Report on the Advance Credit Experience

Report on the Advance Credit Experience

Pilot Project 2004

Preamble

ACE was developed by the York/Westview Partnership in cooperation with the Toronto District School Board to give “at risk” secondary school students an opportunity to gain exposure to higher education so that they can concretely experience some of the benefits of choosing to pursue a post-secondary education. The program allowed students to be a part of an environment that is supportive and nurturing, and values critical thinking, personal growth and development. It also provides role models and leaders within the school who can influence other students positively to pursue a similar journey of higher

The pilot project instituted in 2003 gave twenty-fourWestview and Emery students an opportunity to participate in an advanced post-secondary credit experience. This project targeted students who hadidentified potential but needed some further guidance and enrichment to be able to maximize their potential.

Objectives

There are several objectives of the Advanced Credit Experience (ACE) program. The purpose of the pilot program (ACE) was to give secondary school students an opportunity to gain exposure to higher education so that they could concretely experience some of the benefits of choosing to pursue their education beyond high school. It was developed to provide a learning experience for low-income, minority and immigrant students who might not otherwise attend university.

One of the primary goals of this program is to promote social and academic equity by providing academic opportunity to low-income, minority and immigrant students. The ACE program provided students the opportunity to be infused in university/college life in a structured supportive environment designed to ensure success and build their confidence to pursue post secondary education.

The main campus of YorkUniversity is situated in the highly multicultural Jane/Finch community. Therefore, another objective of this project is to develop closer relationships between neighboring educational institutions. The project also accomplishes the goal of providing social and academic equity to students from the Jane Finch area high schools and facilitated the movement of students from nearby high schools to YorkUniversityand SenecaCollege.

Program Model

The five-year agreement provided a structured supportive environment designed to ensure success and build confidence so that students can have the option to pursue a post-secondary education. The program was open to all Grades 10, 11 and 12 students at the participating schools. The structure of the program was as follows:

Semester One:

• Students were enrolled in their regular high school courses along with one elective course. The elective course focused on skills that prepared them for the university/college experience. In specific terms, emphasis was placed on the development of writing skills, as well as on analytical and research skills. An assessment process was conducted at the end of Semester One to identify those students who displayed the commitment and the ability to take advantage of the university experience.

Semester Two

• The students who were selected to participate in the program enrolled in an introductory half course at YorkUniversityand SenecaCollege(0.5 credit) while at the same time completing their high school education. They were registered with other York and Seneca students in a lecture hall format, but were in tutorial together as a group along with other first year York students in order to provide mutual support and have the seminar experience geared to their needs.

• Students also had a coop placement at YorkUniversity and SenecaCollegeso as to expand their experience of university/college life and to contribute to the York and Seneca community.

Coop Work Placement Activities:

The twenty-four students who participated this year in the ACE project were in a variety of cooperative education placements

The Project provided the students with a unique learning opportunity that integrated learning in the classroom with practical experience in the workplace. Weekly journal assignments and subsequent in-class discussions provided students with the opportunity to reflect and to expand on the new skills, both technical and social, learned at their placements. In fact, interpersonal skills, including communication skills, problem solving, initiative, and assertiveness proved to be significant learning areas for many of the students at their placements

Students were involved in a broad range of work placement activities. Some of these placements wereat:The Centre for Feminist Research, The Centre for Research and Field Development, The Centre for Human Rights and Equity, Pre-Service Education, York International, The Nellie Langford Rowell Library, Kinesiology and Health Sciences, The Centre for Research on Work and Society and Senate Travel.

The Co-operative Education Program consisted of two and a half days per week at their work placements and one day of integration back at either of the high schools. Integration classes were at alternate high school each Friday. Integration sessions were intended for students to assess their placement experiences and to reflect and participate in group discussions. Seminar topics included communication skills, employability, workplace safety, work ethics, union matters, and gender issues.

The student leadership and enrichment seminars brought in guest speakers from across YorkUniversity and Seneca College Liaison Offices. .

The ACE students had regular access to YorkUniversity’s Tait McKenzie Recreation Centre. They took advantage of this access and participated in sports such as swimming, and basketball. The recreation time promoted further development of interpersonal relationships among students and further enhanced their confidence of being a “real part” of university/college life.

Students had extremely positive responses to the project. Samples of student comments are:

My goal has always been to attend university but I was a bit nervous. However, after being part of this experience I now have greater confidence that university is the right place for me.

The ACE experience has taught me some of life’s great lessons such as learning to be self-reliant, independent, taking initiative and overcoming barriers.

After undergoing this exciting experience, I have grown more intellectually and became more adventurous. Being in a higher education environment has added to my study skills and work habits.

 I have a better understanding of how university works (i.e. essays, tutorials, lectures, exams). I enjoyed my whole experience and would be taking the knowledge gained throughout the ACE experience with me back to high school.

Volunteer and Community Service:

As a way of giving back to the community, the ACEStudents are all completing a forty- hour volunteer service opportunity at the neighboring elementary and middle schools. They are working as tutors in classrooms, reading buddies and mentors to the elementary students.

SUMMARY

The 2003/2004Advanced Credit Experience Project was a resounding success. The ACE project provided students with access and the academic opportunity to be successful in the achievement of a post-secondary education credit. The students also gained an understanding of the realities of workplace and developed improved self-confidence through their competency in the workplace.

This unique five-month program gave the students an opportunity to gain exposure to higher education and to experience college/university life first-hand by exposing them to all aspects of university life from attending lectures to working on campus. Ultimately, the project itself, reinforce the importance of continuing to provide youth from the Jane-Finch area schools with opportunities to learn, to grow, and to expand their expectations of themselves.

Evaluation of ACE 2003/2004 Program Model

Out of the twenty four students registered in the ACE program and were enrolled in courses at York University/Seneca College, all were successful. The grades breakdown is as follows:

• Two students received the grade “A”
• Six students received the grade of “B+”
• Six students received the grade of “B”
• Seven students received grades of “C and C+”.
• Three students received grades of “ D and D+”

Next Steps

The Advanced Credit Experience Project is projected to expand its outreach from 24 students to 30 students for the academic school year of 2004/2005. The longer term goal of the program is to have sixty students, that is twenty students from each of the three Jane-Finch area high schools (Westview Centennial Secondary School, Emery Collegiate Institute and C.W.JefferysSecondary School).

We have pursued funding opportunities through the York Foundation and YUFA that would enable growth and development of the ACE program and other partnership initiatives. We have also initiated a minor research on the ACE program that would include a program evaluation. The research methodology included the following activities:

• Conducted pre-interviews with the students on the ACE Experience.
• Conducted a literature research on “student access” programs.
• Documented students’ progress and achievement in the university course.
• Conducted a university course exit interview upon students’ completion of the program.

The ACE programevaluation report would provide a basis for further research.

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