Adding an Accelerated Learning Program in English

Debra Dorn
Fall 2016
A Program Plan

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Academic Scholarly Requirements for DE 5365

Introduction

A review of Texas public community colleges shows that typical on-time graduation rate

maybe as low as just over 1%. The numbers increase for those who graduate within three years

to near 23% locally (College Completion 2015). Information gathered from the Alamo Colleges

website indicates that as many as 70% of first time college students enter a developmental

education program. (Alamo College 2016). These figures have lead education professionals to

look for additional strategies to help students achieve their dream of a college education.

This program plan examines the impact of adding accelerated learning program English

courses to a small sized community college. The community college has developmental

education programs but their drop-out rates remain high and entry into English 102, a second

semester English course, is below average. The need for this program is demonstrate more fully

in the Needs Assessment section.

The Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) we chose has the benefit of being amendable.

In other words, with a little bit of work, an accelerated learning English program will fit our

needs. One of the premier models of accelerated learning programs is set in Baltimore County.

(ALP 2016). We will model our program on the Baltimore County model, which has been

successfully used throughout the nation (ALP 2016).

One of the great strengths of this program is the student retention factor. A large

percentage of students successfully complete the Accelerated Learning Program along with

English 101. These students then enroll in English 102, the next English course. Data show that

accelerated learning program students are more likely to enroll in English 102 than their

developmental education counterparts. The ratio is as high as two to one ( alp-deved 2016). Our
goal is to increase successful completion of English 101, increase enrollment into English 102,

and increase graduation, or certification, rates.

The new program will be part of the developmental education English Department. As

such, implementation should be smooth for all parties. The oversight will fall under the Dean of

the department. Staff will increase very little.

Our program has a small budget. This small budget, in the form of a grant from the

United States Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education, enabled us to work

towards the implementation of our new program. The length of the grant is 48 months. This

grant requires our institution to preform “effectiveness of program” evaluation at regular

intervals. The majority of the information needed for the evaluation is the same/ similar as what

we collect at our midpoint and semester term. The additional information needed can be easily

adapted into the current structure.

Personnel management will be primarily handled under the current developmental

education structure. No large changes are needed. The professional development is part of an

ongoing feature of the program. We plan to hire an expert to assist with implementation of the

program and initial training. Further training will be in conjunction with the school’s

professional development plan.

Needs Assessment

Introduction

Is an additional Developmental Education English class for students needed in our

community college? Many colleges are facing the issue of unprepared student learners. One of

the most common complaints in staff meetings is that the students lack proper grammar skills.

Many are unable to write simple sentences. The model of Accelerated Learning from Baltimore
County could fit our needs. Could we redefine our curriculum to add a Developmental

Education English Accelerated classes for students who do not meet a certain threshold on their

entrance exam but are close to passing the exam?

Stakeholders

The stakeholders are the students enrolled in the accelerated learning program (051) and

English 101, the instructors for the new course, the program head- Dean Jones, the college, and

United States Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education grant office. The

students are directly impacted by the success or failure of the program. The Dean and instructor

are personally invested to ensure the program is a success. The college desires the program to be

a success since it will lead toward higher graduation rates. Higher graduation rates reflect

positively upon the college. United States Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary

Education grant office wants to ensure that their funds are being spent wisely.

Understanding the Need

According to Bailey and Cho (2010), students in developmental education course have a

one in four chance of completing their degree or certificate. Almost 60% of incoming freshmen

enroll in one, or more, developmental education course (Bailey and Cho, 2010). Various

researchers discuss the growing need for supplementing English language skill in the college

environment. Bautsch 2011claims that 50% of college students need remedial support?

Remedial support, or developmental education, is an issue that community colleges have been

addressing for quite a while. The structure of community college is able to foster developmental

education programs more readily than many university counterparts.

Kettner, Moroney, Martin (2016) describe need as being elastic or static. Adding an

Accelerated Developmental English course must assume that the need for the course may change
in the future. As we utilize technology we can direct students to learning centers/websites that

will assist their learning process. In the future we may have other resources at our disposal.

Eligible students

Normative need, or a need that falls below a standard, is the primary reason we need an

Accelerated Developmental English class in our school. When a student enters our college

he/she must take a Texas Success Initiative Assessment (TSIA). This test measures an incoming

student’s competencies in reading, writing and mathematics. Some students may be exempt

from taking the TSI Assessment. The exemptions range from minimum scores on SAT to

successful completion of college level English course(s). Barring an exemption from the exam

all students must participate in the TSI Assessment. Students who score above a 70% will not

need to enter a developmental education course. Students who score between 60-69% will be

eligible for the Accelerated Learning Program.

The TSI Assessment has two sections we will need for English assessment. The first

section is the TSI Assessment in Reading. The Reading section covers four content area:

Literary Analysis, Main Idea and Supporting Details, Inferences in a Text(s), and Author’s use of

Language. The test is multiple choice and will contain 10-12 items in each section (TSI

Informative Brochure). The next section is the TSI Assessment in Writing. The Writing section

consists of four sections: Essay Revision, Agreement, Sentence Structure, and Sentence Logic.

The test is multiple choice with 10-12 questions in each section (TSI Informative Brochure).

