Case Studies Programs of Study at Desert College1 Overview ...

Appendix H: Case Studies Programs of Study at Desert College1 Overview Desert College is the second largest postsecondary institution in its state, serving more than 26,000 students at four campuses and a Workforce Training Center. The college plays a central role in postsecondary education for an urban population that is largely Hispanic and includes many first-generation college students. The primary feeder district is the largest in the state, with a total school enrollment of approximately 95,500 students. The high schools participating in this study are mostly large schools (population 1,600-2,000) attended by ethnically diverse students from low-income communities. The college offers certificate and degree programs in 100 areas, and it has more dual enrollment students than anywhere else in the state. Dual credit programs began at the college in 1995. The foundation for the dual credit program was articulation agreements in CTE areas established in four feeder districts. Primarily a faculty-driven process, articulation agreements start with secondary and postsecondary instructors working together on the alignment of curricula and the building of career pathways. From each high school, both principals and curriculum staff are involved. At the time of the research visit in 2009-2010, the Desert College administration was revising its dual credit and articulated credit programs2 based on an internal data report that revealed a gap between the number of awarded and redeemed credits. Specifically, administrators found that during a two-year period, only 55 of the over 5,000 students who took articulated courses in high school, and received a grade of B or better, received postsecondary credit at Desert College. Under the articulated credit framework, credits could be awarded only after students matriculated at the college; students weren’t always aware of this and often had “unused” credits. In response, Desert College moved to an on-line application and enrollment process in which credits are now automatically transcripted as soon as the high school student receives them. The college’s efforts were accelerated by a new state law requiring all high school graduates to earn college credit through participation in dual enrollment, distance learning, or Advanced Placement (AP) courses. State legislation requires that registration, tuition, and distance learning fees are waived for high school students taking dual enrollment courses and the school district purchases textbooks for the students. The planning process for the transition to dual credit was led by a team comprised of representatives from two school districts, principals from two rural high schools, and a charter school. Perkins grant funds were used to hire a consultant to help ensure that the program would meet the accreditation standards of the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships. The planning process took close to a year. Desert College selected 30-40 secondary CTE courses that already had articulation agreements. Planners established a process in which high school syllabi and texts were reviewed and approved by college deans and department chairs. Students                                                                                                                         1 2

 All names and places have been masked to protect their identity.  Ultimately, the college dropped the articulated credit program and now only has dual credit.  

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who completed courses satisfactorily could earn one high school credit for each three to four credit college course and one half credit for each one to two credit course. Dual credit enrollment at Desert College more than doubled from 849 in academic year 20052006 to 1,877 in academic year 2009-2010. Dual credit courses are taught both on the college campus and in high schools, but the majority of dual credit students take classes on the college campus. Dual credit students are considered Desert College students and have access to all of the resources any Desert College student has. A review process for instructor qualifications was established, but qualifications for teaching vary across programs. Most teachers are required to have bachelors’ degrees; however, industry certification may suffice in very rural areas where teacher recruitment is more difficult. One of the challenges encountered is that high school CTE teachers may not be qualified to teach college-level courses. To address this issue, Desert College might offer students an online course taught by a college faculty member but facilitated by a high school teacher. Professional development for high school teachers often takes place during the summer. Desert College provides funding to the district to pay dual credit teachers a stipend of $500 per course (not worth it, in one high school teacher’s view), and the teachers are considered adjunct faculty at the college. If Desert College faculty teach a course at a high school after the school day, it has to be open to the public and is not fundable by the college. College faculty believe that younger students tend to benefit from being around the older students when attending an afterschool class open to the community, but as one interviewee described it, “If we don’t make course available to the public, it’s not fundable. You can get around this for college in the high school because it’s being taught by a high school teacher who only gets a stipend.” A pilot of the dual credit program was conducted in Spring 2008 in several school districts to identify and address barriers. The smaller districts tested the program with classes of six or seven students, but it proved more difficult to conduct the pilot with the largest and geographically closest district. Due to its size, this district cannot be as flexible as the smaller school districts; it needed more lead time to communicate changes. The new superintendent of this district is working to standardize the dual credit program across schools and to restructure pathways, which has generated a perception that the process is becoming a more “top-down” as opposed to one that is more collaborative. Desert College has a three-person High School Relations Office supported by Perkins funding. The sole function of this office is to work with area high schools on recruitment, articulation, credits, and enrollment. The growth in dual credit enrollment in the last few years is largely attributed to the college’s outreach to high schools through this office. According to staff, outreach includes bringing high school students to the college for events and tours or attending events at high schools and college fairs. The Director of High School Relations at Desert College reported that she meets frequently with students to help them explore career options and understand support services available to them. Staff also meet teachers and principals they consider instrumental for student recruitment. High school relations staff reported they would like to improve their ability to raise awareness among parents of high school students. 2    

According to the High School Relations staff, about half of dual credit students were enrolled in CTE, as opposed to academic, programs in 2009-2010. The CTE programs are highly attuned to the needs of both students and employers in the region, and the campus career center claims a 96% success rate at placing graduates. Every CTE program at the college is required to have an interdisciplinary advisory committee including secondary, postsecondary, community and industry representatives. Committees rely on input from industry representatives to recommend changes to curricula and keep the college updated about state-of-the-art equipment and technology. To facilitate program expansion, Desert College holds events focused on curriculum alignment to inform instructors and administrators about programs aligned with their courses. POS data and accountability. At the time of the research visit, staff reported that it has been difficult to track student progress from high school through postsecondary education because the public education and higher education data systems are not integrated into a single system. High school teachers in the largest feeder district, for example, did not have ready access to data that can tell them the number of students in the hospitality program, who ultimately enter the Culinary Arts program at Desert College. Currently, data must be accessed separately from the Public Education Department and the Higher Education Department. POS enrollment data are available from each high school but these data are not required to be reported to the state. One interviewee suggested that cultivating good relationships is key to obtaining electronic data from the schools. Desert College staff reported that their faculty were using data about their own students and programs to drive program change and increase the number of courses offered off campus. A Dual Credit Annual Report for 2009-2010 presents data about dual credit enrollment over time, enrollment by school district and college campus, passing rate by school district and courses, and GPA by district. It is necessary to have accurate numbers for students enrolled in dual credit courses both for FTE calculations at the high school level and to enter into the per capita funding formula for the college. Monitoring of instruction and learning is considered essential to counteract any skepticism about program quality. Strengths and Challenges Interviews in 2009-2010 with a variety of stakeholders at the high school and college levels across the three programs selected for the research study revealed a number of strengths and challenges in POS development. Strengths included having specific Desert College staff to conduct outreach to high schools; positive relationships between institutions in order for POS to span high school, community college, and four-year postsecondary institutions; availability of good systems for helping students explore career options and understand support services available to them (e.g., achievement coaches); and the dedication of the people involved in POS. Challenges included lack of awareness among students, their families, and school counselors about dual enrollment options and high-wage, high-skill, and high-demand jobs in career technical fields; the lack of state guidance on content and program standards; the paperwork required at the high school level, such as the state-mandated permission slip that parents have to

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sign each term; and the mismatch of academic calendars and student progress reporting schedules. Less tangible challenges included the diminishing quality and quantity of teacher-faculty partnerships—once strong when articulation agreements were developed—due to the centralization of POS in the largest district. Some individuals reported tension due to a negative perception that the dual credit program is a means for Desert College to increase its enrollment and share of state funding at the same time that participating school districts and schools have new expenses (e.g., textbooks) and administrative costs (e.g., adjusting class schedules and negotiating Memoranda of Understanding). Coursework/Credit This section of the case study describes three programs of study—Culinary Arts, Film Technician, and Construction Technology—with strong connections between feeder high schools and Desert College. Interviews were conducted with faculty, staff, and students from Desert College, as well as administrators from one district office and teachers and students from six high schools. Culinary Arts College role. The Culinary Arts program began in 1973 as a pilot initiated by the large school district to train cafeteria workers in safety and sanitation. It became popular with restaurants and restaurant associations, and in 1986, the program began offering a food service management certificate and later one in baking. Now accredited by the American Culinary Federation Foundation (ACF)’s Education Accrediting Commission, the culinary arts program meets standards and competencies set for faculty, curriculum, and student services. In 2009, there were approximately 400 students who declared a culinary arts major at Desert College. Enrollment in the culinary program had doubled in size in the past year. Desert College faculty and students consider this to be a very strong program owing to its accreditation, instructors who bring practical, “real life” experience into the classroom, and the employment opportunities it provides. Students can earn certifications alone, or pursue the Associate of Applied Science degree in Culinary Arts requiring 73-77 credit-hours of classroom and lab instruction. Students study baking and pastry, professional cooking, safety, sanitation, nutrition, equipment use, human relations, supervisory skills, dining room skills, business practices and other general coursework. Desert College offers a hospitality and tourism certificate that can be completed in two terms. Students in the program are eligible to become a certified culinarian and certified pastry cook through the ACF. They can also become a certified Food Manager through the International Food Service Executive Association (IFSEA). The local chapter of the IFSEA will pay for half the test fee and a foundation helps cover the remaining fees with tips from the on-campus restaurant. Students can also obtain a certificate in “culinology,” a food science degree. Student performance in the Desert College Culinary Arts program is graded on written and practical exams. In one course, the students compile a portfolio in which they reflect on what 4    

they’ve learned. The state Higher Education Conference on Assessment has invited the instructor to present the culinary portfolio because of its uniqueness in the field. The instructor of this course, who believes that “written tests aren’t an accurate measure of culinary skills,” developed a three-week sequence of performance assessments based on a specific set of competencies. In addition to classroom instruction, the Culinary Arts program provides practical, “front of the house,” experience for students at a restaurant for the public that the program operates on campus. Students also have opportunities to participate in culinary competitions with ACF, SkillsUSA and other extracurricular activities. There are no formal apprenticeships in the community, in part because of strict guidelines by the accrediting organizations. Desert College has articulation agreements with several four-year institutions. Healthy Meals for Life,” a USDA grant, is designed as a 2+2+2 program beginning in high school. There is a professional development component for high school teachers during the summer. A four-year institution in another city offers a 2+2+2 sequence with distance learning technology. College student perspective. Among the positive attributes students reported about the Culinary Arts program at Desert College was that it provided them with experience in various aspects of food service, opportunities for practical experience in the classroom and special events, and good support and feedback from business owners. Connections with faculty were also considered important for job placement. Students mentioned they appreciated the individualized attention they got in small lab classes. They also reported that being in classes alongside students of different ages and levels of knowledge enriched their learning. High school role. Perkins grant funding has been used to add new kitchens in high schools for labs, which according to ACF guidelines are limited to 20 students per lab. Funding has also been used to help train instructional techs (all of whom have industry experience) in the labs. One teacher noted that Perkins funding has been instrumental in upgrading the Culinary Arts POS overall by requiring high school teachers to gain certification in teaching. The high school culinary programs use the ProStart program developed by the National Restaurant Association and are currently administering safety and sanitation course requirements for ServSafe industry certification.3 Each school district develops its own coursework. In the large feeder district, the scope and sequence of the curriculum was developed by a core group of culinary arts teachers across the school district as part of a citywide planning team that focused on student transitions across the district. Desert College staff estimated that about one in 10 of the Desert College Culinary Arts students had taken culinary classes in high school. The majority of high school dual credit students attend classes on one of the Desert College campuses where they can get a taste of college life, but faculty members estimated that only a very small percentage (10% or fewer) high school culinary students matriculate at Desert College immediately following high school graduation. Dual credit courses in Culinary Arts in high schools offer students a leg up in postsecondary education, and faculty made the point that students with high school experience in culinary arts come to Desert College well prepared. In addition, many also have gained industry experience.                                                                                                                         3

See http://www.servsafe.com/.

