Retaining Students with Disabilities: A Ten Step Plan to Success2009 International Assessment & Retention Conference

Who Are We?

Shelley Ducatt, Associate Director, Student Disability Services, Texas Tech University

Tamara Mancini, Assistant Director, Student Disability Services, Texas Tech University

Today’s Session Will Answer:

How does the institution’s infrastructure facilitate an integrated assessment process?

How have assessment efforts improved student learning and retention?

What assessment strategies work best in different situations?

How can assessment data be used as a means of improving student retention and persistence?

Glossary of Today’s Terms

SDS – Student Disability Services

LOA – Letter of Accommodation

NSO – New Student Orientation

RRO – Red Raider Orientation

STAMP – STudent Adjustment and Mentoring Program

Retention

While access to higher education remains a hot topic, the retention of today’s students has emerged as a top priority for colleges and universities. In spite of the programs and services being designed and implemented to assist students in their transition to the college environment, the U.S. Department of Education, Center for Educational Statistics, states that only 50% of those who enter higher education will actually earn a bachelor’s degree.

Students with Disabilities

The percentage of college freshmen reporting disabilities increased from less than 3 percent in 1978 to 9 percent in 2000. Much of the growth in the number and percentage of students with disabilities is due to increased numbers of students with learning disabilities (Henderson, 1999).

In 2003-04, 11.3% of the student population enrolled in institutions of higher education reported having a disability (U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics).

Retention through Integration

According to Tinto (1975), the more students adjust and integrate into the social and academic life of the campus, become committed to the goal of graduation, and develop loyalty to the individual institution, the greater are the chances that they will persist and graduate. Integration in this context is defined as “a function of the interaction between students’ ability to shape their college environment to meet their own expectation” (Brower, 1992, p.456).

The premise upon which this and other related studies rests is that, in order for students to persist at an institution, they must first become successfully integrated into its community. This is the basis for our program.

Assessment

“I shall consider assessment to include the gathering of information concerning the functioning of students, staff, and institutions of higher education. The information may or may not be in numerical form, but the basic motive for gathering it is to improve the functioning of the institution and its people. I used functioning to refer to the broad social purposes of a college or university: to facilitate student learning and development, to advance the frontiers of knowledge, and to contribute to the community, and society.”

~Alexander Astin

(Assessment for Excellence, Oryx Press, 1993, p.2)

Assessment

“Assessment is defined as the systematic basis for making inferences about the learning and development of students. More specifically, assessment is the process of defining, selecting, designing, collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and using information to increase students’ learning and development.”

~T. Dary Erwin

(Assessing Student Learning and Development, Jossey-Bass, 1991,pp.14-19)

Assessment at Texas Tech University

The Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management has a designated Assessment & Planning Office.

Texas Tech has a Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Assessment Committee. This committee is charged with coordinating the strategic planning and assessment efforts within each student affairs department throughout the division.

All trainings on strategic plans, annual reports, and assessment data are coordinated through this committee.

Texas Tech University also has an Office of Planning & Assessment.

Learning Outcomes for TTU Student Affairs & Enrollment

Management

The 10 Steps that we have taken.

Student Disability Services

Steps…in no particular order

Step 1: Initial Intake Meetings

Step 2: Information Sessions

Step 3: Skill Building Workshops

Step 4: Student Follow-up

Step 5: Grade Checks

Step 6: Mentor Program

Step 7: Department Newsletter

Step 8: SDS NSO

Step 9: Welcome Week Activities

Step 10: Technology

Initial Intake Meetings

Purpose:

Brief the student on the programs and services provided by the Student Disability Services office, and to ensure that he/she is familiar with the policies and procedures which guide the day-to-day operation of the SDS office.

Group Intake Meetings

Group Intake Meetings were designed in order to accommodate the large number of students needing to complete an intake meeting the first few weeks of each semester.

During a group intake meeting a student is handed a folder containing his/her Letters of Accommodation. No other student in attendance sees the accommodations offered to another student, thereby maintaining each student’s confidentiality.

Assessing Our Success

Group Intakes have exceeded even our expectations.

Ten to fifteen students in every session, consistently.

Students report discovering unknown connections with others in attendance (live in same residence hall, enrolled in same English class, etc.)

In the future, we look to ONLY have Group Intakes, unless a student requests to meet with us alone.

SDS Info Sessions

Purpose:

Provide students with a “refresher” of the information discussed during the Initial Intake Meeting. Due to the nature of our students’ disabilities, they may need to hear information multiple times to assist in their processing.

These sessions are designed to answer students’ questions once they have had time to begin processing the information shared during the initial intake.

Changes due to Assessment

Noted low attendance.

Students stated confusion about topics covered and thought it was to find out information about how to receive services.

Assessment of program effectiveness was conducted through informal student meetings with counselors.

Name changed to “Student Refresher” to clear up ambiguity.

Marketed to students as a 30-minute session to get everything you need to have your accommodations in place for the semester.

Two question formal assessment at the end of each session.

