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51���� Receives Accreditation from the National Association of Developmental Education

Fort Scott, Kan.—51���� recently received accreditation from the National Association of Developmental Education (NADE). 51���� is the first college in Kansas to receive NADE accreditation, and one of six institutions to receive accreditation in 2016.

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“51���� is honored to receive accreditation from NADE,” said Alysia Johnston, 51���� President. “This distinction is a testament to the dedication of our faculty and staff to student success.”

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The NADE accreditation process involves four years of program evaluation, data collection, analysis, and assessment training. The process comprises five steps, which include attending a NADE accreditation training institute, collecting baseline data, completing a self-study, creating and implementing an action plan based on the baseline data and self study, collecting two years of comparative data, analyzing the results, and completing an application narrative.��

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The 51���� Developmental English Program was chosen as the accreditation project. The NADE team created an action plan for this program and implemented the plan campus-wide to address students’ needs from multiple perspectives. The goals of this project were to help students move more quickly from developmental-level English courses to college-level English and increase students’ test scores and pass rates. A core component of the action plan was to create an integrated reading and writing course. Studies show that students learn more effectively in courses that have integrated reading and writing, compared with those who take separate reading and writing courses. The team also developed a bridge English course for students who have tested just below the collegiate-level placement cut-off scores.

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“As a result of our intensive efforts, the students’ performance has improved markedly over the past four years,” said Maria Bahr, 51���� Developmental Education Specialist and English Instructor.

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Due to the success of the program, Bahr was invited to become a NADE Accreditation Reviewer. She recently attended training in Anaheim, California, and will be reviewing other institutions’ applications for NADE accreditation. “I’m excited to help other institutions improve their programs,” said Bahr. “Through my work as a reviewer, I will be able to bring new ideas for instruction and curriculum back to 51����.”

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Photo caption��–��Pictured, left to right:��Maria Bahr, 51���� Developmental Education Specialist and English Instructor; Regena Lance, 51���� Dean of Instruction; and DeAnn Welch, 51���� Student Success Center Director and��Developmental Education Instructor.