Implementing TOC - How a Department Makes an Impact On an Urban College

1. Medgar Evers College The City University of New York Implementing TOC - How a Department Makes an Impact On an Urban College Creating Success, One Student At a Time Umesh Nagarkatte, Darius Movasseghi, Chair, Joshua Berenbom, Tatyana Flesher - Department of Mathematics Nancy Oley – Department of Psychology Gale Balah-Gibson, Dean, Freshman Studies Owen Brown, Director, Freshman Year Program Chudi Nwasike, Director, Post Secondary Readiness Center (PSRC) 9th International TOCFE Conference, Leon, Mexico 9/9/2006

2. Overview • Background • Current Status • Impact of training in TOC and TP tools • Next Steps • Summary

3. Background - College Medgar Evers College, City University of New York (CUNY) • CUNY - one of the two state universities of NY • College - One of 17 units of CUNY • Located in Crown Heights Section of Brooklyn • Has three schools – Liberal Arts and Education, Business, Science Health and Technology • Offers two and four year programs

4. Background – Student Body • 5,000 - 54% fulltime, 98% minority, 78% women • African‑Americans: 92.3%, Hispanics: 3.8%, Native Americans: 0.1% • 55% of women students - single heads of households • Average age 32, ages - from 16 to 60. • 64% need competency in basic skills in writing, 84% in mathematics, 60% in reading • Students have only one year to alleviate their deficiencies in mathematics and English through remedial courses.

5. Background – Previous Efforts at address attrition • The College and the Department have studied the problem of attrition and suggested remedies. • For example, in 1998, the College Faculty Senate published a document developed by the college-wide faculty identifying 24 issues of academic and non-academic nature in addressing attrition with one remedy for each issue, naming the Department to carry out the appropriate activity. They pointed out that there were many non-academic, personal issues that needed to be addressed to overcome attrition and failure. • But addressing the 24 issues without using TOC is an impossible task.

6. Background – Reason why previous efforts failed • Unlike industry and primary or secondary school, no professor will adopt new methods of instruction, however great, by a ruling of the Department chair or a college administrator. Considering union regulations and academic freedom, senior faculty do not feel obligated to accept any modifications in their normal activities and change in the curriculum. Any perceived activity extraneous to instruction is usually regarded as an impediment. Thus faculty buy-in of any new initiative is of paramount importance in a college setting.

7. Background – Previous Efforts to address attrition using TOC • In 2001, our Federal grant proposal was funded for training in TOC. • Hypothesis: Theory of Constraints (TOC) can address the problems with student retention in the Department of Mathematics • In January 2002, three faculty members from Department of Mathematics – Darius Movasseghi, Chair, Umesh Nagarkatte and Joshua Berenbom took the Jonah Course at AGI, New Haven, CT. • This presentation is about the progress made by the Department and the College in implementing TOC to improve retention.

8. 2. Current Reality Tree: Is the core conflict really the core conflict? UDE UDE UDE 1. What to Change? Identifying the Problem Analysis UDE D B 3. Evaporating Cloud: What assumption(s) are we going to challenge? 1. Three-Cloud Process: What core conflict is responsible for the UDEs? A Assumption/ Injection D’ D D B Core Conflict D’ C A C B D’ C 2. To What to Change? Constructing the Solution Strategy A DE 3. How to Cause a Change? Designing the Implementation Tactics DE 5. PreRequisite Tree: In what order do we implement the T.O.s and what blocks their implementation? DE 6. Transition Trees: What actions must we take to implement the PreRequisite Tree? IO TO All TO’s implemented DE Action IO TO TO TO Obs Obs Obs Great Idea IO IO IO Obs 4. Future Reality Tree: Ensures that the starting injection will lead to all the DEs without creating negative branches. Obs Action Obs IO IO IO IO The TOC Thinking Processes Roadmap

9. Student Survey Issues (UDEs) • The instructor moves too fast for students. • The instructor knows his subject matter but cannot teach. • I am not capable of doing mathematics. • I am not prepared for course (prerequisites for class). • I don’t have time to do the homework. • I don’t see importance/relevance of mathematics. • I am unable to attend class regularly and/or on time. • The exams are too hard. • I have to take care of my family/personal problems. • I (some students) go blank on exams (poor test-taker). • The instructor does not care about me. • There isn’t help outside of class when I’m free.

