Transitional Programs: Englishasasecondlanguage

TraNsitional Programs: EnglishasaSECONDLANGUAGE

InstructionalDashboard:ProgramTrends

2011-2012

This program performance report covers all ESL programs including 1) the federally funded resident immigrant ESL program, 2) the state-funded Academic ESL (developmental) program; and 3) the non-resident international ESL program.

1.Enrollment:(CoreTheme4:AccessDiversity)

2008-09 / 2009-10 / 2010-11
Immigrant(ESLAB)AnnualizedFTEs / 345.04 / 376.91 / 353.09
Academic (ESL) AnnualizedFTEs / 92.89 / 73.04 / 68.67
International (ESLAF) AnnualizedFTEs / 102.73 / 110.59 / 87.09
Immigrant(ESLAB)UnduplicatedHeadcount / 646 / 681 / 640
Academic (ESL) UnduplicatedHeadcount / 379 / 321 / 303
ImmigrantESLUnduplicatedHeadcount / 646 / 681 / 640
International (ESLAF) UnduplicatedHeadcount / 208 / 209 / 192
Total InternationalStudent Enrollment in all Shoreline Programs (unduplicated heads) / 739 / 749 / 762
EstimatedannualFTEsforfollowing 2012 / Immigrant ESL= 321 / Academic ESL = 85 / Int’l ESL = 105

Comments/AnalysisofEnrollmentTrends:

Over the three-year period reviewed above, immigrant ESL at Shoreline grew from 345 annual FTEs to 350. This is significant because basic skills enrollment at most community and technical colleges declined during this period.It is also remarkable because the overall number of immigrant ESL sections was reduced by approximately seven percent during this period.

Overall, SCC’sESLenrollmentisamixedpicturedependingontheprogram component and specificpopulationgroup.

As noted above, resident immigrant ESL grew slightly during this period.Thisgrowthshowsnotonlythestrengthoftheprogram,butthecommitmentthecollegehasplacedinBasicSkills.Italsoreflectstheefforttoimproveretentionundertakenbyprogramstaffandfaculty.Currentenrollmentdatasuggeststhatenrollmentcontinuestorise.

AcademicESL,however,hasdeclinedforthreereasons:internationalenrollmentisslightlyweaker,moreresidentstudentsareoptingtotransitionintoIBESTcourses,whichincludevariousfundingresourcessuchastheOpportunityGrantforqualifyinglow-incomestudents,andincreasingtuitioncostsposearealchallengeforresidentstudents.
InternationalenrollmenthasdeclinedwithintheESLprogram,yetgrowncollege-wide.ThisispartlyaresultofmorestudentsexemptingoutofESLwithIELTSandTOEFLscores.Morestudentsarealsotestinginathigherlevels,reducingthenumberofFTEsprogramwide.Infall2011,InternationalEducationhaditshighestenrollmenteverwith762totalinternationalstudents.
IBESTprogramsatShorelinehaveattractednewstudentstothecollegeaswellaspromotedretentionofcurrentstudentsatthecollege. IBESTprovidesaprofessional-technicalpathwayforstudentswhomightnototherwisebeabletoaffordfurthergeneral/academicstudy.

2.Staffing:(CoreTheme2:ProgramExcellence)

AllESLPrograms / 2008-09 / 2009-10 / 2010-11
Student:FacultyRatioforallESLprograms / 1 : 20.72 / 1 : 22.31 / 1 : 22.26
FTfaculty:PTfacultyratioforprogram / 1:2.41 / 1:2.72 / 1:2.43
Numberofsupportstaffforprogram / 2.0 / 2.0 / 2.0

Comments/AnalysisofStaffingTrends:

Itisdifficulttocomparestudent/faculty(S/F)ratiosacrossprogramsandacrosscollegessincedifferentprogramshavedifferentclasscapacities.Shoreline’sESLABcourseshaveacapof27forourABlevelsand25forourupperlevelcourses,althoughfacultyregularlyoverloadespeciallyinclasseswheretherearenootherchoicesforstudents.Wealsoallownewstudentsintoourclassesduringthefirstweekiftheclassesaren’tfull. Stillourratiosareslightlyhigherthanthestateaverage,butmaintainingalowercapisessentialtomeetingtheneedsofthispopulation.Therefore,SCC’sESLprogramhasalowerS/Fratiothanthestateaverageof29.13.

Theprogramhasworkedhardtoimproveratios,resultinginasteadyrise.ESLABcourses,forexample,haveimprovedfrom16.91in2004to24.37inFall2011.CurrentdatashowsthatESLisnowcloserto,forexample,theEnglishprogramwhichhasaS/Fratioof25.49.ESLhasahigherratiothanthecollegewide1 : 21.1.

Student/faculty ratios for international ESL (ESLAF) have remained significantly lower than the overall ESL program. This is due to the necessity of offering classes to lower proficiency international ESL students regardless of the percent of class capacity. Although the program occasionally receives Level 1 and 2 students, they are usually combined in multi-level classes. Beginning at Level 3, Shoreline has had to offer classes to as few as eight international students. This has driven the overall S/F ratio down for ESL.

3.StudentSuccess(CoreTheme1:EducationalAttainment/StudentSuccess)

EntireBasicSkillsProgram / 2008-09 / 2009-10 / 2010-11
NumberofstudentswhoearnedAchievementPoints / 710 / 759 / 592
TotalNumberofAchievementPointsEarned / 2706 / 2726 / 2047
PercentofStudentsWhoEarnedAchievementPoints / 60% / 59% / 58%
AverageAchievementPointsperStudents / 3.8 / 3.6 / 3.5
OverallPercentofImmigrantESLEnroll / 54.7% / 53.0% / 64.2%

SBCTChasadoptedStudentAchievementInitiative(SAI)points(formerlycalled“MomentumPoints)astheprimarymeasureoflocalprogrameffectivenessandperformance. SAIdataavailablefromSBCTCdoesnotseparatedImmigrantESLandABE/GEDstudentsasofthispoint. ThedataabovewasderivedfromthosebasicskillsstudentswhoweregivenboththeCASASPre-testandPost-test. AchievementPointsarebasedonbothprogramlevelcompletionsandsignificantgainsontheCASAS.SBCTCdataonbasicskillsSAIpointsdoesnotseparateABE/GEDandresidentESLstudents.

