Underserved High School Students Graduate with a Year of College Credit Presented by Dr. Bill Marzano Assistant Vice President of Community Development Heather Reed Manager, Dunham Early College Academy

Overview of College Readiness & Early College Models Definition Early College Models Early College High Schools AP & IB Dual Credit vs. Dual Enrollment

Definition College Readiness…”the level of preparation a student needs in order to enroll and succeed- without remediation- in a credit- bearing course at a post secondary institution that offers a baccalaureate degree or transfer to a baccalaureate program.” (Conley, 2010, p.21)

College Readiness Facets of College Readiness Contextual Skills and Awareness Info about college system Academic Behaviors Study skills, organized, group work Key Content Skills, concepts and foundational principles Key Cognitive Problem solving, interpretation, accuracy (Baber, L.D, Castro, E.L. and Bragg, D.D, 2010, p. 1-2)

Early College Models- Early College High Schools Small charter schools Located on college campuses Serves underserved students Seamless transition from high school to college Lacks traditional high school experience Early college high schools not allowed in all states

Early College Models- AP & IB Advanced Placement Students take class taught by high school teachers Must pass exam to receive college credit Not all students who take AP classes choose to take the test. International Baccalaureate Two year program (eleventh and twelfth years) Detailed curriculum Series of exams Some colleges give credit for high scores on exams

Dual Credit vs. Dual Enrollment Dual Credit Student – enrolled in a college course Course recorded on community college transcript Course recognized as meeting required or elective high school graduation requirement Dual Enrollment Student – an active high school student also enrolled in college coursework College Course High School Course High school graduation requirement College Course Course recorded or college transcript High School Instructor College Instructor

Benefits/Effects of Dual Credit Open Dialogue

Benefits/Effects of Dual Credit Relief of high school boredom (“senioritis”) Guaranteed level of rigor. Early start on college work (accelerated programs) Reduces overall cost of college Early experience and success at college-level work Helps students begin to make the transition from high school to college thereby alleviating some transition issues once they are full-time college students Facilitates student recruitment and transition Tends to “push ahead” students who already have “an edge” Research indicates that students who earn college credit as high school students are more apt to continue on to college and complete their chosen program of study.

Basic Considerations in Creating an Academy By what criteria should the students be selected? What “barriers” do these underserved students face? What courses should be included in the curriculum? What special support services/enrichment activities are needed to support the short-term and long-term success of these students?

By what criteria should the students be selected? Open Dialogue

Criteria we used to select students Submit application with essay Minority, low income and/or First generation Must read at 10th grade level via the COMPASS Interview No G.P.A. requirement

What “barriers” do these underserved students face? Open Dialogue

Barriers we see our students face Lack of or limited support at home/school Limited understanding of needed skills for college Need to work to help support family Undocumented Money for college Lack of or limited knowledge of application process/financial aid Unsure of career direction

What courses should be included in the curriculum? Open Dialogue

Courses in the Dunham Academy Juniors COM 100 - PSY 100- Fund of Speech Communication (E) Intro to Psychology (E) PHL 110 - PSC 100 Intro to Critical Thinking (E) Intro to American Govt. (R) Seniors HUM 102 - ENG 101 – The Global Village (E) First Year Composition I (R) ENG 102 - ENG 215 – First Year Composition II (R) Masterpieces of American Lit(R)

What special support services/enrichment activities are needed to support the short-term and long-term success of these students?

Special support services/enrichment activities at the Dunham Academy College readiness skills: time management, study skills, reading a college text book, taking a college exam, essay writing, etc… Life skills: financial literacy, career testing, civic engagement, diversity workshops and leadership workshops. College applications: FASA workshops, scholarship finding, writing application/scholarship essays, picking a major.

Dual Credit Model for College Readiness Dunham Early College Academy Dunham Early College Academy Dual Credit Model for College Readiness

Partnerships within the Community 1.1 million dollar grant from the Dunham Fund Academy set up Tuition and books Laptops “Dunham Difference” $20,000.00 grant from Communities in Schools to support program in 3rd and 4th year. East and West Aurora High Schools 25 students from each high school Recruitment of students for program Waubonsee Community College (WCC) Location of Academy at the downtown Aurora campus WCC instructors WCC support services Continued Partnerships High Schools dedicated funding for tuition and transportation

Dunham Early College Academy Scholars Under-served Population Under-represented in higher education First generation college students Low income families Enter Academy as Juniors 2007-2008 Junior Cohort 32% White, 56% Latino, 6% Black, 6% Other 2008-2009 & 2009-2010 Junior Cohort 16% White, 65% Latino, 16% Black, 3% Asian Students do not have a G.P.A. requirement to enter program

Dunham Difference = College Readiness College Skill Workshops Note taking, text book reading, test taking, etc Career Counseling Testing Personalized counseling sessions with student and parent Dedicated Dunham Early College Academy support staff person Life Skill Workshops Fiscal literacy, civic duty, leadership, peer mentoring and healthy life styles

Dunham Difference = College Readiness Laptops Instructors Specialized training in MS Office software Used in classroom instruction Instructors Waubonsee Community College instructors Both full-time and adjunct instructors dedicated to the program Peer Tutors Students who have completed the program and are current traditional Waubonsee students

The First Year Outcomes Thirty-eight (38) of 50 earned the full 12 college credit hours. Dunham Early College Academy scholars earned a higher percentage of satisfactory grades (C or higher) as compared to the overall WCC student population. Fall: 95% vs. 71%; Spring: 83% vs. 73% COMPASS Placement exam scores from spring 2007 to spring 2008 resulted in a decrease of the need to take developmental English from 60% to 35%. Development of a sense of community with students from rival high schools.

The Second Year Outcomes Dunham Early College Academy scholars earned a higher percentage of satisfactory grades (C or higher) as compared to the overall WCC student population. Fall: 88% vs. 73%; Spring: 91% vs. 74% 28 first Cohort students completed program. All 28 entered into post-secondary schooling. Senior students outperformed their high school matched sample in spring G.P.A. as well as high school cumulative G.P.A.

The Third Year Outcomes Dunham Early College Academy scholars earned a higher percentage of satisfactory grades (C or higher) as compared to the overall WCC student population. Fall: 97% vs. 73%; Spring: 94% vs. 74% 26 second Cohort students completed program. All 26 entered into post-secondary schooling. Dunham Difference Scholarship given to students completing

Student’s Experience “I’m a minority. I do not want to be another statistic. The privilege to earn a college education has turned into an honor. The Dunham Early College Academy has given me a reason to believe I can go to college!” Mayra Almeraz (East Aurora) “I thought college is just a summary of years of high school, but it’s a whole different world.” Maritza Campos (East Aurora) “It has made me a better student because it has made me care about school and makes me want to do good in school.” Lisa Ann Partipilo (West Aurora) “The Dunham Early College Academy has given me more real life experience, has made me more mature and preparing me for college.” Mykle Warren (West Aurora)

1st Cohort Post Secondary Plans

2nd Cohort Post Secondary Plans

Dunham Early College Academy

Sources Barber, L.D., Castro, E.L., and Bragg, D.D. (2010 August). Measuring Success: David Conley’s College Readiness Framework and the Illinois College and Career Readiness Act. Champaign, IL: Office of Community College Research and Leadership, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Conley, David T. (2005) College Knowledge: What it Really Takes for Students to Succeed and What We Can Do to Get Them Ready. San Francisco: Jossey- Bass. Conley, David T. (2010) College and Career Ready: Helping All Students Succeed Beyond High School. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 2008-2009 Dunham Early College Academy