10. Faculty/Instructor Issues • Students do not prepare for class. • Students don’t attend regularly or on time. • Students do poorly on tests. • There is not sufficient time to cover all material in the course. • Students register late for semester, and don’t start at the beginning of the semester. • Students do not have prerequisites for class. • No matter how well I teach, students aren’t learning effectively. • I receive very little satisfaction from my work. • We feel pressure to pass students who are not adequately prepared for the next course. • Students haven’t mastered all the prerequisite topics needed for my course.

11. Department Chair Issues • There is a lack of cooperation by some faculty to carry out departmental agenda. • Too many students fail. • There is insufficient input by some faculty to address major departmental issues. • Some faculty are apathetic.

12. B D Have time to fulfill other obligations. Not do the homework. A Be a responsible person. D’ C Do the homework (on time). Learn the material. Evaporating Cloud # 1 Issue #5: “I don’t have time to do the homework.” Requirements/Critical Needs Prerequisites/Means/wants In order to … I must (can)… I must Common Objective In order to … Conflict! But at the same time, in order to … I must I must In order to …

13. Issue # 7: “I am unable to attend regularly and/or on time.” Evaporating Cloud # 2 B D Fulfill obligations. Not attend regularly. A Be a responsible person. Conflict! C D’ Attend regularly. Learn the material.

14. Issue #12 : “There isn’t help outside of class when I’m free.” Evaporating Cloud # 3 B D Understand everything on my own. Not get help A Do well in course. Conflict! D’ C Solve my difficulties as they arise. Get help.

15. B D Have time to fulfill other obligations. Issue #5 Not do the homework. A Be a responsible person. C D’ Do the homework (on time). Learn the material. B D B D Issue #7 Fulfill obligations. Not attend regularly. A A Be a responsible person. C D’ C D’ Learn the material. Attend regularly. B D Understand everything on my own. Issue #12 Not get help. A Do well in course. C D’ Solve my difficulties as they arise. Get help. Root Cause of Students’ Issues Not do the required activities for my math class(es). Fulfill all obligations. Be successful & responsible person. Do the required activities for my math class(es). Learn the material.

16. B - D: D - D’: B D Not do the required activities for my math class(es). Fulfill other obligations. A Be successful & responsible person. C D’ Do the required activities for math class(es). Learn the material. C - D’: Addressing the Root Cause of Student Survey IssuesThe students assumptions of the system they’re operating in… • They don’t get fulfilled on their own. • I have to take time from math to do those things. • There is no one else to fulfill my other obligations. • My other obligations can’t/won’t go away. • I can’t postpone my other obligations. • I can’t fulfill other obligations & math obligations at the same time. • Focusing on mathematics detracts me from focusing on other obligations. • My working hours and math class hours conflict. • Math classes are not held at convenient times for students. • Students can’t move freely from section to section. • Classes are prof-centered, not student-centered. • We have a structured curriculum. • A structured curriculum doesn’t permit customization or doesn’t accommodate students with special needs. • I can’t reduce the time I spend on my personal obligations (or math). • I can only learn material by persevering in math. • I must do and hand in assignments to learn. • I must find the time to do the assignments.. • I must do work on time. • I must study. • I must develop study skills. • I must work - do the work to learn the material. • I must do the work outside of class to learn the material. • I have to physically be in class during set times.

17. “The department offers programs tailored to the needs of its students.” Addressing the Root Cause of Student Survey IssuesThe starting point for a viable strategy… • D to D’: • I can’t fulfill other obligations & math obligations at the same time. • Focusing on mathematics detracts me from focusing on other obligations. • My working hours and math class hours conflict. • Math classes are not held at convenient times for students. • Students can’t move freely from section to section. • Classes are prof-centered, not student-centered. • We have a structured curriculum. • A structured curriculum doesn’t permit customization or doesn’t accommodate students with special needs. • I can’t reduce the time I spend on my personal obligations (or math). B D Not do the required activities for my math class(es). Fulfill other obligations. A Be successful & responsible person. C D’ Do the required activities for math class(es). Learn the material.

