Research Reports on the ACE Approach

ABOUT THE ACE APPROACH:

ACE Case study — Student Support (Re)defined // RP Group Publication

The Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges published A Student Support (Re)defined Case Study: the Academy for College Excellence, Integrating Student Transformation, Support, and Accelerated Learning in the Classroom by Kelley Karandjef and Darla Cooper.

Summary Document: Integrating Student Transformation, Support, and Accelerated Learning in the Classroom — A Case Study of the Academy for College Excellence (PDF)

Fall 2013

Rethinking Entry to College // RP Group Publication

The Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges published Rethinking Entry to College by Rose Asera and Diego Navarro in their January 2013 Newsletter.

Article: Rethinking Entry Into College (PDF)
January 2013

A Day in the Life of an ACE Student: ACE Foundation Course Pedagogy // RP Group Publication

The Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges published A Day in the Life: Pedagogy of the Academy for College Excellence’s Foundation Course by Rose Asera and Diego Navarro in May 2013 Newsletter.

Article: A Day in the Life: Pedagogy of the Academy for College Excellence’s Foundation Course (PDF)

May 2013

STUDENT OUTCOME STUDIES:

summary of multiple ace student outcome studies

Document: ACE Evidence of Success Summary (PDF)

Six-year Longitudinal Salary and Academic outcome study of ace // RP Group Publication

The Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges published Academy of College Excellence: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of the Long-Term Academic and Career Outcomes for ACE Students by Elisa Rassen, Rogéair Purnell-Mack and Alyssa Nguyen

Document: Mixed-Methods Analysis of the Long-Term Academic and Career Outcomes for ACE Students (PDF)

July 2018

Longitudinal Academic outcome study of ace // RTI Internatonal

RTI International funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation conducted a longitudinal study, and their final report of over 1,000 students from four colleges shows that ACE students academic success in passing college-level math & English is significant.

Document: Longitudinal Study Analysis of Academic Outcomes of ACE Students (PDF)

January 2014

LONGITUDINAL ACADEMIC OUTCOME STUDY OF ACE // COMMUNITY COLLEGE RESEARCH CENTER

Columbia University’s Community College Research Center funded by the James Irvine Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation conducted a longitudinal outcome study titled, “Educational Outcomes of Cabrillo College’s Academy for College Excellence (formerly known as Digital Bridge Academy): Findings from a Multivariate Analysis.” The Principal Investigator was Davis Jenkins.

Document: Educational Outcomes of Cabrillo College’s Academy for College Excellence: Findings from a Multivariate Analysis (PDF)

October 2009

Initial study of the ACE program funded by the NSF // norena badway

Norena Badway funded by the National Science Foundation conducted the first study of the ACE program (formerly known as the Watsonville Digital Bridge Academy).

Document: Report 1 - Student Outcomes & Report 2 - Persistence and Achievement (PDF)

June 2005 & September 2007

study of ACE students no longer in school // Ceres policy research

Angela Irvine funded by the James Irvine Foundation conducted a study of students who no longer were in school after attending the ACE Program (formerly known as the Watsonville Digital Bridge Academy).

Document: Longitudinal Outcomes for Students Who Are No Longer in School (PDF)

July 2008

FACULTY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OUTCOME STUDIES:

summary of multiple ace professional development studies

Document: ACE Professional Development Evidence of Success Summary (PDF)

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA’S CENTER FOR JUSTICE TOLERANCE AND COMMUNITY STUDY #1

UC’s Center for Justice, Tolerance and Community funded by the James Irvine Foundation conducted a study of the first ACE professional development institute the summer of 2006 taught by Diego James Navarro. The Principal Investigator was Rebecca A. London.

Document: Passing the Torch (PDF)

2006

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA’S CENTER FOR JUSTICE TOLERANCE AND COMMUNITY STUDY #2

UC’s Center for Justice, Tolerance and Community funded by the James Irvine Foundation conducted a study of the ACE professional development institute taught by faculty trained by Diego James Navarro the summer of 2006. The Principal Investigator was Rebecca A. London.

