C. STUDENT SUCCESS INDICATOR FOR ESL AND BASIC SKILLS
COMPLETION
“Ratio of the number of students by population group who complete a degreeapplicable course after having completed the final ESL or basic skills course to the number of those students who complete such a final course”
GOAL C. To increase the number of African American, Latino and Filipino students, and female students within these groups, who complete a degree-applicable Mathematics course (Math 54/54L/55) after having completed the final basic skills mathematics course
(Math 65/53) by providing improved learning support in the STEM Center. Currently, our STEM Center has no staff support , and students seeking learning support often fail to get the assistance they need to succeed/persist in their STEM classes, especially in
Mathematics.
Success inequity is striking when examining race, ethnicity, and gender success rates for students who have completed the final basic skills mathematics course (Math 65,
Elementary Algebra) and their successful completion of a degree-applicable course (Math
54/54L, Applied Intermediate Algebra, and Math 55, Intermediate Algebra). Math
54/54L/55 satisfy the minimum requirement for the AA/AS degree. The data for Fall
2012 through Summer 2014 shows that of those who succeeded in the final basic skills math course, an average of 80% enrolled in Math 55, a course for students on a Business or STEM pathway or Math 54, the course for non-Business or STEM majors. African
American, Filipino, and Latino students enrolled in Math 55 or 54 at similar or higher rates. However, while the average success rate for these students in Math 55/54 was
65% , the average success rate for African American students and Filipino students was only 53%. Among these students who persisted from basic skills Math, the success rates of Latino students (61%) were closer to the average rate of 65%. However, of all students in Math 55, the success rate of Latino students (40%) was below the average of 44%, while African American students had much lower overall success rates of 29%.
Even in Math 53, the new accelerated course that combines Math 65 and
55, African American students had the lowest success rate of 34%, versus the average of 43%.
The data also show gender inequity as well. For Fall 2013, the differences for Math 55 completion are most striking among African American students, with 43% success for males and 22% for females . In Math 54, a 44% success rate for females and 33% for males has been observed . Latinas succeeded at a far lower rate (37%) than their male counterparts at 54%.
Of the total math enrollments for Fall 2013 (3,323), well over 30% (931) were enrolled in Math 55/54/53. Students have to successfully complete one of these courses for the AA/AS degree and/or if they wish to transfer. Many career opportunities in the STEM, Business and other fields are closed to those who fail to complete one of these degree-applicable courses.
Success data shows that tutoring improves success rates in most Math classes. For Fall
2007-09 the success rates for students who received tutoring in Math 55 were 57% compared to 48% who did not receive tutoring. From Fall 2009-Spring 2011,

students who received tutoring in Math 55 succeeded at a rate of 49% compared to
45% for those who did not. However, students who enrolled in the slower-paced two-semester Math 55A/B showed greater gaps between tutored vs. non-tutored students. In Math 55A, tutored students succeeded at a rate of 36% to 29% for nontutored students, and for Math 55B, success rates ranged from 67% success for tutored vs. 53% for non-tutored students.
If we are truly committed to achieving Chabot College’s 2012-15 Strategic Plan Goal,
“Increase the number of students who achieve their educational goals within a reasonable time by clarifying pathways and providing more information and support,” then we must note which students are not achieving their goals and how we might assist them in doing so. Our mathematics completion/success/persistence numbers, with and without tutoring, show that tutoring is effective. The data also indicate that there are specific affected populations who could benefit from tutoring. The
Learning Connection cannot expand tutoring/LA programs in any of the STEM disciplines without STEM Center staffing. Learning support staff members for the
STEM Center (Room 3906, formerly the Math Lab) are needed to support ALL
STUDENTS, and, in particular, African American, Latino and Filipino students in completing their mathematics requirements.
ACTIVITY C.1 (Please include the target date in chronological order and identify the responsible person/group for each activity)
ACTIVITY #1: Hire two STEM Center (SC) Instructional Assistants (one full-time and one part-time). Part-time Instructional Assistant to staff SC in the evenings.
Duties to include, but not limited to:
•
Greet and assist students seeking learning support
•
Assist students with SARS sign-in to track STEM Center usage/student-user success and persistence
•
Connect students with appropriate tutors/study groups; facilitate the segmentation of class groups
•
Maintain/manage tutor/study group schedule and study spaces
• inform students about available resources
•
Assist Daraja, Puente, and Mesa faculty in creating welcoming spaces and supporting their students (designated study groups for under-represented populations)
•
Survey students each semester on how the STEM Center can better meet their needs
•
Create/maintain a welcoming space for STAT students with appropriate
STAT support (STAT students often abandon learning support when center is staffed only with MATH tutors)
•
Supervise students; report all unsafe or irregular conditions to appropriate supervisory personnel
•
Work with STEM Center Coordinator/STEM faculty to coordinate study group pilots for bottleneck courses and scaling up the STEM Learning
Assistant program

•
Explain STEM course progression, AA/AS math proficiency requirement,
CSU, and IGETC STEM requirements to students
•
Participate in regular conferences with Learning Connection (LC)
Coordinator and instructional staff to exchange information on in-progress assignments and to receive assignments
•
Maintain security of all designated SC equipment, supplies, and documents
•
Assist students in use of SC automated learning equipment
•
Tutor students in STEM disciplines
•
Assist SC Faculty Coordinator as needed
Target date: job postings on November 10, 2014, start date January 20, 2015
Contact person: Jane Wolford, Learning Connection Coordinator
ACTIVITY #2: 3 CAH for STEM Center Faculty Coordinator. Duties to include, but not limited to:
•
Work with STEM faculty in recommending tutors/Learning Assistants; scale up STEM learning support program
•
Actively promote SC learning support services to faculty and students
•
Increase recruitment and retention of quality tutors/LAs
•
Work with Daraja, Puente and Mesa faculty/students to recruit a more diverse STEM tutor/Learning Assistant pool
•
Encourage instructors to hold office hours, workshops and assist study groups in the SC
•
Conduct second-level interviews for STEM tutors (currently 25-30 Math tutors, 8-10 tutors in other STEM disciplines per semester)
•
Work with TUTR 2 STEM faculty in developing curriculum
•
Assist IAs and tutors in SC as needed
•
Promote STEM pathway to students
•
Participate in regular conferences with STEM faculty and LC Coordinator to discuss learning support needs
•
Work with LC Coordinator and STEM Center IAs to improve STEM
Learning Assistant and study group tutoring programs
Target date: Recruit STEM faculty for position in November 2015, January 20,
2015 start date
Contact person: Jane Wolford, Learning Connection Coordinator
EXPECTED OUTCOME C.1.1
The number of African American, Latino and Filipino students who complete Math
54/54L/55 after having completed Math 65 /53 will increase by 3% by May 2016.
The gender gap among our African American and Latino students will decrease by
3% by May 2016.