Valencia Community
College
Winter Park Campus
START RIGHT
Program
Presented by:
Linda Villar, Counselor
Kira Bishop, Activities Director, Title III
16th Annual International First Year Experience Conference
July 8, 2003
Vancouver, BC
CONNECTIONS: LEARNING
IN COMMUNITY - YEAR
ONE
TITLE III
“FACILITATING SUCCESS
THROUGH COMMUNITY FOR
AT-RISK STUDENTS”
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Strategic Goals & Core Competencies
 Case Studies
 Start Right Math Overview
 Results: Math & Developmental
Growth
 Real Life Results
 Future of Start Right Program

STRATEGIC LEARNING PLAN
GOALS
CENTRAL THEMES

Students successful in their first 12 credit
hours dramatically increase their likelihood to
graduate

Boylan’s study asserts that with the
appropriate interventions, underprepared
students can be as successful in higher
education as their college-ready counterparts
REVOLVING DOOR OF
FAILURE
Dean
McArdle
CURRENT VALENCIA PREP MATH
PROGRAM CHALLENGES
COLLEGE-WIDE COURSE OUTCOMES
Failed
Incomplete
20%
2%
Withdre
w
33%
Passed
45%
CONNECTIONS GOAL FOR
AT-RISK STUDENT
SUCCESS

Learning in Community

Developmental Advising

Learning Through Technology
LEARNING IN COMMUNITY

Atlas Groups

Collaborative Learning (Base Groups)

Diversity & Inclusion (MBTI)
DEVELOPMENTAL
ADVISING
LIFEMAP

Move from dependence to
independence to interdependence

A > As > AS > aS > S > SS

Improve self-confidence & selfesteem
DEVELOPMENTAL
ADVISING
LIFEMAP (continued)

Create educational & career plans

Sustain lifelong learning

Make informed decisions
LEARNING THROUGH
TECHNOLOGY

Atlas Suite of Technology – LIFEMAP
Tab

My Educational Plan

My Career Plan

My Portfolio
START RIGHT GUIDING
PRINCIPLES

“Students who make social
connections with faculty and peers
early in their college careers will
have more success in college.”

Students who begin college prep
courses make significant progress
toward completing the prep
sequence.
Start Right Learning
Outcomes
•Develop a positive attitude toward
learning
•Expand repertoire of study skills
•Establish social and academic
connections
•Accept responsibility for learning
•Persevere as learning becomes more
complex
METHODOLOGIES
Link math prep with math study
skills
 Through cooperative learning
address time management, note
taking, & test taking
 Learning Partners
 Collaboration among instructors,
peer SI, advisors, & tutor

STUDENT CONTRACT
FOR
START RIGHT MATH

Presented first day of class

Reviewed by instructor

Signed by all parties
COLLEGE STUDENT
INVENTORY (CSI) NoelLevitz

Designed specifically for first-year
students

Main Categories: Academic
Motivation, General Coping Skills,
Receptivity to Support Services
CSI ADVISOR/COUNSELOR
REPORT

Drop-out proneness

Predicted academic difficulty

Educational Stress

Receptivity to institutional help
CSI STUDENT REPORT

Provides insights into strengths &
challenges

Provides a springboard for
discussions
RESULTS:
DEVELOPMENTAL - MATH
ATTITUDE

Math Learning Profile – 27% increase

CSI – Motivational Assessment
Educational Stress – 22% decrease;
Predicted Academic Difficulty – 15%
decrease
RESULTS:
DEVELOPMENTAL – MATH
STUDY SKILLS

CSI: Academic Motivation

Study Habits - 12% increase

Math & Science Confidence - 27% increase

Verbal Confidence –39% increase
RESULTS: DEVELOPMENTAL – SOCIAL
& ACADEMIC CONNECTIONS

CSI: General Coping

Sociability – 55% increase

Family support – 41% increase

Opinion Tolerance – 25% increase

Attitude Toward Educators – 15% increase
RESULTS: DEVELOPMENTAL –
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
LEARNING

Accept responsibility for learning and
persevere as learning becomes more
difficult due to complexity of
material and personal situations
Retention:
 Completion rate – Fall 2003 – 92%

Completions rate – Fall 2002 – 50%
RESULTS: Prep Math FALL
2002
MAT0012C Pre-Algebra
 4.4% increase in completion
rate
 90%
28.4 % increase in pass rate
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Completion
Rate
Start Right
Valencia
Pass Rate
RESULTS: Prep Math Fall
2002
MAT0024C Beginning Algebra
 19% increase in completion rate
 27 % increase in pass rate
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Completion
Rate
Start Right
Valencia
Pass Rate
Recommendations for Future
of Start Right
Administrative support
Lots of planning time
Cross discipline involvement
Involve all players at the
beginning
Common outcomes & joint
Recommendations for Future
(continued)
Proper scheduling
Purposeful process
meetings
FUNDED FOR FALL
2003/04
 Preparatory math
 Preparatory reading
 College level science
CREDITS

Noel-Levitz, College Student Inventory
Form B, Retention Management System,
2001
 Paul D. Nolting, Math Study Skills
Workbook, Houghton Mifflin, 2000
 Skip Downing, On Course, Strategies for
Creating Success in College and in
Life,
Third Edition, Houghton Mifflin, 2002