Transcript Early Alert at Sinclair Community College

Early Alert
at Sinclair Community College
Elizabeth A. Price
Early Alert Coordinator
Student Success Planning Services
Sinclair Community College
• An urban community college of 22,000 students
in Dayton, Ohio.
• Sinclair has 2 additional campuses at local
YMCAs and a regional campus in Mason, Ohio.
• Vanguard Learning College by the League for
Innovation in the Community College
• Achieving the Dream: “Community Colleges
Count” grant.
History of Early Alert
• A part of the award-winning Student
Success Plan software and program
designed for at-risk student retention.
• Implemented the “home-grown” early alert
software and program in 2005.
• Funded by Title III.
Presentation Overview
•
•
•
•
•
•
Intro and definition
Process in six steps
Benefits
Data processing
Implementation Considerations
Results
Sinclair’s Early Alert System
• Early Alert is an intervention program that allows faculty to
notify advisors/counselors of ANY issues that may affect the
success of a student.
• It is a simple way of assisting students in difficulty find the
help they need while taking very little time.
• Electronic Early Alert notifications are easy ways to
promote retention and the success of students in classes.
• Currently utilized in all DEV courses, English 111, select
Math courses, and the First Year Experience courses.
• “Preventative measure”
Creating the Link
• Faculty have frequent contact with students
enabling them to identify potential problems.
• Advisors/counselors have the resources
available to address problems.
The Link: an online system that facilitates
communication, provides information on
campus and local resources, and records data.
The
Early Alert Process
In Six Steps
STEP 1
Instructor identifies a student or
students having difficulty in class:








Never Attended Class
Excessive Absences
Tardiness
Academic Concern
Low Homework/Quiz Scores
Low Test Scores
Personal Concern
Other
STEP 2
Notification is sent by the
instructor through the Student
Success Plan (SSP) website.
1). Choose the Class
Steven
Angela
Mary
Charles
Margaret
L
Q
X
Y
Johnson
Sinclair
Thomas
Jones
Tartan
2). Double click on the
student’s name until a box
appears.
Click “Send Early Alert.”
ILP
EAL
CAP
Angela Sinclair
0123456
[email protected]
ILP
Select the reason for the
early alert
Yvonne Dorsett
10-424
512-3032
Student Success Planning Services
Click “Add/Edit” to insert
your suggestions.
Opportunity for Comments
Angela Sinclair
0123456
[email protected]
ILP
Yvonne Dorsett
10-424
512-3032
Student Success Planning Services
Click “Send Early Alert.”
Professors have the
option of sending a
general information letter
to the student
STEP 3
An email is automatically distributed
to the student’s advisor.
• Students without an assigned advisor
are automatically distributed to a preselected office or individual.
• Faculty receive an automatic email
confirming the alert was delivered to the
advisor.
Tiffany Carlisle
Tiffany Carlisle
00055555
937-555-1234
Student’s
Name,
ID, phone
Student’s
name,
tartan
id,
and
address
phonenumber
number,
and
address
Class and name of instructor
Reason
Withdraw
Instructor’s suggestions
Instructor’s comments
STEP 4
Advisor Contacts Student
1. Phone
2. Email
3. Letter
Advisor/Counselor
Reads Early Alert
2nd STEP
Call the Student
Response
No Response
Close
Early
Alert
Send Email
The email can be
more detailed than
the phone message.
It should request
that the student
contact you.
Response
Close
Early
Alert
Steps to closing
an early alert
If student makes
contact after the early
No Response
Send Letter
The letter can be
more detailed than
the email message. It
should request that
the student contact
you and can provide
resource information.
Close
Early
Alert
STEP 5
Student Action Plan
• Optional: an Action Plan can be created
and given to the student.
• An action plan is a to-do list for the
students with target dates the advisor can
set.
• Information about local and campus
resources appears providing the student
with details, phone numbers and locations.
STEP 6
Recording the Outcome
• The advisor records any attempt at
reaching the student in the system.
• Any contact with the student should
be recorded in the system.
• When the early alert is resolved, it is
also recorded.
Insert Comments
“Save” to enter
comments
Yes =
Contact was made and
student responded by
phone, email, mail or in
person. No further action
can be taken.
No =
Contact was attempted
either by phone or email.
No response from the
student. Further action
can be taken.
Benefits
Benefits
• Supports a “team approach” in student retention
• Less time consuming, easy to use
• Accessible from anywhere at anytime
• Flexible for the faculty and advisor to
communicate freely
• Tracks and records Early Alerts and provides
updates to the faculty throughout the process
• Creates detailed reports at any point during the
year: weekly, monthly, annually, or each
semester.
Producing Data
Data Tools
Early Alert data provides information on:
• Total number per semester, for each
department
• Reason per class
• Resulting action
• Grade outcome per class
Implementation
Considerations
Initial Questions to Ask
• Is there a need?
• Do we have the manpower & financial backing?
• How will the instructors submit the early alerts?
• What classes should be included?
• Do the instructors & advisors support this
endeavor?
• Who would train the faculty and advisors?
• Who will distribute unassigned early alerts?
• Who will promote the program & answer
questions?
Considerations
1. Determine key players: advisors, faculty,
counselors, department chairs, Dean of
Students, etc… Get feedback and support.
2. Decide how an early alert program will work
best on campus: paper, phone, email,
internet system.
3. Select pilot classes.
4. Design process, identify participants & duties.
5. Constant and formal review of process.
Results
Within the SSP Database System
• As an important tool within the SSP system for atrisk students, Early Alert contributes to higher
retention rates for SSP students than the general
“not at-risk” population.
• Minority students participating in the ILP
program have retention rates 8% higher than the
general minority population and 21% higher than
their non-participating, at-risk counterparts.
Questions?
Sinclair Community College
Student Success Planning Services
444 West Third Street
Dayton, Ohio 45402-1460
Elizabeth A. Price, M.S.Ed.
Post-Transition ILP & Early Alert Coordinator
Phone: (937) 512-2449
Fax: (937) 512-2392
[email protected]