Student Success Programs
Washington's community and technical colleges are committed to "Creating Opportunities for Washington's Future" by raising the knowledge and skills of the state's residents. To support that commitment, the system's colleges are involved in local and national programs designed to promote and achieve educational attainment for all residents across the state.
Integrated Programs for Low-Income Students (I-BEST)
Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) pairs English as a second language (ESL) / adult basic education (ABE) instructors with professional-technical instructors in the classroom to provide students with literacy education and workforce skills at the same time. I-BEST challenges the traditional notion that students must first complete all levels of basic education before they can begin workforce training.
The adult basic education department, workforce education department and student achievement staff are dedicated to assisting colleges in becoming more effective in serving low-income students who are struggling to balance home, work, and education.
The State Board staff provides the colleges with technical assistance and information on best practices to ensure low-income students successfully complete integrated programs and find family wage careers.
For more information on I-BEST, please click on the links below:
For questions, please contact Tina Bloomer, SBCTC, tbloomer@sbctc.edu or 360-704-4325.
Opportunity Grants
In 2006, the Washington State Legislature appropriated $4 million to the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges to create the Opportunity Grant pilot program. The 10 pilot programs showed excellent results with 73 percent retention and approximately 843 low-income students participating in training for high-wage, high-demand career pathways.
In 2007, the Legislature expanded the Opportunity Grant program by $7.5 million for a total of $11.5 million per year for all 34 community and technical colleges. A goal of the Opportunity Grant program is to help low-income adults reach the educational “tipping point” and beyond in high wage, high demand careers. Reaching the tipping point allows the least prepared individuals to increase job skills and knowledge through career pathways. In 2007-08 the Opportunity Grant program expects to serve 2,000 full-time equivalent students (FTES) or approximately 4,000 full-time and part-time students.
For more information, visit the Opportunity Grant web page or contact Ronelle Funk, Policy Associate – Student Services at rfunk@sbctc.edu or 360-704-4397.
The Transition Math Project
The Transition Math Project (TMP) is a collaborative project of K-12 schools, community and technical colleges, and baccalaureate institutions led by the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.
After producing math College Readiness Standards as the main focus of the project’s Phase I, the Transition Math Project is now a year into a Phase II implementation effort. Phase II is focused largely on supporting an array of school district/college partnerships around the state in collaborating to develop and disseminate innovative, standards-based model materials. Currently 13 collaborative efforts are underway throughout Washington; for more information about the work each of these valuable projects are pursuing see Partnership Project and News Information. In addition to supporting these local partnerships, TMP is supporting student success in math through a statewide effort to address issues around math college placement testing and developing a math college readiness diagnostic assessment for high school students.
Ford Foundation Washington Bridges to Opportunity Project
The Washington Bridges to Opportunity Project is part of a national initiative to increase the access and success of low-income people in using community and technical colleges to achieve living-wage jobs and educational goals.
Achieving the Dream
Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count is a national initiative to help more community college students — particularly low-income students and students of color — succeed. The initiative works on multiple fronts — including efforts at community colleges and in research, public engagement and public policy — and emphasizes the use of data to drive change.
Participating colleges identify strategies to help more students continue their studies and earn certificates and degrees. Strategies include helping students better prepare for college-level work by focusing on developmental education, engaging students in the classroom through new instructional techniques that include team learning and the combining of subjects to make learning more relevant to students’ lives, and using student success courses to teach skills such as time management and effective study skills.
The participating Washington colleges are: Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake; Highline Community College in Des Moines; Renton Technical College; Seattle Central Community College; Tacoma Community College; and Yakima Valley Community College. The six Washington colleges are among 23 that joined Achieving the Dream as part of the initiative’s 2006 expansion. There are a total of 82 participating institutions in Achieving the Dream in fifteen states. More information about Achieving the Dream, including a full list of participants, can be found online at www.achievingthedream.org.
Achieving the Dream is funded by Lumina Foundation for Education and collaborating foundations including Education Assistance Foundation, Heinz Endowments, Houston Endowment Inc., Knowledge Works Foundation, and Nellie Mae Education Foundation. College Spark Washington has funded the initiative in Washington State.
For questions, please contact Tina Bloomer, SBCTC, tbloomer@sbctc.ctc.edu, or 360-704-4325.
Employability/Co-location Study
In 2003, the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) was directed by the state legislature to conduct a study on the feasibility and benefits of establishing one-stop satellite offices on community and technical college campuses in order to improve delivery of employment services and programs to people struggling to achieve self-sufficiency. These one-stop offices will house both the Employment Security Department (ESD) and the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).
For questions, please contact Tina Bloomer, SBCTC, tbloomer@sbctc.ctc.edu, 360-704-4325.
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