2. Or…(How to Have Better Students in Your
Classes)
Much more about MINDSET than skillset!
Creates environment conducive to ‘critical
thinking’… for both faculty and students
3. Wallace Community College - Dothan
• Faculty Innovation…
– Bellwether Finalist 2015
– AACC Awards of Excellence Finalist 2016
• Onlycommunity college – InternationalReimagineAwards 2016
• 2017AACCAwardsofExcellenceWinner–‘StudentSuccess’
• LBW….AACCFinalist inStudentSuccess for 2018
• Providingtraining,support,accountability,and*encouragementneededtotransformthe
learning environment intoa moreactive,learning-centeredapproachpromotingdeeperand
morecriticallearningwheresocioeconomic achievement gapsare minimal.
4. June 22, 2015
The Path to Promoting Diversity
Closing Achievement Gaps Can Boost
Enrollment and Completion – March 28,
2016
‘Kaizen’ Philosophy Closes
Student Achievement Gaps – July
3, 2017
Improving Learning Is a Constant Series
of Adjustments
CC-MVP Is Key to Cultural
Transformation and Student
Success
May 8, 2017
Five Strategies…
League Publication
Nov, 2018
CC Week Magazine
5. Much more about mindset than skillset!
...CC – MVP!!
-- “Bear Bryant beat you with yours…”
• Singlegreatestthing one can do to increase opportunities in life is pursuit of
higher education!
– Two-thirds ofjobs require postsecondary credentials
– Themultiplying effects of 100% participation (totalteameffort)= much more
than sum of parts.
– TEAMworkmakes the DREAM work!!
6. Biggest enemy of
‘excellence’?
(0.25 phone call)
Biggest enemy of
‘commitment’?
Whatever-it-takes!
Biggest enemies of
‘progress’?
Great leaders (teachers) ask great questions!!
7. Equal
opportunity?...
• Children from families on welfare provided halfasmuchconversation
experiencethan working class
• Higher-income, college educated vs.lowest-income, uneducated
– 30million wordgapbefore kindergarten!
– 12mill wordgapw/ workingclass
• Encouraging vs. discouraging words spoken
– 560,000 > encouraging than discouraging (top group)
– 125,000 > discouraging than encouraging (lowest group)
• 2:1morediscouragingforlowestgroup(Xavier)
• Workingclasshas2:1 moreencouraging
8. So how much
money coming
into family
determines
how much you
are able to
learn?
9.
10.
11. 80% of children the age of ten can answer the question instantly!...
Are you ‘smarter’ than a child??
12. Chronicle of Higher
Education
• Big changes in the classroom wereon the way, accordingto an
authoritative report by the federal government. Experts wererealizing that
disciplinary expertiseandresearchprowesswerenoguaranteethata
professorcouldteach. Somecolleges were devising alternatives torote
learning,helpingstudents integrateknowledgefromdifferent subjects,or
challengingthemwithcoursesoncontemporaryproblems. Teaching was
finally going to matter.
• Thatwas 75yearsago!!
13. National Crisis
• ‘ReclaimingtheAmericanDream’….AACC’s21st centuryreportonCCs
– Dramatic redesign of educational experiences…..(Grit!)
– Professional dev. focused relentlesslyon studentsuccess
– Transformation in instructional strategies
– Unacceptably low student attainment gaps
– To remain openaccess, virtually everythingelse must change
– Courageously end ineffective teaching practices. (Swimming!?)
• One ofthe mostdestructivelydiscriminatorypracticestodayis continueduseof ineffective
teaching strategieswhich inhibitsupwardmobilityforthoseneeding itthe most.
14.
15. Fink, L. D. (2003). Creating significant learning
experiences: an integrated approach to designing college
courses.
• “Althoughfacultymemberswanttheir studentsto achievehigher kindsof learning,theycontinue
tousea formofteachingthatis noteffective atpromotingsuch learning.”
• “Lectures areless effective in…
– Helping studentstoretaininformation afteracourseisfinished,
– Developing problemsolving andcritical thinkingskills,
– Developing abilitytotransfer knowledge to other situations,
– Andoftendiminishes student motivationtocontinue learning.”
– Also less effective for building soft lifeskills
16. New paradigm needed to
meet challenges of today.