18. Current Reality Tree (CRT) Intermediate Steps or Additional causes Faculty UDEs Student UDEs

19. Intervention Negative Loops in CRT

20. Students’ IssuesDesired Effects (DEs) • The instructor moves too fast for students. • The instructor cannot teach. • Students are not capable of doing mathematics. • Students are not prepared for course (prerequisites for class). • I don’t have time to do the homework. • I don’t see importance/relevance of mathematics. • I am unable to attend class regularly and/or on time. • Students do poorly on tests. • I have to take care of my family/personal problems. • The instructor does not care about me. • There isn’t help outside of class when I’m free. • (I don’t know how to graduate from college). • My course load is too heavy (I’m forced to be full time in order to get financial aid). • I do not know how to get good grades in important courses. • I cannot drop a class without jeopardizing my financial aid. • I am forced to ask for incompletes. • Instructor moves at a comfortable pace. • Students are satisfied with the instructor’s teaching style • Students do mathematics well. • Students have all prerequisites for the course. • Student finish all homework on time. • Students feel math is relevant for their career. • Students are punctual. • Students do well on tests. • I take care of my family/personal problems. • Instructor helps me to keep up with the course. • There is adequate help when I need it. • I have sufficient knowledge/help to plan my college career. • I can handle my course load. • I get good grades in important courses. • I do not need to drop any class. • I am able to complete the course.

21. Faculty/Instructor IssuesDesired Effects (DEs) • Students do not prepare for class. • Students don’t attend regularly or on time. • Students do poorly on tests. • There is not sufficient time to cover all material in the course. • Students register late for semester, and don’t start at the beginning of the semester. • Students do not have prerequisites for class. • There is sufficient time to cover all material in the course. • All students begin at the start of the semester. Department Chair Issues • There is a lack of cooperation by some faculty to carry out departmental agenda. • Too many students fail. • There is insufficient input by some faculty to address major departmental issues. • Some faculty are apathetic. • There is a high rate of passing.

22. Additional Issues (Reselected) Desired Effects (DEs) • There are very few Incompletes. • Most students graduate on time. • Few students drop out of classes. • Student achievement is high. • There are too many incompletes. • Students don’t graduate from college on time. • Drop-out rates (in class) are too high. • Level of achievement is too low in classes • The exams are too hard.

23. Desired Effects (DEs)Strategic Objectives (SOs) • Instructor moves at a comfortable pace. • Students are satisfied with the instructor’s teaching style • Students do mathematics well. • Students have all prerequisites for the course. • Student finish all homework on time. • Students feel math is relevant for their career. • Students are punctual. • Students do well on tests. • I have to take care of my family/personal problems. • Instructor helps me to keep up with the course. • There is adequate help when I need it. • I have sufficient knowledge/help to plan my college career. • I can handle my course load. • I good grades in important courses. • I do not need to drop any class. • I am able to complete the course. • Instructor allows time for review/enrichment (SI). • Students seek to take more courses in mathematics (D). • Students become math majors (DSC). • Students incorporate math in their career daily life (D). • More students pass the course (DC). • I take care of my family/personal problems. • Students graduate on time/complete math course requirements (SDC). • I can take extra credits (financial aid) (S). • I get excellent in all courses. • I can perform better in the course. • I ACE the course! (S). • The Department is a Center of Excellence (D).

24. Desired Effects (DEs)Strategic Objectives (SOs) • There is sufficient time to cover all material in the course. • All students begin at the start of the semester. • There is a high rate of passing. • There are very few Incompletes. • Most students graduate on time. • Few students drop out of classes. • Student achievement is high. • Students perform well on exams. • Everyone passes. • There are absolutely no Incompletes. • Retention in the Department/Program is high.

25. Future Reality Tree (FRT) (pages 1, 2) Injections Existing/Intermed. steps Student DEs

26. Future Reality Tree (FRT) (page 3) Strategic Objectives Student DEs

27. Sustaining Instruction/tutoring/counseling Loops in FRT Reinforcement: Prep for tests Counseling Instruction and Tutoring Reinforcement: Writing summary of each section.

