Removing Barriers to Higher Education Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education February 15, 2008

Presenters

Mary Hensley, Ed.D. Vice President, College Support Systems and ISD Relations Leonard Rivera, Ph.D. Director, Off-Campus/College Connection Programs Doyle Valdez Past President, Austin ISD Board of Trustees

Agenda College Makes a Difference Closing the Gaps Overview College Connection Overview College Connection How It Works Program Results Program Recognition State and National Interest in Expansion Questions and Answers

College Makes a Difference Doyle Valdez

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Strategic Plan “Closing the Gaps” Overview

Closing the Gaps Closing the Gaps warns that if more Texans do not receive college degrees by 2030, the State could lose up to $40 billion in annual household income. The goal is to increase student enrollment in higher education by 630,000 by Most students will elect to start at a community college. Austin Community College District expects 15,000 additional students by Del Mar Community College expects 2,900 additional students by Source:

College Connection Overview

Education Beyond High School Increases earning potential and employment opportunities U.S. Department of Education

Improving High School to College Transitions Provide admission and pre-enrollment services to seniors on their school campuses Create an expectation that “College is in everyone’s future.” Increase percentage of high school seniors who enter college after high school graduation.

Texas High School Graduates from FY 2006 Enrolled in Texas Higher Education Fall 2006 Austin Community College District Service Area College Transition Rates *Includes students who were not enrolled in Texas colleges or universities in the year immediately following graduation, as well as students who were enrolled out-of-state. **Districts with less than 25 graduates are not included in this report. Source: School District Total High School Graduates Students Enrolled in Texas Universities Students Enrolled in Texas 2-year Colleges Students Not Located in Texas Higher Education * Austin3,8561,11129%73719%2,00852% Bastrop %7316%28261% Blanco763647%1317%2736% Coupland** Del Valle %5818%22972% Doss** Dripping Springs %6226%8335% Eanes %5911%21639% Elgin %2917%9556% Fredericksburg %3315%10647%

Texas High School Graduates from FY 2006 Enrolled in Texas Higher Education Fall 2006 Austin Community College District Service Area College Transition Rates School District Total High School Graduates Students Enrolled in Texas Universities Students Enrolled in Texas 2-year Colleges Students Not Located in Texas Higher Education * Georgetown %9819%20740% Harper462963%37%1430% Hays %9617%28651% Jarrell441432%818%2250% Johnson City %613%2351% Lago Vista %2129%2027% Lake Travis %6219%11235% Leander1, %26325%41840% Liberty Hill %2420%5042% Lockhart %3616%12155% *Includes students who were not enrolled in Texas colleges or universities in the year immediately following graduation, as well as students who were enrolled out-of-state. **Districts with less than 25 graduates are not included in this report. Source:

Texas High School Graduates from FY 2006 Enrolled in Texas Higher Education Fall 2006 Austin Community College District Service Area College Transition Rates School District Total High School Graduates Students Enrolled in Texas Universities Students Enrolled in Texas 2-year Colleges Students Not Located in Texas Higher Education * Luling872428%910%5462% Manor %1612%8968% McDade** Nixon Smiley %914%4468% Pflugerville %23424%41143% Prairie Lea** Round Rock 2, %37317%1,02047% San Marcos %5613%29466% Smithville %2822%6653% Wimberley %4531%5739% Total13,0214,21632%2,45119%6,35449% *Includes students who were not enrolled in Texas colleges or universities in the year immediately following graduation, as well as students who were enrolled out-of-state. **Districts with less than 25 graduates are not included in this report. Source:

Texas High School Graduates from FY 2006 Enrolled in Texas Higher Education Fall 2006 Del Mar Service Area College Transition Rates School District Total High School Graduates Students Enrolled in Texas Universities Students Enrolled in Texas 2-year Colleges Students Not Located in Texas Higher Education * Agua Dulce ISD27622%415%1763% Aransas County ISD %3014%12959% Port Aransas ISD401640%513%1948% Aransas Pass ISD %2723%6359% Banquete ISD501938%714%2448% Bishop CISD783747%709%3444% Calallen ISD %8126%9832% Includes students who were not enrolled in Texas colleges or universities in the year immediately following graduation, as well as students who were enrolled out-of-state. Source:

