College Connection
Weatherford College
October 18, 2007
Presenter
Presenter
Mary Hensley, Ed.D.
Vice President,
College Support Systems
and ISD Relations
mhensley@austincc.edu
512-223-7618
Agenda

Closing the Gaps Overview

College Connection Overview

College Connection How It Works

Program Results

Program Recognition

State and National Interest in Expansion

College Connection How To Start

Guiding Principles

Plan for Success

Common Challenges

Questions and Answers
Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board’s
Strategic Plan
“Closing the Gaps”
Overview
Closing the Gaps in
Participation

Closing the Gaps warns that if more Texans do not
receive college degrees by 2030, the State could lose
up to $40 billion in annual household income.

The goal is to increase student enrollment in higher
education by 630,000 by 2015.

Most students will elect to start at a community
college.

Weatherford College expects over 7,440 more
students by 2015.
Source: http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/ClosingtheGaps/ctgtargets_pdf.cfm?Goal=1
College Connection
Overview
Education Beyond High School
Increases earning potential
and employment
opportunities
U.S. Department of Education
Improving High School to
College Transitions

Provide admission and pre-enrollment
services to seniors on their school
campuses

Create an expectation that “College is in
everyone’s future.”

Increase percentage of high school seniors
who enter college after high school
graduation.
Weatherford College Service Area
College Transition Rates
Texas High School Graduates from FY 2006
Enrolled in Texas Higher Education Fall 2006
School District
Total High
School
Graduates
Students
Enrolled in
Texas
Universities
Students
Enrolled in
Texas 2-year
Colleges
Students Not
Located in
Texas Higher
Education *
Aledo
269
103
38%
90
34%
76
28%
Alvord
40
6
15%
10
25%
24
60%
Boyd
65
10
15%
14
22%
41
63%
131
32
24%
32
24%
67
52%
57
17
30%
21
37%
19
33%
61
16
26%
16
26%
29
48%
225
47
21%
77
34%
101
45%
Bridgeport
Brock
Bryson**
Chico
Decatur
*Includes students who were not enrolled in Texas colleges or universities in the year immediately
following graduation, as well as students who were enrolled out-of-state.
**Districts with less than 25 graduates are not included in this report.
Source: http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/Reports/PDF/1324.PDF
Weatherford College Service Area
College Transition Rates
Texas High School Graduates from FY 2006
Enrolled in Texas Higher Education Fall 2006
School District
Total High
School
Graduates
Students
Enrolled in
Texas
Universities
Students
Enrolled in
Texas 2-year
Colleges
Students Not
Located in
Texas Higher
Education *
Gordon**
Granbury
380
111
29%
87
23%
182
48%
Jacksboro
64
27
42%
13
20%
24
38%
65
9
14%
20
31%
36
55%
190
36
19%
54
28%
100
53%
Paradise
63
15
24%
21
33%
27
43%
Peaster
59
13
22%
16
27%
30
51%
Lipan **
Millsap
Mineral Wells
*Includes students who were not enrolled in Texas colleges or universities in the year immediately
following graduation, as well as students who were enrolled out-of-state.
**Districts with less than 25 graduates are not included in this report.
Source: http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/Reports/PDF/1324.PDF
Weatherford College Service Area
College Transition Rates
Texas High School Graduates from FY 2006
Enrolled in Texas Higher Education Fall 2006
School District
Total High
School
Graduates
Students
Enrolled in
Texas
Universities
Students
Enrolled in
Texas 2-year
Colleges
Students Not
Located in
Texas Higher
Education *
Perin-Whitt**
Poolville
31
1
3%
17
55%
13
42%
Santo
32
10
32%
11
34%
11
34%
230
34
15%
73
32%
123
53%
38
18
47%
7
19%
13
34%
415
82
20%
165
40%
168
40%
2,415
587
24%
744
31%
1,084
45%
Slidell **
Springtown
Strawn **
Tolar
Weatherford
Total
*Includes students who were not enrolled in Texas colleges or universities in the year immediately
following graduation, as well as students who were enrolled out-of-state.
**Districts with less than 25 graduates are not included in this report.
Source: http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/Reports/PDF/1324.PDF
College Connection
How It Works
College Connection Program

Many high school students find the
college enrollment process intimidating.

