Evaluating Learning Support Prerequisites: Improved Access through Revised Comparison Groups Dr. Jennifer Brezina Volunteer State Community College TASSR, October 2018

Purpose of Prerequisites Encourage student success by ensuring background skills and knowledge are in place before the class begins Important for sequential curriculum Important for non-sequential curriculum?

Prerequisites at Volunteer State Many courses with prerequisites of college-level placement in reading and writing Typical 1st semester schedule for student needing reading and writing learning support: ENGL 1010/0810 READ 0810/VSCC 1000 (College Success) MALDEF 1991, Not common in TN but not alone, Pressure on ENGL and READ, Program of Study implications, approval by CC but largely on department recomendation

Fall 2015 Pilot A small pilot group of students who had learning support placements were permitted to enroll in select General Education courses: 1305 students with ENGL 1010 placement 158 students with English Learning Support needs: 59 Reading, 86 Writing, 13 Both

Initial Results

Discussion: Reasonable Prerequisite? What does the disparity in success rates tell you? What conclusions can you make? Should the prerequisite be maintained?

Revised Comparison Group Results BIG thank you to Joe Gerda and Daylene Meuschke!

Further Analysis: Grades Earned

Further Analysis: Substandard Grades

Discussion: Reasonable Prerequisite? What does the similarity in success rates tell you? What conclusions can you make? How does shifting the comparison group change the interpretation of the Fall 2015 data? Should the prerequisite be maintained?

Additional Data: Spring 2016 and Average Success Rates N=26 R ENGL 1030, N=15 W THEA 1030

Additional Data: SOCI 1010

Limits to Available Data Small sample size of students placed into learning support in Fall 2015 pilot (example: only 40 pilot students in THEA 1030 in Fall 2015) Small number of pilot courses (only four courses) Anecdotal reports from faculty Placement variables/validity

More Discussion – Reasonable Prerequisite? What does this additional data suggest? How does it complicate the previous data and earlier conclusions? What are reasonable criteria for prerequisites? What data should be considered?

Next Steps for Volunteer State Prerequisites removed from ART 1035, ENGL 2860, THEA 1030 for Fall 2018 at faculty request Ongoing discussion and campus-wide review of prerequisites Continued discussion of supports for faculty and students Continued data collection and analysis

Discussion: Support Implications What resources are needed to support students at varying levels of academic preparation? What types of support for students would be helpful? What types of support for faculty would be helpful? What types of support is helpful in the second and following semesters?

Discussion: Research Implications What data do we need to make good decisions? How can we use data more effectively? How do we move data conversations on our campuses (“Compared to what?”)?

Discussion: Campus Climate How do we create campus cultures that support students at varying levels of academic preparation? How do we communicate about student success? How do we design and support better conversations around data?