The University of Connecticut's Early College Experience program conducts a Deep Impact Study every five years for a clearer understanding of the program’s impact at your school and program-wide.

Surveys capturing data on the 2020-21 school year were sent to UConn ECE Instructors, Site Representatives, and Principals, and were open between November 16 and December 6, 2021.  Results will be used to inform and guide program improvement and a comprehensive report will be communicated with university and school leadership in an effort to develop strategies to strengthen the student experience.

Regular and ongoing program evaluations of program effectiveness are one of the evaluation standards of the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP), our accreditation agency and the only national organization supporting programs, practitioners, and policy to advance concurrent and dual enrollment programs.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out at carissa.rutkauskas@uconn.edu.

Thank you for your support in this effort and continued partnership with UConn ECE to provide UConn classes for your students.

I need more information about [ENGL] 1007// I am concerned about the trend to divorce the ECE course from the study of literature, as the study of literature is something the students at my particular school value.

• • Our English page has some general information, and the English Department has done a fabulous job of updating their UConn ECE English page with updates and additional information. The March 31 English Workshop will also address concerns with 1007. For answers to specific questions, please ask them on the English listserv or reach out to your Faculty Coordinator.

I would love to see more course syllabi for my content area or even a sample unit plan to compare the concepts to what is being taught in my course// It would be helpful to receive sample assignments from UConn and examples of things they do when they teach.

• • A sample syllabus is available for each course, by selecting the specific discipline from our Courses page. This is also a very appropriate topic to bring up in your discipline’s listserv. Ask others if they would be willing to share theirs! We also encourage you to reach out directly to your Faculty Coordinator (we’re also sharing this feedback with all of our Faculty Coordinator). They will often address particular needs such as this at your Professional Development Workshops. 

I'd like to have something prepared to pass out to juniors so that they will be even more encouraged to take ECE French their senior year.  I just don't have time to do this myself.

• • We encourage you to reach out to your listserv to see if other teachers have something created that they would be willing to share. As each course is specific to the school, our office does not have the capacity to do this on a large-scale basis, but please reach out to us with specific requests and we are happy to assist. We generally leave school-level promotion up to each individual school, but will also consider a larger “pre-registration” campaign during high school course selection periods in the spring.

Promotional ECE products for ECE partners to help advertise the program (T-shirt and jackets that we could wear in school and be visible in and outside the classroom) If it’s not financially possible every year for all instructors I would suggest a system like a new jacket/T-shirt for all new instructors and/or every 3-5-10 years as a year of service reward. If going this route, would be nice to add something as “proud UConn ECE Instructor” to the current design of the item.

• • Great idea! We value our instructors and will be looking into this. 

Have guidance make sure that all parents are aware of the UConn ECE offerings. I feel that many do not know about it until it is too late to sign up for it.// My programs need more support from the guidance department. Students often tell me that they were not aware of my college level classes.

• • Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Awareness is one of our main focuses at our annual Site Representative Conference held each March, where we disseminate the latest information to our Site Representatives (high school counselor liaisons), including registration information. This will be emphasized at this year’s conference, but we also ask that you work with your school counseling office to discuss how you can best promote your course internally as well. Presenting your UConn course at a school assembly about course selection, educating your UConn ECE Student Ambassador on your course offerings, and making sure the UConn ECE Course program and course descriptions are included in your school’s course catalog are great ways to get the information out to prospective families. We are happy to review your schools’ course catalogs to make sure they comply, or present to schools, students, and/or parents. Recently we’ve started an early awareness campaign, which includes presentations to middle school student populations, and we have started posting paid ads on Facebook geared towards parents. We have also started sending the printed versions of the UConn ECE Magazine (winter and summer editions) to our Site Representatives, so that information is available in counseling offices. Please reach out to us directly to see how we can best support your specific program.  Finally, our Marketing and Promotion page offers some great ideas and resources. 

