Empowering
Developmental
Student Success
A Unique Integration of
Learning Assistance,
Alternative Instructional Approaches,
and Student Development Services
Speaker
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Assoc. Professor Pam Lau
Director, Center for Academic Success
Parkland College
Champaign, IL 61821
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Phone: 217/351-2431
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Email: plau@parkland.edu
Outline
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Parkland College: a brief introduction
Center for Academic Success: an overview
Guiding principles, goals, and programming
Learning assistance or tutoring services
Modularization of developmental courses
Intrusive academic advising and student
development support
Factors behind success and possibilities for
replication
Parkland College
Champaign, IL
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A one-campus community college located
in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois (combined
population: 190,000)
An average of 10,500 for-credit students
(fall semester count)
 White 71%
 Minority 29%
Faculty: 595 (FT - 181; PT – 414)
Students with developmental
coursework placements
Entering students from area high schools:
 70% need at least one developmental math
course
 50% need developmental writing
 35% need developmental reading
 7– 8 % of overall seat count is taken by
developmental students
 Mandatory assessment and placement
policies
Decentralized developmental
programs
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At Parkland, we adopt a decentralized model
of developmental education.
Developmental reading and writing is within the
Humanities Dept.
 Developmental math in the Mathematics Dept.
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Culture of collaboration and coordination
among developmental programs
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Facilitated by the Academic Development
Center and now the Center for Academic
Success.
Center for Academic Success
An Overview
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Started in July 2006
Result of task force study on
Parkland’s academic support
services
Led to integration of 4 previously
independently operated units:
Learning Lab
 Peer Tutoring
 Writing Center
 Academic Development Center*
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One physical location
Under leadership of a
director (faculty)
Part of Academic
Services; reports
directly to Dean of
Academic Services
Mission: To empower
students in achieving
their academic goals
Three Primary Areas of Services
Advising and
student
development
advocacy
A
coordinated
system of
services
For-credit
modules and
tutorials
Walk-in
Tutoring and
Learning
Assistance
Guiding Principle (1)
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A one-stop learning center for all
students
 Avoids segregation of students in
developmental coursework
 Promotes atmosphere of learning at
all levels
 Gives faculty/staff one place to refer
all students
Guiding Principle (2)
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An integrated system of academic and
student development support
The model of “teacher in the classroom plus an
array of independent student support services”
does not work well for the under-prepared
student.
 Faculty input and participation in tutoring and
alternative delivery is important
 Learning assistance must be coordinated with
student development and advising
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Guiding Principles (3)
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Collaborative partnerships with academic
departments/programs and faculty
 Provide opportunities for faculty to design,
pilot, and implement alternative delivery
approaches and/or supplemental
instruction
 Create faculty-advisor links to support
students with academic and nonacademic needs
Guiding Principle (4)
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Student-centered; focus on learning
Student-centered learning environment
Just-in-time learning and individualized
instruction
Learning, not assignment completion
 Comprehension and attainment of learning
outcomes
 Customizing, where possible, to individual
learning needs
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Principles  Goals
Goal 1: Customize
instruction & academic
support
Goal 5: Assess CAS
services
CAS
Mission:
Empower
Students
Goal 4: Partner with
faculty/academic
departments
Goal 2: Create
student-centered
learning
environment
Goal 3: Advocate for
student ownership of
education
Three Primary Areas of Service
Academic
Advising and
Student
Development
Advocacy
Walk-in
Tutoring and
Learning
Assistance
For-credit Tutorials
and Modules
WALK-IN TUTORING AND LEARNING
ASSISTANCE
Five walk-in services:
Peer Tutoring
Writing Lab
Math Faculty
Tutoring
Academic
Development
Lab
Study Skills
Help
Math Faculty Tutoring
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Walk-in math help for developmental math
students: Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
4 areas
Pre-Algebra
 Beginning Algebra
 Intermediate Algebra
 Geometry
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Students sit at
designated tables
according to their
math course.
 Full-time math
faculty provide
tutoring.
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One faculty rostered
each hour.
 Faculty paid per hour
using Title III funds.
 College currently in
discussion on how to
fund this when Title III
grant ends in Fall
2008.