ThesteepdropintotalbasicskillsSAIpointsfrom2009-10to2010-11isadirectresultofamajorchangeinhowShorelinereportsat-riskstudentsenrolledinCareerEducationOptions(CEO)andLearningCenterNorth(LCN). Beginningin2010-11,ShorelinestoppedreportingthesestudentsthroughWABERSinordertocomplywithstateandfederalrules. Shorelinelostapproximately220unduplicatedbasicskillsstudentsorabout25%ofitsbasicskillsenrollmentbecauseofthischange.

AcademicYear2010-2011

EducationalGainsbyEducationalFunctioningLevel

ShorelineCommunityCollege:ESL*

EnteringLevel / TotalEnrolled / NumberCompleted / NumberCompletedandAdvanced / NumberRemaining / PercentageCompleting / StateAveragePercentage
BeginningLiteracy / 37 / 21 / 15 / 7 / 55.76 / 49.81
LowBeginning / 6 / 44 / 30 / 5 / 72.13 / 52.55
HighBeginning / 117 / 69 / 69 / 18 / 58.97 / 49.12
IntermediateLow / 158 / 83 / 83 / 36 / 52.53 / 43.06
IntermediateHigh / 135 / 48 / 48 / 39 / 35.56 / 41.59
ESLAdvanced / 132 / 33 / 32 / 41 / 25 / 29.87
Total / 1,014 / 410 / 367 / 284 / 40.43 / 34.69

*Source: 2011 WABERS Report from SBCTC

ImmigrantESLProgramOnly* / 2008-09 / 2009-10 / 2010-11
PercentofESLstudentswhocompleteoneormoreprogramlevelsannually / 59.9% / 57.2% / 51.6%
NumberofimmigrantESLstudentswhoimprovedEnglishlanguageskills / 412 / 427 / 358
PercentofimmigrantESLstudentswhoimprovedEnglishlanguageskills / 62% / 59% / 53%

*Source: 2011 WABERS Report from SBCTC

AcademicESLProgram / 2008-09 / 2009-10 / 2010-11
Fall Quarter ESL 100 enrollment & successful completion rates / 69/6188% / 41/41100% / Data not available at this time
Percent of ESL 100 completers above passing ENGL 101 within a year / 78% / 76% / Data not available at this time

Comments/AnalysisofClassCompletionTrends:

InternationalStudents

In the Academic ESL data above, international students make up approximately 82% of the enrollment.

InternationalEducationtracksthenumberofinternationalstudentswho“graduate”fromSCC,eitherbyachievinganAAdegreeand/ortransferringtoa4-yearschool. Based on analysis by International Education staff, Shoreline international students have a 60-70% graduationrate,whichhasremainedconsistentforthepastsixyears.

ABE/ESLStudents

Regardingstudents’achievementpointsfortheyearsof2008-2009,2009-2010,and2010-2011,SCC’sESLABprogramhasbeenoutstanding.Intheyear2008-2009,onlyoneofthe44otherinstitutionsshowedagreaterlevelofachievementthanSCC’s60%. Infact,intheWABERSandStudentAchievementDatabase,30otherinstitutionsshowedachievementratesthatwerelowerthan50%. Intheyear2010-2011onlytwoinstitutionsmatchedorexceededSCC’sachievementrateof58%.

Thestate’sexpectationisthattherewillbeasteadyincreaseinthepercentageofstudentsearningachievementpoints,andSCC’sESLprogramhasnotdoneso;thefiguresshowaveryslightdecreaseoverthethree-yearperiod(60%-59%-58%). However,fewinstitutionshaveshowedunwaveringimprovement. Only17.7%oftheinstitutionsmadeimprovementfrom2008-2009to2009-2010andtheneitherheldontothatimprovementormadefurtherimprovementin2010-2011. Threeofthoseschoolsstartedinthe32%-37%rangeofstudents. Manyoftheschoolsshowedwidefluctuationsintheirachievementratesfromyeartoyear. AnexampleisCascadiaCommunityCollege,whoseprofileis49%-53%-42%. Inthislight,it’squiteanaccomplishmentforSCC'sESLprogramtohavemaintainedanachievementratewhichissohighoverallandwhichhasvariedwithintherangeofonlytwopercentagepoints.

WhileStateandFederalentitiesperiodicallyrequirenewstandardsinteachingobjectivesandassessments,Shoreline’sESLprogramhasmaintainedaconsistentfocusonpreparingallstudentsforacademicsuccess,ensuringasolidprogramfor2½decadesattractingstudentsdesiringanexceptionaleducationalexperience.

4.FinancialStatus:(CoreTheme5:CollegeStewardship)

TotalESLProgram(Levels1-6) / 2008-09 / 2009-10 / 2010-11
YearlycostperannualizedFTE(withsupportcostsapportionedbypercentofenrollment) / NA / NA / $1,155,397.00(totalinstructionalcost)
aFTES+510
CostperaFTE2,265.00

Comments/AnalysisofProgramFinancialTrends:

Inanticipationofalossofsomestatefundingforourprogram,wehaveinstitutedsomecarefullyconsideredcuts. Wehavealsoplannedforfurthercutstoourprogramshouldthatbecomenecessary. Weremaininadelicatebalancebecauseofthenatureofourprogram,whichissmallerthanourneighboringI-5corridorprograms;wecannotcuttoodrasticallyorweforcestudentstogoelsewhere.

