VADE NEWS

--news and notes for the Virginia Association for Developmental Education--

 

Volume 3, Number 2                                                                                                                                 August 2002

Hunter Boylan, Director of NCDE, Delivers

Keynote Address at VADE 2002

by Pansy Waycaster, Ann Bartholomay, and Laura Powell

 

Dr. Hunter Boylan, Director of the National Center for Developmental Education, delivered the keynote address at the Virginia Association for Developmental Education (VADE) Conference in February 2002.  His topic, “Accelerated Developmental Education: The Case for Collaboration,” stressed two major ideas for consideration.  First, developmental educators need to re-conceptualize how we go about doing developmental education, and second, we need to collaborate more fully with others in doing it.

Next he gave us data from the public community colleges in Virginia.

• 45% of Virginia students place into developmental education.
• 70% of these students will pass within one year. 
• 75% of these students will pass on to the next college level course in that subject area.
• 30% of these students will drop out at the end of the first year. 

Dr. Boylan attributed the attrition to a host of reasons: lack of academic skills, personal problems, boredom with developmental education, lack of financial aid, and life in general, good or bad. Some students leave college for positive reasons, such as getting a good job. His concern, however, is the wrong reason students do not succeed; developmental education fails them.  Educators need to stop thinking that one size fits all.

He then sought to move participants to thinking about developmental instruction in ways beyond the traditional sixteen-week course.   “For some students (the top half of the bottom half),” stated Boylan, “the sixteen week developmental course may not be the best solution.”  As alternatives, he described several possibilities.  The first was a five-week refresher course for adults viewed as good candidates for that type of course.  He also recommended regular tutoring, hastening to emphasize that it must be systematic, not sporadic.  An additional strategy for helping students directly related to the classroom is Supplemental Instruction, usually referred to as SI.  Aggressive use of learning assistance centers and labs was another alternative, reminding listeners of the necessity of collaboration with faculty in order to assure that assistance given supports students’ classroom needs.  Another alternative suggested was that of teaching learning to learn instruction in all courses, and finally he pointed to the success of learning communities at many colleges.

Many of the above strategies are already in place; however, educators must use them purposefully, not randomly. Assessment should be expanded by adding noncognitive and affective criteria.  Counselors should make sure students have the right experiences, not just the right courses, and we have to expand our use of alternative to developmental courses. But most of all, we have to do a better job of collaborating on our campuses. 

Boylan concluded by saying there is life after developmental education for our students.

 

 

VADE President’s Message

by Glenda Lowery

 

 There is no rest for the weary.  Before the VADE Spring 2002 conference was over, the executive board started planning the 2003 conference.  Then in June we met for a planning session. We are very excited about the next conference since the Virginia Community College System has given developmental education peer group status. 

Since peer groups meet every other year, the funding for developmental education will be divided in half and used every year to help defray costs of the conference.  But the 2003 conference will be fully funded. This means less out of pocket money for the participants. In these times of tight budgets, this incentive is very important if we want VADE to remain vital and active.

There has been talk, in the community college system as well as at four-year institutions, of full-time faculty teaching bigger loads and teaching larger classes. Of course, we know what the news is about raises.  With so many of our colleagues close to retirement and less money to hire adjuncts, the future seems to hold only work, work, and more work for faculty in higher education over the next five years.

So it is essential that we take advantage of our professional development opportunities for renewal and networking. We need to keep our goals in view so we don’t lose our way.  As the state affiliate of the National Association for Developmental Education (NADE), VADE supports educators involved in meeting the academic and socio-emotional needs of students who aspire to change their lives through postsecondary education.  VADE also values collaboration among all educators as the key to our students’ success.  And student success is our major goal.

The February 2003 conference will be a milestone event since VADE will be working with the VCCS Professional Development Initiative.  If you are interested in helping the executive board plan the conference, please contact one of us; we welcome your input.

         

 

 

Message from Out-going President

by Sarah Martin

 

       I want to thank VADE for the opportunity to serve as your President during the past year.  It has truly been a privilege to work with all of you, and I look forward to many more years of our working together.  VADE is growing and developing in exciting new ways, and the commitment and enthusiasm of our members is contagious.

Also, thank you for the beautiful plaque you gave me at the Spring Conference.  I have put it in a special place in my office where I can see it every day.

I hope to see all of you at the 2003 Conference.

 

 

 

 

 

Plan Now to Attend

The First

VCCS Developmental Education Peer Group

Spring 2003 Conference!

 

One Size Doesn’t Fit All:

Reconceptualizing Developmental

Education

 

February 20-21, 2003

Ramada Plaza Resort

Ocean Front and 57th Street

Virginia Beach, VA

 

VCCS Developmental Education Peer Group Conference

(in association with the Virginia Association for Developmental Education)

 

 

Spring Conference 2003

One Size Doesn’t Fit All:

Reconceptualizing Developmental Education

 

February 20–21 2003

Ramada Plaza Resort, Oceanfront and 57th street

Virginia Beach, VA

Call for Concurrent Session Proposals

You are invited to submit proposals for the VCCS Developmental Education Peer Group Conference to be held at the Ramada Plaza Resort, February 20-21, 2003.  The Virginia Community College System and the Virginia Association for Developmental Education (VADE) support educators involved in meeting the academic and nonacademic needs of students who aspire to make a change in their lives through postsecondary education.  The planning committee, consisting of VADE Executive Board members, welcomes proposals from faculty, learning assistance professionals, researchers, program administrators, student support personnel, and other educators who share expertise and provide insight into the following areas:  cognition, reading, writing, mathematics, learning assistance, English as a Second Language, learning disabilities, assessment, learning/study strategies, counseling, learning technologies, and legislative issues.  Concurrent sessions are 60 minutes in length.

       Proposals are due by October 1, 2002.  The Program Chair will notify presenters of their selection by November 1, 2002.  The planning committee encourages proposals offering information that can be implemented within developmental and/or learning assistance programs to enhance the learning and development experience, to describe models of collaboration, or to focus on the application of learning.  The proposal format is outlined on the next page.

       We look forward to receiving your proposal!

Glenda Lowery

Planning Committee Chair

and VADE President

Send proposals to:

Rebecca Eller

Blue Ridge Community College

P. O. Box 80,Weyers Cave, VA 24486

ellerr@brcc.edu

540 234-9261 ext. 2310