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DATA IS PROVIDED HERE FROM ON COURSE PROGRAMS AT:

Please send data from your program to Skip Downing. 

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BALTIMORE CITY COMMUNITY COLLEGE (Maryland)

In Fall, 1999, students at Baltimore City Community College who placed in ENG 81 (the college's middle-level developmental writing course) were invited to enroll in a learning community comprised of ENG 81 and CSS 110 (College Success Seminar), a 3-credit orientation class that teaches students the 8 Success Principles found in the text On Course: Strategies for Success in College and in Life.  Students successful in these paired courses moved on together to ENG 82 with the same classmates and instructor.

Due to the impressive improvement of student retention and academic success in the Learning Community, the program was expanded in Fall, 2000, to include students taking developmental reading and mathematics. These students participated in Learning Communities that paired the College Success Seminar with RDG 81 and MATH 81. Successful students went on together in the learning community to take RDG 82 and MATH 82 in Spring, 2001. 

The data below show the positive impact of this program on the academic success and retention of developmental students. Three components of the learning community seem to contribute most significantly to the improvement in academic success and retention of these developmental students: 1) Students learned the On Course success principles and strategies in CSS 110, 2) Students had the guidance of a mentor who taught the CSS 110 class and coached them outside of class to apply the On Course principles and strategies in all areas of their lives, and 3) Students, during their first two critical semesters in college, felt part of a community of motivated and supportive fellow students.

***2000-2001 DATA***

Retention Rates for Developmental English Students

Conclusion: The On Course Learning Community experience continued to have a positive impact on the retention of developmental students in English 81.

Retention Rates for Developmental Reading Students

Conclusion: The On Course Learning Community experience had a significantly positive impact on the retention of developmental Reading students.

Retention Rates for Developmental Math Students

Conclusion: The On Course Learning Community experience had a significantly positive impact on the retention of developmental Math students.

Pass Rates for Developmental English Students

Conclusion: The On Course Learning Community experience had an extraordinarily positive impact on the academic success rate of development English students.

Pass Rates for Developmental Reading Students

Conclusion: The On Course Learning Community experience had a very positive impact on the academic success rate of development reading students.

Pass Rates for Developmental Math Students

Conclusion: The On Course Learning Community experience had a positive impact on the academic success rate of development math students.

***1999-2000 DATA***

Retention Rates for Developmental English Students

Conclusion: The On Course Learning Community experience had a significantly positive impact on the retention of developmental students.

Pass Rates for Developmental English Students

Conclusion: The On Course Learning Community experience had a very positive impact on the academic success rate of development students.

Three-Semester Cumulative Pass Rates for Developmental English Students

Conclusion: The positive impact of the On Course Learning Community on student pass rates was compounded over successive semesters. After three semesters, On Course Learning Community students were 348% more likely to have passed English 101 than were non-learning community students who began Eng 81 at the same time.

Pass Rates for English 101

Conclusion: The two-semester On Course Learning Community experience prepares students to continue doing well academically when they leave the Learning Community. On Course Learning Community students were nearly twice as likely to pass Eng. 101 in their first try than were non-learning community students, many of whom were taking English 101 for the 2nd, 3rd, or even 4th time.

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BREVARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE (Florida)

From a report by Professor Sue Palmer, College-Wide Coordinator of Student Success

Since transforming our student success course [SLS 1101] from one that primarily provided instruction in study skills to one that uses the On Course text and On Course strategies to empower students to become active, responsible learners, the outcomes have been many, varied, and victorious: The student success faculty is energized, our enrollment numbers in student success courses are growing each semester, and student feedback and success data are overwhelmingly positive. We have truly breathed new life into our course. 

Faculty members who were earlier feeling restless about the course are observed by their campus coordinators as revitalized and enthusiastic. Several new faculty members became involved with the course after attending the campus workshops. Recently, an 'old timer' who teaches in the chemistry department, confided that he is 'a better teacher after having taught Success Strategies.'  He says, 'I am having more fun teaching than I have in my entire career.' Another who is teaching the class for the first time this semester confides that her personal benefit is 'my own well-being. In facilitating others, I am enriching my own life.'