45% > chance of completion (grad)
29% > chance
5% > chance!
Not dealing
with students
incapable of
learning!...may
be limited
toolkit.
17.
18. Reclaiming the American Dream report (April 2012)
• Mission of the CC - ….to provide a high-quality
education to millions of often underserved students.
• Lumina Foundation…“It is not just that learning matters,
it matters most of all. It is about the learning, stupid!”
• Inspire & facilitate learning w/ a diverse
group of students!
• A culture of excuses cannot coexist with a
culture of accountability...
• 100% responsible does not mean 100% control.
19. Every decision guided by the two key
questions:
(Great leaders ask great questions!)
• Does this action improve and expand student
learning?
• How do we know this action improves and
expands student learning?
• Teacher-centered learner-centered LEARNING centered
20. Terry O’Banion…
• “Completion Agenda is the mostimportantandsignificant reform
effortsinourlifetime!”
• “Neverbefore has there beensuch overwhelmingandoverreaching
agreementamong ALL major stakeholders in this country.”
• “Neverhas somuchsoundresearchsupporting these efforts.”
• “Ifwearetoimproveonourrecordofstudent successthe roleoftheteacher
increatinglearningmustbecometheprimaryfocusoftheCompletion
Agenda.“
• (Environment more conducive for LEARNING!)
21. #1 problem when attempting to
implement culture of standards &
accountability across the
General Academic Division??
• “Progress (improvement) requires change, and change
hasits enemies.” J.F.Kennedy
FacultyResistance!
22. The Five Stages of ‘Grief’
(Change, Improvement, Resistance,
etc.)
Denial Anger Bargaining Depression Acceptance
‘Buy-in’
Excuses –
toxic to
progress
Venting What is the least
I can do and still
keep my job?
Quit or commit
to team
mission?
Next Stage (leadership mentality)…..Ownership!!
T..A..S..E
!!
25. • “Theseintroductoryor "gateway" coursesare hugelyimportantfor
Valencia,as theyare atmany othercommunitycolleges.National
andValenciafiguresshowthatif students withdraw fromor fail
even oneof theirfirst fivecourseattempts, their chance of
graduating is cut in half. Fail or withdraw from two classes,
and thosechances are cut in half again.”
26. 45
50
55
60
65
2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17
WCC-D Retention Rates F-F
> $2.3 million over five years in additional tuition revenue (from FT students only)
27. 45.0%
47.0%
49.0%
51.0%
53.0%
55.0%
57.0%
59.0%
61.0%
63.0%
11-12 12-13 13-14 14-15 15-16
AL CC#2 F-F Retention Rates
Almost $1,000,000 in additional tuition revenue since ’11-
12! (FT student only)
One of three top
colleges in state
for success rates
in top enrollment
courses!
> 500 more
successful students
each year in just
seven of the top
nine enrollment
courses!
28. 45.0%
50.0%
55.0%
60.0%
65.0%
11-12 12-13 13-14 14-15 15-16 16-17
AL CC#3 Retention Rates F-F
$1,200,000 in additional tuition revenue since ‘11-12
(FT students only)
One of three top
colleges in state
for success rates
in top enrollment
courses!
Almost 500 more
successful students
each year in just eight
of the top nine
enrollment courses!
30. Breach of Academic Integrity?
(Brothers in ENG)
Great leaders ask great questions!
• Knowing problem exists & NOT taking action to
address?
• Setting a standard and failing to implement a system
of training/accountability/support/encouragement
to effectively meet this standard?
• Knowing issues (instructor effectiveness gap,
affective domain, etc.) that determine our students’
success and not addressing them in the classroom?
• Challenge is…making common
knowledge common practice! (students & tests)
31. Chronicle of Higher
Education
• “Teaching seldom improves because of a top-down
mandate, specific strategy, or technological innovation.
College leaders can set the tone at the top establishing
a cultural spirit of ‘positive restlessness’ - a
willingness to continually improve.”
– Everyone more willing when a team approach!
Constant improvement / growth mindset (lifelong learning)
is for every professional.
Only mandate…..‘doing nothing’ is not an option!
(DD meeting - writing assignment)
34. Outdated Paradigms hinder progression beyond
‘denial’ phase:
• “Teaching ‘adults’/college students; they should know how to….”
