First-Year Courses for Undeclared Students: Using Civic Engagement - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

First-Year Courses for Undeclared Students: Using Civic Engagement and Partners to Enhance Quantitative Reasoning

Rob Catlett Department of Math, Computer Science, and Economics Stacey Braun Student Advising Center

ckgrounds. According to ACT, only twenty-four percent of ACT-tested 2010 high school students met or exceeded college readiness benchmarks i ckgrounds. According to ACT, only twenty-four percent of ACT-tested 2010 high school students met or exceeded college readiness benchmarks i ESU Background Residential Public University in Kansas Undergraduates 4,066 Undergraduates Freshmen 1,132 Sophomores 742 61.4% Female Juniors 753 Seniors 1,282 38.6% Male Unclassifjed 157 Graduate 2,196 T otal 6,262

ckgrounds. According to ACT, only twenty-four percent of ACT-tested 2010 high school students met or exceeded college readiness benchmarks i ckgrounds. According to ACT, only twenty-four percent of ACT-tested 2010 high school students met or exceeded college readiness benchmarks i ESU Background Retention and Graduation Rates Retention Rate Six-year Graduation Rate 73% 41% 2003 cohort Full-time Freshmen Fall 2009 Enrolled in Fall 2010

ckgrounds. According to ACT, only twenty-four percent of ACT-tested 2010 high school students met or exceeded college readiness benchmarks i ckgrounds. According to ACT, only twenty-four percent of ACT-tested 2010 high school students met or exceeded college readiness benchmarks i US Background Academic Challenges ACT 2010 College-Ready Math Student learning and 24% are ready for ability to retain college in all four ACT areas mathematical and quantitative reasoning is The Least Ready: among the most daunting 43% Math Ready challenges many universities face, 29% Science Ready especially for students with weak mathematical backgrounds.

Student Learning Student Success Does Student Learning = Student Success?

Student Learning Student Success Measuring and Defining Student Learning Have our lower-scoring students had adequate experience in student learning in mathematical and quantitative reasoning? Have they ever experienced success?

Assessment Student Learning Grades Vs Linkage Studies

Linkage Studies Are Used to Access Student Progress: ESU Math and Quantitative Reasoning (Before 2003-6) Low CAAP math High 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 n High 10 0 0 0 0 0 4 6 19 17 21 67 9 0 0 1 4 4 15 19 20 21 14 98 ACT 8 0 3 2 6 14 12 29 18 23 2 109 M 7 0 1 2 5 13 17 16 4 7 2 67 A 6 0 10 6 27 28 39 42 18 7 1 178 T 5 6 15 16 48 41 46 43 15 1 0 231 H 4 1 15 7 23 18 12 12 4 2 1 95 3 9 14 12 24 15 11 2 1 0 0 88 2 10 9 8 11 7 2 2 1 0 0 50 Low 1 16 16 8 11 9 1 1 0 0 0 62 42 83 62 159 149 159 172 100 78 41 1045 Lower than expected 10.53% Higher than expected 9.09% Expected progress 80.38%

Linkage Study Following Increase in Math and Quantitative Reasoning Emphasis in Other Courses Low CAAP Math High 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Deciles n 10 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 4 6 13 High 35 9 0 1 0 1 5 4 7 13 31 16 87 8 0 1 1 3 5 5 16 10 22 1 ACT 72 7 0 0 3 8 7 4 13 5 3 1 M 51 6 3 1 2 4 11 13 15 11 7 1 A 74 5 2 8 5 19 19 9 22 10 1 0 T 100 4 1 3 4 9 19 8 8 5 1 0 H 62 3 2 4 1 6 10 5 2 1 1 0 35 2 4 4 1 2 3 2 5 0 0 0 23 1 8 7 0 3 5 0 0 0 0 0 Low 24 20 29 17 55 84 51 89 59 72 32 508 Lower than expected 10.24% Higher than expected 12.20% Expected progress 77.56%

Consider the Number of Students In Deciles 1 – 5 = Math ACT 19 and lower Math was the lowest and the others are typically a point higher Thus the ACT Composite is a bit higher as well at approximately 20 Source calculated from publicly available ACT data 2006

Student Learning Breaking the Cycle of Learn and Forget Do students work on assignments just to get credit? Do they learn for an exam to pass or get a high grade? Do they engage in excessive memorization?

MA 098 Challenges MA 095 is the lowest of all remedial courses MA 098 is the next followed by MA110 College Algebra which is offered for college credit

MA 098 Challenges MA 095 is the lowest of all remedial courses MA 098 is the next followed by MA110 College Algebra which is offered for college credit

CW101 - FYE Civic Engagement A First-Year-Experience (FYE) Course for Undeclared Students ESU has tried a variety of FYE courses over the years Many programs have FYE courses for students in their majors Renewed emphasis on FYE and in 2010 an ESU group explores FYE for undeclared students CW101 Civic Engagement is one of the initial offerings

CW101 - FYE Civic Engagement Target Group of Students First Year Students Lowest Math placement = MA 095 Based on ACT math scores

Students Get Involved in the Community Civic Engagement Projects – Working with Others Voter registration with the League of Women Voters Part of the eCitizenship Initiative of the American Democracy Project (ADP) Emphasis on (new to Kansas) electronic voter registration Voter Education – Constitution Day Hosted the Only Debate for the US House of Representatives (No Quantitative Emphasis)

Students Get Involved in the Community Civic Engagement Projects Neighborhood Revitalization Project with the City of Emporia The City allocated $25,000 to assist with the cleanup Civic Engagement Students plan the logistics Civic Engagement Students Create the Assessment Total Tons Tons per block? Average Product? Percentages? All were challenging

Neighborhood Revitalization Allocating Students and Mapping the Community Designing the Assessment of What Was Collected Assessment Total Tons Tons per Block Volume vs. Weight Tires per worker Average Product Percentages All were challenging

Environmental Awareness Working with the City and the EPA Awareness Education Labeling (Painting) Storm Drains Brochure

Environmental Awareness Working with the City and the EPA Awareness Education Labeling (Painting) Storm Drains Brochure

Bonding Experiences Five Field Trips City of Emporia: Engineering Water Housing Fire and Rescue Topeka Rescue Mission

Topeka Rescue Mission Distribution of Holiday Gifts The Homeless Shelter was Full Many in the Community are Homeless Students Help Organize and Assist with the Distribution of Food, Appliances, Gifts Everyone gets Clothes Children - Toys

Characteristics of Experiences that Infmuence Student Learning Patrick Terenzini (Last evening) 1. Entail encounters with challenging ideas & people 2. Require active engagement with those challenges 3. Occur in a supportive environment 4. Emphasize meaningful real-world examples 5. Involve relational, interpersonal connections

Other FYE Courses for the Undeclared Issues Who Teaches the Courses? Uniformity Common Content Academic Freedom

Challenges Student Interest Enrollment Attendance Completing Tasks

Other Initiatives Adopt a Floor Segregated First Year Students Faculty/Staff Mentors

Questions & Comments Rob Catlett Department of Math, Computer Science, and Economics rcatlett@emporia.edu Stacey Braun Student Advising Center sbraun@emporia.edu