Presentation at the 2nd Annual LACCD AtD Retreat by Crystal Kiekel, Director of the Center for Student Success at Pierce College; 3CSN College & Career Readiness Coordinator; PIP Facilitator, Jessica Cristo, ADELANTE Director, East Los Angeles College; PIP Facilitator, Andrew Sanchez, Harbor College

1. First Year Pathways: Giving Students a Strong Start
12:45p.m.-2:00p.m.
Presenters:
Crystal Kiekel, Director of the Center for Student Success at Pierce College; 3CSN College
& Career Readiness Coordinator; PIP Facilitator
Jessica Cristo, ADELANTE Director, East Los Angeles College; PIP Facilitator
Andrew Sanchez, Harbor College
Cecile Davis Anderson, Counselor Lead and Coach Coordinator for PCC Pathways,
Pasadena City College
Shelagh Rose, Assistant Professor and ESL Lead for PCC Pathways, Pasadena City
College
Carrie Starbird, Assistant Professor and Math Lead for PCC Pathways, Pasadena City
College

2. Agenda
• 12:45pm-1:10pm: Introduction, PIP – Crystal Kiekel, LAPC, 3CSN
• 1:10-1:30: Persistence Survey Results, Jessica Cristo, East Los Angeles
College
•
• 1:30-1:40: Example of a new First Year Experience Program, Andrew
Sanchez, Harbor College
• 1:40-2:00: Cecile Davis Anderson, Counselor Lead and Coach Coordinator
for PCC Pathways, Pasadena City College ; Shelagh Rose, Assistant
Professor and ESL Lead for PCC Pathways, Pasadena City College : Carrie
Starbird, Assistant Professor and Math Lead for PCC Pathways, Pasadena
City College
• 2:00-2:30: Q&A

3. Why PIP?

4. How do you define
persistence?

5. What are some of the barriers that
students today face that make it difficult
to persist?

6. Fall 2006: 100%

7. Spring 2007: 68%

8. Fall 2007: 54%

9. Pierce College: fall 2008: 37%

11. • Meet their goals?
• Transfer?
• Drop out?

12. • Financial?
• Motivation?
• Preparation?

13. Placement Extended
Financial test? orientation?
aid?
Focus
Service
groups?
Ed Puente? Learning?
Plan?
How can we help? Reading
Peer skill?
mentors?
Umosia?
Pathways?
Tutoring?
PD 40?
English and Habits of
Teaching math? Mind?
styles?

14. Step 1: Identify the Problem
• Psychosocial prep
• Know expectations
• Ed Plan
• English and math

15. Step 2: Identify the Inquirers
• District Reps
• Faculty
• Counselors
• Administrators
• Researchers

16. Step 3: Gather Data
• Interview
• Focus groups
• Read
• Make a guess

17. Step 4: Try Something
• Try
• Fail
• Revise
• Try it again

18. Step 5: Revise and Document
• Gather data
• Regular district/
campus reports
• Learn from each other

22. 3. How do you define student persistence on your
college campus?
30
25.2
25 20.73
20 18.29
15.85
15 13.01
10
5.69
5
0
Completion Achieving Semester Enrollment Courses Passing
Goals Compeletion
N=246

23. Examples of Persistence
• Completing 12 units with a
C or better each term. Students who stay in
college in spite of
• Students remaining Regular attendance, class financial hardships and
enrolled and attending participation and completion of other factors that
classes throughout the homework assignments prevent them from
semester Students completing their
completing assignments courses
and seeking help when • Continued enrollment and success until
needed completion of either: A degree
program, A certificate program Or, the
acquisition of skills and knowledge
• Willingness to do what has to be
which might be a limited subset of a
done to complete
degree or certificate. This last item is a
assignments, get to class on-time
key component to a "community"
consistently, knowing the
college providing continuing education
importance of good GPA, and
for employed/employable adults
most of all knowing that an
education can take you anywhere.

24. 4. What is your department or program doing to
support student persistence?
18
16.32 15.9
16 14.64
14
12 10.88
10
10
8
6
4
2
0
Tutoring Support Department Program Helping
N=239

25. Examples of Department Efforts
ENGLISH: we have people to We offer Puente, two
help students persist First-Year Experience
through trials: writing center cohorts. Support
We have a Child Dev. lab that
tutors & faculty members services, such as
provides help to students in
who reach out to help tutoring, labs, worksh
classes and a place to gather
students; we collaborate w/ ops
which creates community and
other departments, too. definitely adds to success and
We provide orientation
persistence. We also have a
sessions so that students
We have developed and funded math tutor right in our Child
are fully aware of the Dev. Dept. because math is
a department student resource
demands of their chosen one area many students have
center that offers
tutoring, resources, workshops,
field. We also tutor in trouble with. We also have a
lending library, computers, and problem areas and dedicated counselor paid by a
individual support to students maintain flexible office special grant which helps
and faculty in the department. hours. students tremendously.
We also offer some courses
bilingually (English/Spanish).

