What's the purpose of the frequent academic reports that are generated, Gayle? Do they provide useful data or simply make people feel that something is happening?
Does this mean that each class has roughly 20 students. Student::teacher ratios can be misleading. One class with 2 students and another with 38 will yield a ratio of 20::1, but neither scenario is likely to be ideal.
Frequent academic reports are generated in our school. In addition, individual instructors possess grade books to keep track of student progress. Instructors are able to meet with students if necessary to discuss options for improvement.
One thing we do to try and prevent Academic Erosion from happening is by having small classes. We have a 20 to 1 student-teacher ratio so this will allow the student to get the attention that is needed. If the student still feels lost or insecure about a subject we offer free tutoring.
The instructors constantly hand out progress reports and keep the student updated on how they are doing in the class. Also, the instructors are there for any questions before or after class if they do not understand the material.
Another practice we use at the school is called Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). It is measured after every module and it calculates the students attendance and GPA. If we see a student is falling below the attendance policy or not getting good grades we will call them in and discuss the issues causing this and possibly put them on probation, hopefully making them more mindful as to coming to class and doing well.
Since we are a small school at the moment, I am constantly speaking to each student every day asking them how they are doing and if there is anything they want to talk about.
... and it provides documentation for the file should there be a problem later on.
No question that FERPA creates challenges. It is imperative that the lines of communication be clearly identified from the earliest conversations to avoid unpleasantness later on. It should be clearly addressed in the catalog. I even recommend that it be included in the Enrollment Agreement. Some schools even include a link to the legislation on their web site should a parent question the policy.
At retention meeting if a student has missed more than 10% a form is completed that the student must sign acknowledging the importance of attendance, this allows for a brief and informal meeting with either the faculty or the program director. This gives the student an opportunity to address whatever might be going on that is causing them to miss class.
Students are informed that they have access to their grades through the student portal, and should they choose to share this information with their parents, it is easily accessible from home. WHen I first started here we did not have this system in place, and parents would often try to contact faculty or advisors to find out how their children were performing. With FERPA regulations we were not permitted to release any of this information and parents would become upset, particularly those who were paying for the education. It is up to the students to be transparent with their parents if needed and has minimized, if not eliminated, the need for parents to ask staff the questions they should be directing towards the student.
John, what happens if they exceed 90%? Is there an appeal process?
Brent, has this been an effective approach to improving student performance?
Jacqueline, please tell me more about the parent issue. Why do you think some of the problems have been eliminated?
We have a very strict attendance policy (90%) in the classroom. When a student starts to miss too much time an advising session is setup to help identify the issues. Follow up sessions are scheduled to hopefully get the student back on track. Also, we identify resources available to help elevate the issue(s).
As a teacher/front line interventionist I report absences and interim grades as a weekly source of information for feedback on individual classroom performance. Repeated absences are most times the first sign of academic erosion. These signs are investigated by office personnel, and later, if needed, followed up by intervention personnel. In isolated cases dealing with just one class, specific plans are outlined to bring about a solution to the problem and re-boost the classroom performance. In cases where problems are needing to be addressed dealing with multiple classes, a contract is created to provided a written plan to stabilize the issues.
You're right. Good students are extremely diligent in checking their grades online; poorly performing students are less so. I have found that it eliminates some of the issues of parents contacting the college (FERPA issues) and puts a little more responsibility on the student for their own progress. It has also reduced grade appeals and the instances of students who say "I didn't know" about their grades. There is no excuse for students to be unaware of their performance.
Jacqueline, do you find that students are diligent in checking their grades on line? Is it possible that poor performing students don't want to know how bad the situation is?
As the director of our tutoring program I am always in touch with at-risk students. The variety of reasons is just as diverse as the student body. If a student is absent they are contacted by their instructor. All student grades are posted on their portal so they know where they stand in a class. Faculty provides progress reports every two weeks. Those who are in danger of failure are asked to sign a contract with the instructor and are contacted by other departments if necessary (counseling referrals, tutoring, homework assistance, schedule changes, etc.).
Christopher, is this a home grown system or a commercially available one? Who monitors the entries?
Dale, are your students well aware of the support services that are available to them? How is that information communicated to them?
We have advising forms set in place to keep the students aware of their academic status. It is a great tool to use as an early identifier for students who may be falling behind. The form is tied in with the electronic grade book so it automatically fills in all necessary fields pertaining to their progress with the additional sections where the instructor can add comments on addressing their concern as well as what the students needs to do to be successful in the course.
In addition to that intervention program the instructor has the ability to send the student to the appropriate student support department. Areas include, local employment, financial aid, accounting,graduate employment and the food pantry.