Discussion of Accelerated Learning Course

Students who are assigned into the Accelerated Developmental English (ADE) course

will register for English 101 and our new Accelerated Developmental English (ADE) Program.

This is a co-requisite course and students will earn three credit hours for English 101, but no
credit for ADE. The two course will run side by side with the ADE course supporting English

101. We will also limit the number of ADE students in each English 101 class to 10% of the

enrolled class. We plan to run four ADE classes each Fall. The ADE class will be very small

(approximately 8-12 students) and run in conjunction with the English 101 class.

The primary users of this program will be students in English 101 and ADE and college

staff associated with this program. Secondary impact would be on the whole college, the

students’ family and the community. As part of the secondary impact the whole community

benefits with an educated citizen.

The targeted population is entering college freshmen. These requirements are in place to

ensure our students have the right tools to be successful. Adding an Accelerated Developmental

English Program to our curriculum will benefit the students. And the program will help

eliminate the difficulty with reading comprehension found by Martino and Hoffman (2002).

The results of the Accelerated Developmental English program will be measured at

regular intervals. We want to ensure success with the program and will conduct an early

evaluation to ensure the program is on track. The planned evaluation will be described in greater

detail later in the report. Since the program will be implemented as part of the developmental

education department we expect a smooth transition.

Our model, the Accelerated Developmental Program in Baltimore has seen a growth in

students who complete their program. Approximately 75% of the Accelerated Developmental

Program participants passed English 101. Only 54% of traditional developmental education

program student passing English 101 (Jenkins, Speroni, Belfield, Jaggars, Edgecombe 2010).

Our goal is to meet or beat Baltimore’s program.

Goals and Objectives

 Developmental Education programs in community colleges play a big role in many

students’ lives. Bailey and Cho (2010) claim that “less than one quarter of community college

students who enroll in developmental education complete a degree or certificate within eight

years.”

The National Center for Education Statistics, 2010, found approximately 20% of full-

time community college students completed their associates degree or certification within three

years. College Board Research, Research Brief in April 2016, discussed these findings and other

studies. They cite a survey from National Student Clearinghouse (NSC), which found nearly

42% of all undergraduates were enrolled in community colleges. Community Colleges play a

great roll in the lives of college bound students.

The graduation rates of many universities have not been as high as many administrators

would like. The National Center for Education Statistics studied graduation rates for universities

across the country. The study found four year degree completion at the university level is

approximately 40% . The results increased when the students were surveyed at the six-year

mark. Researchers found nearly 60% graduated within the six year time frame. This is

somewhat consistent to the data I observed with my own college students. One example of 6

students who entered the university together in the fall saw only three of them complete their

degree requirements by the spring of what should have been their senior year. In order to

encourage graduation within a four year time frame the university offered the students a cash

incentive. The cash incentive was mailed to students who completed all degree requirements

within four years.

Age is another factor that distinguishes the community college from the university.

College Board Research (2016) study of students in 2011-12 found 55% of community college
students were under 24 years old. The same study found 91% of all public four-year school

students were under 24.

The age difference, low graduation rates, low income and various other factors make it

necessary for community colleges to address their students’ needs differently than a typical four-

year university. In addressing the goals and objectives for this population it was necessary to

look at some of the various studies.

In establishing a new developmental education program we plan to begin implementation

as soon as the college board transmits approval. The timeline from board approval to

implementation is one semester. Many of the activities can occur simultaneously. For example,

as we wait for approval of an additional instructor we can work on development of the syllabus

and student assessment.

What major goals do you want to accomplish for the first year your program is in

operation?

The broad goal would be graduation from the community college with an associate’s

degree or certificate. The goal of the Accelerated Developmental English course is – to ensure

students master English 051 and 101 and progress to English 102.

What objectives will help you operationalize your goals into manageable, doable tasks?

The student will:

 Read and understand academic texts

 Critically respond to ideas and information in texts

 Write comprehensive essays with sound structure

The college will:

 Assess student progress

  Retain accelerated learning students.

In pursuance of making the goals measurable we will use the standard departmental English

101 assessment. The assessment is constructed to measure the above goals and will measure inter-

personal skills and student and instructor assessment of the program.

What concrete activities must be completed in order to arrive at a service or product?

 Implementation of Accelerated Learning English course 051 (in conjunction with a

related English 101 course)

o Enroll eligible students

o Hire, if necessary, additional faculty

o Develop syllabus

o Develop student progress assessment matrix

o Administer student progress assessment

When, during the first year of program operation, will each of those activities be completed, and

which staff members will be responsible for ensuring that they are completed accurately and on

time?

The first step is to determine how many eligible students we have for the Accelerated

Learning English course(s). In order to determine that number we need to review the entry level

assessment scores, or Texas Success Initiative Assessment (TSIA). Eligibility for the

Accelerated Learning English 051 and 101 courses is limited. Therefore, students scoring 60-

69% will be eligible for Accelerated Learning English 051 and English 101. In reviewing

historical score break down we see that approximately 35-45 students per semester would be

eligible for this program. The registrar typically advises students that they need to enroll for a

developmental education course and advises them to discuss this will their assigned counselor.
The registrar will advise Accelerated Learning Program eligible students to enroll for the two

courses and counselors will be advised of eligibility. The counselors will be members of the

development education English faculty and current Accelerated Learning Program instructors.

They will be best able to guide students.

