ERIC ED473875: Building Bridges to College and Careers: Contextualized Basic Skills Programs at Community Colleges.

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DOCUMENT RESUME
ED 473 875
JC 030 144
AUTHOR Mazzeo, Christopher; Rab, Sara Y.; Alssid, Julian L.
Building Bridges to College and Careers: Contextualized Basic
TITLE
Skills Programs at Community Colleges.
Workforce Strategy Center, Brooklyn, NY.
INSTITUTION
Annie E. Casey Foundation, Greenwich, CT.
SPONS AGENCY
2003-01-00
PUB DATE
NOTE
27p.
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*Adult Basic Education; Basic Skills; *Community Colleges;
DESCRIPTORS
Context Effect; *Cultural Context; *Developmental Studies
Programs; *Job Training; Language Skills; Literacy Education;
Mathematics Skills; Minimum Competencies; *Skill Development;
Two Year Colleges; Writing Skills
ABSTRACT
State and local policymakers increasingly see the need to
adapt workforce and education policies to the economic changes in their
states and communities. The new economy is organized around skills,
flexibility, and the willingness of all workers and employees to adapt to
changing circumstances. For workers, this demands an increased investment in
education; for policymakers, these economic realities have put in stark
relief the limitations of current workforce, welfare, and education policies.
This study identifies and draws lessons from several community colleges and
community college programs that have reconsidered their developmental and/or
adult education offerings and are actively creating bridges to college and
careers for disadvantaged students. This paper presents case studies of
programs at Cabrillo College, Santa Cruz, California; Westside Technical
Institute at Daley Community College, Chicago, Illinois; Henry Ford Community
College, Dearborn, Michigan; Portland Community College, Portland, Oregon;
and Community College of Denver, Denver, Colorado. For each case study, the
paper presents the key initiative of the program(s), and analyzes
sustainability, facilitating factors, and continuing challenges. Each of the
programs presented here has moved beyond the traditional model of adult basic
education, while focusing on teaching and learning as well as outcomes.
(Contains 44 references.)
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from the original document.
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Contextualized Basic Skills Programs at Community Colleges
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U
ORKFORCE STRATEGY CENTER
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WORKFORCE STRATEGY CENTER
WHO WE ARE
A NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT CONSULTING FIRM
The Workforce Strategy Center is a nonprofit management consulting group that works throughout the United States
to help create public systems that promote career pathways leading people to high wage, high demand employment.
Current projects include national research and consulting on how to put community colleges at the center of region-
al workforce development systems and partnerships with public and private sector leaders in California and New
York to develop pathways to information technology careers for unemployed and underemployed individuals. For
more information, visit our web site at www.workforcestrategy.org or contact us at 718-434-4790.
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Building Bridges to
College and Careers:
Contextualized Basic Skills Programs
at Community Colleges
JANUARY 2003
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Workforce Strategy Center would like to thank The James Irvine Foundation, The Ford Foundation, The
William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and The Annie E. Casey Foundation for their support of our research into
effective practices in developing career pathways in a number of states and regions around the country. This report,
funded by the Casey foundation, is the second in a series of three reports that are part of this project. We are also
grateful to the community colleges that gave us their time and energies in making this work possible, and we
acknowledge Davis Jenkins for his integral contributions to the framing and analysis of this report.
Cover Photo:
Editors:
Co-Authors:
Courtesy of West Side
Julian L.Alssid
Christopher Mazzeo
Technical Institute, a Division
David Gruber
Sara Y. Rab
of Richard J. Daley College
Julian L.Alssid
Designer:
Julia Reich
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BUILDING BRIDGES TO COLLEGE AND CAREERS:
Contextualized Basic Skills Programs at Community Colleges
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1
INTRODUCTION
2
CASE STUDIES
5
Cabrillo College, Santa Cruz, California
5
7
Westside Technical Institute at Daley Community College, Chicago, Illinois
9
Henry Ford Community College, Dearborn, Michigan
Portland Community College, Portland, Oregon
11
13
Community College of Denver, Denver, Colorado
SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGS
15
REFERENCES
20
BUILDING BRIDGES TO COLLEGE AND CAREERS:
Contextualized Basic Skills Programs at Community Colleges
EXECUTIVE
Producing promising program outcomes, especially
in terms of job placement and earnings
SUMMARY
The five colleges also face a number of challenges in
sustaining and expanding these innovative program
New economic realities have created a need for
efforts, including:
workforce and education policies that better meet
Balancing relevance and content in classroom
employer demands for skilled workers and the needs
instruction
of workers for economic self-sufficiency. To address
these demands, there is growing evidence that work-
Promoting effective instructional leadership
force and education systems should be reorganized
around "career pathways" that integrate education,
Enrolling and engaging lower-skilled students
training and work and are targeted to high wage, high
demand employment. Central to the career pathways
Providing evidence of long-term program impact
model is the development of clear connections, or
bridges, between basic skills development and entry-
Serving more than a small portion of the potential
level work or training in high wage, high demand
student population
career sectors.
