This fall, National Network staff visited each of the nine colleges implementing Project DEgree to discuss promising practices, share lessons learned to date, and explore conditions for program sustainability. The one-day visits included conversations with new and continuing students about their experiences, meetings with core team members regarding model successes and improvements, and data discussions with Project DEgree management teams. Early data from the pilot phase is very encouraging, and emerging themes across the colleges have begun to inform model improvements that will be instrumental in guiding next steps.

Promising program themes include strong team cohesion and collaboration during weekly or biweekly meetings, successful curriculum integration, a new student orientation, and strengthened student recruitment capacity after initial challenges. Colleges also continue to validate the positive impacts of having the resource specialist work with students in and outside the classroom. Similarly, all colleges have filled the newly launched completion advisor position which is responsible for providing students with a broad range of services, such as career advising and planning, as they transition from developmental education courses into college-level course work. Finally, faculty and team members across the nine colleges are working to improve an area of study that students continue to struggle with - math. While some colleges have moved to a math emporium model, continued conversations are in the works to find the right balance of self-paced use of technology, small group lecture, tutoring, and the use of supplemental instruction.  

National Network staff take a break with Project DEgree staff and students at Owens Community College

In partnership with the National Network, each college is monitoring a set of benchmarks for Project DEgree students and a comparison group made up of non-Project DEgree students. One of the key evaluation measures is the rate of persistence. While still early in the evaluation process, fall-to-fall persistence rates are significantly higher for Project DEgree students at most of the "round one" partner colleges. Spring-to-fall persistence rates at "round two" colleges are following a similar trend.

To better understand the Project DEgree student experience, the National Network team is currently conducting student surveys at two colleges - Owens Community College in Toledo, OH and Broward College in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. The surveys will be followed by interviews with selected students and, along with the lessons learned during the site visits, will provide a rich context for future Project DEgree planning.

The National Network and Project DEgree partner colleges have begun discussing program sustainability beyond the current grant period. Further conversations and planning will take place during a convening of partner program leads and National Network staff in early spring.

Directors' Convening a Welcome Opportunity for Collaboration  

GtCNN staff assist as directors start a group activity

On November 1st and 2nd, Gateway to College directors from across the country gathered in Las Vegas, Nevada for the 2011 Directors' Convening. The event provided an opportunity for program directors to connect with their colleagues and share strategies and best practices that support student success and persistence. Dynamic, courageous conversations on the part of both National Network staff and program leaders allowed for discussions that pushed beyond the surface and explored substantive depth on topics including program sustainability, the collaborative cycle of inquiry, and the state of the early college movement.

The first day featured time set aside to participate in an early college jam, a nationwide online conversation seeking to identify scalable practices that benefit at-risk, underserved youth like those who enroll in Gateway to College. The enthusiasm for the online discussions mirrored those taking place in person at the convening. Skipping lunch to keep working, the directors were energized by the opportunity to collaborate with their peers in small, director-led discussion groups. "Directors were hungry for digging into hard conversations. In fact, they demanded it," remarked Lois Orner, Gateway to College Training & Partner Support Manager.

The directors tackled the issue of building sustainable partnerships through the use of data-driven dialogue on the second day. It was yet another of the convening's conversations that helped underscore the importance of fostering a culture of connection and continuous improvement. As the directors parted ways at the end of day two, they expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to collaborate and for each other as a network of peers, linked in their common dedication to serving students.

Dr. Curtis (right) accepts a special resolution of the board of directors thanking him for his service

At their October meeting, the Gateway to College National Network board of directors wished a fond farewell to an outgoing member and agreed upon new leadership responsibilities for the coming year. Dr. Nan Poppe, who has served on the board since the organization spun off from Portland Community College in 2008, will step down as board chair, a position she held for the last four years. Martha Lamkin will assume the role of chair after serving terms as treasurer and, most recently, vice-chair, and Dr. Jacquelyn Belcher will serve as vice-chair. Andy Dorsey and Jim Harper remain in their positions as treasurer and secretary, respectively. Finally, Dr. Stephen Curtis completed his elected term on the board, and his replacement representing network partners will be elected at the February 2012 meeting.

Two members of Portland Community College's Project DEgree team, Alison Butler (Resource Specialist) and Monica Christofili (Developmental Reading and Writing instructor) co-authored a paper they presented at last month's National Council on Student Development conference. The paper, entitled, "Project-Based Learning Communities in Developmental Education: A Case Study of Lessons Learned," chronicles the progress and challenges they experienced while implementing project-based learning communities in Project DEgree.  

Particularly trying were their initial efforts to integrate the classes that students take as a learning community during the first two terms. The first attempt to integrate a multimedia presentation was overly ambitious and open-ended, which led to a more prescriptive approach in the second term that generated its own challenges. "When not satisfied with their first attempt at integrated curriculum, the faculty team didn't give up," notes Jennifer Alkezweeny, Project DEgree Training & Partner Support Manager. "While we know to encourage our students to persist and tell them it takes multiple attempts to be successful, not all of us apply those same words to our own work."  