Next we would need to get board approval for the new course. After reviewing literature

and studies with the board we will assume that they are in favor. The approval for the addition

of the Accelerated Learning English course 051 would necessitate hiring an additional staff

member. It is projected that four classes will be needed. Each class will run directly after an

English 101 class. The two courses will be blocked together and taught by the same professor.

This will allow continuity for the students.

The expansion of the Developmental Education Program will be minimal. We suggest

hiring an additional staff member/ instructor and a part-time secretary. Expenditure for the staff

members and later, survey development, will be provided for with the grant from the Education

Department. The Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education recently announced

immediate availability of a $100,000 48 month grant for Developmental Education Programs

that look to increase student retention and boost graduation or transfer rates.

A syllabus will be created at the professional development meeting in the summer. Our

consultant has agreed to share ideas for the syllabus at the meeting. As per policy, the review

committee will compare the new syllabus to our school population for effectiveness. The new

syllabus will need to be very direct so that the new students understand course expectations.

The Developmental Education Department committee for student assessment will take

charge on developing a student progress assessment analysis. We request on Accelerated

Learning Program instructor to be part of the committee. The analysis may build upon current
surveys and those from colleges with similar programs, but, it must address our student body. It

is suggested that the students be evaluated at 7 and 15 weeks, and, sometime after the eighth

week of the following semester. The analysis shall include data from student progress reports

(teacher assessment-tests,…). The school requires all instructors to electronically submit periodic

grades for each of the categories in the survey. The categories will include – reading and

understanding text, critically responding to ideas and information in texts, and write

comprehensive essays with sound structure. It is expected that the assessment will closely align

with the electronically submitted grade reports. The new secretary will be in charge of entering

the data into a spreadsheet specifically for our new program. The spreadsheet will make analysis

and comparisons easy.

Additionally, the student shall be surveyed to gauge their impression of the program. The

survey will look at both academic issues and personality type issues. Questions may include “I

feel this course…..(is beneficial to me because….). We are looking to retain students for degree

completion. We shall take the opportunity to look for a pattern for those who do not complete

their degree. If a pattern is found we may need to re-evaluate our program.

Funding

Introduction

Developmental Education Departments around the nation have been facing issues of

unprepared student learners for many years. As long ago as 1999, McCusker discussed the issue

of a literacy rate drop in high school graduates. Bautsch (2011) reported the number of college

students in need of remedial support nearly as high as 50%. As a result of these findings, and

those of other researchers, the Obama administration revised the Elementary and Secondary

Education Act (U.S. Department of Education, 2011).

Grant history

The United States Department of Education addressed the problem of unprepared learners that many

community colleges are facing. In “A Blueprint for Reform: The Reauthorization of the Elementary and

Secondary Education Act of 2010” the federal government references “accelerated learning opportunities

for students” (ESEA 2010). The article discusses competitive grant opportunities for states (ESEA

2010). In March, the Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education, posted availability of

Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)—First in the World (FITW) Program.

The purpose of the grant is to address challenges in post-secondary education for students at risk for not

completing certification or degree program. Small program grants range from $50,000-250,000. We

requested a $100,000 grant. The grant is funded annually in August for 48 months.

Grant requirements

One of the key requirements of the grant is to show that the program being implemented

has shown a track record of success. Since our new developmental education program is

consistent with that of Baltimore County Community College our chances of obtaining the grant

is high. Additionally, our new program is consistent with the current listed federal education
priorities. It falls under Grant Priority 1 – Improving Success in Developmental Education

(Federal Register 2015).

The grant requires submission of evidence of effectiveness of the program. Data from

the Baltimore Community College Accelerated Learning Program was submitted with the grant.

The implementation of the new Accelerated Learning Program at our college will be consistent

with the Baltimore County Community College Accelerated Learning Program with the

exception that we are going to focus solely on English 101. The reason being is that our internal

data shows a high level of non-native English speakers enrolled as freshmen. This is believed to

be a barrier to further education obtainment by this group. If the new program can assist students

with mastery of English 101, then the student will have tools to successfully master the

remaining requirements of the degree.

As listed in the announcement, the new accelerated learning program shall meet one or

more outcomes listed for high-need students. We contend that the new program will meet the

requirement of academic progress. High needs students will be supported in their undergraduate

credit class with a remedial learning class. This remedial class will meet twice a week and

support English 101 (a three credit, degree required course). As the Baltimore Community

College studies have shown, students are more likely to continue with their degree requirements

unlike their peers in traditional Developmental Education courses (Jenkins, Speroni, Belfield,

Jaggars, and Edgecombe 2010). Also, streamlining the student into credit courses on a more

rapid pace is less time consuming to the student. Less out of pocket expenses and faster

progression in the degree program should help motivate students.

 Conclusion:

This grant request is consistent with the grant requirements. We have the ability to staff

and meet the requirements set forth in your grant. The focus of our program is at-risk students.

Our at-risk population is strongly represented in the developmental education program. As

mentioned above, many development education program students fail to complete their degree or

certificate requirements. Additionally, we have approximately 40% non-native English speakers

in our student population. By focusing on English acceleration we hope to increase our number

of graduates.

Budget

Introduction:
The budget for our new Accelerated Learning Program in English I will not be very large.

