Manual

*T-shirts, Noche de Familia and Celebracion budget to be covered by the Student Activities fee.

2012 Fall Activities

Action Step

Date Budget

Mentor Training train mentors at lunch/dinner Wed., September 19 (50)$500

Noche de Familia students/parents/mentors dinner Thurs., October 25 (170) $2,000

*Fall Stipend request to complete activities: $5,000 for 15-17 hours per week of planning and
conducting evening programs.

2013 Spring Activities Action Step Date Budget

Mentor Activity cultural activity Thursday, February 28 (100) $500

Celebracion Dinner students/parents/mentors Tuesday, May 14 (170) $2,000

*Spring Stipend request to complete activities: $5,000 for 15-17 per week of planning and
conducting evening programs.

3. Section D. – Mentoring Component Mentoring
Introduction to Mentoring Component Goals

This section emphasizes:

 Understanding the essentials of the Mentoring component.
 The importance of Mentoring in the CTN-Puente Program.
 The roles, responsibilities, and skills CTN-Puente students

engage in.
 Current training of teachers in Puente-CTN.

CTN Puente believes in a strong intervention Mentoring component that targets
potential issues that may evolve into lower expectations and discontinuance in the
program. Therefore the CTN
Mentor component seeks to help strengthen bonds with mentor-mentee
relationships. The program does the following:

 Matches students with professionals in the community on the basis of
personality, profession and gender.

 Helps students develop professional/networking skills.
 Develops social and cultural capital—emphasizing the value of “Giving

back” to our community.
 Recruitment of Puente Mentors who are professional and educational

volunteers who are trained and matched with students.
 Encourages students’ motivation to reach their educational and career goals.
 Provides student access to successful community role models.
 Fosters the development of professional networking skills.
 Develops student social and cultural capital.

Sample Assignment: Mentor Meeting Conflicts

Goal: As part of the Mentor-mentee relationship, the Puente Program understands
that open communication is important toward solidifying a successful program and
a viable Puente Mentoring system.

PURPOSE: To help mentors/students to…
 accept greater personal responsibility for the outcomes in their mentoring
relationship with each other.
 identify various factors that influence the decision making process.
 identify ways in which they can improve the effectiveness of their
relationship.
 recognize that working interdependently can lead to more successful results.

SUPPLIES/SET UP
 HANDOUT: The Missed Mentor Meeting (case study appended below)
 Pens
 Blackboard or flip chart
 Chalk or markers

DIRECTIONS

1. Have participants read “The Missed Mentor Meeting” aloud, taking turns reading
paragraphs until the reading is complete. Say: “At the bottom of your handout is a
list of the characters in this story. Rank them in the order of their responsibility for
the missed meeting between Karla and her mentor. Give a different score to each
character. One (1) is most responsible and five (5) is least responsible. Be prepared
to explain your choices.” (5 minutes)

2. Place participants in small groups of 3-4 and say: “Compare the numbers you
assigned to each character with those of your group members. Explain your rationale
for your scores. Then come to a group consensus as to how each character should be
ranked. You will be sharing your results with the other groups.” While the groups
are working, write across the top of the board/flip chart a number representing each
group (eg. Group 1, Group 2, Group 3, etc.). Down the left side of the board/flip
chart, list the characters in the case study (eg. Karla, Lilia, Mario, etc.). (10 minutes)

3. Ask a spokesperson from each group to give the group’s ranking of the characters,
recording each group’s response on the board. (5 minutes)

4. After all responses are recorded, note similarities and differences between each
group’s choices. Say: “As we can see, no two groups ranked the characters in
exactly the same way; therefore, I’d like to give each group the opportunity to
explain its choices. Let’s begin by looking at the person you held most responsible
for the missed meeting. Who would like to begin?” [Instructor’s Note: If all groups
choose the same character as number one (most responsible), begin with the
character they think is least responsible. There is often more diversity of opinion
here.] (5 minutes).

5. Allow each group an opportunity to explain its position on a particular character
in more detail and to rebut opposing views. As time allows, invite groups to explain
their positions on other characters. (10–20 minutes)

6. Debrief the discussion by means of journal writing and/or group discussion, using
the following questions: From this discussion, what did you learn or relearn about
personal responsibility? What did you learn or relearn about the factors that can
influence decision making? How can you use this information to improve your own
effectiveness in the mentoring relationship? What is the life lesson here? (5–10
minutes)

Case Study: The Missed Mentor Meeting

At the Noche de Familia dinner, KARLA was nervous but excited to meet her
mentor. When she was introduced to LILIA DIAZ, a business professional, Karla
was so intimidated by this well-dressed, confident woman, she didn’t know what to
say. However, Ms. Diaz was very friendly and encouraged Karla to share a little bit
about herself.

At the end of the evening, Karla and Lilia exchanged phone numbers, and discussed
where they would meet for their first “official” get-together. Lilia asked, “Why don’t
you meet me at five o’clock next Wednesday at the Starbucks across the street from
where I work downtown?”

Karla lived in Floresville, nowhere near downtown. Hesitantly, she explained, “I
don’t have a car to get there.”

“I’m sure there is someone who can give you a ride. It’s okay if you’re a couple of
minutes late; just be sure to call me.” She gave Karla her office number.

“Uh, okay,” Karla agreed.

The following Wednesday, Karla was eating lunch with her boyfriend MARIO in
the PAC cafeteria. Mario had not been very supportive of her going to college and
was especially frustrated with the extra time that Karla spent at Puente activities in
the evenings and on weekends even though they only occurred once or twice a
month. “Why do you have to go to school?” he always complained. “Aren’t I good
enough for you? You think you’re gonna find someone better than me? I’m the one
that’s been with you since high school. When you were having problems with your
parents, who came and picked you up? Me, that’s who. Now you act like I’m not
important, spendin’ all your time with your school friends.”

At that moment, Karla’s cell phone rang. It was Lilia. “Hi, Karla! I just wanted to
make sure that we’re still on for tonight.”

“Yeah, sure,” said Karla, glancing nervously at Mario.

“Great! See you at Starbucks.”

Hanging up her phone, Karla wondered how she had forgotten about the meeting
with her mentor. When she told Mario that they couldn’t hang out this evening

because she had an appointment with her new mentor and asked him to take her, he
blew up.

“Yeah, right! You think I’m gonna help you out when you disrespect me like this?
Find your own ride!” Mario cursed and stormed off.

Karla was torn between going after Mario to try to smooth things over and finding a

way to get to her appointment with Lilia. Near tears, Karla called her friend
CRISTINA, another Puente student, for help. Cristina said, “Don’t worry about
Mario. You don’t need him. I’ll pick you up in front of the campus library at 4:30
.”

Karla was ready to go at 4:30 ; however, fifteen minutes passed before Cristina
pulled into the parking lot. “Sorry. I had to pick up my brother at school and take
him home. Now all I have to do is stop and get gas, and we will be on our
way.” Karla glanced nervously at her watch. By the time they had pulled out of the
gas station, it was 5:00 . Karla pulled her phone out of her purse and called the work
number Lilia had given her.

SUSAN, the receptionist at Lilia’s workplace let the phone ring a couple of times
before she picked it up. “Who’s calling at this time? Don’t they know we are
closed?” she thought with frustration as she answered. Karla explained her situation,
and Susan said that she would call Lilia and let her know that Karla was running
late. Just as she hung up, though, Susan suddenly remembered that it was her turn
to pick up the kids at daycare, and she rushed out the door.

At 5:15 , Lilia, sitting at Starbucks, checked her cell phone one more time for
messages. There were none. Frustrated and even a little angry, she looked around
one more time for Karla, picked up her briefcase, and left. At 5:30, Karla and
Cristina pulled up to Starbucks.

***

Listed below are the characters in this story. Rank them in the order of their
responsibility for the missed meeting between Karla and her mentor. Give a different
score to each character. Be prepared to explain your choices.

Most responsible 1 2 3 4 5 Least responsible

____ Karla ____ Susan ____ Lilia Diaz

____ Cristina ____ Mario

Puente Mentor Recruitment Letter—Victoria Marron

Victoria Marron
Lee College
Mentor Coordinator
P.O. Box 818
281-425-6501
[email protected]

August 26, 2014

Good afternoon,

I wanted to share with you all and request your assistance with our PUENTE Mentoring Program here at Lee
College. I can proudly state that we will be the 5th community college in Texas to have this nationally recognized

program.

