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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction ............................................................................................................................…. 1
Comprehensive Development Plan ............................................................................................. 3
Activity Objectives .................................................................................................................... 20
Implementation Strategy and Timetable .................................................................................... 25
Key Personnel ............................................................................................................................ 37
Project Management Plan .......................................................................................................... 39
Evaluation Plan .......................................................................................................................... 40
Budget …………………………………………………………………………………………45
Project Design .............................................................................................................................48
Absolute Priority .......................................................................................................................50
Competitive Preference Priority 1 ...........................................................................................51
Competitive Preference Priority 2 ...........................................................................................54
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CABRILLO COLLEGE
Cabrillo College is a public, comprehensive two-year Hispanic-Serving Institution located
in Aptos, California, in Santa Cruz County (pop. 266,766). Established in 1959 and located on
the north central coast of California (79 miles south of San Francisco), the College offers
associate degree programs for transfer to area universities and certificates and degrees for Career
and Technical Education (CTE) programs. During Fall 2014, the College enrolled 13,354
students at the main campus in Aptos and the Watsonville Center, 13 miles to the south. Students
from the Watsonville service area (81% Hispanic) enroll at both the Aptos main campus and the
Watsonville Center. In the last five years, the Hispanic student enrollment has increased over 10
percentage points, from 26.0 percent to 38.4 percent, with a Fall 2014 Hispanic enrollment of
5,128. (Source: Cabrillo College Planning and Research Office, PRO, 2015)
High-Need Hispanic and Low-Income Students: One-third (33%) of the Santa Cruz
population is Hispanic with a far majority (81 percent) living in Watsonville (pop. 50,269).
Among the 40,000 secondary school students enrolled in Santa Cruz County, 54.8 percent were
Hispanic and 37.3 percent were White, Non-Hispanic (www.ed-data.k12.ca.us). Watsonville is
home to thousands of immigrant and first-generation Mexican farm workers who harvest the
fruits and vegetable fields of the Pajaro Valley. This agricultural region is culturally and
ethnically diverse but characterized by a much lower socio-economic status compared to the rest
of Santa Cruz County. In the Pajaro Valley there are migrant labor camps and extreme poverty as
bad as before Cesar Chavez and the United Farmers Workers brought much needed reform in the
1960s (Center for Farmworker Families, fact sheet, web accessed 2015).
Individual per capita income for Santa Cruz County ($32,102) is twice as high as for
Watsonville ($16,000); half of all families with children under 18 are low-income and a quarter
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of residents live in poverty. For Santa Cruz County, the total number of working age people
living below the federal poverty standard increased by six percentage points within five years.
(Data Source: Santa Cruz County Community Assessment Project 2013 Report – CAP, most
recent report). The College, both the Aptos campus and the Watsonville Center, draws students
from these struggling communities.
A related socio-economic indicator is educational attainment. Among Watsonville
residents, just 51.7 percent have a high school credential or higher compared to 82 percent
statewide and 86 percent nationwide. Only 10.1 percent of Watsonville’s adults (25 years+)
holds a bachelor’s degree or higher compared to 31 percent statewide and 29 percent nationwide.
Given the low socio-economic status of the service area, it is no surprise that Cabrillo College
enrolls a high percentage of first-generation college (33.7 percent All/6,130; 47.2 percent
Hispanic/6,589), non-traditional aged (40.6 percent/5,558) and low-income (58.7 percent
All/8,038; 73.7 percent Hispanic/4,855) first-entering students (Cabrillo College Planning and
Research Office, PRO, 2013-2014 data).
Completion Culture Challenge: Cabrillo College is a key player in Santa Cruz County
providing access to quality postsecondary education. Yet, the College is challenged to ensure
Hispanic and other low-income students have equitable and accessible learning experiences and
the support needed for them to succeed and persist in college. Cabrillo College has adopted the
paradigm shift to learning that is “always on” for high-need students (Secretary of Education,
Transforming American Education, 2010) and the Institute of Higher Education Policy
“Completion Culture Challenge” recommendation to prioritize student success, eliminate gaps,
target students with the most need and use data to drive completion efforts (Institute of Higher
Education Policy, IHEP, “Supporting Postsecondary Student Success, November, 2014).
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1. COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN (CDP)
Analysis Process Involved Major Constituencies of the Institution
Cabrillo College has a mandate to implement the Student Success Initiative (California
Student Success Act of 2012). The Cabrillo College Student Success Steering Committee was
appointed to guide the implementation of the initiative with an emphasis on closing the success
gap. Institutional analysis included the 2013 College Accreditation Self-Study and the 2014
Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) Report as well as
surveys and assessments administered to key stakeholders (students, administrators, support
staff and faculty) for input to determine key strengths, weaknesses, challenges and opportunities
for the College. Faculty assessed current technology resources and communicated their interest
in new learning strategies. Managers and program chairs assessed the capabilities of the IT
infrastructures to support student success, modeled on national higher education survey
instruments. The following table summarizes the extent of recent institutional analyses and
campus-wide buy-in among key constituents.
INSTITUTIONAL ANALYSES RELEVANT TO THE TITLE V ACTIVITY
2011
2011
2012
2012
2013
2013
2013
2013
2014
The Transfer Velocity Project
Completion and Momentum by Ethnicity
College Accreditation Stakeholders
Survey (Faculty, Staff, Admin.)
College Information Technology Plan
2014
2014
2014
College Data Access Assessment
College Technology Plan Update
College Faculty Technology Survey
2014
College Strategic Plan & College
Educational Master Plan
College Institutional Self-Study and
Accreditation Report and Documents
Cabrillo College Student Scorecard
2014
College Planning and Advising
Assessment
College Managers/Program Chairs
Technology Survey
College Student Technology Survey
Santa Cruz County Community
Assessment Project (CAP) data
Cabrillo College Fact Book
2015
2014
2014
2015
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Accrediting Commission for Community
and Junior Colleges Accreditation Report
College Transfer Course Success &
Graduation/Transfer
Institutional Profile data 2013-14
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A primary source for service area data came from the Santa Cruz County Community
Assessment Project (CAP) 2013 report – a comprehensive research study of the socio-economic
status of residents and identification of community goals from educational attainment to
environmental sustainability. The analysis was also informed by College Career and Technical
programs business/industry advisory groups, which guide program development and quality tied
to service area needs.
ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
S TRENGTHS – Academic Programs
Access to Certificate and Transfer Pathways: The College has an open admissions policy
with a strong Basic Skills (developmental education) curriculum for academically underprepared
students who would otherwise be shut out of the higher education pipeline. The College offers
both Career and Technical certificates/associate degrees (24) and transferable associate degrees
(57), including 19 approved Associate Degrees for Transfer, which guarantee admission into the
California State University system. The College has course-to-course and major articulation with
the 34 public universities in California, as well as with 30 private 4-year colleges and
universities. There is an active Transfer Center on campus.
Access to Distance Education: To expand access at a distance, Cabrillo College offers online
courses in every discipline via Blackboard course management and enrolled 6,752 students
during 2013-2014. (Source: Cabrillo College Planning and Research Office (PRO); ACCJC
Accreditation Report, 2014)
Student Outcomes Drive Change: The College just received a five year renewed accreditation
by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC, 2014 report).
ACCJC places emphasis on developing Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) college-wide. SLOs
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have been developed for all academic programs, including Distance Education. (Source:
Accreditation Self-Study 2013; ACCJC Report 2014)
Responsive to Academically Underprepared Students: The STARS (Students Transitioning in
Academics and Reaching Success) program was a finalist for the Excelencia In Education!
“What Works” project in 2014. The College provides adult education courses for Hispanic
English Learners at the Watsonville Center and ESL courses for first entering students.
Qualified, Ethnically Diverse Faculty: Cabrillo College has almost a quarter minority fulltime faculty (15 percent being Hispanic). Among faculty, 90 percent hold a master’s degree or
higher. A faculty survey administered for the Cabrillo College Accreditation Self-Study 2013
report indicated a majority believes the College delivers quality instruction. (Source: College
Accreditation Team Report 2014; College Faculty and Student Data, Fall 2014)
WEAKNESSES, CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES– Academic Programs
While providing access to education and career pathways for students and having a
qualified, dedicated faculty, Cabrillo College has a mandate by the California Community
Colleges Board of Governors to move the needle up on student success. High-need students
struggle to succeed in college transfer courses necessary to be admitted to California four-year
colleges and universities. First-time entering students fail to persist from first year to second
year, contributing to high student attrition. Among those who do re-enroll, far too many fail to
persist to completion (being transfer-ready). Furthermore, there is a success equity gap for
Hispanic and other low-income students.
Key Problem #1: Low Academic Success for Transfer Courses. A major barrier to college
persistence and timely completion for Cabrillo College students is a trend of low student success
in general education or what California designates as “transfer” courses (transfer to four-year
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California institutions). Low course success is persistent and especially so for Hispanic students.
The table below shows a static three-year success trend for Hispanics compared to all students.
For the three-year average, there was a five percentage point gap for Hispanics who completed
transfer courses with a C or higher (68 percent versus 73 percent). Furthermore, the most recent
academic year 2013-2014 data for course level success by subject area reveal even more
pronounced success gaps for Hispanic students. The four lowest success areas are math,
business, history, and, science. The average success rate for these high-risk courses was 65.8
percent for all and was just 58 percent for Hispanics.
TRANSFER COURSE SUCCESS 3-YR. TREND
HISPANIC
ALL
EQUITY GAP
2013-2014
68%
73%
2012-2013
68%
72%
2011-2012
69%
73%
Three Year Average
68%
73%
HIGH RISK DISCIPLINES 2013-2014
HISPANIC
ALL
History
58%
64%
Social Science
61%
70%
English/Literature
69%
73%
Science
60%
71%
Math
48%
57%
Business
52%
60%
Source: Cabrillo College Planning and Research Office (PRO), 2015
Success Defined as Completing a Course with a C or higher
5 points
4 points
4 points
5 points
EQUITY GAP
6 points
9 points
4 points
11 points
9 points
8 points
Translated into numbers, the equity gap data are far more revealing. Among Hispanics in
transfer courses, 7,539 did not complete courses with a C or higher in 2013-2014. For
humanities (English and literature) courses, over 1,200 Hispanic students did not succeed.
Progress toward completion is perilously delayed for these students – as they must re-take and
succeed in the required transfer courses.
Brent Cejda and Richard Hoover in Strategies for Faculty-Student Engagement: How
Community College Faculty Engage Latino Students, Journal of College Student Retention, (Vol.
12, 135-153, 2010-2011) identified these three best practices specific to improving Hispanic
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student success: (1) emphasize active learning strategies and incorporate collaborative learning;
(2) connect class materials to personal, work, or real-life experiences and encourage students to
share their experiences in class presentations and discussion; and, (3) provide frequent formative
feedback in a constructive and encouraging manner.
Contributing to the problem of low academic success for Cabrillo College high-need
Hispanic and low-income students are these two key institutional weaknesses:
1. Current Instructional Strategies Limit How, When and Where Learning Happens: The new
science of learning is powered by technology to better engage the learner and to allow both the
student and the instructor to monitor progress during a course (formative feedback). A selfassessment instrument based on Technology Outlook for Community, Technical, and Junior
Colleges 2013-2018: An NMC Horizon Project Sector Analysis was administered to faculty in
2014. When asked how often they utilized technology resources in teaching, a majority of
surveyed Cabrillo College faculty (n= 813 respondents) chose Never for digital student sharing
resources; for learning management software; learning analytics; and flexible designed
classroom seating for engaged learning; 29 percent reported that they Never used active and
collaborative learning practices supported by technology. Few faculty respondents (less than
20%) indicated Substantial knowledge of common technology instructional tools and practices.
2. Current Resources Do Not Support Adopting New Learning Strategies: Cabrillo College
Faculty see two key challenges to adopting best practices allowing more engaged teaching and
learning options: (1) lack of training and knowledge and (2) time to train/incorporate. The two
top solutions cited by faculty were “variety of flexible technology trainings” and “additional
equipment/funding/ resources” (Faculty Technology Assessment Survey, 2014.) A far majority
of the 813 surveyed faculty (92 percent) strongly agreed/agreed with the statement: “I believe
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technology literacy and use are skills higher education should promise.” Furthermore, a majority
of surveyed faculty (75 percent) indicated “Yes” when asked if they were interested in receiving
training in successful practices for integrating technology. While Cabrillo College instructors are
clearly experts in their fields, many received their graduate degrees decades ago. A majority of
faculty survey respondents reported their age being between 41-60. Thus, expecting faculty to
have substantial knowledge about new academic technologies and learning pedagogies is not
realistic. Nor is it realistic to ask them to adopt 21st century technologies without updated
resources and training.
