Gateway Courses — Catalysts for Completion or Barriers to a Better Life? Andrew K. Koch Executive Vice President Gardner Institute Michigan Student Success Conference February 12, 2015 Copyright Gardner Institute, 2015

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3 About the Gardner Institute – Scholarship

Foundations of Excellence ® 4 Gateways to Completion ® Retention Performance Management™ About the Gardner Institute – Signature Processes

Cohort Institutions

Definition & Impact

Killer Courses Courses with high rates of unsuccessful outcomes ▫ D, F, Withdrawals and Incompletes ▫ Credit? ▫ Enrollment? What is your institution’s definition?

Killer Courses – Their Impact Answers in the Toolbox Academic Intensity, Attendance Patterns, & Bachelor’s Degree Attainment By Clifford Adelman

Why Addressing Killer Courses Matters Its About ▫ Teaching ▫ Learning ▫ Student Performance ▫ Institutional Performance & Funding Why Does It Matter to Your Institution?

Why Do Students Not Succeed? ?

Data from Foundations of Excellence

Foundations of Excellence ®

Average DFWI Rates for First Year Courses Four-Year Institutions Academic YearInstitutionsNumber of CoursesDFWI Average Rate % % % % % % % % % overall %

DFWI Rates by Course for Four-Year Institutions FieldNumber of CoursesDFWI Rate Economics 640% Math developmental 2738% Math college level 6337% History 2431% Biology 2128% Chemistry 1126% Psychology 6925% Philosophy 724% Political Science 1124% Sociology 2422% Computer 820% English college level 13420% Fine Arts 620% Health/PE 1319% FYS/ success 3716% Speech 3316% Religion 69%

Average DFWI Rates for First Year Courses Two-Year Institutions Academic YearInstitutionsNumber of CoursesDFWI Average Rate % % % % % % % & % overall %

DFWI Rates by Course for Two-Year Institutions FieldNumber of CoursesDFWI Rate Math developmental10044% English developmental2743% Math college level1642% Sociology1437% History1536% Computer3435% Biology933% English college level10533% Political science732% Psychology5731% FYS/ Success2728% Health/ PE626% Speech2324%

Percentage of High Enrollment Courses that Are High Risk Percent of Courses with DFWI Rate of 30% or More Academic Year2-Year Institutions4-Year Institutions %32% %30% %36% %25% %51% %27% %37% & %21% Overall68%30%

Data from Gateways to Completion

Choices Analytics Collaborative Teaching & Learning Academy Comprehensive jngi.org

G2C Founding Institutions

Column A. Course Column B. Number of Institutions Working on Course Column C. Average DFWI Rate for All Students Accounting % Biology % Chemistry % English – College Level % History % Math – College Level % Math – Developmental % Psychology % Early Lessons – Common Courses

Column A. Course Column B. Number of Institutions Working on Course Column C. Average DFWI Rate for All Students Accounting % Biology % Chemistry % English – College Level % History % Math – College Level % Math – Developmental % Psychology % Early Lessons – Common Courses

R I G O R O U S !

Race Matters ▫ And So Do Income and First- Generation Status Early Lessons – Demographics

Column A. Course Column B. Number of Institutions Working on Course Column C. Average DFWI Rate for All Students Accounting % Biology % Chemistry % English – College Level % History % Math – College Level % Math – Developmental % Psychology % Early Lessons – Demographics

Column A. Course Column B. Subpopulation Column C. Average DFWI Rate for Subpopulation AccountingAfrican American62.0% Hispanic / Latino69.5% First Generation48.2% Early Lessons – Demographics

Gateway Course Success is a DIRECT predictor of retention... Early Lessons – Persistence