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Benefits from MFT
From the teaching point of view:
 Pedagogy remains consistent between
classroom and tutoring
 Student questions and difficulties with
material are vital as feedback to faculty
 Faculty guide classroom teaching and
learning and outside-the-classroom
practice of lessons learned
From the learning and learning
outcomes point of view:
 Students benefit from just-in-time
teaching and learning
 Comprehension at each stage
 Significant increase in pass rates
among students who use MFT
repeatedly
First year data: Pass rates
MAT 094
Pre-Algebra
Course MFT
Pass
5 visits
Rate
(%)
(%)
MFT
12
visits
(%)
MAT 095
Beginning
Algebra
Course MFT
Pass
5 visits
Rate
(%)
(%)
MAT 098
Intermediate
Algebra
MFT
12
visits
(%)
Course MFT
Pass
5 visits
Rate
(%)
(%)
MFT
12
visits
(%)
Fall
2006
51.5
63.0
67.0
54.8
36.0
55.0
48.8
59.0
88.0
Spr
2007
50.5
76.0 100.0
48.5
75.0
78.0
57.8
70.0
80.0
Questions?
What are your experiences with
developmental math tutoring
on your campuses?
Academic Development Lab (ADL)
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Located within the larger CAS facility
A Computer Lab /Tutoring area dedicated
to students in developmental courses
Reading
 Writing
 Math
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Staffing:
 Academic Development Specialists (2)
Background in special education
 Learning specialists who work primarily
with students who have academic gaps
and/or have learning challenges
 Collaborate with faculty
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Fosters a
welcoming
student-centered
learning
environment
No question is a
stupid question
 Free printing
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 Technical Specialist (1)
 Helps with all computer
usage related issues
Collaborative Partnership with the
Office of Disabilities Services
At Parkland, the Office of Disabilities
Services handles registration,
documentation, and accommodations
for students with LD and other
disabilities.
 Students with LD are referred to the
CAS for learning assistance , tutoring,
and academic coaching.
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No documentation
required within the CAS
No overt distinction
between LD students
(with or without
documentation, declared
or –undeclared) and
“regular” developmental
students
Assistive technology and
learning software
available
Retention Rates
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73-75% of students who work with the
Academic Development Specialists in the
fall return in the spring (compared to 6166% of students who decline services).
The same students return the following fall
at rates higher than other developmental
peers.
Questions?
MODULARIZATION OF
DEVELOPMENTAL COURSEWORK
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A standard multi-credit hour course is
broken into several one-credit component
modules.
Designed for primarily students who have
to repeat a developmental course
Student may have learning challenges and
gaps in prior knowledge/skill
 Student may have passed but for some nonacademic circumstances
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Math Modules
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Curriculum for each dev math course
divided into several one-credit hour courses.
Full sequence of modules — same course
material as standard course.
Diagnostic test  number of modules
student needed to acquire math outcomes
for stated course.
A repeating student may or may not need
full sequence of modules.
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To ensure step-by-step comprehension and
skill acquisition, student must pass a module
mastery test with C or better before
proceeding to next module.
To ensure course mastery, student must
take Math Dept. common final for course
with C or better.
C or better in final — student has completed
course requirements and may proceed to
next required math course.
Individualized Module Instruction
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One-on-one: CAS instructor works with
three math students an hour/week.
Assigns homework in supervised
environment for an additional hour/week or
more.
Paced, within limits, to student’s ability in
math and learning challenges.
Typically, a math-challenged student
completes a module in 6-8 weeks; entire
math course is covered in 2-3 semesters.
Success Rates
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The modules cohort is small but slowly
increasing. Current semester: 14 students
in math modules.
Each semester, approximately 4 to 5
students complete module sequence.
The only way for some students to
complete required math for a degree.
Challenge: Succeeding in a regular math
class in subsequent semester(s).