The following excerpts are observations by Cabrillo College faculty, further highlighting
challenges for faculty in adopting new teaching and learning strategies:
FACULTY TECHNOLOGY SURVEY OBSERVATIONS (CABRILLO COLLEGE, 2014)
- “The volume of technologies available for delivering instruction has exploded; keeping up with
the tools for delivering instruction exclusively online is one challenge, and making effective use
of instructional technologies within campus computer labs is another. Knowing when to use the
right tools for the right outcomes is a third challenge. And assessing where students are in their
technology skills (determining then what technologies they already know that can be capitalized
upon) is a final challenge.”
- “Not familiar with the new technology. Also, there is a lot of work outside the classroom
making videos, and setting up the class using technology. Provide more workshops during Flex
Week [faculty development] that are technology based. Having someone who has used the
technology within my discipline lead a workshop.”
- “There are so many technologies that I need proper training to get the most out of what I am
using. I typically get training one-size fits all and I am beyond the basics so the training is of
little help. Also need to see what use would be made of tracking successes to know what I should
be doing.”
Key Problem #2: Low Student Persistence and Timely Completion. For all students, the first
year to second persistence for first-time, full-time students since 2011-2012 has dropped five
percentage points (from 70 percent to 62.7 percent for All and 65.9 percent for Hispanics, 20132014). Fewer first-entering Hispanics enroll full time (47.7 percent); this explains why the
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retention rate of 65.9 percent is slightly higher than for all students. Some of these students stop
out because academic unpreparedness, personal issues, finances or time constraints become too
overwhelming. For those who do persist, timely completion of transferrable credits for an
associate degree is extremely low. This is unfortunate in itself and more so considering that the
California State University system guarantees a community college student admission if a
prescribed sequence of courses (Associate Degree for Transfer) is completed. Yet, among
Cabrillo College first time, full time degree/certificate-seeking students who entered in 2010, just
19.0 percent were transfer-ready within three years (passed transfer level math and English with
a C or better, completed 60+ transferable units and maintained a 2.0 GPA). The percentage of
Hispanic students who were transfer-ready was lower at 13.5 percent. (Cabrillo College PRO,
2015).
Clearly, those most at risk of not succeeding are Hispanic students. The 2011 Transfer
Velocity Project study found that Hispanic students are the group with the second-highest risk for
transfer. The 2011 Completion and Momentum by Ethnic Group study showed that Hispanics are
the group least likely at Cabrillo to transfer within six years (20 percent). This continues to be the
case for a cohort tracked for six years through to 2012-2013 reported in The California
Community Colleges Student Success Scorecard (2014) which showed that overall, only 37
percent of the cohort graduated or transferred within six years. For Hispanic students, just onethird at Cabrillo College completed a certificate or degree within six years compared to over onehalf of White, Not Hispanic students.
The momentum is not sustained as the data also show overall time to completion is far
too long and that even among those who complete within the six-year timeframe, a very low
percent are Hispanic. Similarly, for completion of at least 30 units, the College is slightly below
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the State and Hispanics lag behind White, Not Hispanics—61 percent versus 69 percent—
(California Student Success Scorecard 2014).
Weakness Contributing to Low Persistence and Timely Completion: A key weakness
contributing to low percentages of first-entering students who are transfer-ready within three
years is limited flexibility in accessing required courses. Students who attend part-time may take
six to eight years to complete transfer requirements. They lose momentum and continuity in their
studies. Almost half of first entering Hispanic students (47.7%) enrolled part-time during Fall
2014. Students attend part-time because of work and family commitments that often conflict with
going to college, especially for nontraditional-aged Hispanic and low-income students.
Traditional face-to-face designed courses do not meet the need for flexibility, especially
those with time and financial constraints. Attending classes Monday, Wednesday, Friday or
Tuesday and Thursday for 16 weeks limit when and where learning happens for students. They
are 100% commuters and four out of ten students are nontraditional-aged. Without access to
courses with the option of reduced seat time, students with time and financial constraints (58.7
percent low-income) are likely to enroll part-time. Consequently, their progress toward degree
completion and transfer is delayed.
“While online courses are available to students, not everyone is comfortable taking (or prepared
to take) courses fully online. Hybrid courses allow for face-to-face interaction with the
instructor and other students” - Dr. Rachel Mayo, Dean of Education Centers and Distance
Education (email communication Spring 2015)
Opportunities: Significantly, educational technology can facilitate new structures of learning—
for engaged, continuous learning experiences and for more flexible options such as reduced seat
time that would allow students to attend full-time. A majority of Cabrillo College students have
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laptops and access to the Internet and 90% have smartphones (Spring 2014 Student Technology
Survey). They are well-positioned for always on and accessible transfer-track studies.
INSTITUTIONAL MANAGEMENT
S TRENGTHS – Institutional Management
Strengths—Leadership at the Top – High Confidence: The ACCJC team reported a high level
of confidence in Dr. Laurel Jones, President and Superintendent, being able “to ensure the
College has on-going (1) a collegial process that sets values, goals, and priorities; (2) evaluation
and planning that rely on high quality research and analysis on external and internal conditions;
(3) educational planning that is integrated with resource planning and distribution to achieve
student learning outcomes; and, (4) procedures that evaluate overall institutional planning and
implementation efforts.” Source: ACCJC Report, 2014.
Smart IT Infrastructures To Support Success. A recent Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
project at the College saves significant costs and increases productivity for IT staff and end-users
across campus. (Source: Cabrillo College Technology Plan update, 2014)
Access to Technology in Learning Support Centers: The Computer Technology Centers
(CTC) at both the Aptos campus and the Watsonville Center provide access and support for
academic computing to all enrolled students. The Integrated Learning Center at the Watsonville
Center also provides computers and tutoring for students (majority Hispanic). (Source:(College
Self-Study 2013; ACCJC Report, 2014)
Information Technology Services: All faculty, staff and students have access to the following
information technology services: the campus Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) data system
(Ellucian Colleague), WebAdvisor, e-mail (Correo), a curriculum database (CurricUnet), online
faculty/staff directory (Salsa), Google Apps (docs, calendar and sites), course management
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system (Blackboard Learn), and telecommunication and wireless access. (Source: College SelfStudy 2013; ACCJC Report, 2014; College Technology Plan 2014)
WEAKNESSES, CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES – Institutional Management
“According to a 2015 Bill and Melinda Gates survey, students often fail to complete their
degree because they feel overwhelmed, overextended, underfunded, and underprepared” (The
Gateway to Student Centricity, Oracle whitepaper, 2015). A broader and deeper reach to large
numbers of high-need students who struggle with staying on track to completion depends on
their accessing multiple communication touch points as they navigate their way through college.
The following Institutional Management key weaknesses (resources) have been identified within
the context of the challenge of college completion for high-need Hispanic and low-income
students:
Key Problem #1: Access to College Information for Students Is Difficult and Inefficient:
Student access to institutional information and processes via the College website is an important
criterion for measuring institutional effectiveness and correlated to student success. While
community colleges all over the US consider having a single point of entry Web Portal a given –
a priority even, Cabrillo College has still to develop fully a student web Portal. This is just the tip
of the IT iceberg. The College’s Datatel Colleague ERP can accommodate add-on modules that
will make support services and learner data analytics possible and will improve efficiencies
(time, personnel and costs). The College recently acquired the Ellucian Student Planning
module, but its optimal value and use are reduced without a single access, integrative portal and
the required SQL servers. The Cabrillo College Information Technology office conducted a selfassessment based on the national survey instrument, Technology (IT) Infrastructure Assessment,
conducted by The Campus Computing Project. Common IT capabilities for community colleges
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were rated on a scale from 1 = Poor to 7 = Excellent. The lowest capabilities for Cabrillo College
were digital dashboards/ERP analytics; learner analytics (course level); campus website services/
student portal; and, research computing. (Source: College Technology (IT) Infrastructure
Assessment, 2014)
The 2014 Cabrillo College Student Technology Survey results showed only about onethird of respondents found information on the website easy to find and information about courses
satisfactory. For a 100% commuting student body, students should be able to easily access and
navigate critical college information and processes on the College web. Studies point to the value
of not just providing academic support but also addressing non-cognitive issues via multiple
communication channels and touch points. “Inadequate engagement and belonging equates to
low intrinsic interest, lack of career opportunities (degree utility), factors that may lead to high
attrition rates for Latino students” (Impact of Non-Cognitive Behaviors on Student Engagement
for Latino Male Students Attending a Designated 2-year HSIs, whitepaper, San Diego State
University, 2013).
Key Problem #2: Current Classroom Resources Limit Student Learning Options: Several
faculty survey respondents commented about the low-tech condition of classrooms. A recent
classroom inventory (Spring 2014) reported a total of 205 instructional classrooms across
campuses with 40 percent designated as “Not Smart” and 60 percent as “Basic Smart.” In reality,
the basic Smart classrooms are not that “smart”—not by today’s standard for academic
technologies in higher education. These instructor-centric classrooms have pull down screens,
televisions on mobile carts with video recorders and student seating facing the lectern. While
lecturing is critical for conveying and explaining key concepts, lecture alone limits student
learning to “hearing” without the option of learning by seeing and learning by doing. The
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Blackboard Learning Management System is available to all faculty, but this tool, extending
learning beyond the classroom, is not fully utilized for on-campus instruction.
Key Problem #3: Current IT and Personnel Resources Do Not Adequately Support Formative
and Summative Student Assessments: The key obstacles to building a commitment to student
success data, and particularly disaggregating Hispanic and other low-income student data, are
numerous: reporting requirements weigh heavily on colleges; IR and IT functions are not widely
visible or understood; silos between IR and IT and academic departments complicate
coordination; making data accessible to a broad audience is difficult; and concerns about data
integrity inhibit widespread use (Achieving the Dream Cutting Edge Series: Building
Institutional Capacity for Data-Informed Decision-Making, 2012). Assessing the current data
capabilities to drive student success, the College IT Office rated nine common criteria for
frequent, reliable and accessible use of student data for support staff and faculty. Six of the nine
criteria were rated Not Very Well Met (generate data at the program and services level;
disaggregate student data; track cohorts correlated to advising services; user-friendly and
accessible data at the program and instructor level; support automated add-on modules; adequate
staff for maintaining automated databases and reports (College Database Access and Capabilities
Assessment, Program Chairs and Administrators, 2014).
A high ratio of student to full-time professional advisors (1:1,000) means face-to-face,
individualized student support for high-need students is not logistically possible. The College
provides basic support services, but they are voluntary on the student’s part. Current resources,
such as academic tutoring specific to transfer courses, are simply inadequate. In total, the
College enrolls over 13,000 students and provides 144 tutors at different small learning centers at
Aptos and Watsonville, but this includes basic skills tutoring as well as transfer course tutoring.
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Opportunities: Providing ease of access to centralized student information and leveraging new
technologies to scale up students’ engaging/interacting with College support staff and faculty
present promising opportunities for improving Hispanic and other low-income student success.
FISCAL STABILITY
S TRENGTHS – Fiscal Stability
The integration of financial resource planning with institutional planning at Cabrillo
College takes place at all levels of program planning and the various programs systematically
assess the effective use of financial resources and use the results to improve effectiveness. The
College has maintained a substantial unrestricted general fund balance in the past, though at the
end of fiscal year 2011-2012, there was a planned decrease in the ending balance. Even with the
planned drawdown to bridge funding shortfalls, the College maintains a fund balance greater
than 21 percent of total expenses. (Source: College VP of Finances, 2015)
WEAKNESSES, CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES – Fiscal Stability
For California Community Colleges, much fiscal ground has been lost due to the
recession and the consequential state-implemented budget cuts of over $1.2 billion between
2008-2009 and 2011-2012, compounded by nearly $1 billion in delayed payments from the
State. Access to college for over 500,000 students – 17 percent of total enrollment – was
eliminated through budget cuts (Community College League of California, 2014-2015 Budget
Points). For Cabrillo College, this meant reduced number of classes, leading to reduced
enrollments and reduced expenditures for support staff and infrastructure upgrades.
Consequently, Full-Time Equivalent Student (FTES) enrollments dropped from 6,154 for Fall
2008 to 4,998 for Fall 2014. This resulted in $5,405,456 less revenue for just the Fall 2014 term
(Cabrillo College Planning and Research Office, 2015). Furthermore, when first entering
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students fail to persist to the second year, the College loses enrollment revenue due to attrition
(35 percent of students do not return the second year). The estimated revenue loss because of
first-time, full-time student attrition is calculated at about $8 million annually.
Opportunities: Budget reductions compromise the College’s ability to move forward with
building smart IT infrastructures to support always on student support and increased accessibility
to transfer degree programs. Reduced first-entering student attrition and increased access to
programs of study so more students enroll in more courses would help offset future budget cuts.
a. Institutional Goals Based On Analysis Outcomes
The following table identifies the Cabrillo College institutional goals relevant to the Title
V Activity and the relationship to the preceding Comprehensive Development Plan analysis.
