serving low-skilled adults
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Serving Low-Skilled Adults. Challenges, Opportunities and Promising Practices in Michigan February 24, 2012. Presenters. Jenny Schanker, Associate Director Michigan Center for Student Success [email protected] Judith Taylor, Independent Researcher - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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Serving Low-Skilled AdultsChallenges, Opportunities and
Promising Practices in MichiganFebruary 24, 2012
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Presenters• Jenny Schanker, Associate Director Michigan Center
for Student Success [email protected]
• Judith Taylor, Independent Researcher Michigan Center for Student Success [email protected]
• Jeremy Kelley, Project Manager Jobs for the Future
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Sponsors
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Agenda
• MCSS Overview• State and National Context• Survey Results• Results from a Deeper Dive• Opportunities and Resources to meet
Emerging Challenges
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Michigan Center for Student Success
VisionThe Center for Student Success provides state-level support to Michigan’s 28 community colleges by serving as a hub connecting leadership, administrators, faculty, and staff in their emerging and ongoing efforts to improve student outcomes, emphasizing linkages between practice, research, and policy.
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Michigan Center for Student Success
I. Access &
Alignment
II. Entry & Intake
III. Teaching & Learning
IV. Acceleratio
n & Progress
V. Completio
n & Success
Priority Areas/Momentum Points
Guiding Framework
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Supply and Demand in Michigan’s Labor Market
• Michigan’s annual number of HS graduates will decline 12.2% by 2020
• Annual demand for college-educated workers will increase by 4.2% by 2018
http://www.clasp.org/admin/site/publications_states/files/Not-Kid-Stuff-Anymore_MI.pdf
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Challenges for Adult Education
• Federal funding for adult education has declined by 17% over the past 10 years
• Nationally, only 2 million out of an estimated eligible population of 93 million are served by adult education
• In Michigan, an estimated 692,000 adults lack a high school diploma or GED while 33,000 are served each yearhttp://www.clasp.org/admin/site/publications/files/adult-ed-funding-enrollment-February-2012.pdf
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Financial Aid Obstacles
• Pell Grant Changes:– Income threshold for an automatic $0 Expected
Family Contribution lowered by $9000– Ability to Benefit eligibility eliminated – Duration of eligibility reduced from 18 to 12
semestershttp://edmoney.newamerica.net/blogposts/2012/pell_grant_eligibility_changes_bring_savings_for_the_program-62302
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Breaking Through History• JFF and NCWE launched the
initiative in 2005 with funding from the Mott Foundation
• Mott Community College was part of the initial Learning College cohort
• Six additional colleges formed
the Michigan network in early 2007:– Grand Rapids– Henry Ford– Lake Michigan– Macomb– Saint Clair– Washtenaw
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Breaking Through Documentation
• Practice Guide: http://jff.org/publications/education/breaking-through-practice-guide/1059
• Scaling Up Case Studies: http://jff.org/publications/education/achieving-ambitious-goals-case-studies-s/1230
• Leaving No Worker Behind: http://jff.org/publications/education/leaving-no-worker-behind-community-colle/1225
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Purposes of Current Research
• Document the impact of Breaking Through in Michigan
• Lift up promising practices happening at colleges across the state
• Explore challenges and opportunities to improve outcomes for this population
• Ensure alignment with other initiatives as Michigan moves forward
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Survey Methodology
• JFF/MCSS Collaboration• 39 Questions • Pilot Test with original MI BT colleges
October 2011: 7 responses• Sent to remaining 21 colleges
November 2011:– 13 additional colleges provided responses– Total 20/28 (75%) as of 2/16/12
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Key Findings: Aligning Programs
• 19 colleges report offering at least some “stackable” credentials (mostly in Health Care)
• 13 colleges report that credential attainment for low-skilled adults is a strong focus for them
• 9 colleges report programs specifically designed to “bridge” adult learners into pathways to certificate and degree completion
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Key Findings: Accelerating Learning
• 17 colleges report offering “intensive” courses addressing skill gaps (for both traditional and non-traditional students)
• 11 colleges are integrating basic skills with occupational instruction (largely in non-credit)
• 5 colleges report significant use of prior learning assessments to reduce time to completion for adult learners
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Key Findings: Connecting to Employers
• 16 colleges report engaging employers to a large extent through advisory committees for career and technical programs
• 15 colleges report that they are significantly engaged in regional efforts to link education and training with employment