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High school perspective. High schools can apply to the district CTE office for Perkins funding, which teachers consider easy to obtain. Programs are monitored by the district and funding can be withdrawn if the program fails to produce positive results. In general, teachers reported that one of the drawbacks of Perkins funding “is having to go through a lot of hoops.” Nonetheless, enthusiasm for the POS was particularly noticeable at one high school. This year they developed plans for culinary students to work in a local catering company managed by a former high school coach. They are also planning to plant a vegetable garden, sell vegetables and baked goods at a local farmer’s market, and are exploring the feasibility of building a greenhouse on campus to grow lettuce and other produce to sell to teachers. Schools are encouraged to integrate core academic classes with CTE but some of the teachers were struggling with it and reported needing professional development about integration. In one district high school, the school-wide focus on literacy yielded cross-curricular lesson plans. For example, a literature class created a PowerPoint presentation on foreign countries for the culinary class which will, in turn, cook dishes from these countries using information in the presentation. In another high school, the POS created collaboration around interdisciplinary units. The POS has a science requirement (e.g., chemistry or physics). In another high school, the leader of the POS team would like academic and technical faculty to attend the annual conference of the Association of Career and Technical Education (ACTE) together to strengthen interdisciplinary and cross-curricular planning. Culinary teachers view integration of some classes, such as nutrition, as easier than core courses (e.g., chemistry). Moreover, seeking interdisciplinary projects and assignments was a challenge for teachers who have students from more than one POS in their classes. The theme of academic rigor emerged in several interviews. Teachers noted that for some students serious about culinary arts, the POS is not rigorous enough. On the other hand, academic skills, particularly in writing and math, are in need of improvement for many students. Academic achievement also came up in one of the interviews in relation to the chemistry requirement for graduation. One recommended approach in the large district was to create a separate math course specifically for culinary arts as long as the sequence aligns with the district’s graduation standards. One teacher was concerned that the school might be “dumbing down” the course, but a colleague noted that 60% of students do not currently pass chemistry. Another theme that emerged involved student interest and understanding about the pathways. A 10th-grade English teacher indicated that overall, only 12 of her students were in the hospitality POS, but not all of them were aware that they were in the POS. Some students were enrolled in more than one POS, leading one teacher to suspect that students who were not particularly interested were being “dumped” into the courses. There were, however, other students in the school who were serious about the program especially in light of the recent popularity of food shows in the media. Partnerships. The advisory committee at Desert College comprises faculty, school district personnel, and school representatives. Although there are some local chefs, they have been difficult to recruit onto the committee. An estimated 25-35 committee members attend meetings to discuss current issues related to the program (e.g., whether to add internships) and they may 6    

review findings of surveys of employers’ needs. Members of the advisory committee also contribute to the program in other ways, such as judging competitions and offering employment opportunities. A school district-level advisory team meets twice a year. In addition to high school teachers, members on the team include faculty and administrators from Desert College and representatives of ProStart (a national two-year career building program for high school students), the National Restaurant Association, and a local hotel. The committee also plans to recruit students and parents. There are also interdisciplinary POS advisory committees at each participating high school. At one school, an interdisciplinary five-member POS team (comprising Physics, English, and Social Studies) views culinary arts as part of a broader hospitality and tourism pathway (the POS now includes lodging management). At this school, teachers can indicate their preferences for serving on the POS team for a particular pathway, but the administration makes the final decision each year. A member of one of the high school teams noted that it is important to clearly define expectations of roles, responsibilities, targets, and resources for the POS team. Continuity of the team is also important. Strengths and challenges. Respondents reported strengths of the program including accreditation by the ACF’s Education Accrediting Commission; enthusiastic high school faculty interested in expanding the program; and exposure to a wide range of food service careers, individual attention in labs, and access to faculty who can help with employment for Desert College students. One challenge at the college was that, at the time of the interviews, there were only 40 spaces in the two professional cooking labs and 20 spaces in the baking lab. For high schools, fitting five times-weekly, 5.5-hour labs into a high school schedule of 50 minute class periods was not possible. One of the high schools had addressed this challenge by moving to 2.5-hour blocks twice a week. Desert College also now begins its summer term later, benefitting high school students who are able to devote more time to labs while enrolled in summer courses. Other challenges include finding internships to help students gain experience; limited space in high schools (one high school teacher told us they need a classroom for instruction in addition to the kitchen; another would like to have a full commercial kitchen with different work stations so they could move into catering; the kitchen would have to be certified by public health authorities if used for commercial purposes); and finally, many seniors were planning to go to Desert College but not planning to pursue culinary arts, particularly those who started taking culinary arts for an elective as seniors. Construction Technology College. Construction technology is a POS within Desert College’s Engineering, Construction, and Manufacturing Career Cluster, which offers courses of study concentrating in carpentry, residential wiring, and electrical trades. Students in the program can earn a carpentry certificate in two semesters and/or an electrical certificate. Students can earn an associate’s degree with 7    

emphasis in carpentry or electrical in two years by combining classes in general studies with classes in the trades, including construction management courses. Evidence for the strength of the program was offered by Desert College faculty who estimated that the program retention rate was about 85% and that 100% of graduates are placed in jobs. Companies that hire graduates also may have may have their own training facilities and programs; some industry partners offer classroom instruction as part of four-year apprenticeship programs for both union and non-union programs. Desert College’s courses in the carpentry and electrical areas can be substituted for apprenticeship courses or vice versa. Some students entering apprenticeship programs after completing the Desert College program are reported to have “a leg up” because of their educational credentials. Desert College uses a standardized curriculum, published by Pearson, from the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER). Originally designed for union accreditation, the NCCER program was repackaged so that union and nonunion curricula are now largely the same, though the nonunion program used by Desert College is “heavy on theory.” A program called “Breaking Through” is offered so students can do condensed remediation in reading and math courses that are contextualized for the construction program. Students in the program take two six-week sequences. After its original funding from the Mott Foundation ended, Desert College picked up the costs for “Breaking Through” because of its effectiveness for students in adult and general education as well as advanced technologies (of which construction technology is a part). Faculty perspective. The Director of the construction technology program shared his hope that dual credit programs would increase the number of students who enter Desert College directly from high school because, “the sooner they get into our program the better.” The Director understood that there are reasons to wait: Many students need to experience the workforce or even pursue other educational options before they know that they want to join the trades. There are incentives, however, for direct matriculation such as scholarships paid for by the state lottery that are only available to students who enter college directly from high school. The Director also reported that some schools have been known to “dump” low-achieving students into CTE classes. In fact, Desert College discontinued a dual credit arrangement with one high school because of its students’ low achievement levels. College student perspective. An adult construction technology student studying for an associate’s degree at Desert College said she wouldn’t change a thing about the program. It provided career guidance helping her decide to go into drafting and house plans. She liked that some of the construction technologies credits will transfer to the local four-year college should she seek a degree in architecture or construction management. She also appreciated that students in her classes were different ages because “older students can bring their perceptions of what’s been tried and younger students bring fresh perspectives.” High school role. Most of the high school students enrolled in the construction technology POS across the feeder high schools take their dual credit courses on the Desert College campus, though some courses are taught at the high school either by high school teachers or Desert 8    

College faculty. The latter report having much more control over curriculum quality when they teach the college-level courses at high schools. Desert College faculty consider it part of their role to help high school students transition into being adult learners. At the same time, they believe they have more latitude than high school teachers to “dis-enroll” students with behavioral or academic problems from the class. Another advantage of having college faculty teach the dual credit courses is that the process of hiring an instructor as adjunct faculty at the college is much easier than the districts’ hiring process. Perkins funding is used for professional development, which promotes teamwork and exposes the team to new ways of collaborating. One of the high school metals teachers credited Perkins for bringing rigor to his classroom by requiring that he take classes at Desert College in order to teach in the dual enrollment program. Perkins funding also is used to purchase state-of-the-art equipment, but as the district CTE Program Director noted, “Lots of [secondary] trades instructors don’t have Perkins funds—either they don’t know how to get them or their administrators don’t want to bother.” According to a high school metals teacher, a strong incentive for participation in the POS is that it would help ensure continued support for classes that are often considered expendable by budget cutters who target electives. That some of them have high costs for supplies (e.g., metals) makes them that much more vulnerable. The director of the construction technology program at Desert College reported that the college’s donation of equipment to a charter school was one of the reasons the program worked so well there. The director also reported that that programs work at the high school when an associate principal is invested in the success of the program. Some faculty in the construction technology POS believe that one reason some high school counselors don’t encourage student participation in the program is because they aren’t familiar with construction trades and the well-paying jobs in them. One teacher speculated that his welding graduates earn more money than teachers. Those interviewed were positive about the dual credit program and one person interviewed called attention to two students who, last year, earned associate’s degrees in engineering while still in high school. In order to increase the number of students who graduate from high school and matriculate at Desert College, the director wants to increase the number of high schools offering dual credit in construction technologies. To market the POS, he suggested a two-pronged approach—first increasing students’ interest through competitions with SkillsUSA, an organization that sponsors contests culminating in a national championship for CTE students, and second, building awareness in high schools. (A high school teacher reported that his group had won second place in the state SkillsUSA competition this year and first in a previous year.) The director of the construction technology program also advocates for making electives (e.g., drafting and surveying) part of a core curriculum in high school to help ensure sustainability of these courses, which as electives are being eliminated by districts. High school perspective. One enthusiastic high school teacher participates on the school advisory committee, has working relationships with other Computer Assisted Design (CAD) teachers in the district, and sits on the district trades advisory committee. She uses strategies like “first-hand applications,” field trips, and guest speakers to make class relevant to students. In response to the district-wide initiative to better integrate academic classes with CTE through 9    

formalization of POS, she and a geometry teacher had integrated lessons in engineering and architecture and planned to repeat the courses after their initial success. This teacher also worked with a chemistry teacher to plan lessons on chemical components of concrete for her architecture class. Despite these successes, she observed that it was challenging to develop collaboration between CTE and academic teachers and that awarding academic credit for CTE courses has not taken off even though some of the district’s CAD teachers are also certified as math teachers. Nevertheless, she considered student performance in the CAD/drafting course to be high. According to this teacher, some of the 15 seniors are intent on pursuing four-year degrees in architecture; overall, she believes that students in her CAD/drafting class are more likely than those in other POS to go into baccalaureate degree programs. A high school metals teacher offered additional examples of efforts to integrate academics and CTE. Having a background as an English teacher, he requires students to write a research paper on metallurgy. A multi-disciplinary team in his school helps promote integration “more or less,” depending, in part, on scheduling. This year they collaborated on project-based learning in which students would design and build benches on campus. The math teacher helped students estimate costs, the English teacher helped students develop a business plan, the history teacher reviewed with students the history of the campus using aerial photographs and other source materials, and the science teacher served as a resource for students. This teacher also partnered with a history teacher on units that involved making historical artifacts like armor, gears, and levers, but he reported that it was difficult to find other core teachers willing to work with electives. Another teacher addressed the quality of instruction. “The best thing I’ve ever done,” he explained, “is holding kids to high standards.” He reported that of the graduates from his program, six or seven students attend Desert College each year, estimating that his program provides about half of Desert College’s enrollment in welding each year. One high school teacher raised the issue of administrative support and compensation for participating in the POS, which is voluntary. He noted that completing paperwork for the Perkins grant, participation in SkillsUSA, and other activities are beyond his contractual responsibilities. Partnerships. The POS received a strong start with articulation agreements developed collaboratively between college faculty and high school teachers at five or six high schools in the largest feeder district as well as successful pilots in two other districts. A Desert College faculty member reported that partnership between Desert College and high schools is strong and staff are enthusiastic, owing in part to strong communication and frequent visits to high schools to discuss curriculum and the alignment between syllabi and competencies. High school students and teachers visit the Desert College campus to learn more about the program. Desert College faculty consider the students coming from articulated high school programs to be among their strongest performers. Currently the construction technology program boasts multi-disciplinary school-based advisory committees, a district-wide advisory committee built through working relationships among CAD teachers, and a Desert College advisory committee (comprising Desert College faculty, high school teachers, and employers). There is also a district trades advisory committee. These committees have members in common, which was described as a strength. An Industry Advisory 10    

