1. SAILS Student Assistance and Intervention for Learning Success Tidewater Community College Christine Damrose-Mahlmann, Ph.D. Associate Vice President for Student Success

2. Overview Background Accessing SAILS Roles and Privileges
Flags and Kudos
Progress Surveys and Manual Flags
TCC Process
Clearing a Flag and Closing the Loop
Comments, Notes, Messages, and Attendance

3. VCCS Initiative Achieve 2015 – Student Success
Triple the number of students graduating, transferring, or completing a workforce credential, to 91,173, including tripling the success of students from underserved populations to 39,393.
Department of Labor TAA-CCCT Grant
Complete 2021 –
Triple the number of credential earned by 2021.
In response to President Obama’s Completion Agenda, Implementation of SAILS was to assist in the Achieve 2015 goal for Student Success.
Early alert would assist in retaining students which could increase the number of students graduating with a credential.
SAILS is funded by a DOL grant
Last fall – Pilot with all developmental education Math and English classes.
This spring – “gateway” courses
Five college presidents elected to roll out to all credit courses.
For summer and fall we will continue with gateway courses, unless the college president would like a full roll out.
The deadline to notify the SO for summer is May 1. The deadline to notify the SO for fall is August 1.

4. SAILS at TCC
VCCS Early Alert System using Starfish Retention Solutions which was just bought out by Hobsons, rebranded SAILS Student Assistance and Intervention for Learning Success
Not just an early alert system, it is a communication and course management system.
Launched on September 30, 2013 for Developmental Education courses
Prior Academic Alert System (SARS) is no longer available, effective December 2013.

5. Retention Data
Nationally, about 25% of first time students who begin in the fall will not return for the spring semester; and close to 50% will be gone by the next fall term. TCC-First time in college fall to fall retention rates: 2012/2013: 49% 2013/2014: 48% 2014/2015: 49%

6. It Takes a Village!
Instructors make the biggest difference in the success of our students. SAILS helps them communicate more efficiently with our students!

7. SAILS as the BRIDGE
The earlier a student knows their academic standing in a course, the sooner they can begin seeking assistance and using campus support services.
SAILS provides instructors a convenient and efficient manner to communicate with students regarding their progress in the course.
Instructors can even track attendance in SAILS.

8. What it Looks Like… Accessing SAILS-MyTCC
Two ways to access SAILS
Through My VCCS
Or Blackboard
You use your Blackboard username and password.

9. Accessing SAILS - Blackboard
Login to Blackboard
Click on SAILS listed under the Tools menu
SAILS can also be accessed through the Blackboard.

10. Configure Your Profile
Click the arrow next to your name for Institutional Profile.
Modify default login page or phone numbers if necessary.
You may upload your photo to help a student put a face to your name.
Select the Upload Photo link.
Browse for a photo on your desktop (JPEG, GIF, PNG).
Click the Upload Now button.
Click the Save button.
Select Institutional Profile to edit the profile seen by the faculty member’s students.
Login Page: An instructor can change the default page that he/she sees when she logs in. (Recommend using My Students as the default. Under Students – Tracking content only appear if a Progress Survey is available. By having Students – My Students as the default, an instructor can easily see all of their students and raise flags or kudos as necessary.)
Contact Information: Your username and institution are pre-populated by Starfish to send correspondence from the learning management system (the VCCS LMS is Blackboard), and cannot be edited in Starfish.
Phone: Other fields, such as phone number are pre-populated from the LMS, can be edited in Starfish. Note: The phone number text boxes will accept standard phone numbers. You can use any standard phone number characters (like “-“ , “(“ and “.”).
Profile Photo: Uploading a photo puts a face to your name and can make students feel more comfortable contacting you. To upload a photo of yourself, click the Upload Photo link under the profile picture. This will allow you to upload a photo from the files saved on your computer. Accepted formats are JPEG, GIF, and PNG.

