Student Leaders Mentor Their Classmates In Math, Science, History and More
The Supplemental Instruction (SI) review sessions program launched in 2008 is a proven success strategy for increasing student GPAs and reinforcing study skills for their academic careers. From a pilot program consisting of three courses and 12 sections, SI has steadily expanded to support 26 different courses and more than 100 sections each semester. Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology, Government, History, and English classes are part of a broad range of disciplines benefitting from this initiative.
Steady Improvement Attained Over Time
Recent research shows that students who regularly attend ACC SI sessions can average up to a full letter grade higher than their classmates. The difference in the passing rate for students attending SI in the spring 2019 (16 week) was an average increase of 12.7 percent. The singular success of each student utilizing SI study groups translates into a broader impact. With the fall and spring semesters of 2018-2019, persistence rates rose from 72.5 percent to 81.6 percent for those who took advantage of the program.
Supplemental Instruction is provided for all students in chosen sections wanting to compare notes and network with classmates while attaining study skills, processing class content, and working on test preparation.
SI Leaders guide students through this process in two to three study sessions per week, coordinated with student schedules. The SI Leaders are students who have successfully completed the course and work with their groups to think purposefully about the lectures they hear and they information they read.
How Faculty Can Help
The spring 2020 semester marks 12 years of achievement in academic support with ACC's SI study sessions. You can help us celebrate this anniversary by identifying potential SI Leaders.
A good candidate for SI Leader is a student who:
The SI Leader can be a current ACC student or one who has moved on to a four-year institution.
For an SI Leader Nomination Form or additional information about the program, visit the SI website.
Written by Brian McLean, Student Affairs college associate coordinator of communication channels and Creative Design Technologies adjunct professor