Academy for College Excellence (ACE) serves under-prepared college students. Through a full-time semester-long accelerated program, ACE helps students learn and transform themselves from the inside out as they rethink their relationship to learning and to college. But the ACE program works because it transforms institutions as well as students. It is classroom-based, and much of what students in other programs get through outside counseling, ACE students get in the classroom. Over the last 8 years, ACE has demonstrated that it is both sustainable and scalable, today serving over 750 students in seven community colleges across three states. This talk focuses on ACE's program design, the transformations it requires, and how two-year and four-year institutions alike can adapt its approach to their own mission and students.
1. 4/7/11
Underprepared
Students,
Underprepared
Ins3tu3ons:
Transforma3on
360º
WASC-‐Sr
2011
Academic
Resource
Conference
Diego
Navarro
Founding
Director
&
Instructor
www.my-‐ace.org
Academy
for
College
Excellence
(ACE)
diego@my-‐ace.org
Underprepared
Students
&
Ins3tu3ons
QUESTIONS
TO
EXPLORE
TODAY
Context
Underprepared
students
and
Ins3tu3ons
What
is
the
Academy
for
College
Excellence
(ACE)?
What
are
the
needs
of
underprepared
student?
What
approaches
work
with
these
students?
What
do
colleges
need
to
do
to
address
these
students?
2
1
2. 4/7/11
Underprepared
Students
&
Ins3tu3ons
QUESTIONS
TO
EXPLORE
TODAY
Context
Underprepared
students
and
Ins@tu@ons
What
is
the
Academy
for
College
Excellence
(ACE)?
What
are
the
needs
of
underprepared
student?
What
approaches
work
with
these
students?
What
do
colleges
need
to
do
to
address
these
students?
3
Underprepared
Students
&
Ins3tu3ons
QUESTIONS
TO
EXPLORE
TODAY
Context
Underprepared
students
and
Ins3tu3ons
What
is
the
Academy
for
College
Excellence
(ACE)?
What
are
the
needs
of
underprepared
student?
What
approaches
work
with
these
students?
What
do
colleges
need
to
do
to
address
these
students?
4
2
3. 4/7/11
What
is
the
Academy
for
College
Excellence?
What
is
the
ACE
Model
for
Students?
Integrated
Courses
Bridge
Semester
•
Intensive
12-‐16
weeks
13.5
CREDITS
•
Accelerated
•
Transforma3ve
Team
Self
Team
Self
Management
Management
PROJECT-‐BASED
PROJECT-‐BASED
Career
Computer
Computer
Career
Skills
Social
JJus@ce
Social
us@ce
Planning
Planning
Skills
Research
Research
STUDENT
Course
Course
COHORT
Founda@on
Math
Math
Movement
Movement
Course
Two
Week
Intensive
English
English
3
CREDITS
Behavior
System
Behavior
System
6
3
4. 4/7/11
What
is
the
Academy
for
College
Excellence?
PROVEN
SUCCESS
IN
DEVELOPMENTAL
EDUCATION
ACE Cohort Students
Cabrillo College
Comparison Group
Source:
Jenkins,
Davis,
Zeidenberg,
Ma]hew,
and
Wachen,
John,
“Educa3onal
Outcomes
of
Cabrillo
College’s
Digital
Bridge
Academy:
Findings
from
a
Mul3variate
Analysis,”
Community
College
Research
Center,
Teacher’s
College,
Columbia
University,
2009.
7
Underprepared
Students
&
Ins3tu3ons
QUESTIONS
TO
EXPLORE
TODAY
Context
Underprepared
students
and
Ins3tu3ons
What
is
the
Academy
for
College
Excellence
(ACE)?
What
are
the
needs
of
underprepared
student?
What
approaches
work
with
these
students?
What
do
colleges
need
to
do
to
address
these
students?