The PUENTE Project helps to prepare educationally underserved students for college admission and success
through its combination of accelerated instruction, intensive academic counseling and mentoring by members of
the community. This project is based out of California and branching out to Texas, its second state in the U.S. to
have Puente. For additional information please visit heir site at http://www.puente.net/.

The criteria for students are as follows: higher;
(1) first year college student; course).
(2) must be a student declaring a STEM major or General Studies;
(3) must be seeking an Associate’s degree, preferably a Bachelor’s degree or
(4) 1st generation is a preference but, not mandatory; and
(5) have an interest in Mexican American Studies (this is their Humanities credit

We will have 2 cohorts totaling 30 students and I will need at least 25 dedicated adult mentors. The requirements

are to attend an informational session September 22, 2014 from 6-7pm to be held here in the Student Center of

the Lee College campus; commit to a minimum of 9 contact hours with the student for the duration of this school
year; complete an application and be willing to make a difference in a young person’s life.

I am available to schedule informational sessions at your place of business if there are more than 5 employees
willing to attend. If you and/or your employees are unable to commit to 9 hours a semester but, are willing to be
a part of our database as an on-call volunteer for speaking engagements we would greatly appreciate that as
well.

Please let me know if you have any additional comments or questions.

Victoria Marron
HSI STEM Grant Director
& Puente Coordinator

Sample Assignment: Peer-Mentor-Mentee

Puente Peer Mentor-Mentee Assignment

The purpose of this assignment is for you to experience not only the
benefits of being a peer mentor and mentee, but also the challenges that
come with each role.

For the first 2 weeks, one of you will act as mentor, and one of you will act
as mentee.

 You are required to meet with each other once in a 2 week period
 Your meeting must take place off campus
 You must work out your meeting time/location over phone or
email ONLY
○ You cannot arrange the logistics of when you are going to
meet in class (or in person)

 After 2 weeks, reverse your roles and start over

******************

After you had the opportunity to be both a mentor and mentee, write about
your experience (minimum one page, typed and double spaced):

I. As a mentor:
1. Describe your role as a mentor. Was it a positive or negative
experience?
2. Did you feel you spent enough time to connect with your mentee?
3. Did you find this role to be easy?
4. How was your connection with your mentee?
5. What were some challenges that you faced in bonding with your
mentee?
6. How do you think this exercise will help you in meeting your Puente
Mentor?

II. As a mentee:

1. Describe your role as a mentee. Was it a positive or negative
experience?

2. Did you feel you spent enough time to connect with your mentor?
3. Did you find this role to be easy?
4. How was your connection with your mentor?
5. What were some challenges that you faced in bonding with your

mentor?
6. How do you think this exercise will help you in meeting your Puente

Mentor?

Sample Assignment: Mentor Interview Essay

Goal: In conjunction with the Mentor coordinator, students will write an essay
in their Puente English course detailing the experience with their assigned
mentor. Mentoring is part of the three components that make up Puente’s
unique structure, and imbedded in the Puente curricula are exercises that
highlight this experience.

Mentor Interview Paper: You will interview your mentor and write a 5-7 page
typed paper focusing on one of the following:

1) A portrait of your mentor as a learner. This may include the challenges your
mentor has had to face, goals your mentor has accomplished, regrets, if any,
your mentor may have, and, most importantly, what is to be learned from your
mentor’s experiences. Write about what your mentor values most about
education and why. You may consider in what ways your values are similar
to or different from your mentor’s.

2) A portrait of a mentor/mentee relationship. Your mentors may consider
someone who has mentored them when they were younger. What influence
did that mentor have on their development/maturation? Out of this portrait
may come general observations of what makes for an effective mentor/mentee
relationship?

Your paper must include at least one quote from the research excerpt provided in
class.

Initial Writing

Part I: Free write (For both Mentor and Mentee) 10

Minutes

Write about your educational experiences. Whatever comes to mind? Don’t worry

about grammar, spelling, or even about making perfect sense. You are just writing
to write—you are just putting thoughts onto the page. If you truly feel stuck,

however, here are some possible areas of exploration:

1) Where you went to school? Why?
2) Positive or negative experiences in the classroom.
3) Challenges you have had to face in education.
4) Other than the classroom, where you discovered your love of learning. At

home, work, during travels, doing service work, etc?

5) The mentors in your lives, and how they helped you to make transitions in
your study habits, work habits, or ways of thinking. The ways in which they
encouraged and challenged you.

6) How do you think other see you as a mentor?

Part II: Mentors Read/Mentees Listen 15 Minutes

Mentor will share free write. Students will listen carefully. They will find two
strong lines in their mentor’s work and share that with the mentor. They will also
write down (on the back of this page) three questions which have been sparked by
this free write. As the mentor shares, students should jot down notes.

If there is any extra time, students may ask other questions about their mentor’s
educational experiences. They can be questions unrelated to the free write.

Part III: Mentees Read/Mentors Listen 10 Minutes

Students will share free write. Mentors will listen carefully. They will find two
strong lines and share that with their mentee. They will also write down three
questions which have been sparked by this free write. Consider this an opportunity
for conversation and for getting to know one another better.

Part IV: Sharing 5-10 Minutes

Share something that you have learned about your partner. It should be something
that you admire or something that you hope to learn more about.

Strong Lines:

1)

2)

Sample Letter to New Mentor Coordinator—Diane Lerma

August 4, 2014
Dear (Add name)
Welcome to a very unique and growing familia in Texas – the Puente
familia.
I am glad you have accepted the role of Mentor Coordinator on your
campus. The responsibility will be challenging at times, but well worth
it! Speaking from experience, the mentor coordinator role is fun and
rewarding. You will meet a lot of new and interesting people. Be
prepared to make new friends and grow professionally. I never could
have imagined the wonderful experiences of serving as mentor
coordinator and am sure it will be the same for you.
Although we may be miles apart, I’m just a phone call away from
providing you with any further assistance with this special endeavor.
My best wishes for a successful academic year!
Your Puente Sister in SA,

Diane Lerma

Sample Reading Assignment: Who Mentored Whom?

Prominent Americans Recall Their Mentors

Excerpted from The Person Who Changed My Life: Prominent Americans Recall
Their Mentors. Matilda Raffa Cuomo, Editor.

Walter Cronkite: My Mentor, My Teacher
“I went to San Jacinto High School in Houston, Texas, in the 1930s, and was
fortunate to come in contact with a man who would inspire me to become a career
print and broadcast journalist. Fred Birney was a pioneer in high school
journalism. Very few high schools at that time even taught journalism, and many
schools didn't have their own student newspaper.

“Fred talked the Houston Board of Education into allowing him to teach a journalism
class once a week at three local high schools, one of which was San Jacinto. He was
a newspaperman of the old school and taught us a great deal about reporting and
writing. He also became a sponsor of the San Jacinto High School newspaper, the
Campus Cub. Under his tutelage, we published it monthly, whereas it had previously
been published in a casual manner, just three or four times a year. During my junior
year, I was the sports editor of the Campus Cub and its chief editor in my senior
year...

“He was well-connected with the three newspapers in Houston. During the summer
of my junior year, he secured his interested students jobs as copy boys and girls with
the Houston Post.

“We exchanged several letters until his death, shortly after my high school
graduation. He taught me so much in those high school classes, and by securing me
those early jobs, he cemented my desire to be a reporter for the rest of my life. He
was my major inspiration. I always credit Fred Birney for my career.”

James Earl Jones: My Mentor, My Professor
“I was raised by my grandparents, and I would say that my grandfather was, and
still is, my hero. Outside of the family, my most influential role model was a high
school English teacher, Donald Crouch. Professor Crouch was a former college
teacher who had worked with Robert Frost, among others. He had retired to a farm
near the small Michigan town where I lived, but when he discovered that there was
a need for good teachers locally, he came to teach at my small agricultural high
school.