Weatherford College provides hands-on,
one-on-one support to assist every student
through each step of the college
admissions process.

During graduation ceremonies, high
school graduating seniors receive
acceptance letters to Weatherford College.
Students Receive Services at the
High School:
Required
•
•
•
•
•
Admission application
ASSET or COMPASS
Pre-advising
Academic advising
Graduation letter
Recommended
• Senior
presentation
• Financial aid
application
Optional
•
•
•
•
•
Student life info
Teleconference
Campus tours
Registration
Other
College Connection: Activity Sequence
College
School District
1.
Senior Presentation
2.
Admission application
3.
Financial aid application
4.
ASSET assessment
5.
Tour of Austin Community
College campus(es)
6.
Pre-Advising
7.
Advising
8.
Acceptance letter to Austin
Community College at graduation
9.
Registration for Austin Community
College classes
Red=Required
Blue=Recommended
1a. Senior Roster
3a. Test Score Roster
Black=Optional
College Connection Activity Grid Sample
ISD District Lead:
Sandra Dowdy, Assistant Superintendent, 512-386-3040, sdowdy@del-valle.k12.tx.us
Del Valle HS Lead:
Jean MacInnis, Principal, 512-386-3210, jmacinnis@del-valle.k12.tx.us
Admin. Assistant: Nadene Norwood, 512-386-3211, nadene.norwood@del-valle.k12.tx.us
ACC District Lead:
Mary Hensley, 223-7618, mhensley@austincc.edu
Exec. Assistant: Esther Buzard, 223-7618, ebuzard@austincc.edu
College Connection Lead: Luanne Preston, 223-7354, luanne@austincc.edu
Admin. Assistant: Laurie Clark, 223-7354, lclark2@austincc.edu
Senior Count:400
Activity
Date
Time
Location
Equipment
Communication
Del Valle HS Contact
(*Lead Contact)
name@delvalle.k12.tx.us
ACC District Contact
(*Lead Contact)
name@austincc.edu
High School
Planning
Committee
Meeting
August 9,
2007
2:00 p.m. –
3:00 p.m.
Del Valle
Admin
5301 Ross Road
Del Valle, TX
•E-mail
•Announcement
*Jean MacInnis
Jmacinnis
*Luanne Preston
luanne
College Connection
Agreement
Prior to
beginning
Fall
semester
*Sandra Dowdy
Sdowdy
*Luanne Preston
luanne
Senior
Presentation
Kickoff Activity
September
13, 2007
10:30 a.m. –
11:30 a.m.
Auditorium
•Notice in parent
newsletter
•Notice on high
school website
*Sarah Mabry
Sarah.mabry
*Ashley Williams
awillia4
Admissions
Application
October 10,
2007
8:30 a.m. –
4:00 p.m.
Rooms A205,
C216, D130,
D208
•Non-citizen
students must
obtain alternate
ID before
completing
application
*Sarah Mabry
Sarah.mabry
*Pat Colunga
pcolunga
Make-Up Day
SHADE/BOLD – Required College Connection Activities
Lifetime Acceptance “at ACC”

Application never discarded

Provide a permanent
college home

Students come to ACC:
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Full-time
Part-time
In Summer for transfer
After military service
After career changes
Co-enroll while attending
4-year institution
Lifetime Acceptance “at ACC”

Cohorts can be tracked
by semester of entry

Longitudinal data
collected for
◦ Retention
◦ Completion
◦ Success
Program Results
College Connection Program Growth
Over 4 years:

1 school district
to 27 school
districts

2 high schools to
58 high schools

400 students to
17,000+ students
College Connection
Diversity of Participants 2006-07
Traditionally Underrepresented in Higher
Education - Students Enroll at ACC

