Overview
In the fall 2021 and fall 2022 semesters, the Adult Education (AE) Division and the Composition & Literary Studies, Philosophy, Religion, & Humanities, and Student Development departments partnered in the Ascender program to create an intentional learning community designed for AE and English Language Learner students. An AE area of study advisor managed the recruitment, enrollment, and general advising for students enrolled in Ascender-supported sections.
Classes offered in the first semester were AE’s College Prep Integrated Reading and Writing, ENGL 1301 Composition I, and a Success courses (either EDUC 1300 Learning Frameworks or HUMA 1301 Prehistory to Renaissance: The Great Questions).
Second-semester classes were ENGL 1302 Composition II and another core curriculum class. The same faculty member, an AE faculty member who was also eligible to teach ENGL 1301 and 1302, taught three of the five classes—the AE College Prep INRW/ELAR class, ENGL 1301, and ENGL 1302.
The AE College Prep classes, like all College Prep classes, were provided tuition-free and did not impact student GPA. In addition, many of the students were already familiar with the teacher from their previous AE classes.
Accomplishments
- The fall 2021 cohort enrolled 15 students and the fall 2022 cohort enrolled 12 students.
- Of the 15 students who enrolled in fall 2021, 10 students passed ENGL 1301, 12 students
passed HUMA 1301, 11 continued to spring 2022, and 13 are enrolled at ACC as of spring
semester 2023. - Of the 12 students in the fall 2022 cohort, nine students passed ENGL 1301 (all As), five
students of nine enrolled passed EDUC 1300, 10 continued to spring 2023, and nine
are actively working to enroll in summer 2023 or fall 2023.
Successful Course Completions (A/B/C/S/P; Colleague Student Data)
| Course | Fall 2021 (15 students) | Fall 2022 (12 students) |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 1301-DLS modality | 67% | 75% |
| HUMA 1301-DLS modality | 80% | |
| EDUC 1300-DLS modality | 55% (9 students enrolled) |
Successful Course Completions | Fall 2022
| Course | ENGL 1301 | EDUC 1300 (9 students enrolled) |
|---|---|---|
| Asian (1 student) | 100% | 0% |
| Black/African-American (1 student) | 100% | 100% |
| Hispanic/Latino (8 students in ENGL 1301; 5 students in EDUC 1300) |
75% | 60% |
| Other (1 student) | 100% | 100% |
| White (1 student) | 0% | 0% |
Persistence Fall to Spring | Fall 2022-Spring 2023
| Asian (1 student) | 100% |
| Black/African-American (1 student) | 100% |
| Hispanic/Latino (8 students) | 75% |
| Other (1 student) | 100% |
| White (1 student) | 100% |
- Three students from these cohorts are now serving as Ascender mentors. Alejandra Polcik, manager of Hispanic outreach projects including Ascender, remarks that “Students who are serving as mentors from the College Prep cohorts, because they are nontraditional students with children, jobs, and different life experiences, are bringing a richness and wisdom as they mentor the younger, direct-from-high-school students in our other cohorts.”
Impact
This partnership, like AE’s other co-requisite partnerships with Career Pathways, strengthens the AE-to-credit pathway for AE students. Destiny Brown, a student from the fall 2022 cohort and now serving as an Ascender mentor, notes: “The Ascender Program helped me by experiencing new challenges and making friends, and knowing that they actually stand by the promise to welcome students as family. I feel like I am part of a family.” These learning communities succeeded in creating a sense of belonging for students, an important factor in long-term student success.
Next Steps
We plan to continue the partnership in fall 2023. The schedule will change from a 16-week class to the 12-week class to mirror our general College Prep class and orientation schedule, which we believe will help with recruitment. We would love to expand into additional co-requisites with our College Prep program, including math.
Back to Top