4th National Conference for Accelerated Programs Chicago. Illinois November, 2005
Discuss seven essential steps in the development and implementation of a successful program to serve underserved adults
2. Objectives
• Discuss seven essential steps in
the development and
implementation of a successful
program to serve underserved
adults
3. Objectives
• Present the development of the
Accelerated Dual Language model as
a case study-
– to illustrate the development of
such a program
– to demonstrate the possibility of
serving the fastest growing
underserved segment: Latinos
4. Objectives
• Provoke internal and external
discussion of the need to
develop programs to adequately
serve the underserved
5. Who we are
Sistema Universitario Ana G. Méndez (SUAGM)
School for Professional Studies
Accelerated Learning Program
Dual Language Accelerated Learning
6. FIRST: DEFINE WHY YOU
WANT TO DO IT!
• Establishes parameters for
development
• Becomes a benchmark to
assess how far you can go and
how far you have traveled
7. • Financial: additional enrollments
and income for the institution
–Powerful incentive that opens
doors and gains allies
–Usually puts a cap on how far
you can go
Reasons to serve
the underserved
8. Reasons to serve
the underserved
• Image and public relations
–Powerful initial motivator
–Usually provides for short-term
attention and limited scope
9. • Mission
–Provides ample room for
comprehensive
development and
expansion
–Establishes connection to
institutional and external
reality
Reasons to serve
the underserved
10. SUAGM: A combination of reasons
provides the greater motivation
• SUAGM vision is to achieve
projection beyond Puerto Rico
• Opening a center in a Latino
community in the US that is mostly
Puerto Rican was financially possible
and sustainable
• Providing access to underserved
populations has been the driving
force behind SUAGM’s foundation
and development
11. What do I do if this combination
does not exist at my institution?
– Fast growth of underserved population
segments creates powerful financial and
public relations incentives for action
– Future growth of institutions depends on
ability to attract and serve population
segments that are growing
– If not in the mission…negotiate space
for your own mission
•CREATE IT!
12. SECOND: DEFINE WHO
YOU WANT TO SERVE
• Important to research the
numbers, growth, composition
and characteristics of the
targeted population
• Gives clear focus to your efforts
• Diverse population have diverse
needs
– Resist the temptation to be all
things to all
13. • 58% increase in the Latino population
in the United States (1990-2000)
– Largest and fastest growing
minority group: over 40 million in
2004
– Latino population has increased
over 6% in 42 states; over 21% in
26 states
– 20% of the US population will be
Latino by 2020
• 40% of Latinos are first generation
SUAGM: The definition of
our target population
US Bureau of the Census, 2000; Passel, 2004
14. • Educated bilingual
professionals have more and
better employment
opportunities
–Florida study indicates that
they make an average of
$7,000 more annually
Creating Florida's Multilingual, Global Workforce, 2000
UF, UM & FLDOE
SUAGM: The definition of
our target population
15. • Latinos represent 15% of
the US population-
–Only 10% of university
students
US Bureau of the Census, 2000
SUAGM: The definition of
our target population
16. • Latinos have lower success rates
in the educational system:
– 3 times the HS dropout rate of Anglos
– 35% go on to college vs. 46%
– 18% receive a bachelors vs. 37%
• Differences with first generation
Latinos is significantly greater
US Bureau of the Census, 2000; Pew Hispanic Center, 2005; Fry, 2002
SUAGM: The definition of
our target population
17. • Latino adults have significantly lower
university level attainment.
46.4
60.3
10.6
28.1
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
High School,
Some College
Bachelors or
Higher
Latinos
Non- Latino
US Bureau of the Census, 2000
SUAGM: The definition of
our target population
18. • Latino mastery of the English
language affects access to higher
education
– 18% of US population speak a language
other than English at home
• 60% of them speak Spanish
– 85% of Latinos speak Spanish at home
– 14 million Latinos report that they do not
speak English “very well” (49%)
US Bureau of the Census, 2000
SUAGM: The definition of
our target population
19. • Financing higher education
becomes an access issue for
Latino adults
– Lower income forces adults to work
full time
– Those who study must do so part
time
• 51% of Latinos are part time university
students compared to 45% of non-
Latinos*
*Institute for Higher Education Policy, 2005
SUAGM: The definition of
our target population
20. • Conclusion
– Latinos represent the fastest
growing and more underserved
population segment in the US
– In order to increase access of
Latino adults to higher education
we need alternative programs that
will allow for:
• Enhancing English skills
• Flexible scheduling to combine work,
study and personal responsibilities
SUAGM: The definition of
our target population
21. THIRD: LEARN ABOUT AND
FROM YOUR TARGET
POPULATION
• Research projects and best and
failed practices
• Listen and consider their needs
and expectations
22. Research
• Search for information, visit or
contact other institutions and
projects serving your population
• Search the literature for research
on current practices
• Prepare targeted feasibility,
market and other studies
23. Learn about needs and
expectations
• Meet with community,
government and private sector
representatives and groups
• Conduct focus groups of
potential students
26. • Dual language characteristics
complements Adult Learning
Principles
– curriculum is content based
– effective language learning is tied to
real-life goals
– includes experiential or hands-on
activities
– spirit of collaboration and peer
interaction
Why Dual Language and
not Transitional?