“Growing up, I had a hard time speaking because I was a stutterer and felt self-
conscious. Professor Crouch discovered that I wrote poetry, a secret I was not
anxious to divulge, being a typical high school boy. After learning this, he
questioned me about why, if I loved words so much, I couldn't say them out loud.
One day I showed him a poem I had written, and he responded to it by saying that it
was too good to be my own work, that I must have copied it from someone. To prove
that I hadn't plagiarized it, he wanted me to recite the poem, by heart, in front of the
entire class. I did as he asked, got through it without stuttering, and from then on I
had to write more, and speak more. This had a tremendous effect on me, and my
confidence grew as I learned to express myself comfortably out loud.

“On the last day of school we had our final class outside on the lawn, and Professor
Crouch presented me with a gift--a copy of Ralph Waldo Emerson's Self-Reliance.
This was invaluable to me because it summed up what he had taught me--self-
reliance. His influence on me was so basic that it extended to all areas of my life. He
is the reason I became an actor.”

Tim Russert: My Mentor, My Teacher
“In the seventh grade at St. Bonaventure School in Buffalo, New York, Sister
Mary Lucille, a Sister of Mercy, was both impressed and yet concerned by--shall
we say--my excessive energy in class. She expressed that in her words, ‘We have
to channel that energy, Timothy,’ because I was prone to mischief. One day she
told me, ‘I'm going to start a school newspaper and you're going to be the editor.
This means that you have to give out assignments, you have to edit the copy, you
have to write your own articles, you have to go around and interview students,
teachers, and administrative people, and publish the paper. You have to distribute
it. You have to decide whether you're going to charge for it, or if you're going to
have a fundraiser to underwrite the cost.’ It became this extraordinary project that I
threw myself into and so did all my friends. It left us little time to get in trouble
because we were so devoted to the paper. Then she said, ‘If you don't keep up your
grades, we're not going to be able to do the second edition of the newspaper.’ That
made us all committed to studying harder.

“On November 22, 1963, President Kennedy was assassinated. We did a special
edition of the paper and sent a copy to the new president, President Johnson; to Mrs.
Jacqueline Kennedy; and to Robert Kennedy, the attorney general. Some months
later we received personal responses from all of them, which changed our lives. Here
we were, only months ago with nothing and wondering whether or not school was
worth our while--whether school could be fun, whether school was meaningful--and
along came this young nun who created this entity called a school newspaper that

we became deeply involved in. We learned how to report, how to communicate, how
to write; and then, on top of all that, people we watched on television, people who
were so far removed from our ordinary lives, suddenly acknowledged not only our
existence, but our work. From that day forward I was determined that I would have
a career in journalism/public service.

“We continued our newspaper in eighth grade. I was going on to high school and
Sister Lucille suggested I go to Canisius High School, the Jesuit school in Buffalo.
I said, ‘Sister, its downtown, where all the rich kids go, sons of doctors and lawyers.’
My dad was a truck driver and left school in tenth grade to fight in World War II.
Sister Lucille insisted that I take the entrance exam, which I did. I won a partial
scholarship that helped with the tuition because we couldn't afford it.

“I know that if I had not had the intervention and support of Sister Lucille and Father
Sturm, I would not be the moderator of Meet the Press.”

Martin Sheen: My Mentor, My Pastor
“Father Al arrived at Holy Trinity for his first parish assignment when I was 14.
He was an energetic young man with an innate wisdom who believed our personal
relationships were reflective of our relationship to God. It was not long before he
was having a noticeable effect on every family in the parish despite his lifelong
struggle with shyness, which endeared him to us all the more. I served mass for
him regularly, and he was my confessor.

“Even as a boy I dreamed of going to New York after high school to pursue an acting
career, but my father was determined that I attend college. This became the most
contentious issue between us for a number of years. Unfortunately, I was never a
good student, and when I flunked out of high school in my senior year my father was
disappointed and angry. Father Al advised me to go to summer school and graduate.
He also suggested that to appease my father I agree to take the entrance exams to the
University of Dayton. I did both.

“Unknown to anyone, I purposely failed the exam, scoring just 3 percent out of a
possible 100. My father got the message, but still would not bless my dream. Perhaps
he wanted to see some proof of my talent or determination. Father Al stepped
forward again and, careful not to offend my father, he loaned me enough money, out
of his own pocket, to get started, and soon I was on my way. Several months later,
when I was settled in New York building a life for myself in the theater, my father
very lovingly came around and became my biggest supporter.

“Over the years my relationship with Father Al matured and his friendship became

invaluable. Although my journey took me far away and at times I became lost, he

was always there like an anchor reminding me to continually ask those two key little

questions: Who are you? Why are you here? As long as I can answer at least one of
them, I always know where I'm going, and Father Al will always remain with me.”

4. Section E. – Professional Development

Introduction to Professional Development

Evaluation and Data Collection Plan for Puente Program

The Catch the Next/Puente partnership is extremely committed to self-
evaluation and improvement. An independent evaluation team, contracted by the
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, will provide an evaluation of the
project as part of a larger evaluation of the entire DEDP initiative.

In addition, Catch the Next, Inc. in partnership with each College’s
Institutional Research team, will gather formative and summative evaluation data.
These data are divided into classes defined by the evaluation purposes (effectiveness,
formative/implementation, effective conditions, and contextual processes) and
consist of both proximate and distal measures, as well as quantitative and qualitative
approaches to understanding the intervention. The main indicators of program
effectiveness include traditional measures of educational achievement (which could
be collected as often as once a semester when applicable) such as:

 INRW course completion
 transfer to college level English credit bearing course
 credit accumulation-on-track for graduation
 grade point average
 transfer to college credit courses, certificates and associate degrees

received.
In addition, traditional measures will be included such as the TSI examination
(which assesses student achievement and college readiness).

Measures of affective student characteristics that are related to student
performance will be included such as:

 academic engagement
 aspirations
 student self-efficacy
 leadership skills.
Some of the questionnaire items will be taken from other, ongoing student surveys.

Formative and Implementation Evaluation: The formative and
implementation evaluations are critical aspects of this design. Within the formative
approach teachers, CTN staff, counselors, and administrators will be interviewed

and observed regarding their experiences with the CTN- Puente program with a

particular focus on the key impacts (See STC performance indicators model).

Surveys will be conducted with all teachers and counselors.

Context and Change: Finally, the evaluation will also investigate the ways

in which the intervention led to changes in behaviors, attitudes, and outcomes for

teachers and students, ultimately leading to changes in student outcomes and the

whole college context.

For students, this portion of the evaluation will take the form of a longitudinal

ethnographic study following a group of Cohort 1 students from selection through

their ultimate outcomes. These findings will feed into the improvement of the logic

model driving CTN, as well as suggest how conditions within schools and the lives

of students interact with the interventions provided by CTN to create the outcomes

measured by the randomized designs.

The student analysis will be paralleled by a series of college-level case studies

that will examine how CTN was implemented within specific schooling contexts and

what issues emerged around implementation. These cases should help answer

questions about whether CTN can help lead to whole college changes, and the ways

in which that can occur.

EVALUATION AND DATE COLLECTION PLAN

At each College, the evaluation and data collection plan will be he headed by

the Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment. This office is the central

operation for the analysis and reporting of all data to the college president, college

administration, and all other college affiliated entities that may be requesting data to

be generated. Table I Performance Measures was developed by South Texas

College, and it serves as a guide for our work.

Table 1. Performance Measures.

Quantitative Formative Year Year Year Total
Performance Measure Measure Definition 1 2 3

Professional The number of teachers

Development Outreach and counselors

and Enrollment participating in the

Puente Project program

The percentage of

program participants -
that advance to the next

level

Number of student

program participant

contacts

Number of mentor Number of community

contacts and counseling mentors contacted and

contacts recruited

Withdrawal rate for all The percentage of -
participating students program participants
who withdraw from the
Course completion rate program
for all project courses The percentage of
program participants
Graduation rates for all who successfully
participating students complete the project
courses
Student satisfaction The percentage of
survey that will be program participants
administered every who successfully
semester graduate from their
course of study
Qualitative data from Survey instruments will
student and be used to gather
faculty/staff focus qualitative data from
groups participants in each
component of the Puente
Number of student club Program
events and participation The college will work
rates closely in organizing
both student and
faculty/staff focus
groups in an effort to
gather qualitative data to
help gather information
that will help in making
adjustments necessary to
improve program
success
The percentage of
student club events and
the student participation
rates

GPA GPA will be used to -
measure student success
Retention The percentage of
student retention
Program received credit College credits received
(12/30) as of 12/30

Stayed full-time Number of students who
continue to attend
college full-time

This data will provide a guideline for future expansion and improvement for the

Puente project initiatives.

