Download File - MELANGE 2012

Page 7Toward a Better Shore: Achieving theDream at TCCBy David CharlsonTwo recent articles in education journals seemed tocall into question "Achieving the Dream" effortsacross the nation. The articles were responses to areport by the MDRC (a nonprofit educational researchgroup) and the Community College Research Centerentitled "Turning the Tide: Five Years of Achieving theDream at Community Colleges." that headline phraseis hardly fair to various truly positive developments(some even reported in the articles themselves). Newand needed conversations are instilling a "culture ofevidence" nationwide, and various successful interventionsare offering hope and results, including hereat Tulsa Community College.TCC is actually right in line with the two most prominentsuccesses at Round 1 Colleges noted in "Turningthe Tide" (Round 1 began in 2004; TCC, a Round 4College, joined Achieving the Dream in 2007). First,we have an active Office of Planning and InstitutionalResearch that conducts ongoing analyses of studentachievement, aided by a first-rate Data Team of hardworkingfaculty and staff. Second, the Office has beenhappy to relay the data that our "Academic Strategies"course— scaled up through Achieving theDream—has already produced big changes. For thelast two years, students who took Strategies persistedfrom fall to spring semester at a rate 27 percenthigher than those who did not take the course;Strategies students enrolled from fall to fall semester(students’ second year) at a rate 20 percent higherthan those who did not take the course. Furthermore,Celebrate LearningStrategies students persisted into a third year if theyneeded one at a rate 14 percent higher than non-Strategies students. The bar chart below presents allthis graphically.Fall 2008 and 2009 Combined Cohort ResultsWhile early data is only just emerging for theAfrican American Male Student Success Team, positivechange is already evident in the lives of dozens offortunate young African American men who nowhave mentors this academic year, and the deepmeaning of mentoring emerged rather dramatically atlast semester's holiday celebration. Dr. Gary Crooms,former Executive Vice President and Chief FinancialOfficer for TCC, was the guest speaker, and alongsidethe mentees in the audience was another black mantoo, Pastor Terry Buxton. Pastor Buxton came up toDr. Crooms after the speech to thank him for being arole model for him long ago, for showing him the wayto a better life. That was an amazing moment, andthe mentees saw it all.Thomas Brock, a co-author of the "Turning theTide" report, has mentioned just such positive intangiblesthat Achieving the Dream has brought to communitycolleges nationwide, and I see evidence ofthat every day in my role as Faculty Co-chair ofAchieving the Dream. My fellow faculty and staff tell