College Institutes Progress Policy for A-level

by Tom Ott

During the last two years, much discussion has taken place about the generally poor progress of students who begin at the College in the A-level of the College Achievement Partnership (C.A.P.). In addition to informal conversation among faculty teaching in the program, articles specific to C.A.P. A written by a number of colleagues have appeared in Viewpoints between Fall 1999 and Winter 2003; also, the Developmental Education Research and Development Committee undertook extensive discussion of the issue resulting in a draft of the following College Policy refined by the Academic Council and passed by the Curriculum Committee and the Institution-Wide Committee.

While this policy affects a rather small number of students directly, I believe it strengthens the program well beyond the reasonable assertion that two semesters at 089/097 should be sufficient to make academic progress to B-level C.A.P. It puts in place a number of formal academic supports that previously were geared to the individual student rather than structured programmatically, and it reaffirms for students that A-level C.A.P. is part of an academic continuum leading to college work and as such requires both diligence and maturity.

1. 1. All new A-level students are limited to two attempts to progress to C.A.P. B-level.
2. 2. At the beginning of their first attempt, students will receive a letter via their English classroom faculty explaining the progress policy. This letter will include recommendations for strategies the students may employ to enhance their chances for success.
3. 3. Students who earn an MP, F or who withdraw in their first attempt will be provided the following interventions:
   1. a) Academic Advisors will alert students at the time of registration for the second A-level attempt that they will be removed from the program should they not pass 089/097on their second attempt.
   2. b) Second semester repeaters will receive a letter from the Office of Developmental Education via their English teacher at the beginning of their second attempt. This letter will again remind students of the two- semester policy and will include recommendations for strategies the students may employ to enhance their chances for success. The letter will also include a list of resources available to assist them.
   3. c) At the mid-semester mark of the second attempt, all repeating students who receive an MP or F will be advised to meet with a C.A.P. staff member for the purpose of assessing their academic standing.
4. 4. Students ineligible to return to the Program may re-enter the Program only if, after a two semester interval, they take the College’s Placement Test and place directly into C.A.P. B-level.

©Copyright 2004. Contact author for permission

Maintained by Jay Howard,Sept 2004