Dyersburg State Community College utilized Perkins funds for several years through the Northwest Tennessee Tech Prep Consortium. In 2007-08 the funding and structure of Tech Prep changed to meet Perkins IV requirements. Perkins IV funds have been used to develop active articulation agreements with each of the Local Education Affiliates (LEA) at the secondary and Post-secondary levels. Ongoing activities include maintenance of an online testing site for twenty-one courses available for articulation and the monitoring of seven dual enrollment opportunities in career technical education courses. In light of the change in emphasis for Perkins IV fund usage from high school transition opportunities to further development and enhancement of Associate of Applied Science Programs at the post-secondary level, Dyersburg State Community College representatives have met with community, business, and academic partners to investigate potential program improvements and expansions. These program improvements range from making classes more available at night and week-ends to the addition of an Associate of Applied Science Degrees in Physical Therapy, Medical Lab Technology, and Agriculture. Another area being explored is a Paramedic Technical Certificate. These programs would be an improvement to the current Allied Health program at Dyersburg State and would offer additional pathway options for students in the service area. All program proposals and improvements are still in the beginning stages of investigation and planning.

The current results of baseline indicators and final agreed upon performance levels (FAUPL), 1P1 through 5P2, as reported by the Nursing and Allied Health department for prior years, have been analyzed and compared to the Tennessee 5-year goals. Activities have been strategically planned to maintain or increase the indicator percentages over the course of the next three to five years. One special area of emphasis is the retention indicator, 3P1. The addition of more Associate of Science Degree options within the Allied Health field and an increase in the availability and timing of courses will increase the number of students enrolled through the completion of an Associates degree or transfer to a 4-year institution in pursuit of a Bachelors degree. Other initiatives are being explored to increase gender non-traditional participation and retention.

1P1-01 = 92%
1P1-02 = 92% Percentage of CTE completers that passed the Nursing exam on the first examination.

2P1-01 = 46.05%
2P1-02 = 46.30% Number of CTE concentrators who received an industry recognized degree by the end of two years subsequent to the Fall of the Sophomore cohort year

3P1-01 = 74.35%
3P1-02 = 74.60% Number of CTE concentrators who remained enrolled in their original community college, completed a degree at their original community college, or transferred to another 2 or 4 year postsecondary after the sophomore concentrator year

4P1-01 = 91.23% 4P1-02 = 91.48% Number of CTE concentrators who received a degree or award and were placed in employment, enrolled in postsecondary education or serving in the military

5P1-01 = 25.08% 5P1-02 = 25.33% Number of CTE participants from under-represented gender groups

5P2-01 = 50% 5P2-02 = 50% Number of CTE concentrators from under-represented gender groups who completed a program leading to employment in a non-traditional field by the end of two years subsequent to the Fall of the Sophomore cohort year

All programs of study followed by high school students and all Associate of Science degrees offered at Dyersburg State Community College require credits in English, Mathematics, and Science. All reviewed CTE curricula have elements of academics included in the syllabi including writing assignments, speaking opportunities, and applied mathematics problems.

Dyersburg State Community College offers articulated credit in twenty-five CTE courses. Each of these courses falls within a program of study in one of the sixteen career clusters. Career pathway guides have been developed for each of the high schools in the Dyersburg State Community College Service area. With the advent of the new “program of study” initiative at the high school level, all available “programs of study” have been reviewed and tied to comparable programs at a post-secondary institution. Dyersburg State has “active” articulations or dual enrollment opportunities in eleven (11) of the fourteen (14) districts in the service area. The remaining three schools have chosen to utilize the dual enrollment opportunity through the University of Tennessee at Martin. The Career Technical Education Advisor has placed special emphasis on meeting with instructors, advisors, and vocational Coordinators in the three districts with an “inactive” status. These districts are undergoing a change in direction with the advent of the career pathway requirements from the Department of Education, so it is believed they will become “active” again in 2008. New dual enrollment opportunities have been established in CTE courses for the 2008-09 academic year.
A collaboration between Dyersburg State Community College and the University of Memphis will enable students to earn bachelor’s degrees in education and nursing by attending the DSCC Jimmy Naifeh Center in Tipton County. The new “2+2” program will begin in the Fall 2008 Semester. Students’ associate degree-level courses will be offered through Dyersburg State, and their bachelor’s-level courses will be offered through the University of Memphis.