The evaluation plan was drawn up based on the following logic model for CTN-
Puente’s work in South Texas College. See Appendix A.

The Role of CTN/Puente Staff in Data Collection Process.
College Staff will collect student information via an intake form/ registration system
and a Fall pre survey, a post survey in December and a spring survey at the end of
the spring term. One of the most important methods for collecting student data is
the student evaluation. The student evaluation is used to:

 Understand the population Puente is working with – who are the Catch the
Next/Puente students?

 Develop profiles on each of the Puente sites
 Evaluate program implementation
 Report back to funding agencies, and teams (site administrators)
 Assess College going indicators
All data is collected in both the fall and spring, and it is collected by the college
research teams. Part of the collection also includes a “Student Consent” form that
acknowledges four areas:
1. Use of the data
2. Academic information
3. Enrollment information
4. Permission to use the student’s image in CTN Puente media

Appendix A

APPENDIX A

5. Section F. – CTN SITE VISIT PROTOCOLS

Site Visit Protocols and Procedures

Site Visit Objectives
1. Assess Training Needs
2. Provide Site Support
3. Coaching
4. Helps teams build on campus and community support
5. Troubleshoot program and team dynamics issues
6. Discuss and clarify partnership agreements: reassign time, examine
operational budget and clerical support
7. Examine all aspects of support activities: Mentor events, Noche de Familia,
Puente Club activities, and field trips.

Puente Site Visit
One of the tools to assess training needs is the obligatory Puente Site Visit conducted
by Maria Martha Chavez or her staff representatives. These visits are conducted
twice a full academic year to determine program needs, provide site support,
troubleshoot program or team issues, and, of course, clarify partnership agreements.
The following is an overview of the process.

1. Before visit is conducted, the Director of Curriculum and Instruction contacts
the college administrator via email and the Director of the CTN-Puente
Project who will be conducting their site visits during the academic year. It is
then the job of the CTN Puente Fellow or Consultant, to work with the
Director to set a date for the visit prior to the fall and spring institutes.

2. The agenda is developed by each college and will be shared with the Director
of Curriculum and Instruction and CTN representative conducting the visit.
The college will determine who will be greeting and escorting the
CTN/Puente representative. Normally, the one or two day visits (depending
on the number of campuses and classes) are intensive with activities and
interviews with Puente staff, faculty, and students.

3. Prior to the visit, the CTN Director of Curriculum and Instruction will conduct
a phone orientation for the CTN affiliates who will be conducting the site

visits and provide them with briefing points regarding the status of the
program and future plans.
4. Usually the Site Administrator begins promptly and looks for Puente signage
on the campus and spends time before the initial appointment to get a feel of
the campus. This is crucial because identity markers usually kindle curiosity
among students and this could be a bridge for recruitment.
5. One of the purposes of the site report is to update administrators, Program
directors, deans and VPs on the status of the CTN-Puente College Success
Program. (Included will be talking points)
6. Another purpose of the site visit is for CTN affiliate to meet with Data team
on campus to thank them for their continued tracking of our students. A data
collection process overview will also be provided to the CTN affiliates
conducting the site visit by the Director of Curriculum and Instruction. This
handout will be developed by our Director of Research and Evaluation.
7. Classes to be observed include INRW, English, Education 1300 (Learning
frameworks). In the colleges conducting the Pre Puente Pathways Model, we
will also look at those classes. Puente pathways include: English 1302,
Mexican American Studies, Psychology, Performing arts (tentative).
8. Observation of classes is in-depth, usually spending most of the class time
getting a feel for the classroom atmosphere, looking specifically for student
engagement, “familia” and ‘carino” as heuristic elements that research attests
to the concept of affirmation.
9. A debriefing usually occurs after the classroom observation to ensure the
Puente instructor that any notations and suggestions are neither punitive nor
evaluative in terms of continuance with the program. On the contrary, the sole
purpose is to provide pedagogical guidance and curricular support. All site
administrators are trained practitioners in the specialty field with a strong
pedigree in their area of expertise, assessment, and pedagogy.
10.The triad component (Mentoring, Writing, and Counseling) are crucial for the
success of Puente and Puente methodology within the classroom is one of the
features that are principally targeted in our Site assessment. Since not all
Education 1300 faculty are counselors as the Puente model recommended be
the case, then, conversations with the Counselor are crucial during the visit.

11.Site administrator then meets with the Mentor coordinator and possibly, one
or two mentors to field questions dealing with actual mentoring issues and
program adjustments.

12.The site visit usually begins and ends with a team meeting at which time the
team provides an update on Puente activities for the academic year (Noche de
Familia, cultural and college field trips, NSOs, and Celebracion.

13.The visit with the Administration will be conducted at their discretion.
14. After the site visit, the CTN Puente affiliate will write an observational report

indicating areas of strengths and challenges. The report will make
recommendations for improvement. The Puente Program director of the
college will get a detailed site narrative specifically focusing on the Puente
elements from the Director of Curriculum and Instruction.
15.Areas of improvement will be addressed during the upcoming institutes to be
held each semester.
16. Additional coaching to staff facing certain challenges will be provided by the
Director of Curriculum and Instruction, or other affiliates designated by him
or the CTN CEO.

Below is a sample Site Visit tentative Schedule used in 2014

1. San Antonio, September 24
2. El Paso, September 26
3. Houston, October 2 or 3rd
4. Lee College, October 2 or 3rd
5. South Texas, October 15
6. Austin Community College*

*TBA

Puente Essential Elements: what are Site Administrators looking for inside a
Puente Classroom?

1. As noted in Puente overview, site visits are not observing faculty and
administrators per se, but rather examining the classroom and college
environment to determine what support is required to provide a successful
Puente experience.

2. Classroom Environment: Is there Puente signage in classroom? Are students
actively engaged in lesson or are they passive listeners? Do students engage

in small group activity and use Puente related materials to intensify the
experience?
3. Within the teacher-student dynamics: is there a sense of ‘familia’ and ‘carino”
evident in the classroom? The concept of familia and carino build a sense of
belonging to something greater, and these proven techniques nurture cultural
affirmation. Research in Laura Rendon’s validation theory has proven this
through data.
4. Are lessons student-centered and does the Puente curricular material reflect
the classroom cultural dynamics (e.g. Puente’s Latino curricula)
5. Learning environment should be a combination of visual, auditory, and
kinesthetic. Students learn more when lessons are active learners and
participate in their learning.

College Administration support is key to Puente Success at each campus. Below
are earmarks for that success.

1. Do college administrators attend Puente functions? One of the key ingredients
for any successful program is making sure that Deans, VPs, and President are
part of the family concept of Puente because the partnership can be
encapsulated in the phrase, “We can’t do this without you and you can’t do it
without us”. This reciprocal relationship is crucial for Puente’s success in the
California model.

2. Are college administrators or college personnel serving as mentors? Another
element is the participation of college administration in the total education of
a Puente student. Mentoring is one of the factors for student success and
intervention has been part of the Puente experience. The Mentor coordinator
is crucial for establishing protocols and mentor training and should always be
included in all aspects of training and agenda meetings.

3. Has the college provided the necessary personnel and sustained a budget to
support the classes, the co-coordination of time, and funding for Puente
activities? Support staff is one of the aspects of maintaining a successful
program especially when scaling up to support coordinating of activities and
the regiment required for Puente activities. Team building and recruitment
strategies are important for maintenance of a successful Puente Program.

4. Is Puente signage visible on campus and in the counseling area and student-
activities areas? Programs supported by the college usually have signage

pointing to student activity thereby engendering curiosity and possibly
recruitment. Puente visibility is important for its continuance and growth.

