Four Year Review: STEM SI Startup, Data Collection/Analysis, Reporting on a Successful Program COLIN ORAND & LESLEE SCHAUER TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY – CORPUS CHRISTI AHSIE CONFERENCE MARCH 22, 2016
Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi The Island University… …after a fresh rain Former Naval base Fall 2015 enrollment: 11,661 HSI with 48% of student population being Hispanic
TAMU-CC Demographics
Program Overview Supplemental Instruction - STEM focus Closely follows UMKC model First semester: Spring 2012 Institutionalization proposed (in review) Tiered-pay structure $10 - $12 SI Leader selection Bi-annual two-day training Peer observations End-of-term evaluations and rehire
Brief Review of SI Originated at University of Missouri – Kansas City (1973) Dr. Deanna Martin Former College of Education student Peer-assisted, informal study sessions Non-remedial approach to learning – removes the stigma associated with “tutoring” Target high-risk, historically difficult courses, not high-risk students All students are encouraged to participate “Students attending SI regularly earn half to a whole letter grade higher, on average.” (UMKC) Confirmed by U.S. Department of Education in 1990s
Challenges Experienced Student motivation Commuter school Geographic location Faculty support Title-IX High turnover First in the World (FITW) pilot Expiring grant = preference loss
Tips/Tricks Faculty education & faculty support Persistent contact with faculty to promote SI participation SI selection: The ‘B’ applicants Non-traditional students
Data Accumulation Excel Cheap alternative Intermediate knowledge needed for troubleshooting A few simple formulas will go a long way: Summations =sum(x,x) or =sum(x:x) Averages =AVG(x:x) Countif(s) =countifs(cellrange,”value”) Multi-tab calculations for aggregating data Conditional formatting for easy visual analysis
Database Overhaul
Program Data - Demographics
Program Data
The most convincing data… …DFW rates lower for SI cohort in every semester! SI CohortNon-SI CohortTotal ABC% ABC# DFW% DFWABC% ABC# DFW% DFWABC% ABC# DFW% DFW FA12-SP % % % % % % FA13-SP % % % % % % FA14-SP % % % % % %
Reporting Adapted from Texas State University
If you have any questions… Colin Orand SOAR STEM Program Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi