DEVELOPMENTAL EDUCATION PILOT PROGRAM
QUICK Learning Community
Truman College
2008
BACKGROUND AND DEFINITION
BACKGROUND
Building on the success of the Truman College Bilingual Learning Program (TBLC), a developmental education pilot program has been developed to begin in June 2008. TBLC is a learning community cluster model that includes a full range of support services and best teaching and learning practices and is a model to be replicated.
The Developmental Education Pilot Program is known as the QUICK Learning Community (Quality Undergraduate Immersion College Kit). It is a one-year full-time program that begins in the summer session prior to the academic year and is guided by many of the same basic principles of the TBLC at Truman and those from the field of developmental education and best practices in teaching and learning (Chickering and Gamson 1986). These principles are detailed below.
DEFINITION OF DEVELOPMENTAL EDUCATION
Developmental education is a field of practice and research within higher education with a theoretical foundation in developmental psychology and learning theory. It promotes the cognitive and affective growth of all postsecondary learners, at all levels of the learning continuum. Developmental education is sensitive and responsive to individual differences and special needs among learners. Developmental education programs and services commonly address academic preparedness, diagnostic assessment and placement, development of general and discipline-specific learning strategies, and affective barriers to learning. (National Association for Developmental Education, NADE)
While this definition may apply to many students at Truman College, the pilot program targets 2008 high school graduates from Chicago Public Schools (CPS). The size of the pilot is limited to 25 students to make the best use of resources available and produce a program evaluation report that will provide a foundation for further expansion in the College.
PROGRAM GOALS
· To provide a learning community for twenty-five new CPS high school graduates as they enter full-time study at Truman College
· To integrate a full range of support services with academic coursework for students in the program
· To develop a teaching community among the faculty and staff in the program and provide professional development throughout the length of the program
· To regularly monitor the success of participating students and evaluate the overall success of the program
· To widely share the program evaluation results and use them to make decisions about next steps
GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND BEST PRACTICES
TEACHING AND LEARNING
· Good Practice Encourages Contacts Between Students and Faculty
· Good Practice Develops Reciprocity and Cooperation Among Students
· Good Practice Uses Active Learning Techniques
· Good Practice Gives Prompt Feedback
· Good Practice Communicates High Expectations
· Good Practice Respects Diverse Talents and Ways of Learning
DEVELOPMENTAL EDUCATION
· Developmental Education is centralized in one department or unit and should be equal in stature to all other departments.
· Developmental education is a shared college-wide responsibility and is central to the institution’s mission.
· Developmental education courses are integrated into courses at the next level.
· Academic support services and best teaching and learning practices are well integrated into developmental education courses.
PROGRAM COMPONENTS
SUMMER IMMERSION
Students will enter the program in June 2008 and enroll in the College Success Course. They will receive free tuition for this course and will continue to be enrolled in it during the First Semester receiving course credit at the end of the First Semester. In this way, the content of the College Success Course will be well integrated into all first term courses and provide opportunities for the students to apply effective learning strategies to their course content. During the Summer Session, students will interact socially and receive a free CTA Pass.
FIRST SEMESTER
Students in the program will continue as a cohort into the First Semester and enroll in three courses in addition to the College Success Course: English 100, Math 099, and Social Science 101. In addition, they will meet regularly as a cohort for social interaction and field trips. Targeted tutoring, advising, and mentoring will be provided throughout the term.
SECOND SEMESTER
The student cohort will continue together in the second semester and enroll in the next level English and Math courses as well as one elective course of their choice. This will provide the opportunity for them to begin to move more fully into the College curriculum and gain confidence in their ability to succeed while also receiving the support of the QUICK teaching and learning community.
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
Designated advisors and tutors will be trained to work with the QUICK students, and they will meet regularly to assess student progress and develop appropriate interventions. The advisors and tutors will be part of the QUICK community and join in social events as well.
RECRUITMENT AND ADMISSION
A detailed recruitment plan is underway in collaboration with Shawn Warden, Postsecondary Specialist of the Chicago Public Schools. The recruitment plan includes school visits and the distribution of promotional material as well as meetings with designated high school counselors.
To qualify for admission to QUICK, students must graduate from a CPS high school in 2008, apply to Truman College by June 9, 2008, place into English 100 and Math 99, and complete the application process including a personal interview. In addition, they must commit to completing the summer immersion course plus both Fall ‘08 and Spring ’09 semesters as full-time students.
CURRICULUM AND FACULTY
COURSEWORK
The QUICK courses include College Success, English 100, Math 099, Social Science 101, and next level math and English courses in the Second Semester as well as one elective course. The design and implementation of the program courses are based on the principles of experiential learning, learner-centered teaching, and reflective teaching practices. All course design is centered on providing students with the support they need to achieve the objectives of the course. The curriculum in each course is designed to be highly interactive and engaging.
TEACHING COMMUNITY
Faculty teaching in QUICK will meet regularly and develop their courses in an integrated way. When possible, they will team teach and find ways to connect student assignments. In addition, the faculty will attend developmental education conferences and become knowledgeable about the latest research and best practices in developmental education. They will meet to discuss program concerns and challenges and collaborate to solve problems and address student needs.
EVALUATION PLAN
In collaboration with the Office of Institutional Research, data on all students and program components will be collected for use in both formative and summative evaluation reports. Both quantitative and qualitative and will be used for the evaluation reports. A detailed evaluation plan will be available prior to the beginning of the program.
Formative evaluation results will be used to make desired changes during the program implementation. Summative evaluation results will be used to make decisions about how to extend the program beyond the pilot stage.