Santa
Barbara City College - Running Start
Santa Barbara City College s Running Start program began in 2001 when
it recruited high-risk local high school students to participate in a summer
bridge program, which participants in the program were introduced to a college
curriculum and through increased personalized attention and came to know available
student resources that enabled them to proceed with their education. In this
full-time, six-week program, these high-risk high school graduates enroll in
a College Success course, along with one other regular college course and peer
tutorial meetings four times per week. Running Start also offers its participants
the critical incentives of a weekly stipend, book grants, and transportation
and meal vouchers, thereby eradicating the most commonly cited obstacles to
attending summer school. In the past five years, 281 disadvantaged students
have taken part in Running Start, 94.3% of whom were ethnically under-represented
at SBCC; of these, 257 or 91.5% have enrolled in a subsequent fall semester
of college, demonstrating an extraordinary program retention rate. Statistics
show that a significant proportion of these students have continued to enroll
in ensuing semesters as well, and that they persistently maintain an average
GPA over 2.0. Also noteworthy is, according to the data already available,
22 of the 134 participants of Running Start s first three years have
already earned degrees and/or certificates; and, although transfer statistics
cannot yet be cited, two former participants are known to have earned Bachelor s
degrees in 2004. Such numbers indicate the program s commendable effectiveness
in extending the benefits of an advanced education to individuals who might
otherwise never aspire to more than a high school diploma.
Santa
Monica College - Student Enhancement and Educational
Research Project
Responding to the increasing number of college students on academic probation
and/or progress probation at the end of their first and second semesters, a
team of counseling faculty and administrators, in 2001, developed Santa Monica
College s Student Enhancement and Educational Research (SEER) Project
with three fundamental counseling-based strategies: probationary student re-orientation;
intrusive and developmental advising using one-on-one counseling and case management
tailored to students particular levels of preparation; and promotion
of English and mathematic skills assessment. Funded by a California Community
College Chancellor s Fund for Instructional Improvement grant, SEER project
coordinators worked to increase the percentage of probationary students completing
both primary assessment tests, and use the results to advise them in taking
courses most appropriate for their success. Outcomes for Santa Monica s
Fall 2002 probationary students show that of those who attended re-orientation,
50% regained good academic standing the next semester, as opposed to only 18.75%
of those who did not attend. The effect of intrusive/developmental advising
is similarly positive, with 24% achieving good standing after meeting with
a counselor two or more times in Spring 2003, compared to 18% of those who
did not. Students completing skills assessment tests share this trend of improvement.
Such findings demonstrate that the essential approaches of SEER work both
individually and especially, in conjunction with one another.
Honorable
Mention
Coastline College - STAR (Strategic Technology-Assisted Rapid) Program
Coastline College s STAR Program makes a collegiate education more accessible
to busy students by allowing them to complete 50 units in one year while imposing
minimal time constraints. Participants must attend classes just two days per
week, with the remainder of classwork being completed electronically. This
schedule is more feasible for those with career and familial obligations, and
has made the Program especially attractive to typically under-represented students.
STAR is comprised of four course clusters, each containing three to five classes
selected to meet general education requirements for California State Universities;
the clusters are grouped according to related content that inspires students
to make interdisciplinary connections that enhance their overall understanding.
Though the Program was controversial when initiated in 1998 because of the
rigor of its accelerated pace, characteristic data from the first cohort group
of STAR students shows participants to have achieved a median GPA of 3.09 while
earning a mean of 19.5 units per semester. Because of such results, Coastline
College moved to institutionalize the STAR Program at the conclusion of its
Department of Education Grant.
Fullerton College - Transfer Achievement Program
The Transfer Achievement Program (TAP) was created at Fullerton College through
a 1995 Title 3 Grant for Hispanic Serving Institutions, aiming to assist students
who enter the college at the developmental level. Students are eligible to
participate in the program based on their placement in math and English classes.
Currently, TAP offers 16 courses in various physical and social sciences in
addition to English and math. Participating students enroll in special sections
that include involvement in additional supplemental instruction sections. Typically
these are hour-long sessions in which student volunteers or facilitators offer
support in course-related material under the supervision of the course instructor.
The student facilitators, many of whom are previous graduates of the TAP program,
monitor the progress of participating students and provide feedback to instructors.
Regular evaluation of students progress enables timely response in cases
where students are apparently failing in their coursework. In addition to supplementary
coursework, TAP offers a Family Event and student orientation to motivate the
students and their support network for the tasks ahead. Statistics show that,
for courses in which TAP is offered, the success rates for TAP participants
is 78%, compared to just 58% for students who do not participate in this program.
Los
Angeles City College - Supplemental Instruction/Mentor
Academy
The Supplemental Instruction/Mentor Academy (SI/MA) program at Los Angeles
City College was established in 2000 to assist students in high-risk general
education courses. The program increases students retention, persistence,
and social involvements by establishing study groups, encouraging students
to become active learners, and increasing collaboration among students. These
goals are achieved with the aid of volunteer mentors, chosen from a pool of
qualified full-time students who have demonstrated a mastery of the course
as well as strong communication and management skills. The mentors responsibilities
include the organization of study groups, the preparation of study guides,
and providing motivational support to students, as well as providing feedback
to instructors. The program offers 30 sections in 12 disciplines, and serves
about 1,000 students per semester. The responses of students surveyed about
the effectiveness of the SI/MA program are overwhelmingly positive, and objective
data supports the students sentiments the success and retention
rates of SI/MA participants are 61% and 81% respectively, compared to just
44% and 63% for non-participating students.
Los
Angeles Harbor College - Life Skills Center
The Life Skills Center at Los Angeles Harbor College, established in 2001 with
Partnership for Excellence funding, offers cost-effective services for addressing
social, psychological, and physical issues that may adversely affect students academic
endeavors. The Life Skills Center s objective is to increase access,
retention, and transfer rates for students facing such problems, traditionally
under-represented groups, and for students deficient in basic skills. Over
the years of operation, the Center has characterized how various major underlying
obstacles impede the student population, and it gears its support, outreach,
and referral efforts to best confront these issues. A psychologist and a team
of volunteer psychology interns offer 120 hours of service per week to students
encumbered by problems ranging from family concerns, to depression, to health
problems, and myriad anxieties; domestic violence, an especially prominent
issue, has been a particular focus of efforts since 2003. In addition to personal
counseling services, the Center provides workshops, support groups, publications
and referral services to appropriate local agencies. From 2001-2004, a total
of 413 students received counseling support from the Life Skills Center, with
an additional 850 students participating in Center workshops and other special
outreach programs in the last year. About 80% of these students face problems
that interfere with their coursework; and, 95% of those seen affirm their satisfaction
with Center services.
