1. Leon Florendo, Ina Miller-Cabasug, and Judy Sokei Native Hawaiian Center Honolulu Community College Honolulu Community College Learning Communities: Meeting the Needs of Native Hawaiian Students

2. Learning Communities Program Learning Communities Program is a Best Practice at Honolulu Community College and supported by Title III First Year Experience (FYE) FYE focuses on providing first-year students the support and resources needed to successfully navigate their transition from high school to college.

3. Components of the First Year Experience www.honolulu.hawaii.edu/fye Learning Community (LC) Peer Academic Assistant (PA‘A) Mentors ‘Ike Zone (college success resources) Summer Bridge Tech Tools for the 21st Century College Student

5. HonCC FYE definition Learning Communities are: 1. two or more courses linked together to allow students and instructors to become an Ohana, 2. to work closely together, to foster deeper understanding of course content, 3. and to create an enhanced learning environment that is more academically and socially engaging to students.

6. History of LCs at HonCC Spring 2008 HWST 107 (9) – HIST 152 (9) Phil 198: Success Seminar (17) Fall 2008 ENG 100 (20) – SOC 100 (20) PHIL 100 (17) – SP 151 (17) ENG 22 (24) – PSY 100 (24) HWST 107 (17) – HIST 152 (17) Spring 2009 ENG 100 (20) – SOC 100 (20) PHIL 100 (14) – SP 151 (14) ENG 22 (24) – PSY 100 (23) HWST 107 (18) – HIST 152 (18) IS 297 (13) – MUS 253 (14) Summer 2009 ENG 22 – IS 103 (2 sections) Fall 2009 ENG 100 (20) – SOC 100 (20) PHIL 100 (22) – SP 151 (22) ENG 22 (22) – HWST 107 (22) Spring 2010 CHEM 100 (10) – MATH 25 (10) ENG 22 (17) – HWST 107 (17) ENG 22 (20) – HWST 107 (20) ENG 22 (14) – IS 197A (14) PSY 100 (20) – SP 151 (20) SOC 100 (22) – ENG 100 (22)

7. HonCC Spring 2010 Learning Communities: CRNCOURSECRDAYSTIMESLOCATION Max EnrTEACHER 20281MATH 253Tuesday & Thursday8:30 am-9:45 amBLD 7-50124S. Mandraccia 20819CHEM 1003Tuesday & Thursday10:00 am-11:15 am5-20724M. Ferguson 20820CHEM 100L1Tuesday11:30 am-2:20 pm5-21024M. Ferguson 20183SP 1513Monday & Wednesday10:00 am-11:15 am7-63220K. Kam-Kalani 20342PSY 1003Monday & Wednesday11:30 am-12:45 pm7-63220J. Higa-King 20222ENG 223Monday & Wednesday1:00 pm-2:15 pm7-42020T. Cubero 21190IS 197A1Monday2:30 pm-3:20 pm7-433L20L. Hinds 20867HWST 1073Tuesday & Thursday11:30 am-12:45 pm7-53320M. Luke 20228ENG 223Tuesday & Thursday1:00 pm-2:15 pm7-53320C. Gima 20241ENG 1003Monday & Wednesday10:00 am-11:15 am7-63420Jerry Saviano 20177SOC 1003Monday & Wednesday11:30 am-12:45 pm7-63420Fumiko Takasugi

8. HonCC Model What Works: Block Scheduling Integrated Curricula Cultural Excursions FYE Services: Early Alert Peer Mentors/Tutors STAR Academic Journey Counseling (Academic, Financial Aid and Personal) What Challenges: Enrollment Marketing Banner issues with scheduling Consistent Faculty Support Creating marketable Learning Communities

9. to students to faculty to the institution

10. benefits to Students Increased Academic Performance Increased integration of social and academic aspects of college Increased interaction between students and teachers Increased student engagement that build lasting friendships and support Increased understanding of interconnectedness of disciplines Increased number of coordinated classes, schedules, integrated curriculum taught by highly Trained and Motivated Teachers

11. benefits to faculty Enhanced leadership skills Increased interaction with students & colleagues Increased motivation, rejuvenation Widened scholarly interests New understandings of own discipline as well as inter-disciplinary connections Peer coaching/mentoring Satisfaction & participation = enjoyable professional development

12. benefits to the institution Supports the University of Hawaii Strategic Plan (Educational Effectiveness and Student Success) The Honolulu Community College Mission Statement (Creating Multicultural Environment and Opportunity to gain knowledge of host culture) The Title III Grant (Improve and Strengthen academic quality) The University College Commitment (Providing the information, tools, and skills to succeed in College) The Native Hawaiian Center Mission Statement (Committed to success of NH students)

13. Evaluations of Learning Communities Assessment Instruments used: Knowledge Surveys LC course surveys Instructor Evaluations Focus Group discussions Institutional Research Data

14. ….What Students Say? Fall 2009 Data

15. ….What Students Say?

16. ….Faculty Evaluations of What were the most SATISFYING aspects of teaching in a Learning Community? The students really had a sense of 'ohana and bonded with each other and with the instructors. They were also quicker to think critically. Watching some of the students bond and help each other out. You see how quickly students connect and help one another. The best parts of teaching an LC are the combined classes and combined assignments – they add "spice" to the traditional curriculum and allows more interaction between colleagues. Drawing connections between the two disciplines was the most satisfying aspect of teaching in a LC. Seeing the light go on in students' heads about how things were all connected was the biggest reward an instructor can possibly receive. Students feeling cared about, becoming closer to each other, supporting and connecting while performing better "in public" and better academically across the board. Helping developmental learners excel.