(A) INSTITUTIONAL GOALS SUPPORTED BY CDP ANALYSIS
→
INSTITUTIONAL GOALS
KEY ANALYSIS OUTCOMES SUMMARY
ACADEMIC
PROGRAMS
INSTITUTIONAL
GOALS
1. Increase transfer
course success by
adopting new
learning strategies.
2. Increase access to
transfer programs of
study.
§ Low success in transfer courses (one-third to one-half not
succeeding)
§ Low first year to second year persistence
§ Low college completion within three-years (transferready)
§ Current training does not meet faculty needs
§ Limited options for how, when where learning happens
contributes to part-time enrollment and delayed progress
for students
3. Increase student
timely degree
completion via new,
innovative resources.
§ Low-tech classroom resources and traditional seating
limits learning options
§ Limited IT infrastructure to support technologies for
identifying and providing services to high-need students
§ Low data-use at the course and program levels
§ Inadequate student access to critical student information
and support
INSTITUTIONAL
MANAGEMENT
INSTITUTIONAL
GOAL
FISCAL
STABILITY
INSTITUTIONAL
GOAL
4. Reduce loss of
enrollment revenue
by increasing first
entering student
persistence.
§ FTES enrollment reimbursement dropped each year since
2008
§ Lost ground because of California economic recession and
state funding cuts
§ Estimated revenue loss because of first-time, full-time
student attrition calculated at about $8 million annually.
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b. Measurable Objectives Related to Each Goal and Timeframe
The institutional student success objectives (meeting the completion challenge) support
all the related institutional goals. Each objective is measurable in relation to baseline data.
Note: The following table presents “institutional” global objectives, which are different from
annual Activity pilot objectives presented later in the Activity Objectives section.
(B) INSTITUTIONAL GOALS HAVE MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES
→
ACADEMIC
PROGRAMS
INSTITUTIONAL
GOALS
INSTITUTIONAL GOALS
1. Increase transfer
course success by
adopting new
learning strategies.
INSTITUTIONAL OBJECTIVES + TIMEFRAME
Academic Program Objective:
By 2020, increase the average success rate in high-risk transfer
courses to at least 75% for all.
(Baseline: AY 2013-2014 = 65.8% All)
2. Increase access to
transfer programs of
study.
Academic Program Objective:
By 2020, increase the number of high quality Associate
Degree for Transfer hybrid courses by 50% or more.
(Baseline: Fall 2014 = 37 hybrid courses)
INSTITUTIONAL
MANAGEMENT
INSTITUTIONAL
GOAL
3. Increase student
timely degree
completion via new,
innovative
resources.
Institutional Management Objective:
By 2020, increase percent of first time full time students who
are transfer-ready within 150% of time to at least 30%.
(Baseline: 2010 cohort =19% for all and 13.5% Hispanic)
FISCAL
STABILITY
INSTITUTIONAL
GOAL
4. Reduce loss of
enrollment revenue
by increasing first
entering student
persistence.
Fiscal Stability Objective:
By Fall 2020, reduce first entering, full-time student attrition
by at least ten percentage points, resulting in increased
revenue.
(Baseline: F2013 to F2014 = 35%)
c. Methods and resources to institutionalize practices
The Title V Activity practices to be developed are (1) Individualized, TechnologyPowered Student Support and (2) Engaging Learning Strategies + Hybrid Option for the Transfer
Curriculum. Cabrillo College will institutionalize practices resulting from redesigning courses as
engaged and hybrid to support reduced time to completing the Associate Degree for Transfer and
from new, innovative resources to support success and persistence toward completion.
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1. INDIVIDUALIZED, TECHNOLOGY-POWERED STUDENT SUPPORT
The College IT Director and Technology Planning Committee will refine/modify the
interventions as needed after each pilot of services with different student populations. The
positions for the Student Support Specialist and Peer Student Coaches will be retained to
continue services and will become part of the student services operating budget, authorized by
the VP for Student Support. The Student Support Specialist will continue to bridge the College
IT and support services for targeted student populations. The salary and fringe for this position
gradually will be absorbed by the College beginning in Year Three. Any future technology
upgrades or maintenance costs will be identified and integrated in the College Technology
budget, authorized by the VP of Administrative Services. Costs savings as a result of more
efficient IT infrastructure is estimated at 25 percent over baseline year 2014. Post-grant costs
include the retained position salary/fringe after gradual absorption Y3-Y5 ($54,380), peer
coaching stipends ($23,635) and IT Infrastructure upgrades and maintenance for the Web Portal
(estimated at $20,000). Total = $98,015 to be offset by revenue gains with lower attrition.
2. ENGAGING LEARNING STRATEGIES + HYBRID OPTION FOR THE TRANSFER CURRICULUM
Beginning Fall 2017, course pilot data (student success outcomes) will be reviewed and
assessed by each academic program chair and led by the Activity Director to determine what
refinements may be necessary. By Fall 2020, the College will institutionalize Teaching and
Learning Center faculty training and resources specifically designed to support new learner
strategies and hybrid designed courses. The VP of Instruction will make final authorization for
both. Results of the Faculty Data Dashboard beta testing led by the Data Specialist will be
reviewed and assessed based on reliability, accessibility and relevance to tracking student
outcomes and allowing in-course analytics to influence teaching strategies. New classroom
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resources (physical and technological) will be supported by the College IT and the Facilities
general operating budgets as renovations/equipping are completed, authorized by the Director of
IT and the Director of Facilities Planning and Plant Operations Director. The College will
institutionalize the position of the Data Specialist beginning in Y3 absorbing a portion of the
salary and fringe. Post-grant costs include the retained position salary/fringe after gradual
absorption Y3-Y5 ($64,380) to become part of the IR and IT operating budgets, authorized by
the Director of IT and classroom and support centers resources at 20% of costs for
maintenance/upgrades at $30,142. Total = $94,522 to be offset by increased full-time enrollment
revenue with the hybrid flexible time option.
Operational Funds to Support Continued Practices: The total estimated post-grant cost is
approximately $193,000 and will be offset by reducing student attrition and increasing full-time
enrollments. With at least 150 first entering, full-time students retained from the first year to the
second (150 x $4,676 FTES enrollment revenue), the revenue gained would be $701,400.
(D.) FIVE-YEAR PLAN TO IMPROVE SERVICES TO HISPANIC & LOW-INCOME STUDENTS
Cabrillo College is committed to closing the equity gap for Hispanic and low-Income
students in support of California Student Success Initiative. The following plan identifies key
outcomes and key actions to achieve those outcomes within a five-year timeframe:
FIVE YEAR PLAN TO IMPROVE SERVICES TO HISPANIC & OTHER LOW-INCOME STUDENTS
KEY OUTCOMES
KEY ACTIONS TO ACHIEVE OUTCOMES
Implement innovative, technologypowered teaching and learning
strategies to increase Hispanic student
academic success.
- Integrate best practices options for learning strategies in
low success courses in all departments/divisions across
campus (i.e., engaged/tech-enabled).
Timeframe: by 2020
Improve learning resources – physical
and technological – to support best
practices learning strategies at the
Watsonville and Aptos campuses.
- Redesign and equip learning spaces to more productively
and successfully engage students in learning as a strategy
to close the success gap.
- Individualize success via new learner analytics
technologies.
Timeframe: by 2019
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Increase progress to completion
(transfer-ready) through greater
accessibility to programs of study.
- Convert transfer face-to-face courses to the hybrid
format (reduced seat time) to support reduced time to
complete a program of study – critical to Hispanic and
low-income students with family and work commitments.
Timeframe: by 2017
Provide better access to critical
college information and processes
necessary for Hispanic and other lowincome student persistence and
college completion.
- Develop a student web portal and upgrade the IT
infrastructure to support automated services to students.
- Continue efforts to recruit Hispanic student support staff;
advertise staff positions in Hispanic professional journals
and post on Hispanic education listserves.
Timeframe: by 2015 and ongoing
Invest in smart IT infrastructure and
technologies to support access to and
use of Hispanic student outcomes data
for staff and faculty.
- Invest in upgrading the IT infrastructure to ensure
reliable and cost savings access to academic and support
technologies for faculty, students and staff.
- Invest in high efficiency technologies to track student
outcomes for at-risk Hispanic and other low-income
students. Timeframe: 2015-2020
2. ACTIVITY OBJECTIVES
The Title V Activity has two interrelated foci: (1) Individualized, Technology-Powered
Student Support and (2) Engaging Learning Strategies + Hybrid Option for the Transfer
Curriculum. Preceding the annual Activity Objectives table is a narrative explaining how the
objectives support both the problems (weaknesses and challenges analysis) and the institutional
goals for academic programs, institutional management and fiscal stability.
ACTIVITY OBJECTIVES ADDRESS PROBLEMS AND SUPPORT INSTITUTIONAL GOALS
• The Academic Programs Goals “Increase transfer course success by adopting new
learning strategies” and “Increase access to transfer programs of study” are supported by the
Activity Objectives pilots of courses redesigned as engaged (active/collaborative/ technologyenabled and as hybrid Y3-5) with integrated learner analytics. Each year prior to the pilots,
faculty will receive training and will redesign transfer courses. The following year the
redesigned courses will be piloted (Math in Y3; Science/Social Science in Y4;
Humanities/Business in Y5). Another key activity is integrating data-use at the course level.
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Thus, faculty will receive training in using the data dashboard (Math in Y2; Science/Social
Science in Y3; Humanities Y4; Business Y5). Addresses Problems: The hybrid course pilot
objectives address the problems of low course success in transfer courses and limited options
for how, when and where learning occurs. Contributing factors are instructional strategies and
classroom environments limiting learning options for students and low use of data (learner
analytics) to drive and individualize academic success.
• The Institutional Management Goal “Increase student timely degree completion via
new, innovative resources” is supported by the Activity Objectives for developing a student web
portal to support new e-Services (Y1) followed by pilots of support services (Ellucian Student
Planning module + student peer coaching) for different target populations each year (First Year
Learning Communities cohort at Aptos Y2; First Generation Hispanic cohort at Aptos Y3; First
Year Learning Communities cohort at Watsonville Y4; First Generation Hispanic cohort at
Watsonville Y5). Addresses Problems: The objectives address the problems of low first year to
second year persistence; low transfer-readiness within three-years; Hispanic success gap for
persistence and completion; limited IT infrastructure to support individualized, technologypowered services specific to high-need students; low student satisfaction with resources for
accessing college information and processes.
• The Fiscal Stability Goal “Reduce loss of enrollment revenue by increasing first entering
student persistence” is supported by the Activity Objectives (course success and persistence)
for pilots of new e-services + peer student coaching and for pilots of courses designed as
engaged and hybrid with integrated data-use. Addresses Problems: All objectives address the
problem of revenue loss when high-need students fail to persist fall to fall and succeed in
transfer track studies.
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The annual Activity Objectives (in the table below) propose outcome targets for pilots of
courses integrating new learning technologies and converted to the hybrid format as well as
pilots of new student support services. Each Activity Objective proposes targets in relation to
baselines cited in the preceding institutional analysis or have pre- and post-testing comparative
measures. Performance Indicators are the short-term steps toward meeting a specific annual
Activity Objective, thus they have measurable targets.
Important Consideration: The annual objectives have measurable targets for the pilots of new
activities/interventions conducted each year. The proposed targets are realistic given the oneyear pilot timeframe. Key five-year summative objectives are proposed in Year Five.
Note: Outputs are presented in the Implementation Timetables in the Rationale of
Implementation section and Project Design section. Activity Objectives present Outcomes only.
ACTIVITY OBJECTIVES
PROJECT YEAR ONE (Oct. 1, 2015 to Sept. 30, 2016)
ACTIVITY OBJECTIVES - Y1
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (PI)
Increased IT Infrastructure capabilities
a. By March 2016, at least 80% of the beta-testing
1. By July 2016, at least 95% of the upgraded
results for accessing e-Services via the new Web
IT infrastructure supports new e-Services.
Portal are successful.
[Baseline: Multiple beta-tests results]
b. By July 2016, at least 90% of the beta-testing
Success and persistence outcomes begin in Y2
results for utilizing the Ellucian Student Planning
module and Course Signals model are successful.
PROJECT YEAR TWO (Oct. 1, 2016 to Sept. 30 2017)
ACTIVITY OBJECTIVES - Y2
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (PI)
Increased Access to Support Services
1a. By January 2017, at least 90% of FY Learning
FY LC Aptos Campus Pilot Outcomes
Communities students create an individual
1. By Fall 2017, the persistence rate for the FY
education plan using the Ellucian Student
Learning Communities cohort at Aptos
Planning module.
participating in pilots of new e-Services is at 1b. By August 2017, at least 75% of FY Learning
least 5 percentage points higher than the
Communities pilot students who enrolled Fall
overall institutional baseline for F20132016 return Fall 2017 or transfer.
F2014 (65%).
Increased Access to Hybrid Transfer Courses 2a. By March 2017, at least 90% of trained
2. By August 2017, increase access to transfer
instructors increase knowledge of new learning
courses designed as engaged + hybrid from
strategies + quality hybrid design.
baseline F2014 of 37 to 41 (transfer math)
2b. By April 2017, lead instructors complete at least
75% of the course redesign reflecting new
strategies and quality hybrid design (4).
