Guided Pathways: through the Lens of Special Populations Presented by: Tonette Salter Joint Special Populations Advisory Committee (JSPAC) Alyssa Bahr Casillas, Ed.D. Statewide Special Populations Collaborative

We know all students should have the resources necessary for a high quality education. Students who are behind, of color, limited English, and low income need more. “So let’s make equity synonymous with “more for those who need it.” ~ Education Trust

Who We Are JSPAC - NonTraditional Special Populations Collaborative Identifies and disseminate specialized curriculum materials and resources Expands linkages with other programs for which equity and access to Special Populations is mandated by funding sources Continues to expand the strong relationship between CCCCO and CDE in service to students of Special Populations Create linkages Develops professional development and technical assistance Special Populations Collaborative Examines performance and progress through analyses Identifies barriers Shares effective practices Linking with other state and federal agencies Jointly developed professional development and technical assistance. Expanding the relationship between the California Department of Education and the California Community College Chancellor’s Office

Workshop Outcomes Renewed understanding of Special Populations and how they’re represented in the California Community Colleges. Brief revisit of barriers that each special population must overcome. Strategies and ideas for implementation at your respective colleges. Data Analysis-what benchmark for inclusion will you set for your institution? Walk away with strategies that inform an actionable plan focused on integrated support services for special populations.

Who Are Special Pops?

56,943

Participation by Race/Ethnicity 2016 519,538

Barriers to Special Pops

Individuals with disabilities There is a “gap” in employability – applying skills and knowledge into a workforce that may or may not accommodate special needs. Career counselors and support services staff for students with disabilities need to have stronger linkages to regional employers to understand issues of worksite accommodations for people with disabilities; and to better advise students with disabilities on occupations that are 1) appropriate to their skills and interests and 2) are in environments supportive of their needs.

Economically disadvantaged students “Too few low-income students apply to and attend colleges and universities that are the best fit for them, resulting in a high level of academic undermatch – that is, many low-income students choose a college that does not match their academic ability.” -White House (2014). Promising models and a call to action. Report, Executive Office of the President. Relative to their high-income peers, low-income students are less likely to attend colleges and  universities that give them the best chance to success.

Single Parents/Displaced Homemakers Single parents and displaced homemakers face unique barriers that may reduce the effectiveness of traditional marketing campaigns for that audience. Recruitment strategies should be designed to overcome these barriers. Due to child rearing responsibilities and limited financial resources, single parents and displaced homemakers often have difficulty arranging course schedules and meeting the rigors of coursework.

Individuals with limited English proficiency “ELs have considerably lower education attainment than non-ELs. ELs are less likely to be enrolled in any secondary or postsecondary education programs, and they are also significantly more likely to drop out of high school. However, those ELs who are not currently enrolled have better employment outcomes than non-ELs.” - Department of Education, 2016. Older Adolescent and Young Adult English Learners - A Study of Demographics, Policies, and Programs

Individuals preparing for nontraditional fields Gender equity issues pose a significant barrier to recruitment of students into NT programs. Difficulties recruiting students into nontraditional careers are compounded by the fact that most learners do not picture themselves working in non- traditional fields; they need consistent exposure to materials and career exploration activities to stimulate their interests. Good examples are men preparing to enter into nursing careers, and women preparing to enter into manufacturing careers. Women are more often the focus of nontraditional programs because the opportunity to earn higher wages exists in occupations that are commonly nontraditional for women. Women who choose nontraditional careers, and who successfully address potential barriers, have greater advancement possibilities, economic self-sufficiency, and career satisfaction. Occupations that are nontraditional for men can provide increased job satisfaction and may yield higher wages as well.

“Ensuring equity in education is a necessary component in narrowing the achievement gap. Teachers and school leaders ensure equity by recognizing, respecting, and attending to the diverse strengths and challenges of the students they serve.” -Department of Education How do we take into consideration the barriers that disproportionately impact Special Populations in the development of Guided Pathways?

\ Core Indicator Data

Perkins Performance Indicators Core 1 - Skill Attainment 88.83% Core 2 - Total Completions 82.15% Core 3 - Persistence and Transfer 85.8% Core 4 - Placement 81.62% Core 5a - Non-Traditional Participation 22.2% Core 5b - Non-Traditional Completion 25.5% Under Perkins IV, states are required to report annually on the following core indicators of performance. States are also required to report disaggregated data on the performance of students by race, ethnicity, gender, and special population categories.

Core Indicator One: Skills Attainment CTE concentrators earning a GPA of 2.0 or higher in CTE courses to assess technical skill attainment. CTE Concentrators are defined as students who has successfully completed a minimum threshold of 12 or more units of related coursework in a vocational or technical program area.

State Performance Target Level 88.83% This graph represents an unduplicated count of students enrolled in SAM A-C courses who have earned a GPA of 2.0 or above in those SAM A-C courses only.