27. SUAGM: Search for best
and failed practices
• Accelerated education:
successful experience as
alternative to meet the
need for flexibility and
convenience
28. SUAGM: Targeted research
• Conducted feasibility study to
determine overall demographic
trends in the area, market need,
workforce demands, and
geographic distribution of target
population
• Conducted market share and
enrollment projection study
29. SUAGM: Learning from
those we want to serve
• Conducted focus groups of target
population
– Considered differences within the
population in determining group
composition: national origin,
language usage, place of
residence/work
30. SUAGM: Learning from
those we want to serve
• Meetings with:
– Community leaders
– City, county, state and economic
development government officials
– Human resource area or other
corporate representatives
31. SUAGM: What we learned
from those we wanted to serve
• Students from our target group
were most concerned about
issues traditional students are
concerned: accreditation, faculty,
financial aid
• Learning English is high priority
but they recognize the need for a
facilitating environment where
they can use their language
• Location is essential
32. FOURTH: UNDERSTAND WHAT HAS
PREVENTED THE INSTITUTION
FROM SERVING THIS GROUP
• Critically analyze why they
are currently not being
served
• Define what needs to
change
33. Reasons for being
underserved
• The politically incorrect but widely
held reason…
– “They can’t cut it.”
– “They are not well prepared.”
• The more likely but hard to accept
reason…
– The institution does not offer the
programs and services they need
– The institution is not well-prepared to
attract, retain and serve the needs of the
group
34. The need for change
• Most involved in developing
programs for adults have
lived this need
–Similar process must occur for
each group you want to serve
well
35. The need for change
• Institutions need to examine how
current programs, services,
attitudes and image impacts their
ability to serve new populations
• If it is not reasonable to expect
the institution to change-
– Create an institutional space where
change is allowed and possible
36. SUAGM: What we
changed…
• Neither our programs in Spanish nor
our programs in English served the
needs of our target population
• The way things are done and work
well in Puerto Rico are not
necessarily the same in central
Florida
– Always ask: Do we need to adapt?
What?
• The priorities of the community we
serve are different
37. SUAGM: What we
changed…
• We had to learn to understand,
respect and serve diversity-
– within our Latino community: national
origin, language usage
– within racially and ethnically diverse
community
• Our centers needed greater academic
and administrative autonomy to
identify and respond to these
changes: Branch Campus
38. FIFTH: DESIGN A PROGRAM THAT
MEETS THE NEED AND OPENS THE
DOORS TO THE UNDERSERVED
• Key Components
• SUAGM’s model
39. Key components of the
design
• Academic program and support
services that meet the needs of
the target population
• A business plan that realistically
& strategically estimates program
income and costs as well as
benefits to the rest of the
academic community
41. Our Mission - Our Model
Fluency
•Social
•Personal
Professional
Proficiency
Use of both languages and both
cultures for professional proficiency.
L2L1
42. Definition
• A Dual Language
Professional is
one who
demonstrates
professional
competencies,
confidently, in
their field of study
in Spanish and
English.