Work to get more outreach from ECE to district-level staff who have little awareness about the program at the school level. Need district ECE teachers to be offered time to train with each other during district PD time.

• • Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We are always happy to meet with school and district personnel to better explain the UConn ECE program and the benefits of concurrent enrollment to students. We’ve made some great strides with the Connecticut State Department of Education’s Next Generation Accountability System, increasing the weight of concurrent enrollment within the index. We have also strengthened our relationship with the New England Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NEACEP) who understand the regional challenges of the culture of concurrent enrollment. We will continue to work to create a greater awareness and provide a deeper understanding of concurrent enrollment programs. Please reach out to us directly to see how we can best support your program.  Though these responses may not entirely address your concern, please note that this comment will be included in a report to upper administration.

Parents still perceive AP as better than Dual Enrollment for their children. That perception needs changing.

• • Agreed. This is a nation-wide issue, as AP is a centralized company and most concurrent enrollment programs are either connected directly to an institution of higher education, as is the case with UConn, or state-wide programs. We’ve recently created an infographic and printable PDF to explain the difference between UConn ECE courses and the AP test that we encourage you to share. Additionally, our membership and accreditation with the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Programs (NACEP) continues to strengthen the presence of concurrent enrollment through their Advocacy and Research commissions. 

My high school repeatedly places students who are not up to the challenge of an ECE course in the class. It is frustrating and changes the course for all of the other students.

• • While we encourage students to challenge themselves, each course offers student eligibility guidelines to best prepare them for success in the course. UConn courses offered through UConn ECE are college courses and are the same level of rigor as courses offered on campus. Site Representatives have access to our Grading Portal. We will encourage them to consider past student success in particular courses as they make recommendations for students to register for courses for which they may not be appropriately prepared.

The biggest challenge is high school administration who views the ECE courses as high school courses, thus that they have control over the course.  UConn needs to convey that the high school admin does not have any say over policies or grading.

• • Thank you for bringing this to our attention. As a start, prior to our grade collection timeframe, we will be sure to push out a message on our Principal listserv addressing our grade policy and the level of rigor associated with a UConn course. Though these responses may not entirely address your concern, please note that this comment will be included in a report to upper administration.

How to deal with teaching AP and ECE

• • While we appreciate the additional benefit you are offering to your students, and in many cases there is a strong alignment, UConn ECE provides support to schools offering UConn courses to their students. You are not alone in this, and others who teach UConn ECE and AP may be able to offer advice on how they have overcome the challenge. Reach out on your discipline specific listserv for advice. 

High school teachers are expected to avoid lectures. UConn wants lectures. Big miss fit.

• • Overall, humanities courses are granted more academic freedom than STEM courses, but no one wants a dry lecture. Try working with your Faculty Coordinator to incorporate some ideas. The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) also offers great resources and innovative ideas. 

Constant battle with admin in offering college level instruction - admin seems to want classes "dumbed down."

• • UConn courses offered through UConn ECE are college courses and are the same level of rigor as courses offered on campus. If this is an issue, please reach out to our office. We can have our Faculty Coordinators do a site visit to make sure that the standards in the high school classroom are on par with those on campus and that admin support UConn ECE policies. 

Benchmarking the content gap between the NGSS curriculum and the college curriculum.  The gap is growing by the year and it will surely require a response from the university level administration.  The anemic nature of the content seen in the NGSS science curriculum in high school sciences, especially biology, have left students greatly lacking the skill set to succeed in university level biology.

• • Use your listserv to connect with other instructors sharing this concern. Your Faculty Coordinator may have insights, or this might be a great topic for the next Professional Development Workshop. Contact your Faculty Coordinator with the concern so it can be addressed. Though these responses may not entirely address your concern, please note that this comment will be included in a report to upper administration.

The greatest challenge for me regarding the UConn ECE course is finding the time and energy to develop new units focused on multimodal instruction.  I think with such limited time, it is essential that teachers have access to some basic units of study along with instructional resources/lessons that can be easily adapted for use.

