development of first-generation college students. Several research studies focused more narrowly on pedagogical approaches with the FYE program. Jensen, Peter, and Tries (2011) reported on the use of iPads by the PsTL faculty and students for learning engagement. Jensen, Stebleton, and Peter (2011) evaluated group video projects in relation to University of Minnesota student learning outcomes. Stebleton, Soria, and Albecker (in press) studied results of integrating strengths-based education into a first-year experience curriculum. Albecker currently serves as director of the campus McNair Scholars Program. II. Departmental PsTL Evaluation Studies of the FYE Program The FYE Program leadership team from PsTL elected to include a description of evidence and data as the first critical component of program success as the embedding of assessment into our program from the start has been crucial both in establishing the data-driven nature of our practices and in facilitating ongoing responsiveness and revision in all other components of the program. Research Design The basic paradigm for these evaluation studies is Astin’s conceptual model of assessment (1981). The following is from the U of M assessment guide for evaluation of student learning and student development objectives. Bresciani, Gardner, and Hickmott (2009) note that the ideal conceptual model for outcomes-based assessment is Astin’s (1991) input-environment-outcomes model. Astin’s (1991) conceptual model of assessment activities in higher education, the (I-EO) model, is a “powerful framework for the design of assessment activities and for dealing with even the most complex and sophisticated issues in assessment and evaluation,” (p. 16) including educational experiences, practices, programs, or interventions. Higher education assessment is primarily concerned with the relationship 166 between environment and outcomes; however, student inputs are also related to environments and outcomes and therefore affect the observed relationship between environments and outcomes. [Following] is a brief descriptor of each domain in the conceptual model: (a) Outcomes: the “talents” colleges try to develop in their educational programs; also known as dependent variables, criterion variables, posttests, outputs, consequents, ends, goals, objectives, criterion variables, or endogenous variables. (b) Inputs: the personal qualities a student brings into the educational program, including the student’s initial level of developed talent at the time of entry. Also known as control variables, independent variables, antecedent variables, exogenous variables, or pretests. (c) Environment: students’ actual experiences during the educational program. Also known as independent variables, antecedent variables, exogenous variables, and treatments (Office of Institutional Research, 2011, p.14). A mixed-design evaluation model was selected based on the available data for analysis. A quasi-experimental study was conducted regarding FYE goal #1: acquisition of academic and social skills. The treatment group was defined as having participated in the CEHD FYE Program. The control group were other academic units at the U of M which did not have a similar FYE program. The dependent variables for the studies were the student learning objectives and student development objectives discussed earlier in this document: • Goal #1, acquisition of academic and social skills. These skills are wide-ranging. In addition to effective communication and appreciation of differences (detailed below), academic skills may be displayed by one or more of the following: seeks out resources outside of classroom to succeed academically (meets with professors, advisers, uses writing and study centers, libraries and other campus resources); engages with peers in and outside the classroom in organized and informal settings (study groups, collaborative projects, student groups, recreational activities). • Goal #2, student learning objective: communicate effectively. This is displayed by one or more of the following: contributes to conversations; expresses a perspective with confidence; forms and articulates claims, opinions or controlling ideas; summarizes the ideas or positions of others; makes use of examples; assesses the reliability of sources; integrates ideas; assess audience and purpose and make effective writing/speaking choices that reflect rhetorical context. • Goal #3, student development objective: appreciate differences. This is displayed by one of more of the following: Works effectively with others, despite differences; can respectfully discuss differences with others; Recognizes advantages of moving outside existing “comfort zone”; Seeks out others with different backgrounds and/or perspectives to improve decision making; Appreciates the importance of diversity and conveys this value to others; and/or Understands and respects the values and beliefs of others. 167 Through collective efforts among faculty and staff in the department assessment questions were developed and tools were designed to assess students' satisfaction, engagement, learning, and development. The assessment plan included four sources of data; 1) focus groups, 2) journal entries, 3) a SLO/ SDO rubric, and 4) an end of year survey. Since, our assessment design served institutional, departmental, and individual purposes, data was collected, analyzed, and disseminated in different manners attempting to involve multiple stakeholders in various aspects of the process. One of the main ways assessment data is used, it in the process of analyzing for student learning and development around the Student Learning Outcomes and Student Development Outcomes. Data Collection A variety of data sources was employed to evaluate the FYE Program regarding the desired student learning and student development outcomes. Quantitative surveys, focus groups, review of individual student portfolios and student journals were used to evaluate the FYE Program. The following is from the U of M guide for assessment. In order to gather data related to student development and learning outcomes, we recommend a multi-pronged strategy to assessment. For one of the prongs, we recommend quantitative assessment methods, which have the “potential to generalize results to a broader audience and situations”(Bresciani, Gardner, & Hickmott, 2009, p. 59). Quantitative assessment can take advantage of a variety of data collection tools, including structured interviews, questionnaires, and surveys. In order to gather quantitative data, we recommend several institutional-wide surveys that can be used to assess broad outcomes for many students. In addition to surveys, we recommend conducting institutional research studies to determine relationships between student achievement measures gathered by the institution (such as grade point average, retention, etc.) and participation in programs (Office of Institutional Research, 2011, p. 31). There are several sources of data drawn upon in presenting evidence to evaluate efficacy of the FYE program with achieving desired student learning and student development outcomes. The first source is institutional data: 1) National Survey of Students Engagement data for CEHD and other academic units at the U of M and 2) U of M Institutional Research retention data. The second source is departmental data: 1) student journals and 2) student surveys. An end-of-year survey was created by the PsTL department in consultation with other experts regarding self-reported improvement by students during their FYE experience during the first year of college. The Student Learning and Development Outcomes Survey was administered to students during the end of April for all students. The sources of data for the qualitative analysis section come from student reflective journals and focus groups conducted over the course of the past three years. Each year journals were sampled as follows: all TRIO only journals, all CET journals, all Honors journals, a sample of non-ATS journals (6 from each small section (6*18) n= 108), and a sample of ATS journals (6 from each small section (6*18) n=108). Journals were analyzed independently by a Research Assistant and the Director of Assessment. The following questions were used as a framework for analyzing the journals: What are 168 students noting as working well and facilitating their learning in the FYI or Learning Community (curriculum, pedagogy, instructional practices)? What are students noting as not working or not facilitating their learning within the FYI or LC courses? What curriculum or instructional practices are students noting as specifically facilitating the development of appreciation of difference and communicating effectively competencies? Three journal assignments were required of all students enrolled in the FYI course. The assignments asked students to reflect on situations they found most and least engaging, the meaning of community, challenges and frustrations they experienced, and what they were learning. These journals were used for multiple purposes. The first purpose was to include direction and space to secure faculty support for implementing the assessment as well as to educate faculty about the benefits of using assessment data in their teaching. A. Quantitative Evaluation of Goal #1: Acquisition of Academic and Social Skills Results Results of the 2011 NSSE Survey of U of M students revealed differences between first year students enrolled in CEHD and those enrolled in the other academic units at the U of M. Table 2. Comparison of Outcomes Between CEHD and Other U of M Academic Units on the NSSE 2011 Survey NSSE Response 1 = Low and 4 = High CEHD Other U of M Colleges 1. Academically Engaging Activities and Behaviors a. Made a class presentation 2.53 2.03 b. Prepared two or more drafts of a paper before turning it in. 2.82 2.44 c. Worked on a paper or a project that required integrating ideas or information from various sources. 3.20 2.82 d. Included diverse perspectives (different race, religions, genders, political beliefs, etc.) in class discussions or writing assignments. 3.17 2.72 a. Discussed grades or assignments with an instructor 2.56 2.36 b. Talked about career plans with a faculty member or adviser 2.45 2.22 c. Received prompt writing or oral feedback from faculty on your academic performance 2.91 2.54 d. Worked harder than you thought you could to meet an 2.78 2.59 2. Student- Faculty Interactions 169 instructor's standards or expectations e. Used e-mail to communicate with an instructor 3.50 3.20 a. Writing Clearly and Effectively 3.11 2.94 b. Working effectively with others 3.27 3.05 c. Understanding people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds 2.94 2.64 d. Speaking Clearly and Effectively 3.04 2.59 e. Developed a deepened sense of spirituality 1.97 1.73 f. Learning effectively on your own 3.03 3.04 g. Understanding yourself 2.92 2.76 h. Solving complex real-world problems 2.77 2.74 a. Worked with other students on projects during class 2.72 2.44 b. Worked with classmates outside of class to prepare class assignments. 2.55 2.48 c. Tutored or taught other students 1.90 1.75 d. Had serious conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity than your own. 2.75 2.56 e. Had a serious conversation with students who are very different from you in terms of their religious beliefs, political opinions, or personal values. 2.68 2.67 3. Institutional Emphasis on Engagement 4. Academic Interaction with Peers Link to the full NSSE U of M Report, Spring 2011, http://www.oir.umn.edu/surveys/nsse Discussion Section: The data from the most recent spring 2011 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) reported first year students in the College of Education and Human Development were more involved in the following areas at higher rates than students enrolled in other colleges at the University: • Academically engaging activities and behaviors • Student-faculty interactions • High-Impact educational practices • A supportive campus environment 170 These results are significant since higher levels of engagement are positively correlated with higher college grade point averages and persistence towards graduation (Kuh, et al., 2008). Their study also reported the positive impact for students who were historically underserved. This suggests that increased student engagement is especially useful for TRIO students who have a similar demographic profile. A national study of students from 30 colleges found the development of academic competence during the first year of college significant with higher grades and persistence towards graduation (Reason, Terenzini, and Domingo, 2006). The gains reported for academic competence documented in the CEHD study are significant for their future success. B. Quantitative Evaluation of Goal #1: Acquisition of Academic and Social Skills Results Section: The central question for the outcomes survey was to what extent has the First Year Experience (PsTL 1525: First Year Inquiry and Learning Community) contributed to your development in the following areas. Students responded to these questions on four-point Likert scale: Not at all, A little, Some, or A lot. For most items, student responses across the two cohorts are not statistically different. Table 3. Student Learning and Development Outcomes 2009-2010 (N=270) 2010-11 (N=260) Some or A lot (%) Some or A lot (%) 73.3% 72.3% b. Recognize weaknesses 72.8 65.0 c. Reflect upon learning 74.1 78.4 83 80.0 Student Learning Objectives and Student Development Objectives 1. Self-awareness a. Recognize strengths d. Follow through on commitments or responsibilities e. Accepting responsibility for personal errors* 76.1 2. Responsibility and Accountability a. Set realistic academic goals 76.4 76.4 b. Develop effective study skills 86** 67.7** c. Understand what professors expect academically 78.8 84.1 d. Meet classroom academic expectations 82.8 86.4 74 74.5 e. Balance social and academic life 171 Student Learning Objectives and Student Development Objectives f. Contribute to a respectful classroom environment 2009-2010 (N=270) 2010-11 (N=260) Some or A lot (%) Some or A lot (%) 83.5 88.8 g. Recovering from disappointment and continuing to work successfully* 75.0 3. Engaging Diversity a. Respect diverse viewpoints of others 87.2 91.5 78 78.5 c. Work with others from diverse background 85.7 89.2 d. Critique and express ideas from multiple perspectives 82.3 79.2 b. Critically examine my own values and beliefs e. Recognizing advantages of moving outside my “comfort zone”* 78.8 4. Communicate effectively / Problem Solving a. Communicate with different audiences 78.8 83.5 b. Communicate in a variety of formats 77.3 80.0 c. Analyze situations to identify possible problems 73.6 78.4 d. Select useful resources to solve problems 70.3 76.2 e. Apply what I learned to other courses. 78.4 85.3 f. Apply what I learned in school to life. 76.2 76.1 g. Utilize different strategies for engaging in collaborative work 76.1 h. Seeking out others with different perspectives to improve my decision making* 69.2 5. Collaborative Learning a. Performing complicated tasks without set guidelines* 67.8 b. Working under conditions of uncertainty* 64.4 c. Using different strategies when working collaboratively 82.3 172 Student Learning Objectives and Student Development Objectives 2009-2010 (N=270) 2010-11 (N=260) Some or A lot (%) Some or A lot (%) with peers* d. Taking on different roles as appropriate in response to group needs* e. Working with peers to create new ideas* 82.3 79.4 88.4 *These are new questions added this year to the survey. **Difference between cohorts Discussion Section Implications Section This part of the FYE evaluation raised a series of questions for continued analysis by the faculty members. • One item students responded differently to across the two years was develop effective study skills. Is development of study skills an important area of focus for the FYI? How have instructors’ approach to, emphasis on, or intentionality around study skills changed across the two years? • What specific skills, behaviors, goals within each of these constructs (selfawareness, engaging diversity, communicating effectively, collaborative learning) should be focused on in FYE courses? • Some areas (such as “Seeking out others with different perspectives to improve my decision making”) might more fully develop in later college years. What skills and behaviors will provide a strong base for first-year students to continue development of competency within these areas as they continue their academic journey? C. Qualitative Evaluation of Goal #2 Communicating Effectively Results Section Two themes emerged from qualitative analysis. The first was rhetorical awareness skills. In the FYI courses during fall term that focused more on group communication and in Learning Communities during spring term where students took a public speaking course, students are more aware of one's role in communicating with different audiences and group communication strategies. The second theme that emerged was confidence/ comfort. FYI small groups and LC s developed an environment for students to engage in sharing their own and listening to each other’s ideas, perspectives and opinions on topics discussed in class. The following are two exemplars from the qualitative analysis that illustrate the two themes that emerged. My partner had an inspirational story about her mother as her role model and their 173 struggle through life and finally her move to America. I couldn’t help but be amazed by her story. She had a lot of grammatical errors because English is not her first language but as she read we corrected and she caught many of her own mistakes. I think just my positive comments . . . allowed her to feel confident turning in a final (Then) I read my essay to her. . . My partner listened to my five page long essay with a dropped jaw. When I . . . finished reading my essay she had tears in her eyes and was astonished about the story I had just gotten finished telling. She had nothing but positive feedback and it really helped me build confidence in my final piece. This FYI class has helped me to improve on my critical thinking skills in writing, discussion, and communication. I think that this class will provide me with more skills than I believe it shall give me. I think that this class will help me understand myself by continuously asking myself the same questions. It will hurt my head sometimes with all the homework and papers I’ll have to write but the all the critique and opinions from everyone will help me succeed here at the University of Minnesota because we are a team. Discussion Section FYI small groups and LC s developed an environment for students to engage in sharing their own and listening to each other’s ideas, perspectives and opinions on topics discussed in class. Overall students expressed increased confidence and competence to communicate effectively to different audiences (academic, personal, public, peer) in a variety of forms (oral, visual, performance, and written). D. Qualitative Evaluation of Goal #3 Appreciation of Difference Results Section Students articulate the value of engaging diversity in multiple forms, including cultural, disciplinary, and experiential. Students reflect on how interactions with diverse perspectives inform their ideas and beliefs, whether to challenge, affirm, or refine them. Following are several exemplars from the qualitative analysis that illustrate this finding. I am a very opinionated person and when I feel like I’m right I don’t like to be challenged. This class has shown me that it’s not about being right or wrong, but its understanding that everybody looks through a different lens. My interpretation and my classmates interpretation may not be the same but that doesn’t mean that one of us is wrong it just means that due to different backgrounds and situations we may not look at the problem the same way. This class has given me more diversity in my group of friends and understanding of those of other cultures. It has really pushed me outside of my comfort zone and made me a well-rounded person and therefore more open to others, which I wouldn’t have gotten if I wouldn’t have been introduced to it within this class. Coming from a small town with five African Americans in my graduating class of 500, it is a huge change to 174 come to a University with such great diversity and I think this class has really motivated me to see different cultures and people of other ethnicities in a new way. By being a part of this Learning Community I was able to grow and develop more as a person. This community has really helped me open my eyes to the diversity not only in my classrooms, but on campus and my day to day life as well. Well I have never had a problem with diversity sometimes I did not always know how to approach people of a different ethnicity. With our Learning Community not only did we get to explore different texts by African American authors but heard stories about diversity as well. With the Mock Trial… our groups were chosen at random, making it much easier for me to see past peoples physical differences. Working with people of different backgrounds and ethnicities has definitely torn down any subconscious barriers I may have had in place or put up. I think the Mock Trial or any type of group work that gets everyone involved whether from different cultures or races will benefit anybody in the end. Such as with the Mock Trial, my group was from many different backgrounds. But in the end that did not matter, but what mattered was who we were as people on the inside and what we ultimately contribute to our group. Because at the end of the day we are a community and I think we all had a better understanding that despite differences in looks, it did not matter because we were working together as a team. Interacting with different backgrounds is something that everyone will experience in their lives. This Learning Community has guided me towards seeing things in somewhat of a different light; now I rarely see the physical differences between me and my neighbor. Discussion Section Evidence of student learning and development of appreciation of difference varies across FYI and LC sections. Those FYIs and LC s sections that intentionally create multiple opportunities for students to engage in meaningful and low-stakes ways across difference talk more about their learning in this domain. Similarly, those FYIs and LC s that intentionally integrate students lived experiences with course content also have students talking more about their learning within this domain. Limitations of the FYE Program Evaluation Studies These evaluation studies have several limitations. The first is that the courses studied were limited to those from one academic department within one college within the larger U of M. It is possible a wider range of academic courses served could have fostered different results. Second, the size of the sample for data analysis. Analysis from a longer timer period might have yielded different trends for the results. Third, FYE experience at an open admissions institution might have derived different results than those in this research study. Challenges with Implementation of the FYE Program Creating an FYE program that would serve as a foundational piece of the undergraduate experience in the college of Education and Human Development was a critical challenge that required consultation on multiple levels -- with directors of all of the College’s undergraduate programs, with a wide range of college faculty and with student service staff and advisers. Critical to the success of our Fall and Spring 175 courses was the development of an integrative, credit-bearing, required curriculum whose value could be articulated for all stakeholders. The packaging of our curriculum, aimed at supporting a holistic learning experience -- one that appreciates the interrelated components of cognitive, affective and behavioral development -- was an approach that was not immediately recognizable to all members of the college. Patience and persistence and time for intentional relationship-building and communication, collaboration and consultation, have helped us reach refine key criteria for FYE courses that demonstrate our program’s commitment to our own mission and to the mission of the college. These criteria include: facilitating the College’s diversity mission, creating pathways to CEHD majors, serving as a site for PsTL faculty research on innovations and outcomes related to undergraduate education, building a foundation for longitudinal achievement of University Undergraduate Student Learning and Development Outcomes, and promoting institutional and community engagement. 176 References Adelman, C. (2006). The toolbox revisited. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved from http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/toolboxrevisit/index.html Baker, S., & Pomerantz, N. (2000). Impact of learning communities on retention at a metropolitan university. 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T., & Terenzini, P. T. (2004). How college affects students: A third decade of research. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Reason, R. D., Terenzini, P. T., & Domingo, R. J. (2006). First things first: Developing academic competence in the first year of college. Research in Higher Education, 47 (2), 149-175. Retrieved from http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11162005-8884-4 Slavin, R. E. (1995). Cooperative learning: Theory, research, and practice (2nd ed.) Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Stebleton, M., Soria, K., & Albecker, A. (in press). Integrating strengths-based education into a first-year experience curriculum. Journal of College and Character. Trites, J. & Kampsen, A. (2012. April). Serving Immigrant Students in TRIO SSS: Bridging Student Services and Academic Programming. Paper presented at the Minnesota/Wisconsin Spring TRIO Conference, Duluth, MN. Tucker, J. (1999). Tinto's Model and successful college transitions. Journal of College Student Retention; 1(2), 163-75. Turner, C. S. 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The Forum on Public Policy. 178 SSS Horizons Study Abroad Experience TRIO Student Support Services Program Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN) For more information: Rosa Villarreal, [email protected] https://www.purdue.edu/horizons/ Approved October 31, 2016 as a Validated Practice by the EOA National Best Practices Center, http://besteducationpractices.org Revised 10/31/16 Readers utilizing this education practice are requested to send a brief email how it was used. Send to the EOA Center at [email protected] Abstract Purdue University’s Horizons in Spain experience is the third opportunity to expand global educational opportunities for traditionally underrepresented groups. Prior to the generous grant provided to Horizons by the Office of the Provost, Horizons staff supported and encouraged students to study abroad, however participation was negatively affected due to cost, a general lack of information, and low confidence in their abilities to travel abroad. In the study abroad excursions to South Africa and Costa Rica, student confidence levels were measured through pre and post evaluations which ultimately revealed that 100% of participants increased in confidence in the following areas: navigating through unfamiliar environments, cross-cultural communication, knowledge of their discipline in a global context, ability to perform a job in a global context, and ability to make a difference in the world, among others. Acknowledgments: In 2012, a true collaboration formed between the Study Abroad Office and Horizons Student Support Services to address the need to provide Purdue University students from vulnerable backgrounds access to study abroad at a reduced rate. The Office of the Provost provided Horizons with a generous grant to make these efforts a reality. We would like to thank Michael Brzezinski, Brian Harley, Nancy Bennett, and Addison Sheldon for all of their support and advocacy for this tremendous opportunity. Additionally we would like to thank the International Studies Abroad Agency (ISA) for their pre-departure and in-country support. We would specifically like to mention the ISA staff in Valencia including Manuel Gutierrez, Zaray Garcia, Raquel Lujan, and Julio Corpas from ISA Madrid. Thank you to the Horizons team for maintaining operations while we were gone. Lastly, thank you to everyone who made this study abroad experience a possibility for the 20 students who attended. 179 Need for the Practice It was obvious that there existed a need for outreach to this particular group of students and in recognizing this need, Horizons was granted another year of subsidized funding. The Horizons in Spain experience will once again provide a framework for Purdue in increasing the number of first-generation, low income college students who are more knowledgeable about and are participating in study abroad experiences. Horizons is leading outreach efforts on Purdue’s campus to strengthen participants’ knowledge about the benefits of study abroad and the opportunities that exist, develop an awareness of study abroad scholarships that can subsidize their experience, and increase confidence in first-generation college-goers that they can study abroad and do so successfully. Those students who applied to the Horizons Spain course listed the following motivations for pursuing the Valencia opportunity (indicated in order of the most referenced reasoning) in the subsequent chart. Personal Growth* Affordability* Horizons Support* Professional Growth* Specific Location* Independence & Responsibility* Travel Co-Curricular Involvement Long-Term Study Abroad Preparation Global Education Short-Term Nature Home-Stay Experience Architectural and Historical Perspective Leadership Skills Cultural Exposure Cultural Awareness Language Immersion *Indicated reasoning in more than 90% of student applications Description of the Practice The Horizons staff created the course to last the duration of three weeks because they felt the students would not gain as great of an impact in a shortened time frame and would avoid the financial constraints that come with a semester abroad. A three week session left ample time for students to develop within the global leadership course and allow them an opportunity to explore the culture and climate of Valencia. The Horizons staff chose to shift the experience from a service learning program to that of global leadership. After evaluating the two previous experiences it became apparent that the in-country program staff found it difficult and were oftentimes unsuccessful in securing a community agency to commit to hosting Horizons students within their requested area of service learning for 40 hours. As a result, Horizons revised the curriculum and based 180 it in global leadership with a service learning component (significantly scaled down to 10 hours). Application Process A study abroad application was required of all students who were interested in the Horizons study abroad course (see Appendix for the application). Student eligibility requirements were as follows: students were required to have been enrolled in Horizons for at least one semester, be in good academic standing at the university, and not scheduled to graduate in May. Once applications were submitted, each student had to submit a non-refundable deposit of $200 by the due date of February 17, 2014. Horizons staff met on February 21, 2014 to review student applications utilizing the scoring rubric included in Appendix B. A total of 25 students applied and submitted deposits with a limited 20 available spots. After a lengthy review and discussion, a decision on the final list of participants was sent out on February 24, 2014. Two students were placed on a waiting list however all original participants remained in the program. Student Demographics The student makeup representing STEM fields is 45%, lower than the two previous study abroad programs where STEM field students were the majority participants. There was more diversity in areas of studies represented including liberal arts, college of education, and exploratory studies. Female participants far outweighed the males 4:1 and the underrepresented minority (URM) population mirrored the overall percentage of URM students participating in Horizons at 35%. 80% of students were in-state residents. 100% of students fall within the federal poverty income levels and 65% are low income and first-generation to attend a four year institution. Pre-Departure Student Meetings Over the course of the spring semester Horizons study abroad students were required to attend four pre-departure meetings. Each meeting was offered twice to maximize the availability for students. The instructors served as the primary facilitators and Nancy guided students to ensure they completed all Office of Study Abroad requirements. Pre-departure meeting #1 took place on March 5 & 6, 2014 to serve as an opportunity to introduce the students to each other through an icebreaker activity. Nancy also went over their My Study Abroad mandatory forms, ISA mandatory forms, reviewed the budget sheet, and she announced the scholarship opportunity and instructions. Financial aid was also touched on in this meeting, encouraging students to speak with a financial aid representative if they were going to utilize their FAFSA for summer session. Pre-departure meeting #2 took place on March 24 & 27, 2014 and was centered on Addison Sheldon’s presentation on Intercultural Awareness. Addison’s approach was hands-on and prompted students to challenge cultural assumptions. Housekeeping materials such as reminders to turn in forms also took place. Pre-departure meeting #3 took place on April 9 & 10, 2014 and was led by Horizons staff. The meeting covered a variety of topics such as: details about the Barcelona 181 excursion, currency conversion, course registration, ISA remaining forms, in-country safety, journal assignments, the Horizons abroad Facebook group, reflection assignments, and the enneagram assessment. Pre-departure #4, the final meeting took place on April 23 & 24, 2014, Nancy opened the meeting by discussing student health insurance and the study abroad photo contest. We also had two Purdue students studying abroad from Spain talk to the students about their culture, in-country expectations, and recommendations when visiting their country. The meeting was closed by addressing the following topics: travel details, Barcelona, currency exchange, emergency loans, day one itinerary, homestay information, adapters/converters, instructor personal contact information, and a question and answer session. Evaluations Two evaluations were disseminated to students, a pre-evaluation distributed through email on April 23, 2014 via Qualtrics, and a post-evaluation was distributed upon return from Spain on June 9, 2014 via Qualtrics. The pre-evaluation focused on the student’s general confidence, knowledge, abilities, and skills in relation to studying abroad. The post-evaluation focused on confidence levels in regards to how prepared the students were travelling abroad and how they adapted to living in another culture. All evaluations were collected and analyzed to include in this report. Global Leadership Curricula The Global Leadership course was developed to include didactic content on global leadership while immersed in the city of Valencia, Spain. The instructors and guest lecturers aimed to develop student understanding of global leadership success strategies and the skills to enhance leadership effectiveness as well as instruction on incorporating their experiences in career development. As students explored Spain together they were exposed to a breadth of diverse cultural experiences in which students were challenged to reflect on their emotional response and active participation within Spanish culture and integrate these into their personal and professional world view. Course Objectives The course was centered on the following objectives: 1. To provide a framework for the concept of global leadership. 2. To enhance student understanding of cross cultural competencies as it relates to: a. A willingness to engage b. Cognitive flexibility and emotional regulation c. Ethno cultural empathy and tolerance of uncertainty d. Self-efficacy 3. Through investigating leadership across various cultures students will have an opportunity to reframe their definition of leadership through multiple lenses. 182 4. Through a discussion of cross cultural experiences students will learn to incorporate their study abroad experience into a networking context. 