Course and Section Data Discussions Lead to Improved Student Success and Reduction in Equity Gaps

Literature has pinpointed metrics such as credits earned and course success as important measures to best determine academic momentum for community college students (Attewell, Heil, & Reisel, 2012; Jenkins & Bailey, 2017). In fall 2020, Anne Arundel Community College’s (AACC) average course success rate was 72 percent. However, success rates at the section level often varied widely for the same course. Equity gaps existed among student groups with different demographic characteristics and based on course and section designs, such as modality and section length. To address the issue, the college piloted an initiative at the School of Business and Law, which was embedded into that administrative unit’s annual assessment work. The pilot examined course- and section-level success data and used targeted coaching, high-impact practices (HIPs), innovative design, and professional development to deliberately reduce equity gaps.

Course- and Section-Level Data Discussions

The purpose of the initial course- and section-level success data discussions was to better understand student engagement and success, foster continuous improvement, and design innovative strategies to eliminate equity gaps. Through the lens of diversity, equity, inclusion, anti-racism, and accessibility, course and section data were reviewed, analyzed, and discussed to inform instructional decisions with the goal of improving student outcomes. Drawing on HIP principles, evidence-based strategies for enhancing student engagement, retention, and academic success have been implemented into the classroom in response to the first semester of data analysis and discussions.

Pilot Program Success

The pilot school developed a step-by-step guide for conducting course and section data discussions, which included:

• Selecting courses and faculty to participate;
• Obtaining five-year data for the identified courses and sections related to race, gender, Pell Grant status, and modality;
• Conducting course-level data discussions with all faculty teaching the identified courses;
• Conducting section-level data discussions between the faculty member teaching each section and the supervisor;
• Conducting supervisor meetings with the dean to review outcomes from the course- and section-level data discussions;
• Holding department meetings with faculty teaching identified courses and sections to discuss potential HIPs and other innovative strategies to address equity gaps and other issues;
• Ensuring that faculty implement the HIPs and innovative strategies in the succeeding semester; and
• Comparing the data prior to and after implementation of the HIPs and innovative strategies.

Positive outcomes identified as a result of the pilot include:

• The overall equity gap for Principles of Management was reduced by 4.8 percent between fall 2021 and fall 2023; the overall success rate for this course exceeded the institutional average by 7.2 percent in fall 2023.
• The overall equity gap for Principles of Economics was reduced by 5.2 percent between fall 2021 and fall 2023; the overall success rate for the course was 8.1 percent higher than the institutional average in fall 2023.
• Pell recipients outperformed non-Pell recipients in some of the courses under review. For example, in Business Statistics, Pell recipients outperformed non-Pell recipients by 11.4 percent in fall 2023.

To achieve these significant reductions in equity gaps in the pilot, several innovative strategies were developed and instituted, and continue to be implemented, including, but not limited to, the following.

Business Boot Camp and Speed Networking

The Business, Economics, and Entrepreneurial Studies departments implemented a back-to-school Boot Camp in fall 2022 for students in a business degree or certificate program. The Boot Camp was designed to provide students with the opportunity to meet their professors prior to the first day of classes; become familiar with the building in which their classes would be taught; tour the Business Hatchery and Incubator; and learn about events, activities, and scholarships. The idea was to create a sense of belonging so students would feel comfortable reaching out to their professors as well as fellow students. Seventy-six percent of fall 2022 Boot Camp participants earned a 2.0 or higher in their courses that semester and 67 percent earned a 3.0 or higher the following semester. The business departments also implemented a Speed Networking event in spring 2023 to provide another touch point with students during the school year. At this event, business leaders, faculty, and staff rotated through tables to meet students over a networking lunch.