26. 5. Describe 1-3 Barriers You See That Inhibit
Student Persistence on Your Campus.
20 17.89
18
16 14 14 14
14 13
12
10
8
6 4
4
2
0
College Basic Skills Financial Courses & Support Books
Offerings
N=246

27. Examples of Barriers
Lack of non-cognitive skills (e.g. We offer Puente, two
inability to adapt to college First-Year Experience
environment) 2. Academic under cohorts. Support
Students aren't prepared for
preparedness 3. Open enrollment services, such as
college. They can read words
system tutoring, labs, worksh
on a page, but they can't
ops
comprehend what they are
Students lacking specific reading. They don't want to
academic goals and a plan. I also think that lack of take notes.
Students not connecting information (or rather
with their peers on campus. not knowing where to I teach night classes
Lack of enough full-time find it) and/or absence of and students do not
faculty committed to one family members who have any contact
campus community. have gone to college can with anyone.
Overburdening of too few also make it hard for
full-time faculty to conduct students to make the
the work of the right choices regarding
college, including their education.
connecting and mentoring
students.

28. Q6. What is your role in supporting
student success?
18 16.73
16
14
12
10 9.39 9.39
8 6.53
6
4
2
0
Encourage Services Program Skills
N=245

29. Examples of Supporting Student
Persistence
My role as an instructor is not only
teaching, but encouraging the I hound them--email when
students along the way and being Encourage, innovate they are absent, &
truthfully about their progress. recommend ways to improve
and praise student their skills in a
efforts. positive, supportive manner.
I encourage student to
Show up. Be there for
come see me during office them. Know the
hours, I alert students when campus and services
they miss available. Encourage Created accelerated
exams/assignments an understanding of programs.
(several), and about their the importance of
attendance. reading and
writing, of basic skills
and educational goals.

30. Los Angeles Harbor
College
2nd Annual LACCD Achieving
the Dream Retreat
First Year Experience ATD
Intervention Update
Presented by Dan Ruiz and

31. Who We Are and How We Planned
• ATD Core and Data Teams and First Year
Experience Working Committee
• Broad Range of Campus Wide Participation
• Ongoing Steering Meetings
• Review and Research
• Limited Use of Funds
• Traditional Cohort FYE Program Model
• Implemented and Launched with Pilot Cohort
in Fall 2012

32. What We Are Doing
• Recruitment and Orientation
• Pre-Semester Retreat
• Pre-Selected Courses
• Cohort Building Activities
• Learning Coach and Early Alert
• Ongoing Communication with Teaching
Faculty
• Assessments, Discussions and Changes

33. Main Themes and Findings So Far
• Appear to be doing
Successful Course better overall
Completion • Have developed social
and learning networks
• Have learned to
navigate the institution
Higher Number of Units • Have completed Ed
Completed Plans
• Have built relationships
• Are developing a
culture of success
attitude
Higher GPA

34. Outcomes So Far FALL 2012
Course
Successful Avg Units
Course Completio Attempte Avg Units
n Retention n GPA d Completed
FYE Art 103 104 99.0% 93.3% 2.74 10.44 10.70
English 28 72 98.6% 81.9% 2.70 10.57 11.06
PD 17 73 100.0% 97.3% 2.70 10.49 10.97
ServLrn 100 67 98.5% 85.1% 2.74 10.42 11.00
Total 316 99.1% 89.9% 2.72 10.48 10.91
Comparison Art 103 38 76.3% 63.2% 2.38 8.58 6.87
English 28 75 82.7% 61.3% 2.18 9.12 8.03
PD 17 27 96.3% 96.3% 2.77 8.44 7.41
ServLrn 100 25 84.0% 72.0% 3.23 8.00 8.80
Total 165 83.6% 69.1% 2.46 8.72 7.78
All Courses Art 103 192 77.6% 60.9% 2.50 8.14 6.98
(Includes
English 28 590 84.4% 67.6% 2.35 9.02 8.00
Comparison
Group) PD 17 167 94.0% 89.2% 2.58 8.99 8.43
ServLrn 100 25 84.0% 72.0% 3.23 7.98 8.78
Total 974 84.7% 70.1% 2.44 8.82 7.89

35. What We Are Doing Next
•Assess Full Year Outcomes
•Evaluate What Worked and What
Did Not
Assessment
•Evaluate the Fiscal Costs of the
Synthesis
Program
•Make Changes Based on Data
Implement
•Institutionalize and Scale up
•Begin Year 2 FYE Pilot
Student Success

36. Pasadena City College
Pathways
Cecile Davis Anderson, Counselor Lead &
Coach Coordinator for PCC Pathways
Shelagh Rose, Assistant Professor and ESL
Lead for PCC Pathways
Carrie Starbird, Assistant Professor & Math
Lead for PCC Pathways

37. Question, Comments, and
Share-Out