INDICATORS OF PROGRAM QUALITY
These program indicators were designed for the ABE-to-College Transition Project, a comprehensive transition model.
Program Planning
- Program design reflects the needs of the local context. Program design
provides adequate time and intensity for mastery of program content.
Classes are held at times that support persistence and retention. The
suggested minimum is 14 weeks of direct instruction per cycle and a
minimum of 2 weeks of non-instructional time for planning and evaluation
per cycle and a 2:1 teaching to preparation ratio
- Recruitment reflects a comprehensive community based approach that
draws from multiple venues
- The program instructor and counselor work in a cooperative process to facilitate
intake, assessment, and enrollment
- The program director, instructor, and counselor work with representatives
of the collaborating college(s) from the Financial Aid, Admissions,
Student Support, and Developmental Studies Departments to secure additional
support to the transition student in the form of:
Information, facilitation, and support to the transition student
in the admission and financial aid process
An increased level of academic advising for transition students
Exposure to the college culture before the student matriculates
Access to all student support services for the transition student
A willingness to share academic benchmarks and placement information
with the ABE Provider
- Data collection and evaluation inform all aspects of program planning
The recruitment process is documented and evaluated
All students evaluate the program
Intake, assessment, and exit processes yield information to inform
program design such as student work schedules, childcare needs, additional
time constraints, and educational, career and, personal goals.
Educational Counseling
Educational counseling embodies all support services and activities necessary
to ensure the students' completion of the ABE-to-College Transition course
and a successful transition to post-secondary education. The activities
and services include:
- Recruitment, intake, assessment and enrollment
- Facilitating an orientation process
- Facilitating a series of workshops on college survival skills, covering:
the college admission process, the financial aid process, career
exploration, time and stress management, the college culture, how
to navigate the college system, note taking, listening skills, and
test taking strategies. The suggested time for this component is
12 hours.
- Developing and maintaining a relationship with representatives of
the collaborating college(s)
- Individual counseling on a needs basis
- Providing additional support through social service agencies when
needed
- Working with the instructor to integrate counseling objectives into
the academic component of the program
- Working with the instructor to develop and implement persistence
and retention strategies
- Developing, implementing and managing a mentoring program for the
students who have transitioned to college
- Tracking persistence rates of the transition students in college
Curriculum and Instruction
The curriculum must, at a minimum, cover fourteen weeks of instruction
at 6 hours per week of direct instruction. In addition to the workshops
discussed above, there are 2 components to the course:
- Personal computing skills necessary for students to complete class
work in the manner expected at a college level. The suggested time for
this component is 12 hours.
- College Academic Skills covers the reading, writing, pre-algebra
and elementary algebra skills necessary for academic success at the
college level. The suggested time for this component is 60 hours.
Successful instruction will have the following elements:
- Flexible curriculum design and delivery developed and modified with
student input
- On-going assessment and feedback
- Clear classroom expectations regarding course work, homework, attendance,
classroom participation
- Clear understanding of the academic expectations of the collaborating
college
- Relevant and appropriate resources
Collaboration with the College(s)
Specifically
the college can support the program by:
- Facilitating the admissions process for transition students
- Facilitating and supporting the financial aid process for transition
students
- Conducting tours of the college for transition students
- Making all students support services available to transition students
- Representatives of the college meet with the instructor and counselor
of the transition program to discuss the needs of the transition student
on an on-going basis
Top of page |
