One System…One Mission The Florida College System Cassandra Brown Coordinator of Postsecondary Readiness Division of Florida Colleges January 15, 2013 General Information and Update

Getting Started Florida College System Admissions Overview of Florida College System Admissions Process Transcripts and Test Scores Types of Degrees Offered Postsecondary Education in the NEFEC Region Resources for College Planning Core to College

The Florida College System Serves almost one million students  28 colleges, 62 campuses Almost 70% of Florida high school graduates attend a Florida College  Over 40% transfer to a SUS after A.A Miami Dade College is the largest and most diverse college in the nation!  174,000 students Valencia Community College won best college in the nation! –Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence  14 additional Florida colleges recognized

Are Florida Colleges Selective? Florida colleges are open-access which means entry into the college is not selective and provides an equal opportunity for everyone to enter regardless of high school grades, current academic skills, or age.  This does not mean that coursework in colleges is easier.  This does not mean that everyone will start at the same level – some may need additional classes to build up their skills.

Application Process Florida Gateway College Complete an Application  Online or Print Online Print  Submit Florida Residency Form Documentation that your parents are Florida residents for tuition purposes  Pay application fee Have transcripts sent Submit placement test scores  ACT, SAT, CPT, FCAT, PERT

Transcripts Transcripts are the official record of grades and graduation date. Students will need ask the high school to send transcripts to every school of interest. You can apply and send transcripts early.  Remind students to re-send transcripts with final grades after graduation.

Placement Tests ACT and SAT scores are used to place you into the appropriate level of courses.  Example: Intermediate Algebra vs. College Algebra or Calculus.  ACT and SAT test scores are not used for admissions into a Florida College.  PERT and CPT scores taken for dual-enrollment can be used for placement. The highest test scores from each test are used.  Scores valid for 2 years If the student does not have a test score, they will be administered the PERT at a Florida college.

College Credit Earned in High School Florida colleges may provide college credit for completion and satisfactory scores for  Advanced Placement (AP)  International Baccalaureate (IB)  Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE)  College Level Examination Program (CLEP)  Dual-enrollment Students will need to make sure to provide scores or that they appear on your transcript.

Types of DegreesOffered Valencia College A.S. vs. A.A. Valencia College A.S. vs. A.A Associate in Science (A.S.) Degree “Provides specific knowledge to perform and excel in a particular profession.”  May transfer to related bachelor degree programs at a Florida college or state university.

Associate in Arts (A.A.) The Transferrable Degree Requires 60 college credits for completion of degree.  Includes 36 hours of general education courses and 24 electives. After earning an A.A. degree, students are guaranteed acceptance to one of Florida's 12 state universities or a Florida college.

Bachelor’s Degree Bachelor – an undergraduate academic degree in a specific course of study Available at 21 colleges Bachelor’s degrees are offered in areas of high- need and critical shortages:  Education– Business  Nursing – Healthcare  Technology – Management  And others as identified by the local community At Florida colleges, these degrees are designed for individuals already in a career or planning to enter a profession right after graduating.

Types of Programs Each college has a variety of programs and departments of specialty including  Science and Mathematics  Healthcare  Technology  Humanities  History and Social Science Florida colleges also have Honors Programs. Visit each college website or tour for additional information.

Why some may choose a Florida College Convenience  Close to home  Same curriculum as state university system  Variety of sports, clubs and activities Low student/faculty ratio  Smaller class sizes  Personal attention Cheaper tuition  About 40% less than a state university 2+2  Guaranteed transfer to state university system institution with A.A

2+2 – Statewide Articulation Agreement Designed to allow students to successfully pursue a bachelor’s degree by first attending a college and then transferring to a 4-year institution. The state of Florida guarantees that students who complete an AA degree at a community college have the opportunity to enroll in and earn a bachelor’s degree at one of Florida’s state universities or Florida Colleges. Example: Direct Connect – Valencia to UCFDirect Connect – Valencia to UCF

College of Central Florida

Daytona State College

Florida Gateway College Florida Gateway College Video Embed

Florida State College of Jacksonville

North Florida Community College

Santa Fe College

St. Johns River State College Video

Smart College Choices Program Title Number Completed Number Continued Education Percent Continued Education Number Employed Percent Employed Estimated Average Annual Full-Time Wage Nursing (Associate Degree) RN4,5651,27527% 3,91085% $51,284 Law Enforcement Officer2, % 1,94484% $43,432 Emergency Medical Technician (Basic)--ATD1, % 1,20272% $29,452 Educator Preparation Inst.1, % 1,23779% $40,748 Emt - Basic1, % 1,04371% $32,160 Correctional Officer1, % 1,08889% $37,896 Fire Fighter II1, % 86276% $37,392 Paramedic1, % 92189% $47,232 Business Specialist % 47665% $32,248 Practical Nursing % 57184% $34,748

Resources for College Planning KnowHow2Go.org College.gov College Board – Plan for College  ACT – College Planning 

One System…One Mission

Background In September of 2011, the Common Core State Standards and Assessments: K- 12/Postsecondary Alignment Grant was announced. Florida submitted a proposal in response to the goals of the grant. Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors announced Florida as one of ten states to receive a grant.  Core to College States - Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oregon and Washington

Goals of Grant Increase faculty knowledge and awareness of the Common Core State Standards Promote strong collaboration and alignment between the higher education institutions and the K-12 sector Support the implementation and use of the Common Core State Standards and assessments to drive higher levels of college readiness among students, and ultimately greater college completion.

Future Projects CCSS Higher Education Institute  An opportunity for college faculty to gain an in- depth understanding of the CCSS.  Collaboration between teacher preparation program faculty and liberal arts and sciences faculty. Creating Core Teams  Interested faculty are forming teams of 4-5 for long-term participation (Ongoing) Core to College Summit  Opportunity for colleges and districts to come together and alignment and collaboration ideas.

Support for Goals and Projects Professional development for both faculty and teachers Webinars on CCSS, PARCC Website to share resources Core Faculty listserv Core to College newsletter Resources for Core Faculty to deliver CCSS/PARCC sessions at their institution

One System…One Mission Examples of Collaboration

Edison State - College Readiness Conference Invited various stakeholders  College faculty members (dev. ed and liberal arts and science faculty) school district personnel, teachers and college administrators The conference provided participants with  Student data from recent high school graduates who applied to the institution  An overview of the CCSS and PARCC  Opportunity to work with others in their content area to answer questions related to the rigor of the standards  Opportunity to discuss college-readiness

North Florida Community College - Collaboration and Alignment Face-to-face round table teacher development activities on campus Establish a Desire2Learn (D2L) online classroom in which team members can post information and dialogue Use current, reliable data to evaluate the remedial and college readiness need at individual schools, and to evaluate the effectiveness of alignment activities Faculty and district teachers will visit each other’s classrooms to observe or even to engage with each other’s students.

Florida Gateway College – District Engagement President invited all district Superintendents and Curriculum Specialists. Open dialogue about resources and how FGC could assist districts. Key discussion topics included STEM, Career and Technical Education, and Common Core.

One System…One Mission Questions?

Contact Information Cassandra Brown, Coordinator of Postsecondary Readiness Division of Florida Colleges 325 W. Gaines Street, Suite 1532 Tallahassee, Florida (850)