The following narrative report has been purged of identity markers and serves only
as an example of what items are examined by the site administrator. The names used
are only for training purposes and are not real people but composites.

1. Sample Cover Letter

Catch the Next, Inc.
Texas Puente

Overall Report to Name of College

Dr. X
VP of Instruction
College

RE: Puente Site Visit for October

First, let me congratulate you on your first Puente Site Visit. Name of College’s
inclusion into the Texas Puente Initiative is exciting and we are glad to have your
institution on board. At Puente, we are always striving for excellence. Second, I
wanted to send you the site reports that I have copied already to both Professor X
and Dr. Y. I was glad to be included in the Puente Support Meeting which Dr. Y
aptly chaired. In addition, I was also happy to hear what Dr. XYZ, Dean of
Instruction, had to say about the college’s efforts to make Puente succeed. In addition
I was also delighted with what Dr. ABC, the Executive Dean of Instruction and
Student Services, offered as solutions to issues of recruitment and visibility.
Included in that meeting were Dr. A Comfort and Mr. B. Overall, I felt that Puente
had found a good home.

The Site reports are not meant to be interpreted as the final evaluative process but as
a tool similar to an ongoing learning process. The report should not be used as a
punitive evaluative tool, either. We offer only constructive criticism for our Puente
fellows to learn and to share good practices. This is why Puente has mentors and

counselors for immediately intervention. In this case, the site evaluator was looking
for Puente specific markers such as “familia” atmosphere, which enables students

and teachers to learn in a nonthreatening environment; “respeto” concepts that forge
both respect for the instructor and Puente student alike, and “carino”—that caring
touch so common with Puente faculty who share both a passion for the subject and
a vision of excellence. Pedagogically, these factors are contributing to the success
of the program in the state. And for this reason it is important that monthly
conferences are attended by Puente staff and instructors because scholarly and
pedagogical information is disseminated at each session. Moreover, the Puente
program has its commitment to three important markers, i.e., Mentor Matching,
Noche de Familia, College trips, and Celebracion. These events showcase Puente
and cement the bonding process so important in mitigating potential problems and
ensuring successful intervention strategies. Puente is about familia, and instill
excellence.

Our team will be returning in the spring for Puente follow-ups. As always, we honor
the host institution and are forthright in all areas of academic excellence and Puente
compliance.

Sincerely,

Rafael Castillo

Rafael Castillo, Ph.D.
Director, Curriculum and Instruction

CTN Puente Site Visit Agenda Sample

Thursday, February 26, 2015

8:00 AM--9:20 AM Classroom Observation

10:00—11:20 AM Classroom Observation

11:30 AM –12:30 PM Debriefing

12:30 PM—1:30 PM Lunch with Puente Team

1: 30 PM—2:00 PM Meet with Puente Club Sponsor
2:00 PM—3:00 PM Meet with EDUC 1300 Faculty

3:00 PM—4:00 PM Meeting with Administration

Friday, February 27, 2015

8:00 AM—9:00 AM Meet with Counseling Instructor/EDUC 1300

9:00 AM—10:00 AM Meet with Puente Mentor Coordinator

10:00 AM—11:00 AM Meet with INRW Instructor-Puente Fellow

11:00 PM –12:00 PM Meet with EDUC 1300

12:00 PM—1:00 PM Lunch
1:00 PM –2:00 PM Meet with Institutional Research Team

2:00 PM—3:30 PM Meet with Program Director
3:30 PM—4:00 PM Meet with Clerical Support to express thanks

4:00 PM Leave for Airport

Sample Narrative Site Report— Rafael Castillo

It is imperative that narrative site report follow strict guidelines for both CTN and
site college.

March 21, 2015
Maria Martha Chavez, Ph.D.
Chief Education Officer/Puente Project Director
New Haven, Connecticut

Dear Dr. Chavez:

The following is a detailed narrative of my visit to Site College performed on dates.
I arrived date and prepared for my visit by texting Dr. X to assure a timely arrival.

On Thursday morning, I arrived promptly amid a cloud of drizzle but managed to
navigate my way to familiar territory. I made my way to the college cafeteria, and
got me a cup of coffee and proceeded to Dr. X’s office. We spoke briefly and
exchanged our felicitations and then proceeded to the cafeteria to wait for Dr. Y, the
Director of Institutional Directives, who would be meeting with us. The first thing
that struck me about the campus was the Puente signage.

I was impressed because Puente signage appears prominently on hallways leading
to other student programs and club offices. HCCC is presently going through a
transformation as Chancellor XYZ is centralizing all the colleges within the College
system to strengthen programs and eliminate duplication of services. Dr. X, Chair of
Humanities, CMAS, and Puente Mentor Coordinator expressed guarded ambivalent
feelings.

The new Vice-Chancellor for Instruction is Dr. XX, who worked previously at Y
Community College in Dallas and XYZ College in California. Dr. X stated that Dr.
Y is familiar with the Puente Program. The topic of scaling up was introduced.
Scaling up Puente at Community College System would require that the program
be implemented across the board so that the other colleges can be included in Mentor
training. Training learning frameworks and procuring a Program Coordinator with
a program budget could be ideal if proper influence could be applied via the Texas
Higher Education Coordinating Board. This would allow for faculty training in both
mentor training and the Puente Model in all the colleges. Dr. Y stressed these ideas
and I concur with her assessment.

In addition, the Pre-Puente model would fit with the high school links (currently
there are more than 200,000 students in the City ISD that would be impacted if
professional development funds could be tapped to allow for Puente to be introduced
into ISD). Courses for these students could be linked via the specifications of TEA
(Texas Education Agency) with a nod from Dr. Raymund Paredes, of THECB.
Since College System is a Hispanic serving institution, efforts should be targeted to
encourage chancellors through THECB and nudge them into advancing the model
to the surrounding colleges within the College Community College system.

As an innovative change agent, Dr. XYZ will be changing the structure of the
College Community College system and centralizing all areas of instruction for the
benefit of student success. According to Dr. X, the chancellor listens to faculty.
Unfortunately, I did not meet with the Deans as my previous visit probably because
of perceived changes and changing administrative posts.

On another note, Dr. X is Director of the Center for Mexican American Studies,
Program Chair for Humanities and Mentor Coordinator for Puente. I did not have a
visit her classes because her schedule classes are on Mondays and Wednesdays.
From my perspective, Dr. X is overextended and her responsibilities are vast. She is
a strong instructor with an equally strong sense of mission for all her programs as
well as Puente. As such Puente dovetails so well with the direction of Mexican
American Studies and compliments well with what Dr. Robert Murdock, the state
demographer, who issued a report on the impending boom of Hispanics within the
coming decades. Puente/Catch-the-Next is ideal for delivering an accelerated
program to help students navigate and succeed in college level work.

Classroom Visitation—English 1301-
Syllabus-clearly marked as Puente
Time: 10:00 am to 11:30 am.

Visited with Professor Y, English 1301, Puente Program and he was involved with
digital blackboard assignment giving students a game-version of MLA
documentation. The class was engaged with Professor Y and all students were
intensely trying to compete in teams for the correct answer. Since the last time I
visited Professor Y had exceeded his pedagogical style and has become more
seasoned in his presentation and coordination of classroom management and
projection of Puente ideals. He had a full class. I counted twelve students, all
engaged intellectually with the exercise in progress. Pedagogically, Professor Y
exhibited all the familial bonds with the class and his style was non-threatening. The

concepts of “carino”, “respeto”, and “familia” were demonstrated as Professor Y
was forthcoming in his presentation.

Since his classroom was in the middle of preparing for mid-terms, Professor Y was
engaged in a Puente review for their upcoming examination. The class was using
four texts that blended positively with the two cultures in tandem. The first two
books were from Latino/Chicano authors while the second two were taken from
African American literature. The classroom was balanced ethnically. I do not foresee
any issues and was delighted that Professor Y had been exceptionally patient with
his students and with my intrusion into his sacred space.

Before entering I introduced myself and asked him if I could pick random students
for a Puente student interview since I had not had the chance to meet with Puente
students beforehand. Before class ended, I interviewed two students. The first was
Yvette and the second was Sheila.