Students in Career Technical Education Courses are afforded the opportunity for work-based learning and often on-the-job training and mentoring. Linkages have been established with local manufacturers, automotive dealers, and retail businesses for students to obtain employment, learn to interview, and acquire real world job skills. The CTE Advisor serves on several advisory committees for high school clubs and organizations (Future Business Leaders of America, Future Farmers of America) that promote and facilitate career exploration, job skill acquisition, and real world training opportunities for high school students.

The delivery system for articulation testing is via a secure online portal through the internet. Training is provided to high school instructors to access and test students for articulation. Each instructor and student must log in utilizing their unique identification and password as created when they first logged into the site. Practice tests are available on the site as well as the exam for the course. Test results are immediately available to the instructor and the Career Technical Education Advisor via the web.

High school vocational instructors, guidance counselors, and administrative staff meet with college personnel at least once each semester to exchange information. Special training sessions are offered annually for counselors and advisors on career pathways. Each high school in the service area is visited by the Career Technical Education Advisor for training on the articulation site. Visits are made to review curriculum and participate in student oriented activities. As part of the ongoing effort, a diversity workshop is sponsored annually for faculty and staff. The Career Technical Advisor attends annual conferences in the field of career pathways and CTE education. All professional development activities that will be funded through Perkins IV will be high quality, sustained, intensive, and classroom-focussed, in order to have a positive and lasting impact on classroom instruction and the teacher’s performance in the classroom, and are not 1-day or short-term workshops or conferences.

High school visits are routinely performed to evaluate the current curriculum being utilized at the secondary level. Dyersburg State Community College instructors work with the high school instructors to align curriculum and meet all learning outcomes required at both the secondary and post-secondary levels of study. Data on success/failure rates are gathered and evaluated. Lower than normal or higher than normal rates are investigated and corrective action applied. Best practice statements are developed and distributed. Additional emphasis and personal visits are common for those schools with little or no activity on the articulation testing site or no dual enrollment for CTE or Academic courses. New dual enrollment opportunities are being created for CTE coursework as curriculum and credentialing issues are resolved.

Career Technical Education courses are reviewed annually for curriculum updates, software changes, and hardware upgrades. During the 2007-08 academic year, curriculum for many Microsoft Office product based courses, like Access, MS Word, and Excel, was upgraded to reflect the change from the 2003 version to the 2007 version. Similar upgrades have occurred in the CISCO CCNA Academy program in hardware, software, and curriculum. A new IT essentials course has been proposed in the CISCO program that is believed to increase the success rate of participants at the high school level. Other CTE course changes include the shifting of emphasis on keyboarding skills from the high school level to the junior high level.

The Division of Student Services at Dyersburg State brings together people, programs, and functions which contribute to the successful college experience of all students, including those enrolled in career/technical programs of study. The mission of the Division of Student Services is to support the development and coordination of programs, services, and activities designed to provide for the general welfare, the personal growth, and the development of students. Student services include new student orientation, counseling and tutoring, career development and placement services, student disability services, academic advising, student life, multicultural affairs, student activities, clubs and organizations, athletics and cheerleading, assessment/testing, and financial aid. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunities to make the most of their DSCC experiences. No funding is provided for tutoring through the Perkins IV grant. All tutoring is to be beyond remediation and is meant to reflect applied academics or enrichment.
Dyersburg State Community College serves all fourteen (14) high schools in the service area and provides articulation opportunities in courses within state defined career pathways at each school. In the 2005-06 academic year, forty-three (43) students received a total of 144 articulated credits at a tuition savings of $13,968. In the 2006-07 academic year, seventy-three (73) students received a total of 258 articulated credits at a tuition savings of $24,510. Each of these students enrolled and completed at least three credits as a regular degree seeking student at Dyersburg State Community College. Most were enrolled in programs of study that followed the career pathway begun at the secondary level. Through the Fall 2007 semester in 2007-08, forty-four (44) students have been granted articulated credit. For the 2008-09 academic year, a 10% increase in articulations is expected. See Attachment 2: Articulation Summary 2005 2007

Through the efforts of the Disability services Coordinator and with the assistance of the Perkins IV Coordinator, Dyersburg State Community College strictly adheres to the federal American Disability Act guidelines. No otherwise qualified individual is denied access based on their disability. Accommodations are made based on student need as determined by the Disability Services Coordinator. Workshops for transitions of special population participants are conducted as part of annual advisor training and at Fall and Spring updates for staff and faculty. Students are encouraged while still in high school to self-declare any disability prior to admission to the college.