With guidance from their instructional coach, Tracy Schiffmann, Butler and Christofili analyzed student feedback and academic progress to reimagine and refine their curriculum integration process over the next two academic terms, incorporating a service learning component that fostered greater student engagement. In their paper, they identify five best practices for integrating project-based learning within developmental education learning communities. "The result is curriculum that meets course objectives, provides an outstanding project for the students and meaningful service to the community, and renews faculty's excitement for teaching," Alkezweeny adds. Butler and Christofili intend to submit "Project-Based Learning Communities in Developmental Education: A Case Study of Lessons Learned" for publication in the near future. Click here to read the paper in full.

(from left) Marisol Naranjo-Herrera and Georgia Lawrence

Since the last e-newsletter, two new staff members joined the National Network team: Marisol Naranjo-Herrera (MNH), Project DEgree Coordinator, and Georgia Lawrence (GL), Gateway to College Training and Partner Support Manager. We recently sat down with them to learn more about their backgrounds and what ultimately brought them to the National Network.

GtCNN: Where did you work previously?

GL: Prior to joining the National Network, I taught in a Latino dropout recovery alternative high school and, most recently, at Mount Hood Community College. I was working with the developmental education folks to do what's referred to as contextualization or integrated curriculum. It involves focusing on teaching skills through content area in order to help students who have a longer trajectory close that gap and more quickly acquire regular college credits.

MNH: I was working for a charter management organization in Los Angeles that served middle and high school students in South Central. I was doing strategic planning for all their parent and community engagement initiatives, trying to engage families in a meaningful and productive way. I helped establish governance structures that encouraged parent involvement and built parent capacity around college knowledge and navigation of the educational system.

GL: Prior to serving at the community college, I also worked on a project with a few community based organizations that together were supporting migrant parents in the state of Oregon who were training other parents on college readiness and how to best support their kids' educational advancement.

GtCNN: Why did you want to work at Gateway to College National Network?

GL: I went back to school to think about the intersection of institutions, educational systems, population changes, and economic disparities in the U.S. and what could happen at the policy level to impact the outcomes for students who are historically marginalized. I was able to go directly into working in private liberal arts schools, but when I was there, I realized that I wanted to have greater impact on underrepresented communities in higher education. Community college is where I could do both, where preparation and actually serving the population meet. I saw the promise of community colleges and a lot of the programs that are initiated there, and I started to research and find programs like Gateway.

MNH: For me, I think it was a natural transition. I'm a product of a public high school that had 5,000 students and a 40% graduation rate, and I always think about the 60% of students who didn't make it. What are they doing? How has this shaped their lives and opportunities? I think, "That could have been me."

GL: That's interesting. I feel like a big piece of what I bring is grounded in personal experience. And having been a dropout but in a much earlier generation where early college dual degree enrollment, the alternatives, weren't as developed. I feel really proud to be part of some of the efforts that are beginning to have a presence on the national level as well as the state by state level.

Thanks to Georgia and Marisol for taking some time to share a bit of their stories. And welcome, both of you, to Gateway to College National Network.  

Upcoming Events

December 6, 2011: Virtual Brown Bag - Who Are They and How Did They Get Here? A follow-up discussion to the Peer Learning Conference presentation on Gateway student typologies

Time: 10:30 - 11:30 am PST

Details:Our students are not all alike and different types of students have different needs. This brown bag will build on the Gateway student typology analysis that we presented at the PLC. This analysis gives us the ability to compare student information with research-based typologies describing students who drop out of high school. We will continue the conversation about how this analysis provides insight into the ways we can continue to improve our support for Gateway to College students.

To register: Click on the following link: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/992357290.

December 9, 2011: Project DEgree CARES Community of Practice Call - hosted by Jennifer Alkezweeny, GtCNN

Time: 1:00 - 2:00 pm PST
Details: Completion Advisors and Resource Specialists will report out on the teaching resources, activities, articles, and forms they've posted into Gateway Live.    

To register: RSVP to Jennifer Alkezweeny at jalkezweeny@gatewaytocollege.org.

Coming Soon in 2012: Virtual Brown Bag - The Emporium Model Approach to Math Instruction

Time: TBD

Details:What is the Math Emporium Model? Does it work? This is your opportunity to hear from several experienced colleagues who have designed and implemented math emporium models on their campus. Participants will learn about the basic structure and opportunities to flex the model, hear some success stories and challenges, and see how it plays out in the data.

To register: Information coming soon.

July 23-25, 2012: Peer Learning Conference

Location: Portland, Oregon
Details: For more information, go to the PLC info page.

Click here for information on how to make a secure, online contribution.