This program will take students who traditionally would have taken a developmental education

English class and streamline them into a new course structure. The new course will consist of a

traditional English 101 course immediately followed by an accelerated developmental English

course. This course will only meet two days a week. With the addition of the new class

structure we estimate we will need to hire one full time adjunct professor. Listed below you will

find a short explanation of the expenses associated with this program.

Costs/ Budgeting:

In reviewing the literature for Baltimore County Community College’s Accelerated

Developmental Education Program we found our cost estimates are consistent with what they

listed. Our overall costs should average $87,000 per year. Many of the traditional new program

costs will not be needed for this program. The Accelerated Learning Program will function as

part of the Developmental Education Program already in place at the college. The

Developmental Education Program is not gaining additional students for this program. The
students in this program were slated for entry into the traditional Developmental Education

Program. Our Accelerated Learning English class will divert a small population of students

away from traditional developmental education course. Counseling and support given to

traditional developmental education students need not change for the Accelerated Developmental

Education program students. Program entrance will be based upon scores on the Texas Success

Initiative Assessment (TSIA). TSIA is given to all entering freshmen. No additional TSIA costs

will be incurred for the new program. Textbook costs do not need to be included as a cost as the

textbook used will be the same as English 101 textbook.

Personnel Costs:

The major costs of this program are related to instructor salary and benefits. We would

need to hire one additional full-time adjunct. The average starting salary is $45,000, not

including benefits. Fringe benefit costs are $12,600. We also purpose to hire a program

secretary at 50% FTE. First year cost for the secretary are $15,360. Dean Jones is the Program

Director. As Program Director he is entitled to an expanded duty stipend of $300 per month.

This stipend is consistent with his current contract.

Miscellaneous:

Additional projected costs include 4 additional computers for the computer lab/

classroom. The college has a contract with ABC Tech which will supply the computers, loaded

with software, and installed at a cost of $3250. This cost includes a 5 year warranty and tech-

assistance. Software DE will be needed at a licensing fee of $30 per month for the new

computers.
 We estimate Office Supplies to be approximately $50 per month. Printing and

Copying will be approximately $25 monthly. These estimates may be on the low end due to

shared resources available.

Annual Evaluation for grant funding:

As stated in the grant we would need to hire an independent education contractor to

perform annual evaluations. The grant states—it is a requirement, under support of effectiveness,

to have the program evaluated by a professional evaluator. The estimated cost for this is $2000.

The federal government suggests the average cost of evaluation should be no greater than 5% of

the grant. A RFP was submitted for a four year evaluation of the program. Many responses

were received. The final nod will go to a well know education consultant. As the Department of

Education must approve the evaluation design we feel confident that our contractor has the

experience and knowledge of the grant requirements.

Additional Expenses:

A one-time consultant fee for Mr. Peter Jones, ALP expert, of $1,500 for program

development, faculty development and curriculum design is also needed. The consultant can

meet with the department to discuss the issues listed above so that everyone is on the same page.

In May, prior to program implementation, an Acceleration in Developmental Education

Conference is being held in Colorado. Guest speakers at the conference will cover a broad

spectrum of topics. Some of the topics will deal with implementation, curriculum development,

budgeting, grants and success/failure stories and programs. Approximately $1250 is requested

for expenses (including hotel, food, and travel) for two staff members. The request is consistent

with approved per diem rates.

Conclusion:
 In adding up our program costs for the first year we come out to approximately $84,000.

Using GAAP principles and our schools accepted accounting recommendations we will include a

2% increase in year over year expenses. This includes salary, benefit and non-personnel expense

increases. The costs come in below our grant request, but allow us a buffer. If we do not use the

whole grant it will revert back to the government. If our projections are fairly accurate for year 4

we will still have wiggle room.

It is our hope that this program will prove to be as successful, or more successful, than

the Baltimore County Community College Accelerated Learning program. If our program meets

the goals we have stipulated we hope to have support to apply the program to other subjects.

Dean Jones, as dean of the Developmental Education Department, will be the lead for the

program. Dean Jones is committed to the success of our students and this program.

If you have any questions please refer them to:

Dean Jones, Department of Developmental Education

Texas Community College
Texas City, Texas 79888
505-265-3322
Attached you will find the budget, in separate file.

Personnel management

The developmental education program at the college has a large student population.

Studies have shown that many of these students fail to complete their degree or certification. As

a result we are planning to implement a new program. The new program, Accelerated

Developmental English, is geared to students who score between 60-69% on their TSIA exam

(students who score 70% or above do not have to enroll in developmental education courses).

The student will be enrolled in English 101 and Accelerated Learning English 051. The classes

run simultaneous. We estimate a budget of $87,000 per year. The budget cost were kept
reasonable due to the ability to fit the program within the English Developmental Education

Section. The new program is not creating additional students for the department, it will

restructure eligible students’ class schedule to include the new program.

The reporting lines to the new program are consistent with the reporting lines in the

English Developmental Education Section. First line of report is typically informally meeting

with senior Developmental Education English faculty. The next step English Department Dean.

If needed, the next formal step is to report to the VP of Academic Affairs, who in turn reports to

the Provost. Any information that flows to the VP of Academic Affairs shall be submitted

following departmental formatting guidelines, with the Dean cc’ed on any, and all,

correspondence. All problems should be handled at the Dean’s level. We expect to have open

communication among all program participants. Since the program is new to the department we

anticipate that the staff may have questions. The Dean will be available to answer any and all

questions. In most cases email will be the preferred method of contact. Staff should feel free to

request a face-to-face meeting if needed.