5.ProgramRevenue: (CoreTheme5:CollegeStewardship)

ResidentImmigrantABE/ESLProgram / 2008-09 / 2009-10 / 2010-11
Amountoftuitionrevenuefromstudentsenrolledinthisprogram. / $25,011 / $23,050 / $21,912
ValueofFTEsat$3,500perannual FTE / $1,207,500 / $1,319,5000 / $1,235,5000
AmountofrevenuetothecollegeviagrantsandcontractslinkedtoBasicSkills? / N/A / $215,684 / $307,338
AmountofrevenuetothecollegeviaSBCTCallocationslinkedtobasicSkills / N/A / N/A / $89,904
Academic ESL Program (Resident & Intl) / 2008-09 / 2009-10 / 2010-11
Amountoftuitionrevenuefromstudentsenrolledinthisprogram. / $1,072,867 / $842,143 / $785,998
Valueof FTEs at $3,500 per annual FTE / $325,500 / $255,500 / $241,500
AcademicESLProgram / 2008-09 / 2009-10 / 2010-11
InstructionalcostsoftheAcademicESLprogram / $325,500 / $255,500 / $241,500
InternationalESLProgram / 2008-09 / 2009-10 / 2010-11
InstructionalcostsoftheInternationalESLprogram / $360,500 / $388,500 / $304,500*
Amountoftuitionrevenuefromstudentsenrolledinthisprogram. / $1,893,500 / $1,963,500 / $1,781,500

Comments/Analysisofprogramcoststrends:

OurInternationalEducationprogramhasincreaseditsoverseasrecruitmenteffortsandhopestoincreasestudentenrollmentto1000internationalstudentsby2015. Therefore,ourinternationalnumbersmayseesignificantgrowthinfuturequarters,bringinginadditionalfundstothecollege. One strengthofourprogramisthatweattractmanystudentswhostayforthreeorfouryears,firstpreparingforcollegesuccessandtransferbyincreasingtheirEnglishskills,andthenearningAAdegrees.

Based on a 2011 internal study, approximately 43% of immigrant ESL students who are placed in Level 4, transition to college level (100 or higher) classes. Although they begin at Shoreline paying a reduced basic skills tuition, they transition to classes that require full tuition

Shorelineismandatedby WashingtonState’scommunitycollegesystemtoserveAdultBasicEducation(ABE)students.OurABEProgramservesbothdomesticallybornandeducatedstudentsandimmigrantstudents.ImmigrantstudentscometoustolearnEnglish,andunderstandthecultureandsystemsinwhichtheymustnavigateincludingtheworldofemployment,furthereducation,technologyandcommunity. Thereareseveralwaysfundsaresecuredtoservethesestudents:FTEdollars,ABEFederalGrant,Workforcefunding,Stategrants(includingperformancebasedfunding)andtuition. Studentsgainemploymentskillsaswellasamyriadofliteracyskillsenablingthemtoparticipatemorefullyinciviclife,helptheirchildrenwiththeireducationandadvanceintheworkforce.Theirincreasedself-sufficiencyaddstaxrevenuetoourstate.Approximately43%ofourstudents,whoareplacedinoradvancetolevel4,transitiontocollegewhichaddstuitiondollarstoourcollege. Asacommunitycollegewithanopendoorpolicy,wehavearesponsibilitytothispopulationtohelpthemachievetheirgoals,andinturn,theyenrichourcommunity.

Todayimmigrantsfacemanychallenges. PeopleneedahighlevelofEnglishandsomeeducationalcompletiontogetevenanentryleveljob. Inaddition,immigrantstudentsneedtechnologyskillstobesuccessfulatalmostanyjob. TheroleoftheABEprogramistoprovidethenecessarylanguageskillsaswellasintroducestudentstotechnologyandtransitionthemtocourseswhichleadtosustainableemploymentopportunities..

WestandinsupportofShorelineCommunityCollegeaswellastheothercommunitycollegesinWashingtonStatemaintainingitsfullsupportofBasicSkills.

6.ProgramExcellence: (CoreTheme2:ProgramExcellence)

Comments
IstheBasicSkillscurriculumupdated? / Inthelast5yearsallourMasterCourseOutlineshaveundergonerevisiontoreflectaprogrammaticchangeinthewayweserveourresident/immigrantandinternationalstudents. ThisincludesallofourESLABMCOswhichwerealignedwithSBCTCcurriculumrequirementsandlevelsatthetime.
OurfourIBESTprograms,AutomotiveGeneralServiceTechnician,CNCMachining,OfficeTechnology,andNACCertified,haveaddressedtheneedforlowskilledworkerstoprepareforhighdemandjobswithbasicskillsupportintheclassroom.
IstheprogramalignedwithSBCTCLearningStandards,ifso,whatarethey? / TheLearningStandardsarereflectedinarecentlevelrevisionofallourcourseswhereweensuredtheywerealignedwithourMCOsandwhenweaddressedgapsandoverlapsbetweenlevels.KristinMarraiscurrentlyparticipatingintheLearningStandardsTaskForceandhertrainingswillinformongoingmaintenanceofourprogram. Thelinktotheentirelearningstandardsdocument:

ResultsofanyrecentSBCTCMonitoringreports / Inthepastyear,SCChasreceivedmonitoringvisitsfrombothSBCTCandORIA.Inbothcases,theprogramwasfoundtobefullyincompliance,andinfactreceivedexcellentreports.