In this semester (our second using the On Course text), we increased our course offerings by four sections college-wide, and they made with viable numbers!  Recent student comments include these: 'This class is a big part of my life.  In other words, I actually take what I learn and use it in my daily life.  I believe this class is designed to help people like me become successful.'  'This course is really starting to help me figure out who I am and how to change the things I don’t like about myself.'  'This class is the only class I have that, when I walk in each morning, students address and talk to me and among themselves…I actually look forward to coming to this class because I can share what is going on with me and people genuinely care.'

We are gathering data with the idea that our student success course could become required of all entering freshmen and/or developmental students.  For example, we have data collected by Title III during our first semester using On Course. These data compare two groups of students who required preparatory classes: those who took the success strategies course (SLS 1101) along with or prior to their preparatory classes compared with those who did not. Those with SLS 1101 passed their preparatory classes with significantly higher numbers than those without SLS, especially in English and Reading.

Academic Success Rates for Brevard Community College Preparatory Skills Courses

To read the entire Brevard Community College report, CLICK HERE.

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BRYANT & STRATTON COLLEGE (OH-Willoughby Hills Campus)

by Marcia Backos, Program Director

1. Retention of new evening students increased by 30.4%. Retention of new day students showed a slight improvement (1.2%) after three previous semesters of decline.

2. Both the day and evening students showed a significant increase (15% and 11% respectively) in students earning perfect attendance awards.

3. Academic achievement (GPAs of 3.3 or above) for day students improved 10% while evening students improved 20.9%

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CENTENARY COLLEGE (New Jersey)

From a report by Suzanne McCarthy, Director, Learning Support

We created two sections of our Academic Foundations course in 2007 specifically for undeclared majors and named it Major Discoveries.  We had thirty one students enrolled between the two classes and adopted On Course as our text and approach.

Course Experience

We followed the reading and journal writing schedule prescribed in the On Course Instructor’s Manual.  We complimented this with On Course interactive activities in class.   To help students better discover their own strengths and interests we had them complete the ACT Discover surveys and take the MBTI.  We conducted nine in-class information interviews with professionals from a variety of fields who work both on and off campus.  Each student was required to conduct three information interviews on their own as well as complete a half day shadowing experience in a work place.  These activities were followed up with a written reflection on each of these experiences and all of this was uploaded into an e-portfolio.

The final was an oral presentation with a power point or movie maker visual titled “My Next Steps.”  Many of these presentations were outstanding and truly reflected the self knowledge and the sense of empowerment they had acquired.  A sampling of statements in these presentations included:  “What I accomplish in college is up to me” and another student wrote “Make realistic goals.  Show up.  Make things happen.  Never settle for anything less then [sic] your best effort.”  Many commented on their experience of writing journals saying “It’s okay to feel big emotions.”  And it is “a good way to evaluate yourself.”

The Students

The group of 31 undeclared students included eleven who were provisional admits (“students whose credentials are insufficient for admission by the usual college standard may be given and opportunity to study” - Centenary College Catalog, 2007).  Additionally six of the enrolled students had accommodation letters from the Disabilities Service Office.

The Outcomes

At the end of the semester we reviewed their transcripts.  Nineteen students earned a semester GPA over a 3.0 including four with a 4.0, ten earned between a 2.0 and 3.0 and two failed to make minimum satisfactory academic progress.

As a group the undeclared students often seem “goal less.”  From a review of their final presentations it was evident that a few actually felt defined enough to declare a major.  For the majority they seemed to have a greater sense of self and possibility. Some  identified a general direction for study and work and others at least acquired the skill of how to explore a career path.  These students were empowered to be successful in their overall course load based on their first semester GPAs.  This was often demonstrated by their own vocabulary speaking of being creators and not victims, setting goals and managing their lives as students. 