30-Second Assessment

SDS Workshops

Purpose:

Skill building sessions designed to enhance students’ in-class learning.

Topics vary, and are focused on the skills necessary to be successful both in the classroom and in life.

Assessing Our Success

Within the last 4 semesters, we have:

Expanded the number of workshops offered

Varied topics

Changed name to Skill Building Seminars

Assessment Documents

Student Follow-Up

Purpose:

Facilitate a connection between the student and the University, and the SDS Office.

An integral component to the success, and therefore retention, of our students is to ensure that they feel connected. To do so, we have established specified checking points throughout a student’s first year and beyond to ensure individualized attention.

The follow-up happens the 3rd week, midterms, and the 12th week of each full semester.

Grade Checks

Purpose:

To assess levels of improvement and/or areas of needed attention.

At midterm, course grades are collected for all SDS students with less than 30 credit hours. Students with any grade of “D” or “F” are contacted.

Final grades on all students registered with SDS are checked at the end of each semester, and analyzed based on progression of overall GPA.

Cumulative GPA’s as of Spring 2009

STAMP Mentor Program

Initial Program Structure Purpose:

Provide support and experience to first-year students and students on Academic Probation. The intention was to have students extend their learning experience beyond the classroom in relation to academic and transitional issues through interactions with their peer mentor.

Fourteen students took part in the program. Program structure was for one year. Matched based on disability. Required to have weekly contact and one group meeting

per month.

Assessment of Mentor Program

(STAMP)

•Held a focus group with all student participants and

their mentors at the end of each semester to get

information about how the program worked for each of

them.

•Sent evaluations to each mentor and mentee at the end of each semester to

assess their working relationship and goals for

the next semester.

Restructured Mentoring Program• Changed name to Raider Connection (from STAMP).

• Targeting students on Academic Probation or returning from Academic Suspension.

• Two mentors for a group of no more than 5 students.• One SDS staff member monitors each group.

• Emphasis on skill building seminars, interactions with faculty, group interactions.

SDS Informer

Purpose:Disseminate information regarding Student Disability Services through a departmental newsletter.

•The newsletter is sent each semester and features important dates and reminders, highlights various campus resources, and covers all SDS events such as Family Weekend and Skill Building Seminars.

The Evolution

Initially •Sent by email to all faculty and

staff•Emailed to students

Currently•Sent by email to all faculty and

staff•Emailed to all SDS students

•Printed lobby copies•Copies are distributed to various

student affairs departments, donors and parents

•Link on Facebook Fan Page•Posted on SDS Website

Future•Will be emailed to all parents on

the parent listserv•Announce distribution on Twitter

Why Changes?•Customer Requests

•New Ideas•The Evolution of Technology

SDS New Student Orientation

Purpose:

Designed to begin to integrate incoming TTU students into the fabric of the university and our department from the moment they step onto campus. Partnering with the NSO Office, our program is designed to enhance the experience student with a disability have when coming to campus.

Provided focused and intentional orientation program that included specific tools and information needed to navigate the general orientation process, alleviate any apprehension they have about embarking on the college experience, and give them concrete information regarding their in-class accommodations.

Assessment & Progression

Used Student and Parent surveys to calculate success of SDS NSO

Assessment was positive, but due to changes in campus administration, the NSO office took a different path.

Red Raider Orientation is currently in place, and it has more of a ‘camp’ feel.

SDS no longer has it’s own NSO, but is very involved in RRO this summer.

Raider Welcome

WeekPurpose:To encompass our department’s connection to the university community while offering an educational and exciting event to the students.

•Deaf Bingo

•Amazing Campus Race

•SDS Picnic

TechnologyPurpose:

Our technology initiative is in place to ensure the availability of the latest technology for all our students within SDS.

Technology

BEFORE

No computer lab

2 older CCTVs

2 Braille embossers; 2 flatbed scanners, 2 high-speed scanners

Old edition of Kurzweil 3000; also Read & Write Gold

Four Individual Study rooms with computers

TODAY

Two student computer labs

Shared software across campus

3 new CCTVs; 2 portable magnifiers

2 Braille embossers; 2 flatbed scanners, 3 high-speed scanners

SARA scanner for student use

Two rooms with Sorensen Video Relay Machines

New edition of Kurzweil 3000

Seven Individual study rooms with computers

New Endeavors

Self Determination Student Scale

Written/compiled by:Alan Hoffman, Ed.D., Sharon L. Field, Ed.D., and Shlomo S. Sawilowsky, Ph.D.

Initial publication in 1995, revised 2004.

Taking the Next Step

Think BIG, Start Small!

Discussion

What kind of programs do you have in place that you could coordinate into a retention plan?

How are you currently assessing the programs you offer? How do you know you are doing what you say you are doing?

THANKS!

Student Disability Services

Texas Tech UniversityBox 45007

335 West HallLubbock, TX 79409

T: 806.742.2405F: 806.742.4837

www.studentaffairs.ttu.edu/sds