Document: Feeding the Fire: Professional Development and the Five-Day Experiential Learning Institute (formerly known as the Digital Bridge Academy Faculty Training) (PDF)

2007

CRAIG HAYWARD’S ACE Five-Day Experiential Learning Institute (FELI) STUDY

Craig Hayward (co-author of the initial California Acceleration Project study), funded by the Gates Foundation, conducted a study of the ACE Five-Day Experiential Learning Institute. The study focused on a central question: whether faculty who participate in the FELI have higher proportions of successful students subsequent to participating in the FELI relative to prior to participating in the FELI. In other words, do average levels of student success improve from before the FELI to after the FELI compared to their disciplinary peers at their colleges?

Document: Analysis of the Impact of ACE FELI Training on Pass Rates and Average Grade Points (PDF)

2017

rose asera’S qualitative STUDy of ACE faculty

Rose Asera formerly a Senior Researcher at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, funded by the James Irvine Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, conducted a study based on interviews and discussions with community college faculty who are currently teaching in Academy for College Excellence (ACE) programs at different colleges. The study describes three particular aspects in detail: working in explicitly affective ways with high risk students, using ACE curriculum, and working collaboratively with colleagues.

Document: Becoming an ACE Teacher (PDF)

2011

AFFECTIVE PRACTICES GUIDE:

Guide to Affective Practices To Ensure Student Learning // RP GROUP PUBLICATION

The Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges published Using Student Support (Re)defined’s Success Factors to Ensure Student Learning - Guided Pathways Pillar #4 co-authored by ACE Founder Diego James Navarro (Professor Emeritus Cabrillo College) and by Partnership for Student Success Founder, Kathy Molloy (Professor Emeritus Santa Barbara City College).

Document: Guide to Affective Practices To Ensure Student Learning (PDF)

August 2020

EARLY RECOGNITION OF THE ACE APPROACH:

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY’S COMMUNITY COLLEGE RESEARCH CENTER - WORKING PAPER #14

Thomas Bailey authored a paper, Challenge And Opportunity: Rethinking The Role And Function Of Developmental Education In Community College, which states that the ACE approach (formerly known as the Digital Bridge Academy) is consistent with the accelerated learning strategies used in the K-12 sector and which has been found to have positive effects, eschews special programs for weaker students, maintaining that good pedagogy for those students is the same as it is for advanced students.

Document: Challenge And Opportunity: Rethinking The Role And Function Of Developmental Education In Community College (PDF)

November 2008

A New Community College: A Concept Paper (Founding of guttman college)

The City University of New York (CUNY) designed a new community college, Guttman College, has features modeled after the ACE approach (formerly known as the Digital Bridge Academy). This concept paper discusses the various features in the design of the new college and points out the Digital Bridge Academy. ACE Founder, Diego James Navarro was hired as a consultant to help the CUNY Design Team in 2009.

Full report: A New Community College: A Concept Paper (PDF)

August 15, 2008

ACE Featured as Model Program in BASIC SKILLS COMPLETION // calif chancellor’s office

The California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office published BASIC SKILLS COMPLETION – The Key to Student Success in California Community Colleges–Effective Practices for Faculty, Staff and Administrators.

Full Report: The Key to Student Success in California Community Colleges – Effective Practices for Faculty, Staff and Administrators

2013

ACE Featured as Model Program // community college league of california

Bold Vision for Community Colleges

Thoughts on Public Education

Full report: A Report of the Commission on the Future of the Community College League of California (PDF)

November 2010

Effective Practices for Nontraditional Students

A Report of the California Community College Special Populations Collaborative

The Heart of Student Success: Teaching, Learning, & College Completion

Center for Community College Student Engagement

Full report: The Heart of Student Success (PDF)
2010

Task Force on Adult Learning: Degree & Certificate Completion Subcommittee

Final recommendations: Pennsylvania Investment Workforce Board

Full report: Task Force on Adult Learning (PDF)

September 2009

Transition to College

Full report: Schuyler Center for Analysis & Advocacy, Transition to College

July 2009

Contextualized Teaching & Learning: A Faculty Primer

A Review of Literature and Faculty Practices with Implications for California Community College Practitioners
The Research and Planning (RP) Group for California Community Colleges, Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, Basic Skills Initiative
Funded by the Chancellor’s Office of the California Community Colleges

Full report: Contextualized Teaching & Learning: A Faculty Primer (PDF)

Spring 2009