More than 55% of
College Connection
enrollees are minorities

Higher percentage
entering ACC through
College Connection
than in the general
ACC student
population
College Connection Positively
Impacts Other College Programs

ACC Fall Enrollments
◦
◦

Early College Start (Dual Credit)
Enrollments
◦
◦
◦

38% increase first year
59% increase over two years
26% increase in enrollment from ‘04 to ’05
45% increase in enrollment from ’04 to ’06
3,209 students enrolled Summer 2007 (recordbreaking ECS enrollment)
Tech Prep Enrollments
◦
4,336% increase in enrollment from ‘03 to ‘06
 36 students in 2003-04
 48 students in 2004-05
 293 students in 2005-06
 1,597 students in 2006-07
Program Recognition
College Connection Program
National Acclaim & Recognition
Awards Received
• THECB Star Award
• Excelencia in
Education
Award
Award Recipient
November 2006
Semi-Finalist
October 2006
• Bellwether Award
Award Recipient
January 2007
State and National Interest
in Expansion
National Interest:
Florida Department of Education

Launched state-wide campaign in April 2007 called “Go
Higher-Get Accepted” modeled after College Connection
Maine Interest in College Connection

Proposed law requiring graduating high school seniors to
complete at least one college application before getting
diploma.
“Attaining advanced levels
of education for
disadvantaged students
cannot be done without
developing a college-going
culture in every middle
school and high school in
the state of Texas...then
suddenly, (going to college)
changes from being a
possibility to an
expectation.”
--Raymund Paredes
Commissioner, Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board
January 6, 2005
THECB Statewide
College Connection Expansion
2007-2009
•
Ten Colleges Receive Implementation Grants
• Alamo Community College District
• Blinn College
• Del Mar College
• Houston Community College System
• Lee College
• Odessa College
• Richland College
• South Texas College
• Tarrant County College District
• Weatherford College
THECB Statewide
College Connection Expansion
2007-2009
•
Five Colleges Receive Planning Grants
• Cedar Valley College
• Cisco Junior College
• Northeast Texas Community College
• Paris Junior College
• Victoria College
THECB Statewide
College Connection Expansion
•
Colleges Already Adopting College Connection
•
Alamo Community College District
•
Central Texas College
•
Coastal Bend Community College
•
Del Mar Community College
•
Houston Community College District
•
Temple Community College
•
Vernon College
•
Victoria Community College
College Connection:
How To Start
Formal Agreement

Between college and
school district

Signed by chancellor
and/or president and
superintendent

Establishes transfer of
student data from high
school to college

Details responsibilities
and expectations
Advance Briefing
 District/Central
 High
Office Staff
School Principal
Planning Meeting

One meeting held annually in Summer or Fall

Schedule one hour (slightly longer for new schools or
multiple schools)

Complete activity grid

Focus on scheduling

Leave activity details for * contacts
Communications between
School District and College

Electronic via list serv

Updated activity grid sent via e-mail when
changes occur

College Connection website links

iCal
◦ Combined calendar for internal use
Data Collection

Very Important

Collect electronically (Excel spreadsheet)

Collect from high school
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦

Name
Address
DOB
HS Student ID (for later record matching)
Test Scores (HS Exit Exam, SAT, ACT)
Mark records as College Connection cohort in
student database
Data Follow-Up

Track by school, how many students complete
each activity

May need multiple visits to get 100%
participation

Give high school principal participation rates for
use at graduation announcement ceremony

Report Fall enrollment from pilot schools
(compare to benchmark), Spring persistence
Austin Community College
College Connection Website
www.austincc.edu/isd

Access to scheduled
activities for students,
parents, and school officials

Calendars

Links to pertinent ACC
school district sites
Website
 Participating
 Links
schools
to school pages
 Link
to college pages of interest
 Press
coverage/special events
College Connection Logo
High School—College Partnership
College Connection:
Guiding Principles
Guiding Principles: Sequencing Activities

