1. 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

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

3. 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)

4. 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)

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. Benefits/Effects of Dual Credit
Open Dialogue

9. 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.

10. 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?

11. By what criteria should the students be selected?
Open Dialogue

12. 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

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

14. 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

15. What courses should be included in the curriculum?
Open Dialogue

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

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

18. 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.

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

20. Partnerships within the Community
1.1 million dollar grant from the Dunham Fund
Academy set up
Tuition and books
Laptops
“Dunham Difference”
$20, 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

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

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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 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.

25. 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.

26. 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

27. 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)

28. 1st Cohort Post Secondary Plans

29. 2nd Cohort Post Secondary Plans

30. Dunham Early College Academy

31. 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.
Dunham Early College Academy