The Accelerated Learning Program is part of the Developmental Education English

Department and all staff are expected to follow departmental policy and procedure. Evaluations

will be conducted with staff at appointed intervals. The structure will remain the same.

The program has been authorized to hire one full-time instructor and one 50% FTE

secretary. The jobs have already received approval from Human Resources, Budget, and our

department. Human Resources is in charge of posting the positions. The positions will be

posted and filled in accordance with federal, state, and college guidelines. One such

requirement is that the jobs be listed in the school, local newspaper, and online at the college’s
website. The instructor and secretary positions will use the template with minor revisions to

describe the duties expected. The job announcement will be attached (attachment 1 and 2).

Organizational Chart- We proposed to add one additional adjunct to the staff for the

Accelerated Learning Program. As the Accelerated Learning Program will be included in the

Developmental Education Department, we have very few changes to the current organizational

structure. The feedback from our instructors has been positive with three tenured adjuncts

expressing desire to transition into one or more Accelerated Learning Classes for the upcoming

semester. If we are able to get the tenured faculty along with our proposed new hire it is

predicted that transition will be smooth.

Organizational chart is attachment 3.

Professional development

What types of professional development programs do you predict that your staff might need in

the first year of operation?

The Accelerated Learning Program in English is new to the college. The program will be

part of the Developmental Education Department. Program participants and staff will have full

access to all Developmental Education Department resources. It is predicted that there will be

minor transition issues. In order to assist with the implementation and transition, we have

budgeted for a consultant. The consultant, Mr. Jones, is an Accelerated Learning Program

expert. His function will be to assist us with program development, faculty development and

curriculum design. We will schedule his visit to coincide with our annual end of summer

professional development seminars. All developmental education staff will be encouraged to

attend his presentations. Scheduling of his seminars will be consistent with the college calendar

meeting/ training/professional development schedule. Additionally, we have set aside funds for
two staff members to attend the annual Acceleration in Developmental Education Conference in

May. Attendance to the conference will allow staff to interact with experts and attend various

conferences.

What professional development delivery options might be appropriate and available for your

staff?

As mentioned above, we will have an expert visit our campus prior to implementation of

the Accelerated Learning Program. This visit will coincide with our regularly scheduled

professional development seminars and it will be open to all developmental education staff. We

prefer to open it to all staff so we might achieve a high “buy in” of all members. Additionally,

those staff members who do not teach the Accelerated Learning class this year may be interested

enough to teach future classes. Our long-term goal is to add more accelerated learning classes.

What professional development topics would be appropriate for your proposed staff, and would

you differentiate among staff about what professional development you would require or

recommend?

In order to obtain the greatest attendance of staff, we plan to schedule the Accelerated

Learning Program professional development to be consistent with the pre-planned staff

development offered in the late summer. The dates of the professional/ staff development

seminars were released almost a year ago and department policy states the “attendance is

expected”.

How will you ensure that your staff members both meet the required training and also have

ownership of their professional development?

College policy is that all staff attend a minimum number of professional development

meetings/ seminars/ workshops a year. Staff is required to submit their professional

development plan at the end of the fiscal year in order to obtain the “p.d. bonus”. The “p.d.

bonus” is a contractual line which allocates an additional $750 to each instructor based on the

number of professional development courses they attend in the year. Each year the human

resources department releases a list with approved and mandated classes instructors will attend.

Completion of 10 of 15 courses releases the “bonus”. Each staff member must attend at least 2

courses each semester or face discipline.

How will you evaluate the success of the professional development that your employees access?

Employees will be evaluated based upon criteria found in their development plan. The

development plan is attached.

Purpose:

The chief objective of this Professional Development Plan is to improve the overall performance

and knowledge of new and current employees in the College of Developmental Education. This

document provides general guidelines to assist new and current employees. The long-term

objective is to help each new employee make every effort to become an expert in his/her field and

contribute toward the department’s goals. The objective for all employees is to make available

opportunities for the employee to grow and develop within the department so they become expert

instructors and facilitators of knowledge.

Description:

The faculty in the Department of Developmental Education are expected to be successful

instructors capable of leading the way towards higher learning goals, to be effective educators

both in and out of the classroom, and to be active contributors to the service needs of the college,

the students, and professional organizations. This development plan, however, focuses
primarily on teaching expectations of the individual faculty member consistent with his/her

academic work and experience, teaching goals, and the department’s research and teaching

goals. The faculty member’s department chair and faculty mentor are required to jointly develop

and create such a plan, which will provide development goals in the area of teaching as well as

provide the mechanisms to assess progress towards these goals. The Development Plan is

intended to provide guidance to the new faculty members. The faculty member, department chair

and faculty mentor are expected to develop the details of the plan as early as possible and by

week 8 of the first semester of the new faculty member. It should be noted that the development

plan is not meant to replace the requirements of promotion and tenure in the college, nor does

successful completion of the development plan ensure success in the promotion and tenure

process.

