Ready for College in Colorado: Evaluation of the Colorado SUN and the College Connection Program

Adult education programs serve a wide range of students, including out-of-school youth who seek pathways back to the educational system. In the fall of 2007, the state of Colorado received one of four federal grants from the Ready for College (RFC) grant program of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE). Ready for College grantees were required to identify and document educational practices of state and local agencies and were tasked with enhancing curricula; providing professional development for instructional staff; and identifying effective student support strategies (see: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/AdultEd/factsh/ready-for-college-adult.pdf). State agencies or local entities in four states, Kansas, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Colorado, were the recipients of the grants.

The Colorado Success UNlimited Initiative (CO SUN) was designed to identify and enhance innovative practices from Colorado’s Adult Education and Family Literacy program and extend them to other adult education centers across the state. The project was commissioned by the Colorado Community College System (CCCS) Foundation, and it aligned with other initiatives of the Governor’s P-20 Education Coordinating Council, the Colorado Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, Title II of the Workforce Investment Act, and other state agencies.

The overarching goal of CO SUN was to create innovative transition programs and practices to promote the successful transition of out-of-school youth to community colleges. As conceptualized in the proposal to OVAE, the CO SUN Initiative emphasized implementation of College Connection, an 8-week accelerated bridge program designed to transition out-of-school youth into college and to assess student outcomes associated with their transition-to-college experience. The College Connection program was modeled after the FastStart program developed by the Community College of Denver, and it integrated instructional strategies and student supports used by the Community College of Denver with approaches used by Colorado’s adult education programs. In particular, the College Connection program integrated the core academic subjects of math, English, and reading with critical thinking, career exploration, academic advising, and college success. College Connection also included professional “navigators” or case managers who were committed to assisting students in overcoming barriers to their successful transition to college. Many of the CO SUN Initiative components are aligned with the goals of Adult Career Pathway (ACP) programs (see resources available on the ACP Training and Support Center website: http://www.acp-sc.org).

Colorado SUN was initially implemented by five community colleges in the first year and expanded to seven community colleges in the second year. During the third year when a no cost extension was secured, three sites continued to offer one or two cohorts. Overall, the seven sites offered one to four cohorts of College Connection beginning summer 2008 through September 2010, totaling 15 cohorts. Six of the seven sites enrolled RFC-qualified students in their cohorts.

This evaluation utilized qualitative and quantitative methods to examine Colorado’s RFC initiative, including documenting implementation of key components of the College Connection program and assessing student performance on required OVAE performance measures and related outcomes identified by the CCCS leadership as important to the Colorado context. The primary objectives of the evaluation of CO SUN were a) to determine the extent to which the CO SUN Initiative resulted in positive outcomes for out-of-school youth, including learning gains, college readiness, and transition to the community college, b) to assess student perceptions of CO SUN components and strategies, particularly college validation, navigator support, college readiness, and student supports and services, and c) to describe how key CO SUN strategies encourage retention and transition of out-of-school youth and contribute to student success.

The core components of the CO SUN model include the College Connection program that offers accelerated and compressed curriculum in math, English, and reading. Learner-centered instructional strategies and support services are offered to enhance the success of the learners. Student recruitment, learning communities, navigators or case managers, wrap-around services, and formal and informal assessments are also implemented to encourage student success. This student-focused teaching and learning process is bolstered by professional development and continuous improvement that brings staff together to examine their practices and use data to make improvements. Together, these core components coalesce to promote successful student outcomes (see Figure 1).

Figure 1: Core Components of the College Connection Program Model

Promising Results

Results of the evaluation reveal promising outcomes for the overall learner group, referred to as the CO SUN participants, and for the sub-group of students who met the RFC criteria: a) was 18 to 24 years of age prior to or during the CO SUN program, b) had taken the TABE reading or math pretest, or both, and c) had 60 percent or better attendance in the CO SUN program. The following results provide insights into the impact of the College Connection program on student outcomes:

• The majority of RFC learners showed gains on the TABE reading and math tests. Of the 56 RFC learners who had the pre- and posttest scores required to compute gain scores, 38 (67.8 percent) showed a gain of one level or more on the TABE reading test, math test, or both.
• A total of 16 (26.2 percent) RFC learners tested college ready in at least one subject. For these 16 RFC learners, seven placed into college-level English, seven placed into college-level reading, and five placed into college-level math. Six RFC learners were college-ready in more than one subject.
• The majority of RFC learners in five of six pilot sites showed one or more level gains in developmental math, with 64.6 percent of the RFC learners in Site 1, 73.9 percent in Site 2, 100 percent in Site 3, and 50 percent in Sites 4 and 5 showing one or more level gains. A sizeable percentage of RFC learners showed two or more level gains in math in three sites, specifically 35.2 percent of RFC learners in Site 1, 30.4 percent in Site 2, and 100 percent in Site 3.
• RFC learners in five sites showed gains of one or more levels in developmental reading, with 59.9 percent of RFC learners in Site 1 showing a gain of one or two levels and 55.5 percent of RFC learners in Site 2 showing a similar level of achievement. Half to two-thirds of RFC learners in two other sites demonstrated a gain of one level.
• RFC learners in two pilot sites showed gains of one or more levels in developmental English, specifically 59.5 percent of RFC learners in Site 1 and 50 percent of RFC learners in Site 3. Between 22 percent and 37.5 percent of RFC learners in three other sites showed a one-level gain.
• A total of 49 (80.3 percent) of the 61 RFC learners enrolled in college-level community college courses, either while participating in the CO SUN program or after completing it. The average number of college credits earned was 10.2.

