Title III Framework
North Seattle Community College
Revised: March 3, 2008
B.
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Activity Objectives
1. Activity Objectives Realistic and Measurable:
Promoting Student Retention and Progression at NSCC
The activity, Promoting Student Retention and Progression at NSCC, is a comprehensive initiative
designed to improve the long-term success of the institution by increasing the retention, progression
and by extension, long-term success of its students. The activity supports multiple inter-related
strategies all of which draw on evidence-based best practices. Highlights of the five-year project
include  Instituting a series of required college-success workshops for incoming first-quarter students.
 Establishing a credit-bearing open-entry computer and language lab for Basic Skills students.
 Developing course-specific “tutoring tool-kits” to ensure reinforcement of crucial concepts and
skills in key gateway and developmental-level pipeline courses.
 Instituting Supplemental Instruction in key gateway and developmental-level pipeline courses.
 Integrating student support services (e.g. study skill and/or note-taking seminars, stressmanagement workshops, career and educational planning exercises, etc.) into the core
curriculum of key gateway and developmental-level pipeline courses.
 Changing instructional practice and/or modifying existing curricula to improve alignment
across critical student transition points.
 Piloting the use of an academic early-alert system in key gateway and developmental-level
pipeline courses.
 Focusing staff professional development throughout the institution on promoting student
retention and progression.
 Offering extensive faculty professional development on instructional best practices known to
positively impact student retention and progression.
Major Measurable Objectives
YEAR ONE
Expected Outcomes/Indicators
1. First to second quarter re-enrollment of degree seeking students will increase by 10
points from 50% to 60%.(add baseline language and dates) WILL THIS BE 2 POINTS
PER YEAR OVER 5 YEARS OR WILL IT SKIP YEAR ONE AND BE 2.5 PER YEAR
OVER 4 YEARS?
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Title III Framework
North Seattle Community College
Revised: March 3, 2008
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2. “Early Exiter1” percentages will decrease by 10 points from 41% to 31%. (add baseline
language and dates) HOW DO WE MEASURE THIS ANNUALLY SINCE IT TAKES 3
YEARS TO GET THE DATAPOINT?
3. The percentage of students progressing from basic skills to college-level course work will
increase by: (add baseline language and dates)
 ESL rate will increase from 5% to 15 % (2 % POINTS PER YEAR OVER 5 EYARS)
1. ABE rate will increase from 20% to 30% (2% POINTS PER YEAR OVER 5 YEARS)
4. Passing rates in developmental-level math courses will increase along with
developmental-level student success rates in ‘next step’ college-level courses. Math
developmental-level pass will increase from (A) 64% to 74% and corresponding collegelevel failure rates will be reduced from (B) 23% to 18%. (add baseline language and
dates) (A) 2 POINTS PER YEAR OVER 5 YEARS (B) ONE POINT PER YEAR OVER 5
YEARS
5. Passing rates in developmental level English courses will increase along with
developmental-level student success rates in ‘next step’ college-level courses. English
developmental-level pass rates will increase from (A) 77% to 82% and corresponding
college-level failure rates will be reduced from (B) 19% to 16.5%.(add baseline language
and dates) (A) 1 POINTS PER YEAR OVER 5 YEARS (B) HALF POINT PER YEAR
OVER 5 YEARS (2.5% CHANGE TOTAL)??????
DO WE NEED TO MAKE THE ARGUMENT THAT WE’LL BE ENROLLING MORE NONNATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKING STUDENTS IN THESE ENGLISH COURSES AT THE
SAME TIME THAT WE’RE STRIVING TO IMPROVE PASSAGE RATES ~ THEREFORE
“HOLDING STEADY” IS IN FACT AN IMPROVEMENT?
6. The percentage of NSCC degree-seeking students making “substantial progress2” shall
increase from a baseline 2001–2005 FIVE-YEAR AVERAGE OF 54% to A 60%
AVERAGE FOR THE 2009-2014 PERIOD. (add baseline language and dates) HOW DO
WE MEASURE THIS ANNUALLY SINCE IT TAKES 5 YEARS TO GET THE
DATAPOINT? AND/OR CAN WE SAY WE EXPECT AN INCREASE EACH YEAR IN
THE FIVE YEAR AVERAGE COUNTING BACKWARDS FROM 2009) TO INCREASE BY
ONE POINT PER YEAR FOR YEARS 1-4 AND 2 POINTS IN YEAR 5?
2. Activity Objectives Related to the CDP:
1
Early Exiter is defined as a degree-seeking student who reports their intent to study for a year or more but leaves after
only one quarter – and doesn’t re-enroll within 3 years.
2
Substantial Progress: Students with degree plans graduating or earning some credit in four or more quarters over a twoyear period. A data point tracked and reported each year for all community and technical colleges in Washington State
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Title III Framework
North Seattle Community College
-3-
Revised: March 3, 2008
C.
Implementation Strategy
1. Comprehensive Implementation Strategy and Timetable
Specific tasks to be
Completed
Primary
Participants
Methods involved
Tangible results
Timeframe
From
To
2. Implementation Rationale Clearly Described and Supported by Relevant
Research:
3. Implementation Timetable Realistic and Attainable
D.
Key Personnel
1 – Experience and Training of Personnel related to activity
2 – Personnel Time commitments are Realistic
3 – Minimum Qualifications and Job Descriptions and Responsabilities
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Title III Framework
North Seattle Community College
Revised: March 3, 2008
E.
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Project Management Plan
1 – Management Procedures likely to ensure efficient and effective management
2 – Administrative Authority of the Title III Coordinator and Activity Director
F.
Evaluation Plan
1 - Data Elements and Collection Procedures Clearly Described and Appropriate
2 – Data Analysis Procedures clearly Described and Likely to Produce Formative
and Summative Results Related to the CDP.
G.
Budget Narrative
1. Five year Summary Budget by Category
2. Annual Budget with Narrative
Component 1: First Quarter Success Initiative