11. Notifications
Click the arrow next to the instructor’s name and select Notifications.
Check or uncheck notification options to select s.
Save changes.
The available options for your tracking items (e.g. flags) are:
Immediate s: You can receive an each time a tracking item is raised and/or cleared.
Summary s: You can select to receive a daily and/or weekly summary of all the flags you are permitted to receive. You can choose the time, and for weekly s, the day that this will be sent to you.
No one gets immediate notifications
Roles that receive the daily digest that includes students that they have a relationship with that received a flag that they have permission to view include:
Faculty Advisor - Assigned Students
Developmental Ed Advisor
Admissions/Registrar
Veterans Advisor
TRIO Advisor
Great Expectations Advisor
Dual Enrollment Coordinator
College Success Coach
Career Coach
Financial Aid Advisor
For example, a Great Expectations Advisor will get an listing all Great Expectations students that had any flag raised. Whereas Admissions/Registrar will receive an for any student that received the "Never Attended" or "In danger of failing" flags.
The s are defaulted to be sent daily. However, an individual within those roles can modify that frequency to weekly or every time a flag is raised.
Roles that have access to all students and to view all flags are will not get the as it would contain so much information that is not likely to be as useful.
Whitelisting
NOTE: If you do not receive SAILS notifications when expected, please make sure they are not marked as SPAM. Check the SPAM folder in your client and whitelist SAILS s if this is the case.
Also, check to make sure the role is one that is supposed to receive notifications.
Note the College Implementation Leads Packet documents what roles get the daily digest.

12. Roles and Privileges in SAILS
Instructors
Raise tracking items through SAILS
Potentially track attendance
Respond to students, per college process
Clear Flags
Student Services Staff
Receive notification or access SAILS to view activity
Record follow up actions in SAILS for Critical Flags
Add Notes
Close the Loop
Students
Receive notifications when a tracking item is raised
Contact instructor or appropriate student support office as directed in
There three different role “groupings” with more specific details in the Student Services Staff grouping.
Instructors – in the classroom with students, raise issues/tracking items.
Can use for classroom attendance.
Can respond to an issue raised as part of the college’s process.
Student Services – will receive an notification or login to see tracking items raised.
Detailed roles built on specific relationships (i.e. A Veteran’s Advisor at the college will see all students who are veterans.)
This role grouping performs “follow-up” actions – adding notes, clearing flags, and closing the loop (which we will go over in detail later in the presentation.)
Students
Receive an notification from their instructor when a tracking item is raised.
contains instructions on what actions to take to address the issue raised.

13. Flags in SAILS Flag Name Description Assignment Concerns
Raise this flag if you have concerns about a student receiving low scores on assignments.
Attendance Concern
Raise this flag if you have concerns about a student missing class or being late to class.
In Danger of Failing
Raise this flag if a student is in danger of failing your class and requires immediate intervention.
Low Participation
Raise this flag if you have concerns about a student's low participation in class.
Low Quiz/Test Scores
Raise this flag if you have concerns about a student receiving low scores on quizzes or tests.
Never Attended
Raise this flag for students who have never attended the course section.
General Concern
Raise this flag if you have a general concern about a student that does not fit one of the other flag categories. Comments will be required to describe the concern.
Flags are the same across the system. All 23 colleges have the same flags.
There are seven flags – these are issues or problems.
The first 6 flags are only available to instructors to raise because they must be raised in the context of a course. The student will receive an notification to their VCCS from the instructor about the flag. The will contain instructions on what action(s) the student should take.
General Concerns flag can be raised by anyone who has a relationship to the student.

14. General Concerns Flag Use
General Concern Flags Functionality
A comment is required.
Student does NOT receive an notification.
General Concern Flag Best Practices
Do not use as a substitute for an existing flag or multiple academic flags.
Use to notify student success network about issue that could impact the student’s success. (An example: student reported having transportation issues to the campus.)
A comment is required to explain why the flag is being raised.
Unlike all the other flags, the General Concern flag does not send an to the student.
This semester, we have seen General Concern flags with comments directed towards the student. However, the student does not receive an . So the student does not know that the flag was raised.
Do not use the General Concern for an existing flag. For example, do not raise a General Concern flag if a student never attended class. Use the Never Attended flag.
Do not use the General Concern flag to address multiple issues. For example, if you have a student who performed poorly on a test and does not come to class regularly, raise the Low Quiz/Test Score flag and the Attendance Concern flag. The student will receive a notification for each flag – will have different instructions because they are two different flags.
When to use the General Concerns flag? An issue not addressed by another flag that will impact a student’s success. You raise a “Low Quiz/Test Score” flag and the student is instructed to meet with you. During your meeting you learn that your student’s spouse lost her job and he is unable to purchase his textbook for this class and his math class. You decide to raise a General Concern flag to alert your Student Services staff because you know that TCC has an emergency fund program for situations like this and you want them to assist your student with getting the textbooks that he needs.