These quantitative results are supported by qualitative data gathered through one-on-one and small group interviews with students and instructors, and through the open-ended responses of students on a questionnaire about the College Connection program. To provide an understanding of students’ appreciation for the program and how it contributed to their learning experience, selected comments follow:

“I have experienced the best summer out of all of them. It’s been a lot of help because I finally found what my true passion is. I have learned many time management skills and ways to work around my schedule. I have learned a lot and feel prepared for college.”

“Being in College Connection felt like it was a helping hand [and a] stepping [stone] into college. It helped me lose some [of my] fear of college as well as helped me gain more confidence with basics in literacy and math.”

“The teachers and the navigator helped me with not only school but [with] issues that were preventing me from succeeding in college. I had no home to call my own, and with their help I received the encouragement to find a home and apply for a home.”

The state of Colorado was encouraged to consider the following recommendations to support future implementation of college transition programs that serve out-of-school youth.

• Adult education and developmental education instructors should work collaboratively to offer accelerated and compressed curriculum and help students make the “college connection”.
• Qualified professionals from across relevant sectors should engage in aligning pre-college instruction with college level content and instruction.
• College transition programs for out-of-school youth should include a student support professional or case manager who helps to “navigate” students through their initial college transition experiences and support their success.
• Educational leaders across the system should create bridges through policy and program mechanisms that enhance students’ opportunities to achieve successful outcomes.
• Diverse formats should be used to deliver professional development opportunities for instructors, including meetings where staff are physically present and engaged in active learning activities and formats such as video teleconferencing, online coursework and other technology-enhanced formats that engage educators in their own settings.
• Data should be collected and analyzed on an on-going basis to assess program quality and student outcomes and support continuous program improvement that is dedicated to student success.
• Changes associated with CO SUN that show promising outcomes should be institutionalized and integrated into the larger state adult and postsecondary education systems.

Resource Connection:

Resources developed by the CO SUN project directly applicable to ACP programs include: Colorado SUN Navigator Manual, Colorado SUN Implementation Guide, and supporting resources on assessment, pedagogy, and college and career readiness. To access project resources, visit http://www.acp-sc.org/resources/digital-colorado-success-unlimited-toolbox.html

A copy of the technical report on the Colorado SUN evaluation can be downloaded from the OCCRL website at: http://occrl.illinois.edu/files/Projects/colorado_sun/Report/CO_SUN_Final_Eval.pdf

Contributed by:

Debra D. Bragg, Professor of Higher Education and Director, Office of Community College Research and Leadership, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Building Bridges Program Offers Recipe for Student Success with Blend of ESL and Food Handler’s Curriculum

Kingsborough Community College (KCC), one of the City University of New York’s (CUNY) six community colleges, is home to a unique curriculum for English language learners (ELLs) interested in careers in the Culinary Arts. The program, Building Bridges to Success, is an outgrowth of a New York State (NYS) Department of Labor grant designed to create a food handler’s curriculum for ESL students. Titled “No Limits,” the original program engaged two student cohorts who piloted introductory Culinary Arts content tailored for the ESL population. Frank Milano, KCC’s Director of ESL Programs, said it took a couple of cohorts to “work out the kinks” while developing a program that could be accessible and replicable for use around the country by any institution with a Culinary Arts program. Much of the curriculum was actually developed while the first two cohort classes were in session.

There had to be some give and take from both the content specialist and ESL instructor and the program had to compete for kitchen space at the college, but Milano says the growing pains were well worth the effort. The program now runs like a well-oiled machine and 153 students have successfully completed in the past three years.

The Building Bridges to Success program offers a holistic instructional model to 50 intermediate-level ELL students per year (two cohorts of 25 students per year) recruited from KCC classes and participating employers’ worksites. The program is based on the Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) model that has achieved success with low skilled workers in Washington State and combines a contextualized ESL, workforce training, and higher education approach that has proven effective in helping low-level students achieve entrance and advancement to higher skilled, higher-paying career pathways. The program is designed for anyone who is working in or aspiring to work in food service, including, but not limited to hotels, restaurants, catering halls, and institutional food services such as schools, hospitals, and assisted living facilities. The program currently receives financial support from the NYS Department of Education to carry out Workforce Investment Act (WIA) ELL services. Pending satisfactory performance, availability of funding, and the continuation of the current federal WIA legislation, subsequent awards for twelve-month program periods will continue through June 30, 2013.

