Serving Low-Skilled Adults

1. Serving Low-Skilled Adults Challenges, Opportunities and Promising Practices in Michigan February 24, 2012

2. Presenters • Jenny Schanker, Associate Director Michigan Center for Student Success jschanker@mcca.org • Judith Taylor, Independent Researcher Michigan Center for Student Success jcombestaylor@gmail.com • Jeremy Kelley, Project Manager Jobs for the Future jkelley@jff.org

3. Sponsors

4. Agenda • MCSS Overview • State and National Context • Survey Results • Results from a Deeper Dive • Opportunities and Resources to meet Emerging Challenges

5. Michigan Center for Student Success Vision The Center for Student Success provides state-level support to Michigan’s 28 community colleges by serving as a hub connecting leadership, administrators, faculty, and staff in their emerging and ongoing efforts to improve student outcomes, emphasizing linkages between practice, research, and policy.

6. Michigan Center for Student Success Guiding Framework Priority Areas/Momentum Points

7. Supply and Demand in Michigan’s Labor Market • Michigan’s annual number of HS graduates will decline 12.2% by 2020 • Annual demand for college-educated workers will increase by 4.2% by 2018 http://www.clasp.org/admin/site/publications_states/files/Not-Kid-Stuff-Anymore_MI.pdf

8. Challenges for Adult Education • Federal funding for adult education has declined by 17% over the past 10 years • Nationally, only 2 million out of an estimated eligible population of 93 million are served by adult education • In Michigan, an estimated 692,000 adults lack a high school diploma or GED while 33,000 are served each year http://www.clasp.org/admin/site/publications/files/adult-ed-funding-enrollment-February-2012.pdf

9. Financial Aid Obstacles • Pell Grant Changes: • Income threshold for an automatic $0 Expected Family Contribution lowered by $9000 • Ability to Benefit eligibility eliminated • Duration of eligibility reduced from 18 to 12 semesters http://edmoney.newamerica.net/blogposts/2012/pell_grant_eligibility_changes_bring_savings_for_the_program-62302

10. Breaking Through History • JFF and NCWE launched the initiative in 2005 with funding from the Mott Foundation • Mott Community College was part of the initial Learning College cohort • Six additional colleges formed the Michigan network in early 2007: • Grand Rapids • Henry Ford • Lake Michigan • Macomb • Saint Clair • Washtenaw

11. Breaking Through Documentation • Practice Guide: http://jff.org/publications/education/breaking-through-practice-guide/1059 • Scaling Up Case Studies: http://jff.org/publications/education/achieving-ambitious-goals-case-studies-s/1230 • Leaving No Worker Behind: http://jff.org/publications/education/leaving-no-worker-behind-community-colle/1225

12. Purposes of Current Research • Document the impact of Breaking Through in Michigan • Lift up promising practices happening at colleges across the state • Explore challenges and opportunities to improve outcomes for this population • Ensure alignment with other initiatives as Michigan moves forward

13. Survey Methodology • JFF/MCSS Collaboration • 39 Questions • Pilot Test with original MI BT colleges October 2011: 7 responses • Sent to remaining 21 colleges November 2011: • 13 additional colleges provided responses • Total 20/28 (75%) as of 2/16/12

14. Key Findings: Aligning Programs • 19 colleges report offering at least some “stackable” credentials (mostly in Health Care) • 13 colleges report that credential attainment for low-skilled adults is a strong focus for them • 9 colleges report programs specifically designed to “bridge” adult learners into pathways to certificate and degree completion

15. Key Findings: Accelerating Learning • 17 colleges report offering “intensive” courses addressing skill gaps (for both traditional and non-traditional students) • 11 colleges are integrating basic skills with occupational instruction (largely in non-credit) • 5 colleges report significant use of prior learning assessments to reduce time to completion for adult learners

16. Key Findings: Connecting to Employers • 16 colleges report engaging employers to a large extent through advisory committees for career and technical programs • 15 colleges report that they are significantly engaged in regional efforts to link education and training with employment • 10 colleges indicate that their career services office connects regularly with employers

17. Key Findings: Providing Support • 17 colleges report working with community partners to provide support services • 14 colleges indicate that they provide “navigators” or advisors to both credit and non-credit students to help them overcome obstacles • 11 colleges have systems in place to connect with “stop out” students

18. Key Findings: Capacity Development • Colleges report providing professional development to increase capacity for serving low-skilled adults through • Funding conference attendance • Bringing consultants to campus • Internal working groups or seminars on campus • Colleges noted capacity gaps in • Diagnosing and addressing student learning disabilities • Effective teaching and service strategies for the lowest-skilled adults • Providing effective career planning and placement services

19. Key Findings: Policy Environment • Institutional policy challenges cited: • Articulation between credit and non-credit programs • Developmental education placement policies • State or federal policy challenges cited: • Financial aid regulations limiting access to Pell Grants • Cuts to funding sources such as WIA

20. Some highlights from a deeper dive • St. Clair County Community College • Jackson Community College • Lake Michigan College • Grand Rapids Community College • Macomb Community College • Mott Community College

21. Going Deeper: Methodology • Reviewed online survey results to identify likely programs • Conducted follow up phone interviews to confirm • Finally, site visits to six colleges (last week)

22. Breaking Through in Michigan • Mott Community College participated from the outset in 2005 • Funds from the Mott Foundation supported in-state peer learning meetings—any college could attend and costs of attending national peer learning meetings (up to six colleges) • No implementation $$--colleges encouraged to apply for state grants and apply Breaking Through principles

23. Breaking Through, Non-credit, and the MTECs • These were the years of massive worker dislocation in Michigan and state funding for retraining at the post-secondary level • By definition, Breaking Through students (low skilled adults) couldn’t matriculate in for-credit programs—non-credit was the default • MTECs were established to (among other goals) reconnect unemployed workers in the region to employers who did need workers

24. Three Themes Emerged from the Going Deeper Research • “Scaling up” of Breaking Through pilots is happening • The need to create clear pathways from non-credit to credit is becoming increasingly urgent • Breaking Through programs have incubated strategies with wider relevance for promoting student success

25. “Scaling up” of Breaking Through Pilots • There’s significant scaling up at the MTECs in three colleges: Grand Rapids, Lake Michigan, and Mott • At GRCC and LMC, models developed in pilot programs are now or soon will be how all programs at the MTEC are offered; Mott isn’t far behind • Note: programs are constantly refining models based on outcome data, changes in funding, etc.