While each plan is expected to be tailored to each faculty members and department’s

needs and goals, the following types of activities are examples of what may be included:

Instructor/adjunct:

1. Attending professional conferences to network, to develop new ideas and focus, and/or to

present institutional findings.

2. All faculty must attend at least ten professional developmental programs a year, including

two each semester.

3. The professional developmental program times will be blocked for the last week in July

and the second week in January. Additional dates maybe added if the opportunity is

presented.

4. For new instructors- working with a senior faculty member as a long-term mentor, i.e., a

relationship expected to continue beyond the first year. The mentor will be someone who
 has been classified as highly effective.

5. The institution encourages -presenting research ideas and papers at various stages of

completion to peers in the department and college.

6. Timely return of student papers and assignments.

7. Participation activities in class for students, such as, cooperative learning activities, active

student interactions, pro/con debates or comparison/contrasts, analyzing materials,

strategies, methods, etc.

8. Student -Teacher interactions and strategies that encourage student

independence, self-efficacy, and self-reliance.

9. Will follow timelines, deadlines, and provide feedback to students in a timely manner.

10. Evidence of increased use of student participation.

11. Evidence of improved student self-reliance, independence, and self-efficacy.

Dean:

1. Will meet with faculty to review the development plan at the beginning of their tenure and

then every 2-4 years thereafter.

2. Will clarify, in writing, any known miscommunication.

3. Will clarify, in writing, any changes, or new requirements.

Mentor:

1. Will meet with new faculty member within the first week of the semester.

2. Will plan regular meetings/discussions with faculty member.

3. Will share insight and best practices when advisable.

4. Will review performance and attend at least one class a semester.

5. Will share recommendations with the Dean as appropriate.

The above guidelines will assist in the development of the adjunct/instructor and encourage a

community outlook towards the success of the new employee. The guideline will assist long

term employees in meeting the department objectives. The guidelines should help strengthen the

department as a whole and clarify any misunderstandings. After distribution of the professional

development plan a department meeting will be held. The meeting will consist of department

staff, including the dean. Review of the plan will be the first order on the agenda. Then opening

up the meeting to questions, comments, or concerns will follow. Our goal is for buy-in to our

departmental goals. Opening the meeting up will give those who have questions or concerns an

avenue to discuss those items. At closing we plan a quick wrap-up. A copy of the finalized

development plan will be available in the Human Resources page, and, a copy will be emailed to

all personnel.

Program evaluation

Description of the program elements to be evaluated:

The English Accelerated Learning Program is new this semester. The English

Accelerated Learning Program is a two-part program that takes students who scored above 70%

on Texas Success Initiative Assessment (TSIA) and places them into the new Accelerated

English Program (Eng. 101 and Eng. 051). The students in this program take English 101

concurrently with English 051 (the accelerated learning program). The students in English 051

have the following benefits; small classes (up to ten students), rapid response to questions from

English 101 (due to the classes following one another on the schedule), class work is reviewed

by the instructor, and grammar and punctuation are worked on more closely. Studies of this

program in other locations demonstrate high levels of scoring a C or better in English 101 and

102 and higher degree/certificate achievement. There are various parts of the program that
should be measured to ensure that the program is meeting its objectives. The objectives being

measured are;

 enrollment in the program- ensure all eligible students can enroll in the English 051 and

English 101,

 student progress—grades are reviewed at midterm and end of term, completion of

English 101 with a C or better, passage into English 102, and long term follow up to

ensure students completed their degree or certificate

 student perception—how did the student perceive the program, did they view the

program as favorable and helpful,

 instructor perception—how did the instructors perceive the program, did they attend the

professional development class held in the summer

 comparison of Accelerated Learning Program students to those enrolled in

Developmental Education courses—will look at pre-Accelerated Learning Program

implementation- number of students in program, grades, progression into English 102,

grade in English 102, and graduation completion. This data will be compared to current

year ALP students in the same categories. Students in the traditional developmental

education classes will be compared to the students in the Accelerated Learning program

in the same categories.

Most of the data will be collected through the data collection process currently in use in the

Developmental Education program. We plan to add a mid-term short questionnaire for students

and instructors. The mid-term questionnaire will help us determine the views of both the

students and the instructors. Mid-term grade evaluation will be consistent with current

departmental policy. The grade review will help determine if the program is assisting the
students meeting their English 101 goals. The end of the semester evaluation will be consistent

with data collected with the developmental education program. It is our hope that, through the

evaluation and subsequent program implementation, a sense of shared purpose will be realized

among all stakeholders.

Description of staff, stakeholder, and others:

The staff of the Accelerated Learning Program are the direct instructors and the dean.

Four English/ Accelerated Learning Program instructors are participating in the program and the

evaluations. These four instructors are stakeholders in the program. The students in the

Accelerated Learning program are also considered stakeholders. The students goal is to

successfully complete Accelerated Learning Program 051 and English 101 and enter English

102. A long-term goal is student completion of their degree or certificate program. The grantor

(the US Department of Education- Funds for the Improvement of Postsecondary

Education(FIPSE)- First in the World (FITW)) requires an evaluation of the program. We

expect to conduct a formative evaluation to ensure the program is on track to meet its goals. We

plan to share results from the summative and formative evaluation with the liaison at the US

Department of Education. Results from the formative evaluation shall be reviewed in

developmental education staff meeting on the third Tuesday in October. The summative

evaluation will be shared at the staff meeting held just prior to Christmas break. The purpose of

the evaluation must be made clear to all stakeholders. We expect the stakeholders will want to

participate in the review of current data collection methods and creation of the mid-term

evaluation. A meeting is scheduled for the second week of September to review the evaluation

and discuss the program. If a stakeholder is unable to attend the meeting a copy of the meeting

notes will be distributed to them within 48 hours.