Comments/Analysisofprogramexcellencetrends:

ABE/ESL

TheABE/ESLprogramhasalonghistoryofservingthediverseneedsoftheadultimmigrantcommunity. Theprogramoffersamulti-levelprogramprovidingclassesforEnglishlanguagelearnersfrombeginningtopre-collegelevel. Thefull-timefacultytests,advisesandplacesallnewstudentsatthebeginningofeachquarter. Attheendofthequarter,allfacultyassessstudentswhomustdemonstrateachievementintheskillstaughtatteachlevelbeforemovingtothenextlevel. Theprogramofferscoursesthatarebothinnovativeandrigoroususingthemostup-to-datemethods,materialsandtechnology. ThecoursesaretaughtbyteacherswhohaveMaster’sdegreesinthefieldofTESLandwhoarededicatedtothesuccessofeverystudent.

InternationalESL

TheESLProgramundertookatwo-yearprocesstoreviseallinternationalMCOs. DuetofeedbackfromIP,wealsorealignedourlevelstobemoreattractivetoprospectivestudents. Althoughwehadasimilarnumberoflevelsasneighboringinstitutions,tostudentsandagents,itappearedourprogramhadmorelevels. TheESLProgramandInternationalEducationProgramalsoworkcloselytogethertodealwithplacementissues. IEadministersplacementtests,andESLinstructorsreadandscorethesetestsduringquarterly breaks. ESLinstructorsalsoattendquarterlyorientationstoassistIPwithregisteringstudents,explainingtheESLlevels,andansweringplacementquestions.Theprogramsalsoworktogethertoconsideradoptingnewstandardizedplacementtests(Pearson,IELTS,ESLCOMPASS),andtoconsidermakingchangeswhenthereareissuesregardingwhetherthe currentscoresareadequateforplacementintoourAcademicBridgecoursesorforexemptionfromESL.

Existinginformationforhowthescoresfordifferenttestsrelatetoeachother(aTOEFLscoreofX=anIELTsscoreofY)oftenprovetobeincorrect,andextensiveresearchisnecessary. ESLhasalsocreatednewclasseswhichaddressfeedbackfromIP. A100-leveldramacoursewascreatedinconjunctionwiththetheaterdepartmentinwhichstudentsreceivecollegecredit. Inthesummer,anintensive100levelcoursewasaddedduringthebreakbetweensummerandfall. ESLisalsoindiscussionwiththeEnglishprogramaboutthepossibilityofa100/101course. Topromotebettercommunication,anESLfacultyliaison(DainaSmuidrins)attendsweeklyIPmeetings,andIPliaison(LisaHirayama)attendsESLmeetings. AsIPissuchanintegralpartofESL,instructorsregularlyserveonhiringandARCcommitteesinvolvingIPstaff.

Advising

Weareconstantlystrivingtofindwaystoassiststudentsandhelpthemremovebarrierstotransitionintocollegelevelcourses. TheESLprogramadvisor(AuraRiosErickson)conductsin-classorientationtostudentsinlevelsonethruthree. Shemeetsindividuallywithallnewstudentsinlevels4and6andwithallstudentsinourESLlevel5classes. In2010,ourESLprogramwasabletoobtaintheappointmentofaRetentionProjectCoordinatorthruWashingtonCampusCompact(AmeriCorpsprograminWashingtonState). In2010,theRetentionProjectCoordinator(AlanaThelen)builttheframeworktoestablishapeermentoringprogramatourcollege.SherecruitedandtrainedacoregroupofmentorsandmenteesfromourESL,GEDandCEOprograms. Inaddition,wepartneredwithlocalhighschoolstodo“CollegeisPossible”eventsinclassroomsandatvariouseventssuchasInternationalNightorPTAcollegenight.

In2011,ourRetentionProjectCoordinator(MicaelaSmith)establishedaHEROESstudentclubwhosemembersarefromourESL,GEDandCEOprograms. ShehascreatedavirtualpresenceforthisclubbystartingaFacebookpage. Inaddition,shewasabletosecurefundingthroughShoreline’sCCStudentPrograms. Wearecurrentlyintheprocessofhiringpaidmentorstoassistinplanningevents,assistinrecruitingnewmenteesandmentors,helpingstudentsparticipateinServiceLearningactivitiesaswellashelpotherstudentsthrudifferentstudygroups. WeareplanningaCareerFaireventforthiscomingspring. AsaresultofourRetentionProjectCoordinatorwork,ourtransitiontocollegeclassesrateshaveincreasedfrom30%to40%inbothfallandwinterquarters. Thisyear,wearealsoconductingstudentsuccessworkshopsinTheESL/GEDTechCenter.

OurgoalforthenextacademicyearistoworkcloselywithfacultyinourESLlevels4,5and6byensuringthatstudentsareabletotransition. Wewanttobringworkshopstotheclassroomandhavefacultyhelpusmakethesepresentationsalanguagelearningopportunityfortheirstudents. Wehopetoextendoursupportstudentswhomakethetransitionandassistthemduringthefirsttwoquarterstakingcollegelevelcourses. Ourfinalgoalistohelpintegratestudentsincollegelifeandtotakeadvantageofthevariousleadershipopportunitiesinourcampus.