Committee meets twice a year, with e-mail communications to members every two or three months, although according to one respondent, “We’ve lost some support in the last couple of years since business is down; advisory committee participation is higher when industry is desperate for workers.” The role of this advisory committee is to review and comment on proposed curriculum changes and to discuss how to make curricula more responsive to current industry needs. Industry perspective. The local Association of Builders and Contractors (ABC) currently has 170 apprenticeships and wants to enlarge the program. According to an ABC representative, sponsoring companies pick up the cost. To qualify to be in the program, candidates complete an application, and supply references and evidence of the last grade completed. They are interviewed by the trades committee to assess their understanding of the program and motivation. Applicants need to achieve a combined score of at least 60 out of a possible 105 points on their application and interview to be accepted into the program; a ranked list is sent to employers. The rigor of the application process was apparent when the ABC representative reported that out of 11 candidates for the electrical apprentice program they had interviewed the day before, only two scored high enough to be listed. In comparison to the apprenticeship, the associate’s degree requires an additional 50 hours of technical and general education courses. The interim dean of construction technologies noted that students’ individual circumstances usually drive which academic road they choose. Instructors in the apprenticeship program have to be journeymen in their respective trades and meet with relevant trade committee as well as ABC’s master trainer. ABC encourages instructors, who aren’t required to have an associate’s or baccalaureate degree to teach in the technical program, to pursue Desert College professional development and/or college degrees. Instructors can earn certification as Desert College instructors upon successful completion of a weekend training. At the time of the interviews, ABC had 11 instructors for the apprenticeship program; funding generated through Desert College’s per capita formula for state funding contributes to covering their pay. Strengths and challenges. Key strengths of the construction technologies POS include the following: High school programs in metals and CAD seem very strong and are led by committed and enthusiastic faculty; the productive relationship between industry and Desert College in the apprenticeship programs; and out-of-school opportunities for students related to construction technologies, including participation in SkillsUSA competitions and visits to the Desert College campus. Challenges included integrating CTE and academic classes and marketing the construction trades to schools, counselors, and teachers. Another obstacle to student participation is lack of transportation to campus and jobs that may be out of town. Weak math skills are also a problem for many apprenticeship students. The ABC representative reported that she encourages prospective applicants to improve their skills by taking a summer course or seeking tutoring before they apply to program. Some apprenticeship students also need English as a Second Language (ESL) courses before entering.

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Film Tech For over a decade, the state has been working to attract films and increase the number of qualified crew members for the film and media industries as an economic development strategy. In industry parlance, job titles “above-the-line” have credits at beginning of the film (e.g., producer, director, writers, actors, art, and design) and the technical positions, “below-the-line,” are credited at the end of a film (e.g., camera, sound, light, special effects, hair, makeup, wardrobe, and craft services). In order for movie producers to receive a state incentive package, at least 60% of the “below-the-line” payroll has to go to state residents. College. As part of the governor’s initiative, the state Film Office (an office of state government), the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 480 union, and a nearby community college collaborated to develop a statewide model for a Film Technicians' Training Program (FTTP). The program, which included video production, film crew training, and other classes typically offered in film schools, was inaugurated in 2004 and replicated across the state quickly in response to high demand. Desert College started its own program modeled on the FTTP in Spring 2005, bringing on a faculty member from another college that had started the program. Desert College was considered a good home for the program because of its location in the largest city in the state and its size (larger than the initial college). Desert College now has the largest FTTP in the state, with smaller programs at other two and four-year colleges in the state. Desert College solicited and received a $5,000 grant from the local union to hire 10 people to review materials and instructional components in the Desert College program and make recommendations. Community colleges in the film initiative are moving toward developing Centers of Excellence, with each college specializing in a specific area of film tech. Membership in the IATSE union is the most important prerequisite for employment in the film industry. To join the union students must work on film projects, and the goal of the FTTP at Desert College is to give students the requisite experience for union membership—a minimum of 15 days sequential employment on a union shoot, 30 days cumulative experience over a one-year period, or five years of like experience. Students generally gain their experience working as unpaid trainees on a union set with union mentors. Desert College has an agreement with independent film-makers allowing students to volunteer on films in exchange for training hours. Films with budgets under $1 million aren’t union films, but if union members work on them, student volunteers can earn credit toward union hours. According to a teacher in one of the high schools with a film technician program, the lowest pay on any union set is $16.50 per hour plus time-and-a-half for overtime (which is all but certain on a shoot). Eighty percent of IASTE union members in the state earn annual salaries of $60,000 to $80,000. The college starts three cohorts of students in the film program per year. Cohorts begin with an enrollment of about 30 students that generally falls to 20-22 for second semester, for a total of about 50 students at the first and second levels in any given term. Unlike other courses at Desert College, the film program requires a lab fee of $500 per student per semester. The fee has helped the school purchase equipment needed to make the program viable. Desert College offers movie producers use of their equipment in exchange for providing on-set opportunities for students. 12    

Film Crew Technician is a POS within Desert College’s Arts and Entertainment Career Cluster in the School of Applied Technologies. The program has a sequence that includes a three-credit course, a nine-credit course, and a 12-credit course. Desert College divided the 12-credit term into four three-credit classes. High schools use the first course, Media and Film Workflow, for dual credit. The course covers pre- to post-production and helps high school students understand how a movie is made. This course also helps students select areas of interest for specialization. A faculty member estimated that about 25 of approximately 100 dual-credit high school students will enroll in the Desert College program next fall, and more will attend four-year institutions. Students can earn a film technology training certificate in two terms (24 credits). However, according to the director of the film program the certificate is “meaningless in the industry” so few students complete the required paperwork for the certificate. Rather, union membership is the ticket to jobs. Desert College was eager to develop a Center of Excellence, in partnership with its art department, to support art jobs above- and below-the-line. A local film studio has built one of the largest sound stages in the country; with the state’s incentive package, the studio has attracted major films and created many opportunities for set construction. Art specialization (a cluster with about 25 different jobs) would require completion of a first term followed by craft-specific skills (e.g., set construction and deconstruction, and finishing techniques). According to a faculty member in the film program, the state has major shortage of art specialists; these jobs tend to pay well (e.g., stand-by painters earn about $50 an hour). Desert College is exploring the possibility of creating a 1+1+3 program—one year at high school, one year at Desert College, and three years at a baccalaureate institution to foster abovethe-line talent in the state (a baccalaureate degree is not currently considered advantageous for those seeking below-the-line positions). A member of the Desert College faculty thought that Desert College and the four-year college would soon be establishing a dual credit option for the Media Workflow course to help students decide where they want to focus their careers. High school. The dual credit film program is offered in five local high schools. Students can take Film and Media Workflow, the three-credit introductory course in their junior and senior year, earning credit at Desert College. This course is a “failsafe option” for high schools because it does not require equipment. Members of the union are invited to high schools to talk with students about their trades. An annual one-week script-to-screen competition is a major event and one way for students to gain on-set experience. Because of such opportunities, some students going from high school to Desert College have already met the hours requirements for union membership and are not as committed to completing the program. Several recent initiatives reflecting the growth of educational and industry collaborations in the wider community are notable. The Media Arts Collaborative Communications School, the first school chartered by the state, is partnering with a local TV station. The Film and Technical Academy, a small learning community in a local high school, has combined with a local film studio to offer sound studio experience for students. One of the unique offerings at Desert College is a two-week summer Film Boot Camp offering learning opportunities for high school teachers and their students that allow them to gain 13    

experience with the equipment not available at their high schools. During the first week, teachers participants create a three-minute movie, learning ways to connect the film-making process to core competencies including math, English, science, and history. During the second week, when students begin participating, both teachers and students create a 30-second commercial and tour local film studios. High school perspective. Film teachers in two of Desert College’s feeder high schools were interviewed by the researchers. One school, the Technical and Digital Arts Academy (TADA), is a small charter high school (250-300 students) where enrollment is by lottery. The charter for this school was reissued about four years ago to change its focus from credit recovery to digital arts and technology in response to the growth of the movie industry in the state. At the time of the interviews, the teachers were writing a grant proposal to obtain $16,000 in funding for equipment and software. Overall, the principal of TADA has been very supportive, although getting some teachers on board was challenging: Some resigned because they didn’t like the new program. One strategy TADA used to promote enthusiasm in the program was a field trip for school staff to a local film studio where industry representatives explained how different academic disciplines are important to the film industry. The school counselor at TADA, who serves on a statewide dual-enrollment committee, expected that within the next year TADA would have five or six dual credit offerings at the high school and opportunities for juniors and seniors to take classes on the Desert College campus. According to teachers, the film program provides “a great umbrella for creating integrated curricula across core subject areas.” They estimated that one third of TADA students are in some specialization within the film/theater area, and the program affords students the opportunity to sample each area of specialization in small groups. As the film POS expands, teachers at TADA are expected to plan cross-curricular projects. Faculty described, as an example, a potential project on the topic of the Bataan death march with history, English, and film classes exploring different aspects. Another small school with 35 students in the film class touted the 50% increase in enrollment as proof of programs’ potential for engagement. Students receive elective, communications, or computer credit for the Script to Screen class, a two-hour class Monday – Thursday that includes writing, production meetings, assigning crews, and filming. A separate script writing class works on creating a 30-second commercial and offers English credit. Students completing these high school courses can receive up to six completed articulated credits at Desert College and up to 12 if they also enroll in Desert College’s summer Film Boot Camp. According to the teachers, the film course offers career connections, opportunities to attend conferences, and student apprenticeships set aside by the Director of the Apprenticeship Office for the state. There are also internships at a local TV station, and the public service announcements for DWI they created has given the program exposure. High school student perspective. Unfortunately, the district in which these high schools were located did not allow the researchers to talk with high school students directly, and no Desert 14    

College students were available during the visit. Students’ perspectives are reflected in their survey responses. Strengths and challenges. Ongoing collaboration between the state Film Office, the union, and high school and postsecondary education is a strength of the film POS. This is understandable, according to one high school teacher who estimated that the film industry brings $1.2 billion to the state annually. One of the challenges of the film program at Desert College is limited space. According to a member of the film program faculty, the school has $10 million for capital construction and is trying to secure warehouse space to meet the needs of construction equipment for art specialization and other major equipment, but it has not bought any new space. One of the early challenges described by high school staff was having to “build the ship while at sea” without having existing curricula. Another challenge involved the high cost of equipment and computers that had insufficient memory and computing power for animation. Further, Final Cut Pro, the industry-standard film editing program, runs only on the Apple OS, but some teachers were dedicated PC users and did not want to change to Macs.  

