Integrating Student Services with Learning Communities in the SSPIRE Initiative

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Integrating Student Services with Learning
Communities in the SSPIRE Initiative
Strengthening Student Success Making a
Difference San Jose, California October 4, 2007
s s p i r e
Student Support Partnership Integrating Resources
Education
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Panel Presenters

• Rogéair Purnell, The James Irvine Foundation
• Evan Weissman, MDRC
• John Acuña, Santa Ana College
• Edwina Stoll, De Anza College
• Lyssette Trejo-Espinoza, Mt. San Antonio College

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The James Irvine Foundation

• Founded in 1937 by James Irvine, an agricultural
  pioneer, to promote the general welfare of the
  people of California
• Current assets Over 1.8 billion
• Estimated grants in 2007 75 million
• Grants since 1937 Over 1 billion to more
  than 3000 nonprofit organizations
• The largest multi-issue foundation focused on
  California, with three core grantmaking programs
  Youth, Arts and California Perspectives

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The James Irvine FoundationsYouth Program

• Program Goal
• The Youth program seeks to increase the number of
  low-income youth in California who complete high
  school on time and attain a postsecondary
  credential by the age of 25.

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The James Irvine Foundations Youth Program
(continued)

• Grantmaking Strategies
• Promoting academically rigorous career and
  technical education.
• Improving instruction and student support
  services.
• Increasing parent and family knowledge for
  student success (through the New Connections
  Fund).
• For more information on these strategies, please
  review the Youth section of our Web site,
  www.irvine.org

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MDRC

• Non-profit social policy research firm committed
  to learning what works to help low-income youth
  and adults
• Current community college initiatives include
• Opening Doors, an evaluation of innovative
  approaches at six community colleges
• Achieving the Dream, a national initiative to
  build a culture of evidence at over 80
  community colleges
• National Center for Postsecondary Research (NCPR)
  evaluation of learning communities designed for
  low-skilled students
• More information at www.MDRC.org

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The Student Support Partnership Integrating
Resources and Education

• Funding from the James Irvine Foundation
• Invitation to California community colleges
• Propose innovative approaches to integrating
  academic instruction with student services
• Target primarily young, low-income, and minority
  students
• Nine Colleges Selected
• Receive three-year funding
• Implement and revise approaches
• Institutionalize successful approaches
• MDRCs role
• Manage the initiative
• Provide technical assistance
• Conduct evaluation of SSPIRE

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Nine Colleges Selected for SSPIRE

• American River College (Sacramento County)
• College of Alameda (Alameda County)
• De Anza College (Santa Clara County)
• Merced College (Merced County)
• Mt. San Antonio College (Los Angeles County)
• Pasadena City College (Los Angeles County)
• Santa Ana College (Orange County)
• Taft College (Kern County)
• Victor Valley College (San Bernardino County)

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Range of Approaches to Integrating Student
Services with Academic Instruction

• Increased/personalized attention to students
• Restructured curriculum
• Increased involvement/linkage of faculty
• Identification/outreach to faculty
• New professional development opportunities
• Contextualized instruction and counseling
• Increased peer networks
• Student cohorts
• Peer tutoring and mentoring

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The Freshman Experience Program at Santa Ana
College

• Twelfth year of learning communities
• Link of basic skills class with a counseling
  class
• Coordinated instruction
• Year-long commitment
• Counselor in the classroom and faculty in the
  counseling class
• Proven record of increased persistence, higher
  pass rates and completion of a two course
  sequence of classes

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The Freshman Experience Program at Santa Ana
CollegeStudent Services Curriculum Project

• Goal
• To develop strategies to introduce student
  services into the curriculum of academic classes.
• Results
• Development of specific lessons to integrate
  student services into the curriculum
• Utilization of guest speakers from student
  service offices
• Increased knowledge of the services available to
  students by both faculty and students

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The Freshman Experience Program at Santa Ana
CollegeFinancial Aid Initiative

• Goal
• To increase the number of freshman applying for
  financial aid and/or completing the financial aid
  process using
• Classroom presentations
• Personalized help
• Counselor/teacher intervention
• Results
• Thirty six percent increase in overall student
  awards
• Twenty-nine new applications