StudentSupport

Beyondadvising,studentsreceivesupportinvariousways. Wehaveasuccessfulvolunteerprogram,consistingofclassroom-assistantvolunteers,peoplefromthebroadercommunity,SCCemployees,SCCstudents,andTESOLstudentsinteachertraining. OurESL/GEDTechnologyCenterintegratesstudentsfromdifferentlevelsandpartsoftheprogramandprovidesnumerousavenuesofsupporttostudentlearningandsuccess. Beginningtwoyearsago,theLabhasemployed2-4servicelearningstudentseachquarterwhichprovidesanexcellentopportunityforincreasingculturalunderstandingalongwithEnglish,math,andtechnologysupportforstudents. Wealsohavequarterlyvolunteer“HomeworkHelpers”intheLab. WealsolaunchedwhatwehopewillbeanongoingpartnershipwithTransferStudentServicesofferingESLPronunciationaswellasacommunitypartnershipwithSt.JamesESLProgram providingcitizenshiptutoringintheLab. WeevaluatedandarepilotingaGEDweb-basedsoftwarefromCarnegieLearningwithourGEDstudentssothattheyareabletocompleteself-studylessonsintheTechCenterorathome. Finally,weofferdistancelearningactivitiestoprovideourstudentsmoreflexibilityincompletingtheirlabhourswhileincreasingtheirunderstandinganduseoftechnology.

OtherInitiatives

Ourbasicskillsprogramhascomeupwithinnovativestrategiestoincreaseaccessintocollegelevelprogramsandtoprovideourstudentswithopportunitiestoengageinonlineeducation.TheseincludethecreationofonlinemodulesaswellasthecreationofspecificESLcoursesdesignedtotransitionstudentsoutofESLandintotheregularcollegecurriculum.

Onlineeducation:In2010acadreoffacultycreated12onlinemodulesforstudentsinlevels3.Sixofthesemodulesfocusonjobsearchandjobinterviewingskills.Sixofthemodulesfocusonhealthcareincludingmakingappointmentsandwhattoexpectatahealthcarecheckup.Thesemodulesareoptimallyusedaspartofcoursecontentbutarealsoexcellentstand-alone,self-studymodulesforstudents.Instructorscanassignuseofthesemodulestoaugmenttheircoursecontent;studentscanalsoeasilyaccessthesecoursesfromhomeorinthecomputerlab. Thisyear,severalfacultyarealsoreviewingonlinemodulesdevelopedbyOTAN(OutreachandTechnicalAssistanceNetwork). Ifapproved,thesemodulescouldbeusedtosupplementface-to-faceinstructionforlevel2-3studentsaswellasprovideonlineinstructiontostudentswhotemporarilyseparatefromtheprogramorcometotheprogramtoolateinthequartertoenter. Themodulescouldbeaccessedoff-campusorthroughourESL/GEDTechnologyCenter.

SpecificESLTransitionCourses:Wehavedevelopedthree ESLtransitioncourses. ThefirstisABE046.Inthiscourselevels4-6studentstakeamathclasswhichteachesthemmathterminologyaswellasprovidesareviewtobasicmath.Approximately25%ofstudentsexitthiscourse,takethecompasstestandthenenrollinaregularmathclass,taughtbythemathdepartment.Also,wehavestartedan“On-RamptoI-BESTcourse:On-RamptoNursingAssistantCertified.”Inthiscourse,students,levels3-5,learnthemajorconceptsandvocabularynecessaryforsuccessintheregularI-BESTNACcourse.Whilelearningthiscontent,studentsimprovetheirlanguageskillsincludinggrammar,reading,writing,pronunciationandlisteningandspeaking.Thisisatwo-partcourse.Thethirdisa1-credithybridcourseforlevels5-6students. StudentsinthiscourselearnaboutShoreline'scampusresources,discussFAFSAandotherpotentialfundingresources,researchSCC'sprograms,andconductaninformationalinterviewwithaprogramadvisor,whileimprovingtheirskillsnavigatingBlackboardandusingtechnology.

Shoreline'sBasicSkillsProgramiscurrentlythelargestI-BESTproviderintheStateofWashington.TheProgramcurrentlyoffersfourI-BEST,orIntegratedBasicEducationandSkillsTraining,certificateprograms:GeneralServiceTechnician(GST),CNCManufacturing(CNC),NursingAssistantCertified(NAC),andOfficeTechnology(OT).AlloftheseI-BESTprogramshavesomecommoncharacteristics:theyareco-taughtbyaprofessional-technicalandabasicskillsfaculty;theprogramsareinhigh-demandfields;thepopulationsservedincludebothGEDandESLstudents. Twooftheprograms,GSTandCNC,alsohavecareernavigators,whoprovidesupportservicesforstudentswhileattendingtheprogramandmatchstudentswithemployerswhenexitingtheprogram. Becauseofthesenavigators,thenumberofstudentsfindingafamily-wagejobinourregionhasbeensignificant.Afuturegoalistoensurethatalloftheprogramshaveacareernavigator.TheI-BESTprogramsalsohaveahighretentionandcompletionrate,withmanystudentschoosingtotransitionintoadegreeprogram.Forexample,thisyear,theOfficeTechnologyI-BEST,atwo-quarterprogram,hasa100%retentionrate,with95%ofthestudentsontargettoreceivetheircertificateinJune. SimilarresultshavebeenreportedinalloftheotherI-BESTprograms.Lookingforward,facultyarediscussingideasfordevelopmentofadditionalI-BESTand"on-ramp"I-BESTaswellasaddedpathwaysfromexistingones. TherecentnominationofourI-BESTfacultytobeapartoftheStateBoardCommunityandTechnicalCollege'sI-BESTTeamTeachingCadreisoneconfirmationthatwedoingexcellentworkandareleadingthestateinthisarea.