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Programs of Study at Northern Technical College Overview Northern Technical College (NTC) is the postsecondary linchpin for 26 districts in a Perkins consortium. The area is a hub for health care, engineering, and manufacturing. Ninety percent of students come from within a 60 mile radius, and almost half of the K-12 students from the consortium schools are on free and reduced lunch. For over a decade, the consortium has been pursuing initiatives that are similar to POS, which they are now refining since Perkins IV provided “the tools and the impetus.” In the late 1990s, the college began conversations with several local high schools about improving their CTE programs. Technology had changed, schools were losing CTE teachers, and industry was unhappy with the quality of high school graduates. The high schools came to NTC to ask for help. One principal attributes the start of this process to “a confluence of circumstances—budget cuts, reduction in the teaching force, providing multiple options for kids, No Child Left Behind [NCLB] pressures, offering opportunities for college credit.” Industry was also involved in the subsequent conversations, as was the workforce development office, which is co-located at the college. An outside facilitator worked with K-12, college, and industry representatives to interact more strategically and identify needs. According to an industry advisory committee member, there was a local industry crisis when the popular press started sending the message that manufacturing jobs were decreasing and students were no longer going into these programs. An analysis of the surrounding counties showed that although manufacturing had declined nationally, it was increasing in the region. In what was described as a “pivotal event in forging a relationship between industry and education,” the group secured a sector partnership grant from the state and industry donations for the college to assist partnering high schools with the purchase of equipment for their labs. This allowed the partnering high schools to offer college-level coursework in specific disciplinary areas. The Dean stated that they could not have done this without industry support and foundation funding. In addition, the State Legislature implemented funding for Centers of Excellence to provide curriculum alignment, financial support, and other initiatives to promote manufacturing in strategic workforce areas of need throughout the state. One of these focus areas was Applied Engineering and Manufacturing. NTC became a founding partner in this Center of Excellence with other two-year colleges and one university. One strong focus of the Center of Excellence is the development of a pipeline starting in high school and extending to postsecondary. At NTC, this pipeline was strongly supported by local industry in the areas of welding, automotive, health care, carpentry, and manufacturing/engineering. The college’s work on articulation agreements with high schools had already begun under Tech Prep in the mid-1990s. At the time, the college decided to use Perkins money to fund a full-time Director of Academic Partnerships to coordinate articulation agreements and other duties relative to partnership with secondary education. According to the academic Dean of Trade and Industry, “NTC took the position a long time ago that establishing connections with area high schools needs full-time staff to make it work.” Following a model begun under Tech Prep, the consortium holds annual meetings of CTE teachers and faculty at the secondary and 16    

postsecondary levels in a variety of POS career pathways. These annual meetings review course outcomes, methods, and assessments. NTC has 39 courses available to participating high schools with an average of 10 articulation agreements at each partnering school. In 2009-2010, when this study began, the Tech Prep model of articulated credit in NTC’s consortium was still strong. High school students in articulated courses needed to meet the agreed-upon criteria to earn college credit. They needed to present their certificates of credit upon enrolling at the college to receive credit (which appeared as transfer credit) on their transcripts. Depending on the articulation agreement, this credit either allowed students to bypass a course or receive partial credit for a course. The college was consistently awarding between 1,500 and 2,000 certificates of credit annually for area high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors. As articulation continues to be a valid option for high school students even as POS emerged, the college began a separate initiative called “concurrent enrollment.” This initiative offers high school students transcripted college credit and follows a prescribed set of requirements developed by the state legislature. Although most colleges and universities in the state offer general education courses under this model, NTC focused uniquely on CTE courses. Having different schools on different schedules poses challenges to being able to offer POS to students at other high schools across the consortium. According to a district CTE coordinator, “The real challenge is the alignment of high school courses with postsecondary expectations so that as students choose postsecondary options while in high school, they have the necessary background to pass entrance exams and meet the college rigor necessary for successful completion.” According to college administrators, POS require dedicated staff and support to put the structure in place, coordinate partnerships, and ensure accountability. The CTE coordinator for the largest district that NTC serves asserted that because of all the work they had already done under Tech Prep and the consortium’s career pathways framework, she didn’t have to start from scratch to develop POS under Perkins IV; instead, she “stole and tweaked” from the pathways and from other models. Articulated credit under Tech Prep was thought of in the context of one course at a time, but under Perkins IV it is seen as part of a sequence of courses in a larger POS, and the district is beginning to use POS language. She estimated that about 70-100 (of about 3,000) students in her district were enrolled in 2009-2010 in concurrent opportunities. In this district, counselors and CTE teachers meet two to four times a year to discuss the available program sequences. A major problem for the district is that AYP through NCLB reduced the number of electives available for students. Another barrier is that POS competes with Work Based Learning Experiences during the senior year. The consortium’s early success in articulation and concurrent enrollment led to an invitation for NTC’s Director of Academic Partnerships to join a delegation—including staff and administration from the state Department of Education, state colleges and universities, and others representing the field—at a POS conference in Washington, DC, in 2006. This delegation of 25 learned more about federal expectations for POS, gathered ideas from other states, and developed the early implementation direction for POS in the state. The Washington delegation agreed that a web-based, data-driven site for laying out POS course sequences, connections between academic and CTE courses, and collaborative data sharing was important for state 17    

implementation. Information on the site they developed is local, input by partner schools using an “intuitive” template with assistance from consortia leaders; training for using the site was offered in large groups, customized on-site sessions, and by phone. The website included an online procedure for consortia to send a master/example POS in a particular pathway to the state for review and approval. The entry of courses into the web-based template is one small piece of the picture for developing and supporting rigorous POS. The Director of Academic Partnerships at NTC explained that the POS language and concept has improved the conversation between secondary and postsecondary. At NTC, the POS is the centerpiece of annual articulation meetings and the concurrent enrollment in-service, where partners discuss course sequences, share strategies for supporting students, and solve problems collaboratively. Nevertheless, there are many challenges for both secondary and postsecondary in developing a viable rigorous POS: (a) staff and resources needed to offer the appropriate sequences of courses; (b) staff with the credentials, interest, and motivation to offer articulated and/or concurrent courses; (c) administrative support and encouragement; (d) designated funding for equipment, supplies, and startup costs; and (e) the ability or courage to run classes with less than ideal enrollment to incubate them. Partnerships Although those involved in the early state- and consortium-wide conversations about POS “came together with trust,” opinions about the ease of developing local partnerships varied across levels and roles. Although one person suggested that it was “not about turf or about funding but about helping students,” and a district CTE coordinator described the process as “all about relationships,” many others described an initial reluctance among high schools to align with NTC. Much of the apprehension was due to the stigma of CTE among the public and a lack of awareness of the regional economic need for postsecondary technical training. Academic teachers tended to look at CTE concurrent enrollment courses as competition. Budgets and funding mechanisms also posed challenges. Aided by the more formalized relationships required under Perkins IV, NTC persisted in their efforts to reach out to all districts in the consortium and assist partner high schools in entering their course sequence data into the website. The Director of NTC’s Office of Academic Partnerships had a vision that “multiple stakeholders need to come to the table together to learn what everyone else is doing and how they can share” to meet everyone’s needs, which might vary by school. Her office reached out to all of the districts in the consortium: “All high schools have their own personalities and schedules; we need to work with each one.” Some schools didn’t want help, so NTC concluded that the agreements couldn’t be forced—“It won’t work without the cooperation of the guidance office and the school administration,” said one interviewee. Friction can occur when school administration and community disagree about the direction or the cost involved in implementing a new idea such as concurrent enrollment. For example, schools and communities need to understand the relative advantages and disadvantages of articulated credit and concurrent enrollment and decide which option best serves the desires of students and parents and the goals and resources of the school district. Articulation aligns high school and college courses and offers students a certificate of college credit, which has transfer limitations but is free because of the support of Perkins funding. Concurrent enrollment is delineated by the 18    

state legislature, offers the same college class in the high school setting, and students receive transcripted college credit; however, there are costs. NTC offers two concurrent enrollment models: 1. If the high school has the lab resources and can provide a qualified teacher who meets the credentialing guidelines of the particular POS (i.e. for CTE courses teachers or faculty are required to have a bachelor’s degree plus a minimum of two years of experience in the field in which they will be teaching), the teacher is paired with a college faculty “mentor/partner” and the school is charged a “mentoring fee” set by the college (usually between $1,000 and $1,500 per year). The fee covers the costs of college faculty visiting, monitoring, and communicating with the high school teachers throughout the year. 2. If the high school does not have the appropriate teacher, yet wants to offer the course to their students, college faculty can provide the instruction at the high school. The cost to the high school is tuition based per credit/per student. Tuition rates vary but average between $400-$500 for a three-credit course. The Director of Academic Partnerships at NTC described the struggle between “providing opportunities for students and staying within what is affordable in a particular school district.” High schools and colleges have a break-even point for the number of students in the course versus the teaching cost; as budgets get tighter, it is more and more difficult to allow the time for incubation of a new course. According to a district CTE coordinator, “bringing in new courses taught by outside people when we’re cutting [teacher] positions” can lead to tensions. Concurrent enrollment is growing throughout the state, but schools and families need more information about CTE and the value that these courses provide for students’ education and career preparation. There has been increasing public awareness since the state introduced the postsecondary enrollment option (PSEO). With increased information, many parents now understand that concurrent enrollment means that students can enter college with up to 14 credits. Although colleges like NTC are now competing with online colleges for students who want postsecondary credit, concurrent enrollment is more cost effective for high schools because the funding goes through the high school at a reduced tuition rate, rather than the money going directly to the college (as in traditional PSEO). Some industries require teachers to have special certificates to teach at the high school level (e.g., ASE, CISCO). In the state at the secondary level, CTE teachers need periodic certification from the Tech college, but if they are teaching at the college level, then five years of experience in industry is required. NTC college hosts on-site training for high school teachers interested in teaching concurrent enrollment courses. College instructors meet with their high school counterparts to make sure they are comfortable with that person teaching their course. High school teachers need to demonstrate that they can perform the skills they are teaching. NTC faculty who mentor high school teachers to teach concurrent enrollment classes go through curriculum, textbooks, lab content, and expectations beginning two weeks before school starts. Schools differ in their programs, funding, and structure, thus the mentoring needs to be tailored one-on-one. High school teachers and their mentors need to take time at the start of the year to align schedules for 19    

phone calls and visits. During visits to the high schools, NTC faculty observe, offer some handson help, and on occasion even loan equipment. Some equipment is recommended by industry so the college shares with the high schools, alternating semesters. They also talk to students about the program emphasizing to sophomores that if they get the credits, they can complete a fouryear college degree in three years. They also emphasize to students that their skills will last. All 15 of the NTC programs have industry advisory committees that meet twice annually with faculty and sometimes secondary teachers. They share information, review curricula, and offer suggestions on changes based on industry needs. Industry is very involved because they have a stake in the pipeline of graduates, and NTC is very responsive to industry needs. The state system recommends three-year terms on the advisory board; the challenge is rotating advisory board members so that there are people comfortable enough to challenge and help the programs but also those who bring new perspectives. One advisory member said there has been a good effort for industry to work with colleges. “We’re all working for same purposes—communicate career opportunities, provide information about how to get into careers, employers providing guidance and information about career opportunities…the whole process of exposure through getting into a career… It has been a positive effort for everyone to come and know where they fit in process; it feels very positive to have cooperation and team spirit to make this happen. We have a common goal, strong relationship; in the end, it’s good for everybody.” Coursework/Credit NTC partners with any interested high schools in articulation and concurrent enrollment and uses a variety of methods to facilitate collaboration, the strongest of which is the articulation meetings. The consortium uses Perkins funding to pay for substitute teachers so that the teachers can meet, discuss, plan, and enjoy some industry interaction (e.g., speakers, tours). With Perkins IV and POS, they have learned how certain academic courses enrich CTE courses and vice versa. According to an administrator, one of the main benefits of articulated courses are the opportunities for secondary and postsecondary teachers to spend time together to plan and share instructional strategies and resources. In addition, a teacher pointed out that concurrent enrollment gives students opportunities to experience college classes “within the comfort of their home high school and allows the college to integrate into high schools in non-threatening way.” According to one college faculty member who also teaches at the high school, “The premise is that we are teaching college courses to college students; any student here [in the high school concurrent course] should be able to compete with college students.” NTC offers more than 38 articulated courses and awards 1,500-2,000 certificates annually (students can earn more than one certificate). Each high school CTE program has an annual curriculum review and, when available, an articulation meeting. Some courses can be articulated one year and not the next, depending on available personnel. High school CTE teachers were concerned that when their courses were cut back, they couldn’t prepare students for NTC. They still come to meetings to make sure that their courses align with the college’s learning outcomes, but in some cases a high school teacher is only able to cover some of the required learning outcomes. In these cases, students can be awarded partial credit (e.g., two credits of a four-credit 20    

course). Earning partial credit doesn’t allow the student to bypass the college course, but it does reduce the cost of the course. NTC created this system about 10 years ago when high schools began to cut back on the length of time and the number of CTE courses available to students. NTC remains committed to solving these issues and providing options to best meet the needs of students. The criteria for earning articulated credit can vary, but the most common measure is a grade of B or better. All students in an articulated class are eligible for the credit, but some teachers might expect extra credit for students wanting to earn the college credit whereas others might not. NTC encourages high school teachers to award the credit to all meeting the criteria whether the student asks for it or not, so that if they decide to enroll in NTC in the future they will be able to use the credit to save time and money (there is no retroactive award of credit if the student declined it at the time it was earned). NTC’s longitudinal data shows that students who have earned articulated credit in high school sometimes still choose to take the course again in college. Although NTC has no way to track usage of articulated credit at other institutions, they found that, in FY2010, 523 high school seniors earned articulated credit certificates, 117 enrolled at NTC, and 27 used their credits. NTC has a number of processes in place to increase awareness and usage of the articulated credit: (a) if students lose or misplace their certificates they are available for re-issue through an internal data system; (b) during orientation/registration, staff hold up example certificates and remind students of this credit; and (c) faculty advisors ask students about any articulated credit earned. NTC was surprised to learn that the articulated credit is especially helpful to students in the AA degree program: the articulated credit can be brought in as transfer credit to boost their completion rate after a dropped class has occurred. Articulated credit appears on the transcript as transfer credit, which can be a barrier when a university does not accept credits earned in high school. If a student brings partial credit in to NTC, completes the remaining credits, and then tries to transfer to a university, sometimes a particular entry-level course does not transfer. This means the student needs either to test out or retake that course, which can be frustrating for students. In addition to articulated credit, NTC also offers concurrent enrollment in automotive, Computer Networking, Emergency Medical Service (EMS), Welding, Manufacturing/Engineering (through acceptance of the Project Lead The Way curriculum), and Carpentry. NTC concurrently enrolls between 175 and 200 high school students in these courses per semester. Because of the lower cost to high schools, articulated credits will remain much more prevalent than concurrent enrollment. Concurrent enrollment credit is transcripted and stored in the statewide college database. One check point to catch issues is at the mid-term of the class; students not maintaining a C or better are encouraged to withdraw to avoid earning a D or F on their permanent transcript (although this can have a negative impact on their college completion rate if they are not earning credits.) This case study examines two of NTC’s concurrent enrollment programs: Auto Tech and Welding.