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Increased Data Use by Faculty
3a. By December 2016, at least 85% of transfer math
3. By May 2017, 95% of the transfer math
faculty demonstrate competency in data dashboard
faculty increase competencies in using
use.
learner analytics to drive course success
3b. By May 2017, at least 85% of transfer math
measured by pre- and post-testing.
faculty integrate data use in teaching.
PROJECT YEAR THREE (Oct. 1, 2017 to Sept. 30 2018)
ACTIVITY OBJECTIVES - Y3
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (PI)
Increased Access to Support Services - First
1a. By January 2017, at least 90% of First
Gen/Hispanic Aptos Campus Pilot Outcomes
Generation Hispanic students at Aptos campus
1. By Fall 2018, persistence for First
create an individual education plan using Ellucian
Generation Hispanic cohort at Aptos
Student Planning module.
campus in pilots of new e-Services is at
1b. By August 2018, at least 75% of pilot students
least five percentage points higher than the
who enrolled Fall 2017 return Fall 2018 or
overall institutional baseline for F2013transfer.
F2014 (65%).
Math Transfer Courses Pilot Outcomes
2a. By mid-term Spring 2018, at least 70% of pilot
2. By August 2018, the Spring and Summer
students are making satisfactory progress
pilot transfer math hybrid courses success
2b. By mid-term Summer 2018, at 70% of pilot
rate increases by five percentage points
students are making satisfactory progress.
(Baseline 2013-2014 average rate 57% for
Satisfactory progress defined as having a C or higher
All and 48% for Hispanics).
average and completing all assignments.
Increased Access to Hybrid Transfer Courses 3a. By March 2018, at least 90% of trained
3. By August 2018, increase access to transfer
instructors increase knowledge of new learning
courses designed as engaged + hybrid from
strategies + quality hybrid design
baseline 2014 of 41 to 48 (transfer science
3b. By April 2018, lead instructors complete at least
and social science)
75% of the course redesign reflecting new
strategies and quality hybrid design (7).
Increased Data Use by Faculty
4a. By December 2017, at least 75% of science
4. By May 2018, 95% of the transfer science
faculty demonstrate competency in data dashboard
and social science faculty increase
use.
competencies in using learner analytics to
4b. By April 2018, at least 85% of science faculty
drive course success measured by pre- and
integrate data use in teaching.
post-testing.
PROJECT YEAR FOUR (Oct. 1, 2018 to Sept. 30 2019)
ACTIVITY OBJECTIVES - Y4
Increased Access to Support Services - FY LC
Watsonville Center Pilot Outcomes
1. By Fall 2019, the persistence rate for the
FY LC cohort at Watsonville campus
participating in pilots of new e-Services is at
least five percentage points higher than the
overall institutional baseline for F2013F2014 (65%).
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (PI)
1a. By Jan. 2019, at least 90% of FY LC pilot
students at Watsonville campus create an
individual education plan using Ellucian Student
Planning module.
1b. By August 2019, at least 75% of first year pilot
students who enrolled Fall 2018 return Fall 2019
or transfer.
Science/Social Science Transfer Courses
Transfer Courses Pilot Outcomes
2. For 2018-2019, the Spring and Summer
pilot transfer science hybrid courses
success rate increases by five percentage
points (Baseline 2012-2013 rate of 71% for
All and 60% for Hispanics).
2a. By mid-term Spring 2019, at least 70% of pilot
students are making satisfactory progress
2b. By mid-term Summer 2019, at least 70% of pilot
students are making satisfactory progress.
Satisfactory progress defined as having a C or higher
average and completing all assignments.
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Increased Access to Hybrid Transfer Courses
3. By August 2019, increase access to transfer
courses designed as engaged + hybrid from
baseline 2014 of 48 to 63.
3a. By March 2019, at least 90% of trained
instructors increase knowledge of new learning
strategies + quality hybrid design
3b. By April 2019, lead instructors complete at least
75% of the course redesign reflecting new
strategies and quality hybrid design (15).
Increased Data Use by Faculty
4a. By December 2018, at least 75% of humanities
4. By May 2019, at least 95% of the transfer
faculty demonstrate competency in data dashboard
humanities faculty increase competencies
use.
in using learner analytics to drive course
4b. By May 2019, at least 85% of humanities/social
success measured by pre- and post-testing.
science/business faculty integrate data use in
teaching.
PROJECT YEAR FIVE (Oct. 1, 2019 to Sept. 30 2020)
ACTIVITY OBJECTIVES - Y5
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (PI)
Increased Support Services - First Gen.
1a. By Jan. 2020, at least 90% of First Generation
Hispanic Watsonville Center Pilot Outcomes
Hispanic students at Watsonville campus create an
1. By Fall 2020, persistence for First
individual education plan using Ellucian Student
Generation Hispanic cohort at Watsonville
Planning module.
campus participating in pilots of new e1b. By August 2020, at least 75% of first year pilot
Services is at least five percentage points
students who enrolled Fall 2019 return Fall 2020
higher than the overall institutional baseline
or transfer.
for F2013-F2014 (65%).
Humanities/Business Transfer Courses Pilot
2a. By mid-term Spring 20120, at least 70% of pilot
Outcomes
students are making satisfactory progress
2. For 2019-2020, the Spring and Summer
2b. By mid-term Summer 2020, at least 70% of pilot
pilot humanities/business hybrid courses
students are making satisfactory progress.
success rate increases by five percentage
Satisfactory progress defined as having a C or higher
points (Baseline 2013-2014 average rate of
average and completing all assignments.
67% All; 60% Hispanic).
Increased Data Use by Faculty
3a. By December 2019, at least 85% of business
3. By May 2020, at least 95% of the business
faculty demonstrate competency in data dashboard
faculty increase competencies in using
use.
learner analytics to drive course success
3b. By May 2020, at least 85% of social
measured by pre- and post-testing.
science/history/business faculty integrate data use
in teaching.
Academic Programs
Five Year Objective
For Academic Year 2019-2020, increase the average success rate in redesigned
Associate Degree for Transfer courses for high-need students to at least 75%.
(Baseline: AY 2013-2014 = 68.8% All)
Institutional
Management
Five Year Objective
For 2019-2020, increase percent of first time full time high-need students who
are transfer ready within 150% of time to at least 30%.
(Baseline: 2010 cohort - 19% All; 13.5 Hispanic)
Fiscal Stability
Five Year Objective
By Fall 2020, reduce first entering high need student attrition by at least ten
percentage points.
(Baseline: F2013 to F2014 = 35%)
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AND
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The Cabrillo College Title V Activity is designed to meet key recommendations of the
California Success Initiative with the goal of “closing achievement gaps” – particularly for
Hispanic-Serving institutions. The California Community College Board of Governors Task
Force identified key actions, many of which will be required. The following are those to be
addressed by the Title V Activity: (1) students must develop an education plan; (2) education
planning tools—technology applications to better guide students—should be developed; (3)
students must declare a course of study by the time they complete 15 degree-applicable units or
their third semester; and, (4) close the achievement gaps for disadvantaged groups using both
student support and instructional strategies.
The following rationale for the implementation is organized by the two Activity foci,
followed by supporting studies and reports showcasing innovative interventions and systems
adopted by leading institutions in the U.S and by exemplary Hispanic Serving community
colleges. The Title V Program encourages applicants to choose interventions practiced at top
universities with the rationale that all Hispanic and low-income students should have equal
access to the best support systems, instructional strategies and resources.
Five Year Sequence Strategy: The strategy for the timeframe (year) in which new activities will
be developed and piloted is dictated by three considerations: (1) logistics, such as having the
infrastructure in place first; (2) personnel and resources costs keeping within the maximum
amount allowable each year; and, (3) designing and piloting individual interventions for specific
target groups in different years to ensure evidence-based correlations can be determined between
a specific isolated intervention and the related outcome.
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FOCUS: INDIVIDUALIZED, TECHNOLOGY-POWERED STUDENT SUPPORT
To facilitate optimal student support for thousands of high need, majority minority
commuter students at the Aptos and Watsonville campuses, a robust and powerful information
technology infrastructure must be in place. Building on steps already taken (new Datatel
Colleague system), the College will scale up the IT infrastructure so students have a robust Web
Portal with easy, navigable single-point and secure access to college information and processes.
The scaling up will require IT infrastructure upgrades and professional training for IT staff for
optimal utilization for new capacities. Developing the student Web Portal will occur in the first
year to support the subsequent years of implementing web-based student support combined with
student peer mentoring (coaching) for different target populations at the Aptos campus and
Watsonville Center.
After the IT infrastructure has been developed, a Student Support Specialist will direct
the implementation of the current Ellucian Student Planning module and student peer coaching
for different Hispanic and low-income student populations: (1) a pilot treatment group of
students participating in the College’s existing First Year Experience Learning Communities (atrisk, low-income students) at both campuses and (2) a pilot treatment group of first-generation
college Hispanics at both campuses. By Year Three, a new service will be added—student peer
coaching—for pilots of the Ellucian Student Planning module + individual mentoring for target
student groups.
The multiple small learning support centers at Aptos and Watsonville will have an area
converted to accommodate technology-enabled group activities with student peer coaches. The
peer coaches will be imbedded at the five centers (Tutoring, Math, STEM, Learning Resources
and Integrated Learning centers). For example, student peer coaches embedded in the STEM
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support center will focus on STEM education planning assisting students with using the Ellucian
Student Planning Module, “nudging” them to follow-through on their plans and seek College
support resources when needed. Services should be developed “to establish and nurture a
relationship between the student and the institution” (Burnett, D. J., 2002, Innovation in Student
Services: Planning for Models Blending High Touch/High Tech. Ann Arbor, MI: Society for
College and University Planning).
Studies and Reports Supporting Technologies for the Engaged Student
- Aspen Institute Winner, 2013, Walla Walla Community College, Washington, because of
focused efforts, reported 54 percent of full-time WWCC students graduate or transfer within
three years, compared to 40 percent of community college students nationally. The college
utilized multiple student support technologies by staff and faculty, including an online portal
with modules to guide student along each of the steps for degree completion. (Aspen Institute,
College Excellence Programs, 2013)
- At Century College (MN), their GPS LifePlan (Goals+Plans=Success) enables students to
“make intentional connections with the college and gives them tools for success.” An
independent evaluation found that with the integration of the GPS in student services, the fall to
fall persistence rate increased from 60% to 64% after just one year of implementation. (Matter of
Degrees, Promising Practices for Community Colleges, 2013)
- Based on the Lumina Foundation research and support for innovative practices for colleges
serving high need students, the following were considered forward-looking indicators: (1)
Multiple and accessible touch points/ease of access and use: The solutions “go where students
are,” using digital media and technologies that are already part of students’ lives, creating
multiple touch points for education and counseling, and offering simple, engaging and
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responsive user experiences. (2) Streamlined and efficient: The solutions improve the collection,
management, use and sharing/reporting of student data – thereby making the supports more
timely and personalized.” (Lumina Foundation website, accessed 2014)
- What Works Clearinghouse Research Study. The Bettinger and Baker intervention involved
coaches contacting students via phone, email, text messages and social networking sites over the
course of two semesters to identify strategies for overcoming barriers to academic success. Six
months after random assignment, 63% of students in the intervention group were still enrolled,
compared with 58% of those in the comparison group (Bettinger, E. P., & Baker, R., 2011, The
effects of student coaching in college: An evaluation of a randomized experiment in student
mentoring (Working Paper No. 16881) http://www.nber.org/papers/w16881.)
FOCUS: ENGAGED LEARNING STRATEGIES + HYBRID OPTION FOR TRANSFER CURRICULUM
The activity component to develop new instructional strategies is guided by best practices
to promote greater engagement between faculty and Hispanic and other low-income students.
The activities will focuses on developing and piloting “outside the box” learning options for
students in transfer courses. Led by the Activity Coordinator, learning redesigned as engaged and
hybrid aims to radically transform how, when and where learning occurs. Four traditionaldesigned classrooms will be converted to facilitate active/collaborative and technologyintegrated learning. The newly designed classroom spaces will have student seating to
accommodate group activities with shared computer viewing screens for total immersion in rich
multimedia content.
Since transformed learning begins with faculty, the traditional teaching center with paperbased resources and a conference table will be upgraded to accommodate an “instructional
design studio.” Faculty will have the necessary technology tools and training (incentives through
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stipends) to offer students more flexible, reduced seat-time options. A Faculty Instructional
Design Studio in the College’s Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) will be developed where
discipline-specific training, sharing and course redesign can occur for faculty. The Activity
Coordinator, with support from the College TLC Director, will develop and deliver training and
resources with an emphasis on engaging learning – including utilizing the Ellucian Course
Signals module and iClickers (classroom response) for monitoring individual student progress
and engagement during a course. Faculty will be trained to fully utilize Blackboard course
management capabilities for learner-to-learner and learner-to-instructor connections beyond class
time for the hybrid designed courses. Lead math (Year Two): science/social science (Year Three)
and humanities and business (Year Four) faculty will receive training and design stipends.