Conclusion: A comparison of Centenary College's Undecided Freshmen first semester grades for the two years’ prior shows the 2007 group as a whole earned higher GPAs with the On Course program as the underpinning for their Academic Foundations course, especially in the 3.5-4.0 range.

* Undecided students were in various Academic Foundation courses

**Undecided students used On Course as text and curriculum 

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CUYAHOGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE (Ohio)

Excerpts from a Cuyahoga Community College Document entitled “Two Course Learning Community: Developmental Math and On Course” from Donna McNatt, Faculty, Mathematics

Program Description

The math learning community attempts to increase students’ success by replacing their expectation that they cannot “do math” with the belief that they can pass their developmental courses and progress to college level study.   According to faculty who teach these courses, students who enroll in developmental math are handicapped less by their actual ability to learn the material than they are by the expectation that it is beyond their grasp.  Because they do not believe they can learn the material, they do not really try.  Under these circumstances, failure becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

To help students overcome these obstacles, the math learning community combines instruction in mathematics with material on personal responsibility and study skills.  Students who participate in this intervention enroll in two courses: MATH 0850 and MATH 0950.  In MATH 0850, students are taught to assume responsibility for their success and failures.  Using the “On Course” curriculum developed by Skip Downing, students are taught to see themselves, not as victims, but as creators.  They are taught to set goals, to manage their time, and to set priorities.  The math 0950 course instructs them in the concepts of beginning algebra.  The idea is that, by helping students to take responsibility for their actions and to obtain study skills, they will become more successful in their developmental math courses, and beyond. […]

Evaluation Design

To determine whether these interventions have had an impact on students’ success, an evaluation has now been conducted.  This evaluation has compared the performance of students enrolled in these interventions to a randomly selected, matched sample of students who were enrolled in MATH 0950 on each of these campuses during semesters in which the intervention was offered.  In selecting this sample, students were matched on age, GPA as of the start of the semester, and hours earned as of the start of the semester. […] 

Evaluation Results

[…] Looking at data on students enrolled in fall 2007, 54.4% of the students who enrolled in the learning community completed MATH 0950 with a grade of C or better. By contrast, 42.6% of those in the comparison group successfully completed this course.  The fall-to-spring persistence rate for students in the fall 2007 cohort was 75.5% (74 out of 98).  This compares to a rate of 66.0% (62 out of 94) for students in the comparison group. […]

Survey Results

In addition to the “hard data” on students’ academic performance, a survey was also administered to students who participated in the MATH 0950 learning communities during fall 2007.  This survey sought to find out whether the on-course material covered in MATH 0850 had any effect on students’ confidence that they could succeed in their math courses. Questions on this survey attempted to determine whether the course as a whole had an effect on students’ sense of confidence.  Questions also sought to determine the impact that specific course content had on students’ confidence in mathematics. 

Results of this analysis were quite positive.  Of the 23 students who responded to the questionnaire, 91% (21 students) said that they were somewhat or much more positive about their chances of succeeding in math than they were at the beginning of the semester.  Students were also quite positive in their opinions on the impact that specific course content will have on their ability to succeed.  The survey contained 8 items designed to find out whether students felt that a particular content area was likely or unlikely to affect their success in math.  Students who responded to these items overwhelmingly felt that these content areas will help them to succeed in their math courses.  The percentage of students who felt that these content areas would likely or very likely affect their math success ranged from 65% to 100%, with the percentage exceeding 90% in six of the eight areas. [...]

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ILLINOIS VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE (Illinois)

by Marianne Dzik, Dean, English, Mathematics and Education

Conclusion: The impact of the On Course program on retention became most pronounced in students' fourth semester. There, retention of On Course students was 17-18% higher than retention of students not in the On Course program.