5. To provide classroom based opportunity for students to debrief on the impact of their cultural immersion. The syllabus was centered on integral components that included the Horizons instructor and guest lectures, cultural and social immersion, personal and professional impact (see Appendix for the course syllabus). Service Learning Sites All students took part in a service learning experience as a part of the course. The service learning included work at two different sites over the course of three days. The sites were selected by the ISA staff in Valencia. Feria de Primavera On Saturday, May 17th and Sunday, May 18th Horizons students and staff travelled with ISA staff to the Jardines del Real (Garden Nurseries) to volunteer at the Feria de Primavera. This is an annual fair designed for social integration of individuals who are mentally handicapped. The fair had a variety of booths and activities that required volunteers, the students were able to volunteer at a variety of locations over the course of the two days. Activities that students took part in included: monitoring bounce houses, overseeing soccer games, face painting, braiding hair, and helping children as they put on or removed their harnesses for the climbing wall and zip line. Students had the opportunity to put into practice the global leadership skills that they had been learning as they interacted with families who had attended the fair. The majority of students were very pleased with this service learning experience; they felt that it was a fantastic opportunity to be immersed into Valencian culture. A number of students listed volunteering at the Feria Primavera among their favorite experiences of the entire trip. Colegio Cavite Between May 19th and May 27th Horizons students travelled to a local elementary school, Colegio Cavite in Valencia, to volunteer at an afterschool program entitled Refuerzo Escolar. Students were divided into four groups and each group volunteered for two hours. The ages of children that the Horizons students worked with varied between the groups. While at the afterschool program Horizons students were able to assist the Valencian students with their homework, play games with them, or just have conversations with the students. Student responses to this experience were varied. Some students reported that the service learning activity was incredibly impactful and they felt that they made good connections with the students. Others reported that they did not get much out of the experience and they felt that they weren’t given enough information preceding the activity. 183 Cultural Excursions Students were given the opportunity to experience Spainish history and culture through a variety of cultural excursions throughout Valencia, as well as other cities in Spain. There were seven events within Valencia that were organized by ISA: a walking tour, movie night, bike tour, a vsit to a farm and paella resurant, The Valencia Museum of the Enlightenment and Modernity, flamenco show, and the Oceanografic. Additionally, ISA planned tours of Toledo and Madrid, while Horizons staff planned a weekend excursion to Barcelona. Old Valencia Walking Tour On our first full day in Valencia the students and Horizons staff had the opportunity to take a walking tour of the portion of the city known as Old Valencia. The tour, which was contucted by ISA staff member Zaray Garcia, began at the Torres de Serranos towers. The towers were designed to defend the city and wind through Old Valencia before ending at the city’s bull-fighting ring. During this tour students were introduced to the history of the city and the role that it has played in Spains history. During the tour students had an opportunity to see the Plaza de la Virgen, where the Roman forum was located, as well as the Valencia cathedral and the Tribunal de las Aguas, where city leaders would decide how much water would be released for the irrigation of crops. The tour also took us past El Mercado central, which has been the city’s central market since 1928. This market is home to over 900 vendors selling fresh seafood, meat, and produce from around the area. Movie Night After three busy days filled with traveling, exploring and even getting a little lost the group was tired and was hoping for a quieter evening. Fortunately ISA planned for the group to take part in a screening of a movie. On the evening of May 14th we met at the ISA office before walking to a nearby college campus to attend part of a series on films that were based on the works of William Shakespeare. That particular evening the film being show was 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), a comedy based on Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. The film, which was shown in English with Spanish subtitles, was a nice taste of home for our students. Following the movie there was a brief discussion comparing the film to the play upon which it was based. Bike Tour The Turia River flowed through the heart of Valencia for most of the city’s history. However, following a catostrophic flood in the 1950’s the path of the river was diverted south of the city and the original riverbed was converted into an eight kilometer city park. On May 15th we had the opportunity to take a bike tour of this park with Zaray Garcia of ISA. This excursion gave us a unique view of the city as we traveled through the park. Approximately a quarter of the way through the tour we stopped to have a picnic lunch as a group, students ate their meals provided by their host families. In addition to learning about the history of the river and the activities that it offers to its patrons we were also able to see the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (City of Arts and Sciences) which we would return to later in our tour. 184 Huerta Valenciana and Paella When looking over the planned activities before departing for Spain many of us were looking forward to the paella cooking demonstration. We, incorrectly, assumed that we would be attending this demonstration in a classroom or restaurant setting within Valencia. Instead Manuel Gutierrez, our guide from ISA, led us out of Valencia to a small farm just north of the city. When we arrived at our destination we were greeted by our host Toni who owned the farm and restaurant we were visiting that day. Valencia C.F. Match A staple of European life is the importance of futbol, or soccer to Americans. While experiencing a match was not initially on the planned schedule our ISA contacts were able to help us procure tickets for the final match of the season for the Valencia Club Fubol team. Eighteen of the twenty students, along with the two Horizons leaders attended the Valencia and Celta de Vigo match on Saturday May, 17th. While many students were not very familiar with the rules of soccer they all enjoyed the experience of seeing professional European soccer and cheered Valencia C.F. onto a 2-1 victory to end out the season. Museum of the Enlightenment and Modernity On Tuesday, May 20th the group visited the Museum of the Enlightenment and Modernity (MUVIM) to attend an exhibition entitled “The Adventure of Thought.” This exhibition combined live performances, multi-media displays, and architectural elements to introduce the changes that occurred through the Enlightenment. The presentation began at the end of the medieval period and progressed through the modern era, focusing on new inventions and ideas that arose during this period of history. Many of the students reported that this was their favorite museum that we had the opportunity to visit, most often due to the unique nature of the exhibition. This was certainly a once in a lifetime experience to have. Flamenco Performance Flamenco dancing is one of the indelible images of Spanish culture. This is a style of dance that grew out of Romani and Andalusian dances and music. Flamenco incorporates singing, guitar, clapping and dancing. We had the opportunity to see a traditional Flamenco show on May 22nd. The group met at the ISA office before taking the bus to the edge of Old Valencia. From there we walked to a small club that was already teeming with people. We found seats, if possible, or places to stand, and watched as the cantaor began to sing. The dancers would alternate in the front, stomping, clapping, and spinning along with the music. Because of the nature of the venue the entire experience felt simultaneously like an intimate performance solely for our group while also allowing us to feel as though we were fully immersed into Spanish culture. Oceanografic Our last cultural excursion in Valencia was to the Oceanografic which is a part of the City of Arts and Sciences. Students were able to explore the aquarium at their leisure as they made their way through six different installations simulating a variety of water 185 based ecosystems. The aquarium also included a large aviary as well as the Great Dolphinarium. Some students spent the majority of their day at the aquarium so that they could attend the dolphin show in the afternoon. Barcelona Excursion Horizons leaders pre-planned an excursion to Barcelona, Spain during the study abroad free weekend. The excursion to Barcelona was not included in the overall study abroad cost and was optional for students to attend. All 20 students opted to participate in the excursion and on Friday, May 23rd students and staff left Valencia to travel to Barcelona by train. While in the city we stayed at the EquityPoint hostel, centrally located to offer us easy access to many of the top tourist destinations as well as ample shopping and dining locations. Additionally, students were able to experience a traditional European hostel, complete with meeting other travelers from around Europe. Toledo Excursion On our second to last day in Spain we traveled with ISA Director Manuel Gutierrez to Toledo, Spain for the day. When we arrived we were dropped off at the edge of the old city of Toledo, which is demarcated by the original city walls. Toledo has been an important city throughout the history of Spain. It was the original capital city of Castile before the capital was relocated to Madrid. The city is most widely known for an expanse of time in which Muslims, Jews, and Christians co-existed peacefully. During our visit to the city we were taken on a guided walking tour and were able to see the influences of these three cultures throughout the city. One of our stops along the tour was at Santa Maria la Blanca, the oldest synagogue building in Europe, constructed by the Moors, and is now owned by the Catholic Church. On our tour students learned about the works of the famous artist El Greco, who lived in Toledo for the final 37 years of his life. Upon completion of the tour the students were given time to explore the city more if they chose to. Madrid Excursion The group spent the final two days in Spain exploring the capital city of Madrid. Upon arrival we took a walking tour of part of the city, starting with El Madrid de los Austrias. This was the original city center of Madrid and was built during the reign of the Habsburgs and is home to the Plaza Mayor which was originally home to bullfights and coronations. During the tour we were given more insight into the history of Madrid and had the opportunity to see many of the original governmental buildings in the area. Historic buildings demonstrated the rich cultural heritage of the Spanish metropolis and gave the students a deeper understanding of the country we had called home for the past three weeks. Resources Needed to Implement the Practice The International Studies Abroad agency (ISA) Nancy Bennett collaborated with a reputable study abroad agency, the International Studies Abroad Agency (ISA). ISA is a study abroad provider whose mission is to 186 provide high quality education abroad opportunities to college students from around the world at an affordable price (studiesabroad.com). Our personal representative from the domestic ISA office was Allison DeCarlo, Custom Program Manager based in Austin, TX. Together, Nancy and Allison served as the primary facilitators for all information relevant to the pre-departure experience. The ISA Abroad office contacts in Valencia, Spain were Manuel Gutierrez, the Center Director, Zaray Garcia, Coordinator of Student Services, and Raquel Lujan, Coordinator of Student Services. The ISA staff members arranged all in-country programming including ground transportation, housing, orientation, classroom logistics, cultural event planning, excursion accompaniment and planning, guest lecturer coordination, and service-learning site selection (please see Appendix C for the program itinerary). Program Evaluation Student Learning Outcomes Student Learning Outcome #1; Results: 100% / 15% increase • Benchmark: 90% of Horizons students participating in the Global Leadership abroad program will increase his or her ability to appreciate others from different backgrounds he or she encounters as evidenced by fulfilling and passing course requirements and the pre and post evaluation resulting in at least a 10% increase. • Domains: Diversity & Intercultural Development; Personal Development • Tools: Course requirements: journal writing, final assignment; Overall participation; All evaluations: pre & post evaluations, non-comparative evaluation • Data Source: Qualtrics evaluation; Banner grade system; Grade log Student Learning Outcome #2; Result: 100% / 15% increase • Benchmark: 90% of Horizons students participating in the Global Leadership abroad program will increase his or her confidence in functioning effectively in a new environment or system as evidenced by successfully completing their program in a homestay, fulfilling and passing course requirements and completing the pre and post evaluation resulting in at least a 10% increase. • Domains: Diversity & Intercultural Development; Personal Development • Tools: Course requirements: journal writing, final assignment; Overall participation; All evaluations: pre & post evaluations, non-comparative evaluation • Data Source: Qualtrics evaluation; Banner grade system; Grade log Student Learning Outcome #3; Result: 100% / 15% increase • Benchmark: 90% of Horizons students participating in the Global Leadership abroad program will increase his or her ability and confidence to demonstrate a level of facility communicating with people from other ethnic and/or linguistic backgrounds as evidenced by successfully completing their program in a homestay, fulfilling and passing course requirements and completing pre and post evaluation resulting in at least a 10% increase. 187 • • • Domains: Collaboration & Interpersonal Skills; Diversity & Intercultural Development Tools: Course requirements: journal writing, final assignment; All evaluations: pre & post evaluations, non-comparative evaluation Data Source: Qualtrics evaluation; Banner grade system; Grade log Student Learning Outcome #4; Result: 100% • Benchmark: 90% of Horizons students participating in the Global Leadership abroad program will develop his or her own personal understanding of the concept of global leadership as evidenced by attending class lectures and completing reflection assignments with a C or better. • Domains: Academic Success; Diversity & Intercultural Development • Tools: Course requirements: journal writing, final assignment; All evaluations: pre & post evaluations, non-comparative evaluation • Data Source: Qualtrics evaluation; Banner grade system; Grade log Course Assignments: Data was collected from the following assignments to use for evaluation of the students for purposes of their course grade and for evaluation of the learning experience provided through the program. • Journal Writing: A portion of the students’ grade was directed at maintaining a structured journal throughout the course (see Appendix H for the journal assignment guidelines). The journal intention is to focus and reflect on their responses to lectures, their cultural and social exposure, and overall daily personal feelings toward their time abroad. There were a total of 8 journal logs that each student had to complete for the course. All journals were collected on a weekly basis by the instructors for grading and insight into student’s experience. • Student Blogs: Students were to contribute to the study abroad site by submitting one blog entry on an assigned date that reflects on their experience up to that point. The submission was expected to include two pictures and a word requirement of 400-500. The blog was worth a total of 20 points. The blog is located on the following website: http://horizonsvalencia.blogspot.com/. • Class Participation & Guest Lectures: Students were required to attend all lectures and meetings assigned for the course. There were five lectures on Global Leadership given by Horizons leaders, 5 guest lectures, and 8 debriefing hours added onto lectures led by Horizons staff. • Final Reflection Essay: Students were required to submit a six to nine page final reflection paper due by June 16, 2014 (see Appendix). The final paper was separated into five sections: personal impact, professional impact, social and cultural impact, and re-acclimation with appropriate citations. 188 o Personal impact- The personal reflection provided an opportunity for students to revisit their journal entries to sum up most meaningful experiences in Spain that prompted personal growth. Students were challenged to confront the expectations they had going into the trip and determine if they met, exceeded expectations, or fell short of expected. o Professional impact- The professional impact reflection pertained to the Global Leadership lectures and their summation of what global leadership means to them as it pertains to their career path. Students were asked to reflect on their professional growth as it relates to their development while in Spain and connect it to integrating the experience into their professional pursuits once they return to their country. o Social impact- This section gave students an opportunity to discuss personal observations based on politics and the economy. Students were to compare the similarities and/or differences between Spain and the United States political and economic systems. The students determined what impact, if any, their service learning hours had on a personal level. o Cultural impact- This section allowed students to discuss what they observed during their experience and express their personal viewpoints of Spain overall. Students were to apply what they learned from their guest lecturers to their time abroad. Students were also asked to reflect on their homestay experience and discuss how this method of cultural immersion impacted their time abroad. Finally, students reflected on whether their perspective and thought process of Spain has changed and how living in this country compares to living in the United States. o Re-acclimation- Students wrote their reactions to re-acclimating to the U.S. once they returned. After reviewing their journal entries they were prompted to determine if their perception of the experience shifted once they have been taken out of study abroad context. 189 Pre and Post Comparative Results Students were asked to rate their confidence in the areas of general knowledge, abilities, and skills according to the topics below (T1-T12). 4.5 4 3.5 3 2.5 Pre-Test n=19 2 Post-Test n=14 1.5 1 0.5 0 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 T9 T10 T11 T12 T1: Goal Setting T2: Navigation through unfamiliar environment T3: Cross-cultural communication T4: Ability to solve problems T5: Ability to solve conflict T6: Knowledge of your discipline in a global context T7: Ability to get a job in your field of study T8: Ability to perform your job in a global context T9: Ability to make a difference in the world T10: Ability to lead others T11: Achieving your life’s aspirations T12: Taking action to decrease other people’s suffering One of the biggest obstacles that first-generation, low-income students face in their journey to study abroad aside from financial constraint is low-confidence in their abilities to study abroad. We felt it important to prove the direct impact on confidence levels a study abroad opportunity has on students from underprivelaged backgrounds and the overall growth they experience. In summary, student confidence levels increased by an average of 15% across all topic levels and individual topics each indicated a measure of increase. The topic that experienced the greatest growth in student confidence was their ability to perform their job in a global context with a 31% increase. Cross-cultural communication experienced an average increase of 27% while the topics of navigation 190 through unfamiliar environments, knowledge of their discipline in a global context, and ability to get a job in their field of study each increased by 22%. 7.3 Non Comparative Post Results Students were asked to indicate their study abroad preparedness post study abroad according to the topics indicated below (T1-T11). N=17 14 12 10 Strongly Agree Agree 8 Indifferent 6 Disagree 4 Strongly Disagree 2 0 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 T9 T10 T11 T1: Feel better equipped to become a leader T2: Function in your host country’s culture and society T3: Practice your discipline in different social or cultural settings T4: Professionally collaborate with persons in your service-learning environment T5: Work in a cross-cultural environment T6: Approach problems from different perspectives T7: I accept cultural differences and am tolerant of other cultures T8: I know one or more people from another culture to the point where my ideas about that culture have changed. T9: I am much more confident and self-reliant since studying abroad T10: I have much more empathy for other people’s suffering T11: I gained more from my service-learning project than I gave 191 Student’s were asked to rate their overall study abroad experience: 12 10 8 Exceptional Excellent 6 Good Fair 4 Poor 2 0 Student’s were asked to rate how confident they are in referring to this experience in future job interviews or at career fairs. 9 8 7 6 5 Extremely Very Moderately 4 3 Somewhat Not Confident 2 1 0 Student’s were asked to indicate which of th following were important to them: 192 5 4.5 4 3.5 3 2.5 2 N=17 1.5 1 0.5 0 Learning a foreign Knowledge of other Knowledge of global Knowledge of your language cultures and ways of events academic discipline thinking in a global context Student Written Responses- Post Evaluation The most valuable experience while abroad was: • Learning about myself and about global leadership in general. I did not realize that global leadership had so many different aspects to it. I also really, really enjoyed my homestay experience. • Being able to freely explore the community around me while also having the guidance of Horizons and ISA for special once in a lifetime cultural experiences. • The homestay experience because it completely engulfed me in the culture right away. I learned more about the Spanish culture sitting a the dinner table with my family than I ever could in a class room. • The entire home stay experience because I got to learn the culture first hand and get to know some great people. (3) • Being able to immerse myself into another country’s culture and be able to appreciate it and accept it. • When we helped out at the festival for one weekend. I enjoyed volunteering and bringing joy to so many children’s faces. It was a huge learning experience. (2) • My homestay. I think that this was very valuable for me because I had the opoortunity to practice speaking the language and to learn more about the culture. My homestay mother only spoke Spanish, that was good for me and I was able to better my Spanish speaking skills. I had a good experience with the homestay and build good realationships with my home stay mom, daughter and roommate while abroad. I also enjoyed the homestay because we got to have Spanish food made for us and also got to see how Spanish people live and adapt to their culture. It was great because we got to experience the homestay while also beign able to see the big cities and other major cultural aspects of the country. 193 • • • Growing as an individual. Living with a homestay family who spoke little to no English. (3 responses) Being able to socialize and practice my language skills with my homestay family. Living within an independently operating family was a bit strange but they were so welcoming and helpful. I am still in contact with them and plan on staying in contact for years to come. I feel like their home was a great place to take in all the cultural information from that day and really evaluate what I learned and saw. Please provide a brief comment on the effectiveness of the global leadership course and its instructors (Josh and Rosa). • They did a fantastic job making the information educational, relevant, interesting, and thought-provoking. • I must admit, going in I didn’t expect much from the class other than it being a small requirement for the rest of the trip. I assumed it would be easy and a lot of material that I already knew about. I quickly found out that I was dead wrong and I learned more about the world and myself than I could ever expect to have had. • I was truly pleased with the curriculum of the trip. I felt like it was a great mixture of focused lecture, application, group discussion, and self reflection. I appreciated the instructors ability to engage the class by being knowledgeable on the subject, as well as open to sharing personal thoughts and experiences. • The lectures were truly eye opening and in all honesty I was expecting it to be pretty much information I had already heard due to the fact that I felt that I have always been culturally sensitive but I was blown away by the different ways of thinking and the personal stories and the impact that the class had on me. Josh and Rosa definitely taught me lessons that I will never forget and that will use for the rest of my life. • I really enjoyed the course and the class structure was very effective. The topics covered in class were interesting and useful for all different areas of study. The class was set up for discussion which was also very good. Josh and Rosa kept the class engaged and I personally did not mind going to class at all. • I think for the first time since I have been in college, I was genuinely happy to go to class and learn. Rosa and Josh did a tremendous job teaching the global leadership course. I learned so much about myself and what it takes to lead in a global environment. I also believe that what I learned can be put into practice in my daily life since Purdue is global. • The global leadership course was actually really great. I wasn’t sure what to expect at first, but I learned a lot about myself, my peers, and the world as well. Josh and Rosa were absolutely great instructors and perfect for teaching this course. They were very informative and enthusiastic. They went above and beyond with the lecture and really tried to incorporate us, the students, and make sure we understood what they were teaching. • It really went into a lot of detail on what it takes to be a leader. Not only on the outside but also what you need to desire as a persona and willingness to be involved and help others. Our instructors were the best instructors I could have ever asked for. They were so unselfish and tried to accommodate everyone 194 • • • • • • • equally. They solved problems that came their way and I always felt safe with them. I ended up learning more than I expected in this course and mostly because my instructors took the time in finding concepts that related to us and the course. They did a great job with making sure we understood the material and that we benefitted from it. I thought that this class was very effective. I thought that Josh and Rosa both shared stories that helped them become global leaders and they are both great examples for us. I could not have asked for two better staff members to go on a trip like this. Josh and I have a lot in common, so we both get along that way and Rosa is very easty to talk to and always very nice. Both are excellent role models and teachers. The course was very effective. I never usderstood why going to Spain was going to help me be a global leader but then I faced many challenges and such, the class helped me realize what was going on. The course was very interesting and the way that both Josh and Rosa taught it made all the classes more fun, personal, and engaging. I think Josh and Rosa lead the program so well. They made me feel safe no matter where I was. They solved any problems I had and they never hesitated once to help me. They did a good job. They try to keep us in their lectures by relating to us and asking questions. Student Reflections Over the course of the study abroad experience students were given the opportunity to reflect on their experiences through assigned journals and their final reflection paper. Due to space limitations for this submission, only two assessments are included. Male Student: In all honesty, I wasn’t expecting to grow personally from the study abroad experience as a whole and was humbly shocked with the results. After a mentally exhausting semester, I came into this study abroad experience with the mindset that I was going on vacation; I never imagined that I would learn things about others and myself that would impact my life forever. I saw myself rise to the challenge in unfamiliar situations and broaden my understanding of new concepts to mature personally. I gained in the fact that I realized the most important thing to me is my relationships with others and immediately after arriving home I came across an article where a man was asked what his greatest fear was; I thought his response correlated with my personal growth and who I want to be as a person from the result of my time in Spain. He replied "Turning 40 and not having a personal life, finding out that I've gotten where I want to be, but there's nobody in my life to care about where I am or what I've done." These personal connections I make with people are what drive me to improve on my life professionally and I attribute my success so far from maintaining these. 195 This course has challenged me in ways I never thought possible, strengthened my bonds with fellow Boilermakers and Horizons students, and has ultimately made me a better person. Being an effective leader is contributed by knowing who you are as a person and I felt that this trip has allowed me to gain better insight into who I am and will ultimately lead to my success as a global leader. I have gained a new understanding of a culture different than my own, improved on the use of the Spanish language, and have learned how to work with people from different cultures in a positive manner. I am very appreciative to have been a part of something that has changed my life and I know that the combination of in class work and being able to experience Spain outside of the classroom has given me skills that I wouldn’t have gained otherwise that I could put into practice in real life. I have never before cried when leaving a group of people or a place until I left Valencia and everyone I met on this trip truly will hold a special place in my heart. Words cannot express my gratitude and the depth of knowledge I have gained; I cannot wait to apply the skills and experiences I have gained on to Purdue’s campus and to be a global leader for years to come. Female Student: The study abroad trip to Spain with Horizons was an experience that I will always carry with me. I visited new places, absorbed different cultures and history, but most importantly I looked inward at myself in ways that I have never done before. I learned things about myself during the three weeks studying abroad that I will never forget. I continue to use the information that we were taught in our classes to try and fully understand myself and those around me. The impact this trip had on me personally is something I will never forget, or ever be able to reproduce ever again. One of the most meaningful experiences to me was shortly after our third class over the Enneagram material. [At first] I was confused and a little upset. My feelings were hard to describe to people, and I felt alone in our group. I didn’t want to ask for help, or burden anyone with my problems. I finally got to the point where I couldn’t handle my thoughts and I needed help. I needed to talk to someone with how I was feeling and I needed to understand more about the enneagram works. I asked Josh for help, and he was happy to meet with me and offer his guidance about the Enneagram. That moment is one of the most memorable to me because he was willing help me when I needed it. I learned more about myself and I felt much less confused when I went home that night. I even got to learn a little bit about Josh, which is one of my favorite things about being in a group of people. I love hearing stories and learning more about them as a person. It means a lot to me when someone is willing to set aside time to help me or others. As an individual, I have changed in many ways. I understand myself so much more than I did before. The enneagram test was so eye-opening and allowed me to see myself from a new angle. At first I was very flustered and upset by the results of the test, but now I embrace who I am, and I can hopefully continue to work towards a healthy place in my life. I was not expecting to change in how I look at myself… I thought I would change more in the cultural sense. I originally thought I would have practiced my 196 Spanish a little bit more, and have really delved deep into the Spanish culture. I seem to have gotten more self-evaluation and growth out of this trip than anything else. I was very surprised that I was affected so deeply by the Enneagram test. It is such a big breath of relief when you can read something about yourself, and know that it’s okay to be who you are. When people judge you, or they don’t like you for your personality, it can be a really big blow to your self-esteem. When you realize that they are not better or worse than you are, just different, it makes you feel so much better about yourself and opens you to new people and things. Final Grades Participation Journal Blog Final Paper Total Grade 100 79 20 97 296 99% A+ 100 68 20 74 262 87% B+ 95 78.5 20 94 287.5 96% A 100 79 20 97 296 99% A+ 100 80 20 93 293 98% A 100 78 20 88 286 95% A 100 77 20 93 290 97% A+ 100 73.5 20 97 290.5 97% A 100 80 20 97 297 99% A+ 90 80 20 99 289 96% A 95 78 20 93 286 95% A 100 79 20 87 286 95% A 100 74.5 20 80 274.5 92% A- 95 80 20 92.5 287.5 96% A 75 64 20 91 250 83% B 95 69 20 94 278 93% A 100 78 20 98 296 99% A+ 100 78.5 20 97 295.5 99% A+ 100 77.5 20 90 96% A 100 76 20 71 89% B+ 287.5 267 197 Appendix A Co-Instructor Position Description & Application Instructor Responsibilities 1. Passport required prior to study abroad departure. 2. Participate in pre-departure meetings and assist in collection of required paperwork. 3. Travel alongside students to and from host country. 4. Act in a professional and responsible manner. 5. Contribute to student inclusion and camaraderie. 6. Assist in development of course curriculum and co-teach course as part of program. 7. In conjunction with Instructor I, act as a 24-hour student point of contact in charge of the overall welfare of students. 8. Travel to service learning sites to assess student experiences. 9. Instructors will create and maintain a blog throughout their time abroad to relay their experiences to university networks. 10. Assist in resolving all student affairs related issues, including housing and student behavioral incidents. 11. Assist in supervising excursions or activities that form part of the program. 12. Be accessible to students at reasonable times in the case of emergency. 13. Support Instructor I with the evaluation process before, during, and after the service learning experience. 14. Support co-Instructor with the interpretation of data and timeline of events for reporting purposes. 15. As you see that students are beginning to see the world in a new light: 16. Facilitate new perspectives about the world, including differences and similarities. 17. Help students interpret what they see and experience. 18. Challenge students with pointed questions and new ideas. 