GED Advantage Program

Everest University Pompano Beach

Annual Evaluation Report

Submitted To: Program Directors

Prepared By: Achraf Touati

Summary The GED Advantage program at Everest University Pompano Beach was launched as part of large scale initiative by Corinthian Colleges, Inc. (CCI) to help individuals who do not have a high school diploma obtain a GED diploma to be able to enroll in a postsecondary program. The general purpose of the program is to create larger target market within the communities where all participating campuses are located. Another goal of this free initiative is to improve the Everest brand by being the first and only college in the area to offer a free program to the public. CCI have announced that the GED Advantage program will continue for the year 2014. The purpose of this report is to determine whether the program objectives are met and to also identify issues that prevent the program from performing efficiently. The evaluation was conducted using the data collected from survey completed by participants who had completed the program and through reports provided by GED coordinators and admissions representatives. Also, a one- onone interview was conducted with the GED instructors to collect important qualitative data. During the 1 year that program operated, none of the objectives outlined were met. Everest Pompano Beach was not able to recruit a minimum of 20 students to enroll in one of the postsecondary programs offered at Everest. In addition, the evaluation has found no evidence that the initiative had a positive impact on the student population. In fact, the number of active students at Everest had declined from the period between October of 2012 and October of 2013. According to the survey conducted, the majority of students did not wish to enroll at Everest University Pompano Beach because of their concern of the schools accreditation status. Other students also reported that the school does not provide their educational field of interest. As far as the structure of the program goes, there are indications that the length of the Track A course could be reduced to allow more students into the program. There are also indications that the GAIN test (pretest) scores do not accurately reflect whether or not students have the basic knowledge to join the program. Therefore, a large number of potential GED graduates were turned away because of the GAIN test result. Finally, data collected show that Skills Tutor software had very minimal positive impact on students learning. Data also show that most students who completed the program did not use this online learning tool.

Description of the Program Evaluated The GED Advantage program was initiated by Corinthian Colleges in October of 2012 and was launched in multiple campuses located in areas where there are high numbers of high school dropouts. This program is designed to help individuals who didnt graduate high school receive their high school equivalency so that may be eligible to enroll in postsecondary schools. Everest University Pompano Beach is one of the campuses owned and managed by Corinthian Colleges and has also launched the GED program back in October of 2012 with no set end date. Program Objectives Though the objectives may vary from campus to campus, the GED advantage program at Everest University Pompano Beach was initiated to achieve the following objectives: Recruit at least 20 new students from the GED program to enroll at one of the programs at Everest University by the end of the fiscal year. Improve the Universitys image within the community. Increase student population.

Program Components The GED Advantage program at Everest University Pompano is a free program to the public. The interested candidates are required to attend a 20-minute information session where an admissions representative discusses the benefits of obtaining a GED and how Everest University will help them get there. After the information session, all candidates are required to take a 90minute pretest (GAIN) in mathematics and English, which they must pass to enroll into the program. Based on the pretest scores, candidates are placed into either a Track A (advanced) or a Track B (self-paced track). The Track A is designed to be completed in one month only whereas in Track B students can complete the program within a period of up to 5 months. In addition to two GED instructors, who also are GED coordinators, the program uses tutoring software called Skills Tutor. Classes are running daily from Monday through Friday, and students are only allowed to miss 5 classes total the entire time they are enrolled in the program. If students miss more than five classes, they are then dismissed from the program GED program. The Textbook used in the program is the Complete GED Preparation book by Steck-Vaughn of which each student receives a free copy while enrolled in the program. The textbook covers the five subjects in the GED test which are social studies, science, mathematics, Language Arts Reading, and Language Arts Writing.