Texas High School Graduates from FY 2006 Enrolled in Texas Higher Education Fall 2006 Del Mar Service Area College Transition Rates School District Total High School Graduates Students Enrolled in Texas Universities Students Enrolled in Texas 2-year Colleges Students Not Located in Texas Higher Education * Corpus Christi ISD %56528%102650% Dr. ML Garza-Gonzalez** Flour Bluff ISD %10731%13238% Gregory-Portland ISD %6020%13345% Ingleside ISD %1514%6764% Mathis ISD971111%2728%5961% Odem-Edroy ISD713144%1115%2941% **Less than 25 graduates attending this district Includes students who were not enrolled in Texas colleges or universities in the year immediately following graduation, as well as students who were enrolled out-of-state. Source:

Texas High School Graduates from FY 2006 Enrolled in Texas Higher Education Fall 2006 Del Mar Service Area College Transition Rates School District Total High School Graduates Students Enrolled in Texas Universities Students Enrolled in Texas 2-year Colleges Students Not Located in Texas Higher Education * Richard Milburn Alternative 41205%820%3176% Riviera ISD381847%513%1539% Robstown ISD %4423%10052% Sinton ISD %2015%8361% Taft ISD592237%610%3153% Tuloso-Midway ISD %7231%10646% West Oso ISD961516%1617%6568% TOTAL4,5771,19126%1,11724%2,26150% Includes students who were not enrolled in Texas colleges or universities in the year immediately following graduation, as well as students who were enrolled out-of-state. Source:

College Connection How It Works

College Connection Program Many high school students find the college enrollment process intimidating. Austin Community College District provides hands-on, one-on-one support to assist every student through each step of the college admissions process.

College Connection Program During graduation ceremonies, high school graduating seniors receive acceptance letters to Austin Community College District. Program is free to the districts except for transportation costs to tour college campus(es).

Students Receive Services at the High School: Required Admission application ASSET or COMPASS Pre-advising Academic advising Graduation letter Optional Student life info Teleconference Campus tours Registration Other Recommended Senior presentation Financial aid application

College Connection: Activity Sequence 1. Senior Presentation (September) 2. Admission application (mid-September – November) 3. Financial aid application (February) 4. ASSET assessment (February – March) 5. Tour of ACC/DMC campus(es) (October – March) 6. Pre-Advising (October – March) 7. Advising (March – April) 8. Acceptance letter to ACC/DMC at graduation (May) 9. Registration for ACC/DMC classes (July) Red=Required Blue=Recommended Black=Optional

Lifetime Acceptance “at ACC” Application never discarded Provide a permanent college home Students come to ACC: ◦ Full-time ◦ Part-time ◦ In Summer for transfer ◦ After military service ◦ After career changes ◦ Co-enroll while attending 4-year institution

Lifetime Acceptance “at ACC” Cohorts can be tracked by semester of entry Longitudinal data collected for ◦ Retention ◦ Completion ◦ Success

Student Recruitment Senior Kickoff Presentation

See, it didn’t hurt! Recruiter’s name

ACC 101 – New Student Pre-Advising

Program Results

Austin Community College College Connection School Districts Year 1 San Marcos Year 2 Austin Bastrop Del Valle Leander San Marcos Year 3 Austin Bastrop Del Valle Hays Leander Manor Pflugerville San Marcos Year 4 Austin Bastrop Blanco Del Valle Elgin Fredericksburg Harper Hays Jarrell Johnson City Lago Vista Leander Liberty Hill Lockhart Luling Manor Nixon-Smiley Pflugerville Prairie Lea Round Rock San Marcos Smithville Year 5 Austin Bastrop Blanco Del Valle Dripping Springs Eanes Elgin Fredericksburg Georgetown Harper Hays Jarrell Johnson City Lago Vista Lake Travis Leander Liberty Hill Lockhart Luling Manor Nixon-Smiley Pflugerville Prairie Lea Round Rock San Marcos Smithville Wimberley

School Districts Participating in the College Connection Program School District Number of High Schools Number of Seniors YearStarted Austin ISD 125, Bastrop ISD Blanco ISD Del Valle ISD Dripping Springs ISD Eanes ISD Elgin ISD Fredericksburg ISD Georgetown ISD Harper ISD Hays CISD Jarrell ISD Johnson City ISD Lago Vista ISD

School Districts Participating in the College Connection Program School District Number of High Schools Number of Seniors YearStarted Lake Travis ISD Leander ISD 41, Liberty Hill ISD Lockhart ISD Luling ISD Manor ISD Nixon-Smiley CISD Pflugerville ISD 41, Prairie Lea ISD Round Rock ISD 52, San Marcos CISD Smithville ISD Wimberley ISD Total (27) 5817,532

Austin Community College College Connection Program Growth Over 5 years at: 1 school district to 27 school districts 2 high schools to 58 high schools 400 students to 17,000+ students

