Wisconsin RISE: Northcentral Technical College

Improving student retention and success through the IBEST approach

In 2008, Northcentral Technical College (NTC) was looking for a way to improve retention and success rates of South East Asian (SEA) students in the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program. Success or failure in CNA impacts students’ subsequent ability to pursue health-related certificates and degrees. College records showed that between 2006 and 2008, only 62% of Asian students successfully completed the traditionally taught CNA program compared to 90% of Caucasian students. Additionally, local healthcare institutions in the NTC district struggled to employ a workforce representing the diversity of the community. Using the embedded Career Pathway Certificate approach that is being encouraged as part of the state's RISE initiative, NTC’s health and Adult Basic Education programs worked in partnership to design an integrated English Language Learning/CNA curriculum, and adopted an IBEST team-teaching approach that has proven quite successful at other Wisconsin Technical College System institutions as well as in numerous other states.

The early results of this program have been impressive.

"After one ELL/CNA cohort, we are true believers in this model. CNA and ELL faculty share their knowledge with students in a way that they can understand. Faculty and employers offering clinical sites have noticed the difference. Our students are more confident in their abilities,” said Deb Stencil, Associate Dean of Nursing. “With this collaborative approach, we have seen 100% of our ELL/CNA students successfully complete the program. Because of this success, we are very interested in expanding this model along the health career pathway."

Student response to the program has been positive:

“It made learning easier for me.”
“I understand medical terms better now and I am more comfortable speaking in front of others.”
“We talked about culture relating to healthcare.”
“I was able to share in the discussion.”
“All of my classmates improved their English and their personality came out.”
“My English has improved.”

College leadership has also recognized the value of this programming.

"This IBEST approach isn't so much a matter of cost as it is of increased benefit. If we can get significantly higher success rates, we'll find the resources to do so. And since all indications are that new federal funding will have a strong expectation of this sort of career bridge and pathway work, we want to be in a position to be very competitive for these resources" said NTC President Dr. Lori Weyers.

NTC is optimistic about expanding this successful model to help individual students meet their career goals and to help employers increase the diversity of their healthcare workforce.