45. Conceptual Skills #1 Generate ideas
A DLP will generate
ideas in order to
solve problems
effectively
After analyzing two
classroom situations- one in
English and one in
Spanish- the students will
develop strategies and action
plans in the corresponding language
MA ESOL – Generate
Ideas
47. I. Development of bothI. Development of both
languages through courseworklanguages through coursework
• Undergraduate requirements of 12 credits both
languages
• Four-level language development sequence:
– Immersion (Non-credit): little or no language skills
– Developmental (Credit, not required): language
skills not at college level
– First year (Credit, required): first year college
requirement
– Second year (Credit, required): reading and
writing skills needed by the dual language
professional
48. English:
Accuplacer (College Board): selection of
items targeted to model’s language
curriculum
II. Placement testing - Computerized
testing for immediate grading and
data collection
49. II. Spanish: SUAGM Placement test for native
speakers
S-CAPE for Spanish as a Second Language
Speakers
50. III. Use of both languages in
all content courses
• Strictly follow 50/50 formula
• Modules
– Specify language to be used in each
workshop, assignments and
evaluations
– General information in both languages
– Workshops in the language that will be
used in that workshop
51. III. Use of both languages in
all content courses
• Faculty MUST use Monolingual
Delivery
• “Sheltered environment” for students
– May ask questions in language of
choice but will get answers in
workshop language
– Assignments and evaluations MUST
be in the language specified
52. IV. Computerized language
lab for skill development
• Open lab for language and basic
skills development
• Faculty may arrange to bring their
classes
• Exercises developed in-house
complemented by other software
53. V. Bilingual faculty and staff
• Staff speaks, reads and writes both
languages
• All faculty is bilingual, including those
teaching language courses
• Faculty and staff model a dual language
professional and provide “sheltered
environment”
• Continuous Professional Development
54. SIXTH: IMPLEMENT YOUR DESIGN
WITH COMMITMENT, HARD WORK
AND OPEN MINDS AND EARS
• The start-up of a new and
different program always entails
going the extra mile
• Commitment becomes the real
motivator
• Essential to include
mechanisms for assessment
and feedback from the
beginning
56. Metro Orlando
University Center (MOUC)
• Accelerated Dual Language
studies for adults
– Associate Degrees (2)
– Bachelor Degrees (12)
– Masters Degrees(5)
• Enrollment growth
– 152 - Academic year 2003
– 641 – Academic year 2005
57. Student Profile
• Female (78%)
• Age: 25-29 yrs. (26%)
40 > (23%)
Average: 33 yrs. old
• Family Size: 2-3 members (52%)
• Single (57%)
• Family Income: $25,000> (68%)
Average: $47,629
58. Metro Orlando
University Center (MOUC)
• Faculty
– 121 Certified bilingual facilitators
– 80 certified as Module Preparation
Specialists
– Professional Development 2003-
2005:
• 52 sessions
• 1167 attendees
• 301 bilingual modules
59. Assessment Components
• Student Representative Meetings
• End of Course Evaluations
• External Peer Reviews
• Language Placement Testing and Post-
testing
• Student Achievement of Program Objectives
(Midpoint and Capstone Courses)
• Continuous Assessment of Program
Activities (Evaluation of Staff and Faculty
Development)
• Evaluation of Student Portfolios
60. End-Of Course Evaluations
• Student Satisfaction Survey
• Completed every 5 weeks
• Scale:
– A Totally Agree
– B Agree
– C Partially Agree
– D Disagree
– F Totally Disagree
• Reported in percentages
61. 55
61
2526
12
8
4 3 4 2
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
A B C D F
MODULES
RESOURCES
Instructional Resources
62. 87
95 94
9
3
3
2 1 1 1 0 0
1 1 2
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
A B C D F
Class
Management
Group
Interactions
Student
Evaluation
Faculty and Classroom
66. SEVENTH: DO NOT REINVENT
THE WHEEL OR GO AT IT
ALONE: PARTNER!
• With other institutions and
community
• Pool resources and experiences
• Learn from others who have been
successful
68. What is AGMUS
Ventures?
• Joint venture of Ana G. Méndez University
System (Puerto Rico) and Regis
University (Colorado)
• AGMUS Ventures created to develop
educational services and products with
four key characteristics:
– Accelerated
– Bilingual
– Adult focused
– Targeted to Latino markets: Latino-US and Latin
America
69. Services and products
• Develop new sites for implementation of dual
language education model
• Provide administrative services for institutions
wanting to develop this model at their sites
• Offer licensing and consulting agreements for
model implementation: feasibility studies,
marketing, staff and faculty development,
others
• Develop materials needed for implementation
of the model
70. Contact Info
Carmen Lamboy, lamboy@suagm.edu
Luis Zayas, ue_lzayas@suagm.edu
Luis Burgos, lburgos@suagm.edu
www.learningefficacy.com/CAP-Lamboy-Zayas-Bur