College Connection

Texas House Higher Education Committee Chair: Rep. Geanie W. Morrison March 18, 2008

Presenter

Presenter

Mary Hensley, Ed.D.

Vice President, College Support Systems and ISD Relations [email protected]

512-223-7618 (Office) 512-223-7895 (Fax)

Agenda

 Closing the Gaps Overview 

College Connection

Overview 

College Connection

How It Works  Program Results  Program Recognition 

College Connection

Related Initiatives  National and State Interest in Expansion  Questions and Answers

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Strategic Plan

“Closing the Gaps” Overview

Closing the Gaps



Closing the Gaps

receive college degrees by 2030, the State could lose up to $40 billion warns that if more Texans do not in annual household income.

 The goal is to increase student enrollment in higher education by 630,000 by 2015.

 Most students will elect to start at a community college.

 Austin Community College District expects 15,000 additional students by 2015.

Source: http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/ClosingtheGaps/ctgtargets_pdf.cfm?Goal=1

College Connection

Overview

Education Beyond High School

Increases earning potential and employment opportunities U.S. Department of Education

Learn to Earn

90000 80000 70000 60000 50000 40000 30000 20000 10000 0 Le ss th an H S H S D ip loma Some C ol le ge A ss oc iate Bac he lor 's M as te rs Source: Postsecondary Education OPPORTUNITY P h.D

.

P rofe ss ion al

Improve High School to College Transitions

 Provide admission and pre-enrollment services to seniors on their school campuses  Create an expectation that “College is in everyone’s future.”  Increase percentage of high school seniors who enter college after high school graduation.

Austin Community College District Service Area College Transition Rates Texas High School Graduates from FY 2006 Enrolled in Texas Higher Education Fall 2006

School District

Austin Bastrop Blanco

Total High School Graduates

3,856 460 76

Students Enrolled in Texas Universities

1,111 105 36 29% 23% 47%

Students Enrolled in Texas 2-year Colleges

737 73 13 19% 16% 17%

Students Not Located in Texas Higher Education *

2,008 282 27

52% 61% 36%

Coupland** Del Valle 319 32 10% 58 18% 229

72%

Doss** Dripping Springs Eanes Elgin 240 555 169 95 280 45 40% 50% 27% 62 59 29 26% 11% 17% 83 216 95

35% 39% 56%

Fredericksburg 227 88 39% 33 15% 106

47%

*Includes students who were not enrolled in Texas colleges or universities in the Fall semester immediately following graduation, as well as students who were enrolled out-of-state.

**Districts with less than 25 graduates are not included in this report.

Source: http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/Reports/PDF/1323.PDF

Austin Community College District Service Area College Transition Rates Texas High School Graduates from FY 2006 Enrolled in Texas Higher Education Fall 2006

School District Total High School Graduates Students Enrolled in Texas Universities Students Enrolled in Texas 2-year Colleges Students Not Located in Texas Higher Education *

Georgetown Harper Hays Jarrell Johnson City Lago Vista Lake Travis Leander Liberty Hill Lockhart 519 46 559 44 45 73 318 1,052 120 219 214 29 177 14 16 32 144 371 46 62 41% 63% 32% 32% 36% 44% 45% 35% 38% 28% 21 62 263 24 36 98 3 96 8 6 19% 7% 17% 18% 13% 29% 19% 25% 20% 16% 207 14 286 22 23 20 112 418 50 121

40% 30% 51% 50% 51% 27% 35% 40% 42% 55%

*Includes students who were not enrolled in Texas colleges or universities in the Fall semester immediately following graduation, as well as students who were enrolled out-of-state.

**Districts with less than 25 graduates are not included in this report.

Source: http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/Reports/PDF/1323.PDF

Austin Community College District Service Area College Transition Rates Texas High School Graduates from FY 2006 Enrolled in Texas Higher Education Fall 2006

School District

Luling Manor McDade**

Total High School Graduates

87 131

Students Enrolled in Texas Universities

24 26 28% 20%

Students Enrolled in Texas 2-year Colleges

9 16 10% 12%

Students Not Located in Texas Higher Education *

54 89

62% 68%

Nixon Smiley Pflugerville Prairie Lea** Round Rock San Marcos 65 964 2,158 448 12 319 765 98 18% 33% 35% 22% 9 234 373 56 14% 24% 17% 13% 44 411 1,020 294

68% 43% 47% 66%

Smithville Wimberley 125 146 31 44 25% 30% 28 45 22% 31% 66 57

53% 39% Total 13,021 4,216 32% 2,451 19% 6,354 49%

*Includes students who were not enrolled in Texas colleges or universities in the Fall semester immediately following graduation, as well as students who were enrolled out-of-state.

**Districts with less than 25 graduates are not included in this report. Source: http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/Reports/PDF/1323.PDF

College Connection

How It Works

College Connection Program

 Many high school students find the college enrollment process intimidating.

 Austin Community College District provides hands-on,

one-on-one support

to assist every senior through

each step

of the college admissions process.

College Connection Program

 Program is free to the school districts.

 During graduation ceremonies, high school graduating seniors receive acceptance letters to Austin Community College District.