8
4
5. 4/7/11
“Probably
wrong
and
definitely
incomplete”
Student
Risk
Factors
Issues
of
life
experience
and
circumstances
How
to
create
countervailing
force
to
anchor
students
to
college
Personal
Life
against
their
complex
lives
Academic
Life
which
pull
them
away
Poverty
Experienced
Industrial
Educa3on
Model,
Parental
stress
about
$$
Underperforming
Schools
Unsafe
Neighborhoods,
School
does
not
ins3ll
Violence,
Gangs,
Guns,
21st
century
professional
skills
Trauma,
Domes3c
Abuse
Lack
of
“dorm
life”
and
peer
or
alumni
support
Substance
Abuse,
Addic3ons
Courses
lack
relevancy
Homelessness;
Hunger
or
classes
are
not
interes3ng
Death;
Illness
in
family
First
in
family
to
a]end
college
No
role
models
or
cultural
understanding
of
Higher
Ed
9
Getting to Know Who You Are
5
7. 4/7/11
“Probably
wrong
and
definitely
incomplete”
Student
Vulnerabili3es
Issues
that
block
or
deter
students
from
ligh3ng
the
fire
within
Rela@onship
to
SELF
Rela@onship
to
OTHERS
Lack
self-‐leadership
skills
to
work
Nega3ve
experiences
of
school
Students
have
complex
lives
effec3vely
with
others
Lack
of
career
awareness
Do
not
understand
how
to
design
Live
in
survival
mode;
fear
and
insecurity;
Need
to
be
super-‐vigilant
effec3ve
teams
Lack
long-‐term
goals
and
“watch
their
backs”
Do
not
understand
the
condi3ons
Student
needs
to
work
that
create
self-‐management
in
Lack
self-‐awareness
and
contribute
to
family
teams
Feel
hopeless,
trapped
Lack
self-‐agency,
self-‐regula3on,
and
Lack
collabora3ve
communica3on
the
ability
to
delay
gra3fica3on
skills;
Do
not
see
the
styles
and
strengths
of
teammates
Don’t
see
themselves
as
college
students;
Lack
effec3ve
habits
for
Not
handling
their
own
bio-‐reac3on
college
success
with
others;
Inappropriate
behaviors;
PTSD
Experiencing
life
as
unfair
and
unjust
Lack
the
tools
and
skills
in
leading/
par3cipa3ng
in
ac3on
Bound
to
cultural
pa]erns
and
expecta3ons
Unable
to
sense
when
others
are
not
on
board
13
Underprepared
Students
&
Ins3tu3ons
QUESTIONS
TO
EXPLORE
TODAY
Context
Underprepared
students
and
Ins3tu3ons
What
is
the
Academy
for
College
Excellence
(ACE)?
What
are
the
needs
of
underprepared
student?
What
approaches
work
with
these
students?
What
do
colleges
need
to
do
to
address
these
students?
14
7
8. 4/7/11
Intensity
of
Student
Support
R&D
Solu3ons
for
Students
High
li 3es
abi
ner
Intensity
u l
d
V
an
Med
isks
e
of
R
gn itud
Ma
t ’s
den
Stu
Low
College
provides
Current
Dev
Ed
model
ACE
MODEL
usual
services
of
outside-‐class
support
services
24/7
Curriculum-‐based
Peer
Network
Support
Types
of
Student
Support
15
Intensity
of
Student
Support
Student
Support
Cost
Comparison
High
Current
Dev
Ed
model
COST
OF
DELIVERY
of
outside-‐class
support
services
Med
College
provides
24/7
Curriculum-‐based
Low
usual
services
Peer
Network
Support
INTENSITY
OF
STUDENT
SUPPORT
16
8
10. 4/7/11
Personal
Competencies
Team
work
Self-‐discipline
Seeing
styles
of
others
Compassion
Non-‐violent
communica3on
4/6/11
Academic
Competencies
Analyzing
informa3on
Becoming
an
expert
Developing
solu3ons
&
plans
Learning
to
work
in
teams
Purng
thoughts
into
speech
Wri3ng
at
college-‐level
Learning
math
4/6/11
10
11. 4/7/11
How
is
ACE
different
than
other
programs?