Legal Studies Institute Bridge Program

During the pilot, the school’s Legal Studies Institute (LSI) created the LSI Bridge Program after a detailed analysis of the equity data from its Introduction to Paralegal Studies course. Faculty reported the same concerns about the success rates in this course as in the others and decided that work needed to be done to increase student engagement and improve writing and test-taking skills. The Bridge Program was designed for degree-seeking students who did not have a previous college degree. Students in this semester-long program met with faculty once a month to work on improving organizational skills, study and test-taking skills, and writing skills. The program also assisted students in defining and setting realistic goals. Data from the pilot show a higher percentage of student success, even for students who only attended one session. Through the LSI Bridge Program, students improved their skills but also established a stronger connection with the faculty, the Legal Studies Institute, and the college.

Aspiring Leaders Academy

The Aspiring Leaders Academy was designed as a mentoring and leadership development program within the pilot school’s Homeland Security and Criminal Justice Institute. The academy provided one-on-one and group mentoring and leadership development activities to facilitate positive and meaningful interactions between students and the campus over the course of a semester. Outcomes include career plans, educational aspirations, college satisfaction, intellectual development, personal development, leadership development, academic achievement, and college persistence. To be an aspiring leader, students must be enrolled at AACC, major in any of the Homeland Security and Criminal Justice Institute programs, have taken at least three credits in one of the programs, and complete an Aspiring Leaders Academy application.

Coach and Tutor Program

The Coach and Tutor program was created to provide specialized coaching and tutoring services to students within the Homeland Security and Criminal Justice Institute. The program assisted students searching for career and academic guidance, academic strategies, and motivation. Tutors provided guidance and tips on forming better study habits, improving notetaking, organizing notes, and developing better test-taking strategies.

Coaches and tutors are content experts in the fields of criminal justice and homeland security. Engagement coaches completed the Engagement Coaching program at AACC, which is accredited through the International Coaching Federation—the leading global organization for coaches and coaching. Engagement Coaches are available for students exploring academic, professional, or personal support.

Scaling Up

Given the positive outcomes achieved during the pilot, AACC’s Provost and Vice President for Learning developed a divisional goal to scale up this effort for all academic departments. Meanwhile, energized by the Middle States Commission for Higher Education’s accreditation visit in March 2023, all five schools in the Division of Learning adopted an objective of improving course and section success and reducing equity gaps. The Office of Planning, Research, and Institutional Assessment developed an interactive dashboard showing five years of data disaggregated by gender, race/ethnicity, and Pell vs. Non-Pell status. As of spring 2024, 39 courses, with 3,149 sections, were reviewed and 346 full- and part-time faculty who taught these sections were involved. The deans, assistant deans, and directors used the data to inform faculty coaching conversations and to focus school pedagogical and curriculum improvement efforts through the implementation of HIPs and other innovative strategies. This data review stimulated discussions on academic planning for optimal course offering, modality, and section length for highly enrolled courses and reinforced equity-mindedness versus deficit-mindedness at the college.

Continuing Equity Efforts

At AACC, we continue to combat equity gaps and champion student success through the lens of equity. To date, lessons learned through implementing course- and section-level data review include: (1) disaggregating data by student characteristics to reveal patterns that can be masked by overall data, (2) showcasing the added value of section-level data as part of regular academic program review, (3) emphasizing that this is another tool to support student success and ensure teaching excellence, and (4) leveraging data visualization technology in assessment and academic planning.

Overall, the course- and section-level data discussions enhanced teaching excellence and encouraged faculty’s active involvement in student success with a focus on equity. This division-level activity not only provided us an opportunity to examine outcome data specifically by student groups, but also informed us about the development of innovative strategies to address specific student needs, which leads to equity, continuous improvement, and inclusive excellence.

References

Attewell, P., Heil, S., & Reisel, L. (2012) What is academic momentum? And does it matter? Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 34(1), 27-44

Jenkins, D., & Bailey, T. (2017). Early momentum metrics: Why they matter for college improvement. Community College Research Center (Research Brief No. 65). http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/media/k2/attachments/early-momentum-metrics-college-improvement.pdf

Dr. Shuang Liu is Associate Vice President, Continuous Improvement and Innovation Analytics, and Karen Cook, J.D., is Dean, Business and Law, at Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold, Maryland.

Opinions expressed in Innovation Showcase are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the League for Innovation in the Community College.