State Performance Target Level 88.83%

State Performance Target Level 88.83%

State Performance Target Level 88.83%

Analysis Economically disadvantaged and displaced homemakers slightly exceeded the state performance target. Performance gap with Students with Disabilities, LEP students and Non-Traditional students. Asian, white, and two or more races exceeded the state performance target. Increase in percentage of skills attainment from 2015 to 2016 for Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander and two or more races

Let’s Take a Moment… For Reflection: How can your institution ensure that equitable skills attainment is designed in the framework of the guided pathways for special populations? \

Strategies for Skills Attainment Provide spaces to allow students to articulate their thinking processes either verbally or in writing to improve engagement and understanding Provide alternative forms of instructional delivery, including group projects, flexible seating, online supplemental practice Ensure instructors understand the needs of special population groups Incorporate textbooks, course materials, that include pictures and success stories from professional and workers from diverse backgrounds Reconsider assessment techniques

Core Indicator Two & Three: Completion, Persistence and Transfer Core Indicator Two: Student attainment of an industry-recognized credential, a certificate, or a degree, or are classified as Transfer Prepared Core Indicator Three: Students who successfully completed a minimum "threshold of 12 or more units of related coursework" in a CTE program area and 1) persisted in education at the community college level or 2) transferred to a 4 year institution

2016 State Performance Target Level 82.15% This graph represents the number of CTE concentrators who earned an industry-recognized credential, a certificate, a degree, or who completed the transfer program and were classified as transfer prepared. •Denominator: The number of CTE concentrators who were Postsecondary leavers or completers. State Performance Target Level 82.15%

State Performance Target Level 82.15%

Analysis Females achieve credentials, certificates or degrees at a higher rate then males. Significant incline of all special populations, race/ethnicity, and gender exceed the state target performance for completion in 2016 Single Parents still fall behind all other special population groups 16% achievement gap between highest achieving racial/ethnic group and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders

Let’s Take a Moment… Considering the data and key elements of guided pathways, what strategies is your college employing to close the inequity of completion rates for: Single parents Male students Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders

Strategies for Improving Total Completion, Transfer and Persistence Increase awareness of financial aid Provide childcare Introduce transportation options Loan textbooks Provide mentors, role models and support groups for encouragement Address issues of stereotype threat and self-efficacy Develop a “map” of course schedules by term for every major with the critical courses highlighted.  Success Coaching to targeted group of students Shared Student Success Vision includes Special Populations Students Advertising or Marketing material reflecting Special Populations Honor Students

Core Indicator Four: Placement Core Indicator IV: Student placement in military service or apprenticeship programs or placement or retention in employment, including placement in high skill, high wage, or high demand occupations or professions

State Performance Target Level 81.62% This graph represents the number of CTE concentrators who were found during one of the four quarters following the cohort year in UI covered employment, or an apprenticeship program, the federal Government, or the military in the year following the cohort year. Denominator: The number of CTE concentrators who were leavers (did not continue in any institution) or completers.

State Performance Target Level 81.62%

Analysis 12% increase in employment from 2015 to 2016 Students with Disabilities place at a rate of 15% less than highest placed group of students-Single Parents.

Let’s Take a Moment… Considering the data and key elements of guided pathways, what strategies is your college employing to address the unique employment needs of students with disabilities.

Strategies for Increasing Placement Provide internships, job shadowing, and paid work experience Maintain strong working relationships with advisory committees and employers Provide job search and development services Ensure that students have “soft skills” in addition to technical skills (dress, conduct, timeliness, and working well with others) Career counselors and support services staff for students with disabilities need to have stronger linkages to regional employers to understand issues of worksite accommodations for people with disabilities; and to better advise students with disabilities on occupations that are 1) appropriate to their skills and interests and 2) are in environments supportive of their needs.

Core Indicator Five A&B: Non-Traditional Participation & Completion Cored Indicator 5a: Nontraditional (underrepresented gender) student enrollment in, and completion of, CTE programs Core Indicator 5b: Students Completing Training Leading to Non-traditional Employment Next let’s look at a few examples from our the 10 Top Sector Priorities from the California Community College’s Doing What Matters Initiative. Let’s look at Advance Manufacturing, Information Technology, Health Science, and STEM.

8,748 1,496 1,464

10,495 10,588 2,854 2,715

25,818 25,654 9,011 9,045

1064 1158 889 930

State Performance Target Level 25.50%

Analysis Men are disproportionately represented in Manufacturing and Information Technology. Women are disproportionately represented Health. Decline in the Manufacturing and ICT industries for females from 2015 to 2016 Slight increase in the STEM industry for males and females from 2015 to 2016 Slight increase in the Health and Science industry from 2015 to 2016 Decline from 2015 to 2016 Displace Homemakers and LEP students below target

Strategies for Improving Non-Traditional Participation and Completion Offer exploratory programs targeted to underrepresented groups so they can learn about the program and find their interest and motivation Provide role models and mentors Have facilities and equipment for both men and women (e.g. locker rooms, bathrooms, various sizes of tools and safety equipment) Make sure every student does every task, giving equal access to all aspects of training. Learn about your own biases and how they affect your teaching style and delivery EXAMPLE: Southern Methodist University “Female students exposed briefly to charismatic career women are inspired to pursue male-dominated field.” Southern Methodist example: Top female college students were inspired to pursue a major in economics when exposed very briefly to charismatic, successful women in the field. Among female students exposed to the enthusiastic mentors there was a 12-percentage point increase in the percentage of female students enrolling in the upper-level Intermediate Microeconomics course the following year — a 100% increase, or doubling, for that demographic. This intervention was especially impactful on the top female students who perhaps were not thinking about majoring in economics.

Educational Master Plan Long-range, comprehensive document intended to guide development of programs and services addressing special populations. Analysis Describe issues and performance gaps based on thorough analysis of data. Emphasizing results that do not meet targets. Emphasize performance trends and maintaining continuous improvement Strategy Identify strategies to address performance gaps. Consider proven practices, scientifically-based research How strategies will address the needs of special population students Action List action steps to improve performance. Consider the following: Specific, achievable interventions, measurable activities. Continuous improvement cycle SMART goals

Questions? Alyssa Bahr Casillas abcasillas@globallearningintl.org Tonette Salter Tonette.salter@gcccd.edu Tonette Continuous improvement cycle SMART goals