The Dyersburg State Community College Perkins IV Coordinator will actively work with the Northwest Tennessee P-16 Council initiative to expand educational opportunities for students. The Perkins IV Coordinator will attend and participate in P-16 activities and host local meetings. He/she will work to increase the number of high school students who transfer college credit from high school through articulation or dual credit opportunities. He/she will also work to increase the number and percent of A.A. and A.S. graduates who transfer to universities and colleges.

The Perkins IV Coordinator will assist high school guidance counselors and faculty in the use of the Tennessee Career Cluster guide. He/she will work with each LEA in determining appropriate career pathways offered at each secondary institution and will work to establish clear linkages with post-secondary institutions offering coursework in those fields of study. The Perkins IV Coordinator will offer an annual workshop to train guidance counselors, faculty, and administrators at the secondary level in the use of the Kuder career assessment program. He/she will also offer on site training and demonstrations to faculty and parents in the use of this software.

The Perkins IV Coordinator will maintain established articulation agreements with secondary and post-secondary institutions and will seek to establish “active” articulations or dual enrollment opportunities within each district in the service area. The Perkins IV Coordinator will work to establish new secondary to post-secondary and industry linkages in field of Agriculture for the 2008-09 academic year in anticipation of program development in this area. Existing partnerships in the healthcare and manufacturing fields will be maintained and/or strengthened through planning sessions for program enhancement and expansion as evidenced by the collaboration effort between Dyersburg State Community College and the University of Memphis detailed in item number 2. of Required Use of Funds in this grant document.

Through the efforts of the Disability Services Coordinator, Dyersburg State Community College strictly adheres to the federal American Disability Act guidelines. No otherwise qualified individual is denied access based on their disability. Accommodations are made based on student need as determined by the disability services Coordinator. Workshops for the transition of special population participants are conducted as part of annual advisor training and at Fall and Spring updates for staff and faculty. Students are encouraged to self-declare any disability prior to admission to the college.

The Perkins IV Coordinator will serve on advisory boards and work closely with CTE student organizations at the local high schools. Dyersburg State Community College will be hosting Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA) during the Summer of 2008.

Students enrolled in career/technical and occupational education programs of study are assigned academic advisors from within that program of study. Advisors meet with their advisees to determine the proper sequence of coursework for the success of the student in attaining an Associate of Applied Science degree, an Associate of Science transfer degree (University Parallel), or an industry recognized credential. The Student Support Services office and the Student Success Center offers tutoring to students based on need. No funding is provided for tutoring through the Perkins IV grant. All tutoring is to be beyond remediation and is meant to reflect applied academics or enrichment.

Instructional materials will be utilized in program improvements (CISCO program activity 1P1-02) and training sessions for instructors, guidance counselors, and advisors (activities 2P1-01, 3P1-01, 5P1-01). No new purchases of equipment are expected for this program.

Dyersburg State Community College Perkins IV Coordinator will ensure high quality instruction and participation in articulation and dual enrollment opportunities through improved on-going professional development for the secondary institutional instructors and staff within the seven county service area. Training will be provided on the use of the articulation testing site, use of the career cluster guide, and new innovations/best practices relevant to the area of study.

Dyersburg State Community College will increase the number of CTE courses offered for dual enrollment from zero (0) in 2007-08 to six (6) in 2008-09.

Dyersburg State Community College will increase its participation in the LPN to RN Fast-track program by expanding its night and week-end course offerings. DSCC will begin offering its fifth program in August 2008. Dyersburg State Community College has a collaborative agreement with the University of Memphis whereby students can earn bachelor’s degrees in education or nursing by attending the DSCC Jimmy Naifeh Center in Tipton County. The new 2+2 program begins in the Fall 2008 Semester. Students’ associate degree-level courses will be offered through Dyersburg State, and their bachelor’s-level courses will be offered through the University of Memphis.

The Perkins IV Coordinator will work with the CISCO program regional coordinator in the establishment of a new “IT essentials” course to be offered as a part of the CISCO CCNA curriculum. It has been demonstrated that the success rate for participants increase with the addition of this introductory course. It is hoped that with the potential increase in the success rate, and the change to the curriculum, more secondary schools will be able to offer the CISCO Academy curriculum to their students.

Dyersburg State Community College is in the planning stages of establishing Learning communities within its service area. Application for funding has been made for a Title III grant to enable this and other efforts.

Dyersburg State Community College offers several transition opportunities for students in family and consumer science programs of study. Coursework in early childhood education at the high school level can articulate into credits applicable to an A.A.S. Degree in Early Childhood Education.