The Building Bridges program consists of 13 weeks of coursework, delivered through 15 hours of instruction per week. Five of those hours each week are with the ESL instructor and the remaining hours are jointly taught by the ESL instructor and chef in the kitchen. Total program length is 200 hours, 120 of which are spent in the kitchen. Students prepare for three industry certification exams including the ServSafe exam, the Food Production Manage First exam, and the NYS Department of Health Food Protection exam. As part of the program, students are required to cater at least one event on campus that demonstrates the skills they have acquired. Program participants must also create a virtual restaurant or catering business. Students develop the concept for a food establishment that can range from a family-owned restaurant to a large-scale banquet facility, to a catering company, or even a small-town bed and breakfast. Students must present their plan by delivering a cohesive PowerPoint presentation and preparing a personal signature dish (not virtual) specific to their business theme. The project requires students to conduct research to gain more knowledge about their chosen idea and to identify similar businesses that already exist. PowerPoint presentations must include the business mission, description of premises, hours of operation, special features, and the recipe for the signature dish. Milano points out that the classes are very interactive and students engage in authentic and meaningful discussions. “When I was an ESL instructor, I used to struggle to create authentic communication in an unnatural classroom environment, but with this type of program, it all happens easily, naturally, and authentically,” Milano says. Students who pass all three certification exams and receive a satisfactory grade can also bank up to six credits for their experience if they decide to major in Culinary Arts at KCC.

The most recent student cohort, which completed the program in April 2011, reported very strong end-of-program results, similar to those of previous cohorts. Pass rates of students taking the industry certified exams were: 96 percent on the NYS Department of Health Food Protection exam, 100 percent on the nationally recognized ServSafe exam, and 100 percent on the nationally recognized Food Production ManageFirst examination. To date, more than half of past program completers have transitioned to continued education at institutions within the CUNY system.

KCC’s Food Handler’s Curriculum is available online for use by other institutions. The program website features a teacher’s guide, weekly lesson plans, and worksheets to support the certificate exams.

To learn more about the program, contact Frank Milano at Frank.Milano@kbcc.cuny.edu

Ivy Tech Leverages Career Pathways Model to Support Educational Needs of Re-Entry Prisoners

In 2010, Ivy Tech Community College, the community college system of Indiana, was asked to partner with the Indiana Department of Corrections to provide adult education services (GED, literacy, and career technical programs) to incarcerated individuals in facilities across the state. Initially, the Ivy Tech team was concerned about how they could best deliver the training provided in career technical courses in such a way that employers would value the training once an offender was released. After just a few meetings between the two state entities, it that became clear that college credit and/or third-party certifications would not only verify attainment of industry recognized skills but provide the opportunity for re-entry prisoners to further their educational goals upon release.

The Ivy Tech team considered various models for connecting incarcerated students with career opportunities that would simultaneously give students a head start and a bridge to further education, particularly in sectors most likely to provide employment prospects for those previously incarcerated. It became obvious to the Ivy Tech team that the career pathways model recently implemented in partnership with the Indiana Department of Workforce Development would best serve the target population. To ensure the curriculum delivered in the correctional facilities would meet the identified goals, the Ivy Tech team reviewed the foundational credit courses already part of approved career pathways programs and linked these courses to programs appropriate for delivery in the correctional facilities. To accommodate credit, training, and assessment concerns, three major factors had to be addressed:

• The classes listed in Table 1 became a part of their “non-credit” counterpart that would be taught at the correctional facilities. All non-credit Curriculum Outlines of Record for these non-credit courses were designed containing all objectives outlined within their credit counterpart and in some cases, objectives were added to the non-credit program.
• One common book or pair of textbooks from the college’s approved book list for credit courses was chosen for each program.
• Training and assessments toward third-party certifications that cross-walked to specific credit courses were built into the non-credit program as a standard part of the curriculum.

The plan was presented to each curriculum committee within Ivy Tech to ensure their approval of credit for incarcerated individuals who will connect with an Ivy Tech Campus upon release. Although all students completing the non-credit course will have to show college-level readiness to receive credit, they will have the opportunity to do so through free assessments and/or providing standardized test scores. It is estimated that nearly 90 percent of all Department of Corrections offenders are released within 30 miles of an Ivy Tech campus. Through the new educational partnership, offenders completing Ivy Tech courses, prerelease, will have a much more seamless transition to credit attainment and certificate or degree completion. With Ivy Tech providing the basic educational services at all adult correctional facilities, the standardization of services will be optimized throughout the state.

To date, Ivy Tech has facilitated 310 certifications awarded to students in areas ranging from Culinary Arts to Microsoft Office Specialist. Indiana University’s Public Policy Institute recently began a study that will assess a former offender’s recidivism, employability, and educational persistence, comparing those who participate in the Ivy Tech Community College programs and those who do not. The Ivy Tech team looks forward to using the results to inform program improvement decisions.

Through progressive curriculum design and continued innovation in programs, Ivy Tech will continue to leverage the career pathways model to change lives in Indiana by helping previous offenders build on educational foundations received while incarcerated that enable them to lead more productive, responsible lives.

Contributed by:

Dave Garrison, Corporate Executive for Government Services - Ivy Tech Corporate College, and Lea Anne Crooks, Executive Director of Corporate College, Ivy Tech - Terre Haute