Puente students I interviewed from Professor Y’s class were informative, articulate,
and firm. I spoke with Yvette, who is a Business major and whose mentor is
Professor M. This is her first semester with Puente having started late and was not
familiar with Noche de Familia even though she had been matched with Professor
M. She is aware of the forthcoming field trip to a University. Alejandra enjoyed
reading Nina Marie Martinez’s Caramba!: A tale told in turns of the Card because
it validated her cultural link with “dichos” and she enjoyed using dichos with her
mentor and discussing the importance of Hispanic folk wisdom. The text and the
student response keenly supported Rendon’s validation theory. Yvette has benefited
from Puente because it has given her a sense of “familia” coupled with a strong
mentor support system. She visualizes graduating and continuing her education. She
would like the program to continue and spreads the word to other family members.
A good idea here is to have Puente Ambassadors who could go to high schools to
spread the news about the Puente program among the other campuses.

The next Puente student I interviewed was Sheila. Her mentor is Professor C. She
too enjoyed the readings provided by professor Y’s course and related that the
bicultural experience has been one she truly enjoys and cherishes because it has
“opened new doors” for her. As a nontraditional student, Sheila said that after her
children had grown it was time for her to return to school and do “something with
life”. Sheila is majoring in surgical tech assistance and her mentor has promised to
take her to adjoining schools during Spring break to expand her choices. She told
me that she and her mentor bonded immediately. This was confirmed later by both
Professor Y and Dr. X.

Puente Team Meeting: Attendees were Dr. B, Dr. X, Professor Y, and I.
2:30-4:00 pm

Met with Dr. X and was escorted to their Puente Team meeting. The meeting was
held in one of the conference rooms in the San Jacinto Building. The team agenda
is listed as follows:

1. Mentor Training
2. New Mentor Training
3. Spring events—Field Trip (April 10th)
4. Spring events—Dinner (April 23rd)
5. Spring events—End of Year celebration
6. Other items/announcements
7. Adjournment

1. Mentor training is scheduled for March 23, 2015 in room 112, San Jacinto.
Packets of mugs, gold tissue, candies, and folders with pens will be dispersed.
The event is from 5-7 pm. Another event occurring is a poetry recital with
guest speaker Sara Cortez on April 14, 2015. Dr. X had to apply for CAB
funds. Prohibitive food costs at the Student Cafeteria necessitated a change
and Professor Y weighed in and suggested buying items from Costco.

2. New Mentor matching will be notified via email. Status: training of 12 new
mentors will be matched with students. Dr. X indicated that mentors have been
lukewarm toward it but success has occurred. She notified Puente Director
Julia Vergara and she told Lydia that glitches occur and not to be too critical,
I concurred and reassured them that they were doing well.

3. Spring events at University occur after Spring Break on April 10th. Students
will be getting a Metro-card to ride the trolley. Students will meet near San
Jacinto Building on Holman and this item will be added to grant proposal for
30 people.

4. NEO—this is a dinner sponsored by the HCC culinary students for a nominal
fee of $15. Dr. B organized it for Puente students. It’s a full course meal that
includes dining etiquette with demonstrations from culinary students about
the meal preparation and the brief history. This is ideal because it enables
students to participate in formal dinner discussions and prepares them for
workforce experience and networking principles.

5. End of year celebration. Dr. X will be in charge of finding adequate space to
accommodate Puente members. It is set for Saturday, May 2, 2015. Professor

B and Professor Y discussed the attendance issue. Targeted number is 28
students. Instead of securing a formal speaker, Dr. X suggested Puente
students write an essay titled, “What I wish my family had known before I
went to college”. She will convene a panel of judges to read all essays.
6. Other items—Dr. X asked me about the Motivational Conference at UT-
Austin and I emailed Stacy Ibarra-Evans about the request so Dr. X will be
informed to secure funding from CAB proposal. Deadline for CAB proposal
is April 24, 2015.

Friday, March 13th
8:30—to 9:30—Meeting with Site Official for tour of Puente Offices

Dr. X and Dr. B escorted me to the Education Building where Dr. B showed me the
vacant large rooms where Puente will have student offices with computers hooked
to carols. Both worked so well together for the benefit of Puente and their
commitment toward student growth is evident in their actions.

Met with Instructor in his office

Professor Y already knew from my previous visit that I usually met on one-on-one
to explain my classroom visitation purpose and express my reservations and
recommendations. It is never couched in terms of negative, adversarial terms. I
hugged him and congratulated his personal approach and keen expression of
“carino” permeating in his classroom. Professor Y provided a learning atmosphere
that encourages whole participation and I told him that his students expressed sincere
appreciation for his teaching. We talked briefly about Puente texts and shared ideas.
I noticed that his syllabus is aligned with THECB requirements. I expressed
complete enthusiasm for his teaching.

1:30-4:00 pm—Faculty Senate Attendance

My next stop was a convocation meeting with faculty from CCC, where I met faculty
from the surrounding colleges. Faculty President wanted to inform the faculty of the
latest changes and directives coming from the office of the Chancellor. Many faculty
spoke to questions about the coming changes as the Chancellor realigns and
centralizes many of the duties done by administrative staff and new hires. Of course,
change is difficult. Faculty was cautious and apprehensive about what these changes
meant in terms of their teaching loads. Others expressed reservations about their
positions. Adjunct faculty expressed their concerns and the Senate President
reassured that all questions would be answered. In fact, while I was there, the Senate
President received an email from Dr. XYM, Vice Chancellor, reassuring them that
all suggestions from Faculty through their respective committees were taken into
consideration. Even Chancellor XYZ was on a daily email exchanges with the

Senate Faculty President so that members were informed of all decisions. Obviously,
the Chancellor was listening to faculty in the manner of true governance.

Recommendations:

1. A comprehensive data sheet from the office of the Research and Development
for data-driven statistics on persistence rates. Enclosed are the persistence
rates as given to me by Dr X.

2. A review of syllabi from all Puente sites so other campuses can benefit from
Latino/a literary texts and best practices.

3. Interviews with students and Puente mentors so CTN can get perspectives
regarding how students perceive Puente goals. An informed student is a better
student because that student understands the commitment and involvement
required. Many students are unaware of the commitment required from Puente
and the Mentor program.

4. Continued links with Deans and Puente stakeholders so CTN may be
appraised of potential curricular changes, administrative shifts requiring
accommodation, and recruitment efforts for new faculty.

5. Dr. X also works both a Mentor Coordinator and Puente Coordinator and
appears overburden. Additional support staff should be considered. Given that
CCCC is undergoing centralized, this may require support from CTN and
THECB.

Goal: To examine the dynamics of Puente at community college institutions. The
purpose is not to evaluate but observe Puente techniques and markers as they are
implemented in the classroom, the college, and within the mentor system.

The Counseling Component
 Are students recruited year-round? If so, how?
 Is academic advising and monitors student progress until transfer?
 Are students motivated to pursue college education through exposure to
college visits and educational/cultural field trips?
 Are students informed about college applications, admissions, and financial
aid processes for transferring?
 Actively involves and provides information to Puente parents and family
 Teaches the Personal Development class.

The Puente English Component
 Instructor serves as English teacher for pre-transfer level and transfer level
courses.
 Builds a sense of familia among Puente students and instills carino within
pedagogical practices.
 Incorporates Mexican American/Latino literature, issues, and culture into the
core college preparatory curriculum.
 Syllabi reflect Puente readings?
 Explores concepts of community, leadership, and service with students.
 Designs mentor writing assignments and dovetailing assignments with
counselor.

The Puente Mentoring Component
 Recruitment of Puente mentors from professional community.
 Provides training and matched with students
 Encourages students’ motivation to reach potential career and educational
goals.
 Provides student access to community role models.
 Fosters development of professional networking skils
 Develops student social and cultural capital.

 Instills the value of “giving back” to the community.

Professional Development Program for Puente Teachers and Counselors
 Training Events (year-round)
 Foundational Puente Summer Institute: seven-day intensive residential
training on UC-Berkeley campus.
 Ongoing: team training, component training, mentor training workshops,
modeling, coaching.
 Training Principles
 Research-based
 Experiential
 Led by experienced practitioners and content-area experts.

