TRANSFORMATION AGENDA
DELIVERABLES
Grant Agreement #TC-22505-11-60-A-25
Strategy 1.3: Improve developmental education to better meet the needs of
students with basic skills deficiencies through a variety of acceleration
strategies.
Activities: Adopt models for ABE, ESL, and developmental ed to accelerate learning through self-paced,
on-line, modularization and other strategies.
Deliverables: Documented, revised ABE, ESL and/or developmental education models.
Milestones:
Year 1: SW-Colleges develop alternate models
Year 2: SW-Colleges implement and assess new models
Year 3: SW-Expand implementation and assessment
SUMMARY:
Through the Transformation Agenda, colleges were given permission to explore and implement
educational innovations and strategies to accelerate student progress and success at their local
institutions. Whether through strategies such as Accuplacer bootcamps, online and hybrid models,
embedded tutors, online supports, intrusive advising, coaching, self-paced dev ed options, or other
strategies, colleges were able to develop innovative supports that met the needs of their specific
student population. Overall, 8 colleges implemented over 35 developmental courses with self-paced,
modular curriculum. Over 1,500 participants completed a credit course after completing a
developmental course – more than 3X the grant goal, and an increase over typical rate in
Massachusetts. Most important, the Transformation Agenda provided a community and framework
whereby practitioners could share and learn from the best-practices of their colleagues at colleges
across the state. Strategies and innovations were presented and disseminated at regular Peer-Sharing
events.
PM1 Participants who complete a college
level course w/in 1 year of completing an
ABE/ESL course
Target
Actual
385 390 395 400 405 410 415 420 425 430
PM2 Participants who complete a college
level course in the same subject, w/in 1 year
of completing a dev ed course
Target
Actual
0
200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600
IM1 Dev ed courses with self-paced,
modular curriculum
Target
Actual
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
PM2 Dev ed courses using pre-post
assessments
Target
Actual
0
10
20
30
40
50
PRODUCTS:
 Summary of colleges documented models
 Northern Essex Community College ALP presentation
 Best Practice shared at 8.20.14 Summer Gathering: Embedding Developmental Math & English:
Strategies for Success
 Best Practice shared at 8.20.14 Summer Gathering: Adapting the Contextualized Modules for
ABE and ESOL & Handout
 Developmental Education Team roster
TIMELINE / SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS:
August 20, 2014
Summer Gathering: Sessions related to Strategy 1.3
TITLE: Innovative Approaches to Accelerating Developmental Education (1D)
SUMMARY: Developmental education is often cited as a key barrier to success
for many students, using up valuable time and resources. A priority for the
Transformation Agenda was to accelerate developmental education so that
students quickly progress to career training programs. Moderated by Barbara
Treacy of EDC, this panel will discuss three distinct and innovative approaches
to accelerating development education, including: Massasoit Community
College’s fusion model, an approach to professional development of staff;
Quinsigamond Community College’s use of industry contextualization in the
developmental writing classroom; and the integration of current research on
mathematical learning, including project-based learning and integrated lab
supports, into Bunker Hill Community College’s revised developmental math
curriculum.
CONTENT EXPERTS: Barbara Treacy, Director, EDC (Moderator); Lori Catallozzi,
Dean of Humanities and Learning Communities, Bunker Hill Community College;
Kirsten Daigneault, Coordinator of Future Focus Program, Quinsigamond
Community College; Amparo Hernandez-Folch, Mathematics Professor, Bunker
Hill Community College; Deanna Yameen, Dean of Humanities, Massasoit
Community College.
TITLE: Using OER Created through the Transformation Agenda (2C)
SUMMARY: Participants of this session will learn how to access Open
Educational Resources, and the benefits for faculty and students. The session
features the official unveiling of the Transformation Agenda’s Open Educational
Resource repository. Staff of the Educational Development Center who
developed this online tool will demonstrate how to locate and use resources
available there. In addition, staff from Northern Essex Community College will
discuss their initiative to expand the use of OER at their college, including its
history, resources, faculty training and experience gained along the way.
CONTENT EXPERTS: Jody Carson, Assistant Professor of Early Childhood
Education, eLearning Support Specialist, Northern Essex Community College;
Barbara Treacy, Director, EdTech Leaders Online, Education Development
Center; Susan Tashjian, Coordinator of Educational Technology, Northern Essex
Community College.
TITLE: Embedding Developmental Math and English: Strategies for Success (2D)
SUMMARY: Many colleges in Massachusetts and across the country are
adopting models in which students who test at the developmental level are
placed in college-level courses and provided with added supports. In this
session, two Massachusetts colleges will discuss their approach: Northern Essex
Community College is using the "Advanced Learning Placement" model for
developmental math, and at Massasoit Community College, a unique approach
to faculty training is supporting the implementation of the "Fusion" model for
developmental English.
CONTENT EXPERTS: Linda Murphy, Developmental Math Faculty, Northern Essex
Community College; Deanna Yameen, Dean of Humanities, Massasoit
Community College
TITLE: Adapting the Contextualized Modules for ABE and ESOL (3D)
SUMMARY: A key component of the Transformation Agenda is the
transformation of developmental and adult basic education with contextualized
curriculum. Education Development Center (EDC), faculty and staff from all 15
community colleges, adult basic education instructors, program leaders and
industry advisors came together to create 36 online curriculum modules in 3
industry sectors (http://mccwdta.etlo.org/). Hear how Northern Essex and
Holyoke Community Colleges adapted these modules for their programs.
CONTENT EXPERTS: Ashley Aliengena, Instructor, Picknelly Adult/Family
Education Center, Holyoke Community College; Aliza Ansell, Coordinator,
Picknelly Adult/Family Education Center, Holyoke Community College; Cynthia
Faulkner, ESOL Coordinator, Northern Essex Community College
Massachusetts Community Colleges and Workforce Development Transformation Agenda (MCCWDTA) is 100% funded by a $20 million grant
from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration TAACCCT. Grant Agreement #TC-22505-11-60-A-25. This workforce
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