Crafton Hills College Researcher Recognized for Excellence

Each year the Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges (i.e. RP Group) recognizes the work of individuals, colleges and organizations for excellence in community college research and planning in the following four areas: • Excellence in Research – Regional/Statewide Project • Excellence in Research – College/District Project • Excellence in Planning • Dissertations/Thesis Excellence In 2012 Crafton Hills College won the Excellence in Planning award for integrated planning and program review. This year Crafton Hills College won the award for Excellence in Research for the research conducted on the Left Lane Program. Each submission is evaluated on a rubric by other researchers in the State on innovation, methodology, facilitation of evidence-based decision making, diversity, meaningfulness, communication, and collaboration. The research on the Left Lane Program included two comparison groups, which led to some interesting implications. A second Left Lane comparison group was identified in order to control for the services provided by Left Lane. The inclusion of the second comparison group led to the finding that one method for improving the Left Lane Program might be to focus on ensuring that as many students as possible participate in the Left Lane Strategies (i.e.: Summer Bridge Program, learning communities, supplemental instruction, and SOA3R (Senior Orientation, Application, Assessment, Advising, and Registration) rather than solely in the Left Lane Program. The award will be presented to Keith Wurtz, Dean of Institutional Effectiveness, Research, and Planning at the RP Group Conference in April.