19. Allow students reach their own conclusions based on their experiences and observations. Perspective Instructor Questions: • Please explain why you are applying to fill the role of Instructor II, why do you wish to co-lead a study abroad experience? • Participation in the study abroad experience will most certainly affect your professional development in higher education and possibly beyond, please elaborate. • How do you anticipate contributing to this experience and what leadership skills do you exhibit that will aid you in such a responsibility? How will this complement Rosa’s role as Instructor I? • Please explain what Instructor Professionalism means to you? Lesson Plan: Candidates are to develop a lesson plan for an hour long class centered on Global Leadership as it relates to career development. This is to be general in nature, not specific to a host country but easily transferrable once a country is chosen. The lesson plan should include the following components: Introduction of topic and objective; Content outline; Discussion Questions; and Group activity 198 Appendix B In-Country Program Itinerary 199 200 Appendix C Course Syllabus 201 202 Appendix D Journal Assignment 203 204 Appendix E Final Reflection Assignment 205 206 SSS Procedures for a Study Abroad Program TRIO Student Support Services Program Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN) For more information: Rosa Villarreal, [email protected] https://www.purdue.edu/horizons/ Approved October 31, 2016 as a Administrative Practice by the EOA National Best Practices Center, http://besteducationpractices.org Revised 10/31/16 Readers utilizing this education practice are requested to send a brief email how it was used. Send to the EOA Center at [email protected] Abstract Purdue University’s Horizons in Spain experience is the third opportunity offered to the program to expand global educational opportunities for traditionally underrepresented groups. It was obvious that there existed a need for outreach to this particular group of students and in recognizing this need. The Horizons in Spain experience provides a framework for Purdue in increasing the number of first-generation, low income college students who are more knowledgeable about and are participating in study abroad experiences. Horizons is leading outreach efforts on Purdue’s campus to strengthen participants’ knowledge about the benefits of study abroad and the opportunities that exist, develop an awareness of study abroad scholarships that can subsidize their experience, and increase confidence in first-generation college-goers that they can study abroad and do so successfully. This administrative best practice focuses on the logistics and procedures for conducting a travel abroad program. The case study is from the recent three-week course in Valencia, Spain and other locations in-country. Description of the Logistics and Procedures Site Selection for Travel Abroad Program Following the 2013 study abroad experience in San Jose, Costa Rica the Horizons staff discussed potential destinations for the upcoming May semester. All conversations centered on Europe with a student feedback emphasis in Spain. Request for Proposals from Travel Abroad Programs Request for proposals were publicized and two proposals were returned for the following programs: CIEE Study Abroad in Alicante, Spain and International Studies Abroad (ISA) in Valencia, Spain. After discussing both proposals the Horizons staff agreed to accept the ISA Valencia, Spain proposal for the following reasons: the 207 proposal was organized and detailed, the service learning experience was structured and led by ISA staff, there were a greater number of guest lectures offered, the homestay offered double student occupancies, promotional fliers were included, the weekend excursion trip incorporated two cities including Toledo and Madrid, and Valencia is the third largest city in Spain and only 200 miles from Barcelona. Altogether we felt that Valencia offered students many opportunities and provided staff clarity and confidence in choosing a well thought-out and detailed program. Study Abroad Leaders The Director of Horizons took the lead in creating a process to determine who would work alongside her as a leader and instructor while abroad in Spain. The Horizons staff members were given a position description (included in Appendix) along with an application to contend for the leadership role. Included in the application were three questions they had to respond to along with instructions on creating a lesson plan centered on global leadership. A review committee was chosen to review and score the two applicants based on a rubric. The study abroad leader selection was finalized in December. Rosa Villarreal and Joshua Milligan served the 2014 experience as the program leaders and instructors. Course Length and Purpose The Horizons staff created the course to last the duration of three weeks because they felt the students would not gain as great of an impact in a shortened time frame and would avoid the financial constraints that come with a semester abroad. A three week session left ample time for students to develop within the global leadership course and allow them an opportunity to explore the culture and climate of Valencia. The Horizons staff chose to shift the experience from a service learning program to that of global leadership. After evaluating the two previous experiences it became apparent that the in-country program staff found it difficult and were oftentimes unsuccessful in securing a community agency to commit to hosting Horizons students within their requested area of service learning for 40 hours. As a result, Horizons revised the curriculum and based it in global leadership with a service learning component (scaled down to 10 hours). The Study Abroad Office Once funds were confirmed and Valencia was chosen as the destination site, Nancy Bennett, Associate Director with the Study Abroad Office, took lead as our liaison for the pre- planning and processing. Nancy participated in the informational sessions and the pre-departure meetings, coordinated the flights for staff and students, and took lead in other responsibilities non-course related. Nancy also initiated the partnership with International Studies Abroad (ISA), the organization that the Study Abroad Office contracted to facilitate the program in the host country of Spain. Course Advertisement The request for proposal submissions were forwarded to the Director of Horizons on November 25, 2013 and the final destination and agency was chosen on December 2, 2013. Information about the study abroad program was not officially released until spring semester once all the necessary information was compiled and students returned 208 from winter break. An informative email was disseminated to all Horizons students on January 10th, 2014 inclusive of freshman through seniors. Information sessions were held on the following days: January 16th, 2014, January 17, 2014, January 22, 2014, and January 23, 2014. ISA provided an informational flier for the program to aid us in promoting the experience. Approximately 30 students expressed interest in participating in the study abroad course. Application Process A study abroad application was required of all students who were interested in the Horizons study abroad course (see Appendix for application). Student eligibility requirements were as follows: students were required to have been enrolled in Horizons for at least one semester, be in good academic standing at the university, and not scheduled to graduate in May. Once applications were submitted, each student had to submit a non-refundable deposit of $200 by the due date of February 17, 2014. Horizons staff met on February 21, 2014 to review student applications utilizing the scoring rubric included in Appendix B. A total of 25 students applied and submitted deposits with a limited 20 available spots. After a lengthy review and discussion, a decision on the final list of participants was sent out on February 24, 2014. Two students were The International Studies Abroad Agency (ISA) Nancy Bennett collaborated with a reputable study abroad agency, the International Studies Abroad Agency (ISA). ISA is a study abroad provider whose mission is to provide high quality education abroad opportunities to college students from around the world at an affordable price (studiesabroad.com). Our personal representative from the domestic ISA office was Allison DeCarlo, Custom Program Manager based in Austin, TX. Together, Nancy and Allison served as the primary facilitators for all information relevant to the pre-departure experience. The ISA Abroad office contacts in Valencia, Spain were Manuel Gutierrez, the Center Director, Zaray Garcia, Coordinator of Student Services, and Raquel Lujan, Coordinator of Student Services. The ISA staff members arranged all in-country programming including ground transportation, housing, orientation, classroom logistics, cultural event planning, excursion accompaniment and planning, guest lecturer coordination, and service-learning site selection (please see Appendix C for the program itinerary). Pre-Departure Student Meetings Over the course of the spring semester Horizons study abroad students were required to attend four pre-departure meetings. Each meeting was offered twice to maximize the availability for students. The instructors served as the primary facilitators and Nancy guided students to ensure they completed all Office of Study Abroad requirements. Pre-departure meeting #1 took place on March 5 & 6, 2014 to serve as an opportunity to introduce the students to each other through an icebreaker activity. Nancy also went over their My Study Abroad mandatory forms, ISA mandatory forms, reviewed the budget sheet, and she announced the scholarship opportunity and instructions. 209 Financial aid was also touched on in this meeting, encouraging students to speak with a financial aid representative if they were going to utilize their FAFSA for summer session. Pre-departure meeting #2 took place on March 24 & 27, 2014 and was centered on Addison Sheldon’s presentation on Intercultural Awareness. Addison’s approach was hands-on and prompted students to challenge cultural assumptions. Housekeeping materials such as reminders to turn in forms also took place. Pre-departure meeting #3 took place on April 9 & 10, 2014 and was led by Horizons staff. The meeting covered a variety of topics such as: details about the Barcelona excursion, currency conversion, course registration, ISA remaining forms, in-country safety, journal assignments, the Horizons abroad Facebook group, reflection assignments, and the enneagram assessment. Pre-departure #4, the final meeting took place on April 23 & 24, 2014, Nancy opened the meeting by discussing student health insurance and the study abroad photo contest. We also had two Purdue students studying abroad from Spain talk to the students about their culture, in-country expectations, and recommendations when visiting their country. The meeting was closed by addressing the following topics: travel details, Barcelona, currency exchange, emergency loans, day one itinerary, homestay information, adapters/converters, instructor personal contact information, and a question and answer session. Pre-Departure Staff Meetings The Horizons staff had ongoing conversations with Nancy Bennett throughout the semester and the Director of Horizons had direct email communication with Allison and Manuel a month prior to the trip in order to finalize all details. Josh and Rosa worked closely to finalize the Global Leadership curriculum and evaluation materials. Travel Arrangements Nancy Bennett scheduled the flights for all Horizons students and Purdue University staff attending the study abroad experience through a travel agency, STA Travel Inc. The Horizons students and Purdue University staff traveled abroad as a group on an Iberia nonstop flight from Chicago, IL. Please see Appendix for the complete travel itinerary. Ground transportation was coordinated by Nancy through the university and paid for from the subsidy, departing from and returning to Purdue University. Service Learning Sites All students took part in a service learning experience as a part of the course. The service learning included work at two different sites over the course of three days. The sites were selected by the ISA staff in Valencia. 210 Feria de Primavera On Saturday, May 17th and Sunday, May 18th Horizons students and staff travelled with ISA staff to the Jardines del Real (Garden Nurseries) to volunteer at the Feria de Primavera. This is an annual fair designed for social integration of individuals who are mentally handicapped. The fair had a variety of booths and activities that required volunteers, the students were able to volunteer at a variety of locations over the course of the two days. Activities that students took part in included: monitoring bounce houses, overseeing soccer games, face painting, braiding hair, and helping children as they put on or removed their harnesses for the climbing wall and zip line. Students had the opportunity to put into practice the global leadership skills that they had been learning as they interacted with families who had attended the fair. The majority of students were very pleased with this service learning experience; they felt that it was a fantastic opportunity to be immersed into Valencian culture. A number of students listed volunteering at the Feria Primavera among their favorite experiences of the entire trip. Colegio Cavite Between May 19th and May 27th Horizons students travelled to a local elementary school, Colegio Cavite in Valencia, to volunteer at an afterschool program entitled Refuerzo Escolar. Students were divided into four groups and each group volunteered for two hours. The ages of children that the Horizons students worked with varied between the groups. While at the afterschool program Horizons students were able to assist the Valencian students with their homework, play games with them, or just have conversations with the students. Student responses to this experience were varied. Some students reported that the service learning activity was incredibly impactful and they felt that they made good connections with the students. Others reported that they did not get much out of the experience and they felt that they weren’t given enough information preceding the activity. Cultural Excursions Students were given the opportunity to experience Spainish history and culture through a variety of cultural excursions throughout Valencia, as well as other cities in Spain. There were seven events within Valencia that were organized by ISA: a walking tour, movie night, bike tour, a vsit to a farm and paella resurant, The Valencia Museum of the Enlightenment and Modernity, flamenco show, and the Oceanografic. Additionally, ISA planned tours of Toledo and Madrid, while Horizons staff planned a weekend excursion to Barcelona. Old Valencia Walking Tour On our first full day in Valencia the students and Horizons staff had the opportunity to take a walking tour of the portion of the city known as Old Valencia. The tour, which was contucted by ISA staff member Zaray Garcia, began at the Torres de Serranos towers. The towers were designed to defend the city and wind through Old Valencia before ending at the city’s bull-fighting ring. During this tour students were introduced to the history of the city and the role that it has played in Spains history. 211 Movie Night After three busy days filled with traveling, exploring and even getting a little lost the group was tired and was hoping for a quieter evening. Fortunately ISA planned for the group to take part in a screening of a movie. On the evening of May 14th we met at the ISA office before walking to a nearby college campus to attend part of a series on films that were based on the works of William Shakespeare. That particular evening the film being show was 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), a comedy based on Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. The film, which was shown in English with Spanish subtitles, was a nice taste of home for our students. Following the movie there was a brief discussion comparing the film to the play upon which it was based. Bike Tour The Turia River flowed through the heart of Valencia for most of the city’s history. However, following a catostrophic flood in the 1950’s the path of the river was diverted south of the city and the original riverbed was converted into an eight kilometer city park. On May 15th we had the opportunity to take a bike tour of this park with Zaray Garcia of ISA. This excursion gave us a unique view of the city as we traveled through the park. Approximately a quarter of the way through the tour we stopped to have a picnic lunch as a group, students ate their meals provided by their host families. In addition to learning about the history of the river and the activities that it offers to its patrons we were also able to see the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (City of Arts and Sciences) which we would return to later in our trip. Huerta Valenciana and Paella When looking over the planned activities before departing for Spain many of us were looking forward to the paella cooking demonstration. We, incorrectly, assumed that we would be attending this demonstration in a classroom or restaurant setting within Valencia. Instead Manuel Gutierrez, our guide from ISA, led us out of Valencia to a small farm just north of the city. When we arrived at our destination we were greeted by our host Toni who owned the farm and restaurant we were visiting that day. Valencia C.F. Match A staple of European life is the importance of futbol, or soccer to Americans. While experiencing a match was not initially on the planned schedule our ISA contacts were able to help us procure tickets for the final match of the season for the Valencia Club Fubol team. Eighteen of the twenty students, along with the two Horizons leaders attended the Valencia and Celta de Vigo match on Saturday May, 17th. While many students were not very familiar with the rules of soccer they all enjoyed the experience of seeing professional European soccer and cheered Valencia C.F. onto a 2-1 victory to end out the season. Museum of the Enlightenment and Modernity On Tuesday, May 20th the group visited the Museum of the Enlightenment and Modernity (MUVIM) to attend an exhibition entitled “The Adventure of Thought.” This exhibition combined live performances, multi-media displays, and architectural elements to introduce the changes that occurred through the Enlightenment. The presentation 212 began at the end of the medieval period and progressed through the modern era, focusing on new inventions and ideas that arose during this period of history. Many of the students reported that this was their favorite museum that we had the opportunity to visit, most often due to the unique nature of the exhibition. This was certainly a once in a lifetime experience to have. Flamenco Performance Flamenco dancing is one of the indelible images of Spanish culture. This is a style of dance that grew out of Romani and Andalusian dances and music. Flamenco incorporates singing, guitar, clapping and dancing. We had the opportunity to see a traditional Flamenco show on May 22nd. The group met at the ISA office before taking the bus to the edge of Old Valencia. From there we walked to a small club that was already teeming with people. We found seats, if possible, or places to stand, and watched as the cantaor began to sing. The dancers would alternate in the front, stomping, clapping, and spinning along with the music. Because of the nature of the venue the entire experience felt simultaneously like an intimate performance solely for our group while also allowing us to feel as though we were fully immersed into Spanish culture. Oceanografic Our last cultural excursion in Valencia was to the Oceanografic which is a part of the City of Arts and Sciences. Students were able to explore the aquarium at their leisure as they made their way through six different installations simulating a variety of water based ecosystems. The aquarium also included a large aviary as well as the Great Dolphinarium. Some students spent the majority of their day at the aquarium so that they could attend the dolphin show in the afternoon. Barcelona Excursion Horizons leaders pre-planned an excursion to Barcelona, Spain during the study abroad free weekend. The excursion to Barcelona was not included in the overall study abroad cost and was optional for students to attend. All 20 students opted to participate in the excursion and on Friday, May 23rd students and staff left Valencia to travel to Barcelona by train. While in the city we stayed at the EquityPoint hostel, centrally located to offer us easy access to many of the top tourist destinations as well as ample shopping and dining locations. Additionally, students were able to experience a traditional European hostel, complete with meeting other travelers from around Europe. While in Barcelona there was only one planned activity for the students. As a group we visited the Picasso Museum on Saturday morning. Students were able to explore the museum at their own pace and explore the different phases of this great artist. The tour was offered to us free of charge since we were an educational group and students made the most of their time there. For the remainder of the weekend students were free to explore the city at their leisure. The biggest theme of the weekend seemed to be walking. Students walked through the gothic neighborhoods experiencing the grand history of the city, or they wandered down Las Ramblas, a street filled with shops and vendors. On Sunday before leaving town a number of students took the opportunity to hike to the top of Montjuic Hill which overlooks the downtown area, and even holds an old fort at its summit. 213 Toledo Excursion On our second to last day in Spain we traveled with ISA Director Manuel Gutierrez to Toledo, Spain for the day. When we arrived we were dropped off at the edge of the old city of Toledo, which is demarcated by the original city walls. During our visit to the city we were taken on a guided walking tour and were able to see the influences of cultures throughout the city. Upon completion of the tour the students were given time to explore the city more if they chose to. Madrid Excursion The group spent the final two days in Spain exploring the capital city of Madrid. Upon arrival we took a walking tour of part of the city, starting with El Madrid de los Austrias. During the tour we were given more insight into the history of Madrid and had the opportunity to see many of the original governmental buildings in the area. Historic buildings demonstrated the rich cultural heritage of the Spanish metropolis and gave the students a deeper understanding of the country we had called home for the past three weeks. After checking into our hotel the group met at the Prado Museum for a tour. Some students returned to the Prado, while others went shopping or bought dinner. That night many students elected to spend time at the hotel reminiscing about their experiences in Spain. The following morning the group met at the Reina Sofia Museum, Spain’s national modern art museum. The visit to the Sophia was a stark contrast to the styles found at the Prado; however, it gave the students an opportunity to experience a diversity of artwork. Study Abroad Agency Evaluation Throughout the study abroad program the Horizons leaders taking part from Purdue University relied heavily on the ISA Valencia staff to assist in the day to day operations while in the host country. Immediately following the study abroad trip the leaders discussed the positive and negative components of the trip to share with ISA leadership for customized programs. Report #1: ISA is an incredible organization that will work hard to provide the optimal trip for students. We had a very specific list of desires that fell outside of the normal scope of a trip of this nature, however, ISA did everything they could to meet our requests. They were even willing to make changes to the schedule onsite in order to accommodate our needs. Knowing the schedule further in advance would have been helpful in our preparation, however, I recognize that it took a while to finalize such a busy schedule. The ISA staff was phenomenal. I could not imagine a better group of people to work with. They were incredibly kind and always willing to help with any questions that we had as staff or students. This trip was a complete success in large part due to the hard work of the ISA staff. Manuel, Raquel, and Zaray were all very knowledgeable and accommodating to us. The ISA office was a wonderful resource to have access to. The guest lecturers were well spoken and interesting. However, it seemed that some of them weren’t aware of the scope of our program and were under 214 the impression that our students had a greater familiarity with Spanish history then they actually did. Report #2: If there is a program looking to student abroad with an outside agency, ISA is the one to choose. The care they take in customizing programs to their customer’s needs is invaluable. The attention to detail they take in arranging the itinerary is outstanding and the kindness and excitement they exhibit while in the host country is contagious. ISA Valencia was a near perfect experience for us and we look forward to utilizing their services again. The Resident Director, Manuel Gutierrez was outstanding, his attention to detail is impressive considering the workload he has. He loves his job and it shows, he was always concerned with our needs and was so energetic! ISA is lucky to have him. The ISA staff went above and beyond to serve all of our needs and never lacked in attention to our students. From the minute we arrived in Madrid to our farewell in the airport they were with us, with positive attitudes and excitement. We appreciated and learned from each of the guest lecturers that ISA secured, they were engaging in their own way and many times students were so engaged that we ran out of time way too soon. The classroom facilities were easily accessible to the ISA office. We were provided with a room and AV technology upon our arrival. The staff was friendly and we felt welcomed when we arrived. It was a perfect set-up for our needs. Student Feedback I found the ISA on-site staff to be: • All of the staff was great and there for us. The best however was Manuel who was there for us whenever. • They all were great. Manuel, was the best out of them as he was the leader of the group and did the most with us. • The on-site ISA staff members were absolutely AMAZING! • They were absolutely very organized, helpful, nice, and super fantastic overall!! Manuel, Raquel, and Zaray were wonderful. • I had a great experience with all of them and really enjoyed getting to know them. • Manuel made it sound like we had unlimited bus trips, so I had to buy more bus passes. I wish he could have been clearer on this one aspect, but everything else was honestly great. • Manuel was always there when needed and did everything to make our trip meet the needs of our unique group. He was also sociable and an enjoyable person to be around. Homestay feedback: What were the best aspects of your housing and which aspects could be improved? • Location and food. My homestay parents were wonderful. • I love my housing, my host mom was great. I didn’t have any issues with her and I really enjoyed it. • Location was too far. 215 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • The best aspects of my housing were that we had the shortest walk out of everyone to the ISA office, the food was very good, and our host family was very welcoming. I couldn’t speak to my house mother because there was a total language barrier but the location and food were good and she was nice. I literally loved everything about my housing experience. The only issue was how far away it was, but it was such a great experience that I didn’t mind waling far. The location, food, and my family’s personality was the very best! I could NOT have imagined being with anyone better! I plan on staying in touch with my host family for a long time. I enjoyed the food, the family location. I don’t have complaints about the home stay. The location was good and bad. Great because of our balcony view but terrible because of the far distance. The location was far away from where most of my study abroad group was staying, but this forced me to get to know the city streets better. The food was phenomenal, and every other aspect of my home stay was perfect. The best aspect was the family itself and being able to meet them and our other home stay sisters from Germany and Italy. Everything about our home was very welcoming and accommodating but only the Wi-Fi could use an improvement if I had to choose something. Please provide a summary quote about your experiences that may be used on future printed materials or website. This trip, even though a short time- changed me in many ways and made me grow as a person. This trip is an experience that I will never forget. Going to Spain with Horizons was one of the best decisions I have ever made, I don't think I would have experienced so much or made so many friends on this trip without them. This whole experience was one of the best journeys I have ever encountered and I am so blessed to have been a part of it. This was such an incredible experience and I would recommend everyone to study abroad at least once! This was my second school-related trip and I plan on studying abroad two or three more times. “The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt I never thought that I would study abroad; I am so happy that I did. This has been the best experience of my life. ISA packed more into this trip than I could have ever imagined to experience in my short time there. 216 Appendix Co-Instructor Position Description & Application Instructor Responsibilities 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Passport required prior to study abroad departure. Participate in all pre-departure meetings and assist in collection of all required paperwork. Travel alongside students to and from host country. Act in a professional and responsible manner. Contribute to student inclusion and camaraderie. Assist in development of course curriculum and co-teach the course as part of program. In conjunction with Instructor I, act as a 24-hour student point of contact in charge of the overall welfare of students. 8. Travel to service learning sites to assess student experiences. 9. Instructors will create and maintain a blog throughout their time abroad to relay their experiences to university networks. 10. Assist in resolving all student affairs related issues, including housing and student behavioral incidents. 11. Assist in supervising excursions or activities that form part of the program. 12. Be accessible to students at reasonable times in the case of emergency. 13. Support Instructor I with the evaluation process before, during, and after the service learning experience. 14. Support co-Instructor with interpretation of data and event timeline for reporting purposes. 15. As you see that students are beginning to see the world in a new light: a. Facilitate new perspectives about the world, including differences and similarities. b. Help students interpret what they see and experience. c. Challenge students with pointed questions and new ideas. d. Allow students reach their own conclusions based on their experiences and observations. Perspective Instructor Questions: • Please explain why you are applying to fill the role of Instructor II, why do you wish to co-lead a study abroad experience? • Participation in the study abroad experience will most certainly affect your professional development in higher education and possibly beyond, please elaborate. • How anticipate contributing to the experience and what leadership skills will aid you in such a responsibility? How will this complement Rosa’s role as Instructor I? • Please explain what Instructor Professionalism means to you? Lesson Plan: Candidates are to develop a lesson plan for an hour long class centered on Global Leadership as it relates to career development. This is to be general in nature, not specific to a host country but easily transferrable once a country is chosen. The lesson plan should include the following components: Introduction of topic and objective; Content outline; Discussion Questions; and Group activity 217 Appendix A Study Abroad Application & Scoring Rubric 218 Study Abroad Application Rubric 219 Appendix B In-Country Program Itinerary 220 221 SSS Evaluation Tools for a Study Abroad Program TRIO Student Support Services Program Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN) For more information: Rosa Villarreal, [email protected] https://www.purdue.edu/horizons/ Approved October 31, 2016 as a Administrative Practice by the EOA National Best Practices Center, http://besteducationpractices.org Revised 10/31/16 Readers utilizing this education practice are requested to send a brief email how it was used. Send to the EOA Center at [email protected] Abstract Purdue University’s Horizons in Spain experience during 2014 is the third opportunity offered to the program to expand global educational opportunities for traditionally underrepresented groups. In the study abroad excursions to South Africa and Costa Rica, student confidence levels were measured through pre and post evaluations which ultimately revealed that 100% of participants increased in confidence in the following areas: navigating through unfamiliar environments, cross-cultural communication, knowledge of their discipline in a global context, ability to perform a job in a global context, and ability to make a difference in the world, among others. This administrative best practice uses the learning experience in Spain during 2014 as the case study for the use of the evaluation tools described in this document. Description of the Practice The evaluation system employed a pre and post learning experience model. The tools used both forced choice likert-scale inventories, short-answer written responses, and a final reflective essay with five components to which the students must include. Qualitative methodology was used to analyze the results for the narrative responses and statistical analysis to measure gains for the likert-scale responses. Student Learning Outcomes The following student learning outcomes (SLOs) were the critical benchmarks against which the evaluation data was used to determine where the SLOs were achieved. Student Learning Outcome #1 • Results: Percentage achieve SLO / Percentage increase over pretest • Benchmark: 90% of students participating in the Global Leadership abroad program will increase his or her ability to appreciate others from different backgrounds he or she encounters as evidenced by fulfilling and passing course 222 • • • requirements and the pre and post evaluation resulting in at least a 10% increase. Domains: (a) Diversity & Intercultural Development; (b) Personal Development Tools: (a) Course requirements: journal writing, final assignment; (b) Overall participation; (c) All evaluations: pre & post evaluations, non-comparative evaluation Data Source: (a) Qualtrics evaluation; (b) Banner grade system; (c) Grade log Student Learning Outcome #2 • Result: Percentage achieving SLO / Percentage increase over pretest • Benchmark: 90% of students participating in the Global Leadership abroad program will increase his or her confidence in functioning effectively in a new environment or system as evidenced by successfully completing their program in a homestay, fulfilling and passing course requirements and completing the pre and post evaluation resulting in at least a 10% increase. • Domains: (a) Diversity & Intercultural Development; (b) Personal Development • Tools: (a) Course requirements: journal writing, final assignment; (b) Overall participation; (c) All evaluations: pre & post evaluations, non-comparative evaluation • Data Source: (a) Qualtrics evaluation; (b) Banner grade system; (c) Grade log Student Learning Outcome #3 • Result: Percentage achieving SLO / Percentage increase over pretest • Benchmark: 90% of students participating in the Global Leadership abroad program will increase his or her ability and confidence to demonstrate a level of facility communicating with people from other ethnic and/or linguistic backgrounds as evidenced by successfully completing their program in a homestay, fulfilling and passing course requirements and completing pre and post evaluation resulting in at least a 10% increase. • Domains: (a) Collaboration & Interpersonal Skills; (b) Diversity & Intercultural Development • Tools: (a) Course requirements: journal writing, final assignment; (b) All evaluations: pre & post evaluations, non-comparative evaluation • Data Source: (a) Qualtrics evaluation; (b) Banner grade system; (c) Grade log Student Learning Outcome #4 • Result: Percentage achieve SLO • Benchmark: 90% of students participating in the Global Leadership abroad program will develop his or her own personal understanding of the concept of global leadership as evidenced by attending class lectures and completing reflection assignments with a C or better. • Domains: (a) Academic Success; (b) Diversity & Intercultural Development • Tools: (a) Course requirements: journal writing, final assignment; (b) All evaluations: pre & post evaluations, non-comparative evaluation • Data Source: (a) Qualtrics evaluation; (b) Banner grade