Transfer Courses Converted to Hybrid: The courses chosen to convert are those which will
enable students to complete the requirements for being transfer-ready and guaranteed
admission to California public four-year colleges and universities. This will allow students to
enroll in more courses and accelerate progress with reduced seat-time.
ASSOCIATE OF TRANSFER DEGREE COURSES FOR CONVERSION TO HYBRID FORMAT
Statistics
5
Business Law
Business Calculus
4
Introduction to Business
Math 2
3
Intro-Philosophy
Math 13
3
Physical, Geography
General Biology
4
Composition, Literature
Human Anatomy
4
World History I, II
Introduction to Earth Science
4
U.S. History I, II
Intro - macro,
3
Cultural Anthropology
Microeconomics
3
Intro – Political Science
Financial Accounting
4
Intro – Psychology
Managerial Accounting
4
Intro – Sociology
Business Information Systems
4
Contemporary Social Problems
Total: 24 courses
4
3
3
3
3/3
3/3
3
3
3
3
3
Studies and Reports Supporting Engaged Learning + Hybrid Option
New Learner Technologies and Effective Hybrid-Designed Transfer Curriculum- Learning
Management Systems (LMS), such as Moodle and Blackboard, extend learning beyond the
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classroom. According to the National Lone Star Report on Aligning Technology with Student
Success, “of more than 6,000 students polled across 36 campuses, 77 percent said grades
improved through web-based course material and online and hybrid classroom managing sites
like Moodle.” The Lone Star Community College system in Texas serves predominantly
Hispanic students. A key meta-analysis of blended learning, conducted by the US Department of
Education, found statistically significant success outcomes for students enrolled in hybrid
courses (U.S. Department of Education, Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy
Development, September 2010. Evaluation of evidence-based practices in online learning:
Washington, DC).
New Learning Space Designs - The University of Minnesota conducted a research study and
found that technology-enabled learning spaces had a positive impact on student success:
“Students in our new, technology-enhanced learning spaces exceeded final grade expectations
relative to their ACT scores, suggesting strongly that features of the spaces contributed
significantly to their learning” (Whiteside, Aimee L., et.al, 2011).
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a well-known leader in the transformation of teaching
and learning, identified active learning as a key ingredient to the success of its engineering
programs. To support active learning methods, they redesigned physical spaces and built multimedia environments with wireless capabilities.
- At Stanford University, the Wallenberg Hall Advanced Resource Classrooms are available to
faculty who want to experiment with new ways of teaching and learning in their subject areas.
The rooms are of different sizes, furniture is moveable, walls are covered in whiteboards, and
technology is abundant. Wallenberg Hall’s staff of teachers and technologists works
cooperatively with faculty to create new learning activities and the tools to support them.
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- North Carolina State University is one of more than 50 institutions that have adopted the
Student-Centered Active Learning Environment for Undergraduate Programs, or SCALE-UP,
which increases opportunities for highly interactive, collaborative, guided-inquiry-based
learning. In these learning spaces, students work in teams investigating and sharing work. Most
lectures are class-wide discussions in which the majority of time is spent in hands-on activities,
simulations, or answering questions and solving problems. Physical spaces are designed around
ubiquitous technology, whiteboards and laptops are assigned to each round table, and students
have the ability to project images and content to facilitate group interactions.
Faculty Support - Technology in business and social environments is driving a pedagogical shift.
Students have expectations of the role technology will play in their college experience. Yet,
institutions cannot expect faculty to increase their knowledge and use without the right tools and
training (Polly S. Owen and Ada Demb, "Change Dynamics and Leadership in Technology
Implementation," Journal of Higher Education, vol. 75, no. 6, November/December 2004, pp.
636–666 and Assessing Faculty’s Technology Needs, EDUCAUSE Quarterly, 2009).
Data Use to Drive Student Success - The Institute of Higher Education Policy
recommends using data “to drive completion and improvement efforts and to advance equity,
identifying at-risk students’ specific loss points along the degree pathway and effective
intervention programs” (Institute of Higher Education Policy, “Supporting Postsecondary
Student Success,” November, 2014). Supporting new and transformative learning infrastructures
powered by technology will enable faculty and program chairs to access and use individual
learner data (Ellucian Course Signals module and the College data dashboard) at the course and
academic program levels. The Activity Coordinator will facilitate training faculty to integrate the
Ellucian Course Signals in their courses. Course Signals is a Colleague module (purchased by
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the College) that automates tracking student progress during a course and sends “nudges” to
students in their classes, letting them know how they are doing. Course Signals, developed by
Purdue University, is designed to look for research-based indicators of a student being at risk of
not succeeding in a course.
The data-use scale-up component (data dashboard) will build on an early attempt to
develop a basic faculty inquiry system. A Data Specialist will further develop and test the data
dashboard capabilities and work with an external programmer to fine tune the data dashboard for
optimal capabilities. The Data Specialist will then develop web-based training tutorials and
schedule training for transfer curriculum faculty by discipline (Math - Year Two; Science/Social
Science - Year Three; Humanities - Year Four; and, Business - Year Five).
Studies and Reports for Engaged Teaching Using Learner Analytics/Data
Learning Analytics, NMC Horizon Report: 2013 Higher Education Edition and “The
Personalization of Higher Education: Using Technology to Enhance the College Experience,”
Center for American Progress (2013) describe the benefits of learning analytics – which simply
means being able to capture real-time learning data for each individual student. For example,
researchers have found that students’ class attendance is the best predictor of academic
performance (Pathways to Success, 2012; Crede, M., et al., June 2010, Class Attendance in
College: A Meta-Analytic Review… Review of Educational Research).
Helping faculty and staff monitor student academic progress is a leading practice to
promote academic success and persistence. Purdue University reported gains for student success
using Course Signals. Overall the Signals students received better final grades. The four-year
retention rate for the 2007 cohort of Purdue undergrads who used Signals at least once is 87.4
percent, versus 69.4 percent for those who did not—an impressive 18 percentage point
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difference. The spike in student retention, at 93 percent, was even higher for students who took
two or more Signals courses (Nudge Nation: A New Way to Prod Students Into and Through
College; American Institutes for Research, 2013).
Another research study found that students made aware of their academic difficulties are
more likely to successfully complete a course and persist over the long term (Bourdon, C. &
Carducci, R., 2002. What works in the community colleges; A synthesis of literature on best
practices. Los Angeles, CA: UCLA Graduate School of Education). The twelve Minority
Serving Institutions in the Models of Success study point to the following common principles for
promoting student success applicable to the Title V Activity. These model colleges include
Hispanic-Serving Institutions:
(1) Empower staff and faculty to gather data about students’ challenges and successes in order
to improve educational opportunities.
(2) Use the data to explain students’ paths to success to students and other stakeholders.
A white paper prepared for the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities July,
2012 (Lost Among the Data: A Review of Latino First Generation College Students) provided a
literature review of promising institutional practices specific to serving Hispanic college
students. In one study, 12 exemplary Hispanic Serving Institutions followed a set of guiding
practices “creating cultures of evidence, sharing data on Hispanic students with faculty staff and
students, using short-term measures of academic progress to guide improvements in curricula
instruction and support services, … using a holistic approach in serving Hispanic students, …
and applying lessons learned in improving services to Hispanics to improve services for all
students.” This exactly reflects the rationale for the proposed Cabrillo College Title V Activity.
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KEY ACTIVITY IMPLEMENTATION TASKS AND TIMEFRAME
Persons Responsible
Evidence - Task Completion
PROJECT YEAR ONE Fall (Oct. 1) 2015 - Fall (Sept. 30) 2016
Timeframe
- Develop IT infrastructure for web portal and new e-Services. – Develop data dashboard capabilities. -Train IT staff. – Develop Faculty Studio
Appoint Project Manager (PM); hire Activity
Coordinator (AC) and Data Specialist (DS)
[Begin search for new hires upon award
notification Summer 2015]
Develop SQL infrastructure; purchase server; build
Colleague Web Portal infrastructure and beta test
College President and
Human Resources
Office; PM
Contract specifying release time and duties for
PM and AC; appointment letters; resumes; job
descriptions
IT Director & staff; AC
Server installed by Dec. 2015
SQL & Portal infrastructure by Feb. 2016
Beta test March and again in July. 2016
Train IT staff for utilizing Microsoft Server, SQL,
IT Dir.; Colleague
13 training courses purchased by Feb 2016;
Visual Studio, Microsoft.NET
Technicians; IT staff
training completed by June 2016
Develop space for Faculty Design Studio at the
PM; AC; College
Light renovation completed by Feb., 2016;
Aptos Campus
Facilities Director
Equip/supplies installed by May 2016
Develop College data dashboard capabilities; betaData Specialist; Data
Beta test in April and again in the Summer 2016;
test; develop web tutorials/guide for faculty training
Programmer
DS to develop web tutorials for faculty training
(contractual)
by August 2016
PROJECT YEAR TWO: Fall (Oct. 1) 2016 - Fall (Sept. 30) 2017
10/15
12/15
10/15
7/16
1/16
6/16
1/16
5/16
11/15
8/16
- Develop/Pilot new e-Services using the College’s Ellucian Student Planning module Fall and Spring for the First Year Learning Communities cohort
at Aptos. -Train transfer math faculty in engaged learning strategies and hybrid design. -Train math faculty in data dashboard use and learning analytics
Hire Student Support Specialist (SS Specialist)
Develop and Pilot e-Services for the First Year (FY)
Experience Learning Communities cohort at Aptos
campus and track e-Services access for the cohort
AC attends EduCause conference; Data Specialist
attends data use conference
Develop materials and transfer math faculty
training schedule; award stipends; faculty design
hybrid courses
Human Resources
Office; PM
SS Specialist;
College FY LC Director
AC; Data Specialist
AC; College Teaching
and Learning (TL) Dir.
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Appointment letter; resume; job description
10/16
10/16
Cohort develops individual education plan using
Ellucian Student Planning by Jan. 2017; access to
e-Services via web portal tracked Fall, Spring and
Summer
Travel request approved by Nov. 2016; Attendees
submit report within 1 week
Stipend award/duties for lead faculty; training and
course redesign from Jan. to August 2017
10/16
8/17
10/16
5/17
1/17
8/17
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Train transfer math faculty in data dashboard use
Data Specialist
Training schedule/materials developed Fall 2016
and learning analytics integration (Course Signals)
and delivered Spring 2017.
PROJECT YEAR THREE: Fall (Oct. 1) 2017 - Fall (Sept. 30) 2018
10/16
5/17
- Develop new classroom resources. - Develop/Pilot new e-Services using the College’s Ellucian Student Planning module Fall and Spring for the First
Generation Hispanic cohort at Aptos. -Train transfer science and social science faculty in engaged learning strategies and hybrid design. -Train science
and social science faculty in data dashboard use and learning analytics. – Pilot transfer math hybrid courses.
Convert one classroom to accommodate
active/collaborative and technology-enabled
learning and create a technology-enabled group area
in one learning support center
Develop and Pilot new e-Services with student peer
coaches for First-Generation Hispanic cohort pilot
at Aptos campus
PM; AC;
Facilities Director
Develop materials and transfer science/social
science faculty training schedule; award stipends;
faculty design hybrid courses
AC attends EduCause conference; DS attends data
use conference
Pilot transfer math hybrid courses in Spring/
Summer 2018 after classroom redesigned Fall 2017
Train transfer science/social science faculty in data
dashboard use and learning analytics
AC; College Teaching
and Learning (TL) Dir.
SS Specialist
AC; Data Specialist
AC: Lead math faculty
Data Specialist
Light renovation (paint, carpet) completed by
Nov.1, 2017; Equip/supplies installed by
December 2017 for classroom and by Feb. 2018
for the learning support center
Cohort develops individual education plan using
Ellucian Student Planning by Jan. 2018; access to
e-Services via web portal tracked Fall, Spring and
Summer
Stipend award/duties for lead faculty; training and
course redesign from Jan. to August 2018
10/17
2/18
10/17
8/18
1/18
8/18
Travel request approved by Nov. 2017; Attendees
submit report within 1 week
Pilot Spring and Summer 2018; track success and
compare to baselines
Training schedule/materials developed Fall 2017
and delivered Spring 2018. (Course Signals)
10/17
5/18
1/18
8/18
10/17
5/18
PROJECT YEAR FOUR Fall (Oct. 1) 2018 - Fall (Sept. 30) 2019
- Develop new classroom resources. - Develop/Pilot new e-Services using the College’s Ellucian Student Planning module Fall and Spring for the First
Year Learning Communities cohort at Watsonville. -Train transfer humanities/business faculty in engaged learning strategies and hybrid design.