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Auto Tech College perspective. According to Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) requirements, auto teachers must be certified by the National Automotive Technical Education Foundation (NATEF) for college or by Automotive Youth Education Programs (AYES) for high school. For NATEF certification, colleges must have an industry advisory committee that conducts systematic reviews of individual courses. NTC boasts a strong business and industry group, consisting of dealers, body shops, parts suppliers, and insurance representatives, with a wellattended, formal advisory committee meeting twice a year. At the meetings, members reflect on student presentations and advise on the program’s curriculum. According to one advisory committee member, “We need sharp people, and [students] need to understand this isn’t a dirty, greasy job. [They] need to be able to fix the networks of computers found in newer cars.” Industry has been the biggest influence on the program, particularly the requirements for AYES and NATEF certification. ASE requires two years of hands-on work in industry or two years at a technical college. Students who take both years of the program can earn 16 credits toward college. Recently, state legislation was passed requiring that all two-year degree programs be reduced to a maximum of 60 credits to lower tuition costs. A diploma at NTC is 67 credits (mostly from technical classes) and an AAS degree is 72 credits. When the advisory committee went through the auto curriculum they couldn’t find anything that could be cut and still have students adequately prepared. The law has since been amended to say that programs just have to report which programs are above 60 credits and why. High school perspective. The pre-requisites for entering the auto POS in high school are basic automotive and/or small engine repair. Students can take both concurrent enrollment courses, Auto I and Auto II, at the same time. These courses cover brakes, electrical, chassis alignment, and Engine Performance I, drawing from the national AYES curriculum. According to the college instructor who teaches the concurrent high school course, there is “way more technology” than when he was a student, so his students need to have a stronger science background and know some geometry and chemistry. When teaching high schools students, “you need to be a babysitter,” and instructors struggle with how to teach advanced students in a “oneroom schoolhouse model,” because fast learners can potentially finish in one year. Another challenge is location; faculty are paid based on credit load whether they are teaching the concurrent class at a high school or on the college campus, but they are not compensated for travel time. One teacher said this program would not be as successful without college and industry contributions to resources and marketing. Although there have been donations, some of the equipment is outdated and, according to an advisory committee member, “Students need to be learning on the latest equipment.” One of the first assignments is taking a car completely apart. All cars used in the program are donations. There is a small shop at the primary affiliated high school where they have faculty and community customers and donated vehicles from industry. NTC has purchased and installed “equipment that can be removed” (e.g., hoists) for use in the largest high school’s auto program. Students from other high schools are bused in so they can take the concurrent enrollment auto course at this high school.

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There are other career tech centers, but the biggest advantage of taking auto at this particular high school is the free college credits and not having to buy tools or books. Students also get to do live customer work. According to one teacher, “We have one of the best programs in the state because of all these perks.” The program is growing each year. Students are competitive in SkillsUSA; two auto students recently won at the state competition and participated in a national competition in New York in which they had to do a written test and a hands-on test with a real vehicle. According to a college faculty member who teaches a concurrent enrollment course, 25% to 50% of students who take auto in high school subsequently enroll at NTC, and they have 97% to 100% job placement rates. There is high demand for students from area auto dealers, who have provided some money to the program and serve as mentor sites for summer internships; the program has experienced steady growth. One industry advisory committee member said that internships give industry a way to “cherry pick” the best students after they can see their work. Unfortunately, internships have been suspended recently because of reduced car sales and the economy’s effect on jobs in auto body and car repairs. The federal “Cash for Clunkers” program was particularly detrimental, because people were trading rather than repairing their old cars. In addition, baby boomers are working longer rather than retiring so there are fewer open jobs. Student perspective. Students in the high school concurrent enrollment auto class like working on cars; learning “hands-on” rather than from books; “knowing how to work on a car yourself to save money;” learning about what this career field is about; “learning a lot about how everything works;” doing tasks in a progression; receiving college credits “cheap;” and not having to take the course when they enroll in college. They also like getting used to college-level work so they don’t feel lost, and getting a college transcript. Students think the college-level auto course is more advanced than high school courses, is not boring, and allows them to be more active; they like the hands-on aspect. The students feel like they can be themselves; they “don’t have to be quiet.” It is a more relaxed atmosphere. They also like field trips to car shows and dealerships. According to the students, the teacher (a college faculty member who comes to their high school to teach the class) jokes around with them, understands them, and doesn’t look down on them like other high school teachers; this instructor understands how to help them learn. The teacher gives them responsibilities, such as trusting them with customer cars (though he double-checks their work), and they have to use a professional manner in talking with customers. Because attendance is not required, the teacher doesn’t “ride you” but students still need to be selfmotivated. Although the teacher is stretched in terms of one-on-one time with students during the shop, he “makes up for that by getting us all really involved, goes into depth, problem solving.” The course teaches students to “figure stuff out, troubleshoot, problem-solve.” Frequent assessments involve the teacher “messing” with the cars and then having the students diagnose and fix problems. It is like the real world because if they mess up, they have to start over. Students would advise other students to take the course, but “don’t take it unless you’re serious about it. If you’re not willing to be here and do the work, don’t bother. Don’t just go through the motions. You need to be here to get the best of it, like a job.” What the students liked least was the early start time, the large class size, and the days when they are in the classroom rather than

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the shop. They would like to have the class meet after lunch and/or at night and would like to work on more things. Among one group of high school students, they all said they planned to enroll in NTC and all planned to earn ASE certification. The students believed the college’s auto tech program had a good reputation among vendors, had a good lab with the newest technology and experienced teachers, and a simple online enrollment process. Although only about one-third of the students in the other group said they were planning to pursue auto as a career, all students thought the class helped them in their career pursuits. The teacher was “constantly talking about career paths; we all know the steps and how to get there.” Students pursuing an auto career anticipated working at a dealer or independent shop, or opening their own shops. However, as one student pointed out, these are “good life skills, regardless.” Welding. The seven counties surrounding NTC have more manufacturing jobs than any other region of the state; the highest pay in the region is in computer numeric controlled (CNC) operation and welding. This program at NTC is expected to grow as more baby boomers retire. One challenge in getting students into this pipeline is that many do not want to do manual labor. Students need to understand that, although they must hold the same certifications as those doing the welds themselves, robots can now do the welds and skilled craftsmen are needed to program the CNC machines. High school perspective. Three feeder high schools offer welding programs, but only two have agreements in place with NTC. NTC provided the curricula for Welding I and II (textbooks, assessments, and PowerPoints) to the high schools. According to an instructor in one of these high schools, curriculum alignment with NTC “forced us to do things we probably should have done anyway.” One teacher noted that the increase of required skills for students “keeps me hopping” to get through the curriculum, but “kids aren’t as enthusiastic about doing math segments instead of projects” and some of his students struggle with the course’s more rigorous academic requirements. He thought that students will be able to use their skills in a variety of settings whether or not they continue in welding at NTC (he reported that only about 10% do so). “The one negative” to the new course, he explained, “is more pressure on the budget since we have to do more and we didn’t get more money.” College perspective. At the college level, not all students come from the high school POS. Many are returning adult students, which helps the younger students behave better, but it is challenging when the college gets students with different levels of experience. The college instructors start everyone out with lab work and small projects to learn welding principles. The lab has good equipment. Students in the welding program compete in SkillsUSA competitions and usually place at the state level. A college welding instructor explained that shops all have different equipment, so students don’t need extensive training on one brand; rather, NTC offers an accelerated nine-month program with the fundamentals and lets students go out and continue onthe-job training with a company, which they would need anyway. The instructor stated that “the difference between us and two-year schools is that we believe students shouldn’t have to pay for an extra year.”

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The welding advisory committee has representatives from many major manufacturing companies and unions in the area, in addition to NTC faculty and administration, high school and middle school Project Lead The Way teachers, and the region’s manufacturers association. Unlike auto tech, welding instructors do not need an industry certification. However, the curriculum is aligned with the American Welding Society (AWS). When students complete it, they can have their name listed on the AWS website as an intro-level welder. They can also complete several different types of certifications. For example, one student going into diesel mechanics wanted welding experience; another wanted to be a metals artist. The local pipefitters’ and plumbers’ unions do not require certification, but the boilermakers’ union does. NTC makes sure their students have a plate welding certificate because boilermakers are more transient, and the certificate is nationally recognized. The economic downturn has forced recent graduates to be more proactive about finding work, which is “forcing them to be competitive.” An NTC administrator said that in the pastm they just recruited students directly into the program, but now their marketing efforts need industry to back up the need for workers in the programs they offer. Students and parents need to understand that in regional industries, 52% to 55% of the workforce will be eligible to retire in the next five years. Replacement workers will be needed, and employers will be looking for mechanical ability, an understanding of the basics of electronics and turbine work, and welding ability. The NTC needs to market that these areas are no longer “blue collar” but “gold collar” fields if graduates have the right skills. However, available jobs may not be local; some are located 60 miles away. Students who leave with a welding diploma can start at $14.50 an hour with full benefits. If a student wants to be a plumber or pipefitter, an apprenticeship is required; interested students must go through interviews and testing before they begin the five-year apprenticeship. In the first year, apprentices get a 45% salary, or $13.50 and hour: “They make you suffer through the first year to make sure you stay,” said one interviewee. In the second through fifth years, apprentices can make $30 an hour. The lead welding instructor at NTC has built relationships with many local companies and learned what they are doing; his visits are not “token.” He tells new companies about the program and tries to place good students: “If our students don’t fit, it hurts the relationship with the company.” Student perspective. At one small high school, students in the concurrent enrollment welding class like getting college credit for free (as opposed to NTC, which is “school you have to pay for”) and learning how to weld, which is something they can use outside of school (“unlike English”). Students take the course because “it’s fun,” but at this school there is not enough metal to work with. Students in welding at NTC looked back on their high school experiences and reported that they took the course for a variety of reasons: “It was interesting,” “it was something different,” “I’m more of a hands-on person,” “school is more enjoyable when you’re doing something you want to do,” “I wanted to get out of school,” “my brother did it and makes a lot of money.” They felt that at NTC, the teaching was more advanced, more in-depth, and they got a lot more welding time. In the high school course, “you just get the basics, what you can and can’t do, not why;