• “I told them what to do; it is not my FAULT if they did not do it!”
(Coaches?)
• “Are we supposed to just lower the standards? Just give
grades?”
• “Focusing on success rates encourages faculty to ‘give
grades’.”
• “It is my course; I can do what I want.”
• “I could teach them if I had motivated students willing to learn.”
• “Not my job to teach basic life skills. That’s the parents’ job.”
37. Data & Results….Wallace College
Science
• One year of after implementation of initiative: (BIO
103)
• 73% increase in positive student perception of
learning environment (44% ‘str. agrees’ 76%)
• 31% increase in number of students attending class.
Consistently 89% attendance rate (68%)…..
• 400% increase in # of students showing up to class
prepared!! (16 80%)……
• 42% decrease in withdrawal rates (41.8 24.1%)
• 47% improvement in success rates (44.2 65.1%)
> 300 stud/yr
> 250 stud/yr
> 900 stud/yr
> 300 stud/yr
38. Top 10 enrollment
courses avg..
F ’11 + F ‘13 F ‘14 % incr.
Top third of faculty 71.0% (+11) 82.1% 88.1% 24%
Middle third 59.1% (+13) 72.3% 75.1% 27%
Bottom third 44.0% (+14) 58.4% 61.5% 40%
61% more successful students in the top third of instructors’ classes
*What was once the top 33% is now the top
75%.
>900 stud/yr _________________________
39. Developmental Studies… ‘Student Achievement Gap’
• Success rate data excl. insignificant 5% gap (ex..63% vs. 60%)
• Highest degree of positive perceptions!
F ‘11 (baseline gap) F ’13 (% gap closed)
Low/higher income minority (38.0%) higher (95.0%)
Low/higher income majority (20.9%) higher (100%+)
Success rates 63.5%
higher income
62.2%
lower income
40. Student Achievement Gap – top 10 courses
F ‘11
(baseline)
F ‘13 F ‘13
(% gap closed)
Low/higher income
minority
47.8% higher
(45.0 vs. 66.5%)
10.8% higher (88%)
Low/higher income
majority
20.2% higher
(59.8 vs. 71.9%)
9.3% higher (79%)
Success Rates 71% for
higher income
68% for
lower income
(100%)
• Success rate data excl. insignificant 5% gap (ex..63% vs. 60%)
41. I-CAN basics:
• Simple, basic, & straightforward...constantly improve based
on data, not feelings, beliefs, or emotions. (Anna w/ coins)
• First focus on developmental & top ten enrollment courses!
– Improvement, not final goal
• Incorporating academic skills & life skill training in an active
and engaging learning environment….facilitation of learning!
• Quantitative standards for ALL methods of assessment
– Can't manage what you can't measure!.....Data, Data, Data..
• What am I doing about it?......
Only wrong answer is nothing
42. Instructional Leadership for 21st Century
• 100% participation in basic best practices
• Three basics principles of instruction… I-CAN
•Maximum Engagement..
• Max. student-student & student-faculty interactions in
‘active’ learning environment
•Relevant Instruction.. (the ‘WHY’) …creates the rigor!
•Supportive Relationships..
• Makes connection w/ 3 folks on campus….
completion chances double!!
44. Learning is a natural outcome of
experience?!
– Learning is best when it truly matters in a person’s life
• Relevancy drives the rigor!!....reflection STM LTM
– Must create the relevancy by stimulating curiosity (skateboard)
• Relationships also drive the rigor!
• Motivation comes from learning!...”How can we support learning?”
• Emotions form foundation for learning!
– Emotions influence thinking more than thinking influences
emotion!....Emotions tend to overpower cognition
• Teacher’s greatest challenges
• Giving control to the learner
• Sacrificing quantity for quality
45. Five highest-impact strategies to address
dozens of issues, problems, and obstacles
for learning…
• 1. Improving positive learning environment by use of course
evaluations for self-assessment by faculty.
• 2. List of unit ‘objectives’ for students before beginning
lectures.
• 3. Complete set of instructor-made lecture videos for all
objectives.
• 4. Provide frequent low-stakes assessments.
• 5. Early, intrusive interventions with all at-risk students.
