Student Success Strategies
Program level data and benchmarks for the following data points
- Licensing exam pass rates
- Job placement rates
- Student persistence from term to term
- Program Completion rate – prepared students
- Program Completion rate – unprepared students
- Program Completion rate - overall
- Remedial Rate – Math
- Remedial Rate – English
- Remedial Rate - ESL
- CTE completion rates
- Course Completion Rate
- Degree completion
- Certificate completion
- Transfer completion
Students
Create opportunities for students to
Track and reflect on their grades
- Ask students to check grades on Angel as a quiz question. You can even allow them to look it up on their phones as part of the quiz!
- Circulate a spreadsheet 3 times over the semester that shows students what the assignments have been and where they stand re each assignment, this allowing them to. (I have an example obtained from Habits of The Mind) Carol, further explanation and document I can link?
- Grade reflection assignment required at regular intervals. Ask students to check grades in ANGEL and to answer an open-ended question about their progress in the course.
Monitor and evaluate their own learning of course content
- At the end of each class period, write what they learned on a note-card (to turn in) or in their notebook
- Students write on a card after a test:
- I feel ______ about my grade on the test.
- I got that grade because ________________.
- I will _________________ for the next test (be as specific as possible).
- Students hand in their card on the way out.
- Syllabus quiz
Self-reflect (including personal responsibility, mindset, behavior, and self-concept)
- Accepting Personal Responsibility Exercise from “On Course”. This is a critical thinking exercise that encourages students to reflect on responsibility and self- management via a case scenario exercise and discussion.
- Risk and comfort zones activity – I created this after the On Course 2 workshop this summer. On the first day of class students brainstorm the behaviors modeled by successful students in the discipline. Students write down where each behavior falls in their own risk/comfort zone chart. They then circle one risk they are willing to take during the semester. Periodically ask them take out this chart to remind themselves of the risk they intended to make.
- Write goals for the course. Periodically review goals and write action plans for achieving that goal.
- Create a quiz around the 5 Easy Steps to Student Success http://westvalley.edu/services/academic-success/5-steps-success.html
- Introduce students to concept of Growth Mindset. Attached is an article and sample assignment used in math. Also, Khan Academy has a good video http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DWtKJrB5rOKs
Interact with and be graded on course material frequently
- Frequent, small in-class quizzes
- Online quizzes for homework, even in face-to-face classes
Develop information literacy skills in courses with a research component.
- Create an online research assignment calculator students can use to help them keep
on task. Two possibilities:
- https://www.lib.umn.edu/apps/ac/
- http://tutorials.sjlibrary.org/tutorial/calculator/
- Maryanne, More advice/resources for incorporating information literacy?
Engage with course material through interactive activities
- 100+ interactive strategies from University of Central Florida Teaching and Learning Center http://www.fctl.ucf.edu/TeachingAndLearningResources/CourseDesign/Assessment/content/101_Tips.pdf
- 25+ active learning strategies https://www.cte.cornell.edu/documents/presentations/Eisen-Handout.pdf
- Think-pair-share –1) think individually (writing or drawing), 2) pair with a partner to discuss, then 3) share in class discussion
- Sorting – pose a T/F or Y/N question. Students walk to one side of the room or the other, based on their answer. Discuss while students are standing. Ask the next question and have them walk to the other side or remain. This can also be done with 4 answers/4 corners.
- Get up, stand up - Good for large classes. Design a review quiz or take a poll. Project the questions/answers and request, “stand up if you choose answer A; stand up if you choose answer B…,” etc.
- Kahoot! quizzes for review https://kahoot.it/
- Incorporate any kind of physical activity you can think of
Use active learning strategies in class
- Discussion & reflection with partner
- Annotation and note-taking
- Need more...
Succeed in Online Courses
- Include a small, content-specific test during the 2nd week of class, before the last day to drop. This will help set the stage for the requirements of the class.
- weekly deadlines
- Need more...
Review material frequently
- Get them ready at the beginning of class and make it stick at the end.