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MISSION COLLEGE (California)

by Dr. Jonathan Brennan, Chair, Department of English

In Fall, 2001, Mission College began a learning community program similar to the successful one at Baltimore City Community College (see report directly above). The Mission College program linked eleven basic skills classes (English, Reading, ESL, and Mathematics) with On Course counseling classes. Whereas the BCCC learning community program is two semesters, the Mission program is one semester.

Following are the retention and academic success data from the Fall, 2001, semester of this program. Note that data for all eleven basic skills classes are reported together (rather than for separate courses).

Retention Rates for Mission College Basic Skills Courses

Conclusion: The On Course Learning Community experience had a positive impact on the retention rate of basic skills students.

Academic Success Rates for Mission College Basic Skills Courses

Conclusion: The On Course Learning Community experience had a positive impact on the academic success rate of basic skills students. The classes have demonstrated higher retention and success. Faculty members have commented that they are energized and excited by the opportunity to work with the On Course strategies. They also use their On Course strategies in a range of other classes and workshops, including athletics, EOPS workshops, transfer, motivation and other workshops, Orientation, counseling classes, and many others. I have also used them with my own colleagues in professional development presentations, especially for new faculty. The students in On Course classes are actively involved in finding solutions to their problems, and in applying their new strategies to their Mathematics, English, and Reading classes."

To read the entire Mission College report (which includes details of how they set up their learning communities), CLICK HERE.

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MOUNT HOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE (Oregon)

by Sharon Juenemann, Learning Skills Specialist 

At Mt. Hood Community College, we recently adopted On Course as the primary text for our one-credit freshman seminar course (HD 100: College Success).  The adoption of On Course was part of an institution-wide initiative to increase student persistence.  While HD 100 has been offered at our college for many years, this year was unique.  First, the course was offered for free, and faculty/staff across the campus were recruited to teach the course.  Our college president even taught a section!  Second, advisors actively recruited new students into the course.  Finally, faculty and staff teaching the course had a one-day On Course training in which faculty learned about the On Course Principles, focusing on Self Responsibility, Self-Management, Self-Motivation, Interdependence, and Lifelong Learning. We also provided follow-up training for faculty and staff through Houghton Mifflin, publisher of On Course.

Data on student persistence from Fall 2004 to Winter 2006 was collected via our student data management system.  Below are the results:

Retention Rates for Mount Hood Community College First-Year Students

By all accounts, the effort was a wildly successful effort, with students from the On Course group persisting 27% more the following term than students not taking the freshman seminar.  We also conducted a survey of students taking the course and approximately 75% of students responded that the On Course text was either “helpful” or “very helpful.”

This improvement in persistence is even more impressive when other factors, such as student drop-out proneness, are considered.  The Noel-Levitz College Student Inventory was administered to all sections of HD 100 in Fall, 2004.  On a scale that is correlated with factors contributing to increased drop-out risk, 30% of students in the experimental group scored at or above the 90th percentile.  This is many times higher that the equivalent amount in the comparison group whose results are distributed in a bell curve pattern with relatively fewer students scoring in the extreme ranges.

Our institution continues to offer HD 100 tuition-free to all first-year students.  Our goal is that nearly every incoming MHCC student will take the course so that all MHCC students can experience the successes that On Course students do.

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NORTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA A&M COLLEGE (Oklahoma)

by Tom Hale, Counselor

In Fall, 2004, the Title III Program at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College conducted a study to compare the academic success and retention of two groups of first-time basic skills students, all enrolled in three courses: Reading (CIED 0133), Basic Composition (ENGL 0123), and College Life and Success (SOSC 1213). College Life & Success is a course required for any student who has 3 or more academic deficiencies, but it can be taken as an elective by any student.

The primary difference between the two groups was the text used in the College Life and Success course. The goal of the study was to determine if the different texts created a discernable difference in students’ academic success and retention.  Academic success was defined as a student passing the basic skills class. Retention was defined as a student registering for classes in the following semester.