Community colleges around the country are mak-
In this study, we examine and draw lessons from five
community colleges that have created such bridges in
ing significant strides in rethinking their approach to
an effort to teach basic skills to disadvantaged adults:
basic skills education in the context of a larger effort
Cabrillo College, Aptos, California; West Side Technical
to better connect students to college credentials and
Institute at Richard Daley College, Chicago, Illinois;
rewarding careers. While none of the colleges pro-
Henry Ford College, Dearborn, Michigan; Portland
filed in this study have been able to serve more than
Community College, Portland,Oregon; and Community
20% of their developmental, English as a Second
College of Denver, Denver, Colorado.
Language (ESL) and adult education population, they
These colleges are committed to contextualized
all seek the resources and capacity to go to scale. The
teaching and learning strategies as part of basic
goal for funders and policy makers is to develop
skills instruction and career pathways program-
strategies for moving these efforts to scale and help-
ming. Research suggests that contextualized basic
ing to catalyze similar changes in other community
skills instruction is often more successful than
colleges. Reaching such a goal will require changes in
traditional models of adult education in engaging
In particular,
institutional practice and public policy.
disadvantaged individuals and linking them to
policy makers and foundations should consider the
following three steps to support the expansion of
work. In developing their bridge programs, these
five colleges went beyond existing adult education
bridge programming:
programs by:
Provide resources for professional development
Integrating developmental and academic content
Cultivate instructional leadership
Developing new curricular materials and providing
Fund evaluations and additional research
instructional support and professional develop-
ment to help faculty learn to teach in a new way
Taking these steps can help states and institu-
and
adult
relevance
the
of
improve
tions
Maintaining active links with employers and
developmental education to adults seeking career
industry associations
training and economic advancement, and facilitate
more direct links between student and high wage jobs
Finding resources to fund these programs, at least
and employers.
in the short-term
1
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BUILDING BRIDGES TO COLLEGE AND CAREERS:
Contextualized Basic Skills Programs at Community Colleges
INTRODUCTION
Central to the career pathways model is the devel-
opment of clear connections, or bridges, between basic
skills development and entry-level work or training in
State and local policymakers increasingly recognize
high-wage, high-demand career sectors. In practice,
the need to adapt workforce and education policies to
however, these connections are often rarely realized
the reality of economic change in their states and
locally, regionally or nationally. Even within individual
communities. The "new economy"is organized around
community colleges, the critical elements of career
skills, flexibility and the willingness of all workers and
pathwaysbasic skills, academic, and vocational edu-
employers to adapt to changing circumstances. For
cationare frequently perceived and organized as
workers, the new economy demands increased invest-
separate divisions with distinct missions, program-
ment in education with higher wages increasingly
ming,faculty and students (Bailey & Averianova,1999;
linked to some form of post-secondary education. For
Jenkins, 2002). While colleges that serve a largely eco-
employers, the new economy demands, among other
nomically disadvantaged population report that a
things, workers with a wider array of basic skills,
majority of their students lack the basic skills neces-
including reading and writing oral communications,
sary to do college level work,few have made conscious
mathematical reasoning, critical thinking and reason-
efforts to link developmental, adult education and
ing, problem solving, teamwork, interpersonal skills
English as a Second Language (ESL) offerings to
and an ability to learn continuously (Murnane & Levy,
career specific vocational training and advanced edu-
1996; Comings, Reder & Sum, 2001).