- Preview your lesson at the beginning of class and review it at the end
- Give a low stakes pre & post tests during a single class period (or every class!)
Connect personally
- Start each day with a student-selected quote, song, comic, meme, news headline...
- Create an assignment that connects students’ autobiography to course content.
Visit instructor office hours
- extra credit for visiting office hours during the first third of semester
- Don't even have to talk about the class; just get to know each other
Consider or pursue transfer
- Transfer assignment which requires students to research a major at a CSU and a UC and choose necessary general education and major course requirements that they will need to take.
Instructors
Connect with your students.
- First day of class – greet students at the door, make eye contact, welcome them.
- Every day – welcome students. Communicate that you’re glad they’re there.
- Learn students’ names and use them
- Take photos with their names (with their permission, of course). Then you can practice right before class. Shuffle through thumbnails on your computer like flash cards.
- Extra credit for students to upload a photo to Angel/Canvas. If they submit to a dropbox, you can download files into one folder so you can shuffle through thumbnails like flash cards.
- Have students write names on a card or name tent. They can display their written name and introduce themselves so that everyone hears each other's name pronounced as he or she prefers.
- For attendance, collect name cards at the end of class and check off on your roster.
- To make names stick in your mind, you can hand out the name cards at the beginning of every class. This allows you to put faces with names and also to make eye contact with and greet each student. Soon you’ll know everyone’s names. After a few weeks, you can ask students to pass them out so that they also get to practice names.
- play name games so students AND you get to know each others’ names
Lower textbook costs for your classes.
- Participate in Books for Food
- Offer open access e-textbooks and articles for specific disciplines. Set this as a goal for your department to work toward.
Update grades on Angel/Canvas regularly.
- Develop a habit of entering grades during or immediately after grading assignments or tests.
Take roll every class. It communicates importance of attendance.
- Create a sign-in sheet and have students initial. If students’ names are pre-printed in alphabetical order (rather than just asking them write their name on a list), it’s easier for you to quickly see who has been there and who has not. This record also comes in handy for special progress reports!
- Have students submit a comment or question on a note card.
- Have a different student facilitator for each class period who takes role as part of facilitating.
- Pose an open-ended question related to class content or just for fun. Students write responses independently or share responses in pairs or teams for a few minutes. Call roll, and each student responds to the question in one sentence.
- Give students one minute to write down a question on an index card (the “one minute question” strategy) at the beginning of class. The question should relate to lecture, reading or something related they have heard about in the news. Collect cards and then take a few minutes to answer the questions. Option--give a few points as an incentive to be on time to class.
Provide non-graded feedback for students throughout the semester.
Use examples drawn from students’ interests.
- Create a questionnaire to discover their interests.
- Ask students to create, submit, or present their own examples.
Participate in the Early Alert Program.
- Email students who received a “N” to let them know that you are concerned about their progress and that a counselor will be contacting them to ask how they can support them.
Model effective communication in speaking, writing, listening, social media, email, phone calls, and texts.
Participate in departmental conversations on teaching and learning.
Get to know campus services. http://westvalley.edu/services/academic-success/
- We can best support students if we all work together.
- Refer students to our experts in Health Services, Counseling, and Support Services.
- Go to campus service buildings in order to introduce yourself and meet the staff.
Create a departmental achievement award.
- The Communication Studies and ESL departments have these. Contact chairs for more information.
Professional Development
Available online
- Reading Apprenticeship 101 -- incorporating reading strategies into content areas http://ra.3csn.org/ra-professional-development/online-course-reading-apprenticeship-for-community-college-instructors/
- Teaching Community College Men of Color http://coralearning.org/team/tcmoc/
- FREE Kognito At-Risk Trainings – 3 modules include At Risk, LGBTQ, Veterans http://westvalley.edu/services/student-development/health/training.html
Available in person
- 3CSN is funded by the Chancellor’s office and offers a number of FREE (lunch included) professional development opportunities around the state each semester. http://3csn.org/