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the archived site of the Lane Community College Vanguard Learning College ProjectVanguard Learning College: Critical Problems and Issues
Solutions to Problems and Issues
IV. QUESTIONS ON STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Part A.
1. What student behaviors are most critically related to learning success? How does your college promote and support these behaviors?
Two student behaviors that are critically related to learning success are "active" learning and "life management". LCC promotes active learning through
- direct instruction in the Effective Learning class
- social learning in learning communities (see SLI)
- experiential learning in the Cooperative Education program
- building community in the cohorts on campus
Students benefit from life strategies and counseling provided by the "One stop shopping" at Students First, human development classes, student activities groups and student support groups on campus.
2. What key institutional practices at your college have been found to be linked to student retention and positive learning outcomes?
Student retention and positive learning outcomes are achieved by
- encouraging faculty to utilize a variety of teaching methods and alternative assessments
- accurately placing students into classes appropriate for their knowledge, skills and interests
- creating cohorts and learning communities to help students form sense of identity on campus
- the creation and expansion of the Coalition in Guided Studies (which includes Academic Learning Skills, TRIO grant students, English as a Second Language, and Disability Services and Testing)
3. What are your college's best practices in student orientation and first-year experience?
The Students First program was developed to facilitate easy access to information during the application and registration process. Students at Lane have the ability to schedule testing, meet with a financial aid counselor, choose classes and programs, and receive support services in a virtually seamless process. Once enrolled, a student may elect to register for classes annually to promote long term planningand vision. LCC is also involved in outreach to local high schools with a transition team for students with learning disabilities, and College Now (where student may earn college credit while in high school). Extended hours for placement testing and advising increase access for students who are employed full-time.
4. How can your college effectively assess, benchmark, monitor and improve student engagement in learning?
LCC will continue to assess and evaluate student performance. This involves educating faculty to gather and use archival data to improve programs, promoting ideas across the disciplines and across campus, utilizing data from graduate surveys, and supporting faculty opinions with evidence about what is useful in their classes.
Part B.
1. What structures, policies, and processes have proven to be most critical in promoting the success of underprepared students at your college?
Mandatory placements in reading, writing and math courses combine with advising recommendations to create a plan for success (See Guided Studies charter). The curriculum is designed in a ladder succession with a variety of formats to reach students. Instructors strongly encourage students to ask for help and free tutoring is also available to students.
2. What are the keys to creating information systems adequate to the need to track student progress and success at your college? What performance indicators will help your college know how effective its approaches actually are?
Information systems such as OCCURS (Oregon Community College Uniform Reporting System) are in place. Increasing faculty use of this data and other archival data helps track student progress. In addition, student retention, student responses to follow-up surveys, employer responses to surveys and enrollment figures are also indicators of student success.
3. What diagnostic tools are being used at your college for effective assessment of student skills upon entry and appropriate placement in courses?
The DTLS (Descriptive Test of Language Skills from ETS) Reading and Writing components are used as the screening and placement tests for the developmental reading and writing classes. Lane also uses a locally developmed Math placement test. Within the Adult Basic and Secondary Education department, BASIS (a reading, writing and math screening instrument) and CASAS are used.
4. In what ways is your college effectively working with middle schools and high schools to improve student preparation?
There are several programs that help Lane work with middle schools and high schools.
Through a statewide initiative in 1996, Lane faculty in professional/technical programs identified "Proficiencies for Entry into Programs (PREP). These standards are available to potential students and faculty of middle schools and high schools, and clarify the expectations of Lane faculty for entering students. The proficiencies are specified in areas of reading, writing, speaking, fine and performing arts, foreign language, health and human performance, humanities/literature, mathematics, science, social science, and social studies. Having the proficiencies explicitly stated helps reinforce the importance of achieving the standards prior to entry into professional programs at Lane. PREP has been a part of the statewide effort to articulate curriculum seamlessly for the K-16 system.
A second statewide inititative, the Proficiency-based Admissions Standards System (PASS)- for four year institutions will go into effect in 2002 for the Oregon University System. In addition to standardized tests (SAT, ACT), students will have a variety of options (including portfolios) to satisfy this requirement. Since many of the current high school students will have PASS information to submit when they apply at Lane, we will be able to use that information to accurately place students into our courses and programs. These admissions standards are proficiency-based and will be required for entry into any Oregon four-year institution. Thus, students in middle and high schools will be familiar with the standards expected at the college level, and will (at least in theory) be working to achieve those standards in the K-12 years.
A few other programs at Lane include the College Now Program, internships for the purpose of learning occupational skills and the transition group through Disability Services.
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