• 10 colleges indicate that their career services office connects regularly with employers
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Key Findings: Providing Support
• 17 colleges report working with community partners to provide support services
• 14 colleges indicate that they provide “navigators” or advisors to both credit and non-credit students to help them overcome obstacles
• 11 colleges have systems in place to connect with “stop out” students
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Key Findings: Capacity Development
• Colleges report providing professional development to increase capacity for serving low-skilled adults through– Funding conference attendance– Bringing consultants to campus– Internal working groups or seminars on campus
• Colleges noted capacity gaps in– Diagnosing and addressing student learning disabilities– Effective teaching and service strategies for the lowest-skilled
adults– Providing effective career planning and placement services
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Key Findings: Policy Environment
• Institutional policy challenges cited:– Articulation between credit and non-credit
programs– Developmental education placement policies
• State or federal policy challenges cited:– Financial aid regulations limiting access to Pell
Grants– Cuts to funding sources such as WIA
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Some highlights from a deeper dive
• St. Clair County Community College• Jackson Community College• Lake Michigan College• Grand Rapids Community College• Macomb Community College• Mott Community College
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Going Deeper: Methodology
• Reviewed online survey results to identify likely programs
• Conducted follow up phone interviews to confirm
• Finally, site visits to six colleges (last week)
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Breaking Through in Michigan
• Mott Community College participated from the outset in 2005
• Funds from the Mott Foundation supported in-state peer learning meetings—any college could attend and costs of attending national peer learning meetings (up to six colleges)
• No implementation $$--colleges encouraged to apply for state grants and apply Breaking Through principles
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Breaking Through, Non-credit, and the MTECs
• These were the years of massive worker dislocation in Michigan and state funding for retraining at the post-secondary level
• By definition, Breaking Through students (low skilled adults) couldn’t matriculate in for-credit programs—non-credit was the default
• MTECs were established to (among other goals) reconnect unemployed workers in the region to employers who did need workers
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Three Themes Emerged from the Going Deeper Research
• “Scaling up” of Breaking Through pilots is happening
• The need to create clear pathways from non-credit to credit is becoming increasingly urgent
• Breaking Through programs have incubated strategies with wider relevance for promoting student success
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“Scaling up” of Breaking Through Pilots • There’s significant scaling up at the MTECs in
three colleges: Grand Rapids, Lake Michigan, and Mott
• At GRCC and LMC, models developed in pilot programs are now or soon will be how all programs at the MTEC are offered; Mott isn’t far behind
• Note: programs are constantly refining models based on outcome data, changes in funding, etc.
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Scaling Up: Key Features
While there is a lot of variation, the models have certain features in common:– Intensive up-front assessment– Remediation for those who need it—some
contextualized, always linked to a technical program
– Ongoing intrusive support– Multiple certificates valued by regional employers
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Scaling Up: the Role of MTECs
One administrator said “I view the MTEC as an incubator, a venue for rapid prototyping.”• Because MTECs are non-credit, new programs
can be put together quickly• Most programs are short-term so there’s
outcome data for continuous improvement• With supportive leadership, program features
can be attached to additional programs relatively easily
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The Need for Clear Pathways from Non-Credit to Credit
• Breaking Through focused funds and attention on non-credit options and on the importance of advancement pathways to higher credentials
• Interest from the Credit “side” may sharpen as the traditional pipeline of high school students shrinks
• Two colleges are innovating in this arena
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Clear Pathways from Non-Credit to Credit
Mott Community College • The pioneer: started experimenting with
articulation, which a number of colleges have since adopted
• A second approach blends non-credit and for-credit courses for a credential—invisible to the student
• MCC may adopt mandatory placement, which could impede students who seek additional for-credit courses and credentials
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Clear Pathways from Non-Credit to Credit
Macomb Community College—a different approach:
Non-credit workforce programs have been detached from their old administrative structure and attached administratively to their logical for-credit department (health care to health care, etc.). Staff have been assigned (reassigned) to facilitate the process.