cation. Yet many of these traditional developmental
For policymakers, these economic realities have put
and adult education offerings have high dropout rates
in stark relief the limitations of current workforce,
and show limited evidence of success (McCabe, 2000;
welfare and education policies. While "work-first"pol -
Abell Foundation, 2002).
icy efforts have brought more people into the labor
market, they have not helped most of them escape
The Purpose of this Study
poverty. Nor have employers been especially helped
by the current workforce development system. In
In this study we identify and draw lessons from sever-
many high-skill sectors, such as information technol-
al community colleges and community college programs
ogy, nursing, and allied health, employers report con-
that have rethought their developmental and/or adult
tinuing difficulty in finding and keeping entry-level
education offerings and are actively creating bridges to
and skilled workers.
college and careers
for disadvantaged
students.
In a recent report to the James Irvine and Ford
Developing these connections requires making remedial
Foundation,the Workforce Strategy Center called for a
education more relevant to adults seeking career training
reorganization of this workforce development system
and economic advancement as well as facilitating direct
to better meet employer demands for skilled workers
links to higher-level community college courses. Thus,
and the needs of the workforce for economic self-suf-
we searched for programs and colleges that:
ficiency. To address these needs, the report recom-
mended our workforce and education systems be
Serve welfare recipients, dislocated workers or
organized around long-term, comprehensive "career
other adults with identified basic skills deficiencies
pathways" integrating education, training and work
Teach developmental, adult education or ESL
and targeted to high-wage high-demand employment.
For individuals lacking skills and resources, career
classes in the context of students' lives and the
pathways can provide an introduction to education
work-specific skills they need for employment in
and career opportunities and the basic skills needed to
particular industries and sectors
succeed in post-secondary career training. Indeed,
Seek to "bridge" these students to work or
there is growing evidence that community college-
advanced training in high-wage, high-growth
centered career pathway programs are a successful
employment sectors with clear opportunities for
way to bridge disadvantaged individuals out of pover-
career advancement
ty and into self-sufficiency (Alssid et al, 2002).
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BUILDING BRIDGES TO COLLEGE AND CAREERS:
Contextualized Basic Skills Programs at Community Colleges
Sum, 2001), adult basic education (ABE) and other
In particular, we were interested in those colleges
skill-building strategies have been de-emphasized in
and programs committed to contextualized teaching
recent years by welfare and workforce policymakers
and learning strategies as part of basic skills instruc-
In this type of approach, courses such as
in favor of immediate workforce attachment strategies
tion.
remedial English, reading and math are modified to
(Strawn,1998;Savner, 1999). This shift was precipitat-
incorporate materials from specific fields into the
ed by a generation of research and evaluation findings
showing that adult basic education programs were
actual course content. Programs that promote contex-
often of low quality and had little economic or educa-
tual teaching and learning make heavy use of projects,
tional impact (see Pauly & DeMeo, 1996; D'Amico,
laboratories, simulations and other experiences that
enable students to learn by doing (Jenkins, 2002). By
1997). In her summary of this literature, Strawn (1998)
found that fewer that half of the adult education pro-
integrating instruction in basic skills with instruction
grams for welfare recipients she surveyed either
in technical content, contextualized teaching and
increased employment or average yearly earnings.
learning also enables academically unprepared stu-
dents to obtain career training at the same time as
The majority of enrollees did not even earn a GED,
and few of the programs raised student test scores
they enroll in basic education.
In our review of the literature and informal discus-
(see also Beder, 1999).
Researchers and others have sought to explain
sions with workforce development professionals and
these findings by invoking student characteristics
community college experts, we identified eight com-
such as low motivation or learning disabilities.
munity colleges that had programs and college-wide
Student factors might also account for the high
initiatives that fit our three criteria. The eight col-
dropout levels and low levels of attendance that are
leges are:
Cabrillo College, Aptos, California; West
Side Technical Institute at Richard Daley College,
generally the norm in ABE programs. Yet there is also
Chicago, Illinois; Henry Ford College, Dearborn,
evidence that program-specific factors matter as well.
