WIB Presentation 8-12-11 - 4

8/4/2019 WIB Presentation 8-12-11 - 4

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POINT AND COUNTERPOINT!

Presented to thePima County Workforce Invest Board (WIB)August 12, 2011

Carol Gorsuch, M.A.Former Senior Vice Chancellor, Pima Community College&

Sylvia Lee, Ph.D.Former Campus President, Pima Community CollegeRepresenting the Pima Open Admissions Coalition


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A Call to ActionUrge the Pima Community College Board of Governors to:Vote NO to the proposed change in the admissions regulation.Enforce the existing College policy on Developmental Education to enhance studentsuccess and implement the College Plan initiatives for Development Education that

were postponed.Formalize partnerships with local high school districts to begin to resolve issues ofcollege readiness and drop-outs.

Formalize partnerships with agenciesand increase funding to PCCs AdultEducation Program so that students who test below the current entry level Dev. Ed

courses have viable alternatives.

Look at other options to save dollars and increase revenue such as cappingenrollment or charging differential tuition for high cost programs like Dev. Ed.


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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Pima Community College proposes an admissions regulation that would change the opendoor philosophy to aselective admissions philosophy. PCCs proposed admissions regulation would require all students pass an entrance exam

before being allowed to take credit courses even with a high school diploma or GED. Data used as rationale only shows students testing into the lowest level of developmental

education math. No other measures are shown and data cannot be found on the web. Approx. 5,000 students may be denied access to PCCs credit courses every year. The majority of those denied admission will be adults and ethnic minorities. Students in the lowest level of Dev. Ed. math, reading and writingpass at similar rates

compared to ALL other courses in the same discipline. PCC stopped enforcing the Board approved Dev. Ed policy and postponed College Plan

Dev. Ed. initiatives designed to promote success.

No Federal Financial Aid (Pell Grant) is available for the alternative programs outlined. Agencies listed by PCC as alternative options to students not admissible will not meet thedemands. Other viable fiscal alternatives are not being considered and the data used as rationale is too

narrow and cannot be substantiated.


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PCC Admissions RegulationCurrent

Is a high school graduate, or

Recipient of a GED, or

Is a transfer student, or

Is at least 18 years of age and

can benefit from instruction or A non-high school graduate

between ages of 16 and 18 who

has officially withdrawn from

high school who can benefit

from instruction(PCC website)

Proposed Change Is a high school graduate and passentrance exam, or Recipient of a GED and passentrance exam, or Is at least 16 years of age anddemonstrates college readiness inmath, reading and writing on thePCC entrance exam.IMPORTANT:

the lowest level developmentaleducation course in math, readingand writing will be eliminated(4-15-11 SPG 3501)


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Why is this important to the WIB? Pima County has 18.9% of the population living below the poverty

level vs. 16.5% in AZ. (2010 Census)Arizona has one of the highest high school drop-out rates in the

U.S.(U.S. Dept of Education)

Approx. 136,000 adults in Pima County without a high schooldiploma.(2010 Census)

The proposed PCC changes could result in at least2300 individualsper semester not able to pass the entrance exam. (per Chancellor Flores in July, 2011Public Forum)

If students do not pass the entrance exam they will be referred to

the Pathways to Pima. They will NOT be allowed to take othercredit courses until they score above a minimum level established by

PCC.(4-15-11 SPG 3501)


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Why is this important to the WIB? Individuals mayNOT be able to obtain the immediateworkforce

training they need!

Financially needy studentswill NOT get Federal Financial Aid(PELL grant) with any of the alternative pathways suggested.

67%of students in the lowest level of Dev. Edu. Math are ethnicminorities. Thus, proportionately more ethnic minority students willonly be admitted to take PCC credit courses if they pass the

entrance exam.(PCC WebsitePIR)

The long term result could be:o A more unskilled workforceo Stuck in lower wage job less chance for upward mobilityo Further damage to the Tucson areas economic development


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Point CounterpointStudents testing into Dev. Ed. coursesused as rationale to change admissionsrequirements per Chancellor Florespresentation to WIB

Newtohighereducation recenthigh school graduateswhowere not ready for

collegelevel work, asmeasured by PCC

assessment tests:

Mathematics: 89 percent Reading: 35 percent Writing: 51 percent

Facts:20% of all PCC students are indevelopmental education77% of PCC students are adults overthe age of 2031% of PCC students are Hispanic vs.33% in Pima CountyAverage Age: 2866% of PCC students attend part-timeMajority of students work part-time orfulltime (PCC Website- PIR)

Unanswered Question:Where is the data for adultstudents not just recent high

school graduates?


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Point CounterpointDev. Ed. outcomes as rationale tochange Admissions requirementsper Chancellor Flores

presentation to WIB in June.

Percentage of PCC

students testing into the

lowest level ofdevelopmental mathinFall 2005 that had

completed any

collegelevel coursewithin two years:

5 percent

Why only show data on Math?Success can be measured in multiple ways!