17. Achieving the Dream: Priority Area B: Developmental Intervention Evidence/Rationale: In Fall 2006, 39 out of 75 Native Hawaiian students successfully completed a developmental English course (approximately 52%). In developmental math, 40 out of 78 Native Hawaiian students completed successfully (approximately 51%). Measurable Change after Two Years: Increase the number to 50 in English and 52 in math for Native Hawaiian students who successfully complete the course (anticipated 61% success rate for both). Measurable Changes after Four Years: Increase the number to 60 in English and 61 in math for Native Hawaiian students who successfully complete the course (anticipated 69% success rate for both).

18. Honolulu Community College English Learning Communities (LC) Fall 2008 - Spring 2009

19. Classes Fall 2008 – Spring 2009 Total Registrations 3 Retention 1 Success 2 Retained Retention Rate (%) Successful Completion Success Rate (%) ENG2248641685.631264.2 LC sections484593.84185.4 Hawaiian Ancestry 4 181794.41688.9 Non-Hawaiian 5 302893.32583.3 Non-LC sections43837184.727161.9 Hawaiian Ancestry 4 1159380.96455.7 Non-Hawaiian 5 32327886.120764.1 ENG10087664974.150557.6 LC sections403075.02357.5 Hawaiian Ancestry 4 131184.6861.5 Non-Hawaiian 5 271970.41555.6 Non-LC sections83661974.048257.7 Hawaiian Ancestry 4 20315475.910853.2 Non-Hawaiian 5 63346573.537459.1 1 Retention includes students that have earned a final grade of A-F. 2 Successful completion includes students who have earned a final grade of C or better. 3 Total number of registrations at census. 4 Hawaiian Ancestry includes those who indicated Hawaiian ancestry on their UH System Application and those who either did not answer the question or answered in the negative but who indicated Hawaiian ethnicity. Retention and success rates are calculated using the total number of students of Hawaiian Ancestry as the denominator. 5 Retention and success rates are calculated using the total number of Non-Hawaiian students as the denominator. DATA SOURCE FILES: IRO_REGS (2008-8 CENSUS & EOS; 2009-1 CENSUS & EOS)

20. Honolulu Community College Learning Communities Retention and Success Rates for Fall 2008 to Spring 2009

21. Classes Fall 2008 – Spring 2009 Total Registrations 3 Retention 1 Success 2 Retained Retention Rate (%) Successful Completion Success Rate (%) ALL LC CLASSES 30927187.720967.6 Hawaiian Ancestry 4 110104 94.5 78 70.9 Non-Hawaiian 5 199167 83.9 131 65.8 ALL NON-LC SECTIONS 2,9612,47783.71,90564.3 Hawaiian Ancestry 4 712584 82.0 413 58.0 Non-Hawaiian 5 2,2491,893 84.2 1,492 66.3 LIBERAL ARTS CLASSES11,8179,29478.67,53363.7 Hawaiian Ancestry 4 2,6832,096 78.1 1,616 60.2 Non-Hawaiian 5 9,1347,198 78.8 5,917 64.8 ALL NON-LC CLASSES 22,94817,98078.415,56467.8 Hawaiian Ancestry 4 5,5674,247 76.3 3,595 64.6 Non-Hawaiian 5 17,38113,733 79.0 11,969 68.9 ALL CLASSES23,25718,25178.515,77367.8 Hawaiian Ancestry 4 5,6774,351 76.6 3,673 64.7 Non-Hawaiian 5 17,58013,900 79.1 12,100 68.8

22. Focus Group Information “which aspect of the learning community did you like best?” “…well, I guess for me uh just the fact that um you get to um get to know your classmates a lot better uh so the uh environment is a lot more comfortable. So where everybody will be more open to sharing ideas and you know just getting along you know cause the more comfortable you are the more you learn. That’s what I like the best.” “…the thing I enjoyed the most was that instead of all the traditional classes it’s kinda like you only see your students like 2 times out of the week. Then you never see them again. But with the learning communities because you at least get to see them in two classes you kind of get to know them better. You get closer with them, you’re more free to ask questions, people exchange information, everyone kind of helps each other out if they have questions. The exchange of ideas is better and it’s not like you’re in a class with a bunch of people you don’t know and you only see just for the class. So that’s it.” “…it provides a better opportunity to make good friends than a traditional class. And because you know the two teachers it’s like it’s almost like um double reinforcement cause they try to tie everything together in their classes. Like last semester uh Judy and Dr. Kam they really had an intricate [cough] excuse me can’t talk. That’s why I’m taking English right now. They really try to integrate it together so it was awesome.”

23. Lessons Learned: Problems Found Faculty Support Assessment/Survey Weary No Time to Assist in Development Busy Schedules Required Constant Reminders/Requests Data Collection Method/Analysis Course Scheduling

24. Persistence Leads to Graduation!

25. FYE/LC Best Practices in Assessment Q&A and Session Closure Question and Answer Session Sign up for current HonCC LC Literature and Assessment Reports HonCC FYE/LC Online Contact Info: Judy Sokei, LC Coordinator jsokei@hawaii.edu Office: 845 – 9185 Ina Miller-Cabasug, FYE Coordinator inamc@hawaii.edu Office: 844 – 2353 Leon Florendo, Native Hawaiian Counselor leonflor@hawaii.edu Office: 847 – 9805 honolulu.hawaii.edu/fye/lc Closing Remarks