(supportive relationships)
– Personal email for low, medium, and high scores on first exam
– Email if absent
47. Top of the List
• #1 reason students leave college…
– They do not ‘feel’ connected (CCCSE)
– Assessment measure for ‘feelings’ (perceptions)?
• Accrediting requirement?....action plan for improvement?
– Significant increases in student learning &
retention when addressing positive perceptions
• First step in closing student achievement gaps
• >5x more increases in learning for low-income
minority!
• Student responsibilities!.....Teacher responsibilities!
• ‘Student Hours’…. Not just ‘office hours’
48. Course Evals… SACS
requirement?
• 93% of colleges give evals at end of term
– Most valuable feedback eliminated….withdrawals
– Response rate 28% 67%....your institution?
• Perceptions are easiest to change
– Immediate improvements in positive perception of
learning environment
• Do not use course evals to evaluate faculty…
– They evaluate themselves with these results
• AFTER initial reading and defensive reaction
– Evaluated on how well they do this….
• Action Plans for Improvement!
49. Course Evals…
• CHE - % college graduates that indicated
they strongly agreed that they felt a
college professor cared about them as a
person??…..
–27%!!
50. Course Evals…
• Determine which questions (data) to focus on
– Caring!...double pts!
– Engagement
– Enthusiasm
– Interesting….relevant!
– Recommend instructor!....Y/N
• Would ~ 50% Y be ‘good’?
• Would ~ 75% Y be ‘good’?
• 90% standard….95% goal
• End of term?....proactive w/ your own course
eval?
51. Unit Objectives!
• Crystal-clear expectations for students
• Faculty?...first year teacher…(clear list or
everything?)
• First step of learning process!....(first step critical thinking?)
• NOT the same as traditional ‘study guide’
• Required by Quality Matters (online evaluation program)
• Require ‘action’ verb…. explain, discuss, state, list, etc.
• NOT ‘know, understand, etc.’
• Progressive levels of higher order thinking
• Includes skills (soft?) & attitudes (core competencies)
52. Unit ‘objectives’
• Empowers students with more control over learning
– Increases preparedness…for both student & instructor
• Forces disciplines to work together toward common goal!
– Not copied from textbook
– Work backwards from tests?
• Promotes preparation and accountability
• Brings course into more focus
– Reduces amount of material to be ‘covered’ (Univ CAL Berkeley)
– Increases quality of learning
• Teacher evaluations without clear expectations!?!?
53.
54. Lecture videos!
• More time for active learning activities (max.
engagement!)
• Soft ‘skills’,...Critical thinking,…Problem solving
• Group work (timed activities!),….writing assignments
• Provide 24/7 assistance for students
• Valuable resource for adjunct and/or new instructors
• Limit to no more than 10 min (‘chunking’….teaching card
game)
• Linked to objectives
• San Jose St. Univ. – Engineering course
55. Case studies for ‘flipped classes’…
• Hunter College – Manhattan, NY
– Gen. Chemistry pass rate….60% 85%
immediately
– No more than 10 min. videos
• Lehman College, NY
– 80% minority student body
– Gen. CHM pass rate….35% 80%
• My own courses….
56. Frequent assessments!
• Daily, low stakes!
• Use varied/active assessments; use to teach good study
habits
• Align with teaching of foundational concepts
• Allows for early and continuous adjustments
• Reduces number of low first exam scores
• Reduces withdrawals
• Builds student confidence with evidence of progress
• Increases deep learning (metacognition)
• Immediate/specific feedback more important than
‘grade’
• Quizzes, writing assignments, group work, discussion, etc.
• Top ten list (timed)….group work?
57. Interventions!
• Supportive relationships…Early and
Intrusive!
• All course repeaters first week
• All scoring < 70 on first assessment
• All students by end of ‘third’ week
• Absence first two weeks of class
• Great teachers/leaders ask great questions…Chem
student
• FIRST assignment??....course resp. sheet
• “I know you are struggling with ___... how can I assist
you in becoming more effective?”
• Plan of action before leaving (on paper!)
58.
59.
60. Leaders find commonalities to bring
unity toward common vision while
providing hope to empower the
human spirit!
61. The ONLY wrong answer in
response to any issue or
problem that affects student
learning…
– ….is to say you are doing - NOTHING!
• What do you plan to do today, tomorrow, and
next week in response to this session?