• Repairs
the
damage
done
by
past
educa@onal
experiences
• Transforms
student
from
the
inside
out
• Helps
them
believe
they
can
do
it
• U@lizes
strength
of
student:
social
jus@ce
focus
• Creates
a
virtual
dorm
through
the
cohort
model
What
we
do
We
take
students
who
know
how
to
survive
&
persist
Help
them
translate
these
strengths
into
the
academic
environment
So
they
become
more
effec@ve
people,
not
just
more
effec3ve
students
11
12. 4/7/11
How
we
do
it
Transform
student
from
the
inside
out
Recognize
the
importance
of
the
affec3ve
domain
Repair
damage
done
by
past
life
experiences
U3lize
strength
of
student:
social
jus3ce
focus
Help
them
believe
they
can
do
it
Synthesize
diverse
theories
&
prac3ces
Affec@ve
Domain
Rela3onship
to
Self
Rela3onship
to
Others
Self-‐Iden3ty
–
Am
I
a
student?
A]uned
communica3on
Self-‐Efficacy
–
Can
I
make
it
in
Empathy
&
social
awareness
the
academic
world?
Leadership
&
team
work
Self-‐Determina3on
–
What
Social
&
emo3onal
learning
professional
career
do
I
want?
Belonging
&
community
Self-‐Organiza3on
–
Can
I
set
&
achieve
goals?
Self-‐Regula3on
–
Can
I
control
myself
to
achieve
what
I
want?
12
13. 4/7/11
Repair
Damage
Create
the
condi3ons
for
learning
by
allevia3ng
symptoms
such
as:
Hyper-‐arousal
Loss
of
concentra3on
Emo3onal
numbing
Intrusive
thoughts
Bio-‐reac3on
on
minor
s3muli
Diverse
theories
&
prac@ces
Social
learning
theory
Self-‐efficacy
theory
Self-‐regula3on
theory
Language
immersion
theory
Neuroplas3city
theory
13
14. 4/7/11
How
does
ACE
curriculum
benefit
students?
Promotes
persistence
to
later
semesters
How
does
ACE
curriculum
benefit
students?
Promotes
persistence
to
later
semesters
Accelerates
them
through
the
remedial
sequence
to
transfer-‐level
courses
14
15. 4/7/11
How
does
ACE
curriculum
benefit
students?
Promotes
persistence
to
later
semesters
Accelerates
them
through
the
remedial
sequence
to
transfer-‐level
courses
Helps
them
accumulate
college
&
transfer-‐level
credits
faster
Underprepared
Students
&
Ins3tu3ons
QUESTIONS
TO
EXPLORE
TODAY
Context
Underprepared
students
and
Ins3tu3ons
What
is
the
Academy
for
College
Excellence
(ACE)?
What
are
the
needs
of
underprepared
student?
What
approaches
work
with
these
students?
What
do
colleges
need
to
do
to
address
these
students?
30
15
16. 4/7/11
What
do
Colleges
Need?
#1
• Develop
the
capacity
for
ac3on
and
change
• ACE
Faculty
Experien3al
Learning
Ins3tute
and
Professional
Development
workshops
– Faculty:
learn
to
work
collabora3vely
with
peers
– Colleges:
create
a
culture
of
effec3ve
ac3on
and
change/innova3on
ACE
Adop3on
Methodology
MAJOR
STAGES
OF
ACE
PARTNER
COLLEGE
RELATIONSHIPS
QUALIFYING
STAGE
Discovery
Due
Commit-‐ Transi3on
Imple-‐ STAGE
ACTIVATING
Live
SUSTAINING
STAGE
Steady
Scaling
Ins3tu-‐
Diligence
ment
Planning
menta-‐
Cohorts