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here we get why.” One student said, “I would not have even thought about welding if it wasn’t in my high school.” The NTC welding students liked the intensity of the three-hour labs followed by one hour lectures. Unlike high school, “everyone wants to be here.” The teachers are also better; they “are tough but they will help you.” They reported needing another teacher in the shop, however, because they sometimes have to wait for the teacher to help someone else first. The students understood that a degree would likely help them get and keep a job, and that it was also a skill they can use elsewhere, such as on the family farm. “If you know why things break and how to fix them, you can save money.” They also understood that they might have to leave the area to get a good job, such as bridge building. They would advise other students that NTC’s is an “awesome program,” “it’s hands-on.” One student visited other programs but “their shops were not as nice, they were crowded.” The only downside reported was the waiting list; only 60% of students are accepted. High school perspective. The principal of a high school in a school district close to NTC (in the same town) recalled that in 2001-2002, technical education in the district was fading away; teachers were retiring, and it was hard to recruit. Now, it is slowly starting to come back due to the expansion of Project Lead the Way and other technical programs. He spoke of working with NTC as “a very favorable experience.” They have been “phenomenal” in supplying resources, such as the initial investment for a computer lab that the high school needed to upgrade every three years. The same principal said his high school is still working out scheduling for concurrent enrollment but that they offer a lot of articulated college classes. As many as 33% of their 1,300 students are enrolled in articulated classes. The school had to restructure their school day to add extra courses and time. Now that they have 12-week trimesters (versus 18-week semesters), students have more choices and opportunities to take different courses. Six teachers at the high school are part of one or more current agreements for articulated college credit and they lead the state in awarding articulated college credit certificates (over 400 last year, out of 1,500-2,000 awarded by NTC annually consortium-wide). The auto course offered at the high school for concurrent credit, taught by a NTC instructor, is “working very well; the instructor is working well with other teachers.” A counselor recalled that the Director of Academic Partnerships at NTC set up the program around 2004 and got administrators and counselors on board. She said “this will be happening; it is an opportunity for kids, a chance to offer new things in your school.” Perceptions of CTE are changing because of the college credit. NTC offers a lot of electives that the high schools cannot and markets their programs. One challenge is that “everyone is fighting for the same kids” and the kids have to make choices and complete complex paperwork. NTC is moving toward electronic application and registration in order to deal with this complaint/suggestion. The partnership between high schools and NTC has increased the rigor and scope of the high school CTE courses and made more resources available. One high school welding teacher reported really liking working with NTC: They have been “wonderful to work with.” The NTC 26    

instructor, who is more linked with industries in the area, visits the high school once or twice a year and has been “extremely helpful in getting things done,” for example, having metal sheared, giving leads on which companies might donate, answering technical questions, and sharing instructional materials. About 30 students per year go through the high school welding program, but only about two or three use their articulated credits to continue in postsecondary. According to the primary school district’s CTE coordinator, Perkins dollars are major source of POS funding, in addition to CTE levy funds. The levy funds are calculated as 25% of any licensed CTE salary, CTE director, and equipment, but the funding available has been frozen since 2001; CTE levy funds have to be used specifically for programs approved by the state. In interviews with high school staff, there was some confusion about CTE funding streams and what funds could be used where. NTC clarified that Perkins funds are used for meals and subcosts for the teachers attending articulation meetings as well as other CTE initiatives throughout the consortium. Perkins is able to fund meeting attendance for all CTE teachers whether or not they are CTE certified according to the secondary regulations. However, Perkins law requires that secondary staff must be CTE certified in order to receive any classroom resources. Marketing the value of concurrent enrollment to parents was another challenge. Part of the problem is that many parents in the community only have a high school education. “Parents trust us to prepare their kids,” but they need to “understand that there are viable pathways from high school to tech school to four-year institutions.” When asked about numbers, a counselor seemed surprised by her own data showing that about 24% of graduates from her high school enroll in four-year institutions, and 51% in two-year institutions. The momentum is there, and she would like to see many more career pathways (POS) with NTC and to start working with students in eighth grade to develop their course plans. This counselor’s role is entering the POS courses at her high school into the consortium’s webbased system. She explained that NTC “wants all the schools in consortium to have information on career pathways and the appropriate required and elective courses for career plans.” When asked about training, she cited work days in which NTC reserved computer labs and laptops for counselors. Getting away from school and doing with work at NTC is helpful because there are so many interruptions during the school day. She has found NTC to be very helpful when she calls. High schools are focused on AYP and meeting NCLB requirements so there isn’t a lot of time for CTE. However, CTE helps keep struggling kids in school; as one principal put it, “Get their interest, and they will achieve.” In eighth grade, students in the state take ACT’s EXPLORE test; in tenth grade they take the PLAN test. The results are available to students and parents to help them with course planning. NTC offers a college tour and industry panel to help the community get over the stigma that CTE is not academically rigorous. A high school principal said: “Kids are like electricity; they’ll find the path of least resistance unless we push them and raise the bar.” Students need to keep up their GPA in these courses to get the credit. Because some academic or general education concurrent enrollment courses are weighted at the high school, giving the student a higher GPA, some students will choose these academic courses over CTE courses. 27    

Industry perspective. According to an industry advisory committee member, in business, people are brought together from across functions to solve a problem, and this is beginning to happen in business-academic partnerships: “We need to be poised to work together to anticipate future changes and problems. This is a good thing.” Businesses are involved in advisory boards for all CTE programs at NTC and some are also involved in mentoring and internships and contribute funds for specific programs and specific needs. After about eight years of working together on building up programs and aligning them with industry needs, industry now helps technical college staff with recruiting efforts to bring more students into the manufacturing pipeline. Career days provide an opportunity for students to do site visits and explore the industry. There are also video tours of different industries on this consortium’s articulated college credit website. The advisory committee is trying to help the community overcome the stigma of manufacturing as a dirty job; many manufacturing jobs now involve programming and robots. According to an industry representative, due to their experience with computer games and joysticks, kids “are aligned to the new workplace but don’t know it.” Some students also do internships. Without these opportunities, there is “no time for kids to figure out what they want to do before leaving high school; too many kids get out of high school and don’t know what they want to do.” In addition to technical and academic courses, the local workforce center (housed at NTC) offers “Workforce U,” which was developed with industry input to build entry-level workers’ soft skills, such as how to get and keep a job, be on time, participate, and show up each day. Employers can teach some technical and academic skills on the job, but the “thought process, [the] understanding needs to be there.” Communication skills are important at all levels, as is team decision making. POS data and accountability. The state has been moving toward one online database of all POS after they have been approved. The state career pathways website features a graphic wheel showing all of the state clusters and pathways. The state requires specific criteria in the narrative for submitted POS. Although the state wants secondary and postsecondary partners to work together, one college administrator pointed out that the funding is still separate (some Perkins funds go to the college, whereas the rest goes to one secondary consortium partner that serves as the fiscal agent for all of the secondary partners). The original state POS delegation of 25 representatives proposed that POS needed to be local so students would know the courses. Each consortium has to align its offerings with the template and enter them onto the state website. The Director of Academic Partnerships at NTC spearheaded the web-based data-driven POS website for the state with the assistance of another technical staff member. A statewide data system was built that enabled school districts to enter their own course data onto pathwayspecific templates. In the initial five-year phase of the project, the Director worked with a steering committee of Perkins directors from across the state and had continuous conversations with state staff regarding the features and functions of the system. She and others did field testing of the site with potential users of different ages. One function of the website is to give the user instant cross-referencing of POS by school district, by consortium, throughout the state, within a particular consortium, and much more. One powerful connection was a quarterly download of the state’s program inventory of college/university program titles, majors, number 28    

of credits, and status that gives a student current information on all two- and four-year degrees in the state system offering a major in a particular career pathway. Reports can be generated based on the needs of local school districts, consortia as a whole, and state staff. According to the Director of Academic Partnerships, one of the most effective reports is called the “status report” that shows all of the pathways, cross-referenced with all of the high schools in the consortium. It also totals the POS, showing how many of each type have been developed and how many unique pathways there are throughout the consortium. According to the Director of Academic Partnerships, the state requirements are less rigorous than what NTC is doing. NTC brought in counselors to campus to discuss the concept and requirements of POS. Most counselors committed to spending time during the next two years coming together to complete the templates. NTC discussed with counselors the importance of actively using the necessary information and state standards in developing the POS. The value of working together on this project was that the counselors were able to discuss course selection and other issues as they completed their templates. They used a variety of workforce and economic development information, and high school to college course alignment lists to determine what academic and technical courses were the best suggestions in the various pathways. Counselors have continued to meet twice annually to update POS courses and add/replace courses and enrichment activities as necessary. The next phase of POS for this consortium is helping students, parents, and the general population to understand the value of (a) this local career specific information, (b) taking the time and energy to exploring careers early, (c) making the most of middle school and high school education through informed decision making. As far as keeping track of students in POS, concurrently enrolled students have an NTC identification number; the college can track which high school students eventually enroll in their programs, and with how many credits, but not who enrolls elsewhere. The placement office follows up with students after graduation through a survey to see if they are working in their field or in school elsewhere and examine other factors involved in success, such as income, hours working, or students who are the first in their family to attend college. Data is reported by program and is available for the last nine years. The state labor and postsecondary agency databases are supposed to be linked but the college has not explored this. They are exploring using National Student Clearinghouse data to see if students transferred elsewhere. The college placement office works closely with the co-located workforce center to place NTC students. Graduates can always come back to the career guidance office for assistance, and may participate in career fairs, resume preparation, and interview workshops. According to an administrator, 90% of students come to NTC from within 60 miles, and 85% find jobs within a 60-100 mile radius.

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Programs of Study at River Community & Technical College Overview River City, the third largest city in the state, has an active Economic Development Council with a strategic plan for economic and cultural revitalization. The city has a strong but contracting manufacturing base that includes large, multinational companies and their suppliers. Private employers also include a bank with 900 employees, three or four large distributors, and an emerging bio-tech sector. Public sector employers include a hospital, four colleges, and a large school system. The city has a year-round symphony, performing arts center, and an art museum. River Community & Technical College (RCTC) is one of nearly 20 colleges in the state’s Community and Technical College System (CTCS). RCTC has three campuses and one small training center for both adult education and dual credit students, and it serves nine high schools in four counties (including regular public high schools, alternative schools, and a Catholic school). As of 2010, RCTC offered two guaranteed transfer Associate’s degrees, 13 Associate in Applied Science degrees, and 22 diploma and certificate programs. The state’s transfer policy guarantees that general education courses completed by students earning AA or AS degrees will meet lower division general education requirements in the state’s four-year public institutions. In practical terms, this means that a student entering RCTC via dual credit programs as a high school junior can earn enough college credits by the time they graduate high school to need only one more year of classes at RCTC to earn an associate’s degree. An instructor pointed out: “Some students probably wouldn’t have gone to college otherwise but now they’re graduating high school halfway to [an] associate’s degree.”4 Because community college credits will transfer, they can graduate from a state university with a bachelor’s degree in another two years. Odyssey College is a branch of RCTC that was created to develop, implement, and administer dual credit programs. Students can take dual credit courses taught at the high school by appropriately credentialed high school teachers, or they can take courses at the RCTC campus and receive both high school and postsecondary credits. Founded in 1998, Odyssey College was created as an umbrella for all of RCTC’s high school-postsecondary initiatives with support from a variety of funding streams including Tech Prep, a Workforce Investment Act (WIA) grant, GEAR UP, Perkins, state funds, and grant funds from the National Science Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Odyssey College promotes the ideal that postsecondary education is for everyone and that every student should be able to graduate from high school with some college credit. In addition to reducing the time it takes to complete a postsecondary degree, according to an RCTC instructor, Odyssey College also accelerates the pace at which technical students enter the workforce. The founding of Odyssey College was attributed to a strong local leader who sought a means to realize his vision of collaboration between the secondary, postsecondary, and business sectors to address gaps in the workforce. This leader had worked in a local school system and recently had been appointed as Academic Dean of the Technical College.5 He initiated a strategic planning                                                                                                                         4

A guidance counselor said that given that students can take classes at night and on the weekends plus the summer after senior year, they can ostensibly start college with as many as 27 college credits. 5 At the time, the Technical College and Community College had not yet merged (consolidation of the two systems