system; (c) Grade log 223 Evaluations Two evaluations were disseminated to students, a pre-evaluation (see Appendix E) distributed through email on April 23, 2014 via Qualtrics, and a post-evaluation (see Appendix F) was distributed upon return from Spain on June 9, 2014 via Qualtrics. The pre-evaluation focused on the student’s general confidence, knowledge, abilities, and skills in relation to studying abroad. The post-evaluation focused on confidence levels in regards to how prepared the students were travelling abroad and how they adapted to living in another culture. All evaluations were collected and analyzed to include in this report. Final Reflection Essay Students were required to submit a six to nine page final reflection paper due by June 16, 2014 (see Appendix). The final paper was separated into five sections: personal impact, professional impact, social and cultural impact, and re-acclimation with appropriate citations. A brief description of each section has been provided: • Personal impact- The personal reflection provided an opportunity for students to revisit their journal entries to sum up the most meaningful experiences they had in Spain that prompted personal growth. Students were challenged to confront the expectations they had going into the trip and determine if they met, exceeded expectations, or fell short of what was expected. • Professional impact- The professional impact reflection pertained to the Global Leadership lectures and their summation of what global leadership means to them as it pertains to their career path. Students were asked to reflect on their professional growth as it relates to their development while in Spain and connect it to integrating the experience into their professional pursuits once they return to their country. • Social impact- This section gave students an opportunity to discuss personal observations based on politics and the economy. Students were to compare the similarities and/or differences between Spain and the United States political and economic systems. The students had to determine what impact, if any, their service learning hours had on them on a personal level. • Cultural impact- This section allowed students to discuss what they observed during their experience and express their personal viewpoints of Spain overall. Students were to apply what they learned from their guest lecturers to their time abroad. Students were also asked to reflect on their homestay experience and discuss how this method of cultural immersion impacted their time abroad. Finally, students reflected on whether their perspective and thought process of Spain has changed and how living in this country compares to living in the United States. • Re-acclimation- Students were asked to write their reactions to re-acclimating to the United States once they returned. After reviewing their journal entries they 224 were prompted to determine if their perception of the experience shifted once they have been taken out of the context of study abroad. Pre and Post Comparative Results Students were asked to rate their confidence in the areas of general knowledge, abilities, and skills according to the topics below (T1-T12). T1: Goal Setting T2: Navigation through unfamiliar environment T3: Cross-cultural communication T4: Ability to solve problems T5: Ability to solve conflict T6: Knowledge of your discipline in a global context T7: Ability to get a job in your field of study T8: Ability to perform your job in a global context T9: Ability to make a difference in the world T10: Ability to lead others T11: Achieving your life’s aspirations T12: Taking action to decrease other people’s suffering One of the biggest obstacles that first-generation, low-income students face in their journey to study abroad aside from financial constraint is low-confidence in their abilities to study abroad. We felt it important to prove the direct impact on confidence levels a study abroad opportunity has on students from underprivelaged backgrounds and the overall growth they experience. In summary, student confidence levels increased by an average of 15% across all topic levels and individual topics each indicated a measure of increase. The topic that experienced the greatest growth in student confidence was their ability to perform their job in a global context with a 31% increase. Cross-cultural communication experienced an average increase of 27% while the topics of navigation through unfamiliar environments, knowledge of their discipline in a global context, and ability to get a job in their field of study each increased by 22%. Non Comparative Post Results Students were asked to indicate their study abroad preparedness post study abroad according to the topics indicated below (T1-T11). N=17 T1: Feel better equipped to become a leader T2: Function in your host country’s culture and society T3: Practice your discipline in different social or cultural settings T4: Professionally collaborate with persons in your service-learning environment T5: Work in a cross-cultural environment T6: Approach problems from different perspectives T7: I accept cultural differences and am tolerant of other cultures T8: I know one or more people from another culture to the point where my ideas about that culture have changed. T9: I am much more confident and self-reliant since studying abroad T10: I have much more empathy for other people’s suffering T11: I gained more from my service-learning project than I gave 225 Student Written Responses Over the course of the study abroad experience students were given the opportunity to reflect on their experiences through assigned blog postings, journal entries, and their final reflection paper to a variety of writing prompts. Exampls include: the most valuable experience while abroad was…; Evaluation of the course instructors; etc. Student Likert-Scale Responses • Student’s were asked to rate their overall study abroad experience: exceptional, excellent, good, fair, poor. • Student’s were asked to rate how confident they are in referring to this experience in future job interviews or at career fairs: extremely, very, moderately, somewhat, not confident • Student’s were asked to indicate which of th following were important to them on a five-point scale: learning a foreign language, knowledge of other cultures and ways of thinking, knowledge of global events, and knowledge of your academic discipline in a global context. Final Grades Participation Journal Blog Percentage % Score Score Final Paper Total Grade Score Total % Letter A-F 226 APPENDIX A Study Abroad Application & Scoring Rubric 227 Study Abroad Application Rubric 228 Appendix B Pre and Post Comparative Evaluation 229 230 231 Appendix C Course Syllabus 232 233 Appendix D Journal Assignment 234 235 Appendix E Final Reflection Assignment 236 237 Integrated Learning Course Model TRIO Student Support Services Program, University of Minnesota (MN) For more information: Amy Kampsen, [email protected] http://www.cehd.umn.edu/trio/default.html Approved August 10, 2014 as a Validated Practice by the EOA National Best Practices Center, http://besteducationpractices.org Revised 8/27/14 Please send a short email with feedback about this education practice and how it was used. Send to the EOA Center at [email protected] Abstract In 1972, the TRIO program leaders at the University of Minnesota (UMN) developed the Integrated Learning (IL) course to meet academic and transition needs of their Upward Bound (UB) secondary school students. These courses were offered during the UB summer bridge program for students who were concurrently enrolled in academically challenging college courses following graduation from secondary school. Later, use of the IL course shifted from the UB program to the postsecondary- level TRIO Student Support Services program. Decades before the widespread use of learning communities within higher education, the IL course has been an example of a linked-course learning community. An academically challenging course like introductory psychology is linked with an IL course. The IL course is customized to use the content of its companion class as context for mastering learning strategies and orienting students to the rigor of the college learning environment. For the past four decades, the IL course approach has helped TRIO students improve their academic success in the rigorous academic environment as well as acclimate to the social climate of UMN, one of the largest universities in the United States. UMN is a Research I Intensive public university with highly selective admissions and high expectations for students by the course professors. Two quasi-experimental studies examined the possible benefits of the IL course. One was in connection with an introductory psychology course. The IL course students earned statistically significantly higher final course grades than nonparticipants. Another study with an introductory biology course replicated those results – higher final course grades for the IL course students. The IL course fostered not only higher final course grades, but also expanded positive study behaviors and metacognitive skills necessary for academic success. Need for the Practice Understanding more about TRIO programs, which serves as the host administrative unit for the IL course, helps with the historical context of its development. 238 U. S. President Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty focused on reducing barriers to education for historically underrepresented students, who were defined as low-income, first-generation in their family to complete a postsecondary degree, or having disabilities. Up until this time, the typical students attending postsecondary institutions in the U.S. were white and came from privileged backgrounds. The Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 created the Upward Bound Program, which focused on secondary school students. In 1965, the Higher Education Act (HEA) created Talent Search to serve the needs of middle school students. In 1968, Student Support Services was created to serve postsecondary students. These three federally-funded programs became known collectively as “TRIO.” In succeeding years, additional TRIO programs were created to serve as a pipeline for students from sixth grade to postsecondary education: Educational Opportunity Centers (1972), Upward Bound Veterans Program (1972), Training Program for Federal TRIO Programs (1976), Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program (1986), and Upward Bound Math Science Program (1990). Nearly a million students are served annually through 3,000 TRIO programs in the U.S. Common traits of these programs are academic enrichment, tutoring, counseling, mentoring, financial training, cultural experiences, and other enrichment activities (McElroy & Armesto, 1998). Academically challenging courses are critical to establishing a foundation for a postsecondary degree, but also can serve as barriers for students. This is especially true for first-generation postsecondary students who do not have family members who can mentor them or share success strategies that helped them achieve a postsecondary degree (Pascarella et al., 2004). These courses often have high rates of final course grades of D or F or course withdrawal. Students who leave the institution frequently are in good academic standing, but experience academic failure in these challenging classes during their first year (Tinto, 1994, 2003). These classes are sometimes called gatekeepers because completing them with passing or high marks is pre-requisite before the student has permission to enroll in advanced courses needed for completion of the academic degree. For example, successful completion of introductory biology is necessary to pursue a medical degree. Some academic support approaches such as Supplemental Instruction (SI) rely on voluntary attendance at weekly study groups. A challenge with this approach is students who most often need and could benefit from the experience choose not to attend (Arendale, 1994). Even the SI model only claims approximately one-third of students in a class attend SI sessions, regardless of their quartile placement on standardized postsecondary entrance exams (Arendale, 2012). Research identifies that students often fear stigma for self-selecting a service perceived as only useful for students predicted to drop out (Blanc & Martin, 1994). Additionally, first-generation, low-income, and historically underrepresented students experience a demanding cultural adjustment to postsecondary education. These students often lack the social capital that more privileged students bring to the culture-laden postsecondary environment. The cultural challenges can be as significant as the academic ones (London, 1992; Orbe, 2004). The transition from high school to a postsecondary learning environment is severe due to these academic and cultural challenges (Terenzini et al., 1994). The challenge is even more severe for students whose parents and family members have not experienced the same environment and succeeded. 239 Introductory psychology is a common academically challenging course at postsecondary institutions nationwide due to the large volume of weekly assigned readings, unfamiliar and complex vocabulary, and the speed with which the course material is presented as compared with most high school classes. A compounding variable for many UMN psychology course sections is its pedagogical approach of employing Keller’s (1968) Personalized System of Instruction (PSI). The primary professors for the psychology course chose to use a computer-based approach to employing PSI (Brothen & Wambach, 2000). The professional literature cites many advantages of the PSI system (Kulik et al., 1990), but the UMN professors who taught psychology course identified challenges that some students encountered: (a) lack of peer interaction due to its focus on individual study and mastery; (b) near exclusive reliance upon textbook and computer screen readings since there were no lectures given; and (c) self-paced instruction encouraged procrastination by some students, which diminished their learning experience and led to lower course performance (Madyun et al., 2004). The IL course overcomes these challenges. Introductory biology is frequently cited as an early gatekeeper undergraduate course for admission to health science schools. The class often has large enrollments, quick progression through multiple course topics, difficult vocabulary, and limited interaction within the classroom, since they are heavily lecture-based by the course instructor (Freeman, et al., 2014). At UMN, some of these classes enroll over 300 students. The IL course has been customized to help students acquire the skills needed to be successful in this challenging academic environment. At the time of its development in 1972, the Integrated Learning (IL) course was unique in its approach to supporting postsecondary students. The prevailing models for helping students were counseling centers that focused on the students’ emotional state and helping them to survive the psychological trauma experienced by many historically underrepresented students in postsecondary institutions. However, improving the psychological well-being of the student is insufficient to meet the academic demands of the first-year courses. Another typical approach was mandatory placement of students in remedial or developmental-level courses, which are often prerequisites before students are allowed to enroll in postsecondary-level courses. This required additional time and extra tuition costs (Arendale, 2010). The IL course approach helped students practice and master learning strategies needed for academic success concurrently in the linked course and for other courses they would experience throughout their postsecondary education journey. A second innovation of the IL was the focus on academically difficult courses with high rates of D, F, and course withdrawal. In 1972, focusing on the difficult nature of the postsecondary course rather than the supposed deficits of the students was a major paradigm shift. This insight was shared by the SI program that evolved separately at the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1973 (Arendale, 2002). From the early 1970s through the 1980s, the common approach to academic support was to enroll students in learning strategy classes, new student orientation courses, and study skills workshops. The challenge with these traditional approaches was that study skills were not effective if learned in isolation and without direct application to postsecondary credit courses. The IL course made immediate application 240 of the study skills with the paired academic content course such as introductory biology or introductory psychology. This illustrates a third innovation of the IL course: the use of learning communities to explicitly connect ideas and skills among multiple classes. One of the five common practices of learning communities is “linked courses”, where two postsecondary courses integrate academic material and skill development for use in each class. This approach helps students to see the connections and leads to higher student learning outcomes (Lenning & Ebbers, 1999; Zhao & Kuh, 2004). The final innovation of the IL course is addressing cultural transition issues that these historically underrepresented students experience when entering postsecondary institutions While current discussions about race, power, and cultural oppression are popular topics for postsecondary students on many campuses, they were not common to learning assistance programs in the 1970s. These approaches do not appear in the professional literature until the past decade (London, 1992; Orbe, 2004). These topics are explored in the IL course because cultural barriers to postsecondary education are as significant as academic ones. Theory and Research Guiding the Practice The creators of the IL course carefully followed principles of applicable learning theories, learning approaches, and published research. The following are samples of educational approaches and theories that guide development of the IL course. Situated Learning states that students learn best when immediate application is made with reallife circumstances (Lave & Wenger, 1991). Learning occurs through student interactions with their peers. Students are actors as well as observers who imitate behaviors of fellow students solving problems. “Instruction must be situated in an authentic context that resembles that of the classroom teacher to enrich their learning process by providing realistic experiences that more easily transfer” (Willis & Cifuentes, 2005, p. 43). A similar approach to learning is Sheltered Instruction (Gibbons, 2002). With this approach, immigrant students learn language best when it is in the context of subject matter such as literature, science, or social studies rather than in only an ESL (English as a second language) course. With both of these approaches, students learn the material more deeply and retain it long-term if it’s placed within a context for immediate application. Constructivism (Piaget & Inhelder, 1958) states that students are active agents in the creation of knowledge and not just receivers of it. Active classrooms that frequently use peer cooperative learning strategies and engage students to create and demonstrate new knowledge are more effective for retention and future use of the knowledge. Students easily move from concrete to abstract reasoning through practice and observation of others. Vygotsky (1978) identified the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). He built upon the work of Piaget, Inhelder, and other Constructivists by advancing Socio-Constructivism. Students are not independent agents when learning; they learn most effectively in groups with others. The ZPD is the learning space where students perform at higher levels of thinking – when a slightly more advanced peer in their midst models and leads them. The purpose of ZPD is to gain mastery in the group setting so students can act autonomously when alone. 241 Learning Communities restructure the curriculum by making explicit connections between courses and ideas (Lenning & Ebbers, 1999; Zhao & Kuh, 2004). These communities were created in response to students failing to see relationships among ideas that postsecondary administrators and faculty members believed were obvious. Common features of learning communities are curricular coherence, peer cooperative learning activities, and more interactions of faculty members with one another and with their students. There are five types of learning communities: linked courses, learning clusters, freshman interest groups, federated learning communities, and coordinated studies (Tinto, 2003). The IL approach fits with the first type, linked courses. TRIO students are concurrently enrolled in one disciplinary course, such as psychology or biology, and one course addressing learning strategies and postsecondary education cultural transitions. Historical Background and Context for Development of Practice For more than four decades, Bruce and Sharyn Schelske served at UMN by staffing and directing the TRIO Upward Bound (UB), Student Support Services (SSS), and McNair Programs funded by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE). The Schelskes began working with the UB program in 1968 as undergraduate student employees. They became co-directors for UB in 1978 and directed the program until 1991. Bruce and Sharyn wrote the University’s first successful TRIO Student Support Services grant in 1976 and later teamed to author the McNair Scholars Program grant in 1991. In 1991, Bruce was appointed director of TRIO SSS and Sharyn was appointed McNair Scholars director. Because of the forty-year history of the Integrative Learning (IL) course, this curricular approach has undergone a variety of name changes. At the beginning in 1972, the IL course was called Mastering Skills for College Success, which was a revised version of an existing university course of the same name. The name changed to Supplemental Instruction when it was administratively reassigned to the College of Education. In the mid-1990s, the name became Structured Learning Accelerated Course (SALC). The current title of the course is Integrated Learning. For purposes of consistency and reducing confusion, the commonly used name for the course throughout this document is Integrated Learning (IL). As the story unfolds, the various names for the course are explained, as is the historical context that shaped them. The history of the IL course illustrates how responsive it was to the needs of the students, by providing innovative approaches to help them master essential skills. The survival and development of the IL course was dependent upon the collegial relationships between TRIO program staff and faculty members from the corresponding academic departments, which awarded academic credit for the course and offered the paired academic content course. The academic merit of the course, demonstrable positive results for the students, and personal relationships among the University community were needed for the IL course to persist in the face of turbulent campus curricular changes, fiscal austerity, and political unrest. 242 Description of the Practice The curricular approach of the IL course has remained stable since inception. The IL course, along with other features of the University of Minnesota SSS program, were featured with four other institutions in the U.S. Department of Education report, Best practices in student support services: A study of five exemplary sites. Follow-up study of Student Support Services programs (Muraskin, 1997). The IL course is reserved for students admitted to UMN in the TRIO Student Support Services program. About 80 percent of the TRIO SSS students enroll in one of the IL courses during their first year at UMN. First-year students enrolling in an introductory psychology, biology, or chemistry course during fall term are required to enroll concurrently in the companion IL course. Past experience indicates that the participating TRIO students strengthen their academic skills sufficiently to not need an additional IL course. A small number of TRIO students voluntarily enroll in an additional IL course during spring semester. Curriculum and Instructional Approach The College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) hosts the University’s Upward Bound, Student Support Services, and Ronald E. McNair PostBaccalaureate Achievement Program. Two IL courses are offered through the Department of Postsecondary Teaching and Learning within CEHD to support the SSS students: PsTL 1081 Integrated Learning in the Social Sciences and PsTL 1082 Integrated Learning in the Sciences. The UMN course catalogue for PsTL 1081 describes it as “Intensive support for developing conceptual/contextual understanding of material presented in companion social science course, methods for critical thinking, field-specific vocabulary, core concepts, and writing for social sciences.” This IL course is linked to PsTL1281, Principles of Psychology. These two courses then form a linkedcourse approach to a learning community. The UMN course catalogue describes PsTL 1082 as, “Intensive support for mastering concepts/skills in scientific research methods, field-specific vocabulary, core concepts, and writing/presentation styles associated with disciplinary content.” One section of this course is linked to PsTL 1231, Principles of Biological Science and another section is linked to Chemistry 1015, Introduction to Chemistry. Each IL course carries two elective credit hours. For nearly all students, there is no cost for enrollment in the IL course since tuition is a fixed rate when the student enrolls in 13 or more credit hours for the academic term. To ensure the class is reserved for TRIO students, an academic advisor with responsibility for TRIO students must grant permission to add the course. The grading basis for the course is A-F. Course enrollment is limited to 24 students to ensure maximum opportunity for students to interact with one another and create a small-class experience within the University setting, where some classes exceed 300 for first-year students. The IL course in social science or science can be taken a second time as long as the content of the linked course is different from the first one. The IL course includes content review, recitation, reflection, and application of study strategies. Significant attention is paid to systematically developing habits of the mind for educational self-regulatory capacity. 243 Learner Activities Students use the same textbook, readings, and other course materials as assigned in the target content class for the IL class sessions and homework. This permits direct application of study strategies to the actual course materials. In addition, the IL instructor creates handouts, quizzes, and other instructional materials for use during class sessions. Students attend the IL class twice weekly. The IL instructor structures each class session with a mix of short lectures, group discussions, small group assignments, and other educational activities. Typically, the IL instructors are former high school instructors or advanced graduate students with previous teaching experience. Preference is given to applicants who have worked with culturally diverse students like the TRIO population. As outlined by Madyun et al. (2004), the IL course has clear objectives that guide the learning activities: • Use the textbook and other course materials more effectively. These activities include: effective reading strategies, such as SQ3R and textbook note taking; taking advantage of features built into the textbook; vocabulary development, applying material learned in the target class to real life; and developing mind maps of the readings and lecture notes. • Build critical thinking skills. These activities include: group discussions; predicting exam questions; and synthesizing readings, lecture notes, and prior knowledge of the course material. • Develop self-regulated learning skills. Students journal about: personal choices made regarding study strategies and their effectiveness; their personal strengths, weaknesses, and plans to improve them; actions taken before exams and their potential impact on the final score; their motivation (internal and external) and its impact upon their learning; and develop time management skills for academic and personal activities. • Build peer networks for learning and emotional support. Students practice making choices about selecting peers to collaborate in studying, learning different roles within groups, and building self-confidence to participate and lead small groups. • Develop skills for exam preparation. Students learn to: debrief exams to identify personal choices impacting the final score, detect error patterns, and plan different actions for the next exam; predict exam questions; practice with quizzes and mock exams during IL class sessions; and practice applying skills to different types of exam questions (multi-choice, matching, short-answer essay, long-answer essay). • Provide explicit instruction to improve comprehension of the material in the target class. The IL instructor delivers short lectures on key concepts from the target course lectures and assigned readings. • Develop small group communication skills. Require IL course participants to organize small group discussions and prepare small group and classroom presentations related to the content course – all common anxiety-generating University assignments that students will encounter in their academic careers. 244 • Explore critical class and cultural transition issues including the difference between secondary and collegiate expectations, personal and institutional values, firstgeneration postsecondary concerns, and academic culture folkways. Learning Materials and Staff Utilized Students use the same textbook, assigned readings, and other course materials of the target class for the IL class sessions and homework. This permits direct application of study strategies to the actual course materials. In addition, the IL instructor creates handouts, quizzes, and other instructional materials for use during class sessions. The TRIO SSS program director serves as the direct supervisor of the IL course instructors. The director is responsible for hiring, training, supervising, mentoring, and evaluating the IL courses. The director holds a one-day training workshop before the beginning of the fall academic term to train the new and returning IL instructors. Throughout the academic term the director meets periodically with the IL instructors individually or together for staff training. The TRIO SSS program director must be knowledgeable of and skilled in pedagogy, peer cooperative learning, academic coaching, and program evaluation. The director may conduct the training workshops for the IL staff or may recruit someone qualified in the skills needed to be a successful IL instructor. In recent years, someone from the campus peer study group program has provided initial training for the IL instructors and is available to the TRIO SSS director throughout the year for consultation. The director must establish collegial working relationships with the administrators and faculty members of the academic department that hosts the IL courses. Understanding campus curricular practices, financial challenges, and campus politics helps the program director proactively strengthen relationships with key stakeholders and take steps for changes as needed. The IL instructors must also be knowledgeable of and skilled in pedagogy, peer cooperative learning, classroom management, curriculum development, and classroom assessment techniques. Individuals selected for this position are most often graduate students; preference is given to applicants with prior secondary school and postsecondary teaching experience. Understanding the educational and emotional needs of first-generation, poor, and historically underrepresented postsecondary students is essential to make the IL experience culturally sensitive and to create an effective learning environment; therefore, individuals with prior experiences working with students of similar backgrounds are given preference for hiring. The IL staff receive continuous training and mentorship by the TRIO staff and fellow paraprofessional staff members. Sometimes the TRIO program has contracted for training services from the International Center for Supplemental Instruction at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (http://www.umkc.edu/ASM/si/) to train the TRIO SSS director and the IL instructors. The SI program has many similarities to the IL approach and their training workshops and materials are useful for training and providing a model to adapt for the IL approach. 245 Estimated Cost per Student The primary cost of the IL course is the academic term $3,120 salary of the IL instructor. Class size for the IL courses is capped at 24. Dividing the two numbers yields a per student cost of approximately $130. It is difficult to determine the additional revenue generated for the University from enrollment in the IL course; students who enroll in 13 or more credit hours pay the same flat-rate tuition for the academic term. Also, postsecondary tuition is held by the University’s central administration; blocks of tuition dollars are then assigned to each postsecondary institution on an annual basis. While there is a vague relationship between credit hours generated and the annual allocation, it is not possible to track specific revenue and assign it to an individual academic department, unit, or faculty member. The costs for food and refreshments for the training workshop are negligible and other personnel from the campus study group program who participate in the training donate their time. The cost for the TRIO SSS program director to attend the Supplemental Instruction training workshop at the University of Missouri-Kansas City is approximately $1,200 and would only need to occur once. Training materials purchased from the SI program at UMKC are estimated at $100 annually. The training manual used for the IL instructors is donated by the University’s Peer Assisted Learning program hosted through the SMART Learning Commons (Arendale & Lilly, 2012). Key Factors for Success of the Practice Based on more than four decades of conducting IL courses at the University of Minnesota, the following factors are considered as key to their success in supporting higher academic achievement of TRIO students: • The IL course instructors know what goes on during the target content class through weekly meetings with the course professor. • On-going professional development occurs for the IL course instructors before and throughout the academic term. • IL is only offered in tandem with courses where the professors are highly supportive of the program. • The IL is evaluated each academic term regarding outcomes for the students and the data used for program improvement. This information is important for not only curricular improvement but also demonstrating efficacy of the IL courses and justifying their continued existence to postsecondary stakeholders. • Classes targeted for support are academically-challenging, with 30 percent or more of students receiving final course grades of D or F or withdrawal from the course before the introduction of IL courses. • The IL class concurrently supports deeper understanding of the material in the target course and models appropriate learning strategies for use in it and other courses. 