Program/Discipline/Service Name: Prep Reading, Writing, Math

Program/Discipline/Service Name: Prep Reading, Writing, Math

Unit (if applicable): College Preparatory

Division: AA

Report Prepared by: Bonnie Doerr and Pat Silcox

Other Review Participants:

Phil MacArthur

Reviewed by Vice President/Dean: Maureen Crowley

Vice President’s/Dean’s Signature: Date: 5/12/04

Date submitted to Institutional Effectiveness Committee: 5/21/04

Please refer to Instructional Program Review Procedures, Guidelines, and Responsibilities for prompts and assistance in completing this Review

I. The Program Profile

A. The Purpose

The college mission statement promises that FKCC offers quality education and activities in the area of college preparatory.

This unit’s main purpose is to provide a developmental reading, writing and mathematics programs that increase the likelihood of students’ college success. On an individual subject basis, it does this by:

·  Providing a student-centered program that enhances students’ reading comprehension and critical thinking skills.

·  Advancing communication skill development for the college’s diverse and ever-changing student body in the area of writing skills. The writing skills program provides student-centered activities to facilitate scholarly inquiry, personal and professional growth and awareness of social and community concerns.

·  Engaging the student in those investigations, exercises and ideas that will assure success in mathematics college-level work.

The College Preparatory Program philosophy is that reading, mathematics and communication skills belong to everyone in all aspects of their lives—as students, as workers, as private individuals, and as participants in public life. The program prepares students to do these three things effectively and confidently in academic, professional, private, and public environments. In addition, cultural literacy and awareness of cultural diversity are central to the program. All program components reinforce this important goal of the college.

Clearly, the overall unit’s purpose and the individual subjects’ purposes are directly linked link to the mission of the college.

The goals that support this unit’s purpose and the College’s mission are as follows:

1.  Prepare students for success in writing across the curriculum to achieve educational goals in all degree and certificate programs.

2.  Enable students to develop communication skills for personal and professional growth.

3.  Increase student appreciation for communication as a tool in achieving cultural awareness.

4.  Enable students to think, read and write critically for scholarly inquiry using collaborative learning and modern technological approaches, specifically, writing collaboratively in a computer lab setting.

5.  Undertake a review and assessment of all preparatory communication courses to create a cohesive transition from developmental studies to college-level studies. This includes College Preparatory Communication Skills, English for Academic Purposes, and English for Non-Native Speakers to create a cohesive transition from developmental studies to college-level studies. Analysis should also include the role of the English as a Second Language course offered through the college’s Continuing Education program.

6.  Increase students reading comprehension by applying critical reading skills to written composition assignments

7.  Focus both math courses on applications in order to encourage the development of higher order thinking skills

Objectives to achieve the goals:

1.  Develop partnerships with other educational institutions and community organizations to create a community of writers and readers working together toward greater community cohesiveness.

2.  Design a technologically-sophisticated academic support laboratory facility for individualized instruction in communication and for collaborative writing activities for composition courses and other college-level courses across the curriculum.

3.  Develop a corps of peer and community volunteer tutors to aid in individualized instruction in communication.

4.  Enhance technological resources for students in preparatory course sand for all students across the curriculum

5.  Institute new CPT cutoff scores for Reading and Communication Skills

6.  Improve placement options for students needing developmental communication instruction and positively impact placement decisions for entry into Composition I

1. Enhance student reading comprehension, communication and math skills

B. The Faculty

There are two full-time faculty members who teach in the preparatory reading program. Part-time instructors teach at the Upper and Middle Keys Centers.

