Integrating the Curriculum: A
New ESL Program at Middlesex
County College
Richard Roy, Associate Chair of ESL/Languages and Cultures
Gary Abbott, Chair of ESL/Languages and Cultures
Current Program
Overview

Five levels


Five to four discrete courses in each level

Writing

Reading

Structure

Phonology/Discussion

Three to four credits per course

67 credits for the entire program
Faculty

Ten full time faculty

Approximately 40 adjunct faculty
Current Program
Overview

Resources

Three labs in Edison

Writing Lab

Phonology Lab

General Lab

One lab in the Perth Amboy Center

No current lab in the New Brunswick Center
Current Program
Overview

Enrollment is approximately 900 students

Level 1 – 15.5%

Level 2 – 15.9%

Level 3 – 19.5%

Level 4 – 21.6%

Level 5 – 27.%
Student Success


Pass rates for ESL courses range from a low of
61%(Level 1ESL 060 Listening) to 94% (Level 3 ESL
086 Phonology/Discussion).

Level 4 ESL 093 Writing – 76%

Level 4 ESL 094 Reading – 75%

Level 5 ESL 099 Writing/Reading – 74%
40% of a semester are new students

15.6% of the total ESL student population progress
out of ESL any given semester

25% ESL students do not return the next semester
Student Success
Table 1: Pass Rates of ESL and non-ESL Students in Content Courses
Fall 2011
ESL
NonPass
ESL
Rate
Pass
Spring 2012
ESL
NonPass
ESL
Rate
Pass
Fall 2012
ESL
NonPass
ESL
Rate
Pass
Spring 2013
ESL
NonPass
ESL
Rate
Pass
Fall 2013
ESL
NonPass
ESL
Rate
Pass
ACC 101
BUS 101
81.8
63.5
75.0*
62.5
57.1*
51.9
83.3*
69.3
72.2
59.6
Ø
68.3
100.0*
76.7
Ø
72.9
50.0*
73.4
Ø
72.7
COM 115
CSC 115
MAT 129
PSY 123
SOC 121
100.0*
83.3
100.0*
78.3
100.0*
86.6
Ø
83.7
50.0*
83.2
76.2
77.0
55.6
76.9
64.0
72.9
58.8
75.5
77.8
75.9
90.3
62.0
84.1
67.7
87.1
56.1
87.1
70.2
78.9
57.9
73.5
72.6
70.0
71.3
71.6
70.3
70.9
70.0
64.3
73.3
63.2
72.3
88.9*
70.2
42.9
70.4
61.1
69.7
64.3
69.8
*Denotes a class with fewer than ten students enrolled
Student Success
Table 2: Pass Rates of former ESL Students in ENG 121
Former ESL
Students
Spring 2011
Fall 2011
Spring 2012
Fall 2012
Spring 2013
57.5
73.1
66.4
68.2
69.9
Former
Developmental
Students
50.6
61.7
53.0
60.0
54.9
Non-ESL or
Developmental
Students
79.0
71.4
75.1
71.5
80.3
New Student Placement
Table 3: New Student Placement Full Time vs. Part Time at Edison and Perth Amboy
Edison
F 12
S 13
F 13
S 14
Perth Amboy
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
FT
27
31
56
52
25
10
3
0
3
0
PT
28
26
24
21
29
32
7
3
4
2
FT
14
21
14
20
2
10
1
1
0
0
PT
14
5
14
27
15
19
4
3
3
1
FT
20
37
47
76
19
14
4
3
3
0
PT
30
30
32
31
22
23
19
2
3
1
FT
12
15
30
34
7
6
1
1
1
0
PT
16
16
27
19
3
31
10
2
0
0
• New student enrollment from Fall 2012 to Spring 2014 = 1218
• 988 in Edison – 81.1%
• 559 FT (56.6%); 429 PT (43.4%)
• 230 in Perth Amboy – 18.9%
• 61 FT (26.5%); 169 PT (73.5%)
New Student Placement
Table 4: Enrollment by Level at Edison and Perth Amboy
Level
Edison
Perth Amboy
Combined
1
161
16.3%
145
63.0%
306
25.1%
2
181
18.3%
49
21.3%
230
18.9%
3
244
24.7%
15
6.5%
259
21.3%
4
280
28.3%
17
6.1%
297
24.4%
5
122
12.3%
4
1.7%
126
10.3%
• Edison – Levels 1 and 2 = 342 (34.6%)
• Perth Amboy – Levels 1 and 2 = 194 (84.3%)
• Combined – Levels 1 and 2 = 536 (44.0%)
ESL New Students and
Financial Aid Needs
Table 5: Students Receiving Financial Aid at Edison and Perth Amboy
Semester
Fall 2012
Spring 2013
Fall 2013
Spring 2014
Location
New
Students
Percentage
Receiving
Financial Aid
Edison
283
59.6%
Perth Amboy
64
92.2%
Edison
121
39.7%
Perth Amboy
42
90.5%
Edison
304
53.6%
Perth Amboy
71
85.9%
Edison
150
40.7%
Perth Amboy
52
90.4%
Financial Aid and ESL