15. Critical Concerns
Instructors should NOT raise the General Concern flag for the following concerns, instead the students should be referred to the office listed:
CONCERN
OFFICE
Disability
Accommodations
Educational Accessibility
Mental Health
Personal Counselor
Advising/Counseling
Disruptive Behavior
Misconduct
Dean of Student Services

16. Kudos in SAILS All Flags and Kudos are disclosable under FERPA.
Kudo Name
Description
Keep up the Good Work
Raise this kudo when you want to encourage a student to keep working hard and producing positive results.
Outstanding Academic Performance
Raise this kudo to congratulate a student on producing excellent academic work.
Showing Improvement
Raise this kudo when a student is showing improvement from previous performance or behavior.
Kudos allow an instructor to let a student know when he or she is doing well in the class.
It is a way to provide positive feedback.
All Flags and Kudos are disclosable under FERPA.

17. Progress Surveys in SAILS
VCCS sends to instructors with directions to complete progress survey(s) prior to the opening dates
Two progress surveys – Initial and Midterm – for 16, 12, 10, and 8 week classes.
One progress survey for 4 week, 5 week and DYN classes.
Standard flags and kudos for each survey type.
Automatically generated.
Initial Progress Surveys – timed around census.
Midterm Progress Surveys – prior to withdraw date.
One way an instructor can raise a flag is through a progress survey.
Progress surveys are automatically generated in SAILS for gateway courses based on the session length.

18. What it Looks Something Like… Progress Survey Email

19. What it Looks Like… Progress Surveys
Progress survey tab appears under students.
If more than one class has a survey, the drop down box can filter to the class you want to complete.
Default is “no feedback”
Check as appropriate
Default is no feedback.

20. What it Looks Like… Progress Survey Comment
Click the flag or kudo.
Click yellow note by student name.
Comment box appears enter comment.
Comment saved and sent to student via once progress survey is submitted.

21. Subject: Assignment Concerns: Student’s Name
The Assignment Concerns flag has been raised by Faculty Member’s Name for Student’s Name- Student’s TCC ID #.
Flag Details
Student: Student’s Name- Student’s TCC ID # Flag Name: Assignment Concerns Category: Academic Description: Raise this flag if you have concerns about a student receiving low scores on assignments. Raised By: Faculty’s Name Course Context: Mathematics for the Liberal Arts II - TC295.MTH.152.D04N.FA16 Raised On: 9/5/2016 Raise Notes: Student’s Name, Your temporary access to MyMathLab expires at the end of the day today, September 5. If you let your temporary access expire, you will no longer have access to MML until you purchase and register an access code. If you let that happen, you will not be able to complete any of the graded homework or quiz assignments which make up 35% of your course grade. Please reply to this SAILS report today to advise to of your plan of action to regarding your permanent access to MML. Prof. Faculty’s Name

22. What it Looks Like… Submitting a Progress Survey
Submit survey before close date, even if the response is no feedback for all students.
Surveys that are not submitted will receive a reminder one day prior to close date.
Use Save Draft if you want to complete the survey at a later time.

23. Manually Raising Flags and Kudos
Manual flags and kudos in SAILS
All flags and kudos are available to raise.
May be raised at any time.
Independent from progress survey.
Instructor must provide a course context.
All flags and kudos are available to raise, whereas in a progress survey there are set flags and kudos available for each survey.
A flag or kudo can be raised at any time.
Do not raise the same flag manually if you have already raised it in a progress survey. For example, you raised a never attended flag in a progress survey. This flag should not be raised again manually. It is a repeat flag and it pushes the student one step closer to have a system flag raised – three or more active flags.

