The Four Components
What’s Wrong?
Why?
(Quantitative Data)
(Focus Group Student Data)
Revised Interventions
New Interventions
Policy Changes
Assess Impact

60% reported ACT scores; average ACT
composite score = 19.6

77% were tested for remedial needs

18% enrolled in developmental
English/writing

29% enrolled in developmental reading

67% enrolled in developmental math
Developmental Placement
(based on entry-level assessment)
30%
40%
17%
591
788
329
13%
263
Graduation Rate by Number of
Developmental Areas Required
591
789
329
263
Graduation Rate
By Writing Placement
1628
126
218
Graduation Rate
by Reading Placement
1404
263
305
Graduation Rate
By Math Placement
648
48
143
1133
1972
1485
989
968
781
717
Persistence Rate
100
80
60
40
20
0
100%
71% 78%
53%
52%
46%
45%
Male (N=800)
Female (N=1172)
42%
36%
33% 39%
*The one Native Hawaiian was removed from the dataset
The Four Components
What’s Wrong?
Why?
(Quantitative Data)
(Focus Group Student Data)
Goals
• Persistence
(Year 2 – 4 )
• Developmental
Reading
(Year 3 – 4 )
• Developmental
Math
(Year 4 )
Revised Interventions
New Interventions
Policy Changes
Assess Impact
The Four Components
What’s Wrong?
Why?
(Quantitative Data)
(Focus Group Student Data)
Goals
• Persistence
(Year 2 – 4 )
• Developmental
Reading
(Year 3 – 4 )
• Developmental
Math
(Year 4 )
Revised Interventions
New Interventions
Policy Changes
Assess Impact

Three focus groups per campus

12 total groups

101 total students

Students volunteered and were accepted if
they had completed their first semester in fall
2007 and had re-enrolled in spring 2008.



4% African American males in both AtD cohort
and focus groups
44% Tulsa Achieves students
Mean average age was
• 22.7 years for focus groups (more 18 year olds with Tulsa
Achieves)
• 24.5 years for AtD cohort

Mean average age of non-Tulsa Achieves
students was 25.8 years.






Adjusting to college
Balancing school and life
Textbook issues
Tulsa Achieves implementation issues
Communication issues with instructors
Choosing courses
All six barriers/challenges were identified on all
four campuses.
Service
Barriers
Adjustment
Barriers
Academic
Barriers
82% of all barriers/challenges fell into
one of three clusters.
Instructional Issues
• Communication issues with
instructors
• Instructional quality
• Understanding instructor’s
course requirements
Student Issues
• Choosing courses
• Meeting academic workload
• Using Blackboard and
MyTCC email
• Academically underprepared
• Lacking computer
proficiency
• Course placement

Textbook issues

Poor customer service

Financial Aid service

Confusing enrollment process

Limited times and locations of classes

Finding locations on campus

Adjusting to college life

Balancing school and life

Time management

Lack of motivation
The Four Components
What’s Wrong?
Why?
(Quantitative Data)
(Focus Group Student Data)
Goals
• Persistence
(Year 2 – 4 )
Top
Persistence Barriers:
1. Adjusting to college
2. Balancing school and life
• Developmental
Reading
(Year 3 – 4 )
• Developmental
Math
(Year 4 )
3. Textbook issues
4. Tulsa Achieves
implementation issues
5. Communication issues with
instructors
6. Choosing courses
Revised Interventions
New Interventions
Policy Changes
Questions
• How do we revise
current interventions
to directly address
common barriers?
• What new
interventions can
be implemented to
address common
barriers?
Assess Impact
Orientation
1.
◦
◦
Fall 2008: Strategies for Academic Success
Expand orientation to all students
Multiple delivery options
Options for testing out
Advising
2.
◦
◦
3.
Compiling current interventions
Collaborating with student services and
registration
Tulsa Achieves Implementation
Persistence Barriers
Understanding
Instructor’s Course
Communication
with Instructors
Adjusting to
College
Motivation
Adjustment
Academic
Meeting
Academic
Workload
Time Management
Balancing School
& Life
Teaching
Styles
Strategies for
Academic Success
The Four Components
What’s Wrong?
Why?
(Quantitative Data)
(Focus Group Student Data)
Goals
• Persistence
(Year 2 – 4 )
Top
Persistence Barriers:
1. Adjusting to college
2. Balancing school and life
• Developmental
Reading
(Year 3 – 4 )
• Developmental
Math
(Year 4 )
3. Textbook issues
4. Tulsa Achieves
implementation issues
5. Communication issues with
instructors
6. Choosing courses
Revised Interventions
New Interventions
Policy Changes
Questions
• How do we revise
current interventions
to directly address
common barriers?
• What new
interventions can
be implemented to
address common
barriers?
• What policy changes
need to be made to
address common
barriers?
Assess Impact



Ensure dual credit for dual enrollment - Seniors,
at least, should be able to take college classes
rather than high school elective classes for dual
credit.
Align Oklahoma's K-12 test outcomes with
national standards
Allow Oklahoma community colleges to offer
teacher education in math and science, to reduce
the number of unqualified, or marginally
qualified, math and science teachers in Oklahoma
classrooms
 Rescind
required $13 per credit hour fee on
all developmental courses
 Provide
timely statewide reports tracking
student transfer
The Four Components
What’s Wrong?
Why?
(Quantitative Data)
(Focus Group Student Data)
Goals
Top
Persistence Barriers:
• Persistence
(Year 2 – 4 )
1. Adjusting to college
2. Balancing school and life
3. Textbook issues
• Developmental
Reading
(Year 3 – 4 )
• Developmental
Math
(Year 4 )
4. Tulsa Achieves
implementation issues
5. Communication issues
with instructors
Revised Interventions
New Interventions
Policy Changes
Questions
• How do we revise
current interventions
to directly address
common barriers?
• What new
interventions can
be implemented to
address common
barriers?
6. Choosing courses
• What policy changes
need to be made to
address common
barriers?
Assess Impact
Assessments
Formative:
• To what extent
did interventions
(or policy changes)
effectively address
common barriers?
Summative:
• To what extent
did interventions
increase
persistence?
The Four Components
What’s Wrong?
Why?
(Quantitative Data)
(Focus Group Student Data)
Goals
Top
Persistence Barriers:
• Persistence
(Year 2 – 4 )
1. Adjusting to college
2. Balancing school and life
3. Textbook issues
• Developmental
Reading
(Year 3 – 4 )
• Developmental
Math
(Year 4 )
4. Tulsa Achieves
implementation issues
5. Communication issues
with instructors
Revised Interventions
New Interventions
Policy Changes
Questions
• How do we revise
current interventions
to directly address
common barriers?
• What new
interventions can
be implemented to
address common
barriers?
6. Choosing courses
• What policy changes
need to be made to
address common
barriers?
Assess Impact
Assessments
Formative:
• To what extent
did interventions
(or policy changes)
effectively address
common barriers?
Summative:
• To what extent
did interventions
increase
persistence?





Research AtD.org and other sites for
interventions that work for community
colleges
Complete a list of TCC existing interventions
Identify specific advising components that
address student identified barriers
Develop assessment protocols
Identify systemic and standard methods of
collaboration and communication
TCC’s goal is to achieve a 3% increase in
student persistence each year.