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Non-Credit to Credit, cont.
A few of the challenges:• Remediation MCC strategies: the Learning
Center and Achieving the Dream innovations in developmental education
• Advising/support Program plans for non-credit students will reside on Datatel to support advisors & counselors and teach non-credit students how to use Web Advisor
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Breaking Through: Incubating Student Success Strategies
There’s increasing pressure to improve for-credit students’ rates of attaining a credential—the area that MI Breaking Through programs have been refining Challenges: • The number of for-credit students is much higher
than the MTECs’ • Breaking Through programs are resource intensive,
and funding is shrinking • Less flexibility
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Breaking Through: Incubating Student Success Strategies
Still, some ideas are emergingCaveat: the site visits were just last week • A modified/augmented admissions process that looks for
a range of skills and experience, a strong interest (“major”), and demonstrated initiative
• Multi-faceted assessment (interest, aptitude, skills) that helps students figure out what they want to do early on
• Intensive (intrusive) advising• Material presented in short chunks with opportunities to
demonstrate success
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Emerging Priorities
• Articulating between non-credit and credit programs• Implementing alternatives to traditional delivery of
developmental education/aligning with A.B.E. • Expanding supports for career decision-making, life
skills, etc. to a broader population• Increasing prior learning assessment to decrease
time to completion• Connecting more robustly with employers and the
local labor market
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Opportunities and Resources
• Under the umbrella of MCSS, several national funders are bringing resources to help Michigan address these priorities.
• In addition to supporting participating colleges, MCSS will disseminate lessons learned from these initiatives across the state.
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Lumina’s Adult Degree Completion Initiative
• Four-year initiative with 19 grantees, targeting:– Dislocated and underemployed workers– Students who completed credit bearing courses but failed
to test out of a remedial sequence before leaving college– Adult students that have earned articulated credit
• Support strategies– Build on and expand large-scale strategies already in place– Implement strategies for large-scale efforts that have
been planned or piloted– State policy and system change efforts
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ACPP Description• Three states, each of which have existing networks
of Breaking Through colleges– Michigan – North Carolina – Kentucky
• Pass through funding will support state team convenings– Construct a policy-change framework– Develop a work plan– Ensure that the work plan is enacted to effect policy
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ACPP in Kentucky
• Workforce Transitions Committee– Target population: reenrolling incumbent worker
trainees– Non credit to credit articulation– Standardized prior learning assessments– Recommendations for data collection policies
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ACPP in North Carolina
• Student Data System Analysis • Non-Credit to Credit Articulation • Professional Development for College Staff
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ACPP in Michigan• Managed by JFF and MCSS• A Pilot Program to Align Community
College Non-Credit and Credit Offerings• Leveraging Lessons from Project Win-
Win• Analyzing and Disseminating Labor
Market Data• Gubernatorial and Legislative
Engagement
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More Initiatives
• Project Win Win– 9 colleges identifying “near completers”
• Benefits Access Pilots– 2 colleges connecting students with public benefits
• Credentials that Work– Real time labor market data
• AtD/BT Alignment Initiative– Further scaling of strategies that work
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Upcoming Events/Communication Forums
• More on ACPP: Webinar March 9 1:00-2:30– BT Network watch email for details
• Breaking Through Network Meeting at GRCC April 13 1:00-4:00– Registration details at mcca.org
• MCSS Monthly NewsletterFollow us online:• MCCS blog: http://micenterforstudentsuccess.blogspot.com/• Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/MCCACSS• Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Michigan-Center-for-Student Success/300637479987811?sk=wall
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Questions?