Institute required college success workshops for incoming first quarter students.
o Workshops to be taught by teams of faculty and student services professionals to address
a number of topics relevant for first-quarter students such as study skills, introduction to
campus resources, educational planning, information literacy, visits to sample academic
classes, etc.
o Workshops would be required of identified groups of students such as (1) first-time
degree-seeking students, (2) basic skills students, (3) developmental students
o Other students select portions of the workshops based on a self-assessment instrument
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Title III Framework
North Seattle Community College
Revised: March 3, 2008
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o Workshops to be offered through a variety of modalities
o Criteria and procedures for exempting students from this requirement would also be
developed.
Component 2: Curriculum Development

Implement Instructional Bridging activities within ABE/ESL courses and across the transition
from ABE/ESL to college-level courses
o Establish a credit-bearing Open-Entry Skills Lab for ABE/ESL students. Lab to support
expansion of the Work Discoveries class and other ‘bridging’ activities.
o Expand offerings of well supported career and educational pathways designed to advance
students through progressive stages of employment and/or education.

Integrate access to student support resources within the curriculum
o Create new models for links with HDC classes or modules from those courses. HDC sections
or modules could be customized to support specific disciplines (e.g. math/science or
humanities) and offer a menu of options to support advancing students over multiple quarters.
o Infuse experiences that support student success into the curriculum. Concentrate on
developmental-level pipeline and key gatway courses taken by large numbers of students.
Examples of “infusion” might include an assignment to complete a career interest inventory,
writing an essay on job opportunities in a field of interest, earning course credit for completing
an academic plan with the assistance of an advisor, etc

Review instructional practice and curriculum in developmental-level pipeline and key gateway
courses to support:
o Alignment of outcomes within and across levels
o Alignment of curriculum within and across levels
Component 3: Instructional Support

Pilot the use of an academic early alert system.
o The system would proactively solicit information from faculty in pre-determined courses
regarding students’ performance (attendance, grades, participation, etc) early in the quarter.
o Students identify as needing assistance would be connected with specific interventions to be
identified/developed as part of the grant activity.

Establish a cross-campus transitions committee to design instructional and student activities
that enhance connections across ABE/ESL and College-level programs (e.g. curriculum
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Title III Framework
North Seattle Community College
Revised: March 3, 2008
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alignment, outcome “norming”, student ambassador program to connect advancing college-level
students back with the pre-college/ESL/ABE population)

Enhance tutoring services across programs
o Hire a director for the Math/Science Learning Center (comparable to positions already in place
for English tutoring through the LOFT)
o Through collaboration between faculty and tutoring personnel, develop tutoring “tools” or
modules to support specific class curriculum
o Increase tutor training
o Increase funding to provide additional tutoring hours and higher hourly rates for more
experienced tutors

Introduce the use of Supplemental Instruction (SI) in selected courses. SI provides a smallgroup environment led by a “TA” or “master student” who sits in on the class and then leads a
review section to reinforce learning, model study techniques, and facilitate group study sessions.
SI offers a more structured approach to complement the self-directed tutoring services already
available.
Component 4: Professional Development

Provide faculty development to increase the number of courses incorporating practices proven to
support student retention and progression. Professional development would be provided for such
practices as:
o Supporting multiple learning styles
o
o
o
o
o
o
Incorporating active learning methodologies
Creating collaborative learning environments
Providing Service Learning (SL) and Undergraduate Research opportunities
Creating integrative learning assignments/experiences
Learning through seminar
Pedagogies supportive of students with learning disabilities
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