Yesterday at PFC our Basic Skills Coordinator Sergio G. reported on the success that Basic Skill program is having with the retention rate of the first cohort of students in this program. The Basic Skills program is a very well planned and well run program under the leadership of Robert H. and Sergio G. During this presentation one aspect caught my attention and I began wondering if this aspect could be applied across the campus to increase success and retention rate for all of our students. What caught my attention? The classes these students were registered for are 8 week courses.
During my time at Rio Hondo I have noticed that we have the greatest students who are here to learn. They come motivated with good attentions and most fail only when life gets in their way. I have had students, who have lost their jobs in the middle of the semester, some who were evicted from their homes, some whose car were repossessed preventing them from getting to class, and yes some who had run in with the law.
Intuitively, I see a correlation between our students difficult life events.and their success rate in my classes.
Currently most of the courses offered are 16 weeks long. That is 16 long weeks for things to go wrong. I wonder if we offer 8 or 10 weeks classes will that increase the success rate of our students?
The probability of things going wrong is lower in a 8 weeks or 10 weeks classes thereby higher chance of success for our students.
Interesting idea. Do you think we should or even could take all of our 16 week courses and make two 8 week courses?
ReplyDeleteThat is above my pay grade. As I understand it, 10 week courses are funded in the same manner as 16 week courses. However, 8 week courses have a different funding model.
ReplyDeleteMy 4 years of undergrad at Cal State College San Bernardino were spent in 10 week classes. They met 5 hours a week. We had 3 sets of them each year, or 4 if you went summer. I think it is a good way to teach.
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