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process at RCTC involving the River City Economic Development Corporation (EDC; a public/private partnership) and the P-16 Council, convened by the EDC. The planning process focused on developing more strategic ways to link secondary and postsecondary education and resulted in a policy agenda seeking to strengthen CTE to fill gaps in workforce preparation and efforts to identify skills needed for the jobs of the future. Economic development was important, as the region’s manufacturing industry had traditionally provided opportunities for people with only a high school diploma to earn middle class wages. In this effort, the EDC was “a bully pulpit” to encourage schools and colleges to work in partnership as part of the strategic positioning of the region. Through an early college grant from the Gates foundation, the group visited other programs throughout the country, including the City University of New York system and the Massachusetts Tech Program in Springfield, and then presented options to high schools. They realized that one size wouldn’t fit all and decided to “package multiple delivery options into one cohesive program,” for which they merged the various funding sources for helping students prepare for college (e.g., Perkins, GEAR UP, and other grants) all under one umbrella. In order to get buy-in from schools in the beginning, Odyssey College offered high schools a smorgasbord of options and let them choose what worked for them. Much of the funding for Odyssey College still comes from grantwriting, which is “a strategy that facilitates innovation.” The founder/community leader advises others to “establish program options first and then find appropriate funding streams. Don’t start by trying to retrofit program options to funding parameters.” The Odyssey College “brand” for this umbrella system was developed with the input of a marketing consultant. An early WIA grant allowed RCTC to send mentors into each of the high schools, which was also a marketing lever for Odyssey College. As described by a group of college administrators, Odyssey College started with a global blessing by the superintendents on the P-16 council, then expanded to the engagement of principals. “It truly was an evolutionary process… a grassroots effort cobbled together by lots of folks.” One leader noted, “Every year we tightened up another piece of the puzzle.” The current Director recalled, “We’re lucky that people in the community saw what we were doing and supported the necessary positions.” Odyssey College now has a staff of three who, according to an RCTC faculty member and division chair, have not received the recognition they deserve given the high percentage of students on campus for whose recruitment they are responsible. The Director of Odyssey College, a graduate of one of the partnering high schools, understands the community and its needs. Odyssey College has been helping high schools create POS that show course sequences from the high school to RCTC (and in some cases, that go all the way through a four-year degree at a nearby state university). The state requires each high school to identify their POS each year, and each year the high schools call and ask Odyssey College staff for help. The POS template provided by the state was not practical because it was not constructed at the semester level, so the Odyssey College staff had to adapt it for practical use. They now use the updated version in advising parents and students about college and career options. Not all CTCS colleges in the state have staff to do this, so River City is two or three years ahead of other communities; they are “working their butts off locally” and are willing to share, but thus far the state is lagging                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               occurred in 1999).

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behind. Meetings of dual credit coordinators in the CTCS system are vehicles for sharing information about POS. By 2009, Odyssey College was partnering with nine feeder high schools. The Director observed that enrollments “have already exceeded our wildest expectations.” In fact, a Division Chair reported that he had to hire four part-time instructors to meet the demand created by the impressive recruitment efforts of Odyssey College staff.6 Recruitment strategies include letters to parents, group presentations to guidance counselors, meetings with students who have expressed interest, and field trips. Staff also promote collaboration and on-going communication between guidance counselors, high school teachers, and Odyssey College once students are enrolled.7 According to the Vice President for Student Affairs at RCTC, the dual credit program administered through Odyssey College has been improving each year, showing increasingly high levels of awareness among students, parents, and school guidance counselors and better articulation of course content between high schools and RCTC.8 Better course alignment has improved RCTC’s reputation for academic standards as well. Faculty and administrative continuity at RCTC has helped maintain momentum, as articulation agreements are risky without the capacity to predict staff consistency (and thus continued agreement on standards). RCTC used to experience lag time if the college changed articulated course requirements and secondary schools didn’t. In contrast, “dual enrollment forces alignment.” The development of the dual enrollment system at RCTC was a “trust-building process.” Teachers of dual credit technical POS courses in high schools are required to have a bachelor’s degree in the teaching discipline or an associate’s degree and demonstrated competencies in the teaching discipline. They are considered “volunteer faculty” and do not receive extra pay; the incentive is the excitement of participating in the program. RCTC provides and covers the cost of professional development for participating high school teachers. High schools can decide from year to year which courses to offer for dual credit based on their students’ interests and needs. Odyssey College staff meet with teachers every year to discuss alignment and transition issues and to ensure that the syllabi are updated. According to the Director of Odyssey College, the CTCS had set a goal of having 20 percent of students in the system be high school students enrolled in dual credit courses; RCTC (through Odyssey College) has 40%. In 2009, there were approximately 1,900 students enrolled, split fairly equally between students pursuing general education and technical education credits (according to the Director of Odyssey College, there was seldom overlap between groups, although this seems to be changing).9 Increases were particularly notable among minority students.

                                                                                                                        6

There appears to be some competition between RCTC and other universities for student enrollment. Recruiting students for dual credit through Odyssey College increases their enrollment. 7 Communication entails reviewing the agreements each year, having discussions about specific students, and being available for problem solving. 8 When the technical college and the community college merged, the old technical college courses only counted as electives, so RCTC had to realign courses and programs.   9 By 2012, dual credit enrollment was at 2,662.  

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Two of the POS offered by Odyssey College—Industrial Maintenance and Mechatronics—are described in the next section of this case study because they were identified by the Director of Odyssey College as the strongest in terms of high school student dual enrollment. Industrial Maintenance The Industrial Maintenance program has been offered by RCTC for two decades: It “has been in the college forever and jobs are still there.” Courses taught through Odyssey College (collegelevel courses for high school students) introduce students to the skills needed in high tech industries (machine, electrical, and mechanical). Students can then continue in the program at RCTC and obtain four certificates —Fluid Power Mechanic (8-10 credit hours), Industrial Maintenance Machinist Mechanic (19-20 credit hours), Industrial Maintenance Electrical Mechanic (12-20 credit hours), and Industrial Maintenance Level 1 (13-20 credit hours) along the way to an AAS degree. About 75% of Odyssey College students in the program move directly into employment. Employers regularly ask for students to fill jobs, and one even interviews students on campus. The Industrial Maintenance program grew out of Electrical and Machine Tools, which used to be offered in technical high schools. According to the Vice President for Student Affairs at RCTC, shortly after the creation of the CTCS in 1997, the area technical high school became a technical college and started offering students postsecondary credentials. Mechatronics Mechatronics, a relatively new program at RCTC, was offered for the first time in 2007. Development of the mechatronics program was driven by employers’ needs for employees who can “find the problem, troubleshoot, and fix it.” Mechatronics is a combination of mechanical technology, electrical technology, and computer systems. When combined, these systems make it possible to run simpler, more economical, reliable, and versatile manufacturing systems. The mechatronics program exposes students to a variety of skills needed in advanced manufacturing and provides entry to other technical fields of study such as CAD and Design/CAD, Electrical Technology, Engineering Technology, Industrial Maintenance, and Machine Tool Technology. According to an industry advisory committee member, “This program… allows you to do machine, electrical, and mechanical work, not a narrow specialization. Multi-skilled employees are critical in high tech production facility.” According to a mechatronics college instructor, there are about 10,000 related jobs within 10-mile radius. In 2005, at the request of CTCS, one of the RCTC faculty traveled to Berlin, Germany, to obtain a Siemens certification and brought Mechatronics to RCTC. He helped RCTC obtain an NSF grant to develop the program in July 2007. A major part of the grant was to involve high schools. The equipment was available and the first Mechatronics course was offered in August 2007. Because this faculty member was certified, he could certify students. Completion of the Mechatronics program prepares students for the Siemens Mechatronics Systems Certification Level 1 Exam; the certificate drives the course content. Although not considered essential for employment, the certificate is nationally recognized and may open doors for students who pursue

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employment outside the immediate area. (However, the high cost of the certificate—several hundred dollars—was reported as an obstacle for students.) In 2008 or 2009, three more faculty received Siemens certification in Berlin to meet the growing demand for the mechatronics POS. The NSF grant enabled RCTC to offer professional development to educators interested in promoting STEM subjects in the classroom. The grant also supplied materials for hands-on classroom learning and supported regional activities to engage students (e.g., Lego League and Tech Challenge robotics competitions). Over the course of the grant, RCTC covered an increasing share of the costs for the faculty each year, and when NSF funding ended in June 2010, RCTC committed to picking up the costs. At the high school level, Mechatronics is valued as a way to interest more students in math and science. RCTC faculty engage high school students with hands-on activities such as robotics as a form of recruitment. One of the local math teachers, worried that students with low math skills would have difficulties in the program, was surprised to see how the hands-on environment of Mechatronics motivated students to learn math. “Sometimes the machinist training (and welding to lesser extent) force students to a better conceptual understanding of math.” Advanced circuits courses are often “places we lose people.” There are now summer Mechatronics camps for middle school and high school students, and to extend its reach on campus, RCTC faculty are considering applying for another grant to create student clubs. At the time of research site visits in 2009-2010, RCTC was the only state college offering mechatronics, but the state CTCS office considered RCTC’s mechatronics as a model that could be replicated and RCTC faculty reported advising the system about outreach and other program aspects.10 A mechatronics certificate prepares students for jobs as entry-level operations technicians, but a majority of students remain in the program beyond the certificate for at least the upper level of the program at RCTC. “As long as they stay in the mechatronics/tech program, they can move straight through baccalaureate degree” by transferring to a four-year institution. Partnerships A representative from a high school in the largest feeder district observed that although the idea of secondary-postsecondary partnerships had started in the 1990s with various reform models like Tech Prep, “there have only been ‘teeth’ in the articulation agreements in the last eight or nine years.” Although state-level people have tried, “I’ve never seen a template sent down from the state level and seen it work. The only way to have it work is to have it arise organically.” RCTC sets up workshops in which instructors from RCTC, the local four-year state university, and area high schools meet to discuss curriculum alignment in each program. According to a high school construction teacher, “We’ve all done a ‘bang up job’ of communicating between schools, through email, meetings, and workshops for teachers. There’s good collaboration.” The industry advisory committee meets twice a year, in September and December, and includes 15-20 business representatives, RCTC staff, high school teachers, guidance counselors, and school administrators. The role of the committee is to update schools about changes in the                                                                                                                         10

In 2012, RCTC received another NSF grant to roll out the model to five other state CTCS colleges.

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manufacturing process and their implications for workforce training. For example, robots are changing the manufacturing process, but they need humans for design and application. One of the big companies is moving toward team assignments. The advisory members review curricula and make suggestions. For example, one of the members suggested that given limitations in time, schools might be advised to drop content about blueprint reading and replace it with quality assurance. An advisory member considered the RCTC faculty to be knowledgeable about industry needs in part because they have worked in industry and because they regularly visit manufacturing facilities with state-of-the-art equipment. Collaborating with postsecondary and industry representatives helps clarify for high school teachers why their pupils need certain skills. Industry also donates equipment to RCTC. Three companies are using water jet machines, and a local industry donated funds to buy software for a CNC machine. Business advisory committee members participated in a robotics competition for late elementary and middle school students on a recent weekend. In addition, industries host visits for student groups and one offers student internships. In the past, apprenticeships provided specialized technical training but according to an advisory committee member, apprenticeships are disappearing because they are expensive.11 The industries in and around River City are becoming increasingly high tech and need trained workers. RCTC provides training for industry employees, and one of the business representatives stated, “RCTC will bend over backwards if you have people you want trained in a certain way,” as evidenced by their willingness to bring in outside trainers for specific programs. RCTC provides the “big picture” and the industry provides its employees with the specialized training require by their jobs. Nonetheless, standards are driven by national and/or equipment codes or by local employer needs. Like many community colleges across the country, adults who are out of work have been returning to school to increase their skills, further increasing class sizes at RCTC. Through the strong communication between local industry and RCTC, all students are being well-trained for immediate hire. Coursework/Credit Courses at Odyssey College are offered in morning and afternoon sessions so that secondary students can spend a half-day taking general education classes at the high school (required for a high school diploma) and the rest of the day taking Industrial Maintenance and Mechatronics classes on campus. This also works well for adults on shift work. Courses are usually lecture format, followed by demonstration; projects are assigned that are designed around tasks in the curriculum. Most dual credit students enrolled in general occupational/technical studies (GOTS) in these two POS earn a certificate in industrial maintenance or electrical technician, which takes from one to two years depending on the number of college credits they have from high school. More general education courses are needed for an AAS degree. One strategy that RCTC has found helpful for increasing enrollment is offering the highest level of remedial math for free at the high schools, thereby decreasing the estimated two-thirds of RCTC freshmen who need remedial math.                                                                                                                         11

At the time of this writing, these opportunities were again increasing.  