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Contact Information

• John Acuña
• Freshman Experience Program
• Co-Coordinator/Counselor
• Santa Ana College
• acuna_john_at_sac.edu
• 714-564-6117

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Learning Communities atDe Anza College

• Educational Reform through
• Combining 2 to 4 classes
• Creating a collaborative community
• Integrating curriculum around a theme
• Planning/teaching in teams
• Dedicating support of a counselor
• Supporting faculty with training assessment

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De Anza SSPIRE Highlights

• Expanding Student Services by
• Building a website www.deanza.edu/linc
• Infusing counseling/student services support
• Creating year-long sequence combining
  math/language arts and counseling

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De Anzas Year-LongLearning Community Sequence

• Reading Math, Solving Writing
• 930 1220 M-Th
• FALL
• Pre-Algebra, Pre-Collegiate Reading Lab,
  Counseling 11.5 units
• WINTER
• Beginning Algebra, Pre-Collegiate Writing Lab,
  Counseling 11.5 units
• SPRING
• Intermediate Algebra, Freshman Composition,
  Counseling 11 units

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Contact Information

• Edwina Stoll
• LinC Coordinator
• De Anza College
• stolledwina_at_deanza.edu
• 408-864-8579

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Learning Communities at Mt. SAC

• The Pre-Nursing/Health Bridge
• A fast track, two-year learning community,
  specifically designed to support students
  interested in nursing or health careers.
• Complete English, math and science pre-requisites
  for the Nursing program in two years.
• Complete courses that will help support and
  maximize success in the pre-requisite courses,
  i.e. Counseling 99A, Counseling 2 and Counseling
  5
• At the conclusion of the two-year fast track,
  ready to apply to Mt. SACs Nursing program.
  (This program does not guarantee admission into a
  nursing program.)

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What to expect from theMt. SAC Learning Community

• Cohort or same group of students in the same
  classes
• Linked classes and activities
• Community class
• Support Network Counselors, Supplemental
  Instructors (SIs), Peer Advisors
• Group activities and team-building relationships
• Loaned textbooks
• Conferences, workshops and activities related to
  the health field.

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Mt. SAC Learning Community2-Year Plan
Fall 2007 Semester 1
Spring 2008 Semester 2
Summer 2007
Fall 2008 Semester 3
Spring 2009 Semester 4

• Engl 67(4)
• Coun.1(1)
• Stdy. 85(1)
• Summer
• Bridge

• Math Bridge
• Math 50 (3)
• (1st 8 weeks)
• Math 51(4)
• (2nd 8 weeks)
• Coun. 5 (3)
• 10 units

• English Bridge
• Engl 68 (4)
• (1st 6 weeks)
• Engl 1A (4)
• (2nd 10 weeks)
• Coun 2 (3)
• Read 90 (3)
• Optional
• 11-14 units

• Science Bridge 2
• Micr 22(4)
• Anat 36(5)
• Coun. 99B(2)
• 11 units
• Counselor assigned and support

• Science Bridge 1
• Chem 10(4)
• Anat 35(5)
• Coun. 99B(2)
• 11 units
• Counselor assigned and support

Ready to APPLY to the Nursing Program _at_ Mt. SAC
Engl. 67 will be taken in summer to qualify for
the Fall/Semester classes.
or

• Math Bridge
• Math 51 (4)
• (1st 8 weeks)
• Math 71 (5)
• (2nd 8 weeks)
• Coun. 5 (3)
• 12 units

Student must be eligible for these classes,
starting the fall semester.

• Winter Intermission
• Repeat courses as needed

• Summer Intermission Options
• MEDI 90
• College Math course
• Repeat courses as needed

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Contact Information

• Lyssette Trejo-Espinoza
• Pre-Nursing/Health Bridge Program
• Program Coordinator/Counselor
• Mt. San Antonio College
• ltrejo_at_mtsac.edu
• 909-594-5611 ext. 5376

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s s p i r e
Student Support Partnership Integrating Resources
Education