In this session, participants will discuss Hawaii’s immigrant students, the policies and practices that they must navigate to Achieve The Dream, and strategies for serving them under the current ATD Initiative.
Introduction
Immigrant students nationally:
Who are our (Hawaii’s) immigrant students?
What challenges do Hawaii’s immigrant students have with accessing and succeeding in higher education?
What are some strategies for serving Hawaii’s immigrant students?
What is our plan of action for helping our immigrant students Achieve the Dream?
Additional notes:
22. Develop links with ABE/GED providers (on or off campus) and foster transitions for students.
2. Establish a goal to ensure that [immigrant] students who come under-prepared for college-level work are able to succeed at rates at least as high as those who came fully prepared.
3. Carefully coordinate the various units involved in the delivery of developmental courses.
4. Establish consistency between exit standards for developmental courses and entry standards for college-level courses (assumes clarity with the standards or competencies).
5. Careful selection of faculty and staff who will work with developmental students is critical.
6. Provide professional development for all faculty and staff who work with under-prepared [immigrant] students.
7. Face the issues of mandatory assessment and placement, late registration, and simultaneous enrollment in college-level courses.
8. Recognize the importance of orientation or a college success course at the beginning of the developmental [language] sequence.
9. Incorporate learning communities and other cohort experiences.
10. Recognize that at-risk [immigrant] students need structure in courses and support services.
11. Integrate the work of tutors (peer and professional) with the carefully selected [ESOL] faculty members.
12. Recognize the potential of open or on-line labs (reading, writing, and math) to support instruction.
13. Use a variety of teaching methods (group projects, mediated learning, etc.).
14. Recognize the potential for computer-based (assisted) instruction which can be matched with tutoring to deliver “high tech – high touch” services.
15. Avoid confusion between language acquisition (ESL or ESOL) and the need for basic skills remediation among second language learners.
16. Consider case management (advocate/coach) for the most at-risk [immigrant] students.
17. Provide supplemental learning opportunities, particularly for skill practice.
18. Commit to program evaluation which includes cohort tracking as described in the attachment.
19. Find the most appropriate computer-adaptive tests for entry assessment and supplement with writing samples if resources permit.
20. Stress the development of critical thinking skills across the curriculum.
23. Consider NADE certification.
24. Review the work of Roueche, Boylan, McCabe, and Adelman.
25. Expand and enhance pre-enrollment (and concurrent) activity with the public schools
THE VITAL ROLE OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES in the Education and Integration of Immigrants
BY CHRISTOPHER CONNELL – 2008
1. Fund a range of direct support programs and services to help students from immigrant and refugee backgrounds succeed in the community college setting: Scholarships to enable students to attend college on a full-time or closer to full-time basis.
2. Improve the alignment of assessment systems within adult ESL programs.
3. Educate immigrant families about available financial aid.
4. Revamp financial aid policy. Most community college students enroll on a part-time basis. While they are eligible for federal Pell Grants, grants are less than what they would receive if attending full time. Immigrant students can exhaust their Pell Grants early if they use them for adult ESL classes.
5. Support more equitable distribution of state aid. Community colleges receive markedly less state funding than their baccalaureate counterparts, and many states allocate far less financial aid for community college students than for those attending four-year universities. Foundations can support advocacy to increase funding for community college students, especially those enrolled parttime, as well as funding that allows low income students to take non-credit courses including ESL, citizenship, and civics classes at no cost or greatly reduced cost. They also can encourage or even subsidize community college programs that provide reduced tuition for those who enroll in credit courses upon successful completion of developmental or ESL classes.
6. Back efforts to gain and preserve access to in-state tuition for all U.S. high school graduates, regardless of their immigration status.
7. Increase the hiring of more full-time ESL faculty and reduce reliance on part-timers.
8. Expand professional development opportunities for both full- and part-time faculty.
9. Invest in partnerships that leverage existing resources and engage other sectors.
10. Support research, evaluation, and demonstration projects to determine what works.
11. Fund campaigns to educate the general public, the media, businesses, and policymakers about the role and impact of community colleges.