26. Scaling Up: Key Features While there is a lot of variation, the models have certain features in common: • Intensive up-front assessment • Remediation for those who need it—some contextualized, always linked to a technical program • Ongoing intrusive support • Multiple certificates valued by regional employers

27. Scaling Up: the Role of MTECs One administrator said “I view the MTEC as an incubator, a venue for rapid prototyping.” • Because MTECs are non-credit, new programs can be put together quickly • Most programs are short-term so there’s outcome data for continuous improvement • With supportive leadership, program features can be attached to additional programs relatively easily

28. The Need for Clear Pathways from Non-Credit to Credit • Breaking Through focused funds and attention on non-credit options and on the importance of advancement pathways to higher credentials • Interest from the Credit “side” may sharpen as the traditional pipeline of high school students shrinks • Two colleges are innovating in this arena

29. Clear Pathways from Non-Credit to Credit Mott Community College • The pioneer: started experimenting with articulation, which a number of colleges have since adopted • A second approach blends non-credit and for-credit courses for a credential—invisible to the student • MCC may adopt mandatory placement, which could impede students who seek additional for-credit courses and credentials

30. Clear Pathways from Non-Credit to Credit Macomb Community College—a different approach: Non-credit workforce programs have been detached from their old administrative structure and attached administratively to their logical for-credit department (health care to health care, etc.). Staff have been assigned (reassigned) to facilitate the process.

31. Non-Credit to Credit, cont. A few of the challenges: • Remediation MCC strategies: the Learning Center and Achieving the Dream innovations in developmental education • Advising/support Program plans for non-credit students will reside on Datatel to support advisors & counselors and teach non-credit students how to use Web Advisor

32. Breaking Through: Incubating Student Success Strategies There’s increasing pressure to improve for-credit students’ rates of attaining a credential—the area that MI Breaking Through programs have been refining Challenges: • The number of for-credit students is much higher than the MTECs’ • Breaking Through programs are resource intensive, and funding is shrinking • Less flexibility

33. Breaking Through: Incubating Student Success Strategies Still, some ideas are emerging Caveat: the site visits were just last week • A modified/augmented admissions process that looks for a range of skills and experience, a strong interest (“major”), and demonstrated initiative • Multi-faceted assessment (interest, aptitude, skills) that helps students figure out what they want to do early on • Intensive (intrusive) advising • Material presented in short chunkswith opportunities to demonstrate success

34. Emerging Priorities • Articulating between non-credit and credit programs • Implementing alternatives to traditional delivery of developmental education/aligning with A.B.E. • Expanding supports for career decision-making, life skills, etc. to a broader population • Increasing prior learning assessment to decrease time to completion • Connecting more robustly with employers and the local labor market

35. Opportunities and Resources • Under the umbrella of MCSS, several national funders are bringing resources to help Michigan address these priorities. • In addition to supporting participating colleges, MCSS will disseminate lessons learned from these initiatives across the state.

36. Lumina’s Adult Degree Completion Initiative • Four-year initiative with 19 grantees, targeting: • Dislocated and underemployed workers • Students who completed credit bearing courses but failed to test out of a remedial sequence before leaving college • Adult students that have earned articulated credit • Support strategies • Build on and expand large-scale strategies already in place • Implement strategies for large-scale efforts that have been planned or piloted • State policy and system change efforts

37. ACPP Description • Three states, each of which have existing networks of Breaking Through colleges • Michigan • North Carolina • Kentucky • Pass through funding will support state team convenings • Construct a policy-change framework • Develop a work plan • Ensure that the work plan is enacted to effect policy

38. ACPP in Kentucky • Workforce Transitions Committee • Target population: reenrolling incumbent worker trainees • Non credit to credit articulation • Standardized prior learning assessments • Recommendations for data collection policies

39. ACPP in North Carolina • Student Data System Analysis • Non-Credit to Credit Articulation • Professional Development for College Staff

40. ACPP in Michigan • Managed by JFF and MCSS • A Pilot Program to Align Community College Non-Credit and Credit Offerings • Leveraging Lessons from Project Win-Win • Analyzing and Disseminating Labor Market Data • Gubernatorial and Legislative Engagement

41. More Initiatives • Project Win Win • 9 colleges identifying “near completers” • Benefits Access Pilots • 2 colleges connecting students with public benefits • Credentials that Work • Real time labor market data • AtD/BT Alignment Initiative • Further scaling of strategies that work

42. Upcoming Events/Communication Forums • More on ACPP: Webinar March 9 1:00-2:30 • BT Network watch email for details • Breaking Through Network Meeting at GRCC April 13 1:00-4:00 • Registration details at mcca.org • MCSS Monthly Newsletter Follow us online: • MCCS blog: http://micenterforstudentsuccess.blogspot.com/ • Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/MCCACSS • Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Michigan-Center-for-Student Success/300637479987811?sk=wall

43. Questions?