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City Colleges of Chicago Building Bridges and Supporting Transitions to College Success Harry S Truman College Richard J. Daley College District Office Adult Education United States Conference on Adult Basic Education and Literacy March 18, 2010 Chicago, Illinois.
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City Colleges of Chicago Building Bridges and Supporting Transitions to College SuccessHarry S Truman CollegeRichard J. Daley CollegeDistrict Office Adult EducationUnited States Conference on Adult Basic Education and LiteracyMarch 18, 2010Chicago, Illinois
The Truman CollegeAdult Education Incentive Program: Creating a Culture of Going to College COABE/ ProLiteracy/ IACEA 2010 Conference Chicago, Illinois - March 18, 2010
Truman College Adult Education • Part of a seven-college multi-campus district (six of which have Adult Ed programs) • Located in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago, a port of entry for new immigrant communities • Largest and possibly most diverse Adult Education program in Illinois, serving about 13,000 students (unduplicated) per year, or about 7,000 per semester • Enrollment about 85% ESL (including Citizenship), 15% ABE/GED (including Spanish GED)
The Incentive Program… • Is a Truman College transition program that allows advanced ESL and GED students to begin taking college credit courses tuition-free while enrolled in Adult Education, under carefully-controlled circumstances • Makes available a portion of the participants’ Incentive Program benefits only after they have fully transitioned to credit • Helps participants make significant progress toward a certificate or degree while in the program
Barriers Addressed: • Lack of academic preparation • Unfamiliarity with college-related vocabulary/concepts • Lack of knowledge about the college application process and student support services • Limited knowledge about potential careers and how to prepare for them • Low income • Low self-confidence
Incentive Program Beginnings • Started in 1998 for ESL students in advanced levels of ESL* • Originally conceived as a way to recruit students into credit and fill empty seats during Late Registration • Initially promoted to Adult Ed ESL students as a contextualized learning opportunity (“a good way to practice your English”) * At that time, GED students could participate in a similar program, Credit-in-Escrow, which primarily served Chicago Public School students. That program no longer exists.
Success! • Between summer 1998 and spring 2007, the Incentive Program served an average of 195 students per year (1,756 students, duplicated headcount total). • Participants took up to five credit courses over three semesters while dually enrolled in Adult Education. • The limited data available suggested that Incentive students got good grades and many transitioned fully to the credit program.
Program Redesigned (2007) to… • Increase awareness among Adult Ed students about opportunities available in other college divisions • Improve quality and quantity of advising • Require academic and career planning • Improve tracking • Increase the “incentive” to make a transition • Get students closer to a certificate or a degree
Summary of 2007 Changes • Formal application process (including teacher recommendation) implemented • Minimum standards established in order to continue in the following semester • Early registration now permitted and encouraged (i.e., students no longer limited to Late Registration) • Maximum of eight courses permitted with a portion made available after (and only after) full transition to credit
Incentive Eligibility Rules Today Incentive candidates must… • Start the program while in Level 7 or College Prep ESL (Advanced ESL) or a GED-level course • Meet in-District residency requirements • Score 50+ in the native speakers’ COMPASS reading test • Intend to pursue a certificate or Associate degree at Truman College • NOT have taken any college courses in the US • Complete an Incentive application and obtain a teacher recommendation based on prior class performance
Incentive Phases The revised Incentive Program consists of two phases: • Phase 1: Students are enrolled in both Adult Education courses and credit courses. • Phase 2: Students have completed the Adult Education program and transitioned to the credit program (undergoing the full application process).
Ph1/Ph2 Incentive Courses Phase 1 Phase 2 Students may take the remainder of the eight allotted courses not taken while in Adult Education (e.g., if a student takes three Incentive courses in Phase 1, s/he may take five additional Incentive courses in Phase 2). Students not limited in course selection except by prerequisites and/or their COMPASS placement results. Students limited to: • Three semesters maximum • One Incentive course per semester • Students not allowed to take credit Communication courses such as English, Reading, or Speech Truman College One of the City Colleges of Chicago
Ph1/Ph2 Testing Requirements Phase 1 Phase 2 Students must go through “regular” college entrance testing before starting Phase 2 Native English speakers: Full version of COMPASS for native speakers and writing sample English language learners: COMPASS ESL, writing sample, and interview with Communications department • Students must take the COMPASS test for native speakers and score 50+ (Reading). • Students may retake the test after completing a full ESL level in order to increase the range of courses they qualify for. Truman College One of the City Colleges of Chicago
Ph1/Ph2 Incentive Fees Phase 1 Phase 2 Students must enroll in and pay for one credit class ($79/credit hour, soon to increase) for every tuition-free Incentive class they receive in the same semester, in addition to paying for registration and lab fees and books. • Students are responsible for regular college credit registration fees ($75 for part-time students), plus any lab fees and books. Truman College One of the City Colleges of Chicago
Continuation in the Program To maintain Incentive status, students… • Must have good attendance and participation in both Adult Education and credit courses • Must maintain a 2.0 GPA in the credit program, and receive a passing grade in their Adult Education courses • Cannot allow more than two consecutive semesters to elapse without enrolling in any Incentive courses
Withdrawal Policy/Penalty • If a student withdraws from a class, it nevertheless counts as one of the eight Incentive classes permitted under the program in both phases. • Students who wish to withdraw from a class must do so formally with the assistance of a College Advisor or the Transition Liaison.
The Transition Liaison • Links Adult Education with Credit and Continuing Education divisions • Coordinates and delivers workshops to inform ESL and GED students about the Incentive Program and college options beyond Adult Education • Meets with ESL and GED students individually to assist with setting educational goals • Coordinates the Incentive Program application process each term • Guides Incentive students while in the program • Tracks Incentive Program data for reporting
Incentive Grade Distribution(Data for Summer ‘08, Fall ‘08, & Spring ‘09) Total credit courses taken = 687
Term to Term RetentionStudents Who Continued in the Credit Program
Term to Term RetentionStudents Who Continued in the Credit Program (% of total)
Who Needs to Be on Board? In addition to Adult Education administrators and staff… • College President and Vice President • Dean of Student Services • Dean of Instruction • Director of Admissions & Advising • Budget Director • Assessment Center Director
What Else Is Needed? • Buy-in and basic knowledge among Adult Education teachers and other support staff • Transition Liaison or similar position • Well-defined cycle of recruitment/registration activities • Support of Business Office staff in dealing with waivers
The Incentive Program… Creating a culture of going to college among Adult Education students at Truman College!
Contact—Truman College Armando Mata, Adult Education Dean amata@ccc.edu Ann Darnton, Adult Education Assistant Dean adarnton@ccc.edu Jay Landau, Transition Liaison jlandau@ccc.edu Information online http://www.trumancollege.edu/adulted/incentive.php