7.ImportantPartnershipPotential: (CoreTheme3:CommunityEngagement)

Comments
Whatarethisprogram’scommunitypartners? / Ourprogramhasongoingcontactandhaspartneredwithseveralcommunityorganizations.Theseinclude:HopeLink,CenterforHumanServicesinShoreline,LiteracySource,LatinoBusinessCenter,RefugeeWomen’sAlliance,NeighborhoodHouse,YMCA,Shoreline’sCommunityResourceTeamandNorthUrbanServicesAlliance. AuraRiosErikson,ourESLStudentadvisor,hasreferredstudentstotheseorganizationsandtheyhaveparticipatedinorientationeventsatShorelineCommunityCollege. Inturn,shehasgiven‘CollegeisPossible’workshopsfordifferentgroupsinthecommunityinconjunctionwith theseorganizations. WehaveaninformalconnectionwiththeSchoolofTESL. In2010-2011,therewasa5quarterpartnershipwithSeattleRepertoryTheatrewhereinover150studentsparticipatedinajointSCCandSRT“ISpeak”projectand85studentswereabletoseeaperformanceatSRTforfree.
Whatarethe‘like’programsatnearbycolleges? / AllsurroundingcollegesprovideBasicSkillsinESL;North,EdmondsandCentralhavethrivinginternationalprograms.Thereissomevariationincourseofferings–particularlyinIBESTcourses.Collegesinourareacollaboratetoprovidearangeofcoursesinspecialistareaswithoutduplicationinanyonearea.Thereisalsosomevariationinlevels.SCCisknownforitsemphasisonacademicESLasapreparationforbothProfessionalTechnicalandtransfer.LevelsheretendtobeslightlyhigherthanthoseatEdmonds,forinstance.
Relationshiptoanindustryclusterand/orworkforceprograms? / OurIBESTprogramsconnectourprogramtoemployersinhighdemandfieldsandtrainingprogramwithintheworkforce. ThesecreateongoingemploymentpathwaysforourstudentsintoCNCmachiningwithemployerssuchasBoeing;intoouroutstandingautomotiveprogram. SeveralGrantssuchastheORIAgranthelpusserveTANFrecipientsandprovidethesestudentswithpotentiallinksintotheworkforce. Ourcareernavigator,MicheleneFelker(CNC)andAndrewAng(Automotive),helprecruitstudents,helpstudentsfindfundingforeducation,andhelpstudentsfindjobsandfurthertraining. TheyalsoprovideadirectconnectiontospecificjobsitesandindustriessuchasBoeing,whichthroughMichelene,hascometoSCCtodospecificworkshopstoapplyforBoeingjobs. GraduatesfromourNACIBEST,whichhasabouta90%completionrate,typicallyfindemploymentwithinonemonthcompletion.OfficeTechnologyIBESTstudentsoftentransitiontoBusinessTechnologyorAccountingprograms.
LinkagestotheFiveStarConsortium? / The basic education programs of the Five Star Consortium schools (Shoreline, Edmond CC, Everett CC, Cascadia CC, and Lake Washington Institute of Technology have been meeting several times each year to articulate issues of mutual interest. These include ways of sharing CASAS scores of students who transfer between schools so they don’t have to be tested again, and the possibility of placing students at their previous level when they transfer from one Five Star school to another. Currently, the Consortium is producing a joint video featuring I-BEST programs at each school.
Programsupportpotentialfrompartners? / InadditiontotuitionandFTEs,theprogramgetssupportfromFederalFunding,ORIAandWorkforce.

8.ProgramReputation:(CoreTheme2:ProgramExcellence)

Comments
Externalrecognitionofprogram? / Overall, Shoreline’s ESL program has a very good reputation among potential students as an excellent school to attend in order to prepare to transition to both academic transfer and/or workforce education programs. It is generally understood that Shoreline’s ESL Levels are one to two levels higher than surrounding schools, meaning that a Level 3 student at Edmonds might be a Level 2 student at Shoreline.
WeareseenasanationalleaderinIBESTandareoneoffivesitestohaveasitevisitfromtheStateBoardspecificallytolookatIBEST. Wehavebeenrecognizedbyinternationaleducationteamsandhavehostedsitevisitsforinternationalvisitors.
Forthreeyears,ourGSTprogramteam,BetsyBinnianandMarkHankins,havepartneredwithInternationalEducationtoprovideautomotiveandESLinstructionforAjouMotorCollegefromSouthKorea.
OurIBESTfacultyhavegivenpresentationsat andparticipatedinnumerousStateandNationalConferencesandvisits.(EG)In2011,adelegationfromMarylandcollegesmetwithourShorelineIBESTfacultyforateachingdemonstrationandfollow-upQ&A. Thisyear,twoofShoreline'sI-BESTfaculty,AnitaMcEntyre(BusTc)andRuthannDuffy(ESL),werenominatedandacceptedtobeapartoftheStateBoardCommunityandTechnicalCollege'sI-BESTTeamTeachingCadre. ThisCadreof"experts"wasestablishedtoensurethatallI-BESTprovidershaveaccesstohighlyqualifiedteam-teachertrainers. Shoreline'stwofacultywillbecontractedtoprovidetrainingbothinWashingtonstateaswellasthroughouttheU.S.Theywillbeoneofasmallgroupof“IBESTTeamTeacherTrainers”forWashingtonstateandacrossthenation.
Program’sconnectionsatSCCorothercolleges? / Asaprogramwithrichdiversitynotonlyinethnicity,butinageofstudent,weparticipatewithourcolleaguesacrossthecollegeinpreparingourstudentsfortheirclassandpreparingthoseinstructors/programstomeettheneedsofournon-nativespeakingstudents.
Inthepastseveralyears,wehavemadegreatereffortstointegrateourstudentsintocampuslifebyparticipatingincrosscampuseventssuchasMulticulturalWeek,TheSpeakOut,andOneCampus/OneTheme,amongothers.
Uniquenessoftheprogram? / WecurrentlyhavefourIBESTprograms,andtwoadditionalconnectedprogramsthatareuniquetoSCC. WehavecreatedanNAC“Onramp”classtobetterpreparelowerlevelstudentsforsuccessintheNACIBESTprogram. Also,wehavedevelopedanAutomotiveTransitionEducationProgramwhichoffersautomotiveboundstudentscontextualizedmathandEnglishpreparationtomeettheentryrequirementsforthetwo-yearAutomotiveProgramsatSCC.Wealsohavedevelopeda1-credithybrid“transition”courseforresidentstudents,preparingthemforbothcollegeandonlineinstruction.
Ourprogramhasareputationwithourresidentpopulationforitsfocusonacademicskillsandpreparation. Weknowanecdotallythatmanystudentschoosetocomehereforthatfocus,andespeciallylikethenumberofcreditsperlevel.
WehaveseparateadvisingstaffforresidentESLandinternationalstudents,meetingtheneedsofthesedifferentstudentgroupswhilestillservingbothwithinthecollegeandbythesamefaculty.
Another unique aspect of Shoreline’s resident ESL program is that beginning at Level 5, students are permitted and do take a variety of elective classes within the college.