State
3onaliza-‐
(3
to
6
months)
(3
to
93ononths)
m
(2
to
5
years)
3on
Phase
1
Phase
2
Phase
3
Phase
4
Phase
5
Phase
6
Phase
7
Phase
8
Phase
9
SUSTAINING
•
Scaling
•
Ins3tu3onaliza3on
ACTIVATING
•
Steady
State
•
Transi3on
•
Implementa3on
QUALIFYING
•
Live
Cohorts
•
Discovery
•
Due
Diligence
•
Commitment
32
16
17. 4/7/11
ACE
Adop3on
Methodology
THE
WORK
OF
ADOPTION
IS
COORDINATED
IN
EACH
OF
5
TRACKS
QUALIFYING
Discovery
Due
Commit-‐ ACTIVATING
Live
Transi3on
Steady
SUSTAINING
on
Scaling
STAGE
ment
Diligence
Planning
STAGE
Cohorts
State
STAGE
Phase
1
Phase
2
Phase
3
Phase
4
Phase
5
Phase
6
Phase
7
Phase
8
Phase
9
Management
Of
Change
Curriculum
Professional
Development
Scheduling
Recrui@ng
&
Student
Support
33
ACE
Adop3on
Model
ACE
WORKSHOPS
AND
TOOLS
PROVIDE
SUPPORT
AS
NEEDED
QUALIFYING
Discovery
Due
Commit-‐ ACTIVATING
Live
Transi3on
Steady
SUSTAINING
on
Scaling
STAGE
ment
Diligence
Planning
STAGE
Cohorts
State
STAGE
Phase
1
Phase
2
Phase
3
Phase
4
Phase
5
Phase
6
Phase
7
Phase
8
Phase
9
Management
Workshop
Of
Change
Intersec3on
of
a
Track
+
Phase
ACE
Module
name
“ACE
302-‐C”
means
Curriculum
302-‐C
Curriculum
Track
near
Phase
3
Professional
Development
Tools
&
Services
Scheduling
ACE
SEA
(Self-‐Efficacy
Assessment)
tool
is
an
example
of
ACE’s
early
warning
system
Recrui@ng
&
ACE
Student
Support
SEA
34
17
18. 4/7/11
What
do
Colleges
Need?
#2
• Understand
the
impact
of
their
interven3ons
• Describe
the
theory
of
change
and
why
the
interven3on
works
Pathway
to
Solu3ons
Ar@culated
Final
Program
Problems
Iden@fy
Design
• Academic
Needs
Theories
&
Solu@on
Pilo@ng
• Risk
Levels
Methods
Ac@vi@es
Solu@ons
• Vulnerabili3es
36
18
19. 4/7/11
ACE
Student
Outcomes
Logic
Model
Short-‐term
Intermediate
Long-‐term
Ac@vi@es
Outcomes
Outcomes
Outcomes
(Bridge
Semester)
Personal
development
ACE
•Self-‐efficacy
Curriculum
•Self-‐esteem
and
Pedagogy
•Awareness
________
•Hope/op@mism
Enrollment/
•Iden@ty
as
college
Persistence
Target
and
Founda@on
Course
student
Persistenc
Recruit
e
Skills
&
Knowledge
Credits
Students
Bridge
•Academic
Semester
•College
&
Career
•Professional
behaviors
Academic
Achievement
and
Support
21st
Century
Skills
Progress
•Communica@on
&
Comple@on
Approach
Listening
•Leadership
Self-‐Efficacy
_______
•Teamwork
Cohort
Peer
Support
Network
Model
Credits
Earned
Assump@ons
• Community
colleges
represent
a
realis3c
avenue
to
higher
educa3on
and
success
in
life,
but
low-‐
income,
underprepared
students
who
reflect
a
combina3on
of
risk
factors
are
oxen
not
well
served
by
those
colleges
through
developmental
educa3on
programs.
• Students
from
high
risk
groups
must
be
given
the
opportunity
through
transforma3ve
educa3onal
experiences
to
develop
the
essen3al
knowledge,
technical
skills,
and
creden3als
that
will
allow
them
to
succeed
in
the
workplace.
