BLACK HAWK COLLEGE

UNDERREPRESENTED

G R O U P R E P O RT

2010

Effective Practices

Quad City Minority Partnership Initiative The Minority Partnership (QCMP) was founded in February 2006 and is a not for profit educational community organization comprised of Quad Cities area and high school, college and community representatives who commit to developing and delivering culturally responsive educational programming for Quad City area minority and first generation 9th – 12th grade youth. The partnership is comprised of members from Augustana College, College, Davenport Community School District, Business and Industry, Iowa at Work, Job Corps, Mississippi Bend Area Education, Palmer College of Chiropractic, Quad City Scholars, Rock Island- Milan Community School District #41, , St Ambrose University, The and Western Illinois University. The mission of QCMP is to: 1. Empower Iowa and Illinois Quad City area minority and first generation youth with effective tools to enhance academic achievement, leadership development, social networking, and college/ career exploration. 2. Partner with Iowa and Illinois Quad City area community school districts, colleges/universities, youth organizations, business and industry in sharing community responsibility to increase student knowledge of college preparation, community service/ volunteerism, social/civic leadership and employment/ career opportunities. 3. Address educational, social development and career transition needs and concerns that impact minority and first generation youth via proactive cultural responsive programming. 4. Acknowledge the contributions of Iowa and Illinois Quad City minority and first generation youth who are committed to promoting diversity, leadership and academic excellence and achievement. 5. Model successful behaviors and actions that help youth improve human relation skills that build strategic paths for success. Events, Programs and Activities: The Annual QCMP Youth Conference and College Fair is held in November. Financial Aid/Scholarship Information Nights are held in January or February. Senior Recognition Reception is held in May or June. Specialty Workshops/Speaker’s Bureau are provided by request and topics may include: cultural sensitivity, leadership, transition to college, money management, motivation/ inspirational and academic tools. Diversity/ Cultural Appreciation events are held in collaboration with area community festivals/ events. QCMP Youth Conference Workshops: 1. Choices- students learn how to make right choices by developing character, taking initiative, and evaluating options. 2. Student Panel Discussion – advise and tips are given to prospective college students by current minority college students. 3. Labor Market/ Career Information- students are educated on what types of jobs are plentiful and what types of jobs are not. 4. Funding your Future- students are provided with information about applying for scholarships, grants, loans and other financial aid resources. 5. Leadership- students are taught how to make a lasting impression in a variety of situations including during the interview process.

2010 QCMP Youth Conference: has participated and collaborated with the partners in every QCMP Youth Conference, Senior Reception and workshops since the inception of the partnership in 2006.Participation has consisted of sending college personnel to host a Black Hawk table to recruit minority high school seniors, having Black Hawk College minority students serve on student led panels to discuss the value of attending a community college, and staff have made presentations on various topics to promote a successful transition to college from high school. To date a total of 512 youth have attended the QCMP Youth Conference. In 2010, Black Hawk College hosted the conference. One-hundred and sixty-nine (164) minority and first generation9th – 12th grade youth attended the conference.  Seventy-seven( 80)students attended from Illinois ( 84 students attended from Iowa High Schools)  African- American students were the largest ethnic population served with Latino population being the second largest.  More females than males participated  Rock Island High School consistently sends the largest number of students for the Illinois schools Illinois School Demographics:

1. Rock Island High School 42 students 2. Moline High School 18 students 3. United Township High School 18 students 4. Alternative High School 2 students  Illinois Total 80 students from Illinois

Iowa Schools and Other Participant Demographics:

1. Central High School 29 students 2. North High School 16 students 3. West High School 17 students 4. Alternative Education 10 students 5. Drop- In Participants 12 students 6. Iowa and other participants - 84 non-Illinois students

 Student Evaluations sited the Student Panel session comprised of area college students as the most popular session.  QCMP College Fair had eighteen (18) institutional (college/ university) participants.  High School Students and counselors requested a tour of Black Hawk College (Tours were not on the agenda for previous conferences due to time restraints.) Black Hawk College Student Ambassadors and SGA Senators provided four ( 4) tours of the Quad Cities campus after the conclusion of the conference

Effective Practice

Joyce Foundation - Shifting Gears Black Hawk College’s Shifting Gears pilot program offered innovative instructional approaches to improve student outcomes resulting in post-secondary transitions.

Two primary approaches were incorporated into the program: 1. Contextualized Adult Education GED and English as a Second Language (ESL) course transition to post- secondary Warehousing and Distribution (WDS) certificate program. 2. Comprehensive student support including personal case management and advisement, transportation assistance, tutoring, and the targeted use of instructional software supported postsecondary success.

Four phases were used to implement the program:

Phase I – Planning Administrators, faculty and staff from both the credit and non-credit areas of the College took part in the planning, administration of the pilot, reporting and fiscal management. Major parts of this phase included curricula alignment and contextualization; marketing and recruitment; case management/advising; selection of instructional materials for ESL and GED classes; and condensing the WDS schedule and instructional staffing Phase II – Recruitment and Adult Education Contextualized Course Delivery Adult Education contextualized course delivery including: student recruitment; cohort enrollment (based on CELSA scores, exposure to contextualized curriculum; warehouse tours, discussions with the ESL instructor and case manager/advisor; ESL contextualized curriculum delivery; GED contextualized curriculum delivery; ongoing planning/evaluation; Phase III - Support Service and WDS Course Delivery Two cohorts (morning and evening): orientation and transition workshops; WDS curriculum delivery; instructor orientation; support services, and a recognition ceremony was held for both cohorts. Phase IV – Evaluation and Transition to Employment and Further Education,

Summative Evaluation: Of the 25 students enrolled in the pilot, 21 earned WDS certificates. Average GPA was 3.64 on a 4.00 scale.  19 of the 19 ESL students who transitioned from Adult Education ESL to post-secondary completed the WDS certificate.  2 of the 6 GED (4 were female) students who transitioned from Adult Education GED to post- secondary completed the WDS certificate. The two students who completed were African American females. The other two women completed at least one class.  All students who enrolled have post-secondary credits on their college transcripts.