1. Ken Gonzalez, University of San Diego and Mary A. Millikin, Tulsa Community College 89th Annual AACC Convention April 5, 2009 Focus Groups: Putting the organizational intervention cart behind the research horse

2. “He who does not research has nothing to teach.” Proverb

3. Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count is a multiyear national initiative to help more community college students succeed. The initiative is particularly concerned about student groups that traditionally have faced significant barriers to success, including students of color and low-income students.

4. Achieving the Dream works on multiple fronts, including efforts at community colleges and in research, public engagement and public policy. It emphasizes the use of data to drive change.

5. Four Components 1. What’s Wrong? 2. Why? 3. Interventions 4. Assessment Source: Dr. Ken Gonzalez (2008)

6. What’s Wrong?

7. Achieving the Dream Goals Goal 1: Developmental courses Goal 2: Gatekeeper courses Goal 3: Complete courses successfully Goal 4: Re-enrollment (persistence) Goal 5: Completions

8. Disaggregated Student Success Data Gender, Ethnicity, Age Full-time vs. part-time status Income/Pell eligibility First generation college status ACT scores Placement scores Number of developmental needs Specific developmental needs Campus Degree type

9. Findings 25% of students leave by Spring semester 50% of students leave by next Fall semester Males are significantly less successful across the board African Americans are less likely to attain a “C” or higher, especially African American males Among non-traditional students, 20-somethings are least successful No difference was found between full-time and part-time students

10. 0 Developmental Areas 1 Developmental Area 2 Developmental Areas 3 Developmental Areas Graduation by Number of Developmental Areas Required

11. “What’s Wrong?” Prioritizing “What’s Wrong?” All-college professional development day to review findings Core team met to review College feedback Three prioritizes selected: Persistence Fall to spring Fall to fall Developmental reading Developmental mathematics

12. Four Components Gonzalez Model: Four Components What’s Wrong? (Quantitative Data) Goals Persistence (Year One) Developmental Reading (Year 2) Developmental Math (Year 3) African American Male initiative (Years 1-3) Why? (Focus Group Student Data) Revised Interventions New Interventions Policy Changes Assess Impact Source: Dr. Ken Gonzalez (2008)

13. Why?

14. Students No Degree Degree, Certificate Completion, Transfer Slightly altered from the article, “Developing local Models of minority student success. Padilla, Trevino, Gonzalez, and Trevino (1997). Three Assumptions of Framework: 1) Campus is a Black Box

15. Students No Degree Degree, Certificate Completion, Transfer Slightly altered from the article, “Developing local Models of minority student success. Padilla, Trevino, Gonzalez, and Trevino (1997). Three Assumptions of Framework: 2) Barriers are contextually dependent: Both Institutionally and by group type.

16. Students No Degree Degree, Certificate Completion, Transfer Slightly altered from the article, “Developing local Models of minority student success. Padilla, Trevino, Gonzalez, and Trevino (1997). Three Assumptions of Framework: 3) Students are viewed as the experts in terms of knowing barriers and how to overcome them.

17. Conduct Student Focus Groups Three focus groups per campusThree focus groups per campus 12 total groups12 total groups 101 total students101 total students Students volunteered and were accepted if they had completed their first semester in Fall 2007 and had re- enrolled in Spring 2008.Students volunteered and were accepted if they had completed their first semester in Fall 2007 and had re- enrolled in Spring 2008.

18. Four Components Gonzalez Model: Four Components What’s Wrong? (Quantitative Data) Goals Persistence (Year One) Developmental Reading (Year 2) Developmental Math (Year 3) Why? (Focus Group Student Data) TCC’s Top Persistence Barriers Adjusting to college Balancing school and life Textbook issues Tulsa Achieves Communication issues with instructors Choosing courses Revised Interventions New Interventions Policy Changes Assess Impact Source: Dr. Ken Gonzalez (2008)

19. Data-informed Interventions

20. Steps in Developing Data-informed Intervention(s) Reviewed specific barriers and challenges to student Persistence Attended AtD Strategies Institute Conducted literature review Reviewed existing interventions for applicability

21. TCC Persistence Interventions: Year 1 Develop and implement a Strategies for Success class for entering freshmen Develop advising intervention starting with entering freshmen Create communication protocol for Tulsa Achieve program entering freshmen

22. Four Components Gonzalez Model: Four Components What’s Wrong? (Quantitative Data) Goals Persistence (Year 2 – 4 ) Developmental Reading (Year 3 – 4 ) Developmental Math (Year 4 ) Why? (Focus Group Student Data) TCC’s Top Persistence Barriers Adjusting to college Balancing school and life Textbook issues Tulsa Achieves Communication issues with instructors Choosing courses Revised Interventions New Interventions Policy Changes Questions Assess Impact Develop and implement a Strategies for Success class for entering freshmen Develop advising intervention starting with entering freshmen Create communication protocol for Tulsa Achieve program entering freshmen Source: Dr. Ken Gonzalez (2008)

23. Assessment: Measuring impact

24. Assessment Results Pre- and Post-test of student self perceptions of college readiness (LASSI) Dependent t test resulted in significant increase in self perceptions of college readiness (95% confidence level) “Course in Reflection” essay evaluated by faculty on common rubric Single-sample t test resulted in significant increase from expected neutral value Retention of students in orientation class compared to freshmen who did not take orientation class. No significant difference in first semester

25. Four Components Gonzalez Model: Four Components What’s Wrong? (Quantitative Data) Goals Persistence (Year 2 – 4 ) Developmental Reading (Year 3 – 4 ) Developmental Math (Year 4 ) Why? (Focus Group Student Data) TCC’s Top Persistence Barriers Adjusting to college Balancing school and life Textbook issues Tulsa Achieves Communication issues with instructors Choosing courses Revised Interventions New Interventions Policy Changes Assess Impact Develop and implement a Strategies for Success class for entering freshmen Develop advising intervention starting with entering freshmen Create communication protocol for Tulsa Achieve program entering freshmen Formative: --Self perceptions of college readiness --“Course in Reflection” essay evaluated by faculty on common rubric Retention from fall to spring Summative: Success rates (C or better) in college-level courses Retention from fall to fall and fall to graduation. Source: Dr. Ken Gonzalez (2008)