Silcox, Patricia A. / M.S., Nova University; Administration & Supervision; 7/1982
note: The degree was earned on-site through the Monroe County Teachers’ Union. The program’s students were primarily college administrators and college faculty. Program focused on college-level systems. All degree work focused on teaching English at the community college level. / B.A., University of Illinois; English
1966-1970
Note: Degree includes the pre-med courses taken for English, The Pre-Professional Major Program at the University of Illinois.) / ENC 0020C College Prep Communication Skills*
ENC 0020L College Prep Communications Skills Lab*
REA 0001C College Prep Reading I
REA 0010C College Prep Reading II / - 25 years teaching experience at the post-secondary level

The writing program currently employs one full-time faculty member, Professor Patricia A. Silcox, who is currently pursuing a second master’s degree in creative writing in the Individualized Liberal and Professional Studies Master of Arts Program, Antioch University, McGregor. Ms. Silcox also attended Columbia College in Chicago for two years as a Dance and Theatre community student.

1.Professional Experience

·  Consultant for Holt, Rinehart, and Winston publishers.

·  Director of STP, a student tutoring program for disadvantaged children at the University of Illinois Medical Center neighborhood facility.

·  Teacher of English, Spalding High School, Chicago.

·  Lab assistant, cardiology lab, Research and Education Center, University of Illinois Medical Center.

·  Teacher of English, Key West High School in Key West , Florida.

·  Humanities teacher at Boca Chica Air Station Educational Program.

·  Writer, working on book of fiction with Chicago and Key West setting and characters.

2. Accomplishments

Publications, Presentations, Writing in Progress:

·  “Computer Use in Writing Instruction,” Florida Association of Community Colleges conference, Miami Beach, 1982.

·  “The Florida Keys Community College Communication Lab Program,” Nova University, 1982.

·  Outstanding Young Women of America award, 1983.

·  “Hemingway in Key West,” lecture for National Medical Researchers Convention, Key West, Florida, 1987.

·  Currently writing text: Creative Writing And Literature For Teaching Composition

College/Community Accomplishments

·  Coordinator of Hemingway Short Story Contest, International Hemingway Festival, 1983.

·  Judge for Poetry Contest, Robert Frost Poetry Festival, 1997-2000.

·  Served as journalist, developed course for “The Literature of AIDS,” Key West Literary Seminar.

·  Lecture series coordinator for “Friday Night Live,” literary lecture series with Pulitzer Prize writers of Key West.

·  Wrote “Displaced Homemaker” grant which contributed to the development of the RAVE program.

·  Peace in the Park Coalition (bringing conflict resolution and peace education to the community), articipated in 2004

·  Challenge Day Event at Key West High School.

·  Serving as Literary Club and Spectrum advisor.

·  Coordinator of Hemingway Look-Alike Society Scholarship

·  Program which brings thousands of dollars in scholarships to our FKCC students

3. Teaching Experience:

·  1 year, high school English teacher, Chicago Public Schools

·  1 year, high school English teacher, Monroe County Public Schools

·  25 years, college instructor, Florida Keys community College

4. Professional Development Activities

·  On-going coursework in creative writing at Antioch University, McGregor; currently writing about “Teaching Creative Writing and Literature as a Tool to Enhance Community Communication and Cohesiveness” and “Critical Thinking Skills for Creativity and Learning Social Tolerance and Acceptance of Diverse Intellectual Perspectives.”

Doerr, Bonnie / M. Ed., University of South Carolina; Reading; 8/1979 / B.S., Towson State University; Early Childhood Education / REA 0002 – College Preparatory Reading I
REA 0003 – College Preparatory Reading II
SLS 1505 – College Survival Skills / -7 years teaching experience at the post-secondary level
-27 years teaching experience at the elementary & middle school level

Accomplishments: Bonnie Doerr

Published short story, “Kenzie’s Plunge into Paradise,” Milkweed Editions 2002

Published Kenzie’s Key, young reader novel, 2003, Laurel & Herbert, Inc.

Presenter at Norma Bossard Literary Festival, Miami, Florida, 2003

Guest speaker:

·  Barry University, Reading in the Content Area

·  Glynn Archer Elementary

·  Gerald Adams Elementary

·  Sugarloaf Elementary

·  Marathon Friends of the Library

·  Marathon Rotary

·  Key West Library

·  Florida Keys Discovery

Attended writing conference: University of Georgia 2003

Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Educational Grant awarded for use of Kenzie’s Key in Marathon High School, 2003.