-Train humanities faculty in data dashboard use and learning analytics. – Pilot transfer science and social science hybrid courses.
Convert one classroom to accommodate
active/collaborative and technology-enabled
learning and create a technology-enabled group area
PM; AC;
Facilities Director
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Light renovation (paint, carpet) completed by
Nov.1, 2018; Equip/supplies installed by
December 2018 for classroom and by Feb. 2019
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in two more learning support centers; purchase
iClickers
Develop and Pilot new e-Services with student peer
coaches for First Year Learning Communities
cohort pilot at Watsonville Center
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for the learning support centers
SS Specialist
Cohort develops individual education plan using
Ellucian Student Planning by Jan. 2017; access to
e-Services via web portal tracked Fall, Spring and
Summer
Stipend award/duties for lead faculty; training and
course redesign from Jan. to August 2019
Develop materials and transfer humanities/business AC; College Teaching
faculty training schedule; award stipends; faculty
and Learning (TL) Dir.
redesign courses
Pilot transfer science/social science hybrid courses
AC: Lead math faculty
Pilot Spring and Summer 2019; track success and
in Spring/Summer 2019 after classroom redesigned
compare to baselines
in the Fall 2018
Train transfer humanities faculty in data dashboard
Data Specialist
Training schedule/materials developed and
and learner analytics (Course Signals)
delivered during Spring 2019.
PROJECT YEAR FIVE Fall (Oct. 1) 2019 - Fall (Sept. 30) 2020
10/18
8/19
1/18
8/19
1/19
8/19
1/19
6/19
- Develop new classroom resources. - Develop/Pilot new e-Services using the College’s Ellucian Student Planning module Fall and Spring for the First
Generation Hispanic cohort at Watsonville. -Train business faculty in data dashboard use and learning analytics.
– Pilot transfer humanities/social science/business hybrid courses.
Convert two more classroom to accommodate
active/collaborative and technology-enabled
learning and create a technology-enabled group area
in two more learning support centers
Pilot new e-Services with student peer coaches for
First Generation Hispanic cohort pilot at
Watsonville Center
PM; AC;
Facilities Director
AC attends EduCause conference; DS attends data
use conference
Pilot transfer humanities/business hybrid courses in
Spring/Summer 2020 after classroom redesigned in
the Fall 2019
Train business faculty in data dashboard integration
AC; DS
SS Specialist
AC: Lead math faculty
DS
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Light renovation (paint, carpet) completed by
Nov.1, 2019; Equip/supplies installed by
December 2019 for classroom and by Feb. for the
learning support centers
Cohort develops individual education plan using
Ellucian Student Planning by Jan. 20120; access
to e-Services via web portal tracked Fall, Spring
and Summer
Travel request approved by Nov. 2019; Attendees
submit report within 1 week
Pilot Spring and Summer 2020; track success and
compare to baselines
10/19
2/20
10/19
8/20
10/19
5/20
1/20
8/20
Training schedule/materials developed and
delivered during Spring 2020.
1/20
6/20
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4. KEY PERSONNEL
TITLE V PROJECT MANAGER
Dr. Rachel Mayo, Dean of Education Centers and Distance Education at Cabrillo
College, is proposed as the Title V Project Manager (.5 FTE/ 12 months). Dr. Mayo chaired the
Title V project planning committee. She has 25 years experience in budget and management,
supervising staff, and program evaluation and has an excellent, established rapport with faculty,
staff and administrators college-wide. Dr. Mayo holds a Ph.D. in Spanish Language (University
of Barcelona, Spain, 1984) and speaks Spanish fluently. She was Director of the Watsonville
Center (majority Hispanic) for seventeen years before the position was changed to Dean of
Education Centers in 2008. Her responsibilities now include oversight of the Distance Education
program and Professional Development at the College. She has previous experience directing a
federal education grant and participated in all trainings and conferences. She currently serves on
the Advisory Committee for the College Title III STEM grant.
Experience and Training Related to the Activity Objectives: The Activity objectives propose
increases in access to transfer programs via hybrid course options, academic success, persistence
and more rapid completion (transfer ready) for Hispanic and other low-income students.
Recently, Dr. Mayo served as the lead person for the College Accreditation Self-Study in 2013.
Thus, she is highly qualified to manage the project, possessing knowledge, skills and training
relevant to meeting project goals and objectives.
Time Commitment: Dr. Mayo will serve as Project Manager at .5 FTE. The College will cover
the cost of a replacement for 50% of her duties during the project period. The time commitment
is realistic since Dr. Mayo has substantial and successful experience managing federal higher
educations grants at the College and is already familiar with the proposed Title V Activity.
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TITLE V ACTIVITY COORDINATOR
A Title V Activity Coordinator (AC) will be a new hire at 1.0 FTE, 12 months. The
Activity Coordinator will be responsible for directing the day-to-day implementation of the Title
V Activity, reporting to the Project Manager. The AC will also lead the engaged learning
strategies and hybrid option for transfer courses development, working with transfer faculty.
Experience and Training Related to the Activity Objectives: The required qualifications are
(1) at least a master’s degree in education with training in instructional design and (2) at least
five years of experience in a community college setting as a program coordinator and/or faculty
development coordinator. A background similar to Hispanic and other low-income students and
English-Spanish bilingualism are strongly preferred. The Activity Coordinator must have prior
experience with cutting-edge learner technologies and work well with faculty.
Time Commitment: The time commitment of 1.0 FTE/12 months is realistic and necessary.
The Activity Coordinator will supervise two Activity staff: a Data Specialist (1.0 FTE/12
months) and a Student Support Specialist (1.0 FTE/12 months). The Activity Coordinator will
report to the Title V Project Manager and will have access to top administrators, including the
the College President.
OTHER PERSONNEL: The Student Support Specialist (Y2-5/1.0 FTE/12mos.) must have at least a
bachelor’s degree in computer technology, preferably at least three years of experience working
with Datatel ERP, to support developing and piloting new e-Services. The Data Specialist (Y15/1.0 FTE/12 mos.) must have at least a bachelor’s degree in a field related to institutional
research data systems and experience developing and providing data-use training. An
Administrative Assistant (Y1-5/.5 FTE/10 mos.) will assist with project management, requiring
an associate degree in business and at least two years of experience in administrative support.
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5. PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN
The Title V Project Manager will have full authority to manage the project, including
managing the budget, supervising and evaluating the Activity Coordinator and staff, coordinating
annual project evaluations and submitting annual reports to the USDE.
Organizational Lines of Authority: The Project Manager (PM) will report to and be evaluated
by the Vice President for Instruction, who has access to the President. The PM will also have
direct access to the President. The Activity Coordinator (AC) will report to the PM and have
access to the VP for Instruction and President. The Project Management Plan identifies key
actions, details (what/how) and timeframe (when) to ensure efficient and effective management.
TITLE V PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN
ACTIONS
MANAGEMENT DETAILS
TIMEFRAME
Project Policies
and Procedures
Manual
§ Project Manager (PM) develops and updates annually a
Policies and Procedures Manual, with standard operating
guidelines, policies and procedures, staff responsibilities
and lines of authority and required forms.
Within four
months of the
grant award
Title V Staff
Meetings
§ PM and Activity Coordinator (AC) have meetings to
review project implementation.
Weekly
§ AC conducts meetings with the Activity staff to review
progress and make adjustments to the implementation
plan as needed.
Weekly
Time/Effort
Reports
§ PM collects Activity staff signed time and effort reports
stating time commitments.
Monthly
Monthly
Activity Progress
Reports
§ AC collects Activity Progress Reports, with samples of
products generated, from project personnel and others
contributing to the project.
Logic Model
Review
§ AC produces formative reports with pilot data and
submits reports to the PM and staff and to the Evaluator
and VP for Instruction.
At least three
times each
project year
§ AC maintains/updates a project implementation
management table, tracking and reporting on whether
tasks have been completed and are on schedule.
Monthly
§ PM writes an annual summative report describing
implementation tasks accomplished, evaluations
conducted (data analysis) and evidence of Objectives
By Nov. 15
annually
Project
Evaluation
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Record Keeping
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being met guided by the logic model tables for the Activity
§ PM develops project evaluation implementation plan and
works with the external Evaluator to refine the plan
Prior to each
project year
§ PM coordinates project evaluations with the external
Evaluator.
Three points in a
project year
§ PM writes and submits Annual Performance Reports to
the USDE reporting on expenditures and objectives.
Annually and
ongoing
§ PM maintains records about project staff including
resumes, job descriptions, contracts, and performance
evaluations.
Quarterly
Updates
§ PM monitors all expenditures and works with Business
Office on monthly budget reconciliation and assures
regular drawdowns follow expenditure of funds.
Monthly
§ PM maintains equipment inventories documentation;
tagging equipment.
At least once a
year
Recruitment /
Hiring
•
PM and Human Resources Office document procedures
and policies followed for filling positions, including open
competition for vacancies and adherence to all required
affirmative action policies.
During hiring
process
Title V
Information
Reports to
President
•
PM and AC highlight project activities and outcomes in a
newsletter posted on the College web site.
Twice a year
§ PM reports on the Title V activities and outcomes to the
President and College Planning Council and to other
stakeholders such as college committees as appropriate.
Twice a year
6. EVALUATION PLAN
Cabrillo College is committed to a robust evaluation process, involving the expertise of
the College Planning and Research Office (PRO) staff, who have experience developing
databases to collect and analyze outcomes for similar USDE projects. The Project Manager will
be responsible for facilitating the evaluation plan under the guidance of the PRO office and in
consultation with an external evaluator. The evaluation plan is based on the model recommended
by the National Science Foundation Evaluation Handbook for evaluating educational projects.
DATA ANALYSIS: The primary types of quantitative data [ratios/numbers] are pilot outcomes
compared to baselines and proposed targets, pre- and post-testing outcomes and faculty, staff and
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student survey/assessment data. Another type of data is qualitative [verbal data] which are
collected via interviews, focus groups and observations. (Source: Overview of Quantitative and
Qualitative Data: National Science Foundation Evaluation Handbook.)
Quantitative Research Methods: The Activity components for pilots of e-Services and engaged
and hybrid designed transfer courses have annual student success and persistence outcomes.
Objectives for e-Services pilots measure first year to second year persistence rates compared to
institutional baseline rates for the same pilot period. Objectives for new instructional strategies +
hybrid course redesign pilots measure course success rates compared to 2013-2014 baselines
(presented in the CDP analysis section).
The Project Manager with the Activity Coordinator and Student Support Specialist will
develop survey instruments and focus group questions (reviewed by the Evaluator) a month prior
to administering; results will be compiled within two weeks.
- Multiple Regression Analysis (a.k.a., Multivariate Analysis): An appropriate method is multiple
regression analysis which involves computing correlations between student outcome variables
(e.g., student persistence or academic performance) and two other types of variables: (a) students
input variables (e.g., entering students’ demographic characteristics) and (b) college experience
variables (e.g., student participation in a particular interventions – such as new e-Services as a
result of scaled-up IT infrastructure and student peer coaching for specific target populations and
new learning strategies and classroom resources).
- Pre-Test/Post-Test Design: The Project Objectives propose increased competencies among
faculty trained in data-use and integrating learner analytics in teaching. The applicable research
design will involve administering an assessment instrument to faculty participants prior to
training, which is used as a baseline (pre-test) against which post-test results can be compared.
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Qualitative Research Methods: Focus groups and interviews are the common qualitative
methods and when examined along with quantitative methods will provide a well-rounded
assessment of the research problem. Faculty, staff and students participating in the development
and piloting of the project activities will be the sources.
Formative Evaluations (using the logic model) will allow the project personnel to determine
whether implementation of the activities and services are yielding anticipated outcomes and
whether modifications are needed. The Activity Coordinator will produce formative reports with
assistance from the project staff at three points in each project year. The reports will be
submitted to the Project Manager, the VP of Instruction and the Evaluator. Recommendations
will be reviewed by the Project staff and actions initiated as needed.
Summative Evaluations will report final outcomes on all Objectives and Performance
Indicators as well as assessments of effective implementation of the Activity tasks for the entire
project year. The Project Manager will produce annual summative reports and submit to the VP
of Instruction and the Evaluator. Recommendations will be reviewed by the Project staff and
actions initiated as needed.
External Evaluator: Educational and Nonprofit Resources (ENR), with over ten years of
experience specializing in higher education project evaluations, has evaluated similar federal
higher education projects with a focus on Hispanic and low-income student success at the
College. ENR assisted the College in developing the project evaluation plan and logic models,
identifying appropriate research methods and data elements. The Evaluator will conduct three
formative evaluations and one summative evaluation each project year and provide consultation
for implementing and refining the evaluation plan, including reviewing data collection and
analysis procedures and guiding the project in using appropriate evaluation instruments.