GROUP 1 (ON COURSE CL&S) was comprised of 43 students who had the three classes in common. The four CL&S classes in this group used the text On Course by Skip Downing. Students for the experiment were chosen at random during spring and summer enrollment. There were an additional 29 students in the On Course sections of College Life & Success who did not need or did not take the Reading and Basic Comp classes.

GROUP 2 (OTHER CL&S) was made up of 33 students who had the three classes in common. The four CL&S classes in this group used another popular student success text. There were an additional 57 students in the “Other" sections of CL&S who did not need or did not take the Reading and Basic Comp classes.

Conclusions: 

1. Students who used the On Course text achieved significantly better academic success in Reading and slightly better academic success in basic composition than students in the control group.

2. Students who used the On Course text demonstrated significantly better retention than students in the control group.

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PARADISE VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE (Arizona)

The full report can be accessed at the PVCC web site by clicking HERE.  (Then click on "Fall 2007 iStartSmart - Summary of Results - printable one-page document")

Retention Rates for Paradise Valley Community College Students

[NOTE: Students not in the On Course classes include all other students at the college; thus, many in the non-On Course group have been at the college for multiple semesters and might be expected to have a higher retention rate than first-semester students in the On Course group.]

679 students enrolled in a college success course (AAA/CPD 115 or CPD 150), both of which use the On Course text. 

    86% of the students agree or strongly agree that the course has better prepared them for success in college and in life.

    88% of the students agree or strongly agree that the course has helped them to improve their self-management skills.

    86% of the students agree or strongly agree that the course has helped them to learn how to take charge of their lives.

    84% of the students agree or strongly agree that the course has increased their self-motivation.

    83% of the students agree or strongly agree that the course has increased their self-awareness. 

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UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA at GREENSBORO (North Carolina)

from a report by Cindra Campoff, Retention Coordinator

In Fall, 2001, UNC Greensboro adopted On Course as the text in an academic success course that is required for all students who are placed on academic probation after their first semester. This non-credit course is called Strategies for Academic Success, or SAS 100, and its purpose is to help students on probation gain the success skills they need in order to return the next semester. To be eligible to return the next semester, a student must earn at least a C+ average for that term. A student receiving lower than a C+ average is suspended and must sit out at least one full semester from UNCG.  Approximately 300 students each spring semester and 50 students each fall semester are required to take SAS 100.

Before adopting the On Course text, SAS 100 attempted to retain probationary students by teaching them academic study skills. According to a report on the course by Cindra Kampoff, UNCG retention coordinator, “Students didn’t like it, they didn’t do well in their other courses, and we had a difficult time keeping instructors. Most of all, the course wasn’t really addressing why students were placed on probation. They were reporting non-academic reasons for their probation status, yet we were feeding them only academic success strategies."

In the Fall 2001 semester, course leaders adopted the On Course text, with its emphasis on motivating and empowering students to become active, responsible learners. Since that time, Professor Kampoff reports, “Due to the change in curriculum and the implementation of the motivational and empowerment model, our retention rates for these students have continued to increase each semester.”

In Fall, 2004, the UNC-Greensboro Retention Program using On Course won two prestigious awards: the Noel-Levitz Retention Excellence Award and a Program Excellence Award from the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA).

Improved Retention Rate of UNC Greensboro Students on Probation

Conclusion: The On Course approach to student success had a positive impact on the retention of students on probation.

Professor Kampoff summarizes, “The retention results and changes in students’ hope and optimism levels [mentioned elsewhere in her report] display the effectiveness of the On Course curriculum and structure of SAS 100. I am convinced that teaching On Course topics such as personal responsibility, self-management, self-awareness, self-motivation, and interdependence address the underlying reasons that students are on academic probation. Breaking away from the traditional approach of teaching a straight study skills curriculum is not easy, but the data is compelling to say the least.”

To read the entire University of North Carolina Greensboro report, CLICK HERE.

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