This document outlines strategies for accelerating student transitions from basic skills programs to postsecondary education. It discusses the importance of gaining buy-in from partners, collaboratively designing instruction, providing student supports, and working with internal partners. For getting buy-in, it recommends establishing an advisory board to maintain communication between stakeholders. Collaborative instructional design involves curriculum planning, contextualized learning, support classes, and team teaching. Student supports include advising, advocacy, assistance navigating resources, and employability training. Building relationships with other college departments can help break down barriers for students.

1. Accelerating Transitions
With Basic Skills Plus
Presenters: - Sue O’Neill, Transitions Coordinator, Wake Tech CC
- Wendy Elston-Davis, CCR Counselor, Wake Tech CC
- Allen Call, Transitions Coordinator, Wilkes CC

2. Four Key Accelerating Transitions Strategies
 Getting Buy-in
 Collaborative Instructional Design
 Student Supports
 Internal Partners

3. Getting Buy-in
 College and Career Readiness faculty and staff must develop and
maintain partnerships to implement transition efforts effectively
 Develop a core implementation team (an “all hands on deck”
approach among all stakeholders)
 Partners should include a range of team representatives:
-college leadership
-curriculum/continuing education
-local employers
-community-based organizations

4. Getting Buy-in
 Consider creating an ongoing Transitions Advisory Board (TAB)
with multiple stakeholders (including internal and external
partners)
 Establish a TAB with these continual outcomes in mind:
-maintain frequent communication
-provide/receive feedback regarding transitions challenges
and successes
-discuss how to evolve/expand transition efforts
 Plan to meet monthly or bi-monthly, preferably face-to-face

5. Getting Buy-in (Wake Tech CC)
 Small scale approach with respect to departmental involvement
 Departmental restructuring
 Programmatic changes relative to the new GED
 Career Pathways with curriculum have seen positive interest from CTE deans
and staff
 Business Administration, Early Childhood Education, Welding Technologies
 Career Pathways with Continuing Ed have been very successful
 Developed in response to student surveys
 More accessible
 Shorter term
 More pragmatic

6. Getting Buy-in (Wilkes CC)
 Partners in curriculum and continuing education have been
on board in Office Administration, Business Administration,
Nurse Aide I, and Early Childhood Education career
pathways.
 Partners are eager for more students to complete their
postsecondary credentials; thus, they have been willing to
try new approaches to achieve this goal.

7. Collaborative Instructional Design
Definition:
 An approach to building curriculum and delivery methods to more effectively
bridge students from Basic Skills into postsecondary education and training.
 Includes administrative and instructional planning and adaptation of curriculum
content.
Five Components of Collaborative Instructional Design include:
1. Curriculum Design
2. Institutional Planning
3. Contextualized Instruction
4. Support Classes
5. Team-teaching

8. Collaborative Instructional Design
1. Curriculum Design-requires administrative collaboration; create timetables for
marketing and registration, identify/train instructors, and allow for instructional
planning.
2. Instructional Planning-consider how supplemental support/instruction will be
delivered, how can scaffolding can be accomplished in a CU or CE course, and
how teachers can plan together on an ongoing basis.
3. Contextualized Instruction-contextualize Basic Skills content into the specific
content area CU or CE course, bring HRD/workforce readiness skills into the
class, and use real-world contexts through workplace on-site visits or training.
4. Support Classes-can be designed for Basic Skills, as well as non Basic Skills
learners who need tutoring, study skills, writing/technology skills, etc. outside of
the CU or CE time.
5. Team-teaching-scaffolds content area knowledge more effectively for lower-
skilled learners; helps increase student retention and completion of courses of
study.

9. Collaborative Instructional Design (Wake Tech CC)
 We have used multiple strategies depending on the class or the
program.
 Team teaching is best accomplished with FT staff because of pay and
FTE issues
 Support classes have been most successful in CU and in CE
 Instructor tailors instruction to student need
 Usually begins with logistical and IT students support and building community
 Moves toward content review and/or study strategies, test-taking strategies
 Toward the end of the semester, moves into Next Steps and facilitating that individually

10. Collaborative Instructional Design (Wilkes CC)
 Choose carefully the CCR staff delivering instruction/support
with the curriculum/continuing education staff (team-
teaching)—must work well together.
 Allow planning time for both instructors, especially with a new
course or new staff (CCR staff needs to learn the content).
 Work with both CCR and “traditional” cu/ce learners in cu/ce
course and support class, if available (both groups benefit and
persist).