Michigan; Portland Community College, Portland,
A study of Greater Avenues to Independence (GAIN)
Oregon; Community College of Denver, Denver,
programs in two California counties showed that adult
basic education programs that paid attention to
Colorado; Shoreline Community College, Shoreline,
program quality produced small but statistically
Washington; Guilford Technical Community College,
(Martinson &
increases
Greensboro, North Carolina; and Mission College,
test
score
significant
Fein et al (2000) report similar
Santa Clara, California. Friedlander, 1994).
results in an initial evaluation of the New Visions
Documents and electronic materials were reviewed
program at Riverside Community College.
from each of the colleges and followed up by phone
These findings have led researchers to more close-
and email. Site visits and interviews were also con-
ly examine the nature of "program quality" in adult
ducted at five of the eight colleges. For each of the site
education. What works in teaching basic skills? To
visits, we interviewed senior college administrators
answer this question,we conducted a thorough review
and key faculty and staff involved in basic skills and
of the literature as part of this project. Based on this
contextualized learning initiatives. We also observed
review, we found that successful basic skills programs:
classes whenever possible. This report summarizes
our findings from all eight colleges, with a particular
Link students to advanced educational opportunities
focus on the five we intensively studied: Henry Ford,
Westside Technical,Cabrillo, Portland and Community
Link students to specific employers and work
College of Denver. Case studies of these five colleges
opportunities
are included in this report.
Have a strong focus on curriculum,instruction and
student learning
Beyond Traditional Adult Basic Education
Despite evidence of the growing need for adult lit-
Links to Advanced Education
eracy and skills remediation and the strong links
Traditionally, adult basic education and ESL pro-
between literacy and earnings (Comings, Reder &
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BUILDING BRIDGES TO COLLEGE AND CAREERS:
Contextualized Basic Skills Programs at Community Colleges
the specific tools, practices and social relations
grams have weak or non-existent links with advanced
embedded in the work setting (Greeno et al, 1999).
certificate and degree programs. Yet these links are
Basic skills programs that link skill development to
crucial to producing positive student outcomes. In the
these real-world contexts enable learning by clarify-
two aforementioned GAIN programs, clients who suc-
ing the relevance of skills to the setting they are
cessfully completed basic education went on to job
search rather than further education. For this reason,
Basic skills education that is contextual-
applied in.
test score increases did not translate into any signifi-
ized also enhances student motivation to learn and
cant earnings increases in the San Diego GAIN
can reduce high levels of attrition in these programs
program (Martinson & Friedlander, 1994).
Similar
(Hu 11,1997; Strawn & Martinson, 2000).
findings were reported in the evaluation of New
Chance, a MDRC national demonstration project that
Focus on Curriculum and Instruction
combined education, vocational training and college
One of the major ongoing studies in this area is the
classes. While there were no positive earnings effects
Evaluation of Effective Adult Education Programs
of the program for women receiving a GED alone,
and Practices being conducted by Abt Associates for
women who earned a post-secondary training certifi-
the U.S. Department of Education (see Alamprese,
cate increased their average monthly earnings.
1998;Alamprese, Labaree & Voight, 1998;Alamprese,
Evaluators concluded that "participants should be
2001). This study is among the first that attempts to
made aware that basic education has little value by
detail program-level factors in adult education and
itself and should be strongly induced to pursue post-
their relation to student outcomes. As part of this
GED training and credentials." (Bos, 1996:16)'
study, case studies were conducted of nine exempla-
ry ABE programs to identify key dimensions of
Links to Employment and Work
program quality. According to their review, exempla-
Research also suggests that a strong connection
ry ABE instructional programs possess the following
between adult basic education and employment
five features:
increases earnings, at least in the short term. Programs
Effective program management and instructional
with stronger links to employers have higher placement
leadership
rates, thus increasing the average earnings of students.
When tied to an explicit strategy of retention and wage
A commitment to staff development
progression, such employer links have shown potential
to increase earnings over the long term (Grubb, 1996;
Conscious attention to appropriate instructional
Jenkins & Fitzgerald,1998).
strategies
A lesser-known virtue of strong links with employ-
ers and work is that they enhance student learning of
A focus on learner assessment
basic skills. Both Grubb et al (1999) and Murphy &
Extensive supports for learning,especially for stu-
Johnson (1998) found that one essential characteristic
dents with low levels of literacy proficiency
of effective programs is "a focus on employment-relat-
(Alamprese, 1998: 5-8)
ed goals through instruction that integrated basic and
occupational skills training with work-based learning."