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FOCUS: Engaged Learning Strategies + Hybrid Option for Transfer Curriculum. Objectives Y2-5: trained faculty (math/science/social
science/humanities/business) increase competencies measured by pre- and post-testing. Objectives Y3-5: number of hybrid transfer course options
increase; pilot course success rate increases by five percentage points over 2013-2014 baselines (math/science/humanities/social science/business).
Mid-Term Outcomes: 70% of hybrid pilot student make satisfactory progress; 90% of faculty increase knowledge of new learning strategies; by midspring term, 75% of targeted courses are designed as hybrid. Five Year Obj. for 2019-2020, increase average transfer course success to 75%.
Evaluation Questions
Indicators-Evidence
1. Did access to hybrid option for
# pilot courses & students
transfer courses increase?
% pilot students succeeding
2. Did the success rate for transfer by mid-term (Hispanic and
courses as engaged and hybrid
All)
increase?
% pilot student succeeding
3. Did faculty increase knowledge end of term (Hispanic & All)
of engaging learning strategies?
#/% syllabi reflecting hybrid
4. Did faculty increase knowledge option
of data use?
#/% faculty achieving
5. Did faculty successfully
competencies in dashboard
integrate learner analytics in
use pre/post test results
transfer courses (Course Signals)
#/% faculty integrating learner
6. Were faculty and students
analytics in teaching
satisfied with hybrid designed
courses?
How will the data be analyzed?
Quantitative: Number and percent of students successfully
completing pilot courses compared to baselines; multiple regression
analysis and student variables to determine correlation between
new strategies and course success; pre-post (faculty) results
compared to determine increase in data-use competencies.
Likert scale satisfaction survey results.
Qualitative: Student focus groups results to determine perception
of effectiveness of new learning experience (learner technologies
and spaces) annually.
Timing
Data Collection and Results
List of pilot courses and
Data Specialist sets up database to track
roster collected after the 6th
pilot courses outcomes (mid-term/end of
week each semester
term) for all and Hispanic students
Course syllabi collected
Course outcomes data and collected by
beginning of each semester
Activity Coordinator at the end of each
Grade reports mid-term &
pilot semester (compiled by PRO and Data
end of the semester
Specialist)
Surveys and focus group
Pre-Post Training data measuring
questions
increased faculty competencies in data designed/administered end
use
of the pilot semester; results
Survey results (compiled by PRO and Data
within 2 weeks
Specialist) developed/collected by AC
faculty pre/post
Comparison data (baselines)
competency testing before
Satisfaction surveys and focus group
and after training
results analyzed by Data Specialist.
What Outcomes Reports Will Be Produced and To Whom?
Formative: Act. Coord. produces formative reports on pilot student success and
student and faculty satisfaction surveys (three points in a project year).
Evaluator delivers three formative reports each year.
Summative Reports: Proj. Mgr. produces annual reports: Project Year Goals &
Objectives; Faculty Training Outcomes; Pilot Student Course Success;
Associate Degree for Transfer Enrollment Report and submits to VP of
Instruction and Evaluator.
Project Evaluator delivers a summative report each year.
To Whom: Project Manager; Dept. Chairs; VP Instruction; Project Evaluator.
Annual reports to College President and USDE and Evaluator.
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FOCUS: Individualized, Technology-Powered. Objectives: Y1: 95% IT infrastructure meets industry standards. Y2-Y5: e-Services for different student
pilot groups (Aptos and Watsonville) persistence is five percentage pts. higher than baseline. Mid-Term Outcomes: 90% of pilot students create an
individual education plan; 75% of first year pilot students return the second year. Five Year Obj.: By Fall 2020, at least 30% of first-time/full-time
student are transfer-ready and student attrition is reduced by at least ten percentage points.
Evaluation Questions
1. Did Web Portal more
effectively support student
engagement and persistence?
2. Was there a correlation between
new e-Services and pilot student
persistence?
3. Was there a correlation between
peer coaching and pilot student
persistence?
4. Did the number of high-need
students who created an education
plan increase?
4. Were students and staff
satisfied with the new e-Services
and peer coaching?
Indicators-Evidence
#/% students in e-Services
pilots
# contacts and hrs. with peer
coaches
#/% pilot group Hispanic and
All developing an education
plan (using the Ellucian
module)
#/% pilot group Hispanic &
All students persisting first
year to second year
#/% transfer ready w/in 150%
of time
% students satisfied with eServices and new resources in
the learning support centers
How will the data be analyzed?
Quantitative: Number and percentage of pilot students accessing
new e-Services who persist or transfer. Multiple regression analysis
and student variables to determine correlation between
interventions and persistence. Number of pilot students indicating
satisfaction with new e-Services and peer coaching using a Likert
Scale.
Qualitative: Student focus groups results to determine
effectiveness of new e-Services + coaching annually
Timing
Collect student persistence
data for different e-Services
pilot groups and
institutional persistence
data each year
Log of contact hours for
peer coaching collected mid
and end of semester
Surveys administered after
each pilot; focus group
conducted annually
IT infrastructure assessment
annually
Conduct surveys after each
pilot
Conduct focus group
annually
Data Collection and Analysis
Pilot student group data collected at the
end of each pilot semester
Outcomes data compared to baselines
using multiple regression method to
determine correlation between intervention
and persistence for All and Hispanics
Survey results (compiled by Data
Specialist) for All and Hispanics
Analyze frequency of use of new services
and resources (student peer coaching)
correlated to persistence and transfer ready
within 150% of time for All and Hispanics
Cost benefit analysis for interventions and
IT upgrades correlated to revenue gained
with reduced first to second year attrition.
What Outcomes Reports Will Be Produced and To Whom?
Formative Reports: Activity Coordinator and Student Support Specialist
produce formative reports three times a year on e-Services + coaching in the
learning support centers. Evaluator delivers three formative reports each year.
Summative Reports: Proj. Mgr. produces annual reports: e-Services Pilot
Outcomes Report; Success Coaching Outcomes Report [correlation between
student persistence and interventions]
To Whom: PM; VP of Instruction; IT Director; Project Evaluator
Annual reports to President and USDE and Project Evaluator.
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7. BUDGET
Funds requested are reasonable and necessary to manage and implement the project.
Personnel: A Project Manager (.5 FTE Y1-5), an Activity Coordinator (1.0 FTE Y1-5), a Data
Specialist (1.0 FTE Y1-5), a Student Support Specialist (1.0 FTE Y2-5) and an Administrative
Assistant (1.0 FTE Y1-5) are necessary for project management and for implementing the
Activity components. The College will absorb a percentage of the salary and fringe for the
Student Support Specialist and the Data Specialist beginning in Y3. These positions will be
retained to support continuation of improvements post-grant. Salaries and fringe are
commensurate with those for similar College positions. [See Budget Detail Narrative table.]
Travel: [Staff Professional Development to support transfer course improvements and data use]
The Project Director will attend the USDE Project Directors’ Meeting (paid by the College Y15). The Activity Coordinator will attend the EduCause (technology-integrated teaching)
conference Y 2-5. EduCause costs including taxes and fees are $850 flight, 4 nights $225 =
$900, meals $35 x 5 days =$175, $500 conference fee). The Data Specialist will attend the data
use conference Y2-5; costs are registration $300, $334 flight (CA), 2 nights @ 160= $320.
Equipment: [IT Infrastructure and e-Services Technologies] Cisco UCS Server blades are
needed for the SQL database and the Ellucian Colleague Portal. A $20,000 server blade Y1 will
accommodate five SQL servers.
Supplies: Costs per single unit breakdowns may be found in the Budget Detail Narrative.
(1) A Faculty Design Studio [faculty training and course hybrid design] equipped Y1, will have
one group area seating 16 and another team table that seats six. Both groups will have a 40-inch
flat screen monitor with tilt mount, a computer and monitor and a 4’x4’ white board. Total
Faculty Design Studio = $21,003.
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(2) New Active/Collaborative Learning Spaces [Engaged learning strategies] - Four classrooms
will be redesigned for active/collaborative learning for six groups of six students. Each group
will have a table for six with task chairs, six virtualized computers, 40” flat screen viewing
monitor with mount, and whiteboard. Each classroom will have a “smart cart” (cart with Elmo
document camera, Dell small form computer and 20” monitor, and speakers), a projector with
mount, screen and mount, and two 4’x4’ white boards. Total = $31,683 for each classroom.
iClicker2 systems: 40 units. Total = $5,280 for four classrooms.
(3) Learning Support Centers [e-Services + student peer coaching]: Five learning support centers
at Aptos and Watsonville campuses (Tutoring, Math, STEM, Learning Resources and Integrated
Learning centers) will be equipped with an interactive room for six students, to include a team
table, task chairs, a Dell small form computer and 20” monitor, a large 40’inch flat screen
viewing monitor with mount, and a 4’x4’white board. Total = $3,920 per learning support center.
Contractual: SQL and portal development and training: [IT Infrastructure for new eServices] Funds are requested Y1 to build the SQL infrastructure necessary to support the
integration of data for the Ellucian Colleague Portal (200 hrs. x $250/hr. for Colleague experts =
$50,000 and 100 hrs. x $150/hr. for local experts = $15,000). Total = $65,000. Funds are
requested in Y1 and Y2 for the next stage to build the Ellucian Colleague Portal infrastructure
(150 hrs. x $150/hr.). Total = $22,500. Funds are requested for Cabrillo College IT staff to take
courses in SQL applications to develop their current skill set and successfully implement the
portal. Each of the courses costs $3,500: three staff will take Microsoft Server, three will take
Microsoft SQL, three will take Colleague Visual Studio, and four will take Microsoft.NET. for a
total of $45,500. One staff person will take Colleague Visual Studio and four staff will take
Sharepoint for a total of $17,500.
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Faculty Data Dashboard: [faculty data use training] To beta-test and troubleshoot problems for
the data dashboard training and pilots will require 36 hours of an external programmer’s time at
$150/hr. or $5,400 each year in Y2-4. College will pay Y1 costs.
Installation of Smart Technology: Faculty Design Studio: 10% of the cost of equipment
($2,100) for assembly and setup in Y1. Active/Collaborative Classrooms: Installation and
assembly fees include $6,881 for the speakers, projector, and wiring; and, 10% of the cost of
tables and chairs, for a total of $7,487 for each classroom. Funds are requested for installation for
three Learning Centers for a total of $2,500. [College pays for installation for two other Centers.]
External Evaluation - Educational and Nonprofit Resources (ENR) will be paid a fee of $10,000
for ongoing annual services [125 hrs. equivalent x $80 per hr.] (1) developing a robust evaluation
implementation plan with timetables to collect and analyze project outcomes data; (2) conducting
evaluation conferences with Project Manager at least three times a year for review of project
management and project outcomes reports and documents; and, (3) annually delivering three
formative reports and one summative written report.
Construction/Renovation: Light upgrades will cover the cost of painting the walls and installing
new carpet for the Faculty Design Studio in Y1 ($3,500); one classroom Y3 ($2,000); two
classrooms Y4 ($4,000); and, one classroom ($2,000) in the Y5 prior to installing new resources.
OTHER: Faculty Stipends: Lead faculty (4 in Y2 for math faculty, 7 in Y3 for science/social
science faculty and 16 in Y4 for humanities/business faculty) will be awarded a $1,650 stipend
for training and course hybrid design. Student Peer Coaches: Students trained as peer coaches
will provide mentoring in the learning support centers ($13.25/hr., the current rate x 16 hrs. per
week x 15 weeks = $3,180 per student coach). The coaching activities will be scaled up each
year (Y3-4; Y4-6; Y5-8).
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8. QUALITY
OF
PROJECT DESIGN
Cabrillo College has developed a “logic model” for the Project Design to demonstrate
strong theory of action. The logic model is based on The National Center for Education
Evaluation recommended logic model and has four components: Resources—key inputs to the
program; Activities—key aspects of implementation; Outputs—key observeable products of the
completed activities; and, Outcomes, short-, mid-, and long-term—key effects or impacts within
various timeframes (Lawton, B., Brandon, P.R., Cicchinelli, L., & Kekahio, W. (2014). Logic
models: A tool for designing and monitoring program evaluations. National Center for
Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance)
The logic model also assumes these framing questions for project design effectiveness:
•
To what degree were the program resources sufficient to implement the program effectively?
•
To what degree were the program activities conducted as intended?
•
To what degree were the expected program outputs realized?
•
To what degree did the program achieve its short-, mid-, and long-term outcomes?
The Title V Activity has two foci: (1) Individualized, Technology-Powered Student
Support and (2) Engaged Learning Strategies + Hybrid Option for Transfer Curriculum.
A logic model table has been developed for the design components of providing a web portal and
increasing IT capabilities for supporting optimal use of the Ellucian Student Planning module
supplemented with peer student coaching. A second logic model table has been developed for the
design components of adopting engaging learning strategies and using data to drive student
success. A third logic model table has been developed for converting traditional transfer courses
to hybrid to reduce time to completions (transfer-ready). Note: Detailed activities and outputs
are presented in the Implementation Rationale section timetables.