Modules for Reading, Writing,
and Chemistry
 Small group
teaching:
Each section
of 6-8
students
Chemistry
Module
Creating a community
of learners
The crucial human
dimension of learning
 Focused
time-on-task
 Increased instructor guidance
 Supplemental help from
Academic Development
Specialists
 Focus on demonstrating
learning outcomes; early
completion possible
Measuring success
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Compare module pass rates with average
course pass rates
Track academic performance of students in
subsequent course
Success cannot be just measured in
numbers
Leaving a module with more knowledge and
skills
 An increase in confidence or awareness of
choices
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Spring 2007 (pilot semester):
a snapshot of numbers
Tracking success: Spring to Fall 07
 ENG
099 repeaters (n = 17)
 70 % earned ENG 101
placement through modules
 80% passed ENG 101 in
subsequent semester
Collaborative Partnerships
Academic
Departments
and Faculty
Modules
and
Tutorials
Learning
Assistance
• Faculty design
one-credit hr
courses
• Faculty deliver
instruction
• Faculty assess
learning
outcomes
• Faculty staff
Writing Lab
• Faculty staff
Math Faculty
Tutoring
• Faculty assess
Center for Academic
Success
Modules and
Tutorials
Advising and
Student
Development
Support
Learning
Assistance
and Tutoring
Questions?
How do you incorporate faculty
participation in your learning
assistance support for
underprepared students?
ACADEMIC ADVISING AND INTRUSIVE
SUPPORT
Staffing:
 Student Development Advocates (2)
and Academic Advisor (1)
Focus on students with low reading
scores
 Explain placement scores; set up class
schedule; choose program of study
 Help student negotiate basic college
procedures: registration, ID, financial
aid
 Advice about non-academic matters:
housing, childcare
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 Connect
with
students through
office visits,
emails, hallway
encounters
 Visit
developmental
classrooms or
“adopt” a class
 Liaise
with developmental
faculty about student
progress
 Connect students with
resources across campus
 Hallway “triage” is a
common occurrence
Some data
Fall 2007 student traffic: We served 831
students 2333 times.
 Persistence: 76% of students receiving
Advocate services in fall return in the
spring. (Return rate of developmental
students averages 61%.)
 Qualitative data: the stories students tell
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I will so scared…but Jan led me in the right
direction
Questions?
What forms of intrusive support
do you provide academically
underprepared students on
your campus?
Assessing the CAS
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Three basic questions
Are students using our services?
 Are students who use our services more
successful in their coursework than their
peers who do not?
 Are students satisfied with our services?
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Data
Quantitative
 Qualitative
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Collecting data
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Quantitative Data
 Computerized sign-in
swipe-card system
 Reports generated for
each service
 Connected with
college database
 Select according the
number of visits
 Midterm and final
grades
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Qualitative data: student perceptions
about the CAS and its services
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Surveys
How satisfied are you with the help you received today?
Very satisfied
Satisfied
Somewhat satisfied
Not satisfied
Please take a minute to tell us why.
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FACTORS BEHIND SUCCESS
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Strong institutional support
 Task
force
 Facility
 Direct report to Dean, Academic Services
plus monthly meetings with the VicePresident of Academic Services
 Budget allocation: Faculty and staff tutors,
small-group instructors are “front-load”
costs
 Faculty
buy-in
 Culture of student-centered
teaching and innovativeness
 CAS designed to allow for
faculty-led pilots in alternative
delivery and other student
supports
 Faculty choose to teach or tutor
in the CAS
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Active support for student in the classroom
 Move beyond tutoring and walk-in learning
assistance
 Flexible and creative partnerships with
faculty and academic programs /
departments
 Modules
for students in Ford ASSET program
 Study skills tutorials for students on contract
in Occupational Therapy Assistant program
 Exploring with Nursing about a Health
Professions Academy – building bridges from
CNA to LPN to ADN
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Broad support from Student Services
Advising team coordinate with student
services units
 Constant referrals from across campus
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Physical space
High traffic area; easily accessible
 Designed as learning center
 Accommodates range of tutoring services,
small-group learning situations, computer lab
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 Team
of
faculty and
staff
clearly
committed
to student
success
Questions?
How much of this is
replicable or feasible in your
college context?
Contact Information

Assoc. Professor Pam Lau
Director, Center for Academic Success
Parkland College
Champaign, IL 61821
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Phone: 217/351-2431
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Email: plau@parkland.edu