City Colleges of Chicago Building Bridges and Supporting Transitions to College Success Harry S Truman College Richard J. Daley College District Office Adult Education United States Conference on Adult Basic Education and Literacy March 18, 2010 Chicago, Illinois

Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO COABE/ ProLiteracy/ IACEA 2010 Conference Chicago, Illinois - March 18, 2010 The Truman College Adult Education Incentive Program: Creating a Culture of Going to College

Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO  Part of a seven-college multi-campus district (six of which have Adult Ed programs)  Located in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago, a port of entry for new immigrant communities  Largest and possibly most diverse Adult Education program in Illinois, serving about 13,000 students (unduplicated) per year, or about 7,000 per semester  Enrollment about 85% ESL (including Citizenship), 15% ABE/GED (including Spanish GED)

Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO  Is a Truman College transition program that allows advanced ESL and GED students to begin taking college credit courses tuition-free while enrolled in Adult Education, under carefully-controlled circumstances  Makes available a portion of the participants’ Incentive Program benefits only after they have fully transitioned to credit  Helps participants make significant progress toward a certificate or degree while in the program

Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO  Lack of academic preparation  Unfamiliarity with college-related vocabulary/concepts  Lack of knowledge about the college application process and student support services  Limited knowledge about potential careers and how to prepare for them  Low income  Low self-confidence

Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO  Started in 1998 for ESL students in advanced levels of ESL*  Originally conceived as a way to recruit students into credit and fill empty seats during Late Registration  Initially promoted to Adult Ed ESL students as a contextualized learning opportunity (“a good way to practice your English”) * At that time, GED students could participate in a similar program, Credit-in-Escrow, which primarily served Chicago Public School students. That program no longer exists.

Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO  Between summer 1998 and spring 2007, the Incentive Program served an average of 195 students per year (1,756 students, duplicated headcount total).  Participants took up to five credit courses over three semesters while dually enrolled in Adult Education.  The limited data available suggested that Incentive students got good grades and many transitioned fully to the credit program.

Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO  Increase awareness among Adult Ed students about opportunities available in other college divisions  Improve quality and quantity of advising  Require academic and career planning  Improve tracking  Increase the “incentive” to make a transition  Get students closer to a certificate or a degree

Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO  Formal application process (including teacher recommendation) implemented  Minimum standards established in order to continue in the following semester  Early registration now permitted and encouraged (i.e., students no longer limited to Late Registration)  Maximum of eight courses permitted with a portion made available after (and only after) full transition to credit

Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO Incentive candidates must…  Start the program while in Level 7 or College Prep ESL (Advanced ESL) or a GED-level course  Meet in-District residency requirements  Score 50+ in the native speakers’ COMPASS reading test  Intend to pursue a certificate or Associate degree at Truman College  NOT have taken any college courses in the US  Complete an Incentive application and obtain a teacher recommendation based on prior class performance

Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO The revised Incentive Program consists of two phases:  Phase 1: Students are enrolled in both Adult Education courses and credit courses.  Phase 2: Students have completed the Adult Education program and transitioned to the credit program (undergoing the full application process).

PHASE 1 Students limited to:  Three semesters maximum  One Incentive course per semester  Students not allowed to take credit Communication courses such as English, Reading, or Speech PHASE 2  Students may take the remainder of the eight allotted courses not taken while in Adult Education (e.g., if a student takes three Incentive courses in Phase 1, s/he may take five additional Incentive courses in Phase 2).  Students not limited in course selection except by prerequisites and/or their COMPASS placement results. Truman College One of the City Colleges of Chicago Truman College One of the City Colleges of Chicago

PHASE 1  Students must take the COMPASS test for native speakers and score 50+ (Reading).  Students may retake the test after completing a full ESL level in order to increase the range of courses they qualify for. PHASE 2  Students must go through “regular” college entrance testing before starting Phase 2 ▪ Native English speakers: Full version of COMPASS for native speakers and writing sample ▪ English language learners: COMPASS ESL, writing sample, and interview with Communications department Truman College One of the City Colleges of Chicago Truman College One of the City Colleges of Chicago

PHASE 1  Students are responsible for regular college credit registration fees ($75 for part- time students), plus any lab fees and books. PHASE 2  Students must enroll in and pay for one credit class ($79/credit hour, soon to increase) for every tuition-free Incentive class they receive in the same semester, in addition to paying for registration and lab fees and books. Truman College One of the City Colleges of Chicago Truman College One of the City Colleges of Chicago

Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO To maintain Incentive status, students…  Must have good attendance and participation in both Adult Education and credit courses  Must maintain a 2.0 GPA in the credit program, and receive a passing grade in their Adult Education courses  Cannot allow more than two consecutive semesters to elapse without enrolling in any Incentive courses

Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO  If a student withdraws from a class, it nevertheless counts as one of the eight Incentive classes permitted under the program in both phases.  Students who wish to withdraw from a class must do so formally with the assistance of a College Advisor or the Transition Liaison.

Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO  Links Adult Education with Credit and Continuing Education divisions  Coordinates and delivers workshops to inform ESL and GED students about the Incentive Program and college options beyond Adult Education  Meets with ESL and GED students individually to assist with setting educational goals  Coordinates the Incentive Program application process each term  Guides Incentive students while in the program  Tracks Incentive Program data for reporting

Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO Classroom Visits College 101 SessionsIncentive Information SessionsIndividual AdvisingIncentive RegistrationFollow-up and Tracking

Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO Total credit courses taken = 687

Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO

Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO

Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO

Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO No. of students:

Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO

Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO

Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO In addition to Adult Education administrators and staff…  College President and Vice President  Dean of Student Services  Dean of Instruction  Director of Admissions & Advising  Budget Director  Assessment Center Director

Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO  Buy-in and basic knowledge among Adult Education teachers and other support staff  Transition Liaison or similar position  Well-defined cycle of recruitment/registration activities  Support of Business Office staff in dealing with waivers

Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO Creating a culture of going to college among Adult Education students at Truman College!

Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO Truman College ONE OF THE CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO Armando Mata, Adult Education Dean Ann Darnton, Adult Education Assistant Dean Jay Landau, Transition Liaison Information online