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Evaluation Summary

Evaluation Summary. Maine College Transitions Program 2008 Fiscal Year. Evaluation Design. Based on Logic Model Used Evaluation Questions:

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Evaluation Summary

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  1. Evaluation Summary Maine College Transitions Program 2008 Fiscal Year

  2. Evaluation Design • Based on Logic Model • Used Evaluation Questions: • Based on data collected from local programs, what is the demographic picture of Maine College Transitions Program? What are the common characteristics across the state? What are the unique characteristics? • What elements of established best practices are in place? What new ones have emerged?

  3. Evaluation Methodology • MAEMIS Data • Program Qualitative Reports • Student Surveys • Professional Development/Conference Evaluations • Advisory Board minutes • Coordinator updates

  4. Overall MAEMIS Findings • Reaching target audience: • 60% of students are over the age of 25 • 31% are between 19-24 • 9% are between 16-18 • Most are employed • 48% employed • 32% unemployed • 20% not in the labor force

  5. Overall MAEMIS Findings (cont) Of those who are counted: • 69% are female (n=783) • 65% are first generation college candidates (n=310) • 67% have enrollment in a 2 year college as their goal(n=375)

  6. Overall MAEMIS Findings (cont) • Most who obtained a GED prior to enrollment did so within 3 years or more than 10 years of enrollment in College Transitions • 55% were referred by Adult Education programs, and only 15% by Post Secondary Education (however, where there is good articulation, it can be high. Presque Isle had 85% of referrals from the community college.)

  7. MAEMIS Findings (cont) • Overall, at least 75% of students improved their Accuplacer scores in Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, or Algebra • 76% (n=125)of completers placed into a 2 year college

  8. Overall MAEMIS Findings (cont) • CT Co-location and/or enrollment, or a close relationship with a college or community college, appears to show a correlation with increased student college enrollment (87% Vs 53%) upon completion of the CT program (data not complete for all programs reporting)

  9. Overall MAEMIS Findings (cont) • Most students want to enter healthcare (29%), with 8% wanting business administration, 6% art, 6% early childhood, and 5% trades and technical training as career choices. • Engineering, information technology, technical trades were chosen by 1% - 3% of students.

  10. Overall MAEMIS findings, cont. • Biotechnology, construction, financial services, fire science, hospitality, and manufacturing had less than 1% or no student interest for career choices

  11. Themes from Qualitative Data • Recruitment • Retention • Curriculum • Program Elements • Relationships with Partners • Scheduling • Student Confidence • Professional Development

  12. Recruitment • Overall request for statewide effort/plan • Help/Strategies for attracting appropriate participants • Strategies for attracting participants with commitment

  13. Need Strategies for Retention • Overcoming student challenges such as childcare, transportation • Adult issues that impact participation • Commitment to the program • Understanding of work involved

  14. Curriculum/Teaching Changes from Last Year • Integrated technology • Classes mesh with student needs, aligned with assessments • Classes scaffolded to increase learning and pace • Classes based on developmental courses and run like college class • Research and research papers assigned

  15. Curriculum, cont. • Writing prompts with real life applications • PLATO allows open exit/open entry and self-paced learning

  16. Program Elements/Best Practices • Goal setting • Notebook/portfolio documenting goal achievement and work examples • Specific topic workshops or classes OR • Integrating technology, study skills, career planning, college success into an orientation or into the core curriculum • Advising/counseling accessible, 1:1, and on going and includes review of achievement and/or goal attainment

  17. Program Elements, cont. • Partner agencies provide core services such as financial aid, college readiness, time management, self esteem,etc. • College visits preceded by information and introduction to campus enabling students to ask informed questions • New technology utilized to familiarize students with campus life (UNET, Blackboard, Moodle, PLATO on line, wireless laptops, Virtual college visits)

  18. Relationship with Partners • Co-location allows students to access campus services such as advising, library, food services • Co-location allows participants to mingle with and meet enrolled students • Co-location beneficial for staff and results in increased collaboration and coordination: computer labs, library resources, shared staff

  19. Relationship with Partners, cont. • Agreements with higher education for placement, scholarships, credits • Partner agencies enhance program offerings and allow for additional workshops and courses • Sharing assessments not always smooth • Some partnerships work better than others

  20. Scheduling • Self paced VS set entry/exit classes • One day VS Class by Class • Extra workshops VS Integrated skills in core curriculum • Set counseling times VS only as needed

  21. Student Surveys • Pre and post matches were not consistent, and therefore results not reliable • Trends were evidenced in low number of matched results received • Trends indicate value to using this instrument

  22. Student Survey Trends • Student surveys show increased confidence in college and career success • Counseling key to building self esteem • Goal setting and incremental achievement helps build confidence and is a retention factor • Student relationships with family and friends important factors for success • Student relationships with other students key factor in student motivation, retention and success • Relationships with teachers and counselors important factors in building self-efficacy

  23. Professional Development Valued by All Programs • College Transitions meetings and workshops/conferences • MELMAC peer learning sessions • NCTN Tool kit • Other College Transitions programs • Request for more sharing time for programs to learn from each other • Request for more professional development that includes partners from secondary education and other partners

  24. Conclusions • Project is recruiting the target population • Students are increasing their academic skills and self confidence to enter college • Programs are contextualizing design to their communities

  25. Conclusions (cont) • There are 2 emerging schedules for Maine’s College Transition program: • Students take set classes as a group scheduled in one day, evening, or over a few hours over several days. Academic and career counseling, college life skills, and other classes are included in the curriculum • Students select the classes, based on assessment scores, that meet their academic and career goals, with college life skills classes and academic and career counseling mandatory supports

  26. Conclusions (cont) • Some programs have begun to offer both types of schedules to accommodate all students

  27. Conclusions (cont) • Preliminary data indicates that students need fewer developmental courses upon enrollment into secondary education, however this needs further study for validation of this trend • Emphasis on counseling and skills for college life and success builds student self-efficacy

  28. Conclusions (cont) • There are some regional trends that can be highlighted for the entire project. For example, Aroostook recruited 50% male and 50% female participants, compared with 32% male and 68% female project-wide • Fort Kent and Old Orchard Beach programs had 100% first generation students enrolled, followed by Piscataquis/Penobscot region with 68%.

  29. Conclusions (cont) • Programs value the professional development offered, as well as the guidance and leadership of the project coordinator • Programs would appreciate increased opportunities for partners to be included in and attracted to CT professional development events

  30. Recommendations • Continue to refine the MAEMIS and Student Survey data collection protocols and instruments to obtain consistent data • Put in place more consistent mechanisms and methods to track students after CT completion

  31. Recommendations (cont) • Examine regional and local trends that enhance the project’s outcomes (such as recruitment of males, increased completers, increased number of students who do not need developmental courses) • Develop recruitment strategies for those who obtained a GED or High School credential five to 10 years ago. This group is under-represented in program data.

  32. Recommendations (cont) • Build in professional development opportunities for partners to attend as a team. Utilize the Bridges conference to include topics and workshops that are conducive to this. • Examine the benefits of the two models of scheduling as well as the student outcomes for each model

  33. Recommendations (cont) • Utilize labor market information on job trends in the career counseling component. Data this year indicates some fields are not being explored as career options • Monitor how the economy impacts the project. For example, the choice of healthcare as a career may be impacted by news of layoffs of healthcare workers in local communities or enrollments in CT programs increase because of a lack of employment

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