Volume 1 Student Eligibility 2014-15

A student may receive FSA funds for English as a
Second Language courses that are part of a larger
eligible program.

If a student’s ESL coursework is connected to an
eligible program of study, maximum time frame will
not be an issue for these students.

ESL courses do not count against the one-year limit on
remedial coursework.
Financial Aid and ESL


Example 1

Associate in Arts: 61 credits

ESL coursework as determined from placement testing:
54 credits

Total credit hours for customized program of study: 115
credits

Pell Grants will cover 150% x 115 = 172.5
Example 2

AAS in Computer and Information Systems: 61 credits

ESL coursework as determined from placement testing:
30 credits

Total credit hours for customized program of study: 91

Pell Grants will cover 150% x 91 = 136.5
Financial Aid and ESL

Considerations

ESL placement testing will provide proof that ESL is a
necessary part of the student’s degree program.

The Financial Aid Office in conjunction with the
Registrar’s Office will need to write our SAP policy to
reflect the ESL student’s program design.

ESL students would have enough Pell funding to
complete ESL and their Associate’s, but may not
have enough for a Bachelor’s.
Other Considerations

It takes 5 – 7 years to become academically
proficient in a language
(Hakuta, Butler, & Witt, 2000)

Open access mission of community colleges
(Sullivan, 2008)

Providing opportunity and hope of a higher
education to at-risk populations, such as ELLs
(English Language Learners)
Recommendations

NJCCC ESL Concept Paper Fall 2012

Integrated/combined skill courses (i.e. Reading and
Writing).

English Comp I credit courses for ESL

ESL Certificate of Achievement

Increase support services
Recommendations

Program Cyclical Review Spring 2013 (Abbott &
Roy, 2013)

Revise the program and curriculum for timely
completion and sufficient academic readiness

Integrated curriculum

Aligning outcomes with the English department

Establish level testing
Recommendations

External Consultant Report (Pomann, 2013)

Integrated/combined skill courses (i.e. Reading and
Writing)

Accelerated courses

English Composition I for ESL students

Improved tutoring

ESL Certificate of Achievement
Recommendations

Program Review Committee (Faculty Committee)

Integrated curriculum

Course level assessment/level testing

ESL resource center in lieu of the current 1 hour
language lab
Revising the Curriculum

Creating an ESL path to Credit Level Programs

Aligning the ESL curriculum with Developmental
English

Taking into consideration the Common Core
requirements

Integrated Courses

Level testing

Language Resource Center
New Program

Four levels

Integrated courses

8 classes required

2 Supplemental Accent Reduction Courses

No lab component

Reading added to Level 4

40 total credits
Addressing Concerns


Advantages

Students can progress more quickly through ESL

Students still benefit from the curriculum to be ready
for College course work upon leaving the program
Concerns

Open access for Low levels ESL students

63% of new ESL Perth Amboy students and 16% of
new ESL Edison students will not be able to take ESL
courses – 25% of all new ESL students.
Moving Forward

Rolling out the new program







Fall 2016 full implementation
Creating a Pre-Academic level in Continuing
Education

Academic Rigor

Seamless transition process

Providing access at Perth Amboy and Edison
Developing level testing
Removing the placement testing requirement
Devising a new schedule
Transitioning current students
Professional development in teaching integrated
courses
Future Initiatives

ALP Courses

Level 2 with 3

Level 3 with 4

Level 5 with ENG 121

Safety Net courses in Winter and Summer

ESL Certificate of Achievement
Questions