Alliance for College Readiness Martha Casazza September 29, 2010

 I had parents who did not complete a formal education but were strong advocates of education. They always told me and my siblings that education would be the way for us to get out of the migrant farm work cycle.

 I was one of those kids that so many of these programs are geared toward. My mother, father and I migrated to LA in the early 50s. They were very poor and we lived in a fairly poor part of town. My education in high school…was pretty nondescript and uneventful and certainly undistinguished…

 …You know I was doing my usual drifting through high school thing. I was sleepwalking through high school. But you know, like so many kids, I was just hungry for something, anything…I certainly know what it is like to sit there and look at books and not know what you are reading.

 At first I was really embarrassed about it, cause you know I didn’t understand it. And it was kind of like a shame like I had some type of disability. But somehow they helped to suppress that feeling about being embarrassed and stuff. They helped me…understand that everyone learns in a different way. That made me start feeling comfortable and…I was able to make assignments in my class focus more and complete those studies successfully.

 At the learning center, I can see a student holistically and I can come from the student’s point of view rather than from the informational broadcasting point of view that some faculty are tied to. That helps a lot in the classroom because I think you can be more sensitive to the individual.

 1. Provide Meaningful Access  2. Address the Whole Person  3. Integrate Support Systems  4. Develop Reward System that Values Teaching  5. Develop a Culture of Evidence

 Create Support System to Fit Institution’s Students and Mission  Create Academic Partnerships Across All Levels  Ensure that high schools raise expectations

 Consider the Changing Demographics  Integrate Cognitive and Affective Development  Emphasize Strategies over Skills  Create Intrusive Advising Systems  Monitor Progress Longitudinally

 Create System of Shared Decision Making  Decrease Dependence on External Funding  Build Academic Support into Institutional Strategic Planning

 Create Faculty Development Opportunities  Implement Institution-Wide System of Faculty Evaluation

 Build Comprehensive System of Assessment  Disseminate Data Widely to ALL Stakeholders  Provide evidence to encourage funding for seamless system of education

 …always remember that the job is about helping human beings to develop; it is not necessarily about gaining better skills in math. That is simply an instrument in helping people to grow…you will never forget what you will feel and what you get back from students that you really help. If you’re really there to help them, it will give you some life satisfactions that few people have.  Robert McCabe, former president Miami-Dade Community College