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According to an RCTC instructor, Mechatronics has a four-part sequence—electrical, mechanical components, pneumatic hydraulics, and programmable logic controllers. If students complete all four Mechatronics classes in a year, they can earn Siemens Mechatronic Systems certification and 16 college credit hours. These credits satisfy technical associate’s degree requirements, saving them about a semester at RCTC. The Mechatronics Certificate prepares students for entry-level jobs as operations technicians, and some students end up taking jobs before they get their degrees. It also was reported that many students in the Mechatronics and Industrial programs go on to obtain bachelor’s degrees. A high school guidance counselor noted that “the kids understand why mechatronics is important because their parents are in manufacturing.” Although all Odyssey College students have to take the ACT, there are no prerequisites for Mechatronics and it tends to attract a more non-traditional and diverse population than Industrial Maintenance. The Mechatronics course offered by the college instructor in high schools was designed to interest more students in math and science; he introduces students to Mechatronics with engaging hands-on training (e.g., building robots). He also takes students on field trips to manufacturing facilities so they can get a sense of the work environment. He shows them that much of the work is done by robots and computers, thereby clearing up the misconception that manufacturing is a dirty job. Local employers let him know when they have job openings. Some instructors in both Industrial Maintenance and Mechatronics use performance assessments to gauge student progress but these are not uniform. Students in Mechatronics are evaluated on assigned projects related to the curriculum. According to one of the machine tool instructors, who is co-chair of state machine tool curriculum committee, curricula are aligned across the state so that all instructors teach the same tasks. RCTC uses the NOCTI exam for machine tool trades as an exit exam. HVAC has national standards for assessment. One of the feeder high schools said that their students (85% of whom are on free or reduced lunch) are not offered certificates because of the high cost of nationally recognized certificates (ranging from $60 to $1,000). An advisory committee member who works a lot with RCTC and its graduates observed of the adult students: “The economy may have given us a shot in the arm, because there are more RCTC students now who’ll be ready for jobs when the economy improves.” Another agreed: “Anyone who can complete an RCTC industrial maintenance program is much more employable.” A machine tools instructor noted, “We hear about jobs that aren’t advertised. We’ve built a good reputation in the region. We have students who leave the program early to work and don’t actually get back to finish a diploma or degree.” Recent graduates often have an advantage on the job market due to the technological advances they are learning at RCTC. College perspective. RCTC has a history and reputation of aggressively seeking grant funds and a good track record for obtaining outside funding. Integrating funding was an initial barrier that needed to be worked through, and funding sustainability remains an issue. Odyssey College does not receive Perkins funding directly; it goes to RCTC. Odyssey College can apply to RCTC for its funding, but the amount has significantly decreased. RCTC administrators reported that funding is always a challenge and technical programs are expensive to operate. Industry in the

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state was hit hard in the recent economic downturn, although the infusion of $14 million to the CTCS system through stimulus funds not only offset cuts but significantly increased its budget. There is a blended funding structure in which the college waives tuition for students taking technical courses for college credit in the high school but seeks state funding if the technical course is taken at the college. Students do not have to pay for technical courses or remedial math delivered by RCTC, but must pay full tuition for all other courses, regardless of the location. One of the local high schools switched from offering general education courses taught by RCTC faculty to encouraging students to take AP courses because the AP exam is free to students qualifying for free and reduced lunch.12 Although some administrators mentioned the challenge of achieving buy-in from principals and parents when Odyssey College first began, current RCTC staff perceive that school superintendents and high school principals are very supportive of dual credit. Faculty reported that one of the strengths of the program is that instructors come from the industry sector and are able to complete their educations while teaching. One dilemma to retaining faculty is that industry salaries are higher than teaching salaries. Although there was some initial faculty resistance and worry about “watering down” the curriculum for high school students, it was reported that faculty work closely together and focus on students’ interests. One machine tools instructor at RCTC proudly described helping to convince a high school junior not to drop out of school. Faculty believe that participating in dual credit increases students’ confidence. In the words of a principal, “Dual credit is a hook that builds confidence for first-generation college students.” “With dual credit, kids have foot in the door and understand what college is like.” The VP for Academic Affairs stated, “Down the road, dual credit programs structured like ours can be used to address developmental and transition issues.” Faculty reported that by graduating with a year of college credit, students are more apt to attend a community college than they would have without the credit. “Students are seeing value of education as they watch their parents getting laid off.” RCTC staff advise high school students about Odyssey College directly rather than relying on high school guidance counselors. RCTC staff market postsecondary education to students as beneficial for lifelong employment and career advancement. Students taking courses at RCTC can range in age from high school students to adults retraining in midcareer. One of the faculty noted that having this mix is better than having too many high school students (in which case it is just another high school class); the older, adult students (particularly those recently laid off due to the recession) help the younger ones appreciate the importance of the coursework for their futures. Among the challenges regarding coordinating the high school and postsecondary systems were differences in academic calendars and grading scales, which were solved by having high schools follow the college’s schedule and assigning only letter grades (which translate to slightly different percentage ranges at the high school and college levels). There was also a hurdle of                                                                                                                         12

By 2012, this had changed, and the largest feeder district was now paying the AP test cost if students passed a dual credit course with a C or higher.

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standardized testing in junior year that prevented juniors from spending a significant amount of time away from their high school, and different standards for continuing program participation. Odyssey College required a C for continuing participation, whereas the high schools accepted a D in a course as counting toward high school graduation. Differing policies around absences also created a challenge—RCTC faculty don’t take attendance; in the beginning it was hard for some schools to accept that no one was responsible for making sure the student was present in class. Finally, transportation to campus needed to be provided for students without cars. High school perspective. High school teachers and administrators characterized their partnership with RCTC as “excellent.” Communication is good, for example; faculty send attendance data and alert teachers when students are at risk of failing. They reported that staff and faculty are caring with students and consistently provide help when asked. A principal cited “excellent communication” with RCTC: “We can pick up the phone and call folks to try to solve problems.” Odyssey College staff go to high schools to meet with seniors who are not planning on going to college and sign them up for RCTC courses. A high school counselor said, “You need a college that’s willing to be aggressive in outreach.” For a high school to start offering dual credit, there is minimal paperwork and the process is “simple and painless.” The assistant superintendent for the county reported that “the school board has said they would like all students to have a postsecondary experience before graduation. There are several ways they can do that while they’re here. We’re well on our way to having it [be] a part of the culture.” Because students are only on campus for part of the day, “Odyssey College is a way to initiate high school reform without messing with the untouchables” (i.e., sports, prom, and other high school rites of passage). One high school representative said, “RCTC has strengthened academically in the last few years, making it easier for us to promote it.” One high school guidance counselor estimated that 80% of the 516 students at his school have taken at least one dual credit/dual enrollment course. Field trips to RCTC create excitement and heighten awareness. A teacher from a high school with a high percentage of low-income students suggested bringing students to RCTC as freshmen and sophomores because if they go to college, they are likely to “go local.” The issue of starting student awareness of college options earlier was a theme running through multiple interviews with multiple stakeholders. Faculty reported that high school students are not motivated to obtain college credit because they do not have enough experience or knowledge about college to understand its value. Also, most students believe they will attend four-year colleges, even if this goal may be unrealistic. A high school principal said, “Our kids are playing the field; they don’t know what they want.” Students have a lot of choice; they’ll take real variety of courses. The high school tries to meet demand, but there are barriers to doing so (e.g., number of teachers, scheduling, timely completion of prerequisites). Some high school students are interested in attending Odyssey College, but they do not have the discipline or maturity to do so; attendance can also be a problem. According to a high school counselor, “RCTC is a privilege; students have to meet criteria of grades, attendance, and behavior.” The principal of a small alternative school for highrisk students reported that RCTC “has been very good about working with our students.” He described Odyssey College as “a great plug for the hole in the dike of education.” “Sometimes 38    

when students go to Odyssey College and take courses in something they want to do, they begin to see the value of academics.” The kids at his school are “leaking out” and this could help them. They send about one-third of juniors and seniors to RCTC for dual credit courses. Parents support the POS and the dual credit opportunities, though not all parents understand the value of dual credits. The cost of general education courses at RCTC is also of concern to parents (the college only waives tuition for technical courses). A high school guidance counselor stated, “More parents are beginning to see the advantage of dual-enrollment; more kids are saying they’ll stay here [in town at RCTC] for two years and then head off for four-year institution.” Teachers pointed to several success stories including a student who went through the construction program at RCTC and is now in the Engineering program at Purdue University, as well as others who went through the construction program and are successful business owners. High school administrators were reported to be initially reluctant to have students leave the high schools for courses at RCTC, though this concern seems to have abated. A guidance counselor said that RCTC would like for high school students to come and visit on field trips, but the high school administrators want to “keep the kids in the building and on task.” When the college first started offering courses for high school students, the students needed to be reminded to get a transcript showing that they earned articulated college credit. However, the feedback from the community was that the credits didn’t seem to be real to students if they were hard to track at the college level. Registering the dual credit high school students at RCTC through Odyssey College “simplified things immensely” because credits were automatically transcripted. However, if students did not want to take another course in their degree program, they might have to repeat a class that they already took for dual credit at the high school in order to be registered as a full-time student, which is necessary for insurance. Other barriers included the fact that participation in Odyssey College limited students’ time available for work-based learning opportunities such as co-op and internships offered by the high schools. The requirement that teachers have 18 credits in a discipline in order to teach a dual credit course was identified as a barrier by a high school counselor. Another counselor said that the current economy is affecting everything, and with budget cuts, the teacher-student ratio will increase, which will negatively affect the quality of the programs. Student perspective. Most, but not all, of the students who participated in our research study student focus groups intended to earn college credits while in high school, continue in their POS, and transfer to RCTC after graduation. Others planned to join the military or attend four-year colleges. Some students were unclear whether the dual credits were transferable to RCTC, other state colleges, and out-of-state. Students confirmed teachers’ impressions that they enjoyed the experiential, hands-on learning and that they felt a sense of accomplishment, mastery, and focus. Contrary to teacher perceptions, several of the students very clearly expressed an understanding of the benefit of earning college credits and not having to pay for them. Some clearly recognized the link between their POS and careers. Students also liked having the opportunity to explore new programs. They

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also had positive attitudes about the choice of courses, smaller classes, faculty overall, and specifically being treated more respectfully by RCTC faculty compared to high school teachers. Asked what they would change about the POS, students mentioned the gender representation issue—that is, the lack of women in the programs. Students wanted more internships and one student wished that his high school had a room with equipment ready to use because set up takes too long. Other students wanted better alignment with school calendars, and one wanted to be able to take the dual credit course in the morning. Some students did not want to take dual enrollment because the high schools do not weight the grades earned like they do AP and IB courses. They also don’t want to pay for their books. POS data and accountability. According to the Director of Odyssey College, “We don’t have to report Odyssey College data per se to the state, but we count these students for Perkins reporting and use Perkins funds for equipment.” Postsecondary Perkins funds do not directly support Odyssey College, but they do get limited funding in secondary Perkins that is mainly used for instructional supplies. According to the Director of Odyssey College, there were no longitudinal data for program assessment and decision-making at the time of our site visits in 2009-2010. One challenge with data use is the long tracking window (e.g., four or five years of lag time after students take dualcredit courses as freshmen). “Department-wide data are our weakness, especially output data.” However, studies conducted early in the history of Odyssey College found that: • Matriculation at RCTC increased after Odyssey College was implemented, particularly from urban, high-need high schools. • There were increases in secondary and postsecondary educational attainment. • RCTC data from the 2007-2008 school year showed higher RCTC matriculation rates for students who entered Odyssey College as juniors (93%) than as seniors (76%). Enrollment in the dual credit education program has exceeded expectations.

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