Comments/Analysisofprogramreputationtrends:

OurprogramhasastrongreputationinthePugetSoundregionforitsexcellentinstructionandwebelievethisisinpartbecauseofourintegrationwithinthecollegeasawhole. Ourcurriculumandservicesareconstantlybeinginformedbycollegewideimprovementsandendeavors. Ourcurriculum,informedbyCASASandStateLearningStandards,isrelevanttostudents’needsforEnglishskillsfortheircareerandeducationalgoalsaswellastheirdailylives. WehaveagrowingmenuofI-BESTprograms,andwearecurrentlyworkingtorespondtotherequestforonlinemodulesandgreateruseoftechnologytohelpstudentslearnfasterand/orcontinuetostudyafterhavingtoseparatefromatraditionalface-to-facecourse.

9.RelevancetotheCollegeMission:(CoreTheme4:AccessDiversity)

Comments
Doesthisprogramcontributetowardmaintainingthediversitymixthatthecollegeneedstofulfillitsmission? / TheESLprogramplaysacriticalroleincontributingdiversitytothecollege.Thisdiversityisnotonlyinethnicbackground,butlanguages,age,andeconomicandsocialstatus. In2009–2010ourresidentimmigrantstudentswerecomprisedofthefollowing: 19%white;30%Latino;25%Black/AfricanAmerican;25%Asian *. BasicSkillsisaverydiverseprogram; InternationalProgramsislesssobecausethevastmajorityofthestudentsarefromAsia. Thisisbecauseofthecollege’srecentemphasisonrecruitmentinChina,HongKongandTaiwan. Facultyhaveexpressedconcernthatthislackofdiversityadverselyaffectsteachingandcouldhaveanegativeimpactonmarketing. TheprogramhopesthatIEiscurrentlybroadeningitsmarketingfocustoincludemoreunder-representedcountries.

*Source of Data: Annual WABERS Report

Comments/Analysisofrelevancetocollegemissiontrends:

TheABEESLGEDprogramisthemostdiverseoncampusandthegreatestsinglecontributortodiversityacrosscampus.

10.SummaryofCurriculumChangesinthepastyear: (CoreTheme2:ProgramExcellence)

SummaryofCurriculumChangesinthepastyear:
CoursesModified / ESLAF020,025,030,035,040,045,050,060;ESL099,100havebeenrenumberedasESLAF050/050,060/061,070,080,andESL090and100. / Basedonperceptionsandfeedbackfromstudentsthatwe"havetoomanylevels"andtomakethenumberingsystemmorerational,weundertooktorevisetheMCOsfortheinternational-onlyESLclassesaswellas,toalesserextent,theMCOsfortheESLclassesthatincludebothimmigrantandinternationalstudents. Thisprocesswasundertakenbyasubcommitteeoftheprogramfacultywiththeadviceandconsentofthewholefaculty.
Weconstantlymodifyandadapttostudents’needs. Onerecentexampleistheattempttoimproveoursuccessratein054.Itwasclearthatafullyonlinecoursewasnotworkingforstudents,sothecoursewasmodifiedtobe2/3f2fand1/3online. Thishasimprovedretentionandsuccessdramatically.
OtherDevelopmentActivities / --Developedonlinemodules.
--Modifiedprogramrulesaboutonlineclasses.
--Interviewedformerstudentsabouthowtheprogramservedthem.
--Conductedtwosurveysofstudents,oneawrittensurveytoallstudentsandoneanonlinesurveytargetinginternationalstudents.
--DevelopedOnramptoNACcourse. / Wehavemobilizedourinformationgatheringresourcestodeterminewhatkindofchangeswemayundertakewhilestillmaintainingprofessionalstandardsandkeepingattheforefrontsuchimmutablefactorsasthestandardtimeframeforthehumancapacitytolearnlanguage.
Duetomoreintensiveadvising,levelsofretentionhaverisen. Everylevel5and6residentnon-nativespeakingstudentmeetswithhis/heradvisor,developsaneducationalplanandisassistedinapplyingforfinancialaid. AlongwiththeRetentionProjectcoordinator,thishasresultedina30-40%increaseinretention.
Non-TraditionalDeliveryCourses / --Developedonlinemodulesforhealthcareandemploymentskills. / Wehavebeguntoprovideaccessandopportunitiesforsupplementalstudyonline. AnoutsideprogramdevelopedbyESLteachers by California’s Outreach and Technical Assistance network (OTAN),wasidentifiedandiscurrentlybeingpilotedtogivestudentsadditionalresourcesforstudyandgivestudentswhoareunabletocontinueafullyonlineandseparatemethodofcontinuingtoimprovetheirskills.
ProfessionalDevelopmentActivities / --Tri-TESOLconference. / ESLfacultyarestronglyinvolvedincampuswidecommitteesandeventswithrepresentativesonStrategicPlanning,FacultySenate,TheUnion,andnumerousothers.. ESLfacultyvaluecollaboratingwithothersoncampusandhelpingtheirstudentsintegrateandexperiencecollegeandcampuslife. TherewasahighinvolvementofESLfacultyintheOneCampus/OneThemeeventsthisyear. ESLfacultyarestronginnovators.
ProgramStrengths / Wecontinuetoofferahighnumberofcreditsperlevel. Wecontinuetoinnovatewhileatthesametimemaintainacademicexpectationsandteachingexcellencewithprovenmethodologiesandapproaches.