Math skills can easily be forgotten the longertime away from a math course

69%of students in lowest level MAT 82 areadults over the age of 20 (Based on PCC 4 yr Assessment Study)

47% students passed lowest level Math 82 (Based onPCC 4 yr Assessment Study)

49 to 52%students passed higher level Dev. Ed.Math courses (Based on PCC 4 yr Assessment Study)

The average pass rate for all 3 Dev. Ed. mathcourses is similar to the pass rate for ALLmathcourses including College Level (based on PCC 4 yrAssessment Study)

Important: true indicators of literacy are readingand writing and this data should be consideredData Missing: Chancellor Flores data not found on

the PCC website


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Slated for Elimination: Lowest Level Math, Reading &Writing Pass rate for lowest level Dev. Ed.

MAT 82 - 47% pass rate ( MAT 86 - 52%; MAT 92 - 49% pass rates) REA 71 - 75% pass rate( REA 81 75% pass rate) WRT 70 - 58% pass rate (WRT 100 - 62% pass rate)

The majority of students in lowest level Dev. Ed. are adults over 20 yrs of age MAT 8269% are >20 yrs REA 71 - 59% are >20 yrs WRT - 57% are >20 yrs

The majority of students in lowest level Dev. Ed. are minorities Math 67% are minority Reading84% are minority Writing75% are minority

The majority of all lowest level Dev. Ed. courses are taught by adjuncts (part-time) Math 89% taught by adjuncts Reading64% taught by adjuncts Writing67% taught by adjuncts

Fall 2012 - 92 total sections could be eliminated 53 - Sections of MAT 82 10 Sections of REA 71 29 Sections of WRT 70 (PCC Website: 4 yr Assessment Study 03-07)


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Point CounterpointAssociate Degree attainment used as

rationale for the change in admissions

requirements per Chancellor Florespresentation to WIB

Percentage of PCC

students testing into thelowest level ofdevelopmental math inFall 2004 who hadgraduated with an

associate degree by fall2009.

4.1 percent

PCC students want more than just anassociate degreeDev. Ed. students attend PCC for the followingreasons: 22% pursuing a degree/certificate

15% for job skills

11% personal interest

20% transfer to 4 yr college

9% UA student taking PCC courses

20% other(PCC websitePlanning & Institutional Research Fall 2010)

Data Questions:1. Why does Chancellor Flores data ONLYlist Associate Degree graduation?2. Why were writing and reading not included?3. The data used could not be found on thePCC Website.


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Point CounterpointAccording to Chancellor Flores -Majority of 11 benchmarkinstitutions require a high school

diploma or GEDThe Austin Community College

District maintains an open door

policy that admits applicants who

have earned a high school diploma

or general education development(GED) certificate and others under

certain conditions.

In keeping with their mission to providehigher education to anyone who

desires it OCC (OaklandCommunity College) has openadmissions. Any student with a high

school degree or equivalent is

welcome.

There are1167 Community Colleges in the U.S. andthey are inclusive institutions that welcome ALLwho desire to learn, regardless of wealth, heritage orprevious academic experience. (Am. Assoc. Community Colleges Website)OMISSION OF KEY INFORMATION:

Austin Community College (ACC) Will admitanon-high school graduate who is at least 18 yearsold with waiver request.

Oakland Community College (OCC) Admission toOCC is open to all students who are high schoolgraduates, GED recipients, college transfer

students, or persons over the age of 18.Phoenix College (PC)Anyone who has graduated

from high school; earned a GED; is at least 18years old and not attending high school.(OCC, ACC, PC websites)


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2010 Accreditation North Central Association ReportDevelopmental Education RecommendationsPoint

Accreditation Team RecommendPCC do the following:

1. Implement the policies alreadyon the books

2. Reduce class sizes in lowestlevel Dev. Ed. Courses

3. Hire specially credentialedfaculty for Dev. Ed.

CounterpointDev. Ed. policy on books is currently NOTbeing implemented SPG 3114 If test into REA 81 can only take one general edu.

course

Must take Student Success 100 course if test into 2or more Dev. Ed.

Mandatory orientation and advising

If assess below lowest level refer students to AdultBasic Ed.

College Plan Dev. Ed. Initiatives postponed in 04-06 and not included in 06-08.Class sizes: Math - no limit up to 40 based on room size Reading limits size to 24 Writing limits size to 27Instructors: MAT 82 - 89% taught by adjuncts REA 71 - 64% taught by adjuncts WRT 70 67% taught by adjuncts(PCC websitePIR)


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Point CounterpointAlternate Preparatory Pathwaysfor students who would not beadmitted to PCC as outlined by

Chancellor Flores to WIB

No Federal Financial Aid (PELL) available forstudents in Pathways to Pima options! Literacy Volunteers of Tucson limited capacity;

primarily small group tutoring; funded by donations

Adult Education - serves approx. 6,000annually Non-credit ESL; ABE;GED prep classes

Limited capacity Fed. grant and College

funded thru 2012 State eliminated funding in

2010; possible waitlist; not available to

individuals with high school diploma.

College Readiness Academy (now calledPathways to Pima) Not much known about thenon-credit workshops at this time; students expectedto pay unless College funds or PCC Foundation

scholarships can be found annually.

County One Stop Offerings Capacity forworkforce training is limited based on annual funding.

Only organization that can provide immediate

workforce training if client is qualified for services.

Literacy Volunteers of TucsonESLGED testingAdult EducationCollege Readiness Academy(now called Pathways to Pima)County One Stop Offerings

WIB Presentation 8-12-11 - 4

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