At the end of the program, each student is required to take an Official Practice Test (OPT) on which a minimum of 450 must be scored for each subject. The OPT is 4 hours long whereas the Official GED Test is 8 hours long. As for the questions, the OPT has about half the amount of questions compared to the official GED Test. Once students successfully pass the OPT with a minimum of 450 on each of the 5 subjects and a minimum overall score of 2250, the GED coordinators provide the candidates with registration voucher in the amount of $130 that goes toward the test registration fee. After students receive the vouchers, the students status is changed from active to complete in the GED Tracker. GED Tracker is a program implemented in the schools intranet and is regularly updated by the GED coordinators to include names of participants, attendance, test scores and other important information about program participants. Only GED coordinators have administrative rights to the GED Tracker. Evaluation Method Participants There are 25 student participants involved in this evaluation. These participants have successfully completed the GED program, passed the official GED test, and received their GED diplomas. The selected candidates are the only candidates who can be recruited into Everest since they now hold a high school diploma. Program Personnel The GED team consists of 4 staff members: 2 GED instructors and 2 admissions representatives. Mr. Winston Martin: Mr. Martin is a GED instructor and coordinator. He teaches the advanced track in the program (Track A). Mr. Achraf Touati: Mr. Touati is the GED coordinator. He is in charge of regularly updating the GED Tracker. His task is to also submit weekly program reports to program managers. Mr. Touati is also an instructor and teaches both tracks in the program (Tracks A & B). Both GED instructors are responsible of setting up and coordinating the GED information session twice a week. They also participate in the session by providing an overview of the program and answering questions that candidates may have. Alphonso Hamilton & Ms. Latoya Armstrong: Both Mr. Hamilton and Ms. Armstrong are admissions representatives. They are responsible for making a presentation at the information session. They are also responsible for maintaining contact with current and potential GED students to ensure that students are satisfied with their experience at Everest University.

Procedures During the evaluation process, the program was not interrupted and operated as normal. The quantitative data collected are based on reports from the period beginning October 12th, 2012 and ending October 13th, 2013. The reports were provided by the GED coordinator and admissions representatives. An oral interview was also conducted with the GED coordinators and instructors. Data Sources All student participants were cooperative during the evaluation process. A copy of the survey was sent to each student in a form of a word document via email. All 25 students filled out the surveys and emailed them back to the program coordinator. It took about 3 weeks to receive all the surveys back from the students; however, the GED coordinators had made follow up calls to remind students about completing the survey. The pretest is provided by Wonderlic, and it is a computer test. All the scores are saved on the website and are available to access at any time. The GED coordinator provided hard copies of pretest scores for the 25 student participants. The posttest scores are saved on the schools computer through the GED OTP software. Students must complete and pass the OPT, which is also a computer test, in order to be able to register for the official GED test. The GED instructors provided the posttest scores for the 25 student participants for the purpose of evaluation. The official GED scores were obtained through the official GED website. Students who took the computer version of the GED test were signed up online by their GED instructors who kept record of students login information. For the students who took the paper-based test, hard copies of the test scores were provided to GED instructors by the students. As for the data on the usage of My Skills Tutor (MST) online software, both GED instructors have an administrative account in order to create user accounts for program participants. MST also provides instructors with reports on daily usage and students scores and progress. Lastly, the reports reflecting the school population and student enrollment have been provided by the admissions representatives. Hard copies of the reports have been obtained through the Everests main administrative system (CampusVue).

Results Table 1.1- GED Participants

Information Session Attendance 477 Male 105 Female 372 Number of Candidates Took Pretest 461 Male 98 Female 363 Number of Enrolled Candidates 132 Male 52 Female 80 Number of Candidates Completed The Program (Graduates) 25 Male 8 Female 17 Number of Candidates Dropped from the Program 87 Male 48 Female 39

Table 1.2- GED Participants

Race
Black White Hispanic other

Age 18-25 26-35 over35 364 85 28

Employed? Yes 376 No 101

Marital Status Single Married Divorced 325 147 5

Interested Candidates

245

75

117

40

Total : 477
Enrolled Candidates

Total: 132
Program Graduates

59* 12

20* 3

40* 7

13* 3

63* 18

57* 7

12* 0

83* 13

49* 12

95 23

35 2 29

0 0 2

Total :25
Program Dropouts

37 13 28 10 57 31 57 Total: 88 38 40 10 *Number included current active students at time of evaluation (Total 19 active students)

Table 1.3- GED Graduates Test Scores & Skills Tutor Usage
Pretest Student Placement (GAIN Assessment) Track A Track B Posttest Average Scores (Mean Score) Track A 2875 Track B 2465 GED Official Test Scores (Mean Score) Track A 2753 Track B 2487 Average Hours of Instructions Received Track A 11.5 Track B 41.5 Skills Tutor Average Usage (Hours)

Track A 1.2

Track B 4.7

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Table 1.4- School Population Since the Start of Program

Oct 2012 821 Nov 2012 732 Dec 2012 716 Jan 2013 764 Feb 2013 719 March 2013 723 April 2013 701 May 2013 695 June 2013 680 July 2013 685 Aug 2013 679 Sep 2013 667 Oct 2013 671

Program Participants Table 1.1 shows that 461 out of the total the 477 total interested candidates (96.6%) stayed and took the GAIN (General Assessment of Instructional Needs) pretest after the 20-min information session. Also, it is noticeable that the program attracts more female participants (78%) than male participants (22%). As for the ethnic background of participants, 51% of program participants are Black, 24% are Hispanic, 16% are White, and 8% from other backgrounds. In addition, about 76% of the program participants are 25 years of age or under, about 18 % of participants are between 25 and 35, and about 6% of the participants are over 35 years old. Finally, about 79% of candidates interested in the program were employed at the time they attended the information session. Enrolled Candidates Out of 461 candidates who took the pretest, 132 participants were able to pass the GAIN pretest and therefore enrolled into the program, which means about 29% of these candidates possessed the basic knowledge required to be enrolled in the GED program, as outlined by the program requirements. Also, 80 out of 132 (or 61%) of the enrolled candidates are females. As for the ethnic background, about 45% are Black, 30 % are Hispanic, 15% are White, and 10% are from different ethnic background. Program Graduates A program graduate is any candidate who completes the program and passes both OPT (Official Practice Test) and Official GED Test with a minimum of 2250 as a total score for the 5 subjects. 25 program participant out of the 132 enrolled have completed the program as of October of 2013, which means 19% of the enrolled participants have graduated the program. In addition, 48% of the program graduates are black, 28% are Hispanic, and 12 % are white. Moreover, 72% of these graduates are between 18 and 25 years of age, and 28% of graduates are between 25 and 35. However, no candidate older than 35 had managed to graduate the GED program. Test Results and Hours of Instructions On average, Track A students have scored lower on OPT than they did on the Official GED Test. However, on average, Track B students had scored higher on the Official GED test than they did on the OPT. In terms of hours of instructions, Track A students had received on average of 11.5 hours of instructions, whereas Track B students had received on average 41.5 hours of instructions. School Population Table 1.4 shows a decline in the school population from the period between October 2013 and October 2014. At the time the GED program was launched, Everest University Pompano Beach

had a student population of 821 active students. As of October of 2013, the student population had dropped to 671 active students. Survey Results
I am not Going to College Reason For not Enrolling at Everest My Field of Interest is Not Provided at Everest Accreditation

Overall Program Satisfaction and Future Plans

100 % of the students who have graduated the GED Advantage program are satisfied with the GED program. However, only 4 out 25 program graduates have 0 5 10 15 showed interest in enrolling at Everest University. When asked about the reason for not pursuing postsecondary education at Everest, the results came as follow: 13 out of the 21 students who didnt wish to continue their education at Everest had mentioned that the schools accreditation status is the reason behind their decision, 7 out of the 21 students mentioned that Everest does not have their field of interest, and 1 person only reported that he is not planning to attend college at this time. As for the GED instructors, 23 out of 25 reported that they were very satisfied with the instructors and 2 out 25 were satisfied. Finally, when asked whether they would recommend Everest University to a friend or family member for postsecondary education, 24% of GED graduates said they would recommend it.

Social Experience at Everest Total Students Surveyed: 25

Very satisfied Satisfied Dissatisfied Very dissatisfied Unable to Evaluate

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Skills Tutor Usage and Satisfaction Was Skills Tutor Helpful? Total Students Surveyed: 25 Have you found the Skills tutor helpful? Yes No Track A Track B Track A Track B 1 5 3 8

Did not Use it Track A Track B 5 3

Discussion The purpose of the evaluation results is to determine areas for improving the GED Advantage program. The data show that the program had attracted 477 candidates but only 25 had graduated the program. Out of the 25 graduates only 2 students enrolled at Everest University. Though the program was successful in producing over 20 graduates by the end of fiscal year as initially planned, the first objective, which is to recruit at least 20 students to enroll at a postsecondary program with Everest University, was not achieved. In addition, data show that the school student population had declined since the program was launched; therefore there is no evidence to support that the GED Advantage program has helped, either directly or indirectly, increase the student population at this time. As reported by the GED coordinator, 2 of the 25 students who graduated the program didnt pass the math part of the GAIN test with the required score of 4 on each subject, yet they managed to complete the program within the specified time. Therefore, this could be an indication that the pretest requirement should be revised to allow more candidates into the program. The GED coordinator also reports that the high number of program dropouts is due to attendance policy, by which candidates are automatically dropped after missing 5 classes. Both GED instructors have recommended that the attendance policy is to be revised in order to minimize the high rate of program dropouts. Furthermore, data show that the biggest reason why GED graduates do not continue their education with Everest University is their concern with the accreditation status of the school. GED instructors also reported that several other students enrolled in the program had shared similar concerns. One of the goals of the GED program is to have students experience and enjoy the social life in campus while enrolled in the program. However, only 20% of the graduates were satisfied with the overall social experience while in campus. According to data obtained through students and instructors, the overall usage rate and satisfaction with the skills Tutor software has been very low. Data show that only 24% of students had used it and were satisfied with it. Therefore, eliminating this tutoring software would have no significant impact on the way the program is currently operating. As reported by the GED coordinator, 24 out 25 students had passed the GED test on their first attempt. This could be an indication that the program is efficient in terms of the quality of the instructions offered. In addition, data also show that the average hours of instructions that graduating students received in Track A was about 9 hours. The GED program was designed so that Track A students complete the program in 4 weeks (40 hours). However, according to GED instructors, the completion of Track A in two weeks (20 hours) is feasible. Another concern that GED coordinator shared was that new Track A candidates are only allowed to start classes at the beginning of each month. This, according to the coordinator, has turned away a lot of candidates
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who did not wish to wait weeks to start classes. In Track B, the average hours of instructions that graduating student received was 41.5 hours. Overall, GED instructors are pleased with how this Track is structured and also with the fact that students can start classes on a weekly basis. Finally, 461 out of 477 (97 %) of candidates who attended the information session had stayed and took the 90 minute pretest (GAIN) that followed the session. This is a strong indication that the information session is successful in motivating the GED participants. Project Cost
Achraf Touati 3215 S Ocean Blvd Highland Beach, Florida Phone: (703) 855-1161 Bill To: Corinthian Colleges 6 Hutton Centre Drive Suite 400 Santa Ana, CA 92707 Description Personnel: 22 days@ $500/Day .. Travel Highland to Pompano estimated 288 miles @0.565 Supplies Consumable supplies.. Amount ..$11,000 ...$162.72 $ 150 Invoice Date: 12/10/2013 Invoice # 12345

Comments 1. Total payment due in 30 days 2. Please make check payable to Achraf Touati

Total Due

$ 11,312.72

Budget Description The invoice also includes a travel charge for the 12 days the visits to Pompano campus were made. The total distance for a round trip between Highland Beach and Pompano Beach is 24 miles. The supplies charge includes printer cartridges, paper, and other office supplies. The evaluation project was completed within the 6- week projected time.
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Appendices Appendix 1: Weekly Program Report as of October 11,2 013

This week 10/7/2013 10/11/2013

Overall

GED Plus Program June 25,2012October 9,2012 (Retired Program)

October 9,2012Present

Information Session Attendance: Number of Candidates Tested (GAIN Test) Number of Students who passed the GAIN Test Enrollment
Active Students Track A Track B

13 13 5

477 461 132

19 3 16

33 Enrolled

Completed the Program

Waiting to Take the Official Test

33 8 26 16 11

Took the official Test

Passed the Official Test

25 2

Enrolled at Everest

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Appendix 2: Student Survey GED Advantage Program

Section A: General Satisfaction 1. How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with your overall experience at Everest University? Very satisfied Satisfied Dissatisfied Very dissatisfied

2. Please briefly explain why you are dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with your overall experience at Everest University. ..
3. How satisfied or dissatisfied you are with the following?

Very satisfied Your academic experience at Everest University Your social experience at Everest University 4.

Satisfied

Dissatisfied

Very Unable to dissatisfied evaluate

Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with the following statements. Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Unable to evaluate

a. b. c.

I feel as if I am part of this university Most university support staff (e.g. clerks, secretaries) are helpful I feel I get the run-around when I am searching for information at this university (i.e. you are being sent from office to office without your problem being solved)

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5. Have you found the Skills tutor to be helpful?

Yes

No

didnt use it

6. if not, can you please describe why................................................................................

Section B: Satisfaction with the GED Program 7. How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with your experience in the GED Program?

Very satisfied Satisfied Dissatisfied Very dissatisfied

8.

Please rate how much you agree or disagree with the following statement about the GED Program. Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Unable to evaluate

a. b. c. d.
e.

I believe this program offers high-quality instructions. The class hours were convenient Program objectives are clearly conveyed to students Program requirements are clearly conveyed to students

f. Program objectives are clearly conveyed to students

Section C: GED Instructors' Contributions 9. How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the quality of teaching in the GED Program? Very satisfied Satisfied Dissatisfied Very dissatisfied

8. Please rate how much you agree or disagree with the following statements about the instructor of the

GED Advantage program.

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Strongly agree a. b. c. d. e. f. I think instructor conveyed the subject matter effectively Instructors teaching was stimulating instructor showed a positive attitude toward students instructors made an effort to check that students understood the material taught Instructors were available to address my questions outside of class Instructors took an active interest in my learning

Agree

Disagree

Strongly disagree

Unable to evaluate

Section D: Background Information 10. What is your gender?

Male Female

11. What is your marital status?

Single Married Divorced Widowed

12. Are you currently employed?

Yes No
13. What is your age?

18-21 22-25 26-35

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 Over 35

14. What is your reason for a GED?

Job Requirement Military Requirement Education Requirement Personal Satisfaction

Section E: Considering Everest for Further Education 15. Would you consider attending Everest for post GED education?

Yes No
If no, can you please explain? 16. Would you ever recommend Everest University to friends or family members?

Yes No

Section E: Comments

17. If you have any additional comments that you would like to share on the quality of your educational experience at Everest University, please type them below.

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Appendix 3 Oral Interview Questions (For GED Coordinators and Instructors Only)

1. Can you summarize the main reasons why GED participants drop out of the program? 2. Do you think that the difficulty level of the GAIN test is appropriate to select the students with the required basic skills to enroll in the program? 3. Do the GAIN test result accurately reflect the appropriate track placement of students? ............................................................................................................................................................ ............................................................................................................................................................ ............................................................................................................................................................ 4. Are you pleased with the program syllabus? Do you recommend any changes? 5. Do you think that the length of the program tracks is appropriate for students to be prepared for the GED examination? Any suggestions or recommendations? 6. What are some of the reasons that students have shared with you personally about choosing not to continue further education with Everest University?

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7. Do you think that Skills Tutor software is effective? Do you recommend keeping it? Are the students using it regularly? .. 8. Do you have any final suggestions or recommendations that could help improve the GED program?

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