[ Home ] [ Up ]

  Use Back Button to Return to Table of Contents 

DATA IS PROVIDED HERE FROM ON COURSE PROGRAMS AT:

Please send data from your program to Skip Downing. 

* * * * *

BALTIMORE CITY COMMUNITY COLLEGE (Maryland)

In Fall, 1999, students at Baltimore City Community College who placed in ENG 81 (the college's middle-level developmental writing course) were invited to enroll in a learning community comprised of ENG 81 and CSS 110 (College Success Seminar), a 3-credit orientation class that teaches students the 8 Success Principles found in the text On Course: Strategies for Success in College and in Life.  Students successful in these paired courses moved on together to ENG 82 with the same classmates and instructor.

Due to the impressive improvement of student retention and academic success in the Learning Community, the program was expanded in Fall, 2000, to include students taking developmental reading and mathematics. These students participated in Learning Communities that paired the College Success Seminar with RDG 81 and MATH 81. Successful students went on together in the learning community to take RDG 82 and MATH 82 in Spring, 2001. 

The data below show the positive impact of this program on the academic success and retention of developmental students. Three components of the learning community seem to contribute most significantly to the improvement in academic success and retention of these developmental students: 1) Students learned the On Course success principles and strategies in CSS 110, 2) Students had the guidance of a mentor who taught the CSS 110 class and coached them outside of class to apply the On Course principles and strategies in all areas of their lives, and 3) Students, during their first two critical semesters in college, felt part of a community of motivated and supportive fellow students.

***1999-2000 DATA***

Retention Rates for Developmental English Students

Conclusion: The On Course Learning Community experience had a significantly positive impact on the retention of developmental students.

Pass Rates for Developmental English Students

Conclusion: The On Course Learning Community experience had a very positive impact on the academic success rate of development students.

Three-Semester Cumulative Pass Rates for Developmental English Students

Conclusion: The positive impact of the On Course Learning Community on student pass rates was compounded over successive semesters. After three semesters, On Course Learning Community students were 348% more likely to have passed English 101 than were non-learning community students who began Eng 81 at the same time.

Pass Rates for English 101

Conclusion: The two-semester On Course Learning Community experience prepares students to continue doing well academically when they leave the Learning Community. On Course Learning Community students were nearly twice as likely to pass Eng. 101 in their first try than were non-learning community students, many of whom were taking English 101 for the 2nd, 3rd, or even 4th time.

***2000-2001 DATA***

Retention Rates for Developmental English Students

Conclusion: The On Course Learning Community experience continued to have a positive impact on the retention of developmental students in English 81.

Retention Rates for Developmental Reading Students

Conclusion: The On Course Learning Community experience had a significantly positive impact on the retention of developmental Reading students.

Retention Rates for Developmental Math Students

Conclusion: The On Course Learning Community experience had a significantly positive impact on the retention of developmental Math students.

Pass Rates for Developmental English Students

Conclusion: The On Course Learning Community experience had an extraordinarily positive impact on the academic success rate of development English students.

Pass Rates for Developmental Reading Students

Conclusion: The On Course Learning Community experience had a very positive impact on the academic success rate of development reading students.

Pass Rates for Developmental Math Students

Conclusion: The On Course Learning Community experience had a positive impact on the academic success rate of development math students.

* * * * *

MISSION COLLEGE (California)

In Fall, 2001, Mission College began a learning community program similar to the successful one at Baltimore City Community College (see report directly above). The Mission College program linked eleven basic skills classes (English, Reading, ESL, and Mathematics) with On Course counseling classes. Whereas the BCCC learning community program is two semesters, the Mission program is one semester.

Following are the retention and academic success data from the Fall, 2001, semester of this program. Note that data for all eleven basic skills classes are reported together (rather than for separate courses).

Retention Rates for Mission College Basic Skills Courses

Conclusion: The On Course Learning Community experience had a positive impact on the retention rate of basic skills students.

Academic Success Rates for Mission College Basic Skills Courses

Conclusion: The On Course Learning Community experience had a positive impact on the academic success rate of basic skills students.