Puente’s Professional Development Program for Team Members
 Sustained and intensive
 Pedagogical content knowledge
 Culturally competent asset-based approaches and practices
 Engaging community and integrating culture
 Team building
 Connections with universities and research

Creating an interdisciplinary community of practice
 Share a common vision
 Share an understanding of participants as change agents
 Share common practices and common discourse
 Share a deep understanding of theoretical underpinnings of approaches
 Share ritual, routines, and traditions
 Provide access to statewide network of experts

Sustaining a college support system within Puente
 Do administrators attend Puente functions?
 Are administrators and college personnel serving as mentors?
 Has the college provided necessary personnel and budget to support the
classes, the coordinator’s time, and Puente activities?

 Is Puente signage prominently displayed for all students (in counseling and
student activities area)?

CTN Puente Site Observation for Site Administrator

Goal: To examine the dynamics of Puente at community college institutions. The
purpose is not to evaluate but observe Puente techniques and markers as they are
implemented in the classroom, the college, and within the mentor system.
The Counseling Component

 Are students recruited year-round? If so, how?
 Is academic advising and monitors student progress until transfer?
 Are students motivated to pursue college education through exposure to

college visits and educational/cultural field trips?
 Are students informed about college applications, admissions, and financial

aid processes for transferring?
 Actively involves and provides information to Puente parents and family
 Teaches the Personal Development class.

The Puente English Component
 Instructor serves as English teacher for pre-transfer level and transfer level
courses.
 Builds a sense of familia among Puente students and instills carino within
pedagogical practices.
 Incorporates Mexican American/Latino literature, issues, and culture into the
core college preparatory curriculum.
 Syllabi reflect Puente readings?
 Explores concepts of community, leadership, and service with students.
 Designs mentor writing assignments and dovetailing assignments with
counselor.

The Puente Mentoring Component
 Recruitment of Puente mentors from professional community.
 Provides training and matched with students
 Encourages students’ motivation to reach potential career and educational
goals.
 Provides student access to community role models.
 Fosters development of professional networking skils
 Develops student social and cultural capital.
 Instills the value of “giving back” to the community.

Professional Development Program for Puente Teachers and Counselors
 Training Events (year-round)
 Foundational Puente Summer Institute: seven-day intensive residential
training on UC-Berkeley campus.
 Ongoing: team training, component training, mentor training workshops,
modeling, coaching.
 Training Principles
 Research-based
 Experiential
 Led by experienced practitioners and content-area experts.

Puente’s Professional Development Program for Team Members
 Sustained and intensive
 Pedagogical content knowledge
 Culturally competent asset-based approaches and practices
 Engaging community and integrating culture
 Team building
 Connections with universities and research

Creating an interdisciplinary community of practice
 Share a common vision
 Share an understanding of participants as change agents
 Share common practices and common discourse
 Share a deep understanding of theoretical underpinnings of approaches
 Share ritual, routines, and traditions
 Provide access to statewide network of experts

Sustaining a college support system within Puente
 Do administrators attend Puente functions?
 Are administrators and college personnel serving as mentors?
 Has the college provided necessary personnel and budget to support the
classes, the coordinator’s time, and Puente activities?
 Is Puente signage prominently displayed for all students (in counseling and
student activities area)?

6. Section G. – COMMUNICATIONS

Introduction to Social Media

Social media is the best way to transmit platforms to students, funders, faculty
and stakeholders for promoting Puente student success on your campus. This
toolkit is customized to your community college.
FACEBOOK
Set up the following posts on your college’s Facebook page:
*A note for best practice: Use images with posts to drive up engagement—
signage, logo, photos of students on campus or in classrooms.

What: Let your community know that you are making student success a
priority!

 Back from the AACC annual convention—4 days, 2,000 education leaders,
1 goal—Student Success. Share if you’re ready for success on your campus.

 Be proud to join the growing group of AACC community colleges
committed to student success.

How: Tell them what actions Puente is taking to improve students’
educational experiences:

 From classrooms to careers, we’re creating new pathways to transfer
success for our students. See how: link to press release, blog, or letter to
the editor.

 Be proud to join a nationwide movement to increase community college
degrees and transfer rates.

 Increase college degree completions by 50% by 2020.
 The American Dream matters. That’s why we partner with government,

private companies, and other public institutions to connect students with
universities they want and careers they want.
 We partner with local K-12 schools to help students successfully make
the transition to community college, universities, and return as leaders of
the communities.

Spread the word: Share your press release, blog or letter to the editor so the
public has more information about Puente.

 We are excited about our agenda for student success. Share and encourage
staff and faculty to write opinion-editorial pieces to area newspapers how
Puente is creating pathways for student success.

 Check out (staff member’s name) blog posts on how your campus is taking
action to promote student success.

 Encourage signage and take actions to improve Puente students’ educational
experience on your campus.

Twitter
The following tweets can be incorporated onto your college’s Twitter account:

*A note on the #StudentSuccess hashtag below: This hashtag was chosen
because of its nationwide conversations among universities, technical and
community colleges. Using catchthenext.org, include your Puente activities and
photos of student success activities.

WHAT: let your community know that you are making student success a
priority!

 Back from #AACC Annual—4 days, 2000 educational leaders, 1 goal:
#StudentSuccess. RT if you’re ready for success on your campus.

 Be proud to join growing group of #Comm_Colleges to #StudentSuccess to
show your support.

 @Comm_College: Get ready to kickstart the #StudentSuccess plan on your
campus.

HOW: Tell them what actions Puente is taking to improve students’
educational experiences!

 From community college experience to university pathways. Puente is
creating new pathways to career success and transferring for our students.

 Be proud to be part of a nationwide movement to increase #commcollege
degree completion rates.

 Puente is using new tech and training to prep our students for today’s
economy.

 #StudentSuccess matters. That’s why we match students with mentors so
they can experience the links and stories of success with community leaders.

 We partner with community mentors and immediate intervention with
counseling staff to prepare students for success.

Spread the word: Share your press release, blog post or letter to the editor so
the community has more information.

 Be excited and promote Puente through press releases that target success
stories of Puente students.

 Promote stories of outstanding best practices through opinion-editorial
articles and letters to the editor.

 Initiate monthly Puente student success story—especially first generation
students making new pathways.

 Initiate monthly Puente faculty who are making a difference—especially an
alumni from your campus giving back to the community.

Wiki—CTN

The following links are user-friendly sites for CTN Fellows and Affiliates to
use for surveys and other protocols.

http://ccpsi.pbworks.com/w/page/40685431/FrontPage

WIKI 2

Please go to:
http://ctnext.pbworks.com/w/page/51953413/FrontPage

http://ctnext.pbworks.com/w/page51953413/FrontPage

WIKI 3

http://ctneval.pbworks.com

The Wiki has been created for the storage of our surveys from all the colleges. This information is
confidential so it is restricted. Only individuals covered under the institution's IRB can make use of the
information for publications purposes. At the meeting we will discuss protocols for the WIKI.

Please enter the WIKI www.ctneval.pbworks.com to review the survey findings for each of the Colleges
prior to our meeting. If you can not access the Wiki, please contact the lead for the WIKI at your college
for access. The leads are: Irma for El Paso, Pedro for Alamo, and Dr. Wang for STC. Below are the
instructions for the WIKI John sent prior to the holiday.

Thanks,

Maria Martha
CEO, Catch the Next, Inc
______________________________________________

Greetings to the CTN evaluation team.

I've created a password-protected wiki, and sent invitations to this group. You should have one in your email
inbox. You'll be asked to log in and create a password.

The website address is: www.ctneval.pbworks.com

Maria, the email address you will use for this account is: [email protected] You have administrator
privileges.

Lanette, Pedro, Irma, Maricela and Jinhao, you will use your academic email addresses. You have editor privileges - you
can add and edit information as well as view what is on the site.

This is the professional level version of pbworks, which allows zip data export and sophisticated levels of password-
protected access.