Column A. Course Examples from Individual G2C Institutions Column B. Average DFWI Rate Column C. DFWI Rate for Non-Retained Eligible-to- Return Students* Column D. DFWI Rate for Academic Dismissal Students Principles of Accounting I 54.0%81.6%100% Foundation for Physiology / Biology 18.9%55.0%92.9% General Chemistry 36.3%73.9%82.4% Writing and Rhetoric I 10.6%25.8%61.4% Survey of American History 26.8%67.2%100% College Algebra 59.7%73.5%89.6% Beginning Algebra 24.4%65.1%100% (Introduction to Psychology 28.1%46.1%83.7% Mean of Average DFWI Rates for Examples 32.4%61.0%88.8% * These students left voluntarily. In other words, their lack of retention was not due to formal academic dismissal. Early Lessons – Persistence

Column A. Course Examples from Individual G2C Institutions Column B. Average DFWI Rate Column C. DFWI Rate for Non-Retained Eligible-to- Return Students* Column D. DFWI Rate for Academic Dismissal Students Principles of Accounting I 54.0%81.6%100% Foundation for Physiology / Biology 18.9%55.0%92.9% General Chemistry 36.3%73.9%82.4% Writing and Rhetoric I 10.6%25.8%61.4% Survey of American History 26.8%67.2%100% College Algebra 59.7%73.5%89.6% Beginning Algebra 24.4%65.1%100% (Introduction to Psychology 28.1%46.1%83.7% Mean of Average DFWI Rates for Examples 32.4%61.0%88.8% * These students left voluntarily. In other words, their lack of retention was not due to formal academic dismissal. Early Lessons – Persistence

R I G O R !

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R I G O R M O R T I S !

Actions to Address Failure

What does your institution do to: Identify high DFWI courses, especially those that are “gateways” to the major? Investigate causes? Address the problems?

Actions to Address Killer Courses Inform departments of DFWI rates Develop departmental / course action plans to enhance success in high DFWI courses Develop increased curricular & instructional support services for courses with high DFWI rates

Actions to Address Killer Courses Provide Supplemental Instruction Use Early Warning Use Analytics & Early Intervention Tools

Actions to Address Killer Courses Use DBER / SoTL / Engaging Pedagogies Use Common Syllabi / Tests / Etc. Faculty Discussions / Meetings

Actions to Address Killer Courses What Else?

G2C Students Non-G2C Students Retention83%72% Good Academic Standing (GPA > 2.0) 74%65% Resiliency54%41% Outcomes to Date – Retention

G2C Students Non-G2C Students Retention83%72% Good Academic Standing (GPA > 2.0) 74%65% Resiliency54%41% Outcomes to Date – Retention

G2C Students Non-G2C Students Retention83%72% Good Academic Standing (GPA > 2.0) 74%65% Resiliency54%41% Outcomes to Date – Retention

Outcomes to Date – Grades Year (2012 Baseline) Success Rate ABC Below Average Rate D Fail Rate F Withdraw Rate W 2012 N=432 41% 14%15%29% 2013 N=425 49% 18%15%18% 2014 N=379 58%13%7%22% Grade Differences in introduction to Accounting

Outcomes to Date – Grades Year (2012 Baseline) Success Rate ABC Below Average Rate D Fail Rate F Withdraw Rate W 2012 N=432 41% 14%15%29% 2013 N=425 49% 18%15%18% 2014 N=379 58%13%7%22% Grade Differences in introduction to Accounting

Outcomes to Date – Grades Year (2012 Baseline) Success Rate ABC Below Average Rate D Fail Rate F Withdraw Rate W 2012 N= %9%6%16% 2013 N= %6%8%16% 2014 N= %6%5%13% Grade Differences in College Algebra

Outcomes to Date – Grades Year (2012 Baseline) Success Rate ABC Below Average Rate D Fail Rate F Withdraw Rate W 2012 N= %9%6%16% 2013 N= %6%8%16% 2014 N= %6%5%13% Grade Differences in College Algebra

Digging Deeper & Doing More

April 12-14, 2015 Annual Gateway Course Experience Conference Save the Dates! Charlotte, North Carolina

Application due date: June 30, g2c-webinars/

Do Something!

Contact Information Andrew K. Koch ▫ Executive Vice President ▫