MGA admits a significant number of students who need remediation and are enrolled in learning support (LS) coursework. MGA saw a 1.9% increase in the number of LS students from fall’22 to fall’23 and another 1.5% increase from fall’23 to fall’24. In fall’24, 733 students placed into learning support, accounting for 8.7% of fall’24 enrollment.
To improve LS student success outcomes, several initiatives have been implemented that include course redesign, adding growth mindset activities, introducing early alert reporting and outreach, and peer mentoring, supplemental/embedded tutoring. The LS Coordinator, faculty who teach LS courses, the departmental Chairs, student success coaches, peer mentors, and the academic advisors collaborate to work towards this goal. Data-driven decision-making drives the planning and execution of these initiatives.
This activity is aligned with the following MGA’s ASPIRE goals: 1) To improve the success rates of students in ENGL 1101 by implementing targeted strategies that enhance their comprehension, engagement, and performance in the course (POISED/ASPIRE); 2) To enhance the success rates of students in LS ENGL and LS MATH courses by implementing targeted interventions and support systems that promote academic achievement and mastery of course content (ASPIRE only).
KPIs:
- Number of LS students passing gateway English and math courses
- Number of LS students remaining in good standing at the completion of the semester
- % of LS students who were on probation at the beginning of the semester and finished the semester in good standing
- % of LS students who were in good standing at the beginning of the semester and finished the semester on probation.
- % of LS students who persisted next semester
Baseline measure (for each KPI):
- 51.5% of LS students successfully completed ENGL 1101 in fall’23 and 46.8% in spring’23.
- 58.8% of LS students successfully completed MATH 1001 in fall’23 and 52.7 % in spring’23.
- 45.0% of LS students successfully completed MATH 1111 in fall’23 and 47.6% in spring’23.
- 30.9% of LS students who were on probation at the beginning of fall’23 finished the semester in good standing while 10.4% of LS students who were on probation at the beginning of spring’23 finished the semester in good standing.
- 41.7 % of LS students who were in good standing at the beginning of fall’23 finished the semester on probation while 13.5 % of LS students who were in good standing at the beginning of spring’23 finished the semester on probation
- 46.1 % of LS students persisted from spring’23 to fall’23
Current/most recent data (for each KPI):
- 51.9% of LS students successfully completed ENGL 1101 in spring’24
- 58.9% of LS students successfully completed MATH 1001 in spring’24
- 58.3% of LS students successfully completed MATH 1111 in spring’24
- 17.8% of LS students who were on probation at the beginning of spring’24 finished the semester in good standing
- 32.0% of LS students who were in good standing at the beginning of spring’24 finished the semester on probation
- 46.8 % persisted from spring’24 to fall’24
Goal or targets (for each KPI):
- 2% increase in the number of LS students passing the gateway English course
- 2% increase in the number of LS students passing gateway math courses
- 2% increase in the number of students who are on probation at the beginning of fall’24 and finish the semester in good standing
- 2% decrease in the number of students who begin fall’24 in good standing and finished the semester on probation
- 1% increase in persistence from fall-to-fall and spring-to-spring
English department continues to refine the LS design to improve their success rates. The department is participating in the POISED initiative to focus on the course design for English Composition I along with additional success strategies.
MGA met its goal as there was a 5.1% increase in the number of students who successfully completed English Composition I in spring’24 as compared to spring’23.
The English department has introduced the following initiatives in 2024-25:
- The departmental early alert implemented in 2023-24 transitioned to a new institutional early alert system using the Faculty Feedback form to report academic and non-academic concerns at any point in the semester.
- Changes to the final grade essay assessment have been initiated in fall’24
- ‘Prepping for Success’ workshop was offered for all LS English students before the start of classes for fall’24.
- Peer mentors will host a writing workshop for students in fall’24 to prepare for the final exam in English Composition I.
- Success coaches reached out to students in learning support who began fall’24 on probation or were reported by faculty through the faculty feedback early alert system to develop success plans.
The math department continues to refine the LS design to improve their success rates. MGA met its goal as there was a 6.2% increase in the number of students who successfully completed Math 1001 (Quantitative Reasoning) in spring’24 as compared to spring’23. The success rates for Math 1111 (Algebra) also increased by 10.7% comparing spring’23 to spring’24 data.
Math department has implemented the following initiatives for 2024-25:
- The mindset module in the Math 1001 course structure as part of the Mindset Learning Project has been transitioned into the Knights Academy which provides a guiding pathway to students for the first year of college at MGA.
- The same instructor has been assigned to teach the co-requisite and the gateway course for fall’24
- Success coaches have reached out to students in learning support who began fall’24 on probation or were reported by faculty through the faculty feedback early alert system to develop success plans.
- All sections of learning support and gateway Quantitative Reasoning course (Math 1001) have been assigned embedded student success coaches, peer tutors and peer mentors (success team) for timely interventions for at-risk students reported by the instructors. Coaches and mentors also paid class visits to reach out to the students. This initiative involved significant collaboration between the faculty instructor and the success coaches.
- MATH 1101-Mathematical Modeling with co-requisite Math 0998 has been reinstated for STEM majors with High School GPA <3.4
- Targeted marketing of the Mathematics Academic Resource Center for high-risk students has been implemented.
- The final high school GPA cut-off for exempting learning support was revised: Quantitative Reasoning (3.1 or greater) or Algebra (3.4 or higher)
Overall, comparing spring’24 to spring’23 data, there was a 59% increase in the number of LS students who began the semester on probation but ended in good academic standing. The number of LS students who were in good academic standing at the beginning of spring semester but finished on probation decreased by 37.7% comparing 2023 to 2024 data. The overall persistence of LS students from spring to fall semester increased by 0.7% comparing 2023 to 2024 data.
ENGL 1101
- Strengthen ties to outside-of-classroom support structures
- Build Writing Center “field trips” for face-to-face classes
- Include virtual Writing Center field trip to promote virtual tutoring
- Continue participation in the USG POISED initiative
LS MATH
The Mathematics department will evaluate the data obtained from the new initiatives introduced in fall’24 to assess their impact on student success. Based on data collected from fall’24 and spring’25, the initiatives will be scaled, maintained, or revised.
Challenges:
- Lack of engagement of LS students
- Lack of utilization of academic support resources
- Varying levels of under-preparedness in students
Support Needed:
Resource sharing and additional ideas/strategies employed by other USG institutions