Students Receive Services at the High School: Required

• Admission application • ASSET or COMPASS • Pre-advising • Academic advising • Graduation letter

Recommended

• Senior presentation • Financial aid application

Optional

• Student life info • Teleconference • Campus tours • Registration • Other

Lifetime Acceptance “at ACC”

 Application never discarded  Provides a permanent college home  Students come to ACC: ◦ Full-time ◦ Part-time ◦ In Summer for transfer ◦ After military service ◦ ◦ After career changes Co-enroll while attending 4-year institution

Lifetime Acceptance “at ACC”

 Cohorts can be tracked by semester of entry  Longitudinal data collected for ◦ Retention ◦ ◦ Completion Success

Program Results

College Connection

School Districts 2003-04 Year 1 San Marcos 2004-05 Year 2 Austin Bastrop Del Valle Leander San Marcos 2005-06 Year 3 Austin Bastrop Del Valle Hays Leander Manor Pflugerville San Marcos 2006-07 Year 4 Austin Bastrop Blanco Del Valle Elgin Fredericksburg Harper Hays Jarrell Johnson City Lago Vista Leander Liberty Hill Lockhart Luling Manor Nixon-Smiley Pflugerville Prairie Lea Round Rock San Marcos Smithville 2007-08 Year 5 Austin Bastrop Blanco Del Valle Dripping Springs Elgin Georgetown Harper Hays Jarrell Johnson City Lago Vista Lake Travis Leander Liberty Hill Lockhart Luling Manor Nixon-Smiley Pflugerville Prairie Lea Round Rock San Marcos Smithville

College Connection Growth

Over 4 years:  1 school district to 24 school districts  2 high schools to 55 high schools  400 students to 16,466+ students

College Connection Program Diversity of Participants, 2006-07

Traditionally Underrepresented in Higher Education Students Enrolled at ACC, 2006-07

College Connection

Positively Impacts Other College Programs  ◦ ◦ ACC Fall Enrollments From Participating Districts 38% increase, 2004-05 59% increase, 2004-06  ◦ ◦ ◦ ACC Early College Start (Dual Credit) Fall Enrollments 26% increase in enrollment, 2004-05 45% increase in enrollment, 2004-06 3,209 students enrolled Summer 2007 (record-breaking ECS enrollment)  ACC Tech Prep Fall Enrollments  36 students in 2003-04  48 students in 2004-05  293 students in 2005-06  1,597 students in 2006-07  4,336% increase in enrollment, 2003-06

Program Recognition

College Connection Program National Acclaim & Recognition

• THECB Star Award Award Recipient November 2006

Awards Received

• Excelencia in Education Award Semi-Finalist October 2006 • Bellwether Award Award Recipient January 2007

College Connection

Related Initiatives

Related Initiatives

 Mini-

College Connection

for Adult Education 

College Connection

Scholarships

ACC’s Two Mobile Go Centers

 MGC #1 ◦ Length, 34 Feet ◦ ◦ Air-Conditioned 14 Computer Stations  MGC #2 ◦ Length, 42 Feet ◦ ◦ Air-Conditioned 16 Computer Stations  Equipped with: ◦ Printers ◦ ◦ ◦ Scanner Copier Satellite Internet

ACC’s Mobile Go Centers

 Virtual one-stop, college-information facility ◦ College catalog ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ Schedule information College applications FAFSA Other  Staffed by ACC personnel

ACC’s Mobile Go Centers

 Support

College Connection

program activities  Enable ACC to reach individuals where they live, work, and/or attend school ◦ Festivals ◦ Sports Events ◦ Supermarkets ◦ Shopping Malls ◦ Schools ◦ Other  www.austincc.edu/go

National and State Interest in Expansion

National Interest Florida

 Launched state-wide campaign in April 2007, “Go Higher-Get Accepted”  Modeled after

College Connection

 http://files.facts.usf.edu/ GoHigher/go_high.htm

National Interest Maine

 Passed 2007 law requiring graduating high school seniors to complete at least one college application before getting diploma.

 Modeled after

College Connection

 http://www.mainevotes.co

m/2007-LD-1040

National Interest

College Connection Program Replicated In:

 Arkansas  California  Connecticut  Florida  Hawaii  Maine  New Hampshire  Virginia

State Interest

“Attaining advanced levels of education for disadvantaged students cannot be done without developing a college-going culture in every middle school and high school in the state of Texas...then suddenly, (going to college) changes from being a possibility to an expectation.” --Raymund Paredes Commissioner, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board January 6, 2005

THECB Statewide College Connection Expansion 2007-2009

•

Ten Colleges Receive $100,000 Implementation Grants

• • • • • • • • • • Alamo Community College District Blinn College Del Mar College Houston Community College System Lee College Odessa College Richland College South Texas College Tarrant County College District Weatherford College

THECB Statewide College Connection Expansion 2007-2009

•

Five Colleges Receive $5,000 Planning Grants

• • • • • Cedar Valley College Cisco Junior College Northeast Texas Community College Paris Junior College Victoria College

THECB Statewide College Connection Expansion

•

Texas Colleges Already Adopting College

Connection

• • • • • • • • Alamo Community College District Central Texas College Coastal Bend Community College Del Mar Community College Houston Community College District Temple Community College Vernon College Victoria Community College

College Connection Logo

Austin Community College College Connection Website

www.austincc.edu/isd

 Access to scheduled activities for students, parents, and school officials  Calendars  Links to pertinent ACC school district sites

Questions and Answers

For copies:

PowerPoint Presentation

: www.austincc.edu/isd/highedcom/031808Presentation.ppt