37
Promote
Integrity
to
ensure
student
outcomes
Integrity
to
the
curriculum
Integrity
to
the
model
as
Integrity
to
the
model
as
experienced
by
the
it
is
implemented
in
a
as
implemented
by
the
students
cohort
college
• Founda3on
Course
• Behavior
System
• English
/
Math
accelera3on
• Team
Self
Management
• Faculty
lead
role
• FC
teacher
also
teaches
one
• Social
Jus3ce
Research
• Faculty
cohort
role
of
the
Bridge
courses
Course
• FELI
training
To
promote
integrity:
• Create
ACE
Integrity
Architecture
to
clearly
define
requirements;
embed
in
adop3on
methodology
• Deliver
workshops
and
ins3tutes
to
transfer
understanding
of
ACE
curriculum
and
approach
• Provide
adop3on
support
to
faculty,
staff
and
administrators
regarding
implementa3on
and
scaling
• Create
and
implement
cer3fica3on
program
for
master
mentors
and
teachers
• Collect
and
analyze
student
outcomes
data
and
feedback
• Develop
regional
events
to
share
experiences
and
develop
new
ideas
19
20. 4/7/11
Model
of
Factors
Related
to
ACE
Program
ACE Sources of Psychological Outcomes
Program Self-Efficacy & Processes
Components Identity
Enactive Mastery
Academic & Career Self- Performance
Curriculum
Efficacy
Vicarious Experiences
Faculty Academic & Career Behaviors
Identity
Social Persuasion
Peer Support
Leadership & Teamwork Attitudes
Efficacy
Emotional Experience
39
Understanding
the
Student
Vulnerability
Profile
40
20
21. 4/7/11
Understanding
the
Student
Vulnerability
Profile
Structural
Equa3on
Model
of
ACE
Process
and
Outcomes
41
Na3onal
Science
Founda3on
Funded
Studies
Data
Collec3on
and
Evalua3ons
Funded by National Science Foundation Advanced Technology Education (ATE) grants
Higher Education Evaluation and Research Group (HEERG)
N. Badway (2005 and 2007)
Two longitudinal studies examined characteristics of participants in
the Foundation Course and Bridge Semester and the personal and
academic growth related to participation.
Report 1 Student
Outcomes
Evalua<on
Compares outcomes before and after DBA (now called ACE) to
aggregate statistics on California community college students.
Report 2 Persistence
and
Achievement
Analyzes retention, credits earned, and GPA during the DBA (ACE)
program; persistence, credit accumulation, and grade point change
subsequent to the first semester of DBA (ACE); and compares
outcomes to other Cabrillo College students.
Academy
for
College
Excellence
(ACE)
was
formerly
known
as
Digital
Bridge
Academy
(DBA)
42
21
22. 4/7/11
University
of
California
Faculty
Training
Studies
Data
Collec3on
and
Evalua3ons
Funded by The James Irvine Foundation⌃ and The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation*
Center for Justice, Tolerance & Community
at University of California Santa Cruz
Three studies in 2006 and 2007
⌃Passing the Torch: An Evaluation of the Digital Bridge Academy Replication
(London, Smith, and George, 2006)
Examined the pilot phase of faculty training, course curriculum and principles;
Found that students of all ethnicities and geographic locations respond
positively to the Foundation Course, and that the training approach was
successful in helping faculty new to the DBA (ACE) embrace its components.
⌃Policy and Institutional Issues Related to Digital Bridge Academy Replication
(Navarro, Smith, George, and London, 2006)
Discussed the policy-related issues involved with replicating the program
at other colleges.
⌃* Feeding The Fire: Professional Development and the Digital Bridge
Academy Faculty Training
(Schirmer, Rosner, London, Bullock, 2007)
Examined how
DBA
(ACE) philosophy
and
curriculum
aid
faculty
in
teaching
their
DBA
and
non-‐DBA
(ACE)
courses; and the broader implications this has for faculty
and community colleges.
Academy
for
College
Excellence
(ACE)
was
formerly
known
as
Digital
Bridge
Academy
(DBA)
43
Columbia
University
CCRC
Longitudinal
Study
Data
Collec3on
and
Evalua3ons
Funded by The James Irvine Foundation⌃ and The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation*
Columbia University: Community College Research Center
Jenkins, D., Hayward, C. (2009)
Educational Outcomes of the Academy for College Excellence:
Findings from a Multivariate Analysis
Compared educational outcomes of the first nine cohorts of DBA
(ACE) students with other students at Cabrillo who did not
participate in the program. This study found significant positive
effects for participation in both the accelerated and non-
accelerated versions of the DBA (ACE).