When to schedule activities?
◦ Senior Presentation
 Prior to first activity, as soon as possible after school starts
 Usually admissions follows
◦ Admissions Application
 Fall Semester
 After receipt of data roster
 In time, where possible, for seniors to prepare for Spring dualcredit registration
Guiding Principles: Sequencing Activities

When to schedule activities?
◦ Assessment
 End of January through early March
 After receipt of test score roster – timed to allow maximum
number of SAT/ACT test scores to be included
 Allows students to receive the most instructional content prior to
testing
◦ Financial Aid
 Mid-January through Mid-March
 Presentations timed to coincide with W-2 arrival, tax preparation,
and meet college priority filing deadlines
 Night presentations and workshops for parents and students
 Financial Aid Saturdays
Guiding Principles: Sequencing Activities

When to schedule activities?
◦ New Student Orientation
 ACC calls this step “pre-advising”
 Completed online as ACC 101
 Live program replaced by online module per school request
 School manages where and when students complete
 Student prints checklist as proof of completion
 Many schools schedule during advisory
 Schedule window of time prior to academic advising
 Recommend 1-3 weeks prior to advising session
Guiding Principles: Sequencing Activities

When to schedule activities?
◦ Academic Advising
 Mid-February through Mid-April
 Allow time, if needed, for test scores to be entered or processed
and available to advisors
 ACC requires three weeks is using ASSET
◦ Complete all College Connection activities by MidApril
Guiding Principles: Scheduling

The planning meeting for each school should
occur before Fall semester, or as soon after
school starts as possible

All events should be completed by Mid-April
with rare exceptions
◦ The month of May through end of school is extremely
busy on high school campuses

A student should be able to complete an
individual activity (exception assessment
testing) with one bell period
Guiding Principles: Scheduling–
How Much Time?
Senior Presentation – 20 minutes
 Admissions Application – 25 minutes

◦ Residency Form
◦ Missing Credentials

Assessment – 5 hours
◦ Partial testing takes less time
 Math only – 1 hour
 Reading/writing – 2.25 hours
Pre-Advising – 25 minutes
 Advising – 15 minutes average

Planning Meeting
Recommended Participants
College
High School

District lead person

Principal

Implementation lead person

Grade level principal or AP

Team leader for services

Lead or senior counselor

Person in charge of
testing/scheduling

Tech person (use of computer labs)

Other staff who works with the
“senior class”
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Admissions representative
Financial Aid representative
Assessment representative
Recruitment representative
Advising representative
Recorder
Planning Meeting
Recommended Things to Bring
College
High School

College Calendar

Bell schedule

Admissions Team Calendar

School calendar

Financial Aid Team Calendar

A/B Block scheduling

Assessment Team Calendar

Testing calendar

Student Recruitment Team
Calendar

Advising Team Calendar
Plan for Success
Central Office Staff

Sign formal agreement before beginning
◦ Work with superintendent

Understand and vocally support College Connection
program
◦ Announce program in meetings, newsletters, e-mails

Ensure your Board is informed
◦ Invite Weatherford College to do a brief presentation
Central Office Staff

Participate/help schools participate in “launch” activities
◦ Press conference
◦ Campus tours, celebrations, or special events

Attend as many campus planning meetings as possible
◦ Planning meetings to be held before activities begin
on campuses
◦ Lays the foundation for organized program activities
◦ Everyone is literally “on the same page”
Central Office Staff

Expect 100% participation – make expectations clear to
school staff

Provide support for school staff in scheduling all
activities during school days
◦ There is no other way to have 100% participation

Support and justify the pilot program for schools not yet
participating
Principal

Understand and vocally support College Connection
program
◦ Announce program in meetings, newsletters, e-mails

Participate in your campus planning meeting

Clear obstacles – allow access

Assign a positive, helpful, supportive “asterisk” person
to coordinate each activity
Principal

Allow the use of necessary school facilities during the
school day for activities (computer labs, gyms for
testing, etc.)