Puente Implementation: Message and Talking Points

Messages and talking points
The following brief messages, sound bites, and talking points to use when writing
and talking about the implementation plan. These do not take the place of more
detailed descriptions but instead are easy-to-say statements that avoid jargon and
include multiple audiences:

 Community colleges are institutions of the American Dream. Our students’
dreams are our mission

 To fulfill our student success mission, the Puente Program is taking on the
obstacles that get in the way of achieving the dream.

 Teamwork and a proven Puente curricula is ensuring students to become
stronger, work smarter, and push harder to get them to achieve their goals.

 CTN Program in Texas is a good start toward transforming the community
college experience and promoting success in the 21st century.

 An award-winning program begun at the University of California-Berkeley,
Texas Puente has achieved higher success rates than non-Puente programs.

 Hundreds of educators and leaders from across the country have examined
and researched Puente best-practices and because of it, the Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board has touted Texas Puente as innovative and
instrumental in helping students transition to universities.

 Community college leaders are advancing a plan to be the change-agent.
 The Puente Model has a proven success record in helping students earn their

degrees, prepare for transfer to universities, and achieve the dream.
 The Puente Model knows where students get stuck or lost on the transfer path

and provide counseling and mentoring to achieve their goals.
 Puente Program graduates have been successful in California for the past 35

years and CTN Puente will follow the same trajectory.

How to publish ffoorr Ca TpNee:rJ-roeuvrineawleodf jIodueransaal nd Pedagogy—Rafael Castillo

Hundreds of journals—both hard copy and online—exist that have open submission guidelines for
scholar practitioners. A newsletter is a good start. The article that Diane Lerma submitted to the
Puente Newsletter is both interesting and practical because it presents new knowledge and builds
upon existing knowledge, adds to the discipline, and makes a convincing case for its own
acceptance in journals.

An article for publication in the Puente newsletter should be original work that presents new
knowledge about an old subject. In fact, this new knowledge may be conceptualized in the standard
APA, MLA, or Chicago format because most academic journals publish research articles,
perspectives, case studies, and editorials about the field. In our case, the field of study is
mentoring, counseling, teaching INRW, College English and higher education.

What topics are we looking for when submitting?

Critical expositions or researched articles based on original investigations or a review of
literature.

Case studies based on analytical reports of projects or activities that are taking place within the
scope of Puente, teaching English, mentoring or comparisons in other settings.

Reflective or opinion pieces, perspectives are indeed commentaries addressing issues or
practices concerning Puente issues or their constituents.

Best practices are probably your save bet because imbedded in them are professional resources
ready to be used in annotated bibliographies designed for practical use within the profession. Or
essays that review academic developments in specific areas. New initiatives and broader trends
are topics that can be examined with an eye toward critical thinking such as merging the
Humanities with STEM.

Rafael Castillo
Executive Editor, CTN: Journal of Ideas and Pedagogy
Rafael. [email protected]

Content

You’ve probably heard the cliché that states:

Tell them what you want to tell them.

Tell them what you have to tell them.

Tell them again what you’ve told them.

This archaic formula used since Cicero’s time can be applied to professional papers. In the first section, clearly
set out your thesis or research question; in the second section, explain your research thesis in as much detail
you can, support it with previously published research studies; and last, add your conclusion, generally, sum up
what you have been talking about in your essay.

Topic

A research article should deal with one—and only one—fairly narrow issue, presenting your arguments and
conclusions as succinctly as possible. Keep your thesis firmly in mind and avoid digressions. While your research
must be original in that it is trying to present new knowledge, at the same time, it is building on the work and
ideas of others. Your research may take many different forms. It may be a literary analysis of a particular topic,

it may be a quantitative study, or it may be a case study that supports your thesis. Whatever form the research
takes, the paper must make a convincing case for your argument.

Structure

Abstract

All articles should be accompanied by a 100-word abstract.

Introductory Material

This first section of the paper should clearly set out the question that the paper addresses, how you plan to
address it, and why it is worth addressing in the first place. This section should include:

A general introductory paragraph

and how you plan to demonstrate it.

e as much context for the study as possible is important for the reader. One
may know everything about this topic but it may be new to our audience. Background information may include
history, definitions, methodology and any other information that the reader needs to know in order to understand
your topic and your approach.

Literature Review

Scholarship is an iterative process. Research that you publish is one cog in an ever-rising technological wall.
Your addition will be placed upon the research of others and they in turn will use your materials as part of their
base. Related literature provides context for your study and often demonstrates how a specific topic has been
developed within a discipline. You may wish to replicate studies initiated by others. Therefore it is essential to
begin any research article with a review of the related literature. If you do not explicitly discuss how your
scholarship relates to the scholarship of others, only those familiar with the literature will be able to understand
how your work fits in with others. It is also easier for others to build upon your work if they have a better idea of
the professional landscape into which your work fits.

Methodology

This part of the process explains what type of paper you are writing and so a section describing your methodology
is obligatory since the reader wants to know how you gathered or analyzed your data.

Main body of the paper

This is the substance of the paper. Depending on the nature of your paper it could be a case study, the
quantitative findings, the qualitative history, a literary analysis using content specific critical lenses such as post-
colonial theory, reader-response, semiotics, or any prominent theory current in use.

One way to develop the body of the article is to develop an outline of headings and sub-headings. Beginning with
an outline forces you to think through your entire article and can help you identify any holes in your presentation.
Once you have the outline completed, you can then fill in the outline by adding text to the headings and
subheadings.

Conclusion

Depending on the nature of the paper, the conclusion could be a summary of findings or draw conclusions from
the materials you have presented. The conclusion should flow logically from the rest of the essay, but it should
be more than simply a restatement of what you have done. It might summarize the main points and could also
suggest further research and investigation or a call to action.

Minor pitfalls and danger zones
One rarely finds contractions in formal articles. Words like “didn’t,” “couldn’t,” and “wouldn’t” should not appear
in professional writing. Use the full words instead.
Passive Voice: Diane Lerma was the principal speaker at the Puente Convention” is clearer and more concise
than “At the Puente Convention, the principal speaker was Diane Lerma” The former is simple and
straightforward; the latter is wordy and clumsy. Passive voice often blurs responsibility and accountability and is
frequently found in bureaucratic writing for these reasons. Occasionally you will have no choice but to use
passive—for instance, when the subject of the sentence is unknown—but in most cases you should use the
active voice.

In professional writing, the author is assumed to have “distance” from his or her subject. In general, you should
write as an outside observer, not a participant, and you should treat the reader in the same way. Pronouns such
as I or we may be suitable for reporting research results or case studies. The pronoun you is usually inappropriate.

Incomplete Sentences: Every sentence must have a subject and a verb, unless it is part of a direct quote. There
are no other exceptions to this rule.

Imprecise Language: Use words that express your point exactly. For example, if you write, “George W. Bush was
a good president,” the reader will probably be left wondering what you mean. You might mean he was effective,
strong, or morally upright.

Excessive Wordiness: Do not use more words than you absolutely need to make your point. For instance, do not
write “Barack Obama was a man who knew how to rule” when “Barack Obama knew how to rule” will work just
as well. Do not write “time period,” when either “time” or “period” will suffice. Do not write “due to the fact that,”
when a simple “because” will do, or “in order to make your point” when “to make your point” will suffice. Sentences
often begin, “There is something that acts.” Shorten and clarify by stating, “Something acts.”

Useless your research calls for direct quotations. Avoid excessive Quotation: Often writers who have yet to
develop their own “voice” have a tendency to use a lot of direct quotes from other authors. This is tedious for the
reader, and likely to leave him wondering whether you have anything original to say. Wherever possible,
paraphrase the work of other authors instead of quoting them directly.

Style

End notes should conform to standard bibliographic style found in the latest edition of Chicago Manual of Style.
For websites, please use the following form to note the date when it was accessed: accessed day month year.

Proofreading

The first draft is never the last. Review what you have written again and again, until you are completely satisfied
with the result. Ask yourself some hard questions: Is my introductory paragraph sufficiently enticing to the reader?
Are all of my statements (and particularly my thesis statement) clear and easily understood? Have I given the
reader enough background to understand my argument? Do all of my points of discussion back up what I said in
the thesis statement? Does my concluding paragraph follow logically from the rest of the essay? Before finally
submitting the paper it is often helpful to have someone else read and proofread it for you.