246 • Power and responsibility are shared among the IL instructor and the students so that all are actively engaged with the course material and with each other. • Cooperative learning activities are used to foster a learning community. • The TRIO program director cultivates ongoing relationships with key departmental administrators and faculty members to support the IL courses. • Reports on the efficacy of the IL courses are provided to key stakeholders to continue their political and economic support of the IL courses and for program improvement and revision. The resources needed include those common for any postsecondary course instructor: a dedicated classroom, access to media projection equipment, photocopy services, an instructor’s copy of the textbook used in the target course and any other resources provided by the publisher (examples: test banks, PowerPoint slides, curriculum). Salary for the position as IL instructor must be sufficient to attract graduate students with prior teaching experience. The TRIO director and other staff must allocate time for IL instructor selection training, observing, coaching, and evaluating the program. Finally, a supportive academic department is essential to host the IL course, provide mentorship for the instructional component, and act collegially. Evaluation of the Practice Several studies of the IL model have been published in peer-reviewed journals on the effectiveness at UMN. Fall 2002 Study at UMN (Madyun, Grier, Brothen, & Wambach, 2004) During fall 2002, a study examined IL attached to an introductory psychology course. The IL course only enrolled TRIO students in the University’s Student Support Services program. This group of eight students met federal guidelines for TRIO eligibility (first-generation postsecondary student, low-income) and was ethnically diverse: two were African American males, two were Asian American males, three were African American females, and one was a Caucasian female. Readers of this evaluation summary are encouraged to consult the complete report for additional exploration of the study and its findings. Data collection. Data was collected on the total points earned in the introductory psychology course at three time periods at weeks 6, 10, and 15 in the academic term. Students completed approximately one-third of their points during each of these three time periods. Research design. A quasi-experimental study was conducted. The treatment group was defined as having completed both the introductory psychology course and the IL course with passing grades. Two control groups were created. The first was a matched-pairs group of students from the introductory psychology course not simultaneously enrolled in the IL course with the TRIO students that completed both the introductory psychology course and the IL course (Control Group #1). The students were matched on the basis of their ACT composite score. Both of these groups (experimental and control #1 had a mean ACT composite score of 14.5). The second 247 control group was composed of TRIO students that completed the introductory psychology course the previous academic term but did not participate in the corresponding IL course (mean ACT composite 13.7). The dependent variable in the study was the final course grade in the introductory psychology course. The independent variable was the grade in the IL course in which the students were concurrently enrolled. The measurable objective for the study was whether there was a statistically-significant positive relationship between the final course grade earned in the IL course and the final course grade earned in the introductory psychology course. Results. The following narrative comes from the published study that appeared in The Learning Assistance Review (Madyun et al., 2004). The first analysis compared the grades of the [IL course] students to those of other students in the [introductory psychology] class. The average grade for all students in the introductory psychology class was B-, which was equivalent to 6 on a 0 (F) to 10 (A) scale. The average grade for the [IL course] students was 5.5, which is between C+ and B-. The average grades for the [matched pairs] control group and the TRIO control group were both 2.5, which is between D+ and C-. Because the TRIO control group class from the previous fall semester did not have exactly the same number of points possible, we converted each of the two semesters to standard (z) scores. That is, we subtracted the class mean total scores from each student’s total and divided by the mean for that class. We then computed one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Scheffe posthoc contrasts to determine if there were differences between groups. We also computed the percent of points completed at each grading interval. The [IL course] students’ point total exceeded those of the control groups in all three data collection points (see Table 1). However, the group scores on the 6-week and 10-week grade reports did not differ by tests of significance. On total points at the end of the semester, the three groups showed the same basic pattern as in weeks 6 and 10 and these differences were statistically significant. The overall ANOVA revealed F(2, 29)=6.53, p<.01 and the Scheffe contrasts showed the [IL course] students differed significantly from the TRIO controls (p<.01) Table 1, Z-scores of students at three points in the semester Group (n count) Time Week 6 Week 10 Final Points Matched-pairs Control (7) -.43 -.20 -.32 TRIO Control (15) -.05 -.29 -.67 IL course students (8) +.35 +.74 +.50 (Madyun et al., 2004, p. 13). 248 Discussion. The researchers found the IL course worked well for TRIO students, especially since they were less academically-prepared than typical students enrolled in the introductory psychology course. Earlier in this report, the professors teaching the psychology course identified some of the challenges students had: (a) lack of peer interaction due to the focus on individual study and mastery, (b) near exclusive reliance upon textbook and computer screen readings since there were no lectures given, and (c) the fact that self-paced instruction permits students to procrastinate. The researchers believed that the findings of this research study, along with their personal observations of the students in the class, affirmed that these challenges were addressed by the highly interactive peer learning in the IL class sessions; modeling of effective reading and study strategies by the IL instructor and fellow students, and encouragement to keep up with peers, since the IL class sessions were designed to match the progression of topics and assignments in the targeted psychology course. 2002 and 2003 Study at UMN (Moore, 2008/2009) Another study examined the efficacy of IL courses by studying TRIO SSS students concurrently enrolled in a IL course and a large introductory biology course. The same study also examined a different subpopulation of students who were recent immigrants concurrently enrolled in an intensive language program at the same time of enrolling in the introductory biology course. No students enrolled in that program were also members of the campus SSS program. For purposes of this report, those findings are excluded. Readers are encouraged to read the entire report for additional discussion and exploration. The introductory biology course was four credits and designed for non-majors. Two 75-minute lectures were offered each week. The topics in the course were representative of those in most introductory courses in this area. The IL course was offered for only one credit and offered two 50-minute sessions each week. The course professor did not provide information to the IL instructor not also given to all students enrolled in the biology course. The students enrolled in the IL course were ethnically and gender diverse: 52% male, 47% female; 50% Caucasian, 25% African American, 9% Asian Pacific, 6% Native American, 5% Chicano, 3% Hispanic, and 2% Other. Data Collection. The following data were gathered for all students enrolled in the biology and the IL courses: course grades, class attendance, attendance at exam prep sessions run by teaching assistants not part of the IL program, and submission of extracredit homework. To understand the pre-entry attributes of the students, an ACT Aptitude Rating (AAR) was calculated for each student. The AAR is the student’s ACT composite score plus double their high school graduation rank percentile. In addition, a survey was given on the first day to students in the biology class asking about their interest in completing extra-credit assignments and the percent of class lectures they planned to attend. Research Design. A correlational study compared two groups of students: TRIO SSS students (experimental group) enrolled in an IL course and concurrently in an introductory biology and students not enrolled in IL, but enrolled only in the same introductory biology course during the same academic term (control group). The focus 249 of the design was to analyze the impact of attendance in either class and the final course grades in both. Additional data were collected regarding pre-entry attributes of the students, academic engagement activities in the biology course, and the distribution of final course grades in the biology course. The additional data are presented without statistical analysis due to the narrow focus of this study. There were two independent variables in the study: class attendance and final course grade in the IL course. There were two dependent variables in the study: final course grade and academic engagement in the introductory biology course. Academic engagement was operationally demonstrated as three behaviors in the biology course itself: class attendance, submitting extra credit homework, and attending exam preparation sessions. Descriptive statistics were gathered for these variables and correlational methods were applied to determine if there was a statistically-significant positive relationship between class attendance and final course grades in the IL course and academic engagement and final course grades in the introductory biology course,, as was hypothesized would happen. Results. The mean AAR scores for the biology-only students (control group) was 83. In comparison, the AAR scores for the concurrently enrolled IL students in the biology course (experimental group) was 84. There was no statistically significant difference in the predicted academic ability of biology-only students and the TRIO-only students enrolled in the IL course. The correlation between class attendance in each the biology and the IL course was strong, as was the correlation between the grade received in the IL course and the final course grade in biology. Table 2 shows that the correlations were consistently strong (r = 0.588 to 0.848). Similar patterns occurred in every class section in each academic term over the two years of the study. Discussion. The data indicates that the IL course had a positive impact on the final course grade in the biology course since higher levels of attendance at the IL course strongly correlated with higher attendance and higher grades in biology. The attendance and grade received in the IL course was a stronger predictor of final course grade in the biology course than the AAR. This suggests that pre-entry measures like the AAR are not as predictive of student performance in postsecondary-level courses if students also enroll in the corresponding IL course. Students in the IL course were more likely to attend the biology class at a higher rate, submit more extra-credit projects, and attend exam preparation sessions in comparison to the biology-only students. This suggests that the IL course and the activities within it may have had an impact on students being more engaged in the biology course and more likely to take advantage of opportunities to improve their grade performance. Students concurrently enrolled in the IL and biology courses outperformed their counterparts enrolled only in biology. The mean grade in the biology class for the IL group was 83% as compared to 70% for the biology-only group. Table 1 shows that a higher percentage of IL students earned grades of A and B than their counterparts. Since the focus of this particular study was on class attendance and final course grade received in the IL and biology courses, statistical analysis was not applied to this data. 250 Table 1, Behavior Comparison of Two Student Groups Enrolled in a Biology Course Concurrent IL + biology Biology-only Academic behaviors in biology course Rate of class attendance 80% 73% Percent submitting extra credit work* 47% 28% Percent attending exam prep sessions** 74% 28% Grades in the biology Course Mean final course grade percent 83% 70% Final course grade distribution %A 68% 4% %B 17% 29% %C 7% 46% %D 4% 8% %F 4% 11% * Submitted at least one extra-credit project over course of academic term. ** Attended at least one exam prep session over course of academic term. Table 2, Correlation Coefficients of Class Attendance and Course Performance - All IL and Introductory Biology Course Sections Combined: 2002 and 2003 Correlation Coefficient IL attendance + biology final grade 0.588 IL final grade + IL attendance 0.848 IL attendance + biology attendance 0.607 IL final grade + biology final grade 0.820 Limitations of the Two Evaluation Studies These evaluation studies have several limitations in terms of generalizing the results of the Integrated Learning approach implemented at UMN. The first limitation is that the courses studied were limited to Introductory Biology and Introductory Psychology. It is possible a wider range of academic courses served could have shown different results. Second, the selected courses for IL course support were at a lower division in the undergraduate curriculum. It is possible that a different experience could have resulted from classes served at the upper-division undergraduate or graduate levels. A third limitation is the size of the sample for data analysis. Analysis from a longer time period might have yielded different trends in the results. Fourth, the University of Minnesota had a competitive admissions process during the time period of these studies. The IL course experience at an open-admissions institution might have derived different results than those in this research study. Finally, this study only included the experiences of students from one institution. The University of Minnesota is a Research Intensive I public university with over 53,500 undergraduate and graduate students. This is an atypical environment for most postsecondary students in the U.S. 251 Conclusion The Integrated Learning courses have successfully served the needs of TRIO SSS students for over four decades at the University of Minnesota. Providing more than just academic support for students concurrently enrolled in several rigorous postsecondary courses, the IL course experience is a powerful transitional learning experience, preparing students for academic success in the wider campus learning environment. As a first-year earning community, the IL course is paired with a rigorous content course so immediate application is made of newly learned study strategies and metacognitive skills. The learning community creates an environment for students, especially those who are first-generation postsecondary students, low-income, or have disabilities, to acclimate to the social climate of a large university. 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First-generation college students: Additional evidence on college experiences and outcomes. The Journal of Higher Education, 75(3), 249-284. doi:10.1353/jhe.2004.0016 Piaget, J., & Inhelder, B. (1958). Growth of logical thinking. New York, NY: Basic Books. Terenzini, P. T., Rendon, L I., Upcraft, M. L., Miller, S. B., Allison, K. W., Gregg, P. L., & Jalomo, R. (1994). Research in Higher Education, 35(1), 57-73. doi:10.1007/BF02496662 Tinto, V. (1984). Leaving college: Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition (2nd ed.). Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. doi:10.7208/Chicago/9780336922461.001.0001 Tinto, V. (2003). Learning better together: The impact of learning communities on student success. In Promoting Student Success in College, Higher Education Monograph Series (pp. 1-8). Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University. Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Willis, J., & Cifuentes, L. (2005). Training teachers to integrate technology into the classroom curriculum: Online versus face-to-face course delivery (comparative analysis of teacher technology training courses). Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 3(1), 43-54. Zhao, C-M., & Kuh, G. D. (2004). Learning communities and student engagement. Research in Higher Education, 45(2), 115-138. 254 Tutoring for Students with Disabilities TRIO Disability Support Services, Wichita State University (Wichita, KS) For more information: Kimberlee Cook, [email protected] http://www.wichita.edu/thisis/home/?u=specialprograms Approved September 30, 2013 as a Promising Practice by the EOA National Best Practices Center, http://besteducationpractices.org Revised 10/12/13 Readers utilizing this education practice are requested to send a brief email how it was used. Send to the EOA Center at [email protected] Abstract TRIO DSS tutors are trained to work with students with disabilities, whether the disability is physical, psychological, neurological, or other. Their training includes specific workshops on different types of disabilities and how to work with students with disabilities in individual situations. Tutors are given the student’s learning styles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, or a combination of) and adapt their tutoring methods to match the student’s style. The tutoring model of academic support is designed to assist postsecondary students with disabilities to pass courses in which they face academic hardship due to their disabilities, and to help them move forward toward their goal of a four-year degree while experiencing new and innovative learning strategies. Researchers Karl Wirth and Dexter Perkins discovered that “Teachers often assume that, because they are ‘teaching’, students must be learning. Students assume that, because they have read their text and memorized facts, they have learned something” (Wirth & Perkins, 2008). Tutoring offers a dynamic and changeable form of learning rather than the “tried and true” learning by memorization methods so often utilized by college students. Students are highly encouraged to participate in tutoring by their academic advisors, especially if they show a trend of needing academic support. The academic advisor supervises both the students and tutors and meets with them on a regular basis to get academic progress updates. This teamwork approach of the DSS program staff, DSS student tutors, and academic advisors increases the opportunity for increased success for the participating students. Based on data collected and analyzed, TRIO DSS students earn higher grades, are more comfortable in their courses, and feel more confident in their abilities to learn due to individual tutoring sessions. 255 Need for the Practice Wichita State University (WSU) in Wichita, Kansas is one of six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. Over 40 percent of the campus enrollment are undergraduates Of these students, 4.5% of the first-generation and/or low-income students have documented learning, physical, and psychological disabilities. With such a high percentage of students having disabilities, there is an increased need for an academic services program to serve this specific population. WSU is proposing to provide academic assistance to undergraduates with disabilities who wish to pursue and obtain a postsecondary education. This 100% federally funded SSS program is titled “TRIO Disability Support Services (DSS).” Many DSS students demonstrate a need for intensive and individualized support for both their disabilities and their academic courses in order to pass their classes and learn effectively. Students show that they learn more effectively with outside-the-box thinkers who are able to adapt their teaching styles to match the students’ learning styles and work with the students’ individual disabilities. These students often bloom under one-on-one work since they get the attention they need to feel more secure about their ability to learn and keep up in their classes. In college settings, stigma is often displayed towards students with disabilities, especially those with an invisible disability. Stigma reduces motivation for students and results in lower academic achievement (Higbee, Lundell, & Arendale, 2005). The majority of students in the Wichita State University TRIO DSS program have disabilities that range from anxiety to psychosis, none of which the students actively disclose. Too often at the college level today, the consensus among instructors is that if they cannot visually perceive the disability, then it does not exist. Students with disabilities report that they do not receive what they consider as adequate support from their instructors. This may be because the vast majority of college instructors are not trained to work with people with disabilities or even recognize that a person with a disability may need special exceptions. There are models for addressing this issue such as Universal Learning Design and similar theoretical constructs (Higbee & Goff, 2011). This lack of training often seems to cause misunderstandings between the students and instructors and some students complain that their instructors “look down on them” or “treat me worse because of my disability.” The WSU model is based on a strengths-based approach that helps students build on their assets and increase their capacity, agency, and confidence at higher rates. Other researchers have identified similar approaches in serving students like those in the DSS program at WSU (Higbee & Goff, 2011). Each DSS program student has a different and unique disability profile ranging from learning disorders, such as dyslexia, to other disabilities, such as: anxiety, depression, manic-depressive disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, psychosis, multiple forms and severities of autism, and various combinations of these and other disabilities. Due to these differences in disabilities, each student learns differently from their peers. A student may be more visually oriented, or auditory oriented, or kinesthetically, or even a mixture. These are commonly called “learning styles.” It is important for the advisors in DSS to discover a student’s learning style so that they are better equipped to work with and help that student. Once the learning style has been verified, the student is then matched with a tutor who has been trained to work with that 256 particular learning style. Sometimes the tutors get innovative and combine learning styles for students to help them learn more effectively. Innovative and creative collaboration between the tutor and student can increase achievement and confidence. While the theory of learning styles has faced controversy, a robust research agenda continues to identify productive learning outcomes when learning styles of students are identified and they understand how to maximize their strengths (Manolis et al., 2013). Objectives of the Tutoring Program • • • • • • • DSS students increase understanding of their preferred learning styles and develop strategies to expand their effectiveness with the other modalities. DSS students develop additional coping systems for managing their specific disabilities to increase their academic performance. DSS students’ academic success rates increase progressively in their courses and graduation rates. TRIO DSS program successfully advocates for students with disabilities in cases where the disability is causing difficulty for them to learn effectively. DSS students display increased independence and adaptability when using new learning strategies in their courses. DSS students increase their independence and confidence to pass their courses with a diminishing level of assistance from the DSS program. DSS students display growth in becoming well-developed and innovative people in society after graduation from college. TRIO DSS at Wichita State University accepts a yearly caseload (ex: 2012-2013 Academic Year) of 115 students. The academic year at WSU runs from the fall semester through the summer semester. It is required that students have a documented disability diagnosed by a professional (doctor, psychologist, psychiatrist, etc…) and preferred that they also fall in to the category of first-generation and low-income, though not required for acceptance. DSS accepts both traditional and non-traditional students, typically by academic year, starting with freshmen, then sophomores... Theory and Research Guiding the Practice The underlying theory of DSS Tutoring program comes from Karl Wirth of Macalester College and Dexter Perkins of the University of North Dakota. Their document, Learning to Learn, includes theories by Skip Downing (2005), the National Research Council, the AACU (2002), along with many others. These sources help TRIO DSS staff, and the tutors they train, to better understand and work with DSS students. These theorists provide insight into individual learning styles that the DSS staff and tutors can use to increase skill and independence of the students they serve. Development of an individualized education plan for each of the DSS program students is needed since each presents a unique combination of skills and challenges. Since the 1950’s, researchers in cognitive theory and education have used Bloom’s (1956) taxonomies of learning. In a number of landmark papers, Bloom and colleagues identified three learning domains: cognitive, affective, and psychomotor. The cognitive domain involves thinking in a variety tasks. The affective domain includes 257 feelings, emotions, attitudes, values, and motivations. Levels within the affective domain range from initial awareness to a commitment to values that guide behavior and decisions. The psychomotor domain of learning includes physical movement, coordination, and motor- and sensory-skills. The psychomotor domain often applies to students who have disabilities such as dyslexia or hand-eye coordination, where the focus is to improve handwriting, typing abilities, and eye-tracking skills when reading.. Description of the Practice As stated above, the TRIO Disability Support Services tutoring program is intended specifically for students with disabilities of any age or demographic. The majority of students have disabilities that often make learning certain materials difficult. Several students have very specific learning disabilities, while others have disabilities such as anxiety, depression, or dyslexia. These students are identified and matched by learning styles to tutors trained to tutor in the same learning style while working with the student’s disability. Student’s learning styles are determined at their intake process and recorded in their file in the FileMakerPro Database. Curriculum for DSS tutoring is very detailed regarding working with students with disabilities. Below is described the tutoring process, tutoring contract and policies, learner activities covered in tutoring, key traits of tutors and conclude with their professional development and supervision. DSS Tutoring Process To begin the DSS tutoring process the student must first approach their academic advisor to request tutoring. The advisor asks the student to complete a yellow half-sheet of paper titled “TRIO DSS Tutor Request.” The student brings the completed form and their class schedule to the advisor, who then begins the process of matching the student with the appropriate tutor. Once the student and tutor have been matched according to learning style, the tutor is given a packet of paperwork to begin tutoring. The first form in this packet is a lime-green half-sheet called the “Initial Contact Report.” The top half of this form is filled out by the advisor and attached to the student’s course schedule. The tutor takes this folder and, as required, contacts the student within 48 hours. The bottom half of the form is to record each attempt to contact the student and the outcome. Once contact has been made, the tutor and student set up a meeting with the advisor to sign the “Tutoring Contract.” At that meeting, all three parties review the policies and procedures of DSS tutoring. TRIO DSS policies and procedures differ from regular SSS programs in that they are designed to encourage students to achieve a higher level of independence in their lives. Students are encouraged to try resolving problems on their own before requesting assistance. Tutors are not permitted to assist students until they have attempted to resolve any issues they may have with their work first. The program is especially strict. They not only gain a sense of independence – that they can be problem solvers despite their disabilities – but it also helps them understand that to be independent means doing things without constantly needing or expecting the assistance of others. This is usually communicated to the student in the contract appointment. 258 That way, everyone is aware of the policies at the same time and any issues can be cleared up. The tutor’s responsibilities, as written in the contract, are listed below: • The tutor will be attentive and patient, and will assist with the student’s overall comprehension of all course material. • The tutor agrees to protect the student’s privacy concerning any documentation or knowledge of disabilities. • The tutor will put forth their best effort to share their knowledge of the tutored subject with the student. • The tutor is obligated to meet with the student at least two hours per week. • The tutor will check their mailbox at least 3 times per week and attend all monthly tutor meetings. • The tutor will inform the student’s advisor if any problems are hindering tutoring sessions. The tutor will schedule a mid-semester conference with the student and advisor before the last day for course withdrawal. Once the tutor has made it clear they understand their responsibilities the advisor explains the student’s responsibilities in the contract: • The student will provide the tutor with a copy of the course syllabus. • The student will come prepared to tutoring sessions. Student will complete homework, prepare questions to ask, and review the course material before the tutoring sessions. • The student is obligated to meet with the tutor at least two hours per week. • The student will inform their advisor if there are any problems hindering tutoring sessions. • The student will provide a current grade to the tutor and advisor at the midsemester conference. The next section of the contract covers the actual tutoring regulations: • • • • • • The student or tutor will contact each other at least 24 hours in advance of session to be missed in an effort to reschedule. The student and tutor will wait a minimum of 15 minutes at the designated tutoring location before counting the session as missed. The student is allowed three absences, after which tutoring will be suspended for the rest of the semester. The student and tutor will conduct tutoring at campus locations only. The student and tutor understand that forgery of tutoring timesheets is a violation of TRIO DSS services policy and will result in the immediate dismissal of both the tutor and student from the TRIO DSS program. The student and tutor agree to adhere to the guidelines listed above. The tutor and student then work out their two-hour weekly tutoring schedule. For example, they may decide to tutor every Monday and Wednesday from 3:30pm-4:30pm in the campus library for the duration of the semester. They fill out each other’s contact information and sign the tutoring contract. The AA will then take the contract and make 259 two copies, one for the student and one for the tutor. The AA keeps the original and puts it in the student’s file. This information (tutor request, tutor assignment, and tutoring contract) is entered into the FileMakerPro Tutoring Database to make a complete file to document the tutoring activities. Since there are only 10 peer tutors at any given time, the level of courses available for tutoring is limited. According to the specifications of the TRIO federal grant that supports this program, tutoring can only be offered for courses at the 300 level or below, if the tutor has taken the course and passed with a B or higher. There are exceptions to this rule. If a student requests a higher-level course, and the tutor has taken that course and passed with a B, the tutor can be asked if they are interested in tutoring that student provided they are comfortable tutoring the material. These requests can only be filled after all other lower level tutoring courses have been placed and the tutor has enough hours left to tutor. They are only allowed to tutor 10 hours a week. Along with all the tutoring paperwork, several evaluation forms go with TRIO DSS tutoring. The first evaluation is the tutor’s evaluation of the student at the mid-semester conferenceii. This form is filled out by the tutor and given to the student’s AA during the conference to be put in the student’s tutoring file. This evaluation by the tutor informs the student’s Advisor of their progress in their tutored course. This is also the time for the AA to look for red flags noted by the tutor. Is the student at a passing grade level at mid-semester? How are the student’s study habits as noticed by the tutor and should there be a meeting with the student to help them improve in their study skills, notetaking, reading comprehension, and so on? Should there be a discussion with the student regarding dropping or continuing the course if their grade is poor? The second evaluation is the student’s evaluation of the tutor after final exams. The student fills this evaluation out and hands it in to the tutor coordinator to go into the tutor’s personnel files. Learner Activities To understand how a typical tutoring session is held, below is an example. Many students request tutoring for differing things like help understanding homework, test prep, and to develop better ways to study and learn in their classes. A student with a learning disability often is identified as a visual learner based on their learning style inventory. The student is matched with a tutor, who is also a visual learner, but has been trained to tutor in all learning styles. The student seeks help with Beginning Algebra. This is their third attempt at taking the class In their first session, the tutor meets with the student in a private room in the library. The private study room offers a quiet environment that cuts out other visual distractions and allows the student to focus more fully on their work, an environment that they cannot get at home or on their own. With the use of visual aids such as chalk boards, graphs, calculators, and internet sites such as YouTube.com, the tutor demonstrates to the student resources available to help them work through algebraic problems. If the student A identifies one of those visual methods seems to assist them in learning the material then the tutor will continue to use that method. However, if a method does not work, then the tutor continues to search with the student until they both find a method that works in assisting until comprehension is achieved. 260 More often than not, a method needs to be used in combination with other methods to be most effective. For instance, most people are visual learners, but many of those learn best in an environment that is both visual and kinesthetic, or visual and auditory. This may mean that Tutor C will need to make use of not just visual aids, but perhaps allow music to play, or let the student squeeze a stress ball while they work. It all depends on the student’s learning style preference. TRIO DSS tutoring also strives to instill a sense of accountability and independence in students with disabilities. Students are held accountable for attending their tutoring sessions, having their materials ready, participating in tutoring discussions, and following the tutoring policies outlined in the tutoring contract. If a student does not follow the policies, especially the absence policies, then the consequence is a loss of the tutoring service, which often leads to failing the course. A student is allowed three absences from tutoring. Once the tutor has documented three absences tutoring is temporarily suspended until the student meets with their advisor to explain why they are missing sessions. If the issue is cleared by the advisor, then tutoring may resume until the student misses with an unexcused absence, after which they lose tutoring for the rest of the semester. Key Tutor Traits There are several key traits needed in tutors who work with students with disabilities. The key trait is that tutors must want to work with students with disabilities. Working with students with disabilities can present a challenge for people without disabilities. There is a certain level of empathy and understanding needed to work with this demographic of students. Tutors must demonstrate to these students that they are open-minded and non-judgmental; that they understand and accept their students. They must be open and friendly, and most importantly, they must have patience in abundance. Professional Development for Tutors The professional development for tutors is quite extensive and specific to working with students with disabilities. Each month all tutors are required to have a monthly meeting conducted by the tutor coordinator. During these monthly meetings different issues are covered such as students showing up late to sessions, how to work with students with depression or anxiety, how to help students develop individualized study skills, and basic mental health first aid. The tutors need to be well informed on types of disabilities and the challenges they present in order to develop empathy for the students they will be working with. The other main professional development activity for DSS tutors is a one day tutor orientation training done at the beginning of each Fall and Spring semester. This one-day training covers all the tutoring paperwork (contracts, timesheets, missed session slips), the “Working with Students with Disabilities Handbook,” the “Tutoring Procedures Handbook,” tutoring scenarios, and any other questions the tutors may have regarding tutoring assignments. 