College Connection

1. College Connection Blinn College November 6, 2007

2. Presenter Luanne Preston, Ph.D.Executive Director, Early College Start and College Connectionluanne@austincc.edu512-223-7354

3. Agenda • Closing the Gaps Overview • College Connection Overview • College Connection How It Works • Program Results • Program Recognition • State and National Interest in Expansion • College Connection How To Start • Guiding Principles • Common Challenges • Questions and Answers

4. Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Strategic Plan“Closing the Gaps”Overview

5. Closing the Gaps in Participation • Closing the Gaps warns that if more Texans do not receive college degrees by 2030, the State could lose up to $40 billion in annual household income. • The goal is to increase student enrollment in higher education by 630,000 by 2015. • Most students will elect to start at a community college. • Blinn College expects over 3,400 more students by 2015. Source: http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/ClosingtheGaps/ctgtargets_pdf.cfm?Goal=1

6. College ConnectionOverview

7. Education Beyond High School Increases earning potential and employment opportunities U.S. Department of Education

8. Improving High School to College Transitions • Provide admission and pre-enrollment services to seniors on their school campuses • Create an expectation that “College is in everyone’s future.” • Increase percentage of high school seniors who enter college after high school graduation.

9. Blinn College Service Area College Transition Rates Texas High School Graduates from FY 2006Enrolled in Texas Higher Education Fall 2006 *Includes students who were not enrolled in Texas colleges or universities in the year immediately following graduation, as well as students who were enrolled out-of-state. **Districts with less than 25 graduates are not included in this report. Source: http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/Reports/PDF/1324.PDF

10. Blinn College Service Area College Transition Rates Texas High School Graduates from FY 2006Enrolled in Texas Higher Education Fall 2006 *Includes students who were not enrolled in Texas colleges or universities in the year immediately following graduation, as well as students who were enrolled out-of-state.**Districts with less than 25 graduates are not included in this report.Source: http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/Reports/PDF/1324.PDF

11. Blinn College Service Area College Transition Rates Texas High School Graduates from FY 2006Enrolled in Texas Higher Education Fall 2006 *Includes students who were not enrolled in Texas colleges or universities in the year immediately following graduation, as well as students who were enrolled out-of-state.**Districts with less than 25 graduates are not included in this report.Source: http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/Reports/PDF/1324.PDF

12. College ConnectionHow It Works

13. College Connection Program • Many high school students find the college enrollment process intimidating. • Blinn College provides hands-on, one-on-onesupportto assist every student through each step of the college admissions process. • During graduation ceremonies, high school graduating seniors receive acceptance letters to Blinn College.

14. Students Receive Services at the High School:

15. College Connection: Activity Sequence CollegeSchool District Senior Presentation 1a. Senior Roster Admission application Financial aid application 3a. Test Score Roster ASSET assessment Tour of Austin CommunityCollege campus(es) Pre-Advising Advising Acceptance letter to Austin Community College at graduation Registration for Austin CommunityCollege classes Red=RequiredBlue=Recommended Black=Optional

16. College Connection Activity Grid Sample ISD District Lead: Sandra Dowdy, Assistant Superintendent, 512-386-3040, sdowdy@del-valle.k12.tx.us Del Valle HS Lead: Jean MacInnis, Principal, 512-386-3210, jmacinnis@del-valle.k12.tx.us Admin. Assistant: Nadene Norwood, 512-386-3211, nadene.norwood@del-valle.k12.tx.us ACC District Lead: Mary Hensley, 223-7618, mhensley@austincc.edu Exec. Assistant: Esther Buzard, 223-7618, ebuzard@austincc.edu College Connection Lead: Luanne Preston, 223-7354, luanne@austincc.edu Admin. Assistant: Laurie Clark, 223-7354, lclark2@austincc.edu Senior Count: 400 SHADE/BOLD – Required College Connection Activities

17. Lifetime Acceptance “at ACC” • Application never discarded • Provide a permanent college home • Students come to ACC: • Full-time • Part-time • In Summer for transfer • After military service • After career changes • Co-enroll while attending 4-year institution

18. Lifetime Acceptance “at ACC” • Cohorts can be tracked by semester of entry • Longitudinal data collected for • Retention • Completion • Success

19. Program Results

20. College Connection Program Growth Over 4 years: • 1 school district to 27 school districts • 2 high schools to 58 high schools • 400 students to 17,000+ students

21. College ConnectionDiversity of Participants 2006-07

22. Traditionally Underrepresented in Higher Education - Students Enroll at ACC • More than 55% of College Connectionenrollees are minorities • Higher percentage entering ACC through College Connection than in the general ACC student population

23. College Connection Positively Impacts Other College Programs • ACC Fall Enrollments • 38% increase first year • 59% increase over two years • Early College Start (Dual Credit) Enrollments • 26% increase in enrollment from ‘04 to ’05 • 45% increase in enrollment from ’04 to ’06 • 3,209 students enrolled Summer 2007 (record-breaking ECS enrollment) • Tech Prep Enrollments • 4,336% increase in enrollment from ‘03 to ‘06 • 36 students in 2003-04 • 48 students in 2004-05 • 293 students in 2005-06 • 1,597 students in 2006-07

24. Program Recognition

25. College Connection Program National Acclaim & Recognition

26. Awards Received

27. State and National Interest in Expansion

28. National Interest: Florida Department of Education • Launched state-wide campaign in April 2007 called “Go Higher-Get Accepted” modeled after College Connection Maine Interest in College Connection • Proposed law requiring graduating high school seniors to complete at least one college application before getting diploma.

