Technology and Competency Based Approaches to College and

Technology and Competency Based Approaches to College and Career Readiness Lessons Learned using the NROC Developmental English Program

Session Facilitators & Contact Info Sam Mc. Cool, NSHE NROC Project Manager sam. mccool@nsc. edu Kimberly Williams, Director, TRIO Upward Bound Programs kimberly. williams@nsc. edu Sarah Bryans-Bongey, Assistant Professor of Education sarah. bryans-bongey@nsc. edu

Introductions ★ Name, Role, School, & Program ★ What are you hoping to learn about competency-based approaches? ★ Considering implementation or already started one? ★ Target student population? ★ Test prep for ACT? SAT? Accuplacer? COMPASS? ★ Admissions requirement? ★ Co-requisite for college transition or preparatory program? ★ Co-requisite for college level composition curriculum?

Presentation topics • Introduction to NROC Developmental English • • Canvas Course Cartridge Content & Design • Overview of Summer NSC TRIO Trial • • • Students Program Outcomes • Results • • • Strategies for Successful Implementation Feedback from students Participant Observations

Introduction to NROC Developmental English Program Course Cartridge for Canvas by Instructure Overview to Content & Design

Classroom Implementation – Summer @ NSC Upward Bound English Teacher (11 th grade) http: //nrocenglish. org/

Units 1 – 5: Reading Outcomes Identifying rhetorical context – author, audience, and purpose; distinguishing fact & opinion Finding the main idea – identifying the topic and author’s point Identifying supporting details– identifying point of view & social context, implied thesis, and related supporting details Making inferences – drawing conclusions about implied ideas, uncovering hidden assumptions Denotation & connotation – evaluating meaning, objective, and subjective language

Units 6 – 10: Reading Outcomes Reading across disciplines – rhetorical/discipline context Identifying comparison/contrast – identifying similar/dissimilar concepts or things; paraphrasing Identifying cause/effect elements – logical fallacies and common cause/effect errors Evaluating credible sources – evaluating the reliability and validity of sources Evaluating differing viewpoints – identifying the value of types of evidence

Units 1 – 5: Writing Outcomes Short Opinion Essay – paragraph structure; journaling, prewriting, and revision process Summary-Response Essay – thesis & main ideas Narrative Essay – descriptive details Persuasive Essay – presenting evidence Definition Essay – analytical development

Units 6 – 10: Writing Outcomes Rhetorical Analysis Essay – rhetorical/discipline context Comparison/Contrast Essay – analyzing similar/dissimilar concepts or things Cause/Effect Essay – evaluating cause and effect relationships Expository Essay – critically analyzing various viewpoints and arguments Argumentative/Research Essay – persuasive essay documented with validated sources

Units 1 – 5: Grammar Outcomes Word parts – subjects, verbs, end punctuation, and prepositions Common sentence errors – fragments and run-ons Verb forms – subject-verb agreement and verb tense forms Sentence punctuation – commas, structure, modifiers Sentence structure – sentence types and pronou

Units 6 – 10: Grammar Outcomes Conjunctions – coordinate/subordinate forms, commas, apostrophes Commonly confused words – modifier usage and voice Punctuation – semicolons, and comma usage Sentence Style & Documentation – MLA, APA citation styles Formal mechanics and layout – the mechanics of formatting a research paper in MLA or APA

Learn more about NROC Developmental English at: NROCenglish. org • Watch the video introduction and share with colleagues. • Review the program’s full scope and sequence. • Preview the course (from a student perspective).

Overview of Summer Trial Background Demographics Challenges and Implementation Summary

Program Overview Kimberly Williams, Director • Established 2002 • Under-served students • Over half are first-generation

Background Demographics • Four Clark County School District High Schools • 87% of the participants are eligible for free/reduced lunch • First-generation college bound • Most participants have limited access to academically rigorous coursework • Two federal grants addressing the achievement/opportunity gap

Challenges and NROC Implementation • Faculty and professional development • Moving students towards academic uses of technologies • System failures that resulted in lost work; thus requiring students to start over • Student access to technology outside of the classroom • Deficits in prior knowledge require more time on task

Executive Summary Qualitative Data Individually • Reports of increased self-efficacy and agency Groups • Appreciated the opportunity to experience NROC first • Seeking out more time with NROC Quantitative Data • Preliminarily, students have higher enrollments into advanced coursework at their regular high schools

Results Strategies for Successful Implementation Feedback from Students Participant Observations

Strategies for Successful Implementation 11 th and 12 th Grade English 1. Strong Support of Tech Lead 2. Advance Exploration by Teacher 3. Student Orientation 4. Extrinsic Motivators 5. Timely Grading and Responses 6. Willingness to be ‘Guide on Side’ 7. Diagnostic (machine & human) and intervention/re-teaching

Strong Support • Technical Lead • NROC Community

Solid Orientation for Students + Ongoing Support • • Orientation materials Moderated setting Resource library Requires high level of teacher responsiveness • Student motivation • Reinforcement Photo Source: Vancouver Film School

Willingness to be ‘Guide on the Side’ Students work at own pace based on placement. Teacher role: Photo source: Wise Geek. com • • • Greater involvement with technology Monitoring and assisting Formative and summative feedback Responsive to NROC diagnostics Leverage NROC resources.

Students prefer this as a valuable and personalized supplement to learning In general, students in the pilot: • Enjoyed the NROC curriculum • Found it easy to use • Noted bugs in the program • Want to continue accessing NROC English via Upward Bound.

Questions? Attribution: By Till Krech from Berlin, Germany [CC-BY-2. 0 (http: //creativecommons. org/licenses/by/2. 0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Thank you! Speaker contact info: Sam Mc. Cool, sam. mccool@nsc. edu Kimberly Williams, kimberly. williams@nsc. edu Sarah Bryans-Bongey, sarah. bryans-bongey@nsc. edu Thank you! Speaker contact info: Sam Mc. Cool