What are the key question that the formative evaluation should answer?

Key questions that the formative evaluation should answer are- how did the student do on

his/her mid-term writing project (are they passing- C or better), what was beginning of the

semester accelerated learning program student enrollment, what is current enrollment, and what

is the student’s perception of the program. Questions for developmental education students- how

many students enrolled at the beginning of the semester and midterm mark and how many are

passing English 101 (at midterm). The student evaluation form shall include questions on the

student’s perception of the class. A question like the following maybe used- a) Lectures are

clear and organized---strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree, strongly

disagree. The instructors will be asked if they participated in the professional developmental

course offered this past summer.

What are the key questions the summative evaluation should answer?

Key questions the summative evaluation should answer will help us judge the worth of

the program at the end of the semester, and then again at the one and two-year mark. We would

like to see that the program has had a positive effect on the students. Past studies show that

Accelerated Learning Program students tend to complete English 101 and the follow up class

102. These students are more likely to complete their degree or certificate requirements.

At the end of the semester instructors will be asked- did you attend the developmental education

staff development seminar offered in the summer? Did you find the program was a benefit—if

not, why? What is your perception of the program? Do you think the program was beneficial for

the students?

Speculate on the long-term effect of the program based on your evaluation plan.
 Evaluation of the data will be comparative and thorough. Data will be collected as part

of the developmental education program. Review of findings will be conducted by the Dean. In

addition to the scheduled meetings, at mid-term and end -of -semester, a summary will be sent

out to all members of the department. Open review of hard data will be available for those on

staff. The formative evaluation is important because it may catch a problem with student

comprehension or instruction. If this occurs, we will compare each of the four classes to see if

there is a trend. It may be that one instructor utilizes a methodology slightly different from the

others. All trends need to be noted and reviewed and bias should be eliminated. It is very

important to find and correct any known issues.

One of the keys to this program is open communication. We plan to share all data

findings with stakeholders and strongly encourage instructors to share their findings with one

another. It was also suggested that we open the classroom for other instructors to sit in and

observe. Through encouraged observations we may find more internal support from our staff. If

the Accelerated Learning Program follows all the steps laid out it should be as successful as

other accelerated learning programs across the nation. The key to this program is the small class

size. Teachers can focus on each student with the small class. The smaller class size typically

helps students connect with one another.

Another goal of the program is to retain students from the current semester to the

following semester. If we can retain our students we should see higher graduation rates. Many

of the colleges reviewed stated that their program grew during the second and third year due to

the positive feedback and greater degree/certificate graduation rates. Our goal is to assist

students in obtaining English competency and graduating from college with a degree or

certificate.
Summary

The accelerated learning program holds great potential for our students. We plan to

conduct evaluations on the program at regular intervals. If our program is not performing as

expected we will immediately work to find the cause and correct it. As a higher learning

institution it is our goal to ensure our students have learning opportunities and success where

ever possible. The demonstrated effectiveness of the ALP program in Baltimore should be

obtainable by our students as well. It is our hope, that upon successful implementation of the

program, we could look to increase the number of classes we offer, and, potentially use this as a

model of other subjects such as math.

Attachment 1

Community College of Texas Job Posting

Job : Instructor - Developmental Education/ Accelerated Learning Program
Work type: Full-time

Location: San Marcos

Work Schedule: Various Shifts (as assigned)

Job Title Code
ACL

Salary Range (Full-Time)

$40,000-$42,500

Business Travel
may be require to attend conferences.
Position Type
Faculty

Position Summary
Teaches students effectively in assigned classes and maintains office hours for student
consultation. May be assigned to teach new Accelerated Learning Program students in a wrap-
around format.

Required Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Excellent oral and written communication skills to interact with students of varying diverse
backgrounds. Demonstrated skills in successfully working with diverse populations through
experiences such as formal training and past work experiences. The ability to provide quality
instructional service.

Physical Requirements
May be required to lift and move materials and equipment weighing up to 50 pounds.

Minimum Knowledge and Experience

Bachelor's degree or higher in the specific teaching discipline and demonstrated competency (i.e.
teaching experience, honors, graduate course work or other related accomplishments). Master’s
degree is preferred. Official transcripts will be required at time of interview. ***A criminal
background check and/or fingerprinting check will be conducted.***

