The .XL program is a summer bridge and first-year experience program at Pasadena City College designed to help first-generation and underrepresented students transition successfully from high school to college. It provides intensive academic support through a cohort model with courses in the summer and additional support through the first year. Data shows students in the program have higher persistence, success, and retention rates than comparable students not in the program. The program also helps students develop a more positive perception of the college environment and greater social adjustment to college.

1. .XL – The Summer Bridge & First-Year Experience Program Brock Klein Pasadena City College Pasadena, California

2. “ I did not like high school and I did really bad in high school. And I did not think I would ever graduate and go to college. So right now, I think off it like this is where I can start my life. And then I can go on and do the things I want to and continue on to become a successful person.” .XL3 student

3. The .XL Mission The .XL program is designed to help first-generation and traditionally underrepresented students make a smooth and successful transition from high school to college in a nurturing, collaborative environment.

4. Target Population

5. PCC Summer Bridge: High school graduates take a block of courses in the summer. First-Year Experience: They remain as a cohort for the remainder of their first year. High School Graduates Summer Bridge and The First-Year Experience Math SI Summer Math, Engl, Counseling Fall Math & English Spring

6. Program Director Recruiter .XL Student Ambassadors Faculty -- math, English Counselor Instructional Aides .XL Staff

7. Timeline Orientation July 2009, 2 weeks before Summer Bridge Summer Bridge! July 6 – August 14 Creation of cohorts May & June 2009 Placement tests April & May 2009 Recruitment at local high schools Plan field trips February – June 2009 Secure instructors, classes, days and hours, and rooms Spring 2008

8. Orientation Registration Textbook & parking permit purchase Student IDs Parent and student contracts Financial Aid advisement

9. Summer Bridge Data .XL Cohorts 3, 4, & 5 68% 53% 80% Matched Comparison Group (Age, ethnicity, course) 93% 68% 92% .XL3 (Summer 2004) 93% 76% 100% .XL4 (Summer 2005) 95% 74% 100% .XL5 (Summer 2006) Persistence (Summer to Fall) Success Retention Prealgebra

10. Fall Math Data Fall to Spring Persistence .XL 2-5: 88% PCC: 69% Hispanic: 67% Success – No significant difference

11. An Important Finding Students engaged in an intense and sustained intervention have a greater chance of staying in school and succeeding than those who do not.

12. .XL 4-6 Findings .XL success : .XL 4-6 students succeeded in all of their classes at a higher rate (78.5%) than PCC students in all classes (65.9%) and PCC students in basic skills classes (59.4%). Basic skills to transfer math : A greater percentage of .XL 4-6 students (25%) who began in Level 1,(pre-algebra) registered for a transfer-level math course within 9 semesters than their non-.XL counterparts (11.1%).

13. .XL 4-6 Findings College environment : Latino/a .XL students demonstrated more positive perceptions of the college environment than non-.XL Latino/a students. Social adjustment : Latino/a .XL students demonstrated greater social adjustment to college than non-.XL Latino/a students.

14. Unexpected but Welcomed Outcomes The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Faculty Inquiry Development of SLOs Research and Experimentation Collegiality Collaboration with other first-year experience program directors at PCC New linked courses and programs

15. .XL Variations .XL Health Sciences .XL STEM .XL Now Reading Jam Math Jam

16. Questions for Discussion Is it wise to shelter young, under-prepared students? Is the program worth the cost/student? Can the college scale up, offer the same experience to more students, maintain the same standards and level of intimacy, and have the same impact?

17. A Math Instructor and Her Students “ Prealgebra is not so much about teaching math as it is about teaching students that they can do math.”