Forum participants engaged in roundtable discussions, which focused on the priority areas identified within the work plans of Pennsylvania's Achieving the Dream colleges. Small groups shared strategies and promising practices, as well as identifying common definitions, policies and procedures to enhance student success.

Section one outlines the common strategies, promising practices and questions that emerged in each priority-area roundtable. Section two outlines the partnership and alignment themes that emerged from the various discussion topics. Communication, collaboration, engagement, alignment and the development of partnerships contribute to college and career readiness and student success. This document is available in PDF format for easy printing.    

STRATEGIES,  PROMISING PRACTICES AND QUESTIONS

Placement Tests and Cut-off Scores

• staff community college testing centers with an advisor or counselor
• offer a refresher course before administering the placement tests

Summer Programs

• various summer programs exist or were suggested, such as pre-college, summer college, summer bridge and summer “Math Jam” (an intensive course on basic math)
• Should summer programs be designed for high school students or developmental education students?

Student Advising and Counseling

• examine and revise advising systems to reflect “navigating higher education”
• increase the ratio of counselors to students
• embed advising and counseling into developmental courses   

Developmental Education

• create awareness of the costs, in dollars and time, for developmental education courses
• embed advising and counseling into developmental courses
• develop strategies to examine and address students’ perception of their abilities
• address the literacy needs for students who are not ready for developmental courses
• provide professional development to faculty that includes the value of teaching and the importance of student success in developmental education courses

Gatekeeper Courses

• What resources, in dollars and time, should be spent on students who test poorly on placement tests, such as at a third- and fourth-grade math level?
• Do developmental courses play a positive role in preparing students for gatekeeper courses?
• Should students take an achievement test after completing a developmental course before they can enroll in a gatekeeper course?
• Should resources be used for gatekeeper courses to support success?
• Do gatekeeper courses assist in predicting success toward graduation?
• Since discrepancies currently exist, should all gatekeeper courses be defined the same way?
• Should some courses be permanently defined or identified as gatekeeper courses?

Student Orientation/First-Year Experience

• develop a student orientation course, possibly titled Freshman Orientation, Freshman Seminar, College Seminar or College Success
• How many credits, one through three, should be awarded for this course?
• Should this course be mandatory for all students or required of students placing in 2+ developmental courses?
• course purpose and content suggestions include:
  • introduce the students to the college environment
  • address student and college expectations
  • assist and support students with clarifying their goals
  • provide students with college resources, programs and services such as financial aid, advising, counseling, academic monitoring, supplemental instruction, tutoring and mentoring
  • create a student personal education plan (PEP)
  • involve the parent, student and college
  • include parent, student and college goals and expectations
  • include Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) scores, placement test scores, course work and grades
  • encourage student persistence

Learning Communities

• provide additional learning support to students 
• students can participate as a cohort based on their developmental level content areas or interests
• could be for non-traditional, developmental education, first year or at-risk students

Books and Technology

• be aware of and manage textbook and technology costs
• increase the availability and accessibility of technology to students
• distribute surplus college computers to students
• realize that used books may not have the technology or the access code for the technology that came with the textbook   

Early Alert Process and Procedures/Student Retention

• develop a college-wide plan to identify and support at-risk students
• implement academic monitoring strategies, such as monitoring attendance, reviewing individual progress and mid-term grades and advising and counseling

Customer Service

• provide professional development to staff and faculty in customer service to emphasize meeting the needs of students while enhancing student success  

EMERGING THEMES

Partnerships

• develop partnerships among parents, students, educators and business through communication, collaboration and engagement
• create seamless transitions from pre-kindergarten to post-secondary education
  
• engage parents, students and community colleges in planning for the college experience
• collaborate with business and industry to expand high school and community college partnerships and develop curriculum and assessment, focusing on college and career success
• strengthen the connection of students with colleges and colleges with students
• foster ongoing student and faculty communication and interaction
• increase student time and interaction with developmental course faculty
• recognize students individually and by academic department, while collectively valuing them by and within all aspects of the college  

Alignment

• align standards, curriculum, and assessment including the PSSA throughout pre-kindergarten and post-secondary education
  
• focus alignment on college and career readiness, career pathways, college placement and college and career success
• align developmental education and college-level courses
• facilitate a seamless transition from pre-kindergarten to post-secondary education with an emphasis on lifelong learning