• • We appreciate the effort our Instructors put into their courses. Use your discipline-specific listserv to connect with others for ideas. Your Faculty Coordinator may also have additional resources, or this might be a great topic for the next Professional Development Workshop.

This is my absolute favorite course. Very often the upper level courses are at risk to be cut due to a lower course size. It would be wonderful if UConn might support the fight FOR a smaller class size so that administrators see the value

• • Our policy does not state a minimum number of students required to run a course, and in fact several courses have caps. Unfortunately, class size is school/ district-controlled. Though these responses may not entirely address your concern, please note that this comment will be included in a report to upper administration.

Funding is always difficult

• • Agreed! We support students on free/ reduced lunch by offering a tuition waiver. Our Funding and Awards page for instructors includes information on the Graduate Scholarship, Course Enhancement Grant, Professional Recognition Awards and Conference Funding. 

Would like to be trained to use library resources

• • The library has done a great job in setting up a resource page for UConn ECE. Additionally, annual training is held for the school’s UConn ECE Library Media Specialist. They are often invited to bring an instructor to these trainings. Connect with your LMS, or reach out to our office if you need help identifying this person within your school. 

I love history, I love education and helping my students, but I wish there was more tangible benefit to me. Encourage schools to give teachers more planning time. Maybe a stipend? Or what about if my child wants to go to UCONN someday? Would there be any kind of help there since I am adjunct ECE? I do feel like I put more time and effort into this course, and other than intrinsic and altruistic benefits I am wondering what else could be done for us instructors?// I would like UCONN to allow teachers to pursue PhD's for free since we are considered adjunct faculty.

• • Great ideas! We value our instructors and will be looking into this. Though these responses may not entirely address your concern, please note that this comment will be included in a report to upper administration.

I really enjoy teaching in the ECE program...I would love some more opportunities in the summer for course related travel or workshops

• • In the past, we have supported a number of summer institutes, and plan to in the near future as well. Reach out to your Faculty Coordinator if you have ideas! If your interest is related to concurrent enrollment, conference funding is also available. 

I think it would be great to have a summer institute to help teachers get certified in various content areas; it’s hard to hire people with the background for many of the courses; too often, courses cease to be offered when someone who is certified retires.

• • In the past, we have supported a number of summer institutes, and plan to in the near future as well. Please contact the Faculty Coordinator of the discipline(s) in which you are interested to discuss the possibility. We also offer two graduate scholarships each semester for teachers who have applied for UConn ECE certification, but are a course or two shy of meeting the requirements. Though these responses may not entirely address your concern, please note that this comment will be included in a report to upper administration.

It would be a great experience for Drawing 1 students to visit the UCONN campus and observe an on-campus drawing class.  Physical resources for the class may differ from the needs of typical high school courses.

• • Instructors are encouraged to bring their classes to campus when the campus is open for visitors. The campus is currently closed, but for future planning there is a planning guide on our website. Be sure to reach out to your Faculty Coordinator to see if a classroom observation is possible before 

Ambassadors from UConn to visit UConn classes at our high school

• • Many schools use our Student Ambassadors program where high school students who have taken at least 1 UConn ECE course can assist in a variety of support roles. We also have our Faculty Coordinator conduct periodic classroom visits (currently virtually). Our staff is also available to present to students (currently virtually). Reach out and let us know how we can help!

Communication could be improved.

• • Our website is a great source of information as are the UConn ECE social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn) that we post to regularly. UConn ECE also has course-specific and a general Instructor listserv (including a monthly digest), where important information is shared and can be initiated by any member of the listserv. Information is also shared at annual professional development workshops. Due to COVID, office hours are limited, therefore phone staffing is limited, but we can always be reached via e-mail. 

I wish that our listserv was more interactive and that people shared there more.

• • Make it interactive! Post questions and/or reach out to your Faculty Coordinator to express your concerns.