Overcoming the Challenges of Developmental Reading

1. Overcoming the Challenges of Developmental Reading TULSA COMMUNITY COLLEGE Achieving the Dream Fall 2008 Focus Groups © 2009 Tulsa Community College Data Team

2. Achieving the Dream Calendar STUDY YEAR FOCUS GROUPS 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 Persistence (staying in school) Developmental reading Developmental mathematics; African-American male students

3. 4 – Step Process

4. Reading I & II Student Focus Groups Trained facilitators All campuses 36 groups 24 faculty Full-time and part-time faculty Reading I and Reading II Day and evening classes Students were asked, “What barriers/challenges have you faced in successfully completing Reading I/II?”

5. Students named 2 kinds of barriers Persistence Barriers (staying in school) Reading I & II Barriers

6. Persistence Barriers 59% Reading I & II Barriers 41%

7. Persistence Barriers – Then & Now • Student Personal Issues Top 2 barriers: • Balancing school, work, & life • Attitudes • Services IssuesTop 2 barriers: • Financial Aid • Textbook issues • Student Academic IssuesTop 2 barriers: • Not academically prepared • Meeting academic workload • Instructional IssuesTop 2 barriers: • Communication issues with instructors • Teaching/learning styles 2007-2008 Student Focus Groups of First-time Freshmen 2008-2009 Student Focus Groups of Reading I & II • Top 5 barriers: • Adjusting to college • Balancing school, employment, and life • Textbook issues • Tulsa Achieves implementation issues • Communication issues with instructors Similar barriers result from different populations of students.

8. Now, let’s focus on Reading I & II. Reading Barriers

9. Reading I & II Barriers No statistically significant differences by …

10. What works? What Works? These are common examples from the Complete Reading Focus Group Data – Fall 2008

11. What Works? These are common examples from the Complete Reading Focus Group Data – Fall 2008

12. Reading I & II Barriers Most of the reading barriers (50%) pertained to Insufficient reading skill Negative attitudes Amount/scheduling of work Reading lab work (Reported on all four campuses)

13. Learning to read Reading Barriers

14. Reading I & II Barriers

15. Insufficient reading skill Reading with purpose Vocabulary Other reading techniques Reading aloud

16. Insufficient reading skill These are just a few examples from the Complete Reading Focus Group Data – Fall 2008

17. Negative attitudes

18. Negative attitudes These are just a few examples from the Complete Reading Focus Group Data – Fall 2008

19. Amount/scheduling of work

20. Amount/scheduling of work These are just a few examples from the Complete Reading Focus Group Data – Fall 2008

21. Reading lab work

22. Reading lab work These are just a few examples from the Complete Reading Focus Group Data – Fall 2008

23. Want more information? Reading Barriers by Frequency, April 8, 2009 Complete Reading Data – Student Focus Groups, Fall 2008 Reading Focus Group Data Report, April 8, 2009 Overcoming the Challenges of Developmental Reading, TCC video stream Achieving the Dream Fast Facts

24. Now, let’s focus on Reading Faculty. Reading Barriers

25. Reading I & II Faculty/Staff Focus Groups Trained facilitators All campuses represented 1 group All full-time faculty Several part-time faculty/staff Reading I and Reading II Faculty were asked, “What barriers/challenges have you faced in helping students successfully complete Reading I/II?”?”

26. Faculty Barriers: Reading I & II

27. Faculty Suggestions: Academically Unprepared Students

28. Faculty Suggestions: Disabilities

29. Faculty Suggestions: Student Attitudes

30. © 2009 Tulsa Community College Data Team