Academy
for
College
Excellence
(ACE)
was
formerly
known
as
Digital
Bridge
Academy
(DBA)
44
22
23. 4/7/11
Gates
Founda3on
Funded
Longitudinal
Studies
Data
Collec3on
and
Evalua3ons
ACE
Evalua3on
Design– for 5 year longitudinal study
Funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
MPR Associates (2010-2015) in progress
Evaluation of the Academy for College Excellence and its
Variations at other Community Colleges
Rigorous
quan3ta3ve
evalua3on
of
ACE
and
various
implementa3ons
of
the
model
on
other
campuses.
Evalua3ng
both
the
student
program
and
the
Faculty
Experien3al
Learning
Ins3tute
(FELI).
Measures
of
student
self-‐efficacy
and
other
personal
growth
indicators
will
be
analyzed
with
rela3on
to
achievement
outcomes
and
student
reten3on.
Will provide the Academy, the Gates Foundation, and
participating colleges with data and information that will
support ongoing program improvement and contribute
knowledge to the field about features of the model that
relate most strongly to positive outcomes for students.
45
What
do
Colleges
Need?
#3
• Ability
to
facilitate
change
to
adopt
and
scale
innova3ons
– Educa3onal
approach
to
faculty
development
and
college
leadership
capacity
building
23
24. 4/7/11
What
has
ACE
learned
about
scaling?
CODIFY
TEST
STRATEGIZE
MANAGE
THE
CHANGE
47
What
has
ACE
learned
about
scaling?
CODIFY
Use
replicable
ar3facts
•
ACE
Curriculum
Kits
(curriculum,
training)
to
codify
•
ACE
Professional
Development
key
insights
and
promote
integrity
Document
a
clear,
detailed
•
ACE
Adop3on
Methodology
approach
to
implemen3ng
the
•
ACE
Integrity
Architecture
innova3on
at
new
ins3tu3ons
48
24
25. 4/7/11
What
has
ACE
learned
about
scaling?
TEST
• Five
40-‐hour
pilots
tes3ng
nine
Pilot
test
the
curriculum
sets
of
curriculum
Check
to
be
sure
it
can
be
taught
• Third-‐party
study
by
non-‐founders
• Train-‐the-‐trainer
test
• Scaling
bonus
for
colleges
to
go
Run
tests
that
“push
the
beyond
current
cohort
level
envelope”
revealed
barriers
49
What
has
ACE
learned
about
scaling?
STRATEGIZE
• ACE
Regional
Adop3on
Model
Look
for
economies
of
scale
in
the
for
Bridge
Semester
rollout
strategy
• But
not
for
standalone
Professional
Development
Determine
all
roles
that
are
cri3cal
for
success
(not
just
• ACE
Adop3on
Workshops
faculty
but
also
administrators
and
staff)
and
train
them
Be
clear
about
what’s
required
vs.
• ACE
Integrity
Architecture
recommended,
and
promote
• ACE
Integrity
Audit
replica3on
integrity
50
25
26. 4/7/11
What
has
ACE
learned
about
scaling?
MANAGE
THE
CHANGE
• Not
just
tops-‐down
but
also
Shared
governance
requires
bo]oms-‐up
approaches
shared
sponsorship
• Bring
together
mul3ple
levels
&
silos
Look
at
the
larger
system
• ACE
Elements
Drive
Systemic
Change
and
work
those
levers
• Early
adopters
Understand
the
mo3va3on
–
Being
part
of
the
movement
of
your
early
adopters
vs.
• Mainstream
adopters
mainstream
adopters
and
–
Making
a
living
while
doing
adapt
rewards
accordingly
something
good
51
Underprepared
Students,
Underprepared
Ins3tu3ons:
Transforma3on
360º
WASC-‐Sr
2011
Academic
Resource
Conference
Diego
Navarro
www.my-‐ace.org
Founding
Director
&
diego@my-‐ace.org
Instructor
26