28. Given the starting point… “The department offers programs tailored to the needs of its students” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ • What, if any, are the current initiatives underway, or under consideration (4.2.22) within the department? • Rework curriculum so the liberal arts majors take appropriate math (multi-track proposal) • Addresses an unverbalized assumption that “Today’s class content doesn’t meet my needs for what I need to learn.” • Is an initiative between B and D side of the Core Conflict Cloud • Designing a calculus course for business majors • Curriculum development for sequential courses for MTH 136-141 or 138-151. The Development continues. • Are they sufficient to address the Core Conflict Cloud and the UDEs?

29. Example: Negative Branch Reservations (NBRs)What could possibly go wrong with the solution? (4.4.17)NBR on Entity 180: Students have realistic schedules. - - Students drop out. Students have insufficient income. - Students motivation and stick-to-itiveness drops. The amount of student aid is reduced. Counseling and support activities (assist students) Students take longer to graduate. Students work less. Offer more required courses in summer. Many students take less credits per semester. Given today’s class support students have to spend too much time struggling on their own to complete work for class. Provide $ support to students. Students have other commitments. Supplemental instruction, child care services, counselors 180 Students have realistic schedules.

30. 145A (Tactical Objective) (Alternate) Tutors show up and are on time. Tutor Center doesn’t make allowances or provisions for last minute contingencies. Tutors don’t follow established policy for absenteeism. Tutors aren’t disciplined about showing up on time or being present. 145A.1 Math Department has enough qualified tutors available. 145A.3 Tutors understand their role and contribution to peers. 3. Before we can have… Math Dept does not have enough tutors available. 1. Because… 145A.2 Math Department recruits and encourages tutors. 2. We must first… Prerequisite Tree (PRT) Example #1Concerns that there are obstacles that will block us from achieving the solutions’ tactical objectives…

31. 110 (Tactical Objective) Department provides guidelines/policies for instruction. Faculty may object to any guidelines. 110.2 Faculty committee writes the guidelines. We don’t agree on what defines the guidelines. 110.1 Have consensus on what goes into guidelines. Getting Active CollaborationIdentifying what we need to get buy-in How should we think about achieving Intermediate Objective 110.1? • Should we have guidelines (especially for adjuncts)? • What guidelines/topics should we have, and what should these guidelines include? • Create committee to write guidelines • Process for writing/creating guidelines

32. Prerequisite Tree (PRT p.1 – p.2) Intermed. Objectives (IOs) Tactical Objectives (TOs)

33. Prerequisite Tree (PRT p.3-p.4) Tactical Objectives (TOs) Intermed. Objectives (IOs)

34. Project Plan – (Page 1 - Department)

35. Project Plan – Page 2 (Adjuncts, Counselors, Supplemental Instruction)

36. Project Plan – Page 3Tutors, Supplemental Instruction

37. Current Status • Departmental Guidelines – developed 2002/03 • Goal: To offer instruction and programs tailored to the needs of the student. • Guidance to faculty for: • Instruction to faculty • Supplemental instruction and tutors • Counselor intervention • Accepted by department and full-time faculty • Workshops for faculty and counselors – held in 2005-06 • Maintenance skills workshops (MSW) for key personnel at AGI, New Haven, CT • TOC for Education workshops at the College for faculty and tutors of PSRC and Mathematics and counselors of Freshman Year Program.

38. *DE 16* Students know whom to contact when the need arises and how. 114 Information is readily available and disseminated in a variety of forms concerning support services. 120 Lecture is closely related to syllabus. 110 (Complete) Department provides guidelines for instruction. 115 There are people and places where students can get any help they need. • No review • Complete syllabus • Keep pace • What section/date/schedule • Comprehensive final exam 105 We have ideal financial academic, supplemental instruction, career and personal advisement, and counseling when needed. 100 (Starting Injection) Department offers programs tailored to the needs of students Example of Departmental Guidelines INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES 1.Students are given a syllabus on the first day of class Rationale: The students should know what the course will cover, what the policies are on homework, attendance, and how the course will be graded. Implementation: The department will have syllabi for all courses through calculus. Instructors of higher level courses will complete their own syllabi and the department will keep these on file. 2.Faculty are required to adhere to the syllabus. This means that all instructors should move at the pace specified in the syllabus and cover all topics. Rationale: Students are entitled to receive all the instruction that is supposed to be part of the course. Furthermore, failure to complete the syllabus means that students are not adequately prepared for their subsequent math courses. This imposes extra burdens on the instructors of the subsequent courses who have to decide whether to keep pace and complete the syllabus or spend time teaching the missing material. Moving at a uniform pace will mean that all sections of a course will be ready to take departmental exams on the dates they are scheduled. It also means that if a student transfers to a different section, the transition will be seamless.

