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Curriculum, Instruction and Teaming
Each of the courses taught during the Foundation term are college classes, with standard college course outcome guidelines. They appear in the college catalog and are available to the general student population. However, Gateway to College classes are unique in a number of ways, and not just because the students are all young dropouts returning to education, starting out in a group of same-age peers. Instructors enhance the curriculum and the teaching approach to maximize its effectiveness for Gateway to College students. For example, in reading, students read material from a variety of content-specific disciplines, to prepare them to encounter psychology or history texts after they transition to the comprehensive campus. Because Gateway to College students take high school benchmark exams while they are in the program, instructors make sure that Gateway students have been exposed to material that is covered on the high stakes tests. Instructors also model problem solving techniques and homework approaches in the academic lab.
One of the most important features of Gateway to College instruction is that the faculty sets the stage for maintaining success, expressing high expectations for student behavior in the classroom, and designing activities to promote positive academic habits. They take attendance every day, and connect with resource specialists and other Gateway instructors on a regular basis, to discuss each student. The idea behind this approach is that students are held accountable by a team of caring adults. Students cannot "triangulate" between instructors and the resource specialist. Everyone knows if a student is having attendance or tardiness issues, homework problems, or other issues that need to be addressed. Sometimes a student is doing fine in some classes, but struggles in others. The team strives to find out why. Is it a transportation problem? Is there a fear of math? Early intervention is key and every day counts in a model where students must—in only one quarter or semester—build their academic and affective skills to the level of competence and independence required to succeed on the comprehensive campus.
Gateway to College National Network
Portland Community College, Southeast Center
Mt. Scott Hall, Room 106
2305 SE 82nd Ave.,
Portland, OR 97216
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