California Community Colleges’ Success Network California Acceleration Project

1. Tales From the Second Year: San Diego Mesa CollegeWendy Smith PegahMotaleb Leyden DanielsAccelerated Learning ProjectBaltimore June 7, 2012 California Community Colleges’ Success NetworkCalifornia Acceleration Project

2. A Gift

3. Accelerated Reading, Writing, Reasoning:Our Velveteen Rabbit • Fall 2010-Fall 2011: 2 of 3 colleges in the San Diego Community College District piloted English 265B • An open-access, one-semester, 4-unit course that integrates reading and writing (based on Chabot College model) • 18 courses

4. Unofficial Philosophy* • Throughout the sequence of developmental and transfer-level English courses, students develop increasing mastery in college-level academic literacy, specifically the ability to: • Independently read & understand complex academic texts • Critically respond to the ideas and information in those texts • Write essays integrating ideas and information from those texts • FROM THE CHABOT ACCELERATION REPORT BYKATIE HERN, 2012

5. Fall 2012: It’s a Real Rabbit! • English 47 begins as an official course: Mesa will offer 4 courses • Some challenges: • Skeptical colleagues • Need for data • No accelerated offerings in Spring 2012 (contradiction?!) • Administrators and the curriculum review process • One college not on board

6. “Once you are real, you can’t become unreal.”

7. Current sequence

8. Course Retention and Success*Fall-Spring 2010/11 (Mesa and City Colleges) *Data collected by Susan Mun, Bri Hanson, and XI Zhang, SDCCD Campus-Based Researchers

9. Enrollment in and Completion of 101Fall 2010 Cohort (Mesa and City Colleges)

10. Fall 2011 Mesa College Accelerated and Traditional Student Reading Levels

11. Fall 2011 Mesa College Accelerated and Traditional Student Writing Skill Levels

12. Fall 2011 Mesa College Accelerated Courses: Young, New, Low-placement • 4 Sections • 98 Students • 57% Male • 79% between ages 18 and 24 • 27% placed one level below transfer reading; 18% placed two levels below transfer reading; 24% had no placement • 18% placed one level below transfer writing; 42% placed two levels below transfer writing; 24% had no placement • 62% had not earned any units prior to fall 2011 • 56% were enrolled full time (12+ units)

13. Fall 2011 Accelerated and Traditional Course Outcomes: Mesa

14. Now…. • Big call for research at all levels of administration and all 3 colleges (even the lone holdout) • Team participating in the California Acceleration Project’s Community of Practice (and not the usual suspects) • Ongoing dialogue • Research continues: comprehensive report out in Fall 2012

15. A new beginning….

16. So why Do You Think Acceleration Works? • Psychological and emotional • Educational Psychologist Carol Dweck • “growth-mindset” vs. “fixed mindset” • Assignments

17. Thesis Statement Swaps • Topic+subject(context)+argument • Context- Social, cultural, political, psychological, economical, religious, educational, and geographical • Ex: As depicted in contemporary American fiction, in times of war, mothers suffer the most. • Write a thesis statement of your own, answering the following question: • What is the value of education and why?

18. Directions • On one side of the page, write your thesis statement (answer to the question of the prompt.) • On the same side, instead of writing your name, draw a symbol so that you will recognize your paper • On the back of the page, make two columns and title them “Strengths” and “Gifts” • When you are finished, hand me your paper • You have two minutes

19. Second Set of Directions • I will give you someone’s paper • If you recognize your own paper, please say “That’s my paper” and I will give you another • Read the thesis statement • Write at least one positive comment in the “Strengths” column and explain why (use specific language from the thesis statement) • Write at least one advice for revision in the “Gifts” column and explain why (use specific language from the thesis statement) • Remember, your opinion is important, but your explanation is more important • Once you are finished writing in both columns, hold your paper in the air and I will come over and give you another • We will do this activity for three minutes

20. Third Set of Directions • Identify your paper as I hold it up • Read the comments that your fellow classmates have written • What are your thoughts and opinions about these comments? • How do you feel about the comments you have received? • Are there any comments that you especially value? Which ones are they? Place a star next to them. • Are there comments that you disregard? Ask yourself why you disregard this comment? Put a line through it. • What do you want to do now? How do you want to revise this thesis statement?

21. Katie and Myra • Six categories in which instructors can work with affective issues • 1) Establish and Maintain Positive Relationships • Not just between teacher and student, but between students and their peers • Create a learning cohort and a learning environment where students feel empowered to critique one another (of course constructive criticism.) • 2) Give students ample class time to understand content and practice • Each student should not leave if they do not understand the assignment • Make writing and developing questions a part of their daily work (get them in the habit of asking questions and seeking help)- Most of the time, students do not know how to ask questions

22. 3) Opportunities for metacognitive reflection • Ask them what they think frequently? • What are your thoughts? Opinions? Comments? • 4) Incentives and accountability for doing work • Students keep track of their own progress (see progress report handout) • 5) Intrusively intervening when students show signs of struggle or disengagement • Email • Conversation after or before class • 6) Maintain a growth mindset approach in feedback and grading • “You can easily turn this into an ‘A’ essay if you revise the errors I have pointed out to you.”

23. The End