DEVELOPMENTAL STEPS FOR PALS PROGRAM

1. Identify your target population. Be specific.

All the students with a documented disability that are registered with the Education Access Center at Tulsa Community College and who are at risk of being placed on academic probation or suspension.

2. What is the gap in knowledge base or critical need you wish to address? What need(s) will your project address? How will your solution build on prior work and provide new and successful outcomes for your target population? Tulsa Community Colleges mission is to better its community through the intellectual achievement, creative energy, and responsible citizenship of its students, faculty, and staff by their engagement in teaching, learning, and service opportunities that transform and enrich lives. Tulsa Community College partners with students to provide educational opportunities to achieve academic success through individualized academic support resources offered by the Education Access Center and Resource Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Through partnerships with different entities on any TCC campus or location, both Centers strive to create a universally accessible college environment. A variety of academic support resources are available to students to enhance their academic success.

In the 2012-academic year, students were provided with academic support services in 1,880 classes college-wide. During the fall semester, the Education Access Center served 1,069 students with diverse disabilities. During the spring semester, 735 students requested academic support services through the EAC. In the summer semester, the number of students registered

with the EAC totaled 76. The students registered with the Education Access Center requested the following services:

Academic advisement and counseling Instructor notification letters regarding academic accommodations e.g., extended exam time and a private room for testing

Books in alternative formats (audiobooks through Learning Ally and various publishers) Oral and scribe exams Use/loan of digital voice recorders to record class lectures Assistance in locating volunteer note-takers Special classroom seating arrangements Use of assistive technology, software, and computers

Approximately 50% to 60% of the students registered with the Education Access Center require a life-skills coach to help them grow personally and professionally while achieving a higher learning level. Some of these students are first-generation and low-income, and have never been in a structured learning environment nor have they had the opportunity to interact with a diverse student population. Additionally, statistics reported by TCCs Planning and Research Department show that this same percentage of students is at risk of being placed on academic probation and/or suspension. Time is becoming a scarce resource for each of the four Counselors that works for the EAC to assist these students in developing to their fullest potential. Therefore, by having two life skills coaches (1 professional full-time coach and 1 part-time assistant coach to travel to other TCC campuses as requested by students), students will benefit from receiving more individualized/specialized educational services.

As a means of identifying needs and removing barriers to assisting students in successfully persisting, transferring, and/or graduating with an annual increase of 1 percent (Goal 1.2 of Tulsa Community Colleges Strategic Plan), the Education Access Center plans to develop and execute its PALs program which will provide new and successful outcomes by:

Developing academic and personal short-term and long-term goals with students: - Although students can enroll in an Academic Strategies class to learn how to formulate goals, the life coaches from the PALs programs will work on a one-onone basis with the target population to assess and evaluate these goals based on the students needs. Life coaches will determine if students are setting specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timed goals.

Providing tools related to successful time-management Demonstrating how to employ different note-taking and test-preparation strategies Providing tutoring in English and Math-related subjects: - Approximately 45% of students with disabilities registered with the Education Access Center are placed in developmental English and Math classes. 25% have to retake these developmental classes at least twice, increasing the students frustration levels and the probability of them dropping out of school.

Instructing stress-management techniques Modeling effective communication skills (both, speaking and writing skills) Preparing students for job-seeking tasks (resume preparation, interviewing skills, employment applications): - The Education Access Center Director and Counselor expect that at least 20% of the students enrolled in the PALs program find a part-time or full-time job during

the semester prior to graduation. If the students are already employed, the life coaches will determine areas of growth for students to maximize their marketability and chances of remaining employed.

3. What are the strengths of your plan?

PALs is the first life-coaching program that will be implemented in Tulsa Community College since it was founded in 1970. Although similar programs such as RISE and TRIO have been in the world of post-secondary education, the PALs program has the potential to reduce the percentage of students that are at risk of being placed on academic probation or suspension. Additionally, students that decide to participate in the program will benefit from a comprehensive, all-inclusive package that will allow them to build rapport with a qualified mentor with experience in the Educational Psychology field. In building rapport, students will become better educated about different resources that, if used wisely, will facilitate the development of personal plans, student success, and professional growth.

4. Do you see any weaknesses or deficiencies to this idea? If so, how will you modify your plan?

The PALs program will be designed and implemented only for students with documented disabilities registered with the Education Access Center. However, there are many students that do not have a disability and would greatly benefit from the program. Therefore, individuals can perceive this program as biased or inequitable. A possible solution would be to inform the student body of Tulsa Community College that the EAC would like to pilot the program for an

entire academic year and that depending on the availability of funds and the success of the program, the invitation to join the PALs program may be extended to them.

Another possible deficiency is that, at this point, I am uncertain of how independent students will be after they exit the PALs program. Students may depend on the life coaches to make certain decision without trying to make a decision on their own. It would be extremely important that life coaches explain their role as facilitators during the initial intake with the students. By doing so, students will better understand the expectations and purpose of the program and of the life coaches as well. It is intended to provide students with basic academic and personal tools to assist them in maturing and preparing for the challenges of todays competitive world. Source: EAC Policies and Procedures/ Student Handbook Yolanda Williams (EAC Director), Miguel Llovera Da Corte (EAC Academic Counselor)

Miguel Llovera Da Corte