Help faculty understand your support for the program
◦ Students will be pulled out of classes 3 or 4 times during the year

Understand College Connection as a process with
sequenced activities
◦ Time is needed between activities

Emphasize the importance of 100% participation
◦ Allow repeated access, if necessary, to ensure that all students are
included
Principal

Assign staff to accompany students to College
Connection activities
◦ To help keep order
◦ To personally identify students to Weatherford College staff

Ensure that your school website features College
Connection

Help solve any problems that may arise
◦ During an activity
◦ During the school year
◦ Call College Connection contacts if needed
Principal

Recognize College Connection at graduation
ceremonies; some examples
◦ Announce how many students receive acceptance
letter
◦ Ask College Connection students to stand

Ensure students receive Weatherford College acceptance
letter along with their diploma

Ensure final, official high school transcripts for all
students given to Weatherford College at the end of the
school year
Counselor

Understand and vocally support the program
◦ Announce in
 Meetings with classes
 Senior assemblies
 To individual students
 “Counselor’s corner” of the school newsletter
 E-mails to parents

Participate in your campus planning meeting

Clear obstacles – allow access

Be one of the positive, helpful, supportive “asterisk”
people coordinating one or more College Connection
activities
Counselor

Help find alternatives that allow the use of facilities for
College Connection activities (computer labs, gyms for
testing, etc.)

Help colleagues understand your support and that
students will be pulled out of classes 3-4 times during
the year

Understand that College Connection is a process and
that sequenced activities (with some time between the
activities) are important
Counselor

Understand the importance of 100% participation
◦ Help students understand the benefits of College Connection
even if the student has applied or been accepted to another
college





Free testing
FAFSA
Easy entrance
Higher income for more education
Accompany students to College Connection activities
◦ Help keep order
◦ Personally identify students to Weatherford College staff

Ensure that College Connection is featured on your
school website
Counselor

Help solve any problems that may arise during an
activity, or during the school year
◦ Call College Connection officials, if needed

Ensure that students receive the Weatherford College
acceptance letter along with their diploma

Ensure that official high school transcripts for all
students are given in a batch to Weatherford College at
the end of the school year
◦ Saves time for students when enrolling
◦ Makes process smoother for students not entering directly after
graduation
Common Challenges
Challenge #1 – Faculty Resistance

Why does this occur?
◦ Faculty not well-informed about the program
◦ Some have traditional bias against community
colleges
 Concerns about quality of programs/instruction and
transferability of classes
Strategy – Counter Faculty Resistance

Feature a College Connection presentation at general
faculty meeting

Provide general information about Weatherford College
programs, costs, state-wide transfer of classes between
public institutions

Provide dates of pullouts well in advance, to allow for
faculty planning

Emphasize benefits to students
◦ Students will be “ready-to-register” at Weatherford College at the
end of the year
Challenge #2 – Student Resistance

Why does this occur?
◦ Students not exposed to the program in advance
◦ Some are convinced they are going to college
elsewhere or convinced they won’t need to go at all
◦ A “cool” student has refused to participate
Strategy – Lessen Student Resistance

Schedule a College Connection senior presentation
before activities begin

Encourage participation and explain program benefits to
any student refusing to participate

Recruit school opinion leaders and role models to
influence their peers
Challenge #3 – Alleviate Parent Concerns

Why does this occur?
◦ Parents don’t want to give sensitive family income
information to students, school or college staff
◦ No computer access at home
◦ Parents’ work schedule prevents easy completion
Strategy – Counter Parent Resistance on FAFSA

Time school FAFSA activities to coincide with arrival of
W-2 and filing of taxes

Provide evening FAFSA workshops – invite
Weatherford College to participate or lead

Coordinate with volunteer programs that assist families
with preparing/filing taxes

Provide information about necessary
documents/information in advance to parents
Questions and Answers
For copies:
PowerPoint Presentation:
www.austincc.edu/isd/weatherford/101807Presentation.ppt