39. Results to date Desirable Effects #12 Students get the supplemental instruction they need when needed. #3 Students do mathematics well. #8 Students do well on tests. #15 Students get good grades in math dependent courses. #14 Students can handle course load. #6 Students feel math is relevant for their careers. Strategic Objectives Department has high passing rates. Retention in department/program is high. • Conducive environment for math study • Students receive immediate help through drop-in center • More students signing-up for precalculus and calculus. • More students enjoying math as a subject. • Number of math majors have increased from 7 to 29, in addition to the fifteen graduated. • Several math graduates went on for Doctoral studies in Mathematics or Masters in Teaching.

40. “The department offers programs tailored to the needs of its students” A system-wide solution The starting point for a viable strategy is just the beginning. For a system-wide solution to be effective, we must have synchronization of all support activities: 2 3 • Faculty to instill confidence in math students and teach syllabus at comfortable pace • Tutors to instill confidence in math students through supplemental instructions 1 • Counselors to collaborate with instructors, guide students on academic and personal conflict resolution, and create challenging yet realistic schedules Page 1 of 3, Future Reality Tree

41. Accomplishments to date • Students know where to find supplemental instruction • Tutor accountability has increased (show up on time and are dependable) • Students have direct access to faculty and tutors • Mutual communication among faculty and with students • Motivational Guide for Students • Administrative Buy-in: The correspondence with the counseling component brought out in the Departmental Guidelines required Administrative buy-in which took place in May 2005. For the buy-in process of the Departmental Guidelines the college President, Dr. Edison O. Jackson, required our trainer to come and present. The buy-in process was so impressive that the President accepted the Departmental Guidelines, commended the department for considering the college’s main issue of Student attrition and not just concentrating on the academic discipline. He elevated the issue to the college level and wants participation from the entire college faculty starting with Counseling and PSRC. The two departments directly affecting our students. • More than 150 people in the college have been exposed to TOC terminology and Thinking Process (TP) skills in the TOC workshops in April/May 2006 and Faculty Training workshops in January 2006.

42. Impact of TP and TOC training • The project plan lays down a step-by-step procedure to synchronize all the activities. • Impact on instruction is on both the process and content of instruction. • Online Test Banks for all preparatory courses in mathematics are being developed using TP by three faculty members – two from Department of Mathematics and one from PSRC, who received Sloan Foundation Grants for release time. • Typed summary of each section required in every class • The goal • Concepts and Skills of the section linked logically to attain the goal • Important examples • is a reflection or mental imaging aiding crystallization of ideas • is a good practice in writing Benefits – The folder of all section summaries becomes a portfolio of the course taken, useful for exam review, brush up in future, and for seniors to take for an interview to the graduate advisor, who will be impressed, who will know how to guide the student, how the student writes.

43. Impact on Tutoring and Counseling

44. Workshop facilitators –Danilo Sirias, Kathy Suerken, Belinda Small

45. Last screen Summarizing Instructors Workshop

46. Counselors Workshop

47. Counselors Workshop

48. Instructors Workshop

49. Impact on College of Freshman Studies • Attendance will be monitored using software starting Fall 2006 semester in remedial and beginning credit bearing courses in English and mathematics and absentees for a week will be contacted. • True Outcomes portal will be used for developing portfolios for students in Freshman seminars and PSRC courses. • Activities under different grants will be synchronized using TP skills.

50. Impact on Freshman Year Program • The Freshman Year Program has been redesigned considering the following UDEs. • Students that enroll late are more likely to perform poorly; • Students do not have a clear understanding about the enrollment process; • Students are unprepared for the CUNY Exams and often fail to understand its implications regarding the courses they will be eligible to enroll in; • The enrollment process is chaotic and stressful; • Sink or Swim Approach to preparing students for MEC experience