11. Student Supports
 Students must have access to wrap-around services to transition to
postsecondary education and employment.
 These student supports include:
1. Admissions assistance
2. Academic advising
3. Student advocacy
4. Assistance navigating college resources
5. Technical assistance
6. Study skills/time management
7. Barrier assistance
8. Employability assistance

12. Student Supports (Wake Tech CC)
 Very fortunate to have a full-time CCR Counselor
 We have offered Career Pathway and Career Fairs, workshops for
FAFSA, application, but mostly individual career counseling
 We provide a 6-9 hour Orientation at the beginning of the CU Career
Pathway class with topics that include:
 Campus tour
 Study Skills
 Time management
 Getting the most out of a college textbook
 Support class also provides ongoing navigation, trouble-shooting

13. Student Supports (Wilkes CC)
 Train CCR staff to act as student advisors for all students (advising
FAFSA, college application, access to community resources).
 Develop bridge classes to help students with remediation in math,
English, reading, and writing, bypassing the bulk of developmental
education.
 Develop support classes in content-specific areas such as CIS 110/111,
TRN 170, Nurse Aide I, etc. (based on your career pathway design).
 Encourage dual enrolled students to access all campus resources
(SAGE/TRIO, tutoring, job fairs, AccessAbility services).
 Partner with HRD to provide soft skills and job-seeking skills (resumes,
cover letters, interviewing)

14. Internal Partners
Building a Transitions Program and Team
 Consider collaborating with partners within your institution that will work to
enable success for Basic Skills learners throughout their Career Pathways.
 Ensure that Administrative staff in CCR is completely onboard and supportive
of cross-departmental efforts
 This may necessitate discussion of who will be the point person or contact other areas
 i.e. Do conversations need to begin at the dean to dean level?
 Use these questions to help guide you:

15. Internal Partners
• What goals do you hope to achieve? Be thorough.
• At your institution, who has the skills and abilities to assist you in achieving
these goals?
• Who is able to help break down barriers for students at your institution?
• What curriculum or continuing education programs would be willing to directly
partner with Basic Skills?
• Who would be willing to join your Basic Skills’ transition team(s) for monthly
meetings to discuss transitions efforts college-wide? Consider inviting middle
management, senior staff, administration, and support staff.

16. Internal Partners (Wake Tech CC)
 At times, collaboration can be stymied by hierarchy
 Particularly at large institutions
 Multiple campuses can also provide challenges to collaboration
 Growth at Wake Tech has been phenomenal and taxing on time to
collaborate on new initiatives
 Relationships are built over time
 Cross-departmental learning can be rich and beneficial for all
 Relationships include admissions, accounting, registrar, marketing, IT,
bookstore, Foundation – virtually every department of the College!

17. Internal Partners (Wilkes CC)
 Develop relationships with curriculum and continuing education faculty/staff,
Student Services personnel, Academic Support Center staff,
marketing/recruitment teams, and senior leadership.
 Schedule a CCR staff training each semester to discuss transition changes,
successes, goals, et al to “keep the momentum” of career pathways.
 Communicate via email and/or face-to-face meetings with representatives from
across the college on a monthly basis, i.e., a CCR coordinator(s) or director
disseminate(s) current information highlighting transitions’ successes,
challenges, et al.
 Be open to change and advice from all internal areas—their involvement and
wisdom will help you sustain and scale up your transition efforts.

18. Contact Information
 Allen Call, Transitions Coordinator, Wilkes CC
-336-667-6493
-allen.call@wilkescc.edu
 Sue O’Neill, Instructional Specialist/Transition Services Coordinator, Wake Tech CC
-919-334-1516
-smoneill@waketech.edu
 Wendy Elston-Davis, Basic Skills Counselor, Wake Tech CC
-919-334-1506
-wselstondavis@waketech.edu