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1. Individualized, Technology-Powered Student Support
R e so u rc e s
A c tiv itie s
O u tp u ts
S h o rt-T e rm
O u tc o m e s
M id -T e rm
O u tc o m e s
Research-Based
individualized,
technology
powered student
support
Develop new eServices + peer
coaching
# training
modules
developed
# peer coaches
trained
Increase
ability to
individualize
student
support
Increase
adoption of
new student
support
services
Activity
Coordinator;
Student Support
Specialist;
Peer Student
Coaches
Pilot coaching
activities +
Student
Planning
module w/ first
year and first
generation
high-need
students in the
Associate
Transfer
Degree
program
# students
coached
# high-need
students
develop a
transfer track
plan
# high-need
students easily
access critical
college
information
Increase highneed student
access to
individualized
and
accessible
support
services
Increase
high-need
student
confidence in
ability to
persist in
college
Web Portal eServices;
Student
Planning
Module; Hightech resources
for coaching
L o n g -T e rm
O u tc o m e
Increase first
year to second
year
persistence for
high-need
students in the
Associate
Transfer
Degree
program
2. Engaged Learning Strategies and Data Use for Transfer Courses
R e so u rc e s
A c tiv itie s
O u tp u ts
Research-Based
curriculum for
engaged learning
strategies and
data use
Provide training
in new learning
strategies and
data use
# training
materials
developed
# faculty
participants
Activity
Coordinator;
Lead Faculty;
Data Analyst
Redesigned
classrooms
w/tech.
resources;
Faculty Studio;
Course Signals
Module ; Data
Dashboard
Redesign
transfer courses
as active and
collaborative
with new learner
technologies
Integrate use of
Course Signals
and Data
Dashboard in
teaching
# transfer
courses
redesigned as
active &
collaborative
# transfer
courses
integrate
Course
Signals and
data use
# ready to
pilot each
semester
S h o rt-T e rm
O u tc o m e s
Increase
faculty
knowledge of
leading
practices
Increase
learner
options for
active and
collaborative
learning
Increase
access to
engaging
classroom
technologies
CABRILLO COLLEGE
M id -T e rm
O u tc o m e s
Increase
program
adoption of
new
strategies and
technology
Increase
frequency of
high-need
student
formative
assessments
to drive
student
success
during a
course
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O u tc o m e
Increase
academic
course
success for
students in
transfer
courses
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3. Hybrid Option for Transfer Curriculum
R e so u rc e s
A c tiv itie s
O u tp u ts
S h o rt-T e rm
O u tc o m e s
M id -T e rm
O u tc o m e s
Research-Based
conversion of
courses to
hybrid modality
Provide training
in quality
hybrid course
design
Activity
Coordinator;
Lead Faculty
Redesign
traditional
courses as
hybrid
(part seat
time/part
online) for the
Associate
Transfer Degree
program
# training
materials
developed
# faculty
participants
# courses
redesigned as
hybrid for
math,
science,
humanities,
social science
and business
# ready to
pilot each
semester
Increase
faculty
knowledge of
quality hybrid
design
Increase
access to
transfer
courses with
reduced seat
time
Increase
adoption of a
hybrid
transfer
curriculum
Increase
number of
students who
are able to
enroll in
more courses
because of
reduced seat
time in
hybrid
designed
courses
Blackboard
Course
Management;
Faculty Design
Studio
L o n g -T e rm
O u tc o m e s
1. Increase
number of
quality hybrid
transfer
courses
2. Increase
transfer track
student
progress
toward
completion
(transferready)
ABSOLUTE PRIORITY
Cabrillo College high-need students come from high minority public schools (54.8
percent Hispanic); they are academically unprepared and at risk of failure (48.9 percent); and
they live in poverty (43 percent) [Santa Cruz Community Project Report, 2013]. The Project is
designed to increase timely completion of transfer credits for guaranteed admission to any fouryear institution in the California State University (CSU) system. The Associate Degree for
Transfer includes 19 Cabrillo College associate degree programs of study. The Project Activity
has two foci supporting timely completion (transfer-ready) for high need students: (1) Associate
Degree for Transfer courses designed to accelerate progress (reduced seat time via hybrid option)
and (2) individualized, technology-powered student support (mentoring + planning tools via a
one-stop web portal) to promote increased transfer course success and timely completion of
Associate Degree for Transfer credit courses.
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COMPETITIVE PREFERENCE PRIORITY 1
INDIVIDUALIZED, TECHNOLOGY-POWERED STUDENT SUPPORT (MENTORING)
This Activity focus addressing this priority recognizes how important college knowledge
and college connections are for first year and first-generation students who are Hispanic and live
in poverty. Peer student coaching (mentoring) wherein coaches are imbedded at the five student
support centers at the Aptos campus and the Watsonville Center will provide individualized
personal support. Students who come to the support center are unprepared, uninformed and
struggle with succeeding in college. This is the perfect opportunity and place to supplement
tutoring with mentoring support.
Since, the challenge for Cabrillo College is to develop a culture of academic success and
college completion, peer student coaches will meet with students to develop an Associate
Transfer Degree plan utilizing the Colleague Student Planning Module.
•
Students can load sample course plans with a click of a button
•
Plans include co-requisite and pre-requisite warning messages so students can make
informed decisions when modifying the plan
•
Courses in sample plans can be moved to a future term or removed from the plan based on
students’ needs
•
Degree plans can be reviewed, modified, and archived
•
Students and advisors can view the unofficial transcript and test scores
•
Students can view the planned status of each course when searching the course catalog (i.e.,
whether they’ve already planned or registered for a given course)
The Student Support Specialist will design the process, select and train coaches and
monitor the progress of high-need students on a transfer track. Cabrillo College is one of the
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California community colleges whose associate of arts and associate of science program credits
(60 credits) will be transferrable to any California State University and will go toward a
bachelor’s degree (60 more credits). For high-need students (from high minority public schools),
this opportunity is missed unless they stay on the transfer track (succeed in the courses and
persist).
The peer student coaching addresses non-cognitive issues of lack of confidence in
succeeding and not feeling they belong in college as well as support for those at-risk of failing a
transfer course. A young Hispanic high school graduate working in the strawberry fields in the
Parajo Valley has parents who probably speak minimal English and never attended college. A
nudge from a peer or a college support staff person can be life changing. Furthermore, peer
coaches can encourage part-time students to enroll full-time, directing them to financial
resources and other information about the benefits of timely completion. The goal is to move
students more rapidly through transfer program completion.
The peer coaches will use a combination of face-to-face interactions supplemented by
other channels of communication and constant contact as described in the Bettinger and Baker
study. “Coaches assess students’ lives inside and outside of school and help them overcome
barriers to academic success. They contact their students regularly and, when possible, use
information on students’ performance and participation in class to inform their discussions.”
(What Works Clearinghouse, August 2012 review describing the intervention.)
Feelings of isolation are more pronounced for low-income and first-generation
students, and can often lead to stress and anxiety in academic settings. Because these groups
spend less time on campus and tend to work off-campus, building relationships with faculty
inside and outside the classroom is important ( Engle, J. and Tinto, V. 2008. Moving Beyond
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Access: College Success for Low-Income, First Generation Students. Washington, D.C: The Pell
Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education).
To facilitate the technology-powered aspect of individualized support requires
developing a student web portal to make student information more accessible. The California
Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office requested WestEd and the RP Group (January 15,
2012) to research interventions that improved persistence and completion. The following online
portal improvements correlated to student success were cited in this study. A web portal in itself
does not improve student success but rather can more effectively facilitate success when
combined with planning tools and face-to-face and online contact with the college community:
Valencia College in Florida implemented LifeMap that incorporates an integrated online portal.
Through a single log-in interface, students can access more than a dozen computer-based
applications, including education and career planning tools, course management tools, and online
learning communities and groups. As a result of these initiatives, first-time students’ fall-to-fall
persistence rates have increased from 58.5 percent in 2001–02 to 67 percent in 2007–2008.
Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, North Carolina, developed an Online
Student Portal Learning System (OSPLS) that provides links to college counselors and
instructors and allows them to send early alerts if students are having trouble in class. Data are
kept and tracked by semester. Overall, Central Piedmont Community College found that students
participating in all aspects of OSPLS were 8.7 percent more likely to complete the courses in
which they were enrolled and 9.36 percent more likely to persist from spring to the subsequent
fall semester. Students’ first-term retention rate reached 87 percent, which was considerably
higher than the campus’s overall historical retention rate of 60–70 percent. The college is now
training other colleges to replicate this program.
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COMPETITIVE PREFERENCE PRIORITY 2
The second focus of the Title V Project Activity is Engaging Learning Strategies +
Optional Hybrid Transfer Curriculum. This focus addresses the priority for increasing access to
transfer courses in the hybrid format, reducing seat time for students and costs for institution –
yet designed as high quality to ensure course success. The courses targeted for engaged, hybrid
design are for the Associate Degree for Transfer articulated with the California State University
system. Students in the program will know at the beginning that all credits earned in the degree
program will be 100% transferable – meaning 60 of the 120 required credits will be completed.
Unfortunately, this 60 + 60 completion formula does not work at all four-year institutions in CA.
Consequently, transfer students may arrive at a the four-year institution and learn that they must
take additional courses, delaying their progress to completion. Another advantage of the program
is guaranteed admission into any CSU institution. See details about how the programs works:
Associate Degree for Transfer Program Advantage – Time-Saving Transparency
• Creates an Associate Degree for Transfer that guarantees admission with junior standing to the
California State University system.
• Defines this associate degree as having 60 transferrable units that include a minimum of 18
units in a major or area of emphasis and an approved general education curriculum.
• Provides priority admission consideration to a local California State University campus and to a
program or major that is similar to the major or area of emphasis at the community college.
• Prohibits the California State University from requiring students to repeat courses that are
similar to those completed at the community college as part of the Associate Degree for Transfer.
• Prohibits the California State University from requiring students to take more than 60 units to
complete a 120-unit baccalaureate degree.
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• Reduces the need to take unnecessary courses, thereby shortening time to degree completion
and reducing your costs at the community college and California State University.
• Eliminates confusion caused by different and shifting major preparation requirements that can
vary by each California State University campus.
• Even if students do not complete or have to delay finishing a bachelor’s degree, the student will
still have an associate degree.
Thus, the Project Activity taps into this opportunity to direct more high-need students to
the Associate Degree for Transfer program combined with designing transfer courses as hybrid
to facilitate reduced seat time so they are able to enroll full-time for more rapid advancement to
being transfer-ready. But more than reduced seat time and opportunities for enrolling in more
courses is developing engaged hybrid courses designed for active/collaborative learning in the
classroom and interactive learning online to promote increased academic success.
Cost advantages as well as increased or at least comparable course success with
traditional instruction has been noted in the research literature as well. The National Center for
Academic Transformation (Carol Twigg, 2012) reports gains in student success and reductions in
costs, citing a Hispanic Serving Institution among many other examples: “With an
undergraduate minority student population of approximately 46.4%, the University of New
Mexico leads the nation's research universities in student diversity. Prior to redesign, 41% of
traditional psychology students received a C– or below. This percentage was reduced to 23%
after redesign. In addition, the institutions cost for the course was reduced from $161,184 to
$82,340, a 49% reduction.” The University of Central Florida, struggling with classroom
capacity issues, “redesigned its political science course by delivering parts via the Web as a
substitute for face-to-face classroom instruction. Two or three courses can now be scheduled in
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the same classroom where only one could be scheduled before. At the same time, online students
outperformed traditional students on a content exam, and course retention increased by 7%”
(Twigg, NCAT, 2012).
A random assigned study, found cost savings of hybrid instruction compared to
traditional instruction: “estimate savings in compensation costs for the hybrid model ranging
from 36 percent to 57 percent compared to the all-section traditional model, and 19 percent
compared to the lecture-section model” (Online Learning in Higher Education, EducationNext,
Randomized trial compares hybrid learning to traditional course, Spring 2013).
The Columbia University Community College Research Center has conducted over nine
studies on the effectiveness of online instruction and found higher attrition and failure in online
courses compared to hybrid courses. Struggling students are more likely to succeed with a
combination of on campus and online learning experiences (“Online and Hybrid Course
Enrollment and Performance in Washington State Community and Technical Colleges,” Di Xu
& Shanna Smith Jaggars, 2011).
To ensure success, the web-based component of the hybrid courses will be supported by
student progress monitoring with Course Signals technology. According to research conducted
by Purdue University, the Signals interventions have resulted in better retention rates. In spring
2010, students in courses using Signals scored up to 26.45 percent more A or B grades
(depending on the class), up to 12.65 percent fewer C's, and up to 17.27 percent fewer D's and
F's than students not using the system. Over the course of the semester, 55 percent of high-risk
students pulled into the moderate-risk group (earning a C grade), while 24.4 percent actually
pulled into the green group (achieving an A or B).” Source; 2011 Campus Technology
Innovators | Teaching and Learning, campustechnology.com
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