Retention
Improve Completion of ESL Pathway

This plan hopes to clarify the new ESL student pathway, and encourage ESL enrollment for English learners. The ESL program has developed new and innovative course offerings that meet the needs of adult ed and returning students who need language development for job training. However, the college's general new student messaging often focuses on transfer, which may not resonate with all ESL students. Furthermore, this plan looks to develop materials in multiple languages.


Lead: Casie Wheat

Plan Timeline

Winter 2024



Status:

Spring 2024

  • Project lead invites staff/faculty to participate.
  • Discussion of project scope, goals, and timeline.
  • Goals Identified:
  1. Working with the ESL department, Counselors and the Office of Communications and Office of Outreach begin the development of a visual guide that maps the ESL and English course pathways based on their educational goal, credit or noncredit preference, if they are FT or PT, and if they are interested in enrolling in a special program like Men of Color Community, Promise, International Student Program, Veterans Resource Center, etc. Each of these distinct factors result in different enrollment options for English and ESL.
  2. Simplify the ESL enrollment pathway process, reduce duplication of efforts and reduce instances where students may receive incorrect or conflicting information. Highlight ESL support options for students based on their educational goal (i.e. listening and speaking or accent reduction courses, noncredit options, etc.).
  3. Identify how and where ESL students can get support for matriculation steps (apply, assessment, orientation, ed planning, etc.), and where they can build community (i.e. practice listening/speaking, access support services, translation assistance, etc.).
Status: Completed

Fall 2024

  • Ed plan templates by major pathway and student population (PT, FT, etc.) and ESL course sequence are drafted by counselors.
  • ESL Department printed ESL program templates in 4 languages.
  • ETS creates a resource that the college can use to recruit new students who have expressed interest in taking ESL classes at De Anza.
  • Met with Office of Communications and discussed project foundations.
  • Meetings with De Anza Community (language arts dean, ESL Department, Office of Outreach and High School Relations) to better understand ESL pathway needs. Feedback included:
  1. Requests for student resources such as 'How to read the schedule' (i.e. what TBA means, etc.).
  2. Review course builds (credit and non-credit) to support student registration.
  3. Need to capture the community members’ experience (specifically those that have a goal of practicing English for non-academic goals).
  4. Outreach noted a growing interest in ESL classes from community and dual enrollment students.
  5. Need for onboarding materials and clear messaging for how to get started with ESL.
  6. Meeting invitation sent to EPS counselors (TBD)
Status: Completed

Winter 2025

  • Met with EPS Team and identified ESL pathway needs.
  • Participated in Dual Enrollment meetings to understand CTE and Office of Outreach need, and needs of their student populations.
  • Meeting invitation sent to Evaluations (TBD). Learn how to create an ESL ed plan template in Degreeworks. Not all counselors/students/community know the details of the ESL sequence (multiple levels with multiple courses; noncredit options).
  • Discussions on how to connect ESL students with language/translation support. Pre-AB 705, all ESL students met with assessment staff in-person to complete the assessment and get information on next steps.
  • Spring quarter discussions and brainstorming for future solutions:
  1. Recreate Assessment’s written materials in video format and translate in different languages – explore resources to support this project.
  2. Clarify how ESL students can get help (CCCApply application support; assessment and registration support; which counselors will serve which students). Services exist, but how do students know how/where to get support? Create materials.
  3. Review registration issues relating to ESL classes.
  4. Continue to learn about ESL community needs (noncredit options and messaging about application process, tuition, access and help with technology, etc.).
Status: Completed

Spring 2025

  • Continue to follow Dual Enrollment program conversations. Continue to learn about ESL community and how to better inform on ESL options (noncredit, support options, how to get help, etc.); and make plans to create materials.
  • Continue to learn about already existing Student Services and other departments/groups (Veterans, ISP, Guided Pathways) available to our ESL students; and make plans to create materials.
  • Look for support/funding for guide translation services.
  • Meet with Admissions and Records and identify any barriers that community members might face before registration (admissions, residency, etc.). Consider solutions to identified barriers.
  • Brainstorm on how to capture community voices (focus on non-traditional college students and those that want to take ESL for personal and professional reasons) to better understand their needs. Consult Institutional Research on how to do this (i.e. survey, focus group, etc.)
Status:

Fall 2025

  • Attempt to capture community voices--focus on non-traditional college students and those that want to take ESL for personal and professional reasons (and not for degree/transfer) to better understand their needs. Analyze findings. Make plans to incorporate findings into project materials.
Status:

Winter 2026

  • Using the captured feedback from student, community and Support Service, draft a list of project materials.
  • Meet with the Office of Communications to establish project milestones and timeline for materials request, and student communications strategy. Request to translate materials into multiple languages, if possible.
Status:

Spring 2026

  • Begin creation of materials. Track progress.
  • Begin to share materials with campus community.
  • Capture feedback, revise materials as needed.
Status:

Fall 2026

  • Continue creation of materials. Track progress.
  • Continue to share materials with campus community.
  • Capture feedback, revise materials as needed.
Status:

Winter 2027

  • Track progress of materials.
  • Capture feedback, revise materials as needed.
Status:

Spring 2027

  • Evaluate progress made based on student and Support Service feedback.
  • Discuss project outcomes and evaluation strategy.
Status:

Fall 2027

  • Summarize project findings.
Status:
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