Alamprese and associates have yet to report on the
(Imel, 2000:2) There is also an extensive literature in
interaction of these five components and how they
education and cognitive science showing the important
specifically work together to produce better student
role context plays in shaping student learning (Rogoft
outcomes. However, research on elementary and sec-
1990; Lave, 1991; Wenger, 1998). One important "con-
ondary school reform suggests that a combination of
text" for adult learning is the world of work itself and
' More recently, Comings, Reder and Sum (2001) have shown that earnings rise with increases in literacy levels, even for individ-
uals holding the same credentials.
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BUILDING BRIDGES TO COLLEGE AND CAREERS:
Contextualized Basic Skills Programs at Community Colleges
high in Santa Cruz and because Cabrillo serves multi-
effective leadership, sustained staff development, and
ple communities, including Watsonville, an agricultural
a strong professional community focused on teaching
area with a population that is 70% Latino.
and learning are essential features of efforts to
improve student academic achievement (Louis &
Key Initiative: Ladders Project. The Ladders project,
Kruse, 1995; Newmann, King & Youngs, 2000; Sebring
a creation of the Santa Cruz County Coalition for
Bryk, 2000; Elmore, 2002).
Workforce Preparation (in which Cabrillo is a part-
ner), strives to "build a comprehensive, integrated
workforce development system that is responsive to
How This Report is Organized
the needs of underrepresented and low-income popu-
We use these three features of effective basic skills
lations, to provide the ability to move through these
programs as an organizing principle for the five corn-
institutions and move into the workforce," according to
munity college case studies to follow. For each college,
the Dean of Career Education. Ladders is funded in
we describe the history and current status of their
large part by the Packard Foundation, with the rest
efforts to "bridge" basic skill students to advanced edu-
provided by Cabrillo College and the Human
cation opportunities and career path employment. We
discuss the organization of teaching and learning
Resources Agency (HRA).
In 1998-99, the Ladders project staff identified six
(instructional leadership, staff development, classroom
career ladders to focus the program around (allied
instruction) at each of the programs/colleges profiled.
health,public safety, office systems, computer technol-
We also focus on the sustainability of community col-
ogy, childcare and retail), based on local labor market
lege bridge efforts and the potential for "scaling up"
promising programs and practices to serve a greater
information and local employers' needs, which speci-
fied occupational paths and training for local jobs.
majority of the developmental and adult education pop-
ulations at each of the colleges. After the case studies,
Together, these six ladders include 42 occupational
we conclude with a summary of our overall findings
tracks encompassing over 150 job titles. The ladders
and recommendations for policy makers and funders.
start quite low, such as a childcare aide, and top out
around management levels. "One of the things we
learned is not to try and map out every way that some-
one can advance up a career ladder. That's a trap we
CASE STUDIES
fell into," said the Ladders director. "You have to keep
it simple."' Staff identified three critical aspects that
six ladders computer proficiency,
crosscut
all
work-based learning, and English proficiencyand
Cabrillo College, Santa Cruz, California
developed projects in each of these areas. The com-
puter proficiency pilot involves working with local
Cabrillo College is actively working to promote career
training partners to improve computer courses to bet-
pathways that link low-income individuals to job lad-
ter match the needs of local employers. In addition, a
ders, partly through the use of contextualized learning
Work-Based Learning Resource Center was developed
in several key initiatives. In addition, the college has
at Cabrillo to connect classroom learning to work
several programs, including the Fast Track to Work (see
through internships, mock interviewing, job shadow-
Alssid et al, 2002 for details) and Ladders projects,
ing, and other similar activities.
whose explicit mission it is to move students into work
The Ladders project includes an ESL pilot program,
and to provide opportunities for career advancement to
Integrated Language and
Partnership
for
the
employment that pay a living wage. This is a difficult
Occupational Training, designed to ensure access to
task in part because the cost of living is exceptionally
Details about the Ladders project can be found at wwwcareerladdershet
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