Through the Achieving the Dream initiative, Temple College has committed to making changes and meeting the needs of the struggling student.
Charlotte Biggerstaff, a coach with Achieving the Dreams, was in town Thursday and Friday meeting with TC staff.
Many students arriving at community college straight out of high school aren't prepared and many times fall through the cracks, Biggerstaff said.
Achieving the Dream has discovered that students are getting lost during developmental courses, much earlier than anyone would like to admit, she said.
"Students quit coming to classes and we don't pay enough attention to that," Biggerstaff said.
In some cases, community college instructors and board members don't feel they should be responsible for the failure of students who arrive at college unprepared.
"We run into that a lot," Biggerstaff said. "But the reality is that colleges have changed and so have the students. They are coming to us with tremendous weaknesses."
Achieving the Dream requires that participating schools find out how many students are:
Getting certificates or degrees.
Enrolling in developmental education.
Passing developmental classes.
Enrolling or advancing to college level classes.
The information is available, in transcripts and records, she said.
"Through technology and computer programs the school can access the information," Biggerstaff said.
Information on race, ethnicity, gender and income are a big piece of the puzzle, she said.
"The first five states selected (to take part in Achieving the Dream) were based on the percentage of population that was low income and minority," she said. "Within that, institutions were selected based upon the same kinds of criteria."
Every Achieving the Dream college has to examine the gaps in education that exist in those categories. In Temple, like every other campus, the majority of students who are less likely to be retained are minorities and low income.
"The goal, though, is to raise all boats at the same time," Biggerstaff said. "We're trying to change an entire culture and move everybody forward."
Through the Achieving the Dream program, TC will be required to come up with a four-year plan, but colleges are encouraged to avoid developing a strategy before all information is examined.
College success skills courses - which include study skills, time and financial management - have proven to be helpful to the underprepared student, Biggerstaff said. Supplemental instruction, with embedded tutoring, has also been successful, as has counseling and case management advising for developmental education students.
Some of the Achieving the Dreams schools that have shown progress have become a part of the Developmental Education Initiative and will receive three years in funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