261 Tutor Supervision All DSS tutors fall under the direct supervision of the DSS tutor coordinator while all students fall under the supervision of their respective advisors. (The caseload of 115 students is split between two academic advisors, 58 to one and 57 to the other.) If there are any conflicts or misunderstandings between students and tutors the students/tutors take it to their direct supervisor, who will take charge of the issue from there. Issues involving tutors go directly to the tutor coordinator while issues involving students will be handled by their academic advisor. Resources Needed to Implement the Practice By the specifications of the TRIO DSS grant, each semester 10 tutors are allowed to tutor up to 10 hours a week, or a total of 5 students at two hours each as required by the tutoring contract. If a tutor’s hours allow, they can tutor a student up to 3 hours with the approval of the tutor coordinator. The cost of tutoring for TRIO DSS depends on the number of tutors and the number of students being tutored. At WSU, tutors start at $7.25/hr. In one academic year we normally have around 60 students who participate in tutoring at the average time of two hours per week. This brings the estimated cost of actual tutoring time to $75.40 per student per year. The total is $4,524. There are several training costs that go into tutoring as well. These include two tutor orientation trainings and monthly meetings. The tutor orientation is held twice per year. This means that 10 tutors gain 8 hours of training once in the Spring and once in the Fall. We double those numbers and multiply them by two to get an estimated cost of tutor orientation training of $1,160. Tutor monthly trainings happen about 10 times per year for two hours each. (Five meetings per semester.) This brings the cost of monthly trainings to $725.00 for the year. This means the total approximate cost of trainings per year is around $1,885, excluding the cost of materials. If the cost of material is included then the totals for things like paper, folders, books, and other media add up to about $250.00 per year. The grand total for cost of the TRIO DSS tutoring costs in an academic year comes to somewhere around $6,659. Tutor trainings are usually conducted by the TRIO DSS academic advisor and tutor coordinator. During the tutor orientation, the TRIO DSS Tutor Handbookiv is given out to tutors and the contents are covered at the beginning of every semester. Once a month, a monthly tutor meeting is held to allow the tutors to come together and discuss issues and concerns with the academic advisor and tutor coordinator. . These meetings are often themed and can cover a range of topics from working with students with high anxiety to how to properly deal with a student who has expressed some concerning ideas such as depression or suicide. A strong communication line between students, tutors, and academic advisors is encouraged in these meetings. The advisors cannot help with an issue unless they are made aware of one. Trainings often make use of various YouTube.com college tutoring videos, the TRIO DSS Tutor Handbook, and sometimes guest speakers from other student support programs such as WSU’s Office of Disability Services, and the McNair Scholars Program 262 Tutors generally provide their own learning materials for their students. The tutor coordinator will often supply them with supplemental texts such as writing manuals and basic math skills books. Tutors are also welcome to use the materials the students bring, i.e. books, notes, etc. Wichita State has the Ablah Library available. The Ablah Library, named after the Ablah family, is the main library at WSU. It contains thousands of print resources for students, as well as electronic sources and databases available to students through their WSU library accounts. Ablah is a popular tutoring location. It provides private study rooms that can be accessed by students and tutors, larger open areas for group study, a large number of open computers, and knowledgeable librarians who are always ready to assist with any questions regarding library services. TRIO DSS has its own limited number of library of books and study skills videos that tutors and students also have access to as well. Evaluation of the Practice The DSS program uses a variety of data collection systems to evaluate progress towards achievement of the seven program outcomes listed earlier in this document. Some of those data collectors are included in this submission. When final analysis for the data is completed, this submission will be revised with addition of a rigorous analysis study of the data. At that time, the expanded document will be resubmitted to the EOA Center for evaluation at the higher level of “validated education practice.” References AACU. (2002). Greater expectations: A new vision for learning as a nation. Washington, DC: American Association of Colleges and Universities. Higbee, J. L., & Goff, E. (Eds.). (2011). Pedagogy and student services for institutional transformation: Implementing Universal Design in higher education. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, College of Education and Human Development. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED503835). Retrieved from http://www.cehd.umn.edu/passit/docs/PASS-IT-Book.pdf Higbee, J. L., Lundell, D. B., & Arendale, D. R. (Eds.). (2005). The General College vision: Integrating intellectual growth, multicultural perspectives, and student development. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, General College, Center for Research on Developmental Education and Urban Literacy. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED492539). Retrieved from http://purl.umn.edu/535 Manolis, C., Burns, D. J., Assudani, R., & Chinta, R. (2013). Assessing experimental learning styles: A methodological reconstruction and validation of the Kolb Learning Style Inventory. Learning and Individual Differences, 23, 44-52. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1041608012001495/pdfft?md5= 4c221c28e985ddea7e960e3a9daa2149&pid=1-s2.0-S1041608012001495main.pdf 263 Paul, R.. (2004). Grading policies: Critical thinking. National Council for Excellence in Critical Thinking. Retrieved from http://www.criticalthinking.org/University/univclass/gradingpolicies.html Wirth, K. R. and Perkins, D. (2008). Learning to Learn, version 16, Retrieved from http://www.macalester.edu/academics/geology/wirth/learning.pdf 264 Tutor Training and Professional Development TRIO Student Support Services Program, Wichita State University (Wichita, KS) For more information: Vanessa Souriya-Mnirajd, [email protected] http://www.wichita.edu/thisis/home/?u=specialprograms Approved September 25, 2013 as a Promising Practice by the EOA National Best Practices Center, http://besteducationpractices.org Revised 10/11/13 Readers utilizing this education practice are requested to send a brief email how it was used. Send to the EOA Center at [email protected] Abstract Peer tutoring has become a familiar tool that many schools utilize to reinforce classroom teaching and increase student success. For this reason, the Student Support Services (SSS) Program at Wichita State University (WSU) has implemented the Tutor Training and Professional Development program. The program assists new and returning tutors to develop strategies to support learning, enhance academic performance, and improve the tutoring process to establish, implement, and maintain a comprehensive and quality tutor-training program. Tutoring plays a vital role in enhancing student learning in the educational process at WSU. It has the most direct impact on student grades, grade point averages, and completion of course requirements. It also helps students to develop critical thinking skills and learn strategies to effectively solve problems. The goal of the SSS Program is to inspire students to become confident, independent learners, prepared to meet academic and personal challenges. The tutors help students to improve their grades and better comprehend course content. Students request a tutor through their academic adviser when they experience difficulties in their courses. Students are encouraged to take advantage of tutorial assistance while completing their undergraduate coursework. There are five components of the comprehensive program described in this document: 1. WSU SSS Tutor Logic Model 2. CRLA-certified Tutor Training Initial Workshop 3. Tutor Course 4. Tutor Student Organization 5. Tutor Evaluation System Need for the Practice First-generation and/or limited income students typically experience difficulty in setting priorities, utilizing campus resources, and completing coursework, often causing 265 them to drop out. The Student Support Services Project (SSS) is an academic support system at WSU that provides the means for these students to overcome academic and financial obstacles, with the objective of enabling them to persist and graduate from a four-year college. For students who request tutorial assistance, the SSS project provides two hours of tutoring per week for general education requirement courses. Often, the tutors are SSS students themselves who are sensitive to peer needs and aware of the problems these students face; the tutors also serve as paraprofessionals and role models for academic success. Tutors are responsible for the delivery of tutorial services to SSS students on a one-to-one basis. Peer tutoring is a method of instruction that involves students teaching other students. It is designed to help students who are encountering difficulty in a course because of the subject matter, unpreparedness, illness, and other factors. Students learn more and demonstrate mastery when they are able to comprehensively teach a subject. Conversely, when a student is struggling, receiving assistance from someone of the same age group helps create bridges for learning. A peer tutor can formulate examples and relate to a student on an entirely different level than an adult educator. A struggling student can benefit greatly from having to teach the topic that they are studying to a tutor in their same age group. According to LaFountaine (2007), “the concept behind tutoring is clearly to add confidence, install self-reliance, fill in the missing academic pieces, and create a connection to the institution for each student served.” Students are likely to become more excited about learning when they understand the course content, and as a result, their grades are likely to improve. Tutoring helps students gain self-confidence and increases their self-esteem. Theory and Research Guiding the Practice Application of Piaget’s Theory to Tutoring Piaget’s concepts of assimilation, accommodation, and equilibration are useful in explaining the peer learning process (Lisi 1999). Assimilation is a cognitive process in which an individual takes in and fully understands new information, ideas or culture. In contrast, accommodation requires cognitive schema to be changed in order to account for new information. However, "accommodation does not imply a permanent change or modification in a cognitive system or any of its components" (Lisi 1999, p. 8). Rather, accommodation may take place in a situation such as accepting a teacher’s answers, but without real understanding. Equilibration is a process that can occur when an individual attempts to reconcile current cognitive schema with an observation that does not fit. Peer tutoring can be related to the Piagetian cognitive learning theory, which delivers a clear basis for peer tutoring (Lisi, 1999). The principles for peer learning from Piaget’s theory consists of the following: • Peer learning groups are composed of individual learners. These individuals each make meaning out of concepts, discover problems, and resolve problems within their individual minds. 266 • • Peer interactions have the potential to foster intellectual growth in ways not easily replicated by children working alone or working with adults. Peer learning is a joint function. They have the ability to work cooperatively in teams and to understand the curriculum content. • Peers have mutual respect and cooperation rather than unilateral authority. • Having peers work together is not enough to ensure a change in cognitive systems and performance. Instead, the quality of their interaction is crucial, which leads to perturbations that in turn lead to modifications of cognitive systems. (Lissi, 1999). WSU SSS Tutor Logic Model The SSS Tutor Logic Model is adapted from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Logic Model Development Guide. “A logic model is a systematic and visual way to present and share your understanding of the relationships among the resources you have to operate your program, the activities you plan, and the changes or results you hope to achieve” (W. K. Kellogg Foundation, p. 1, 2004). This definition has been used to construct the following SSS Tutor Logic Model, which uses a visual display of relationships among the resources provided to the SSS Project through grant funds from the U.S. Department of Education. It also illustrates the functionality of the program, the activities planned for retention and graduation of eligible students enrolled at WSU, and displays measurable intended results (SSS Program Management & Planning Guide 2013-2014, pp. 6-7). Description of the Practice As described above, the WSU SSS Tutor Logic Model guides the overall tutor program implementation, including the comprehensive tutor training and professional development program. Following is a description of each of that program’s components: CRLA-certified tutor initial workshop, tutor course, tutor student organization, and tutor evaluation system. To provide context for the program, the following provides an overview of the students served and the tutors who serve them. Once a student is selected for participation in the project, they are expected to meet monthly with their SSS academic advisors to discuss their educational goals, career aspirations, financial difficulties, personal obstacles, and class progress. To assist students in completing their postsecondary courses successfully, the project provides one-on-one academic tutoring. Students request tutors through their SSS academic advisors. Tutors are students at WSU who have completed 30 credits with at least a 3.00 GPA. The associate director/tutor coordinator interviews, selects and hires 30 tutors with the approval of the director each semester based on their academic record; they also must have an A or B in the coursework they intend to tutor. After students request a tutor through their SSS academic advisors, they meet with their assigned tutor and the advisor to sign a contract before tutoring sessions begin. The advisor reviews the tutor and student responsibilities and days and times for 267 tutoring. Tutors and students commit to a minimum of two hours of tutoring per week; tutoring sessions occur on campus in public areas to ensure mutual safety. Tutors serve as academic mentors and role models, continuously monitoring student’s progress; the process is also closely monitored by the SSS academic advisors to ensure student academic performance. The result of the close monitoring is that 92% of students in the SSS project stay in good academic standing and 48% of them maintain a GPA of 3.0 and above. Initial Two-Day Training Workshop Once tutors are interviewed, selected, and hired, they are trained for two days to provide outcome-based tutoring. The associate director/tutor coordinator customizes tutor training to needs of the tutors and periodically includes modules suggested by the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA). CRLA has awarded the WSU-SSS Project with the International Tutor Program Certification. It has authorized the project to issue certificates to tutors meeting CRLA requirements for the following certification levels: Certified Tutor, Advanced Certified Tutor, and Masters Certified Tutor. The training includes an overview and history of the TRIO Programs. It is essential for tutors to know and understand the history of the project they are working for and its mission. During the extensive two-day training, the associate director/tutor coordinator reviews documentation, forms, and other necessary paperwork such as: Tutor-Request Form, SSS Program-Tutor Contract, Tutor-Student Contract, Tracking Student Grades in Tutored Courses, Steps to Conduct an Outcome-Based Tutorial Session, Missed Appointment Slip, Positive Time Reporting, Tutor Evaluation of Student at Mid-semester Conference, Student Evaluation of Tutor at the end of Semester, TutorStudent Change of Tutoring Status, and Tutor Semester Work and Class Schedule. Tutors participate in relevant role-play scenarios that cover issues such as SSS policies, time management, sexual harassment, personal hygiene, appropriate boundaries, and dealing with common tutoring problems. Tutors are expected to know the tutor policies and procedures. To create a fun and energetic environment in which to learn them, the associate director/tutor coordinator at WSU has adapted the Pictionary game. At the end of the game, the associate director/tutor coordinator highlights and discusses the tutor policies and procedures. Faculty and/or staff at WSU and other TRIO Programs are invited to present sessions on brain dominance learning, intercultural communication, time management, learning styles, mentoring, assertiveness and/or handling difficult students, effective communication skills, active listening and paraphrasing, critical thinking skills, tutoring in specific subject areas, assessing or changing study behaviors, and other topics recommended by the CRLA. The tutors complete formative and summative evaluations at the end of the training. The associate director/tutor coordinator compiles and analyzes the evaluations, and shares the results with the rest of the SSS staff for continuous improvements. Tutor Course After the completion of tutor training, newly hired tutors are required to enroll in a university one-credit hour course: CESP 750E-Tutoring Techniques. This course is 268 taught by the SSS director. The class meets monthly to understand the fundamental principles of tutoring and instructional techniques. Tutors can receive the credit/grade as either undergraduate or graduate credit. WSU Tutors Association Tutors are also members of the WSU Tutors Association, which is recognized by the University's Student Government Association. They meet once a month with the associate director/tutor coordinator, who is also the faculty advisor of the organization, to discuss tutoring issues and concerns including any improvements that need to be made. The purpose of the organization is to provide opportunities to enhance the academic, cultural, and social aspects of tutoring, and to encourage SSS students to become tutors. Tutors gain experience in a leadership role, improve their communication skills, enhance their knowledge of the subject, and develop selfconfidence. Tutors' contributions are recognized at the annual SSS Student Recognition Banquet and at the end-of-semester WSU Tutor Association dinner. Tutor Program Evaluation System Throughout the semester, as well as during special mid-semester conferences, tutors and students discuss course content, grades, tests and quizzes, and the use of their preferred learning modalities. Students complete formative and summative evaluations, which are later analyzed for improvement of tutor job performance. The improvements and changes are communicated at a full-staff meeting with the director. The associate director/tutor coordinator implements changes after reviewing the evaluations and shares them with the staff. Tutors’ employment status with the project is made after taking into consideration the outcomes of the evaluation. The academic performance of the student is tracked and monitored by the tutor in the “Tracking Student Grades in Tutored Courses Form.” At the end of each tutoring session, the tutor documents on the Positive Time Reporting form what they worked on during the tutoring session and obtains the student’s signature. At the end of each semester, tutors write about the impact that tutoring has had on their students in a comprehensive narrative entitled Success Learning Narrated by Tutors. In the narrative, tutors include information on their students’ educational backgrounds such as learning preferences, study habits, their levels of confidence in the subject area, and whether students are repeating the course. Additionally, the narrative describes the transfer of information that occurred during and after tutoring. They share the strategies they implemented in the tutoring sessions, discuss the student’s level of confidence in the subject and whether the students’ knowledge of the subject area increased due to tutoring. The Student Support Services Project strives to balance the highest standards of professionalism with the efficiency to serve eligible students, while maintaining the integrity of the tutorial component. The project uses the Filemaker Pro 12 software database to ensure accurate project data and analysis, as well as to monitor and track student academic progress. The associate director/tutor coordinator oversees five tutorial database files: Personnel file, which stores tutor demographics such as home address, phone number, email, major, and other information; Semester Work Class 269 Schedule file, which consists of the tutors’ time availability and the courses each can tutor to facilitate assigning tutors to students; Tutor Request file, which stores each student’s phone number, email, the courses and hours a student requests for tutoring, best day and time of tutoring, preferred learning styles, class schedule, and notes from the academic advisor and tutor coordinator; Current Tutor Assignment Database file includes the information on the students and their assigned tutors such as the date of tutor requests, the number of students assigned to each tutor, date assigned, and contract date; Tutor Student Database file stores the number of hours a student receives tutoring and the final grade in the tutored course. The database files have a relational system, capable of handling a number of variables, that is powerful, easy-touse and helps accomplish tasks extremely fast. Table 1 displays the total grades in a tutored course for 2009-2010, 2010-2011, and 2011-2012 academic years. The average of the total percentage of completed tutored courses over three years for grades A, B, C, CR, and D was 78%. An average of 95 students requested tutoring. Table 1: Tutored Grades for 2009-2010, 2010-2011, and 2011-2012 Grade 2009-10 Total Grades in Tutored Course 2009-10 Total % of Completed Tutored Courses 2010-11 Total Grades in Tutored Course A B C R D 7 19 16 9 12 F NCR 10 4 23% 10 10 22% Total 94 100% 102 100% 77% 11 14 26 9 9 2010-11 Total % of Completed Tutored Courses 78% 2011-12 Total Grades in Tutored Course 6 18 26 5 7 2011-12 Total % of Completed Tutored Courses Average of the Total % over three years 78% 78% 8 10 22% 22% 92 100% 100% Source for Grades: WSU Registrar and SSS Tutored Student database. Grades include A (distinguished), B (superior), C (average), D (below average), F (failure), NCR (no credit) or CR (credit). (Reference: WSU Undergraduate Catalog 2011-2012, page 29.) Resources Needed to Implement the Practice The Student Support Services Project provides tutoring services to 250 students in undergraduate courses. Twenty to 30 tutors are hired each semester. The associate director/tutor coordinator supervises the tutors and oversees the functionality of the tutor program. Tutors are paid a minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. Students are committed to two hours of tutoring per week. Students need approval by the director for additional hours of tutoring. SSS has 125 students requesting tutoring each academic year at a payroll cost of $1,812.50 each week (125 students X 2 hours X $7.25). Tutors receive compensation for attending the two-day training. The training begins at 9:00am and ends at 5:00pm with an unpaid one-hour lunch break; an average cost of $3,045 (30 tutors X 7 hours X $7.25 X 2 day training). 270 Evaluation of the Practice The program uses a variety of data collection systems to evaluate progress towards achieving program outcomes. Some of these data collectors are included in this submission. When final analysis of the data is completed, the submission will be revised with addition of a rigorous analysis study of the data. At that time, the expanded document will be resubmitted to the EOA Center for evaluation at the higher level of “validated education practice.” The program currently engages in formative evaluation through survey responses from participants, interviews with staff involved with the program, and other data collection methods. As described earlier, this information is used for program revisions and planning purposes. References __________. (2013-2014). Student Support Services Program Management and Planning Guide. Wichita, KS: WSU TRIO Programs. College Reading and Learning Association (2013). International Tutor Program Certification standards. Retrieved from http://www.crla.net/itpc/certification_requirements.htm Lisi, R. D. (1999). Implications of Piagetian theory for peer learning. In Cognitive Perspectives of Peer Learning (p.3-37). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. LaFountaine, T.J. (2007). A tutor training manual: An interactive module. W. K. Kellogg Foundation. (2004). Logic Model Development Guide (p. 1). Retrieved from http://www.wwwk.org Resources CESP 750E: Tutoring Strategies Syllabus for Fall 2013 Wichita State University, Student Support Services (SSS) TRIO Program Instructor: Dr. Deema de Silva, SSS Director and Assistant Professor Workshop Text: SSS Tutor Handbook CESP 750E Objectives The goal of the CESP 750E tutor-training workshop is to ensure all tutors have the skills necessary to provide effective tutorial assistance to students enrolled in the Student Support Services TRIO Program at Wichita State University. Tutors are expected to set an example of excellence in ethics and in academics for their students. By successfully completing this workshop, tutors achieve objectives directly related to the measurable objectives laid down in the Student Support Services Program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Education. These objectives guide the peer-tutors toward fulfilling their main responsibility, which is to assist each of their students to understand the content of their course work and improve their grade. • Gain essential information on institutional and program policies and procedures. 271 • • • • • • Be thoroughly familiar with systems to track student progress and evaluate program services. Be able to identify and incorporate different Learning styles into tutorial sessions. Be able to develop improved sensitivity to students with diverse cultural backgrounds. Be capable and qualified to help their students develop skills, including time management and completing tasks on time. Be able to apply strategies that assist students to persist at WSU and improve grades and GPA's for students to matriculate and graduate. Have the opportunity to develop their peer leadership skills including communication skills, multi-cultural work experience, organization skills and priority management, depending upon the extent that a tutor is willing to be involved in the various activities of the SSS Program. CESP 750E Requirements • • • • Attendance at Tutor Training and Orientation on August 15-16, 2013 is mandatory (22 points will be awarded for attendance). The SSS Associate Director Ms. Vanessa Souriya-Mnirajd, who is also the SSS Coordinator of Tutorial Services, will check attendance and facilitate the training workshop. New tutors attend the CESP 750E monthly tutor training classes held on the first Wednesday of each month from 3:30-4:30 pm in Linquist Hall, Room 105. If for any reason you must be late to class, please call my Sr. Administrative Assistant Sharon at 978-3715 to explain why. If you need to leave early, please let me know before class begins. If you have to miss one of the training sessions (for a valid reason), please contact Sharon at 978-3715 as early as possible to explain why. Leave a contact number where you can be reached. To make up the total number of points lost due to an excused absence, talk to another tutor who attended the class session and ask him or her what was discussed. Then, type a 1/2 - 1 page summary, based on this information, and submit it to me in Grace Wilkie Hall, Room 309 before the next tutoring session. Assignment 1: Attend CESP 750E 2-day Tutor Training – August 15-16 (22 Points) Two-day attendance is required to receive the full 22 points. If you are unable to attend, you must make arrangements beforehand with Ms. Souriya-Mnirajd to make up points by completing an assignment. Assignment 2a: Barriers to Education Assessment – September 11 (16 Points) Read and complete the assessment provided in class on “Barriers to Education” by John J. Liptak, Ed.D, published by JIST Works. Then, type a one-page summary of how you will use the results of this assessment to overcome the barriers described in step 4 of the assessment. Include a few sentences on what you learned about each barrier. (Submit the assessment and outline to Sharon Robertson in the SSS office in 309 Grace Wilkie and obtain her initials by September 11, 2013). Assignment 2b: Cultural and Self-Awareness Outline – September 11 (12 Points) Construct a Cultural and Self-Awareness Outline, using the example provided in class, 272 to prepare for Assignment 4: Cultural and Self-Awareness Research Report (Submit the assessment and outline to Sharon Robertson in the SSS office in 309 Grace Wilkie and obtain her initials by September 11, 2013). Assignment 3: Importance of Mentoring Response Paper – October 9 (25 Points) Type a 1-2 page response to the 20/20 DVD documentary we will view during class on October 2. Explain what you learn from the DVD about the importance of mentoring and behavior modification. Include how this awareness can help you to positively influence your assigned SSS students during tutoring sessions. (Submit the response and obtain initials from Sharon Robertson in the SSS office in 309 Grace Wilkie by October 9). Assignment 4: Cultural and Self-Awareness Report – November 13 (25 Points) Prepare a cover page using the example given in class as a template. Then type a thoughtful 3-4 page description about your cultural background, values, beliefs, and perceptions using the outline that you created in Assignment 2. Include a “Personal Reflection” on the insights you have gained into academic, financial and educational planning, personal and situational barriers. Conclude by explaining how this project helped you to better understand your cultural background, values, beliefs and perceptions. (Submit the report and obtain initials from Sharon Robertson in the SSS office in 309 Grace Wilkie by November 13, 2013). Late Assignments Two points will be taken off for each day the assignment is late, and you may be expected to complete another project in lieu of the number of days you were late submitting the assignment. If you anticipate that you will be late handing in an assignment, please type an explanation at least one week in advance and give it to me. 273 Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program Best Education Practices 274 McWrite: Developing Scholarly Writing Skills TRIO McNair Scholars Program, Wichita State University (Wichita, KS) For more information: LaWanda Holt-Fields, [email protected] http://www.wichita.edu/thisis/home/?u=specialprograms Approved October 12, 2013 as a Promising Practice by the EOA National Best Practices Center, http://besteducationpractices.org Revised 10/12/13 Readers utilizing this education practice are requested to send a brief email how it was used. Send to the EOA Center at [email protected] Abstract The McWrite model for developing scholarly writing skills was developed at Wichita State University (WSU) to help McNair Scholar students with difficulty mastering the mechanics of writing (punctuation, grammar, sentence structure, paragraph development) and scholarly writing required for graduate studies. According to Schumacher and Gradwohl-Nash (1991), three purposes of writing are fostering understanding, changing conceptions, and developing thinking skills. This is consistent with Piaget’s theory of cognitive development (1958). All participants of the Wichita State University TRIO McNair Scholars Program participate in monthly, hour-long group sessions to develop increased competency in these three essential skills. McWrite benefits students in all areas of their academics, fostering increased confidence in their writing abilities and success in graduate school. A unique feature of the McWrite program is the sustained and systematic approach to development of writing skills for all McNair Scholars, regardless of previous academic success. This program is part of the core of the TRIO McNair program rather than an optional activity with limited attention. Need for the Practice Previous to implementation of the McWrite program, WSU McNair students displayed limited writing skills when participating in scholarly research activities, producing research manuscripts, and participating in the online writing program, Communication Fitness. Writing is one of the most important skills for students to develop. Writing is the most common way to share research ideas and is the primary mechanism through which to evaluate success in graduate school and in an academic career. Students are required to write extensively in graduate school and for different purposes. As the National Commission on Writing (2013) stressed, writing allows students to "connect the dots" in their knowledge, is central to self-expression and civic participation, and is essential to educational and career success. The report 275 recommended that the amount of time and money devoted to student writing should increase, and writing should become an important focus in schools at all grade levels (Emenogu, n.d.). Well-developed writing skills help students express their thoughts and provide deeper and meaningful answers to examination questions. An obstacle to students becoming aware of their limited writing skills is lack of confidence. The objectives for McWrite include preparing students for research writing, thesis development, and dissertation writing in graduate school. Each cohort of participants includes 28 TRIO McNair Scholars who are first-generation, limited income, and underrepresented college students at Wichita State University. At the end of each McWrite monthly seminar, students complete an evaluation on the skills and knowledge gained. Theory and Research Guiding the Practice Development of Writing Skills According to Kellogg (2008), written composition skills develop progressively through the three stages illustrated in Figure 1 below. It takes at least two decades of maturation, instruction, and training to advance from the beginner's stage of using writing to tell what one knows, to the intermediate stage of transforming what one knows for the author's benefit, and finally to the stage of constructing what is known for the reader's benefit. The first two stages are well established by developmental research and are typically mastered by advanced high school and college students (Bereiter & Scardamalia, 1987). The third is seldom discussed, perhaps because it characterizes only mature adults who aim to become skilled professional writers (Kellogg, 2006). The novice writer progresses from a stage of knowledge-telling to a stage of knowledge-transforming characteristic of adult writers. Professional writers advance further to an expert stage of knowledge-crafting in which representations of the author's planned content, the text itself, and the prospective reader's interpretation of the text are routinely manipulated in working memory. Knowledge-transforming, and especially knowledgecrafting, arguably occur only when sufficient executive attention is available to provide a high degree of cognitive control over the maintenance of multiple representations of the text as well as planning conceptual content, generating text, and reviewing content and text. Because executive attention is limited in capacity, such control depends on reducing the working memory demands of these writing processes through maturation and learning. It is suggested that students might best learn writing skills through cognitive apprenticeship training programs that emphasize deliberate practice (Kellogg, 2006, p. 1). The three stages shown in Figure 1 below demarcate three macro-stages of writing development. Writing skill is shown as continuously improving as a function of practice, as is typical for perceptual-motor and cognitive skills. But in general, it is assumed that both the basic writing processes of planning, language generation, and reviewing, plus the mental representations that must be generated and held in working memory undergo continuous developmental changes through maturation and learning within specific writing tasks. As a consequence of the task specificity, a child might be 276 operating at a more advanced stage in writing, as in narrative texts, assuming these are the most practiced. compared with persuasive texts. Figure 1. Macro-stages in the cognitive development of writing skills. Ten-Year Rule of Developing Expertise Studies of outstanding performers in music, chess, typewriting, and other domains indicate that deliberate practice must continue for a minimum of a decade for an individual to acquire expert standing (Ericsson et al., 1993). In the case of composition, the clock starts early, since spoken language and scribbling are developed in preliterate children (Lee & Karmiloff-Smith, 1996). By the age of 14-16 years, children have spent 10 years mastering the mechanics of handwriting and spelling, achieving fluency in written as well as spoken production, and mastering the telling of knowledge. Almost another decade of practice is needed to advance from knowledge-telling to knowledge-transforming. Bereiter and Scardamalia (1987) turned to graduate student writing to provide clear illustrations of knowledge-transforming, although less developed forms of it are certainly evident in the writings of teenagers. It is unknown precisely how long it takes to advance further to knowledgecrafting, whereby professionals can mentally represent and adeptly process an author's ideas, the text's meaning, and the reader's interpretations of both the author's ideas and the text. But several years are needed to acquire the domain-specific rhetorical skills and practice at crafting knowledge for a specific audience (Rymer, 1988). For example, 277 biographies of poets have revealed that, for the vast majority, their earliest work in the Norton Anthology of Poetry came at least 10 years after the approximate date that they began reading and writing poetry (Wishbow, 1988). Childhood practice at story writing was so commonly mentioned in Henry's (2000, p. 37) ethnographies that "people who were attracted to writing after childhood may even refer to themselves as 'late bloomers’.