In its annual report to the Lumina Foundation on progress on systemic change to support low income students of color and to reduce disparities in achievement among subgroups in the college, Brookhaven College’s ATD executive team has highlighted several achievements for 2007-2008. The Lumina report has very specific questions that have to be addressed, most dealing with uses of institutional data and changes in student achievement. The four major questions are summarized here.
Has the institution upgraded its institutional research capacity this year?
Institutional research has added sophisticated data visualization software and through programming and professional development, increased the efficiency of data gathering and the effectiveness of reporting.
Has there been any change in the institution’s use of data in institutional decision-making this year?
Brookhaven College has made steady progress in using data to inform institutional decision-making since the inception of the ATD initiative. Historical trend data for classroom use and student enrollment patterns has been made available to the instructional deans on a routine basis resulting in significant efficiencies in facilities utilization while assuring that students can build realistic and relevant schedules. Assessment tools are being developed by faculty members including rubrics, embedded test questions, and portfolios to assess student learning.
Has the institution made use of any longitudinal/student cohort data this year?
The college has tracked retention and success rates in a very intentional manner for three groups: 1) first-time-in-college-students, FTIC; 2) developmental math students in (a) linked, short courses coupled with a college success course and in (b) linked short courses alone ; and 3) students participating in the Future Achievers Succeeding Today, F.A.S.T., pilot program initiated in summer 2005.
The results for the three cohorts have made a huge impact on college policy, programs and planning. The continuing loss of 50 percent of first-time-in-college students (tracked from fall 2005 through fall 2007) during the first 15 credit hours has created a sense of urgency to find ways to support students and increase retention. From F.A.S.T. results, the college has developed and implemented the new policy requiring a college success course for students placing in two or three developmental studies courses. Both F.A.S.T. cohorts are on track for graduation rates of 50 percent or more, far exceeding the nine percent rate posted, IPEDS, for the rest of the student population.
With a successful completion rate 57 percent higher than students in non-linked courses and a retention rate of 88 percent, the gains achieved in the pilot linked courses in developmental math and college success have prompted increasing the number of math learning communities from one section in fall 2005 to three sections in fall 2007 and spring 2008. Very positive results tracked from fall 2005 through fall 2006 for the linked short courses in developmental math with completion rates ranging from three to 39 percent higher than stand alone courses have confirmed the efficacy of the approach.
Have you looked at any new data this year to diagnose achievement gaps among groups of students?
Brookhaven College has continued to track student performance in fast-track/linked developmental math courses. Among the most recent findings are:
These encouraging results have confirmed the capacity of the fast-track/linked courses to help decrease gaps in participation and success and are being used to increase the numbers of courses offered in this mode.
Fast-Track/Linked DMAT courses vs. Traditional two-day per week format:
Successful Completion by Ethnicity 2006-2007
The annual report also describes the involvement of faculty and staff members in Taking Care of Business Week, changes in advising approaches for First-Time-in-College Students, pilot projects for mentoring, and continuing changes in financial aid and the repositioning of the Welcome Center.
Finally, one of the major goals of the funding is to institutionalize changes through college decisions and policies. Brookhaven College has made some significant decisions this year related to ATD.
Achieving the Dream is now included in the college operational goals for 2007-2008:
In coordination with professional development, develop and provide sessions on plan implementation.
The policy decision to require a college success course for students placing in two or more areas of development studies has been implemented.
Changes in student services to focus on FTIC students and to provide consistent, high quality support from financial aid have been implemented.
Linked courses have been developed and implemented and the use of learning communities is expanding.
The college has included Achieving the Dream priorities in the first recommendations of the Enrollment Management Committee:
1) Offer summer bridge programs for academically under-prepared students;
2) Require students on academic probation to participate in a "recovery program" to be designed that includes both behavioral contracts and monitoring;
3) Review the availability of classes to ensure student needs are being met; eliminate low-demand courses and increase availability of high-demand courses;
4) Eliminate the "campus runaround" in order to change the attitude toward how we might proactively ensure that students are supported by the programs we offer.