Del Mar College College Connection School Districts Year 1 Corpus Christi Sinton Robstown West Oso Year 2 Calallen Corpus Christi Flour Bluff Odem Robstown Sinton Taft Tuloso-Midway West Oso Year 3 Calallen Corpus Christi Flour Bluff Odem Robstown Sinton Taft Tuloso-Midway West Oso Year 4 Agua Dulce Aransas Pass Banquete Bishop Calallen Corpus Christi Dr. M.L. Garza Charter Flour Bluff Gregory-Portland Ingleside Mathis Odem Port Aransas Richard Milburn Academy Riviera Robstown Rockport Sinton Taft Tuloso-Midway West Oso

Del Mar College College Connection Program Growth Over 4 years at: 4 school districts to 28 school districts 5 high schools to 28 high schools 1,081 students to 5,931 students

Austin Community College College Connection Diversity of Participants

More than 55% of College Connection enrollees are minorities Higher percentage entering ACC through College Connection than in the general ACC student population Austin Community College Traditionally Underrepresented in Higher Education - Students Enroll at ACC

Austin Community College College Connection Positively Impacts Other College Programs ACC Fall Enrollments ◦ 38% increase first year ◦ 59% increase over two years Early College Start (Dual Credit) Enrollments ◦ 26% increase in enrollment from ‘04 to ’05 ◦ 45% increase in enrollment from ’04 to ’06 ◦ 3,209 students enrolled Summer 2007 (record- breaking ECS enrollment) Tech Prep Enrollments ◦ 4,336% increase in enrollment from ‘03 to ‘06  36 students in  48 students in  293 students in  1,597 students in

Program Recognition

College Connection Program National Acclaim & Recognition

Awards Received THECB Star Award Award Recipient November 2006 Excelencia in Education Award Semi-Finalist October 2006 Bellwether Award Award Recipient January 2007

Regional, State and National Expansion

College Connection Related Initiatives Mini-College Connection for Adult Education College Connection Scholarships Mobile Go Centers

ACC’s Two Mobile Go Centers MGC #1 ◦ Length, 34 Feet ◦ Air-Conditioned ◦ 14 Computer Stations MGC #2 ◦ Length, 42 Feet ◦ Air-Conditioned ◦ 16 Computer Stations Equipped with: ◦ Printers ◦ Scanner ◦ Copier ◦ Satellite Internet

ACC’s Mobile Go Centers Virtual one-stop, college-information facility ◦ College catalog and schedule information ◦ College applications ◦ FAFSA ◦ Other Staffed by ACC student services personnel

ACC’s Mobile Go Centers Enable ACC to reach individuals where they live, work, and/or attend school Support College Connection program activities Assist in expanding ACC’s outreach efforts

ACC’s Mobile Go Centers Visit: ◦ Festivals ◦ Sports Events ◦ Supermarkets ◦ Shopping Malls ◦ Schools ◦ Other

Florida Department of Education Launched state-wide campaign in April 2007 called “Go Higher-Get Accepted” modeled after College Connection Maine Interest in College Connection Proposed law requiring graduating high school seniors to complete at least one college application before getting diploma. National Interest:

“Attaining advanced levels of education for disadvantaged students cannot be done without developing a college-going culture in every middle school and high school in the state of Texas...then suddenly, (going to college) changes from being a possibility to an expectation.” --Raymund Paredes Commissioner, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board January 6, 2005

THECB Statewide College Connection Expansion Ten Colleges Receive Implementation Grants ($100,000) Alamo Community College District Blinn College Del Mar College Houston Community College System Lee College Odessa College Richland College South Texas College Tarrant County College District Weatherford College

THECB Statewide College Connection Expansion Five Colleges Receive Planning Grants ($5,000) Cedar Valley College Cisco Junior College Northeast Texas Community College Paris Junior College Victoria College

THECB Statewide College Connection Expansion Texas Colleges Already Adopting College Connection Alamo Community College District Central Texas College Coastal Bend Community College Del Mar Community College Houston Community College District Temple Community College Vernon College Victoria Community College

Programs started in: Arkansas California Connecticut Florida Hawaii Maine New Hampshire Virginia National Interest:

Program Branding

College Connection Logo

Austin Community College College Connection Website Access to scheduled activities for students, parents, and school officials Calendars Links to pertinent ACC school district sites

Austin Community College Website Participating schools Links to school pages Link to college pages of interest Press coverage/special events

Del Mar College College Connection Website

For copies: PowerPoint Presentation:

Questions and Answers