“ Thus, the progression from knowledge-telling to knowledge-crafting depends on training that must continue from childhood well into adulthood. Even college-educated writers are unlikely to continue the training required to compose like a professional at the level of knowledge-crafting. Training Methods If considering strategies for creating a professional development program for writers, what interventions are likely to be successful? The fields of music education and physical training provide several models. One is the tried and true method of learning by doing. Deliberate practice is not well understood in the context of writing skill development. The second method approaches the task by learning through observation. The tradition of apprenticeship has stressed the importance of social learning from a mentor. A cognitive apprenticeship in writing underscores the value of observing rather than doing; yet both observing and doing are essential to the learning of complex skills and the two traditions blend well in effective training. Description of the Practice Students meet monthly as a group for one hour with a graduate student who serves as an instructor/facilitator. Learning activities include reading, writing, editing, and using scholarly research articles to facilitate dialogue. Materials used during these activities are purchased from the Channing Bete Company, Inc. Each of the skill books promotes interactions between participants and with the facilitator. The skill books provide exercises to improve writing skills such as: developing and using vocabulary; exploring figurative language and word relationships; deepening understanding of style and punctuation; organizing thoughts; choosing a topic; taking notes; developing a thesis statement; making transitions between paragraphs; and developing essays. The materials students use: Papers that make the grades; Getting your writing right (2006/2011); Finding the right words (2006/2011), and Write to the point (2007/2011)address such topics as: Introduction to Research; Research Process; Literature Review; Intergrading Sources; Sample Manuscripts; and Introduction to Writing Styles. Introduction to Research The curriculum focuses on writing as a process that can be improved through practice. Prior to the start of the workshop, the research coordinator prompts the students with a one-page assessment. This document is then edited and given to the McNair writing tutor, who uses the assessment when working with students individually. The research coordinator assigns an assessment in Papers That Make the Grade to assess student approach assignments and plan their approach to writing in general. 278 Resources: 1. Papers That Make the Grade (2006/2011) a. Assessment (p. 3) b. Choosing your Topic, Keeping your Focus Narrow (p. 4) c. Tips on Locating Sources (p. 5) 2. Various handouts the research coordinator chooses to use The Research Process The research process model provides the seminar participants with an understanding of research from the writer’s point of view, starting with the question “What is research?” The research coordinator explains that research is the process through which an intellectual community adds to the scholarship in their field through their writing. The parts of research writing that are discussed are thesis statement, organization, bibliographies, works cited, and footnotes. Each is critical for generating credible research writing. The research coordinator uses the Internet to effectively and efficiently search for information and articles. Related to effective search strategies, seminar participants learn more about the language within their disciplines and use it more efficiently as they employ key terms and vocabulary words located in abstracts. Resources: 1. Papers That Make the Grade (2006/2011) a. Sifting through Sources (pp. 6-7) b. Thesis Statement (p. 8) c. Grouping Ideas Together (p. 9) 2. Write to the Point: Tips to help you write effective essays ((2007/2011) a. Assessment (p. 3) b. Review of Essay Structures (Traditional and Narrative) (p. 4) 3. Internet: a. Google b. Google Scholar c. Wichita State Electronic Database The Literature Review The literature review examines articles, reports, books, and other materials for their potential use in research. The research coordinator facilitates discussion on the skills needed to write literature reviews, such as the ability to summarize, think critically, and search for pertinent key elements. Participants improve their writing skills when they examine them for focus and omitted information on topics closely related to the students’ research questions. Resources: 1. Papers That Make the Grade (2006/2011) a. Sifting through Sources (pp. 6-7) b. Getting Your Writing Right 279 c. Assessment – Common writing errors; sentence fragments, misspelled words and comma problems (p. 3) d. The Perfect Paragraph (pp. 3-5) 2. Handouts provided by the research coordinator Integrating Sources into Paragraphs The goal of integrating sources into paragraphs is for students to understand the three ways to correctly cite references: quoting, summarizing and paraphrasing in order to structure and connect main topics and to avoid plagiarism. Resources: 1. Papers That Make the Grade (2006/2011) (pp. 11-13) a. Use your own words b. To quote or not to quote c. Give credit where it’s due 2. Handouts provided by the research coordinator Sample Manuscript The research coordinator provides sample manuscripts for the seminar participants to evaluate. The sample manuscript is an example of the essential components of a research paper: literature review/introduction, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusion. The research coordinator also discusses revision strategies to improve the draft manuscript for acceptance in a professional publication. Resources: 1. Papers that make the Grade (2006/2011) (p. 15) 2. Write to the Point (2007/2011) (pp. 13-14) 3. Getting your Writing Write (2006/2011) (pp. 6-13) 4. Handouts provided by the research coordinator Introduction to Writing Styles Introduction to writing styles reacquaints students in the seminar with the various styles used during the writing process, such as the APA (American Psychological Association), MLA (Modern Language Association), and Chicago Style Guide. It is important for students to cite sources and quotes and to paraphrase in the correct style required by the publisher and the norms of the academic field. The research coordinator offers creative ways to incorporate style guides to enhance learning. Materials: 1. Papers That Make the Grade (2005/2011) (p. 14) 280 Handouts Provided by the Research Coordinator 1. American Anthropological Association Style Guide (AAA) is now available for download. AAA uses The Chicago Manual of Style (15th edition, 2003) and Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (11th edition, 2006). This guide is an outline of style rules basic to journal editing. In instances where the appropriate rule is present, they are instructed to follow Chicago Manual of Style Guide. In Webster’s, they are to use the first spelling, if there is a choice, and use American spellings, rather than British. This guide does not apply to newsletters, which tend to follow Associated Press style rules. (http://aaanet.org, 2013) 2. American Psychological Association Style Guide (APA). This style lays out rules for every aspect of writing and offers sound guidance for writing with simplicity, power, and concision. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (or APA Style) covers topics from reference citations to avoiding plagiarism. Primarily used within the field of Social and Behavioral Sciences, the APA Style remains a trusted source since its original publication in 1929. (http://winepresspublishing.com/2011 and http://apastyle.org, 2013) 3. American Sociological Association Style Guide (ASA): The ASA style is a widely accepted format for writing university research papers, specifying arrangement and punctuation of footnotes and bibliographies. Standards for ASA style are specified in the ASA Style Guide, which is published by the American Sociological Association, the main scholarly organization for academic sociologists in the United States. The ASA Style Guide is aids authors with preparing manuscripts for ASA publications. (http://wikipedia.org, 2013) 4. Chicago Manual of Style Guide (CMS) is in its 16th version, The CMS has become a trusted resource within the book publishing industry. It is the guide used for all trade and general market writing. The CMS or CMOS, as it’s commonly called, was first published in 1906 by the University of Chicago Press. (http://winepresspublishing.com, 2011) 5. Council of Science Editors Style Guide (CSE). The 2006 CSE manual, Scientific Style and Format (7th ed), is used in the biological sciences as well as many other fields of scientific study. The standards of documentation presented follow those found in National Library of Medicine Recommended Formats for Bibliographic Citation (NLM 1991). (http://writing.colostate.edu, 2013 and http://writing.wisc.edu, 2009) 6. Modern Language Association Style Guide (MLA) is most commonly used when writing within the liberal arts and humanities. The Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th ed.) and the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing (3rd ed.), offer examples of the general format used in MLA research papers. (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl, 2013) 7. The Elements of Style was originally published in 1918 by William Strunk, Jr., and E. C. White—this time-honored resource has guided many a writer to proper styling and usage. Along with styling techniques, this book also details topics 281 such as common misspellings and advice for good writing, making it an invaluable resource for writers. (http://en.wikipedia.org, 2013) Resources Needed to Implement the Practice The McWrite program requires modest funding for consumable materials and supplies. Key to success is hiring the right research coordinator (RC) to facilitate the seminar series. This role at Wichita State University is filled by a graduate student within the English or Communications academic discipline. The RC receives coaching and supervision from senior staff of the WSU McNair Program to ensure he or she has an understanding of the student population being served by the McNair Program, as well as knowledge of the varied writing skill levels of the participants. A WSU McNair Program staff member attends each session to provide additional coaching and feedback. The RC submits a written report on the events and activities of the seminar. At the conclusion of the seminar, students complete an evaluation on skills learned and knowledge gained. Research Coordinator (RC) qualifications are as follows: • • • • • • Master’s degree or graduate standing with a minimum GPA of 3.25 (4.0 scale). Extensive investigative research knowledge. Strong writing and editing skills with a command of the English language and knowledge of technical writing styles in various disciplines. Solid organization and time management skills. Excellent communication skills in both one-on-one and small group settings. Basic computer skills including the Internet, email, and word processing software. RC responsibilities include: • • • Advise participants on the methods of technical report writing with emphasis upon instruction: the RC must be able to show the students how to compile and organize research. This provides necessary short-term assistance with the longterm goal of helping McNair Scholars become self-sufficient. Assist participants in understanding the development of a document containing all parts of a research report. Perform other duties as required to meet the goals and objectives of the program. The estimated annual cost for the seminar is $600to cover the graduate student salary and the course materials, which students are allowed to keep (the direct cost per student is $21). The seminar relies on donated access to college classrooms and facilities (computer lab), and donated use of equipment – computer access for each student and video projector for use by the seminar leader. 282 Evaluation of the Practice The program uses a variety of data collection systems to evaluate progress towards achieving program outcomes. Some of these data collectors are included in this submission. When final analysis of the data is completed, the submission will be revised with addition of a rigorous analysis of the data. At that time, the expanded document will be resubmitted to the EOA Center for evaluation at the higher level of “validated education practice.” The program currently engages in formative evaluation through survey responses from participants, interviews with staff involved with the program, and other data collection methods. As described earlier, this information is used for program revisions and planning purposes. References __________. (2006/2011). Finding the right words: Skills to help you improve your vocabulary (2nd ed.). South Deerfield, MA: Channing Bete Company, Inc. __________. (2006/2011). Getting your writing right: Skills to help you avoid common writing mistakes (2nd ed.). South Deerfield, MA: Channing Bete Company, Inc. __________. (2006/2011). Papers that make the grade: Tips to help you write effective research papers (2nd ed.). South Deerfield, MA: Channing Bete Company, Inc. __________. (2007/2011). Write to the point: Tips to help you write effective essays(2nd ed.). South Deerfield, MA: Channing Bete Company, Inc. Bereiter, C., & Scardamalia, M. (1987). The psychology of written composition. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. Emenogu, B. (n.d.). Strong writing skills may enhance students' chances for success. Ontario, Canada: Ontario Ministry of Education Web Site. Retrieved from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/classroom/strongSkills.html Ericsson, K. A., Krampe, R. T., & Tesch-Roemer, C. (1993). The role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of expert performance. Psychological Review, 100, 363-406. Henry, J. (2000). Writing workplace cultures: archaeology of professional writing. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University. Kellogg, R. T. (2006). Training writing skills: A cognitive development perspective. Journal of Writing Research, 1(1), 1-26. Retrieved from http://neillthew.typepad.com/files/training-writing-skills.pdf Lee, K., & Karmiloff-Smith, A. (1996). The development of cognitive constraints on notations. Chives de Psychologie, 64(248), 3-26. National Commission on Writing. (2013). Home web page. New York, NY: The College Board. Retrieved from http://advocacy.collegeboard.org/preparationaccess/national-commission-writing 283 Piaget, J., & Inhelder, B. (1958). The growth of logical thinking: From childhood to adolescence. An essay on the construction of formal operational structures. New York, NY: Basic Books. Rymer, J. (1988). Scientific composing processes: How eminent scientists write journal articles. In D. A. Jolliffe (Ed.), Writing in academic disciplines (p. 211- 250). Norwood, NJ: Ablex. Schumacher, G. M., & Gradwohl-Nash, J. (1991). Conceptualizing and measuring knowledge change due to writing. Research in the Teaching of English, 25(1), 67-96. Wishbow, N. A. (1988). Studies of creativity in poets. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA. Resources Evaluation: Please indicate the level of agreement that most accurately reflects your opinion of the facilitator and class content. Title: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Strongly Agree Neutral Agree The facilitator clearly outlines the expectations of the session. The facilitator communicates ideas and concepts clearly. The facilitator appears to be knowledgeable of the material. The facilitator explains the material in an interesting manner. The facilitator encourages participation in class. The pace of the session is good. The facilitator uses good examples during the session. The facilitator notices indications when students need help. I found the content to be difficult to grasp and understand. I am more knowledgeable on the basics of writing because of this session. Information gained from this session will help me in my other classes. Disagree Strongly Disagree 5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1 284 GEAR UP Programs Best Education Practices 285 Kansas Kids @ GEAR UP Model for High School Financial Literacy GEAR UP Program, Wichita State University (Wichita, KS) For more information: Ricardo Harris, [email protected] or Vanessa Souriya-Mniraid, [email protected] http://www.wichita.edu/thisis/home/?u=specialprograms Approved October 31, 2014 as a Promising Practice by the EOA National Best Practices Center, http://besteducationpractices.org Revised 10/31/14 Readers utilizing this education practice are requested to send a brief email how it was used. Send to the EOA Center at [email protected] This education practice submitted by Corinne Nilsen, Director; Riccardo Harris, Assistant Director; Vanessa Souriya-Mnirajd, Assistant Director; and Mike Karr, CACG Coordinator from Wichita State University. Abstract Strong financial knowledge is important to people of all ages. Finance makes a difference in our lives both on a short and long term basis. It effects how we interpret everyday life and analyze information. Improved financial literacy, particularly early in life, results in a higher standard of living over the long term, aids in career choices, and helps determine retirement savings. Providing young people with the knowledge, skills, and opportunity to establish healthy financial futures is far preferable to having to provide credit repair or debt management services later on in their lives (M.S. Sherraden, 2013). Kansas Kids @ GEAR UP (KKGU) designed an online high school financial literacy program based on the National Standards for K-12 Personal Finance Education created by Jump$tart. The high school program consists of six components that teach students about: financial responsibility; income and careers; planning and money; credit and debt; risk management and insurance; and saving and investing. The goal of KKGU is to ensure that seniors will graduate with a basic knowledge of finance. The program begins with an introduction to financial literacy, which includes a pretest to assess the students’ current knowledge. After completing each module, students must pass a multiple choice test with a score of 80% or better before advancing to the next module. The program randomly select questions and their multiple-choice answers so that students cannot copy down answers to pass each test without reviewing the modules again. The same questions are asked at the end of each module to serve as a comparison with the pretest, instead of students taking a separate posttest. 286 Need for the Practice Financial literacy empowers individuals to make educated financial choices, discuss financial issues, and plan for the future, as in saving money for college, buying a home, or paying for unforeseen adverse events. In addition to promoting long-term well being, financial literacy can help protect against predatory practices. When implemented well, financial education can increase savings behavior, reduce maxed-out credit cards, and increase timely debt payments (Danes, Huddleston-Casas, & Boyce 1999; Bernheim, Garrett, & Maki 1997; Gutter, Copur, & Garrison 2010, edutopia.org). Money-management skills are pertinent for teens, who spent more than $75 billion in 2011 (Teen Research Unlimited 2012). About 35 percent of high school seniors use credit cards, yet nearly 40 percent incorrectly answered a survey question about how to calculate a savings rate from a budget (Mandell, 2008). By college, half of undergraduates have four or more credit cards (Sallie Mae 2009), and some 40 to 70 percent do not know the annual interest rate on their card (Joo et al., 2003; Warwick & Mansfield, 2000). Financial literacy is not as much a goal to reach but rather a continual learning experience, similar to life’s issues such as age, family, housing and loss of income. It is an evolving state of competency that enables each individual to respond effectively to ever-changing personal and economic circumstances. The objective is to provide online financial literacy training to all high school students – rural, suburban, and urban – across the nation. Kansas Kids @ GEAR UP (KKGU) has designed a unique online financial literacy program. While other programs may target a specific group of students, the KKGU program embraces students of different ethnicities, genders, and grade levels. It is accessible and free to anyone wishing to learn about financial literacy. KKGU implemented the National Standards for K-12, which have been set and maintained by the Jump$tart Coalition® for Personal Financial Literacy. The Jump$tart Coalition asserts that all young people graduating from our nation’s high schools should be able to take individual responsibility for their personal economic wellbeing. Generally speaking, it is their wish that students: (a) find, evaluate and apply financial information; (b) set financial goals and plan to achieve them; (c) develop income-earning potential and the ability to save; (d) use financial services effectively; (e) know how to meet their financial obligations; and (f) build and protect wealth. This national effort, along with KKGU, wants to increase the financial knowledge of high school students. According to Dana Kelly, National Trainer for Nelnet Loan Service, below are the top reasons why financial literacy should be offered: (a) indebted adults between the ages of 18 and 24 spend almost 30 cents of every dollar earned to repay debt; (b) over 60% of first year college students max out their first credit card within one year; (c) high levels of credit card debt have been linked to psychological problems; (d) rates of financial stress are significantly higher for minority and first generation college students; and (f) over 33% of college students graduate with $10,000 or more in credit card debt beyond their student loans. 287 Theory and Research Guiding the Practice According to Mandell and Klein, motivation has long been recognized as a key driver of individual behavior. Motivational theory suggests that measures of financial literacy should be related to financial behavior that is in the consumer's best interests. There is no single, silver bullet that will solve the problem of financial illiteracy. For high school students, motivation is a key factor to becoming financially literate, and trained instructors, who teach personal finance interactively through activities such as a stock market game or other simulations, are certainly a start. In addition, it is important for these teachers to set the stage by demonstrating to their students, perhaps repeatedly, that they are responsible for their futures and that the happiness of these futures can vary dramatically based upon their actions (Mandell & Klein, 2007). Prior studies of high school students have consistently found that students have poor financial knowledge (Bakken, 1967; Bowen, 2002; Consumer Federation of America, 1991; Harris/Scholastic Research, 1993; Langrehr, 1979; Mandell, 1998; National Assessment of Educational Progress, 1979; Varcoe et al., 2005; Zollo, 1995). In response to this knowledge deficit, more states have developed financial standards for high schools and more personal finance is being taught in high schools (National Council on Economic Education, 2007). Teaching financial literacy in high schools has been shown to increase financial knowledge, self-efficacy, and savings rates in the short term (Bartholomae & Fox, 2002; Danes, Huddleston-Casas, & Boyce, 1999). High school students who had studied taken a personal finance course performed somewhat better on a national financial literacy examination than those who had not (Mandell, 2004). Bernheim, Garrett, and Maki (2001) found that state-mandated financial education had a positive, long-term effect on saving rates and net worth during peak earning years. In both the academic and mass media arenas, there has been a call for financial education to increase the financial literacy of teens. Personal finance is not taught systematically in high schools. Only 26 states in the U.S. mandate consumer education and only 14 require a personal finance component (Bernheim, Garrett & Maki, 1997; Stanger,1997). Little is known about the effectiveness of this education or the curricula used within these educational efforts. Financial literacy education has lasting impact. Financial literacy education needs a holistic approach from a young age to influence behavior over time, says Dan Zapp, associate director of research at EverFi. He hopes the scope of the survey shows school administrators that financial literacy is worth investing resources. "We're certainly hoping that this opens (their) eyes to some of the long-term effects we can see to mandating high school financial literacy education for students. It supports lasting differences in their...level of conscientiousness in personal finance behaviors." Recent studies about the financial knowledge of teens have indicated that they are transitioning into the adult financial world ill prepared to function efficiently. These studies assessed the impact of a high school financial planning curriculum on the financial knowledge, behavior, and self-efficacy of teens. The Consumer Federation of America and the American Express Company tested high school seniors nationally; they found that teens correctly answered only 42% of 52 questions about banking, auto insurance, housing, cars, credit and food (Consumer Federation of America, 1991). The 288 Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy conducted a national survey of teens who had correctly answered at least 57% of the questions, which covered topics such as taxes, retirement, insurance, credit use, inflation and budgeting (Jump$tart Coalition, 1997). Danes and Hira’s (1987) teen respondents answered questions correctly within a range of 30 to 90%, depending on the content the question; questions on credit cards, insurance, investments, and personal loans received the lowest correct answers. Students are not receiving the financial education necessary to be successful in today’s fast paced economy; therefore, they need to have a general understanding of all key aspects of personal finance. Financial literacy skills can be gained through financial education. Jump$tart Coalition is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving financial literacy and providing youth with lifelong financial decision-making skills. According to Jump$tart, financial literacy is defined as “the ability to use knowledge and skills to manage one’s financial resources effectively for lifetime financial security.” KKGU uses the National Standards in K-12 Personal Finance Education (National Standards in K-12 Personal Finance Education, 3rd edition, 2007), which were created and maintained by the Jump$tart Coalition. The Financial Literacy and Education Commission (FLEC) 2006 national strategy document Taking Ownership of the Future reports the Treasury Department’s findings that the five access points for bringing financial education into the schools are: (1) state standards, (2) testing, (3) textbooks, (4) financial education materials, and (5) teacher training. While not every school can pursue comprehensive, stand-alone curricula, the national strategy notes opportunities for integration via math, social studies, and family and consumer sciences in the early grades, and other disciplines such as economics and business education in the high school curriculum (FLEC, 28). Description of the Practice Because high school students have limited experience and responsibility, they will not exhibit the same degree of knowledge as a financially literate older adult. Financially literate high school graduates, however, should have a general understanding of key aspects of personal finance. Graduates with training will be more confident in their ability to find and use information required to meet specific personal challenges as they arise. The course will help KKGU students increase their personal finance knowledge as their responsibilities and opportunities change. KKGU uses the Jump$tart National Standards in K-12 Personal Finance Education as a framework for its course. The framework is a 44-page document that outlines 29 personal financial standards, from which educators select topics appropriate to the needs of their program. The program begins with an introduction to financial literacy that includes a pretest to assess the students’ knowledge. The six on-line modules have been made interesting, innovative, educational and informative. Each has an interactive game to break up the reading. After completing each module, students must pass a 10-question multiple choice test – students know immediately if their answer is correct – with a score of 80% or better before advancing to the next module. Questions are selected randomly so that students cannot copy down answers to pass each test without reviewing the modules again. The entire program takes about two to three hours to complete. 289 The financial literacy coordinator sends reports which is broken down by region, student and school to the six regional coordinators for them to see who has complete what modules and when that occurred. Pre and posttests appear to be the most pervasive approach to measuring outcomes; students were given a pre and posttest with the same questions to determine what they have learned from the material. Table 1 displays the results for six of the ten questions. Overall, 43% of high school students improved their knowledge of financial literacy after completing the modules. Several incentives for students to complete the modules have been donated to the program. The first student in each region to complete them receives a free ticket to Worlds of Fun in KC, MO. Other prizes were awarded based on the number of modules completed. For example, students who completed two modules got either an ear bud or a hanging ID wallet. Students who completed four modules received a $5 Pizza Hut coupon. Students who completed all modules earned a 5GB flash drive and a special CACG t-shirt that said “Get Financially Fit, Financial Literacy Helps You Meet Your Goal, WWW.KKGU.ORG”. High school seniors who are Kansas Kids @ GEAR UP participants and have completed the financial literary course may be eligible for a $3000 scholarship (for fall and spring separately) after they graduate. It is a needbased scholarship for students who are Pell recipients during the semester in which the scholarship is awarded. Resources Needed to Implement the Practice The KKGU program hires a full time financial literacy coordinator – paid from the College Access Grant – to increase awareness and improve financial literacy of KKGU students. KKGU also paid a substantial amount of money to the technology team at Wichita State University (WSU) to develop the financial literacy website. The coordinator maintains the website and tracks usage. The WSU IT department protects the security. The website is free to public and anyone can complete the modules, although reports can only be run for KKGU students. Evaluation Evaluation studies of the curriculum have been positive following the training experience. Students complete an assessment after the learning experience. 290 The program uses a variety of data collection systems to evaluate progress towards achieving program outcomes. Some of these data collectors are included in this submission. When final analysis of the data is completed, the submission will be revised with addition of a rigorous analysis of the data. At that time, the expanded document will be resubmitted to the EOA Center for evaluation at the higher level of “validated education practice.” The program currently engages in formative evaluation through survey responses from participants, interviews with staff involved with the program, and other data collection methods. As described earlier, this information is used for program revisions and planning purposes. References Bakken, R. (1967). Money management understandings of tenth grade students. National Business Education Quarterly, 36, 6. Bowen, C. F. (2002). Financial knowledge of teens and their parents. In J. Lown (Ed.), Proceedings of the 2002 Annual Conference of the Association of Financial Counseling and Planning (pp. 93-101). Scottsdale, AZ: Association for Financial Counseling and Planning. Consumer Federation of America and American Express Company. (1991). Student consumer knowledge: Results of a national test. Washington, DC: Author. Danes, S. M., Huddleston-Cases, C., & Boyce, L. (1999). Financial planning curriculum for teens: Impact evaluation. Financial Counseling and Planning Education, 10 (1), 25-37. Financial Literacy and Education Commission (2006), Taking Ownership of the Future, p. 87. Washington, DC: Author. Hadley, M. (2014). USA TODAY, Financial literacy education has lasting impact. Retrieved from https://kkgu.org/Kkgu1.0/FinancialLiteracy/Fl_Home.aspx Harris/Scholastic Research. (1993). Liberty financial young investor survey. New York, NY. Jump$tart (2007), National Standards in K-12 Personal Finance Education, 3rd edition. Kelly, D. (2013). The importance of Financial Literacy, Retrieved from http://wvasfaa.org Mandell, L. (1998). Our vulnerable youth: The financial literacy of American 12th graders. Washington, DC: Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy. Mandell, L., & Klein, L. S. (2007). Motivation and Financial Literacy. Financial Services Review 16, 105-116. National Assessment of Educational Progress. (1979). Teenage consumer: A profile. Denver, CO: Author. Sherraden, M. S. (2013). Building blocks of financial capability. In J. Birkenmaier, J. Curley & M. Sherraden (Eds.), Financial capability and asset development – Research, education, policy, and practice. