BUILDING GUIDED PATHWAYS: MDC’S SHARK PATH

VSSLI MeetingNovember 10, 2015

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Agenda• Overview• Getting Started• Strategies andSuccess

Indicators • Lessons Learned

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Miami Dade College: A Brief OverviewThe challenges of a large, urban and diverse institution

• 7 campuses and 3 centers• ~70K degree seeking students

• 90% minority• 67% low income• 70% employed

• Historically, more than half placed into at least one level of Dev Ed• Completion rates ranging from13-39% when we began

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Aggressive College-wide Goals

Improve student outcomes • Starting off right• Success in first semester and first year • Increased persistence, retention and completion

Build organizational capacity and flexibility• Drive action and results• Create and sustain cultural change

Our strategy: Shark Path

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Our Strategy: Shark Path Integrated academic and student services support

from high school through graduation and transfer/employment

Course Sequence

Guides

New Advising Model

Early Alerts and

Interven-tions

Co-Curricular Engage-

ment

Commun-ities of Interest

Getting Started

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Getting Started

From the start, centralized responsibility and accountability under umbrella of Student Achievement Initiatives (SAI)• Structuring the work• Facilitating engagement and output• Infusing data and feedback• Sustaining energy and momentum

Initially, campus teams with broad faculty and staff representation (~120 people)• Analyzed data• Determined common barriers • Identified best practice solutions, internally and nationwide

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Moving to ImplementationWithin 4 months, evolved to college-wide problem-solving

• Cross campus, discipline and department design teams• Priorities

• Scale• Speed• What we could control

After just a few more months, moved to implementation• Focus: on-boarding and first semester• At scale from the start (~8400 students in first cohort)• Version 1.0—intentionally!

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Advantages of Early ImplementationStudents benefit

• Orientation• No late registration• Assigned advisors

Solutions get better• Learning what works• Data-informed improvement

Teams get stronger• Empowerment• Smart risk taking• Trust

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Flexible Organizational StructureTeams change and evolve based on

• Initiative focus• Stage (design, implementation, assessment)• Individual commitment

More than half of all faculty and staff have participated actively in designing and/or delivering new academic and student services

SAI teams set new standards for• Comprehensive, strategic problem-solving• Inclusiveness• Action• Productivity• Effectiveness

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Strategies and Success IndicatorsAcademic Maps

Three-Tiered Advising

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Academic Maps: StrategiesSimple and clear description of courses and course sequences

• Required for graduation• Required for admission into baccalaureate programs at most

common transfer institutions• In logical order to build pre-requisite skills and competencies,

including Dev Ed on-rampsDeveloped by faculty-led teams

• Robust discussion of recommended courses• Reviewed by advisors for “user-friendliness”

Translated into individual MAPS by advisors based on• Starting point in math and English• Transfer institution choice• Life issues

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Academic Maps: Success IndicatorsOperational for programs of study representing ~80% student

populationRevised recently for

• Math tracks (Algebra vs non-Algebra)• New Gen Ed requirements

Enrollment in college-level math, English and first program of study courses up 15-25%• Impact on demand for other courses

Highlight need for more cross-discipline discussions about pathways• Unintended consequences of “recommended electives”

Create foundation for next-level discussions about teaching and learning

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Tier 1: Pre- College Advising: Strategies

Pro-active outreach and case management• Connecting HS career academies to MDC programs• Target reminders about registration requirements• Scholarship opportunities• Shark Academy summer enrichment program

Relevant on-campus events and workshops• Financial Aid• Program of Study• Career Exploration

Collaboration with academic affairs for recruitment

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On-site advising at 53 high schools covering 88% enrollmentModel “proven-in”

• Applications increased 22% since 2012• Enrollment increased 10% over same period, offset declining

enrollment in other populations• High schools with PCAs have a 56% conversion rate, compared to

52% overallAdditional resources added recently

• Expand to other populations • Expand career assessment and exploration

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Pre- College Advising: Success Indicators

Tier 2: First Year Advising: Strategies Before mandatory campus orientation

• Non-cognitive diagnostic• On-line orientation

At Shark Start orientation• Meet assigned advisor• Discuss placement recommendations and course selection• Register for first semester

During first semester advising• Confirm program of study and transfer institution• Complete MAP• Discuss non-cognitive issues

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First Year Advising: Success IndicatorsStrong first semester progress

• 95% FTIC-DE now attend Shark Start, up from 86% • 94% students choose program of study and have full MAP by end

of first semester • Approximately 80% target students enrolled in FYE course

Longer term indicators starting to move• Students with sophomore status increased from 12% to 15%• Fall to fall retention increased by 2 percentage points

Highlights need for greater emphasis on second semester• Sequential course-taking• Early alerts and interventions• Communities of Interest

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Tier 3: College Mentoring Strategies

In-depth career and transfer advising for students at 25%+ benchmark• Progress monitoring and intervention• Internship and community engagement • Career planning and guidance• Transfer institution selection and application

Mentors include faculty, departmental advisors and academic chairs• More than 320 volunteer mentors, including ~45% of full time

faculty • All participate in intensive training and development • “Buddy” relationship and support with Student Services

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Almost 17,000 students transitioned to date• Strong support and feedback from students

But, student participation is low—not mandatory!• Outreach/awareness campaign rolled out in fall 2015• “Level up to CM status” celebration events college-wide• Registration hold for students in academic difficulty

Supporting faculty enthusiasm• Expanded professional development, especially career

exploration• College Mentoring Fellowship for active research

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College Mentoring: Success Indicators

Lessons Learned

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What we learnedLesson 1

Moving the needle on student success takes time• Cumulative impact of a system of strategies, processes,

interventions and structures

After 3 years, most leading indicators moving in the right direction• But no meaningful movement in retention or benchmark

achievement yet

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What we learned Lesson 2

Improving student success is an on-going, iterative process•There is no perfect solution

We learn best by doing the work• Best practices identified and proven• Broad and deep scale is required • Success is defined by execution: “the devil is in the details”• People own what they create

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What we learned Lesson 3

Significant progress can be made without a lot of new investment

Re-allocate existing resources strategically• Focus on what we can influence/control• Stop doing low value-add activities• “Prove-in” new models and ways of doing business first—before

adding people or technology

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What we learnedLesson 4

Measuring progress regularly and routinely drives learning and improvement

• Structured methodologies, tools and templates• Clear metrics/KPIs• Timely assessments and data sharing• Operational decision-making vs reporting data • Data in every discussion

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What we learnedLesson 5

Success and sustainability require organizational strength• Broad and inclusive engagement, collaboration and learning• Culture of inquiry and innovation• Capacity, flexibility and adaptability• Tolerance for risk, uncertainty and setbacks

Building organizational capacity is also iterative: it requires intentionality, nurturing and time

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What we learnedLesson 6

Strategic, on-going professional development is necessary to change a culture

• Practical, hands-on strategies for daily interactions• Structured opportunities to leverage discrete strategies into

integrated solutions• Collaborative problem solving

At MDC, 15 minutes of training for every hour of service delivery over first two years

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Summary

Build the foundation for student success: Just do it!Big

UrgentInclusive

Leadership at all LevelsData-informed

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