Alisa and all:  Thank you so much for raising this issue as it pertains to
persistence.  I am a 9 year Director of an ESOL and ABE/GED program in Mass.
and we have adopted a managed enrollment process based upon requests from our
students and on research/comments that I have read regarding college cohorts. 
Our students have told us loud and clearly that they do not like turbulance in
the classroom and that new students coming in and out is very turbulent.  Our
teachers find it almost impossible to effectively teach a class with open
enrollment.  We've only worked with this model for one year, but we met our
attendance goal, our pre/post test goals, and our meaningful gain goals this
year for the first time.  We are still a little short of our average attended
hours and our goals met goals for the year.  And, we feel more professional
and that we are offering far better education to our students.  We are looking
at a major system change for next year that we hope will further support this
management of enrollment by having new students attend a class (21 hours for
ABE/GED and 7 - 14 hours for ESOL students) prior to entering classes.  We
also are intending to enroll new ABE/GED students every two months and ESOL
students at the half year mark.  Our full staff is spending 23 hours each this
summer redesigning our curriculum based upon the Massachusetts State
Frameworks to determine what is truly possible to teach 7 hours per week 36
weeks of the year so that teachers can teach a skill, spiral back to check for
mastery, and reteach the skills again for new students who entered in a
cohort.  We all agree that we must have a clear and manageable curriculum in
order to effectively serve these students even on a managed basis.  

------ Original Message ------
Received: Thu, 13 Jul 2006 01:01:03 PM EDT
From: "Alisa Vlahakis Povenmire" <alisapovenmire at hotmail.com>
To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
Subject: [SpecialTopics 135]  Does managed enrollment support persistence?


> Hello all, 

>   

>  I am a few days late to join the list but have thoroughly enjoyed the

discussions.  In fair warning, I am submitting a somewhat long post.

>   

>  I am conducting somewhat informal research for the Massachusetts Department

of Education on the topic of managed enrollment.  

>   

>  Meta Potts wrote in post # 119:

>   

>  “What is the difference between program supports to persistence and the

nature of student persistence?”

>  My research addresses a small this question which regards the enrollment

policies and practices of Adult Education Programs.  My quest is to determine
the pros and cons of managed enrollment, and how managed enrollment affects
the retention, persistence, and learning gains of students.  I have
corresponded with several practitioners around the country who have forayed
into managed enrollment in their programs, and all seem VERY satisfied with
the results.  Most, but not all, programs that I have been in contact with do
also have at least one open entry classroom, and/or distance learning options
for students who cannot commit to the time and intensity required by the
managed enrollment classrooms.  

>  In John Comings’ and Lisa Soricone’s NCSALL Paper, “An Evidence-based

Adult Education Program Model Appropriate for Research”, certain scholars are
quoted who feel that open enrollment practices are “not an effective way to
use limited resources”(p 66).  Other studies suggest that managed enrollment,
which allows students to enter a class during specific times only, is not only
easier and more productive for students and teachers, but also promotes a
higher rate of retention and persistence.  However, the report is careful to
recommend that programs take their own mission and student population into
account when making enrollment decisions and formal policies.  Many programs I
have had contact 

>  with, echo this sentiment and have found enrollment policy-making an

ongoing and often slow process, but worth the effort.  Although there hasn't,
to my knowledge, been a formal assessment of the effects of managed
enrollment, it seems like a program design element which tends to promote
persistence.

>  So my questions to John and listers are:

>       1.   What do you think about Managed Enrollment? Do you have a managed

enrollment policy at your program?  If so, for how long have you used this
policy and how is student persistence at your program affected by this
policy?

>  2.      There has been a lot of discussion on this list about students who

need flexible attendance schedules.  What is your sense of the percentage of
these students compared to the whole population of students? Do you think
managed enrollment works against these students?

>  3.      Is managed enrollment more suitable in certain contexts?  If so,

which?

>  4.      Many practitioners have only been able to cite (to me) benefits of

managed enrollment.  Do you feel that there are any negative aspects of this
practice?

>  5.      Does it cost more to use a managed enrollment system?  Is the

return on investment (learning gains) greater?

>  6.   Finally, in the broad context of persistence and support for learners,

how does the importance of enrollment policies compare to the importance of
supports like child care and transportation and teachers who really connect
with their learners? 

>  I thank you all, in advance, for what I know will be your thoughtful

comment on any of these questions.

>  Sincerely,

>  Alisa Povenmire, ABE Consultant, former SABES Coordinator

>  

>  

>  

>  From: "Holly Dilatush-Guthrie" <Holly.Dilatush-Guthrie at ccs.k12.va.us>

> Reply-To: specialtopics at nifl.gov

> To: <specialtopics at nifl.gov>

> Subject: [SpecialTopics 135] Re: Persistence Strategies

> Date: Wed, 12 Jul 2006 22:11:39 -0400

> >Hello all, a delayed response from Holly here --

> >This:

> > >>> cnaamh at rcn.com 7/10/2006 9:23 PM >>>

> >I agree with you, Bruce. High-quality instruction in a supportive

environment is key and has many components. We may have to re-define success
for funders but for students feeling successful NOW is a key element of
persistence. We evaluate every activity and every class. All students should
leave every class with a feeling of success. I try my best to have students
leave, even the first class, with something they can use now.

> > Nicole B. Graves

> >South 

>  Deerfield, MA>>

> >...reminded me of an experience I had teaching a workplace ESL (Hotel

employees) class a few years back -- after the third 2 hour class, IMMEDIATELY
after the class, as we were exiting the classroom space, the employees'
supervisor asked the students/employees: "Well, what did you learn today?"
(she asked this to the group, and then repeated her question individually to
each employee -- ). The first response, "Nothing." The second response,
"nothing." etc. etc. --- What I learned from this: a new daily scheduled
activity at the end of each class -- practicing (verbally) "What did you learn
today?" answers! <grins!>

> >

> >So, students left feeling success, KNOWING how to articulate that success

-- both in simple written format (like writing a memo to their supervisor) and
in simple spoken English format...

> >

> >and I learned to quiz 

>  the supervisor before the following class, "Well, what DID they learn last

class?" --

> >it became a win-win-win --- and continued the contract!

> >[supervisors then added, based on the students/employees feedback, 5

minutes language exchange show & tell at monthly staff meetings -- where
everyone had to share what they'd learned -- in a language of their choice!

> >Hooray for multilingualism -- hooray for feelings of success -- hooray for

articulated mini-goals.... etc.

> >persistence -- motivation -- and hooray for continued funding!

> >Holly

> >

> >

> >"No matter what our attempts to inform, it is our ability to inspire that

will turn the tides."

> >Holly Dilatush

> >ESL distance learning, Dialogue Cafe, Volunteer coordinator

> >Charlottesville City Schools Adult Learning Center

> >1000 Preston Ave., Suite D

> >Charlottesville VA 

>  22903

> >(434) 245.2815 office

> >(434) 960.7177 cell/mobile

> >http://theHsmile.org ['home' to several Moodle CMS (course management

systems/virtual classrooms)]

> >http://www.Charlottesville-ESL.org

> >"Live with intention. Share inside~out smiles, inspire hope, seek awe and

nurture in nature."

> >

> >-------------------------------

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