Support services for all students, including age non-traditional are provided through the Student Support Services office and are generally based on need.

The Perkins IV Coordinator will work closely with the local WIA office (LWIA 12) on placement services for graduates. He/she will also serve on the WIA Youth council and support the current WIA youth programs including the WIA Peer Tutor program, the Career Camp program, and the Out of School Youth Services program, and the Career Readiness Certification (CRC) program. The WIA has established a statewide Career Readiness Certification program to offer a uniform credential to job-seekers and employers.

Dyersburg State Community College has an established articulation agreement with the Tennessee Technology Centers in our Service are to accept up to thirty (30) credits earned by students in the Automotive Service Certificate program at the TTC toward the General Technology A.A.S. degree offered by DSCC.

Dyersburg State has “active” articulations or dual enrollment opportunities in eleven (11) of the fourteen (14) districts in the service area. Some of the schools in the service area have chosen to utilize the dual enrollment opportunity through the University of Tennessee at Martin. Others do not have a robust CTE program and lack vocational instructors that will teach the required curriculum for success in an articulated course. The Career Technical Education Advisor has placed special emphasis on meeting with instructors, advisors, and vocational Coordinators in the three districts with an “inactive” status. These districts are undergoing a change in direction with the advent of the career pathway requirements from the Department of Education, so it is believed they will become “active” again in 2008. New dual enrollment opportunities have been established in CTE courses for the 2008-09 academic year and will be made available to these inactive schools/LEA’s. See Attachment 3: DSCC Transition Opportunity

Academic courses (Non-CTE) are offered through dual enrollment at Dyersburg State Community College. The courses are taught by credentialed instructors using the same curriculum as courses taught on-site and students must meet the same course grade and proficiency outcomes. In order to enroll, students must meet the minimum ACT score for placement in the course (19 for Math & English) and must maintain a 3.0 GPA at the high school level. For CTE courses, the primary method of granting credit has been articulation. Articulated credit is granted after a student successfully completes the high school course, passes a comprehensive end of course examination with a grade of 70 or better, enrolls at Dyersburg State and successfully completes at least three (3) regular credits (non-remedial). The comprehensive end of course examination has been developed by the course instructors and tests the participant on his /her proficiency in the subject. The curriculum and test appropriateness is reviewed and updated annually with the instructor at the secondary and post-secondary levels and advisory committees in the subject career field.

Students in Career Technical Education Courses are afforded the opportunity for work-based learning and often on-the-job training and mentoring. Linkages have been established with local manufacturers, automotive dealers, and retail businesses for students to obtain employment, learn to interview, and acquire real world job skills. The CTE Advisor serves on several advisory committees for high school clubs and organizations (FBLA, FFA, and PACE) that promote and facilitate career exploration, job skill acquisition, and real world training opportunities for high school students.

The Dyersburg State Community College Perkins IV Coordinator will ensure high quality instruction and participation in articulation and dual enrollment opportunities through improved on-going professional development for the secondary institutional instructors and staff within the seven county service area. Training will be provided on the use of the articulation testing site, use of the career cluster guide, and new innovations/best practices relevant to the area of study. A CTE symposium will be hosted in the Fall of 2008 for secondary and post-secondary instructors to come together to discuss new curriculum, best practices, technology innovation, course delivery, and comprehensive test outcomes/expectations.

Advisory committees have been established for every CTE program/area of study offered by Dyersburg State Community College. These committees are comprised of individuals from the community, specialists in industry, college representatives, and students. The advisory committees are charged with evaluating and making recommendations for improvement to CTE programs of study. They often act as spokes-person and disseminate information on behalf of the college for a particular area of study or program. These individuals generally meet at least semi-annually and are briefed on Perkins requirements and restrictions. Information is also provided on the programs of study available at each secondary institution and how they align with programs of study at Dyersburg State Community College or other post-secondary institutions.