Bertelli, Bradford / M.F.A., University of Miami; Creative Writing; 5/2001 / B.A., California State University; English / REA 0001C College Prep Reading I
REA 0010C College Prep Reading II
ENC 0020C College Prep Communication Skills
ENC 0020L College Prep Communication Skills lab
MacArthur, Phil / BS in Electrical Engineering / 20 years experience in electronics engineering technology
12 years in retail
17 years in developmental mathematics education / MAT 0002 Basic Math and
MAT 0024 Basic Algebra

C & D. Students & Diversity

(Data supplied for Program review is from FKCC’s administrative software system, Banner. Banner became official in Summer 2001. Therefore, most data utilized in the program review begins summer 2001 and ends fall 2004, when we began completing this review.)

Year / 2001 / 2002 / 2002 / 2002 / 2003 / 2003 / 2003 / 2004 / Grand Total
Birth Nation / summer / fall / spring / summer / fall / spring / summer / fall
Not Reported / 16 / 65 / 47 / 23 / 59 / 47 / 9 / 70 / 336
US / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 18 / 3 / 0 / 3 / 25
TOTAL US & NOT REPORTED / 16 / 65 / 47 / 24 / 77 / 50 / 9 / 73 / 361
Nicaragua / 1 / 8 / 2 / 2 / 3 / 2 / 0 / 3 / 21
Haiti / 0 / 1 / 1 / 2 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 7 / 20
Cuba / 1 / 3 / 0 / 0 / 5 / 5 / 1 / 2 / 17
Colombia / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 2 / 4 / 0 / 4 / 11
Ecuador / 2 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 2 / 1 / 1 / 7
Ukraina / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 4 / 3 / 0 / 0 / 7
Czech Republic / 0 / 1 / 2 / 0 / 0 / 3 / 0 / 0 / 6
Poland / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 2 / 2 / 1 / 0 / 6
Puerto Rico / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 1 / 2 / 0 / 1 / 5
Estonia / 0 / 0 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 4
India / 0 / 0 / 1 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 3
Panama / 0 / 0 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 3
Canada / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 1 / 2
Costa Rica / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 2
Guatemala / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 2
Hungary / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 1 / 2
Mexico / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 1 / 2
Philippines / 0 / 2 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 2
Suriname / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 1 / 0 / 2
Turks & Caicos Islands / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 2
Bahamas / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 1
France / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 1
Guyana / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1
Indonesia / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 1
Jamaica / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 1
Japan / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 1
Lithuania / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1
Norway / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1
Peru / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 1
Sierra Leone / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 1
South Africa / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 1
Switzerland / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1
Trinidad & Tobago / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1
Turkey / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1
Union of Sov. Soc. Rep. / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1
USVI / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1
Venezuela / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 1
Viet Nam / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1
TOTAL ALL OTHER / 4 / 18 / 12 / 10 / 29 / 37 / 6 / 28 / 144
Grand Total / 20 / 83 / 59 / 34 / 106 / 87 / 15 / 101 / 505
PERCENT OF ALL OTHER VERSUS TOTAL / 20.0% / 21.7% / 20.3% / 29.4% / 27.4% / 42.5% / 40.0% / 27.7% / 28.5%

The above table indicates students enrolled in preparatory English who were not born in the United States. For these years, most foreign-born students have been from Nicaragua, Haiti, Cuba or Columbia. With the continuing influx of immigrants from Haiti, Cuba, and Central America, the number of students needing developmental studies has steadily increased. College placement test scores of students from the community high schools and GED programs also indicate an increasing need for developmental instruction, and students who arrive in our community because of military transfer likewise have created a greater need. Finally, state exit requirements require an appropriate academic support program.