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Provides students with a written course syllabus. Participates in the evaluation of the
instructional process and uses innovative strategies to continually improve learning. Will be
required to assess student progress at least twice per semester. Participates in development and
support of their discipline by recommending books and materials, revising curricula, and
recommending teaching assignments when appropriate. May teach new Accelerated Learning
Program classes. Maintains accurate and complete course records. Performs professional
activities and assumes professional responsibilities as agreed upon with the division dean, and
works with colleagues to achieve shared goals and visions. Values the collaborative process.
Uses knowledge of diverse communities and learning styles and has the ability to incorporate
diversity of delivery of such learning styles in instruction. Participates in student advising and
registration. Utilizes technology to facilitate learning and to access data, maintain records,
generate reports, and communicate with others. Meets professional assignments in accordance
with the System's calendar and contractual obligations. Complies with Districts board policy,
state and federal policy, and the student code of conduct as appropriate. Commits to college
mission and goals through participating in planning division objectives and budget requests.
Serves on and attends college committees as assigned. Participates in campus commencement
exercise(s) as required and attends other required college meetings and activities. Participates in
his/her own performance appraisal. Demonstrates ability to work effectively with persons from
diverse backgrounds. May work with student clubs and/or organizations. Demonstrates verbal
and written communication skills to support and enhance effective interaction between Districts
and other organizations, businesses and community groups as well as faculty, staff and students
from diverse backgrounds. Promotes the college in the community by participating in a variety
of marketing activities. Participates in professional development activities. Performs other duties
as assigned.
Attachment 2
Community College of Texas Job Posting

Job: ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARY I

BASIC FUNCTION:
Under the direction of a Dean, or assigned Director, perform responsible secretarial and
administrative support involving the coordination of diverse functions into a cohesive program(s)
or service(s). ***this position is 50%****
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:
The Administrative Secretary I provides primary secretarial and administrative support for a
Dean, or a Director-level manager
REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES:
Complete complex documents that are imperative to the successful delivery of services or
programs in the area of Developmental Education, Student Services, or Administration.
Maintain complex record-keeping systems and schedules; assist instructional and/or student
services staff in developing and coordinating class or program schedules. Process a variety of
documents relating to personnel, budgeting and curriculum requirements related to the program.
Coordinate specific activities and events of assigned office and arrange for ancillary services
such as program registration, classes, seminars, conferences and fund-raising events as assigned.
Organize office systems; contribute to the development of office policies and procedures.
Operate a computer and information systems related to assigned program for input and retrieval
of information. Type, edit and format a variety of documents; compose correspondence from
general instructions. Maintain a variety of logs, files and records; control the release of sensitive
information to authorized personnel. Coordinate between supervisor, program, instructional unit
and various groups such as other college staff, students or community groups.
Maintain calendars, schedule appointments, arrange meetings and make travel arrangements.
Maintain and audit financial records related to assigned office, monitor budgets and collect and
account for money, disburse checks and assist in budget preparation as assigned. Prepare reports,
Board items, budgets and grant proposals; collect data and provide research assistance for
various studies and reports. Sort and distribute mail; answer telephones; screen and route calls
and visitors; provide information to staff, students and the public regarding programs and
functions of assigned office. Provide support to faculty or counselors including preparation of
book orders, time sheets, orientations, reports, problem-solving and other support as needed.
Maintain updated knowledge and records of regulations and requirements applicable to assigned
office; monitor transactions, programs and services to assure compliance. Use a variety of office
equipment including computer terminal, personal computer, printer, calculator and copy
machines. Train and coordinate the work of clerical and student employees as assigned.
Perform related duties as assigned.
KNOWLEDGE OF:
Specific assigned program area such as procedures, laws, policies and regulations.
Telephone techniques and etiquette.
Operation of a computer terminal and data entry techniques.
Oral and written communication skills.
Principles of training and providing work direction.
Basic budgeting practices regarding monitoring and control.
Correct English usage, grammar, spelling, punctuation and vocabulary.
Modern office practices, procedures and equipment.
Record-keeping techniques.
ABILITY TO:
Coordinate program efforts with related outside agencies.
Utilize program related systems including communication systems and information systems,
Maintain financial and statistical records.
Answer telephones and greet the public courteously; work with the public in a professional and
courteous manner.
Operate office machines including a computer and applicable software.
Type at 55 words net per minute from clear copy.
Communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
Establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with District employees,
external contact and the public.
Add, subtract, multiply and divide quickly and accurately.
Maintain records and prepare reports.
Operate a computer terminal to enter data, maintain records and generate reports.
Train and provide work direction to others.
Work independently with little direction.
Plan and organize work.
Understand and follow oral and written instructions.
Laws, rules and regulations related to assigned activities.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
Any combination equivalent to: graduation from high school supplemented by course work in
secretarial science and three years responsible secretarial or clerical experience.
Attachment 3

Organizational chart

Provost Kringle

Dr Jones Dean
Dr Yuletide VP
English
Academic Affairs
Department

Ms Chriss Senior
Developmental
Education Staff

proposed new
Ms Cass ALP/DE Mr Keller ALP/DE Ms. Williams
hire- Mr. Carloni
Instructor Instructor ALP/DE Instructor
ALP Instructor

Ms. Millin- Part-

time ALP
Secretary
Attachment 4

Questions for survey:

Addenda
Example of survey questions:
 How many students participated in the program/courses?
 What were the TSIA scores for those taking the course?
 How many sections of developmental courses were
offered?
 What % of the students who entered the course stayed for
the entire term?
 What % of those who stayed the entire term earned a C or
better?
 What % of those who passed the highest level
developmental course took and passed the next level
curriculum course in that subject?
 To what extent are student users satisfied with the
program?
 What are faculty/staff perceptions of the program?
 What are faculty/staff perceptions of the program's students?
What is the impact of program on the campus?
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