29. “Attaining advanced levels of education for disadvantaged students cannot be done without developing a college-going culture in every middle school and high school in the state of Texas...then suddenly, (going to college) changes from being a possibility to an expectation.” --Raymund Paredes Commissioner, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board January 6, 2005

30. THECB Statewide College Connection Expansion2007-2009 • Ten Colleges Receive Implementation Grants • Alamo Community College District • Blinn College • Del Mar College • Houston Community College System • Lee College • Odessa College • Richland College • South Texas College • Tarrant County College District • Weatherford College

31. THECB Statewide College Connection Expansion2007-2009 • Five Colleges Receive Planning Grants • Cedar Valley College • Cisco Junior College • Northeast Texas Community College • Paris Junior College • Victoria College

32. THECB Statewide College Connection Expansion • Colleges Already Adopting College Connection • Alamo Community College District • Central Texas College • Coastal Bend Community College • Del Mar Community College • Houston Community College District • Temple Community College • Vernon College • Victoria Community College

33. College Connection:How To Start

34. Formal Agreement • Between college and school district • Signed by chancellor and/or president and superintendent • Establishes transfer of student data from high school to college • Details responsibilities and expectations

35. Advance Briefing • District/Central Office Staff • High School Principal

36. Planning Meeting • One meeting held annually in Summer or Fall • Schedule one hour (slightly longer for new schools or multiple schools) • Complete activity grid • Focus on scheduling • Leave activity details for * contacts

37. Communications between School District and College • Electronic via list serv • Updated activity grid sent via e-mail when changes occur • College Connection website links • iCal • Combined calendar for internal use

38. Data Collection • Very Important • Collect electronically (Excel spreadsheet) • Collect from high school • Name • Address • DOB • HS Student ID (for later record matching) • Test Scores (HS Exit Exam, SAT, ACT) • Mark records as College Connection cohort in student database

39. Data Follow-Up • Track by school, how many students complete each activity • May need multiple visits to get 100% participation • Give high school principal participation rates for use at graduation announcement ceremony • Report Fall enrollment from pilot schools (compare to benchmark), Spring persistence

40. Austin Community CollegeCollege Connection Website • Access to scheduled activities for students, parents, and school officials • Calendars • Links to pertinent ACC school district sites

41. Website • Participating schools • Links to school pages • Link to college pages of interest • Press coverage/special events

42. College Connection Logo High School—College Partnership

43. College Connection:Guiding Principles

44. Guiding Principles: Scheduling • The planning meeting for each school should occur before Fall semester, or as soon after school starts as possible • All events should be completed by Mid-April with rare exceptions • The month of May through end of school is extremely busy on high school campuses • A student should be able to complete an individual activity (exception assessment testing) with one bell period

45. Guiding Principles: Scheduling– How Much Time? • Senior Presentation – 20 minutes • Admissions Application – 25 minutes • Residency Form • Missing Credentials • Assessment – 5 hours • Partial testing takes less time • Math only – 1 hour • Reading/writing – 2.25 hours • Pre-Advising – 25 minutes • Advising – 15 minutes average

46. College High School • District lead person • Implementation lead person • Team leader for services • Admissions representative • Financial Aid representative • Assessment representative • Recruitment representative • Advising representative • Recorder • Principal • Grade level principal or AP • Lead or senior counselor • Person in charge of testing/scheduling • Tech person (use of computer labs) • Other staff who works with the “senior class” Planning MeetingRecommended Participants

47. College High School • College Calendar • Admissions Team Calendar • Financial Aid Team Calendar • Assessment Team Calendar • Student Recruitment Team Calendar • Advising Team Calendar • Bell schedule • School calendar • A/B Block scheduling • Testing calendar Planning MeetingRecommended Things to Bring

48. Guiding Principles: Sequencing Activities • When to schedule activities? • Senior Presentation • Prior to first activity, as soon as possible after school starts • Usually admissions follows • Admissions Application • Fall Semester • After receipt of data roster • In time, where possible, for seniors to prepare for Spring dual- credit registration

49. Guiding Principles: Sequencing Activities • When to schedule activities? • Assessment • End of January through early March • After receipt of test score roster – timed to allow maximum number of SAT/ACT test scores to be included • Allows students to receive the most instructional content prior to testing • Financial Aid • Mid-January through Mid-March • Presentations timed to coincide with W-2 arrival, tax preparation, and meet college priority filing deadlines • Night presentations and workshops for parents and students • Financial Aid Saturdays

50. Guiding Principles: Sequencing Activities • When to schedule activities? • New Student Orientation • ACC calls this step “pre-advising” • Completed online as ACC 101 • Live program replaced by online module per school request • School manages where and when students complete • Student prints checklist as proof of completion • Many schools schedule during advisory • Schedule window of time prior to academic advising • Recommend 1-3 weeks prior to advising session