Strengthening Student Pathways: Integrated Advising Drives Increased Success April

Today’s Presenters Andrew Carbon Interim Director Admissions & Registration Susan Mayer Senior Partner Student Achievement Initiatives 2

Objectives for Today Learn how one large College deployed resources to – Institutionalize a new model that integrates academic and support services – Drive action and results – Build organizational capacity and flexibility – Create and sustain change Identify strategies, processes and structures that could be implemented at your college 3

Today’s Agenda Overview Shark Path model Strategies, activities and interventions Indicators of success Lessons learned 4

Miami Dade College: A Brief Overview The challenges of a large, urban and diverse institution 67K degree seeking students – ~90% ethnic minorities – ~67% low income – ~70% students employed Historically, more than half placed into at least one level of developmental education Recent completion rates ranging from 13-39%, depending on initial placement 7 campuses and 3 centers 5

Aggressive College-Wide Goals Improve Progression and Completion, initially focused on FTIC-DE cohorts – Increased enrollment via targeted information and support in high school – Increased progression and persistence via orientations, advisement, guided academic pathways, co-curricular support – Increased completions and success via coaching/mentoring and communities of interest 6

7 MDC Shark Path: The Strategy for Increasing Progression and Completion

Pre- College Advising: Starting Right Pro-active outreach and case management – Connecting HS career academies to MDC programs – Targeted reminders about registration requirements – Shark Academy summer enrichment program – Scholarship opportunities Relevant on-campus events and workshops – Financial aid – Selection of program of study – Career exploration 8

Pre- College Advising >60% of Miami Dade County Public High Schools have an assigned Pre-College Advisor – On-site advising at 46 high schools Applications and enrollment for FTIC-DE students increased 19% and 10% in fall % enrollment rate at PCA high schools compared to 53% overall and conversion to enrollment 9

10 Pre-College and First Year Advising Support Each Other Performance Benchmarks Percentage increase since implementation Fall Registration Deadline 8/25/20148/26/201308/27/2012 FTIC-DE students # Applied18.6%17,50416,56114,759 # Enrolled9.9%9,3848,9918,531 # Credits Enrolled13.4%118,076111,978104,130 Average # Credits/Student 1.6%

First Year Advising: Becoming Connected and Engaged Prior to campus orientation – Non-cognitive assessment – Career assessment and exploration – On-line orientation At mandatory campus orientation – Meet assigned advisor – Discuss course selection and placement recommendations – Register for first semester During mandatory first semester advising – Review results of assessments – Identify appropriate resources and supports – Confirm program of study and transfer institution choices 11

Students are Choosing Programs of Study Earlier 12 93% FTIC- DE students with Program of Study by end of first semester

During mandatory first semester advising, students complete individualized academic maps (MAP) – Course sequence guides created by disciplines representing ~80% enrollment now in place – New FYE course required for all AA students As a result, – >90% FTIC-DE students have MAP – Enrollment in “first” program of study courses up across the board – Enrollment in college-level math and English in first year up significantly—both initially and sequentially 13 First Year Advising

More Students Enrolling in College Level Math and English in Year 1 14 % FTIC-DE enrolled in college-level course within first year

15 % FTIC-DE enrolled in Math in first term Enrollment in College-level Math in First Term increased by 30%

Structured interactions between first year advisors and academic disciplines – Course sequence requirements and recommendations – Ongoing information flow/working relationships Coach/mentors complete intensive training – Developed and delivered collaboratively – Includes hand-on shadowing with Student Services advisors – Ongoing peer “buddy” relationship/support 16 Advising and Coaching & Mentoring Support Each Other

Coaching & Mentoring: Persisting and Progressing 12,500 students transition to discipline-specific coach/mentors after completing 25% college-level requirements – 350 coach/mentors, representing >30% faculty Coach/mentors provide targeted academic and support resources – Progress monitoring and intervention – Internship and community engagement opportunities – Transfer advice – Career guidance 17

Coaching & Mentoring Strong student feedback about importance of coach/mentor in persistence and completion However, student interaction with coach/mentors still low – Not mandatory – Recent new registration hold for students with academic difficulty Student-led outreach campaign planned for Fall

Communities of Interest: The Glue for Shark Path Clusters of students with common interests and goals Structured, intentional and meaningful experiences – Academic Support (peer tutoring, information sessions, community engaged learning) – Social Engagement (clubs, organizations, co-curricular themed events – Career Readiness (career workshops, internships) Embedded in and wrapped around student’s experience through Shark Path – Implemented initially in Allied Health – Rolling out to Business and Criminal Justice communities 19

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What Have We Learned? Lesson 1 Moving the needle on student success takes time – System approach that aligns strategies, processes structures and cultures – Cumulative impact of collective activities and interventions After 2.5 years of implementation at MDC – Most leading indicators moving in the right direction – But no meaningful movement yet in retention, “sophomore status” or completion 21

What Have We Learned? Lesson 2 Improving student achievement is an on-going, iterative process Learn by doing: there is no “perfect solution” – Best practices already identified and proven – Success is defined by execution: “the devil’s in the details” – Broad and deep scale is required – Inclusive engagement, transparency and communication are key 22

What Have We Learned? Lesson 3 Significant progress can be made without a lot of new investment Strategic re-allocation of existing resources – Focus on what we can influence/control – Stop doing low value-add activities – “Prove in” new models and ways of doing business Redesign business processes before adding new people or new technology 23

What Have We Learned? Lesson 4 Measuring progress regularly and routinely drives learning and improvement Clearly defined metrics/KPIs Timely assessments and data sharing Data in every discussion Operational decision-making vs reporting data Transparency and visibility Structured methodologies, tools and templates 24

What Have We Learned? Lesson 5 Success and sustainability require organizational strength Broad and inclusive engagement, collaboration and learning Focus on “most” not the exceptions Culture of inquiry and innovation Capacity, flexibility and adaptability Tolerance for risk, uncertainty and setbacks 25

What Have We Learned? Lesson 6 On-going, intentional training/development is necessary to change a culture Practical, hands-on strategies for daily interactions and work Structured opportunities to leverage discrete strategies into integrated solutions At MDC, 15 minutes of training for every hour of service delivery for new model over first two years 26

Just do it! Build the foundation for student success and achievement Big Urgent Inclusive Leadership at all Levels Data-informed 27 Summary