24. What it Looks Like… Filtering by Connection
Drop down list
Filters by relationship to student
All My Students
Role(s) in SAILS
Class(es) taught

25. What it Looks Like… Manually Raising Tracking Items

26. Notification
is sent from the instructor’s address and is signed by the instructor
COMMENTS to the student are included
Students can reply directly to instructor via
Students encouraged to meet with student support services as appropriate:
Counseling
Financial Aid
Veteran’s Affairs
Learning Assistance Services

27. Progress Surveys ENF courses, ENG 111, MTE and MTT courses, MTH 163,
Progress Surveys are available to ONLY the following courses:
ENF courses, ENG 111,
MTE and MTT courses, MTH 163,
and SDV courses
Instructors teaching other courses can raise items manually via SAILS at any time, even though they do not receive the progress survey notifications.

28. Outreach for Critical Flags
Responders provide outreach within 48 hours to
Never Attended
In Danger of Failing
General Concerns
5 or more Flags
Instructors provide support and clear all other flags 2 weeks after raising a flag.

29. Who Clears Which Flags? INSTRUCTORS RESPONDERS Assignment Concerns
Attendance Concerns
Low Participation
Low Quiz/Test Scores
Never Attended
In Danger of Failing
General Concerns
5 or More Flags

30. WHO ARE THE RESPONDERS?
Developmental Education Managers: ENF and MTE/MTT
First Year Success Advisors: ENG 111, MTH 163 and SDV
Faculty: Manually Raised Flags
Great Expectations
Open Door Project
VA/CMVE Advisors

31. CHESAPEAKE
NORFOLK
PORTSMOUTH
VIRGINIA
BEACH
ENF
MTE
MTT
Kyndra Brown
Wendy Pollard-Boyle
Nicole
King-Harvey
Vickie
Whidbee
BIO 1
BIO 101
ENG 111
MTH 163
SDV
Kevin
McCarthy
Holly
Desteli
Thomas Chatman
Okema Bowers
Raynell Hargrave
Nina
Elopre
Amy Mays
ALL OTHER CLASSES
Danielle
Giscombe
Angela (Brenda) Holley
Erin McNair
Michele Barnes

32. What it Looks Like… Clearing a Flag

33. What it Looks Like… Clearing a Flag
“Clearing a Flag” refers to the action that someone at the college takes to follow up to a flag that was raised.
To clear the flag, search for the student by name, connection, or advanced search.
Click on the icon next to the flag name.
The Flag Menu will display. Click on Clear Flag

34. What it Looks Like… Closing the Loop
When a comment is entered in the second text box for the instructor, this process is called “closing the loop.”
By entering a comment in the “close the loop” box, the instructor receives an notification. If the flag is simply cleared, the instructor is not notified. The instructor could look up the student to check on the status of the flag; however, an notification is a more direct means of letting an instructor know that their concern was followed up by the student and the appropriate staff in the college

35. What it Looks Like… Closing the Loop Email

36. What it Looks Like… Add Comment to a Flag

37. What it Looks Like… Adding a Note
Note Types
General
Instruction
Advising
Note types available depend on your role.
Anyone who has a relationship with the student can see the note.
Option to send it to the student.

38. What it Looks Like… Sending a Message

39. What it Looks Like… Record Attendance
To take attendance in SAILS:
Click the Attendance tab
Click the Record Attendance icon
Select the correct course and date. The list of students in that course section will display.
The default attendance status is present. Change the attendance status to absent, excused, or tardy.
Once attendance is recorded click submit.
If all students are present, do not make any changes, but remember to submit. If it is not submitted, then the attendance is not recorded.

40. What it Looks Like… Attendance Report

41. Support Having Trouble?
Please contact your Campus Leads for questions.
FYS Coordinators
Nina Elopre Virginia Beach
Kevin McCarthy Chesapeake
Okema Bowers Portsmouth
Thomas Chatman Norfolk