Dyersburg State Community College is a higher education institution of the State University and Community College System of Tennessee. The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools {1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia (404) 679-4501} accredits DSCC to award the associate’s degree.
Accreditation often is important to students because it provides assurance that the college in which you are enrolled or are considering enrolling takes part in continuous review and improvement of its quality, that it meets or exceeds nationally endorsed standards and that it is accountable for achieving what it sets out to do.
The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is the recognized regional accrediting body in the South (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia) and in Latin America for those institutions of higher education that award associate, baccalaureate, master’s or doctoral degrees. The Commission on Colleges is the representative body of the College Delegate Assembly and is charged with carrying out the accreditation process. To gain or maintain accreditation with the Commission on Colleges, an institution must comply with the standards contained in the Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement and with the policies and procedures of the Commission on Colleges. The Commission on Colleges applies the requirements of its principles to all applicant, candidate, and member institutions, regardless of type of institution (public, private for-profit, private not-for-profit).
Institutions must reaffirm their accreditation every 10 years. DSCC was last reaffirmed in 1996. Because of a change in evaluation cycles, DSCC completed its certification report in March 2007 and will become a part of the Class of 2008. DSCC will issue two primary reports as part of the accreditation process: a compliance certification and a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). For more information on SACS please visit www.sacs.org.
The Associate of Applied Science Nursing degree program at Dyersburg State is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission {61
Broadway, New York, New York 10006 (212) 363-5555 ext. 153}. The nursing program is also approved by the Tennessee State Board of Nursing. Two courses - Emergency Medical Technology I & Emergency Medical Technology II - are approved by the Tennessee Department of Health and Environment; successful completion of these courses and a passing score on the state examination lead to state certification as an Emergency Medical Technician.
The Associate of Applied Science degree in Health Information Technology is accredited by the American Health Information Management Association’s (AHIMA) Council on Accreditation and CAAHEP (Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Programs).
On April 27, 2005, the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs granted accreditation to DSCC’s business programs.

The Perkins IV Coordinator at Dyersburg State Community College will monitor the success rate of students testing on the articulation site and report results to the LEA’s in the service area. Lower than normal participation or test scores will warrant a personal visit to the school to meet with CTE instructors and review of curriculum and test site usage. The Perkins IV Coordinator will also monitor the final agreed upon performance levels as indicated on the attached document to determine if the strategies implemented have been effective in increasing numbers of participants and the percentages of indicators. New strategies will be implemented where deemed necessary and a plan for improvement developed for those indicators where the college does not reach the stated annual percentage goal.

Through the efforts of the Disability services Coordinator, Dyersburg State Community College strictly adheres to the federal American Disability Act guidelines. No otherwise qualified individual is denied access based on their disability. Accommodations are made based on student need as determined by the disability services Coordinator. Workshops for transitions of special population participants are conducted as part of annual advisor training and at Fall and Spring updates for staff and faculty. Students are encouraged to self-declare any disability prior to admission to the college.

Under-represented genders in nontraditional occupations are actively recruited through the use of career pathway documents and individual counseling/advising sessions. Faculty advisors and high school guidance counselors are being trained in the use of the Career Cluster Guide and are promoting gender nontraditional pathways to students where appropriate. Efforts are made during the OnTrack for college events for 8th grade students in the service area to explore all career options including those that are gender nontraditional. Presenters that are in gender nontraditional positions are invited to teach as instructors at the OnTrack event. Through the Dyersburg State Community College Diversity committee, recruitment initiatives for nontraditional students have been added as part of Dyersburg State’s official Diversity plan and tied directly to the Institutional Effectiveness Goals and Objectives.

Students enrolled in career/technical and occupational education programs of study are assigned academic advisors from within that program of study. Advisors meet with their advisees to determine the proper sequence of coursework for the success of the student in attaining an Associate of Applied Science degree, an Associate of Science transfer degree (University Parallel), or an industry recognized credential. The Student Support Services office offers tutoring to students based on need. Students are encouraged to explore multiple career path options in their field of study. In the Nursing program, a clinical component is a requirement and gives the student the opportunity for on-the-job training. Students often receive career guidance from business professionals within this setting.

Dyersburg State Community College is routinely adding adjunct faculty to its teaching staff in an effort to provide more opportunities for coursework in career/technical fields of study. College instructors meet with high school instructors for curriculum alignment and often build working relationships whereby the high school instructor is recruited as adjunct faculty. Business professionals are asked to present at OnTrack for college events and often those same individuals are asked to participate as instructors for other classroom activities. Existing instructors are given opportunities for continuing education and training to stay current in their field of expertise.

Dyersburg State Community College will submit reports to the Tennessee Board of Regents on all FAUPL elements on an annual basis for review. Data elements will be collected through the analysis of participants in the Nursing and Allied Health program, with the expectation of expansion to other career/technical programs in the future. Special population subgroups will be identified and tracked on an annual basis. Program review will be completed on an annual basis to determine what actions or modifications need to be made to meet the number and percentage increases required to meet the state set goals in all FAUPL elements.