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. 291 Varcoe, K. P., Peterson, S., Garrett, G., Kingston, J., Rene, P., & Costello, C. (1999). Teens’ and adults’ perceptions regarding money management education and delivery systems. In C. R. Hayhoe (Ed.), Proceedings of the 1999 Annual Conference of the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education (pp. 54-62), Scottsdale, AZ: Association of Financial Counseling and Planning Education. Zollo, P. (1995). Wise up to teens: Insights into marketing and advertising to teens. Ithaca, NY: New Strategist Publication, Inc. 292 Appendix A Profiles of Institutions with Approved Best Education Practices Alpena Community College (Alpena, MI) http://acctalentsearch.com/ Alpena Community College (ACC) is a public two-year college located in Alpena, Michigan, United States, and was founded in 1952. The college has a 700-acre (2.8 km2) main campus in Alpena and another campus, Huron Shores, located on the former in Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda, Michigan. The college offers two-year associate's degrees to students in arts, general studies, science, and applied science. There are also one-year certificate programs in 13 concentrations, cooperative programs with six universities and three community colleges, and customized training for area businesses. The TRiO Talent Search program identifies and assists individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who have the potential to succeed in higher education. The program provides academic, career, and financial counseling to its participants and encourages them to graduate from high school and continue on to and complete their postsecondary education. The program publicizes the availability of financial aid and assist participant with the postsecondary application process. Talent Search also encourages persons who have not completed education programs at the secondary or postsecondary level to enter or reenter and complete postsecondary education. The goal of Talent Search is to increase the number of youth from disadvantaged backgrounds who complete high school and enroll in and complete their postsecondary education Kent State University (Kent, OH) http://www.kent.edu/trio Kent State University (KSU) is a public research university in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university also includes seven regional campuses in Northeast Ohio and additional facilities in the region and internationally. Regional campuses are located in Ashtabula, Burton, East Liverpool, Jackson Township, New Philadelphia, Salem, and Warren, Ohio, with additional facilities in Cleveland, Independence, and Twinsburg, Ohio, New York City, and Florence, Italy. The university was established in 1910 as a teacher-training school. The first classes were held in 1912 at various locations and in temporary buildings in Kent and the first buildings of the original campus opened the following year. Since then, the university has grown to include many additional baccalaureate and graduate programs of study in the arts and sciences, research opportunities, as well as over 1,000 acres (405 ha) and 119 buildings on the Kent campus. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, the university was known internationally for its student activism in opposition to U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, due mainly to the Kent State shootings in 1970. As of September 2016, Kent State is one of the largest universities in Ohio with an enrollment of 40,782 students in the eight-campus system and 30,167 students at the 293 main campus in Kent.[5] It is ranked by the Carnegie Foundation as one of the top 77 public research universities in the US and one of the top 76 in community engagement.[6] In 2010, Kent State was ranked as one of the top 200 universities in the world by Times Higher Education.[7] Kent State offers over 300 degree programs, among them 250 baccalaureate, 40 associate's, 50 master's, and 23 doctoral programs of study,[8] which include such notable programs as nursing, business, history, library science, aeronautics, journalism, fashion design and the Liquid Crystal Institute. The Kent State University Upward Bound Classic Program has been in existence since 1971 between the Kent State University, Barberton, Warren G. Harding, John R. Buchtel (Akron) High Schools, and those communities to promote college readiness and success. The Kent State University Upward Bound Math/Science Bio-Scholars Program (UBMS) is a pre-college program intentionally designed to prepare lowincome and first-generation college students to develop their potential to excel in mathematics and the sciences, pursue post- secondary degrees, and ultimately choose careers in the math and science professions. Our student leadership conferences, Saturday academy, summer institute, cultural engagements and college visits are holistically designed to ensure our students are academically, socially and culturally prepared as productive citizens in a global society. UBMS Bio Scholars Program is an on-going partnership between Barberton High School, the Canton City School District, and key stakeholders in Portage, Stark and Summit Counties to promote academic excellence as well as sustainable careers in the challenging, yet rewarding fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), including the teaching profession. Upward Bound Public Health is a pre-college program designed to support qualifying high school students along their journey to college degree completion. It provides students who are first-generation college bound and meet income guidelines the preparation, support and opportunities to successfully enter into postsecondary education. Kent State University, Kent State University’s College of Public Health, Lorain High School, Ravenna High School, Windham High School and their Communities participate in an ongoing partnership to support the UBPH program. In addition to these three TRIO UB programs, they also host Student Support Services and The McNair Scholars Program. Metropolitan State University (St. Paul, MN) http://www.metrostate.edu/student/student-services-support/student-services/trio Metropolitan State University (MSU) focuses on providing high-quality, accessible educational programs and services in a student-centered environment. The university provides more than 60 undergraduate programs and 12 masters and two doctoral programs, with the option to create individualized baccalaureate degrees. Metropolitan State is passionately and intensely focused on providing a transformative educational experience for all students, particularly post-traditional learners: older than average, part-time, incumbent workers, career-changers, often with substantial family obligations, and transfer students from community colleges. The University is a catalyst for the region to attract, nurture, and retain the talent so critical to Minnesota business and industry. Metropolitan State University is central to the Minnesota State strategic priority 294 to ensure access to an extraordinary education for all Minnesotans. Founded in 1971, Metropolitan State University was envisioned as an institution without walls, serving the community where students worked and lived. Since that time, the university has expanded its physical footprint in four primary locations and more than 20 instructional sites while remaining true to the spirit of its founders. A recent construction boom on its Saint Paul campus has added three new facilities: a student center, a multi-level parking ramp, and most importantly, a new Science Education Center that will allow for critical expansion of STEM programming in coming years. Student Support Services (SSS) offers structured and enhanced academic support to degree-seeking undergraduate students. TRIO SSS is a federally funded program through the U.S. Department of Education. SSS targets degree-seeking undergraduates, who meet eligibility requirements and the acceptance into the program is based on priorities set up the Department and Metropolitan State University. Northeast Iowa Community College (Peosta, IA) https://www.nicc.edu/trio/ Northeast Iowa Community College serves the Iowa counties of Allamakee, Chickasaw, Clayton, Fayette, Howard, Winneshiek, Dubuque, and Delaware counties. It also includes sections of Bremer, Buchanan, Jones, Jackson, and Mitchell counties. The college is commonly referred to as NICC. There are two main campuses - Calmar and Peosta. The Peosta campus is 15 miles west of Dubuque. NICC also has a satellite campus in downtown Dubuque. Originally, the school was known as Northeast Iowa Technical Institute (NITI). The school became a Community College in 1988, and was renamed NICC. The school is authorized by the Iowa Board of Education to award the Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, and Associate in Applied Science degrees as well as the GED. It offers programs in a number of vocational fields, as well as transfer programs for students wishing to continue their education at four-year institutions. The school had worked with the University of Dubuque to provide a transfer option for students looking to transfer to four-year programs. It recently obtained agreements with a number of four-year schools to guarantee that students will be able to transfer their credits. Established in 2001, Northeast Iowa Community College's TRIO Student Support Services (TRIO-SSS) is a federally funded program that provides ongoing support for 160 students on the Peosta campus who meet the criteria outlined and plan to graduate from NICC and transfer to a four-year college or university. TRIO-SSS promotes student development by providing opportunities to grow personally, socially and academically. Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN) https://www.purdue.edu/horizons/ Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, is a public research university and is the main campus of the Purdue University system.[5] It was founded in 1869 after a donation of land and money from Lafayette businessman John Purdue to 295 establish a college of science, technology, and agriculture in his name.[6] The first classes were held on September 16, 1874, with six instructors and 39 students.[6] The main campus in West Lafayette offers more than 200 majors for undergraduates, over 70 master’s and doctoral programs, and professional degrees in pharmacy and veterinary medicine. In addition, Purdue has 18 intercollegiate sports teams and more than 900 student organizations. Purdue is a member of the Big Ten Conference and enrolls the second largest student body of any university in Indiana, as well as the fourth largest international student population of any university in the United States. Horizons Student Support Services is a Federally funded TRIO program situated within the Department of Education. The mission of Horizons Student Support Services is to assist students in developing academic, social, and personal skills through holistic services including tutoring, faculty mentoring, peer mentoring, career development, academic support, cultural enrichment, and access to global experiences. These initiatives coupled with a sense of belonging will contribute to a well-rounded and successful Purdue University experience. The vision is to retain and graduate its participants at the highest possible rate with the highest possible grade point average from Purdue University. University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN) www.cehd.umn.edu/trio/services/default.html The University of Minnesota (UMN), with a flagship campus in the heart of the Twin Cities and four coordinate campuses across Minnesota, is one of the nation’s largest schools. UMN offers baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral degrees in virtually every field. Ranking third nationally for students learning abroad and with more than 300 student exchange programs, there’s no shortage of opportunities for faculty and students to experience the world. The UMN College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) has three TRIO programs. Grounded in the civil rights movement, UMN TRIO programs in CEHD strive to ensure equal opportunity and equitable access to higher education along the educational continuum for underrepresented students, specifically those who are lowincome, first-generation, and have disabilities. The programs promote retention and graduation through advising, academic support, mentoring, and advocacy, thereby cultivating a space for collegiate success and local and global community engagement. The following three TRIO programs are jointly funded by CEHD and the U.S. Department of Education. TRIO Student Support Services (SSS), part of the UMN President's Emerging Scholars program, selects 150 new freshmen each fall to participate in a multidimensional program that provides a variety of comprehensive and supplemental academic and educational support. TRIO SSS provides advising, financial aid counseling, personal support, and help with academic planning and career exploration for low- to moderate-income, first-generation, and special-needs students. The program includes College English Transitions, a first-year sequence of courses offered to freshmen for whom English is not their first language. The TRIO Ronald E. McNair Program prepares underrepresented, low-income, first-generation college students for graduate study. Services to program participants include academic 296 counseling, tutoring, test preparation for the Graduate Record Exam, paid research internships, mentoring, advocacy, help in applying to graduate schools, and seminars to help prepare for graduate study. TRIO Upward Bound is a college preparatory program for low-income and educationally disadvantaged high school students designed to help generate the skills needed to succeed in postsecondary education. Upward Bound provides comprehensive and intensive support including tutoring and academic skill development for college-bound students. Wichita State University (Wichita, KS) http://www.wichita.edu/thisis/home/?u=specialprograms Wichita State University (WSU) is the only urban-serving university in Kansas. WSU is a public, four-year, co-educational institution located in Wichita, Kansas. Established in 1895 as Fairmount College, WSU continued to grow over the years. With 14,893 students and an idyllic 330 acre campus, WSU has the most diverse student body out of all the Kansas state universities, as well as the only urban setting. WSU also has an excellent cooperative education program with many work-based learning opportunities. Athletics at WSU include baseball, basketball, volleyball, cross-country, golf, softball, tennis and the spirit squad. WSU is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference, NCAA Division 1. The WSU mascot, WuShock, recalls the early days of Fairmount College when students shocked wheat to earn money during the harvest season. The Office of Special Programs hosts nine TRIO programs, Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP), and the Office of Disability Services (ODS) serving first-generation, limited income, disability, or foster care participants. The mission of TRIO Communication Upward Bound is to help at-risk and limited-income youth to graduate from high school and get into college, while also teaching them valuable skills in the communication and media professions, thereby increasing the pool of diverse voices adding to the American media landscape. TRIO Disability Support Services assists undergraduate students with disabilities through academic support, resources, and services enabling them to persist and graduate. The staff protects the dignity and values of participants and encourages the pursuit of a baccalaureate degree and quality employment. The mission of the TRIO Educational Opportunity Centers program is to provide services for adults desiring to pursue their education beyond high school. The program’s goal is to increase the number of adults enrolling in colleges and universities. The mission of Kansas Kids @ GEAR UP is to increase the number of students – with foster children as a priority – graduating from high school and prepared for enrollment in postsecondary education, thereby, enabling children to reach their full potential and, consequently, improving educational and social outcomes. The TRIO McNair Scholars program encourages students who are underrepresented in higher education to pursue post-baccalaureate degrees, focusing particularly on African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian/Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students. The Office of Disability Services enables students, staff, faculty, and guests of Wichita State University to achieve their educational goals, both personal and academic, to the fullest of their abilities, by providing and coordinating accessibility services that afford individuals with learning, mental or physical disabilities the equal opportunity to attain these goals. The Student 297 Support Services program provides multiple academic support services that help students persist and graduate. The interconnected series of services provided include: individualized semester-long peer tutoring; academic success, math and financial literacy skills development; course selection; academic advisement and counseling; degree planning; scholarships; textbook loans; career exploration; use of a technology learning lab with assistance from learning skills interns; and graduate school advisement. The mission of the TRIO Talent Search/Project Discovery program is to identify, encourage and assist low-income and potential first-generation college students to complete a secondary education and pursue postsecondary education. The mission of the Upward Bound Math Science Regional Center is to: educate students with the propensity for study in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields for post-secondary; stimulate and sustain interest in STEM careers; and motivate low-income and potential first-generation college students to realistically consider the attainment of a post-secondary degree in STEM. The Upward Bound Wichita Prep program seeks to provide infrastructure that allows students to prepare for postsecondary education, complete secondary school, and acquire skills and abilities for educational success. Services and activities are designed to improve academic and personal needs. The Veterans Upward Bound program’s mission is to provide necessary training and support that will enable eligible veterans to successfully transition into college or any other post-secondary institution. Veterans Upward Bound (VUB) is an educational skills program designed to serve the needs of today’s veterans through interest and skill evaluation, career and academic counseling, refresher classes, tutoring, and mentoring. 298 Appendix B Center Staff, Advisors, and External Expert Panelists Dr. David Arendale serves as Manager of the EOA Center. He is also an Associate Professor in the Curriculum & Instruction Department of the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Arendale formerly served at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) in several capacities including National Project Director of Supplemental Instruction (SI). Arendale was the leader of a grant project funded by the National Diffusion Network of the Education Department (NDN) to disseminate SI nationally and internationally. It was in this setting that he gained his expertise with the procedures of the NDN for identification, validation, and dissemination of best education practices. While at UMKC, Arendale trained faculty and staff from 400 colleges in the U.S. and abroad through technical consultations, multi-day training workshops, and other support materials to implement the SI program. At UMKC, Arendale directed the center hosting Upward Bound and GEAR UP Programs. He also taught a summer class for the UB program students. He was elected President of the National Association for Development Education in 1996. In 2000, the Council of Learning Assistance and Developmental Education Associations selected Arendale for induction as a Founding Academic Fellow of the profession. The EOA National Best Practices Center is co-sponsored by EOA and the Curriculum & Instruction Department of the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota. EOA Center Advisory Council The EOA Center Advisory Council includes experts with academic access programs and approaches to meeting the needs of first-generation college, historically underrepresented, and poor students. Dr. Trent Ball serves as the Associate Dean of Students and the Director of Student Retention at Southeast Missouri State University and provides leadership and management of the Academic Support Centers (Educational Access Programs, Learning Assistance Programs, The Plan for College Initiative, The Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program (TRIO), and Student Support Services (TRIO). Dr. Ball is a past president of the Mid-America Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel (MAEOPP) which is the precursor to the present EOA. He also serves on the board of directors for the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE), The Missouri College Personnel Association (MoCPA), the Missouri Department of Higher Education’s College Access Advisory Council, College Summit-St. Louis and The Leadership Council for UNCF St. Louis. He has presented numerous programs at the local, state, regional and national level. Mr. Clark Chipman joined the U.S. Office of Education (then Dept. of Health Education & Welfare) in 1966 as a program officer in the new Higher Education Act enacted the previous year. In 1972, Mr. Chipman was appointed regional Senior Program Officer for TRIO programs that included funding and oversight responsibilities. Throughout his long career, Chipman has been a strong advocate for best practices. After four decades, Chipman retired in 2004 from the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) and continues 299 his work advocating for the needs of first-generation, poor, and underrepresented children and adolescents. Throughout the history of the TRIO programs, Chipman has provided technical assistance and leadership; he is tireless in advocating use of best education practices to improve outcomes for students. He was a champion of the previous efforts by DOE for identification, validation, and dissemination of evidencebased practices and current efforts by the EOA National Best Practices Center. Chipman’s work has been recognized by DOE with many awards, including the Superior Service Award for lifetime service and achievements, Council on Opportunity in Education’s prestigious Walter O. Mason Award for lifetime exemplary contributions, and other awards from EOA. Bruce and Sharyn Schelske served at the University of Minnesota for more than four decades, directing at various times the TRIO Upward Bound (UB), Student Support Services, and McNair programs funded by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE). Both were undergraduates at the University when they began working with the UB program in 1968. They became co-directors for UB in 1978 and directed the program until 1991. They assisted in writing the University’s first successful TRIO Student Support Services grant in 1976 and later teamed to author the McNair Scholars program grant in 1991. Bruce became director of TRIO SSS in 1991 and Sharyn director of McNair Scholars the same year. Their history of professional presentations dates to the first mid- America regional verbal, math & science and Upward Bound skills workshops in 1976 and 1977. They have been DOE trainers for retention and graduation strategies for both ASPIRE and Council on Opportunity in Education. They continue to conduct workshops for TRIO programs. Over a dozen of their staff have gone on to become TRIO directors and Bruce & Sharyn informally influenced many more directors and programs. All three of their programs have been acknowledged for excellence. The American Association of Higher Education President’s Forum showcased their Upward Bound program for ‘Exemplary Work in Accelerating Minority Student Achievement” at their National Conference on School College Collaboration in 1991. The SSS program has been recognized for its academic advising program by the National Academic Advising Association and was featured by DOE as one of five exemplary programs for others to study and implement best practices. DOE site visits to the University McNair Scholars program heavily influenced the essential McNair program components now required of all McNair programs. External Expert Review Panel The External Review Panel of the EOA Center is composed of experts with terminal academic degrees, expertise in program evaluation, and familiarity with TRIO and other educational opportunity programs. Dr. Karen S. Agee coordinated the Reading and Learning Center at the University of Northern Iowa 1984-2009. She served the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) as secretary, president, and executive assistant to the Board. Karen currently represents CRLA on the board of directors of the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS). She serves on the editorial board of the Journal for Developmental Education (JDE), The Learning Assistance 300 Review (TLAR), and the Journal of College Reading and Learning (JCRL).. She has received CRLA’s Robert Griffin Award for Long and Outstanding Service and the CRLA Board’s Special Recognition Award, University of Northern Iowa’s Exemplary Service Award, and the Iowa Board of Regents’ Award for Staff Excellence. Dr. Clara Fitzpatrick has consulted with many TRIO programs for over three decades to ensure compliance and accurate data reporting. While she was on the governing board of the former Board of Regents governing Illinois State and Northern Illinois Universities, she co-founded the Illinois Committee on Black Concerns in Higher Education, an organization to promote legislation for equality in higher education. She was Associate Director of Academic Affairs in the College Board’s Evanston, Illinois office and has taught at every level of education from elementary to college. She is currently adjunct faculty in the Education Department of Columbia College Chicago and teaches graduate students in psychology, assessment, and teacher portfolio preparation. “The Status of Blacks in Illinois Higher Education,” a brief compiled by Dr. Fitzpatrick is updated annually since 1982. Her research interests include the psychological and sociological assets Blacks bring to White colleges that contribute to closing the graduation gap between Blacks and their peers in the institution of entry. Dr. Jay Hegeman has been involved with TRIO programs at Frostburg State University since 1976, when he held a joint appointment with Student Support Services (SSS) and Upward Bound (UB) as an evaluation specialist. He has been a director of Upward Bound Regional Math/Science Center (RMSC) and has served as interim director of the campus UB and SSS projects. Dr. Hegeman currently serves as Registrar and as Associate Vice President of Student and Educational Services (student affairs). For nearly two decades he has supervised the three TRIO projects and other support programs such as Disability Support Services (DSS) and Programs Advancing Student Success (PASS), which houses the University’s tutoring center, developmental math program, and early alert system. Dr. Rashné Jehangir is an Associate Professor in the Department of Organizational Leadership and Policy Development in the College of Education & Human Development at the University of Minnesota. Her research interests include student development, access, retention and graduation of low-income, first-generation students, and the transformation of teaching and learning to address intellectual, social, and emotional student development. Specifically, she has focused on the ways in which learning communities, along with multicultural curriculum, can serve as a pedagogical vehicle to challenge the isolation and marginalization of first-generation, low-income students in college. She has also worked closely with local TRIO programs to develop social and academic supports for the students they serve. Her recent book Higher Education and First-generation Students: Cultivating Community, Voice and Place for the New Majority includes a qualitative study of the longitudinal impact of learning community participation on the college experience of low-income, first-generation students. Dr. Jehangir has been a regional and national consultant for faculty development and learning communities and has been an invited speaker at the Council for Opportunity in Education national conference and the Washington Center for Improving Undergraduate Education. Her current research uses photo-narrative methods to explore the 301 experiences of first- generation, low-income students as they transition from high school to college. Dr. Roberta Liebler is highly skilled in empowering and preparing adult learners of diverse backgrounds and abilities for academic, career, and personal success. Dr. Liebler currently has a dual appointment with the School of Education graduate faculty at Walden University and the School for New Learning at DePaul University. Some of her graduate courses include Conducting Practice-based Inquiry in Adult Learning, Assessing Learning/Evaluating Programs, and Enhancing Practice with Theory in Adult Education. In addition, she consults with other colleges concerning learning approaches, curriculum, and professional education. At Kankakee Community College, she developed transition programs for students enrolled in developmental-level courses to be successful with general education and major-specific courses. Her experience includes work as an academic skills coordinator at Morris High School in Bronx, NY. Dr. Deema de Silva is an Associate Professor at Wichita State University and has served as both grant writer and Director of Student Support Services since 1985. She implemented the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) requirements and Total Quality Management criteria to improve the quality of services offered to students. She has also co-authored, with her staff, nine manuals that serve as internal control systems. The project has received two NASPA Awards: Exemplary Co-curricular Program and Exemplary Staff Development Program. She teaches the course Tutoring Strategies, which she introduced in 1993 and which led to SSS receiving accreditation from the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA). Tutors can receive general, advanced and masters level certification. As part of a seven-member team of the University of Western Kentucky’s TRIO Training Grant, de Silva has trained TRIO personnel throughout the U.S. for the past 25 years. She also serves on the faculty of the Council for the Advancement of Academic Standards for Higher Education (CAS) in the EOA Leadership Institute. She has had the opportunity to serve as a consultant to dozens of businesses, colleges, and organizations. Her multi-disciplinary education, research and training background is global in scope. Dr. de Silva has been invited to give over 110 presentations to national and international conferences in Australia, Netherlands, Taiwan, Japan, New Zealand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, France, and Italy. For three consecutive years she has been a presenter and discussant at the Oxford Round Table, Oxford University, England. She has authored numerous publications, including Life Cycle Rituals of the Sinhalese and Living the Moment. She co-developed an anthropology course titled Peoples, Culture, World. In 2013, she was awarded a research grant from the WSU Faculty Senate to explore the factors that impact retention of first-time, full-time freshmen. Dr. Darrin Sorrells currently serves as Learning Assistance Specialist at the University of Southern Indiana (USI) in Evansville, Indiana. In this position, he oversees all College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) and National Tutoring Association (NTA) tutor training and certification processes for the USI Academic Skills Office. In addition, Sorrells provides individual assistance to students in the areas of time management, test-taking strategies, and study skills development. Prior to his current position, Sorrells served in various administrative and instructional positions at Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus, Wright State University, and Oakland City University (IN). He is a 302 former first-generation college student himself and was a participant in TRIO Student Support Services as an undergraduate at Oakland City University (IN). Sorrells also worked as a professional staff member for the Oakland City University Student Support Services Project from 1999-2004. He has published articles and delivered multiple regional and national presentations about college student success strategies. Among his professional associations, Sorrells is a member of the American Psychological Association (APA) and a member of the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA). He also is a member of the National Tutoring Association (NTA) and former member of NTA’s Board of Directors. Dr. Sorrells also has a strong background in assessment. He currently serves as a member of the Peer Review Corps for the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (HLCNCA). 303 Appendix C Procedures for Submissions to the EOA National Best Practices Center What technical assistance is available to help with submissions? Dr. David Arendale, Manager of the EOA Center. He and his staff are available to answer questions, review draft applications, and provide detailed feedback. (612) 6252928, [email protected] Who is eligible to submit an education practice to the EOA Center? Anyone who works with a TRIO or GEAR UP program is welcome to submit a practice used in connection within their program. What is the deadline and procedure to submit an application? The document can be submitted at any time as there is a rolling review throughout the year. The submission must be in Word format and submitted as an email attachment to [email protected] What are the steps for sharing your story? Step One: Submit a short summary of your education practice in one or two paragraphs as an email attachment to [email protected] Dr. Arendale will provide feedback to you about your idea. If you like, email or call him (612-625-2928) to discuss ideas. Step Two: Begin the process of telling your story in more detail. Write the story with enough detail so others could do what you do. It boils down to a couple of questions: • Why did you create this practice? (The need paragraph) • How did you do this practice? (The description) • What resources did you need to do this practice? (Resource list) • Do you have any samples of curriculum, agendas, student activity sheets that could be shared? Needs Addressed • Purpose of the education practice • What was the need for this education practice? What obstacles to increasing student success • • needed to be overcome. Objectives of the education activity. Intended participants for the practice, including demographics such as: ethnicity, gender, level within school, rural/suburban/urban. Description Describe how the practice operates. If items below do not apply, skip them. The basic question 304 for you to answer is “How do you do what you do?” • Scope (grade level of the participants). • Learning objectives of the practice. • Curriculum and instructional approach. (How are education activities organized?) • Learner activities in this education practice. (What do the students do? How do you get students to use the service?) • Learning materials used and where you obtained them. • Responsibilities of staff involved with the practice (include supervision and coaching if applicable) • Key skills or traits for selecting staff to work with this activity. • Additional professional development and training provided to the staff. Resources Needed What are the annual financial and personnel resources needed for this education practice? Below are examples; add others as necessary. • Staffing requirements (instructors, staff, and student paraprofessionals). • Equipment and furniture. • Training costs. • Materials and supplies. • Estimated cost per student participant. Appendix Maybe you have some samples of agendas, lesson plans, student surveys, and other items. These would be very useful for telling your story. If none seem helpful, then skip this section of the submission. You are done! Congratulations for sharing your story of an education practice that works for you and your students. Send it as an email attachment to Dr. David Arendale, [email protected] 305