The (Not So) Little Program that Could: Leading At-Risk Students Down the Pathway to College Completion

Pathway Program Genesis As four-year institutions in Virginia become increasingly competitive, more traditional- aged students are enrolling in community colleges with the intent of transferring. Many high school students who declare their intent to attend Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) are not successfully enrolling. The population of students in NOVAs service area who are academically-qualified but at-risk of persisting in post-secondary education continues to grow rapidly.

Program Development Timeline NOVAs President, Dr. Robert Templin, met with executive leadership of two K-12 systems (FCPS and LCPS) and George Mason University (2004) NOVAs President, Dr. Robert Templin, met with executive leadership of two K-12 systems (FCPS and LCPS) and George Mason University (2004) Executive leadership established a multi-institutional Task Force to address regional issues and educational trends in the region ( ) Executive leadership established a multi-institutional Task Force to address regional issues and educational trends in the region ( ) Program Charter completed and ratified; Memoranda of Agreement approved (2005) Program Charter completed and ratified; Memoranda of Agreement approved (2005) Program pilot launched in 12 high schools in FCPS and LCPS ( ) Program pilot launched in 12 high schools in FCPS and LCPS ( )

Current Pathway Program Consortium

Pathway Consortium Operations Consortium is run by an External Steering Committee with representation from all program partners Consortium is run by an External Steering Committee with representation from all program partners External Steering Committee is comprised of senior leaders from program partners (Director, Vice President, Assistant Superintendant, Provost, etc.) External Steering Committee is comprised of senior leaders from program partners (Director, Vice President, Assistant Superintendant, Provost, etc.) Steering Committee meets annually to review program goals, operations and to approve calendar and process for following year Steering Committee meets annually to review program goals, operations and to approve calendar and process for following year Additional meetings with individual program partners are held on an as-needed basis Additional meetings with individual program partners are held on an as-needed basis

Pathway Student Selection Criteria Strong post-secondary academic potential Long-term academic goal is to complete a baccalaureate degree Desire and focus toward future academic achievement Strength of character and maturity Appropriate attendance and behavioral conduct Participation in another college access program

At-Risk Population 93% of Pathway students meet one or more US Department of Education criteria known to adversely affect academic persistence in college: Immigrant or child of immigrant parents Member of a minority group Low income or single parent household First generation college student Presence of a disability Ward of the state

At-Risk Population 100% of Pathway students are faced with one or more of the US Department of Educations Barriers to College Success: Academic Social Informational Complexity Financial

Pathway Student Data High School GPA Range: Median GPA (HS): % of students completed at least one college-level course while enrolled in high school 55% of students completed at least one Tech Prep or Vocational/Technical course while enrolled in high school 46% of FAFSA-filers are within 250% of Federal Poverty Level 72% are immigrants or children of immigrant parents

Regional vs. Program Demographics

The Pathway to the Baccalaureate Model Cohort-Based Intrusive & Developmental Financial Support One-Stop Case Management

Key Program Interventions High school program services provided on- site at participating high schools during regular school hours True one-stop, case management model providing intrusive, developmental advising Financial literacy training and program- specific grants and scholarships Learning community & cohort-building beginning in high school Early, continuous investment by all consortium members in student success

Transition Program Placement testing, academic advising and early course registration on-site at high schools Counselors as liaisons with high school & college departments and ensure that all required documentation has been submitted Transition Counselors work on-campus in July and August (funded by NOVA) to verify that transition processes are completed Hand-off to Retention Program

Retention/Transfer Program Continued one-stop, case management model Bridge and learning community courses Academic, transfer, career, and social programming at NOVA and Mason Early Alert Program: mid-semester progress Mandatory academic advising each semester (THE HOLD!) Required participation in campus life and community service Early, Guaranteed Admission to George Mason with GPA (2.85 F2013) and an Associate in Arts or Sciences Degree

New Initiatives Enhanced student support Enhanced student support Increased expectations and enforcement Increased expectations and enforcement Service Learning and Leadership Service Learning and Leadership Student Learning Outcomes focused on mapping the path to success Student Learning Outcomes focused on mapping the path to success Expansion of optional parental programming Expansion of optional parental programming

Retention Program at Mason Continued academic monitoring by Pathway Advisor at Mason Comprehensive orientations for transfer students Continued participation in cohort meetings, workshops, and events for Mason degree candidates Early review for Mason financial aid Mentoring of younger program students

Program Assessment Data 85% of cohorts 1-5 successfully transitioned from high school to higher education (National Average: 63% in 12 years)* 98% of students earn college credit in the first year (National Average: 47% in 12 years)* First to second semester persistence rate for cohorts 1-5: 90% (NOVA average: 77%) Year-to-year persistence rate for cohorts 1-5: 81% (NOVA average: 65%) * US Department of Education, NEL Study

Program Assessment Data 73% of students in good academic standing after the first semester (Average among similar control groups: 40-50%)* 66% of deferral and stop-out students enroll or re-enroll within one year 72% of participants receive Federal Financial Aid Four year Pathway graduation rate is double NOVAs general graduation rate * Lumina Foundation, May 2004 Newsletter

Current Pathway Funding Model School systems and NOVA jointly fund the Pathway Program, with minimal grant support School systems and NOVA jointly fund the Pathway Program, with minimal grant support Cost of program to district is based upon number of schools and students served Cost of program to district is based upon number of schools and students served Each transition counselor serves up to 360 high school students Each transition counselor serves up to 360 high school students Each retention counselor serves up to 500 college students Each retention counselor serves up to 500 college students High schools selected at discretion of school system based on funding and need High schools selected at discretion of school system based on funding and need

College Readiness Pilot Pathway Connection College Readiness pilot launch in Pathway Connection College Readiness pilot launch in Focus on reducing need for remediation among at-risk students by 50% Focus on reducing need for remediation among at-risk students by 50% Pathway Connection will use a one-stop, case management approach to early remediation of lagging academic skills Pathway Connection will use a one-stop, case management approach to early remediation of lagging academic skills Two year program pilot will serve th and 11 th grade students at 8 high schools Two year program pilot will serve th and 11 th grade students at 8 high schools

Replication Strategies Start Small! Start Small! Establish Strong Partnerships at Every Level Establish Strong Partnerships at Every Level HONEST discussions of regional issues and needs HONEST discussions of regional issues and needs Create a taskforce, share & compare data Create a taskforce, share & compare data JOINT ownership is critical : OUR students JOINT ownership is critical : OUR students Might only replicate pieces Might only replicate pieces

Questions, more information? Pathway to the Baccalaureate Management Team: Kerin Hilker-Balkissoon, Director Shannon Ingram, Coordinator, Transition Monica Gomez, Coordinator, Pathway Connection Fran Troy, Coordinator, Retention, Follow us: Facebook: