Tools for Success
Institution:
Miami Dade College
Academic Level:
Associate
Issue Area:
Retention
Year:
2009
Designation:
Examples of Excelencia
Designation:
Finalist
Key Personnel:
Damas, Guillermina
Address:
Miami Dade College - Wolfson Campus
Address 2:
300 NE 2nd Ave
Address 3:
Room 1540
City:
Miami
State:
FL
Zip:
33132 Website:
Tools for Success is a five-year program (2007-08 to 2011-12) funded by the National Science Foundation to increase graduation rates of minority students who are interested in the high-demand fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Each cohort of students in the Tools for Success program-60 students per year-receives academic and financial support to complete an associate degree in a STEM-related field within a two-year period. The program is at the Miami Dade College's (MDC) Wolfson and Kendall campuses.
Goal/Mission:
Programs such as Tools for Success are aimed at realizing the academic dreams of MDC's underrepresented students, while meeting current market needs.
Outcome:
In its first year of implementation (2007-2008), Tools for Success retained 88 percent of the 60 students in cohort 1. In 2008-2009, Tools for Success served 133 students (cohorts 1 and 2). The average GPA of Tools for Success students during this period was 3.30, which is significantly higher than the 2.79 average GPA for all STEM majors. Of the students enrolled in the 2008-2009 program, 63 percent were Latino and 47 percent were female. The overall retention rate for Tools for Success thus far (2007-2009) is 77 percent, compared to the average retention rate of 19 percent for all STEM majors.
Of the students enrolled in cohort 1, 36 graduated by the end of spring 2009 and 32 are set to transfer to an upper-division school in the fall of 2009. By January 2010, Tools for Success is projected to add nine more students to the list of cohort 1 graduates, reflecting a 75-percent graduation rate in two years. This is especially impressive considering that the average two-year graduation rate for all STEM majors is 27 percent. The number of transfers is also expected to increase. In addition, seven students in the 2008- 2009 program were awarded summer research opportunities with prestigious national laboratories and educational institutions.
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