The author of the Mission College Report, Dr. Jonathan Brennan, concludes: "The classes have demonstrated higher retention and success. Faculty members have commented that they are energized and excited by the opportunity to work with the On Course strategies. They also use their On Course strategies in a range of other classes and workshop, including athletics, EOPS workshops, transfer, motivation and other workshops, Orientation, counseling classes, and many others. I have also used them with my own colleagues in professional development presentations, especially for new faculty. The students in On Course classes are actively involved in finding solutions to their problems, and in applying their new strategies to their Mathematics, English, and Reading classes."

* * * * *

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA at GREENSBORO (North Carolina)

In Fall, 2001, UNC Greensboro adopted On Course as the text in an academic success course that is required for all students who are placed on academic probation after their first semester. This non-credit course is called Strategies for Academic Success, or SAS 100, and its purpose is to help students on probation gain the success skills they need in order to return the next semester. To be eligible to return the next semester, a student must earn at least a C+ average for that term. A student receiving lower than a C+ average is suspended and must sit out at least one full semester from UNCG.  Approximately 300 students each spring semester and 50 students each fall semester are required to take SAS 100.

Before adopting the On Course text, SAS 100 attempted to retain probationary students by teaching them academic study skills. According to a report on the course by Cindra Kampoff, UNCG retention coordinator, “Students didn’t like it, they didn’t do well in their other courses, and we had a difficult time keeping instructors. Most of all, the course wasn’t really addressing why students were placed on probation. They were reporting non-academic reasons for their probation status, yet we were feeding them only academic success strategies."

In the Fall 2001 semester, course leaders adopted the On Course text, with its emphasis on motivating and empowering students to become active, responsible learners. Since that time, Professor Kampoff reports, “Due to the change in curriculum and the implementation of the motivational and empowerment model, our retention rates for these students have continued to increase each semester.”

Improved Retention Rate of UNC Greensboro Students on Probation

Conclusion: The On Course approach to student success had a positive impact on the retention of students on probation.

Professor Kampoff summarizes, “The retention results and changes in students’ hope and optimism levels [mentioned elsewhere in her report] display the effectiveness of the On Course curriculum and structure of SAS 100. I am convinced that teaching On Course topics such as personal responsibility, self-management, self-awareness, self-motivation, and interdependence address the underlying reasons that students are on academic probation. Breaking away from the traditional approach of teaching a straight study skills curriculum is not easy, but the data is compelling to say the least.”

To read Professor Kampoff's complete report, click here.

* * * * *

BREVARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE (Florida)

From a report by Professor Sue Palmer, College-Wide Coordinator of Student Success:

"Since transforming our student success course [SLS 1101] from one that primarily provided instruction in study skills to one that uses the On Course text and On Course strategies to empower students to become active, responsible learners, the outcomes have been many, varied, and victorious: The student success faculty is energized, our enrollment numbers in student success courses are growing each semester, and student feedback and success data are overwhelmingly positive. We have truly breathed new life into our course. 

"Faculty members who were earlier feeling restless about the course are observed by their campus coordinators as revitalized and enthusiastic. Several new faculty members became involved with the course after attending the campus workshops. Recently, an 'old timer' who teaches in the chemistry department, confided that he is 'a better teacher after having taught Success Strategies.'  He says, 'I am having more fun teaching than I have in my entire career.' Another who is teaching the class for the first time this semester confides that her personal benefit is 'my own well-being. In facilitating others, I am enriching my own life.'

"In this semester (our second using the On Course text), we increased our course offerings by four sections college-wide, and they made with viable numbers!  Recent student comments include these: 'This class is a big part of my life.  In other words, I actually take what I learn and use it in my daily life.  I believe this class is designed to help people like me become successful.'  'This course is really starting to help me figure out who I am and how to change the things I don’t like about myself.'  'This class is the only class I have that, when I walk in each morning, students address and talk to me and among themselves…I actually look forward to coming to this class because I can share what is going on with me and people genuinely care.'

"We are gathering data with the idea that our student success course could become required of all entering freshmen and/or developmental students.  For example, we have data collected by Title III during our first semester using On Course. These data compare two groups of students who required preparatory classes: those who took the success strategies course (SLS 1101) along with or prior to their preparatory classes compared with those who did not. Those with SLS 1101 passed their preparatory classes with significantly higher numbers than those without SLS, especially in English and Reading."

Academic Success Rates for Brevard Community College Preparatory Skills Courses

* * * * *