Results of the Withdrawal Pilot Study: Using the Results of the Benchmarking Project

1. Results of the Withdrawal Pilot Study: Using the Results of the Benchmarking Project Presented to the Learning Council August 9, 2005 Terri Manning Brad Bostian

2. Different Definitions • Withdrawal rates based on registration would look at the total number withdraws based on the total number of grades given (A,B,C,D,F,I,W). • Withdrawal rates based on headcount would look at the number of students who withdraw from all their courses and completely exit the college.

3. Issues with Student Withdrawals • Community College’s Withdrawal Policies • Usually more liberal than the university and can impact transfer success • Facilitates an A,B,C, I, W culture (we had this grading scale until Fall 1990 – no Ds or Fs) • Students don’t commit early – a “wait and see” philosophy • Impacts retention rates, graduation rates and impacted by “cheap” tuition • Impacted by systemic change (quarters to semesters, etc.) • Is impacted by the culture (faculty, advisor and student attitudes and behaviors)

4. CPCC Transfer Students at UNCC in 2000 (N=3,446) • Grades at CPCC at UNCC • A 3,708 (26.4%) 13,936 (22.8%) • B 2,573 (18.3%) 16,000 (26.2%) • C 1,435 (10.2%) 11,920 (19.5%) • percent A-C 54.9% 68.5% _______________________________________________ • D 340 (2.4%) 4,797 (7.9%) • F 686 (4.9%) 6,722 (11.0%) • Withdraw 4,357 (31%) 6,117 (10%)

5. Do Withdrawals Really Impact Transfer Students? • “..if 20% or more of all grades received (by community college students) were withdrawals and repeats, the probability of transfer decreases by 38.7%.” • Sources: Moving Into Town and Moving On: The Community College in the Lives of Traditional-age Students, U.S. Department of Education, 2005, p. 85.

6. Then Along Came the NCCBP • We decided to look at withdrawal rates as a percentage of: • The grades in all college-level courses • The grades in remedial courses • The grades in certain college level courses (English Comp I & II, Speech and College Algebra) • We all submitted our data and guess where CPCC was in the mix???

7. Data from the NCCBP Pilot Year –GradeDistribution for College Level Courses Min. Med. Max. CPCC A 26% 33.4% 45% 26.1% B 18% 23.3% 27% 21.1% C 6% 13.9% 17% 12.7% D 1% 4% 8% 3.5% F 2% 4.9% 15% 6.7% W 1% 16.2% 29.9%29.9% Definitions were slightly changed the next year.

8. Response of the College • We were appalled • We decided to study the subject and • Do a pilot intervention project • The English, Reading and Humanities Division volunteered to facilitate the project within their courses with their fulltime instructors • Brad Bostian volunteered to lead the initiative - • The group began meeting in Fall 2004

9. The Intervention • In the Spring of 2005 • 11 courses were selected by faculty participating in the study • 11 control sections were carefully matched based on time of day, location and course title • Faculty volunteers discussed elements of the intervention and agreed upon the following standards

10. The Intervention • Students must sign a release form • Students in the selected sections would have “holds” put on their records - not allowing them to withdraw from pilot courses during Spring 05 without instructor permission • If a student wanted to withdraw, the faculty attempted to work with them to keep them in the class as long as possible (offering assistance and additional help) • Faculty agreed to do the following as part of regular classroom activities:

11. The Intervention • First Day Strategies: • Provide a class orientation on the first day of class • Student Info Sheets • Documents, resources to assist with their success (writing center, tutors, librarians, etc.) • A realistic discussion of the value of the skills to be learned in the course • A syllabus with assignments and policies discussed • A positive statement of your teaching philosophy and you belief in the student’s ultimate success in the course

12. The Intervention • Mini-communities • Groups of 3-5 students who trade contact information, contact each other when someone is absent. Use these groups for peer-editing and group assignments and activities. • Conferences • Conference with each student in your office at least twice per term to discuss needs and progress. In between - provided continuous feedback about their progress. • Contacting missing students • Contact those who miss two consecutive class periods (besides the mini-communities)

13. The Intervention • Welcome back and reintegrate students who have been absent • Treat tardies and early departures as absences – have an attendance policy • Positive teaching • Try to involve every student every week • Structure assignments to ensure continual student success (quizzes to make them keep up, rewrite until it is excellent, etc.) • Active Authentic Assignments • Assignments where they learn by doing, work that reflects the real world

14. Did it Impact All Their Classes?

15. Once Grades Were In….. There were 4.3% fewer W’s, I’s and F’s in the Intervention Group when compared to the Control Group

16. Lessons Learned • The Intervention strategies worked. • If we could decrease W’s, I’s and F’s by 4.3% across the College, there would be approximately 2,000 additional successful completions per term. • We need to study and address “walk-aways.”

17. Recommendations • Policies • Support • Instruction • Policies • Earlier withdrawal deadlines • Instructor permission required -or- • Set two W-methods, one early date for most W’s, with later withdrawals requiring instructor permission

18. Recommendations (continued) • Support • Make support more systematic • Advisement for all students, not just those in programs • Interventions for perpetual W, F’s & Drops • Better training and technology for faculty advisors • If necessary hire more staff

19. One Instructor’s Learning Curve Successful Completions = A-C Grades

20. Patterns of Drops and Withdrawals – 2002-04

21. Recommendations (continued) • Instruction • Change faculty/administrative culture • Understand need for educating all students • See the successes that exist • Use aggregate AND individual instructor and student data to measure outcomes • Train faculty to teach differently • Keep our instructors learning

22. Different Instruction • Engage students on the first day • Meaningful, interesting, active work • Use mostly active learning • Let students seek and discover • Force success • Guide them through the steps like a coach • Create a classroom community • Collaborative learning, conferences, positive communication, involving every student

23. For A Copy of This Presentation: • http://www.cpcc.edu/planning • Click on studies and reports • Withdrawal pilot presentation