11.ProgramOutcomes:CoreTheme1:EducationalAttainmentandStudentSuccess

Comments
Doestheprogramhaveidentifiedstudentlearningoutcomes? / AllcourseshavedetailedoutcomesasindicatedintheMCOs.TheseoutcomesarealignedwithABELearningStandards(levels1–6)andDevelopmentalEnglish(AcademicESL).IBESTcourseshaveoutcomesthatalignwiththespecificProfessionalTechnicalcourse.
Describehowtheprogramassessesstudentlearningfortheseprogramoutcomes? / Inadditiontootherassessments,allstudentshavetopassin-classwritinginordertotransitiontothenextlevel.TheprogramoffersStandardizedReadingTestsforlevel6-8.
Howhastheprogramusedtheresultsofitsprogramassessmentsforprogramimprovement? / Rubrics
WritingAnchors
NormingSessions
RoundtableSessions

12.Otherinternalandexternalinfluencingfactors: (CoreTheme2:ProgramExcellence)

Describeanynon-college-related(external)factorsthathavesignificantlyinfluencedyourprogramduringthelastyear:

TheeconomicdownturnseemedtobringmorestudentsintotheESLprogram. Ontheotherhand,reducedtaxrevenuesinthestatethreatenedthefundingoftheschoolandpossiblyourprogram. ThissituationenergizedsomeESLfacultyintermsoftheiradvocatingfortheprogramanddemoralizedothers. Nowastheeconomystartstoimprove,wemayseeareductioninthenumberofstudentsasstudentsbecomemorefullyemployed.

Thereseemstobepressurebuildinginboththestatelegislatureandtheschooladministrationformoving"pre-college"studentsintocollegecoursesfaster. Thishasresultedinvariousthemeswithintheprogram: ideasofgivingEnglish-coursecreditforhigh-performingstudentsinESLcourses;developmentofmoreprofessional-technicalandacademic-prepIBESTcourseswhichoffersomecollegecreditsandexposeESLstudentstocontentinstructorsandprofessors;moreopennessamongsometeacherstoskippingstudentsoverESLlevels;revisionoftheinternationalESLcourseMCOstoplaceabitmoreemphasisoninvolvingthestudentsincampus-wideandcommunity-wideactivities;creationofnewactivitiesintheESLtechlab;anddevelopmentofsomeonlinemodules.

Describeanycollege-related(internal)factorsthathavesignificantlyinfluencedyourprogram/departmentduringthelastyear:

Assomefull-timeESLfacultycameunderthreatoflosingtheirtenureduetoprojectedcost-savingmeasuresoftheadministration,muchtimeinprogrammeetingswasspentonstrategizingonhowtosavepositions. Thattimecouldhavebeenspentonotherprojectsandsomeprojectscouldbebeencompletedmoreenthusiasticallywithoutthefocusonpossiblejoblossamongthefaculty.

13. Summary of Actions taken in past year: (Core Theme 2: Program Excellence)

Program Objectives from last year / Accomplished/ Still in progress? Modified?
One main objective from the college and State Board was to increase transition of students. / There were several conversations with the English department regarding a possible Transitional IBEST at the higher levels of ESL. A decision was made, however, to pursue a grant to develop courses to assist lower-level studentsto transition to IBEST courses. An “On Ramp to IBEST” grant was written and awarded; the two part course began spring quarter 2012 and continues into summer quarter.
Students who have demonstrated the necessary knowledge and skills are allowed to the next level. The formal process allows new students to be considered for skipping at the beginning of the quarter and for continuing students to be considered at the end of the quarter. Over the last two academic years, over 20 students in different levels have been allowed to skip a level. This process is a vital component of the program’s commitment to increasing transition rates.
During the 2011-2012 academic year, the program conducted two student surveys. One was an on line survey targeting international students; the other was a less formal, but more widespread survey of all ESL classes. The surveys indicated, for example, that international students saw the ESL program as having too many levels. As a result, the program undertook a comprehensive revision of the ESLAF and ESL MCOs, resulting in fewer levels and a more coherent numbering system.
A supplemental writing course, ESLAB 058 was developed by associate faculty and formalized with the writing of an MCO, making the class a regular part of the program. The class enjoys full-or nearly-full enrollment every quarter it is offered. This class plays a strong role in improving student writing and thus in improving transition rates.
The ESL faculty reviewed and modified the ESL exemption standards based on the IELTS and TOEFL. This makes it easier for students to be exempted from ESL or to be guaranteed placement into ESL “Bridge” classes.
Afternoon ESLAB Speaking and Listening classes were changed to four days a week to address the problem of students not coming on campus just for one class on Fridays. This has improved attendance.
To improve retention rates, finals testing and registration dates were moved up between winter and spring and spring and summer quarters.
International and resident student placement test prompts were revised.
Revise MCOs for Academic ESL program; streamline and renumber classes for Academic ESL / Accomplished
Work more closely with International Programs / Daina Smuidrins has worked closely with International Education as a liaison between that office and the ESL program. This relationship has facilitated communication on matters vital to both offices. Several positive outcomes of this communication include offering of a short “jumpstart” ESL 100 between summer and fall quarters, revision of standards for exemption on the TOEFL and IELTS tests, and review of possible formal relationships with ELS.