1. Advancing Student Success in the California Community Colleges
Presentation to the American Association of Community Colleges
April 2013

2. Our Community Serving 2.4 Million Students
20% of all U.S. Community College Students
112 Colleges and 72 Off-Campus Centers

3. Fueling California’s Workforce
Our graduates and certificate earners:
Keep you safe ~ 80% of firefighters, EMTs and police officers are trained at our colleges
Keep you healthy ~
70% of California nurses are educated at community colleges
Innovate ~
48% of UC bachelor’s degree holders in STEM majors transferred from a community college

4. Transfer Mission
28% of UC graduates and 55% of CSU graduates start at a community college.

5. High Return on Investment
Californians with a degree will earn $1.3M more than with a high school diploma.
For every $1 California invests in a college graduate, it receives a net return of $4.50.
Californians with an associate degree nearly double their earnings in three years.

6. California and the U.S. Need More College-Educated Workers
Business leaders say hiring and retaining a qualified workforce is a daunting task.
In 2009, the Public Policy Institute of California estimated that by 2025 California will be short 1 million college degree and certificate holders.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that jobs requiring an associate degree will grow by 19% through 2018 – twice the rate of jobs requiring a bachelor’s degree.

7. Shrinking Budget vs. Growing Demand
Over the past four years…
Funding for community colleges has been cut $1.5 billion
Enrollment has decreased by more than 600,000 students (more students than currently attend all CSU campuses)
Demand has soared, with workers seeking retraining, record numbers of high school graduates, veterans returning and students being shut out from UC and CSU

8. Need for policies and practices that ensure student success
Recession substantially reduced resources. 47% of students cannot enroll in needed classes, compared to 28% nationwide
Low completion rates. Of the 77% of students who begin below transfer-level, only 41% ever achieve a certificate, degree, or transfer preparation
If we are forced to ration education, shouldn’t we do it rationally?

9. Student Success Task Force
In January 2011, the California Community Colleges Board of Governors established the Student Success Task Force
Task Force Goal: Examine best practices and models for accomplishing student success and present recommendations
Task Force Composition: 20 members from diverse internal and external stakeholders groups
12-month strategic planning process to improve student success
January – June 2011: The Task Force began analyzing and discussing topics such as college readiness and assessment, student services, basic skills instruction, and performance-based funding.
July – September 2011: Developed recommendations.
September 30, 2011: Released draft recommendations, currently being vetted statewide at conferences and public town halls.
November 9, 2011: The Task Force met to review feedback on draft recommendations.
January 2012: Final report presented to the Board of Governors in January and adopted.

10. A Bold Plan for Refocusing on Student Success
The Student Success Initiative will…
Improve educational outcomes and workforce preparedness and close achievement gaps for historically underrepresented students
Decrease time it takes students to earn a degree, certificate and/or transfer
Save students and taxpayers money through efficiencies

11. Task Force Recommendations Overview
Comprehensive plan to improve the System’s capacity to serve students:
Rebalance priorities within the community college system to better focus on the core missions of workforce preparation and transfer, while protecting access
Make community colleges more responsive to the needs of students and the economy
Increase student success rates for certificate and degree completion and transfer to four-year institutions

12. Re-Thinking How We Serve Students to Promote Success for All
Identify and close equity & achievement gaps:
Scorecard & Student Equity Planning
Triage services based on student needs
Broader approach to service delivery:
Pre- and post-enrollment services & supports, “just in time,” and intrusive services
Supports for at-risk students
Re-thinking student assessment– moving towards a more holistic approach based on a multiple measures & assessment of college readiness

13. Re-Thinking How We Serve Students to Promote Success for All
Improving communication to students on college expectations and strategies for student success in college
Early career and education goal planning – exploration of career interests (pre-application, pre-enrollment, and post-enrollment)
Declaring program of study and creating student education plan (initial & comprehensive)
Strengthen links with community groups and other partners: K-12, local workforce agencies, etc.

14. Eight Areas of Focus Increase college and career readiness
Strengthen support for entering students
Incentivize successful student behaviors
Align course offerings to meet student needs
Improve education of basic skills students
Revitalize and re-envision professional development
Enable efficient statewide leadership and increase coordination among colleges
Align resources with student success recommendations

15. Putting Recommendations into Action
Task Force made 22 specific recommendations
Action has been taken on 20 of the recommendations
Mix of implementation methods: Statutory and regulatory changes, adoption of best practices

16. Student Success Act of 2012
The Student Success Act of 2012, Senate Bill 1456, signed into law in September 2012
Targets funding to core services of orientation, assessment, counseling/advising to assist students with development of education plans
Focuses on helping new students define goals and get on track to achievement

17. Key Provisions
Mandates assessment, orientation, and education planning
Requires students to declare a course of study
Targets student support services funding model
Sets minimum academic standards for state financial aid
Establishes Student Success Scorecard at all colleges
7.3 Student Success Scorecard: Implement the accountability scorecard
2.1 Centralized Assessment: As a condition of receipt of funds, requires colleges to adopt common assessment if the college uses standardized assessment tests (when CCCAssess becomes available)

18. Other Approaches to Incentivize and Support Goal Completion
Statewide enrollment priorities that reward students for use of services and academic progress
More creative approach to service delivery to improve effectiveness and efficiency
Integrating institutional student success and student equity planning to address achievement gaps

19. Student Success Scorecard
Builds on previous accountability system and continues to measure “high-order” outcomes: Degree, Certificate, Transfer
Also measures “momentum points”
Focuses on institutional progress, rather than comparison with other colleges
Expands populations measured
Data broken down by race, ethnicity, gender, age group, and level of college preparation

20. Implementing the Scorecard
Accountability Advisory committee met January through June 2012
Created new and expanded data definitions
Refined focus on final outcomes and significant momentum points
Simplified levels of reporting and identified proper reports for different audiences

21. The Reporting Triangle

22. The Scorecard Went live second week of April
30,000 clicks in first two days

23. Student Success Scorecard homepage http://scorecard. cccco

24. Statewide tab

25. Student Success Initiative homepage http://californiacommunitycolleges

26. Thank you.