ACE Student Resources
ACE Student Learning Outcomes
ACE Student Learning Outcomes
Students who complete the ACE program will
- Communicate clearly in speaking and writing, using generally standard forms of English and
- Demonstrate the ability to understand different reading materials.
How do ACE faculty evaluate these outcomes?
ACE faculty assess these outcomes by paying close attention to district research reports,
following the California Community College State Chancellor's OfficeScorecard data
for ESL programs, studying pass rates for each ACE course, and using student comments
and ideas about program success and improvement to modify curriculum and/or classroom
strategies.
Are students achieving our ACE program outcomes?
1. ACE DEPARTMENT ASSESSMENTS
Students in the ACE program consistently indicate between 95% to 97% satisfaction
with their ACE experience and state that they have achieved better writing, reading
and speaking skills as a result of taking ACE courses.
2. DISTRICT RESEARCH
Historically, ACE students succeed in their other transfer courses at rates which
often exceed those of the general SCC student population.
3. STATEWIDE SCORECARD DATA
Information from the State Chancellor's Office shows how well each community college’s
basic skills students (students who start in classes below transfer levels) are doing
in transfer-level courses in Math and English. Year after year, statewide Scorecard
data indicate that ACE students are succeeding in English 101 at higher rates than
ESL students at several other Orange County community colleges.
SCC is very proud of its ACE/ESL students' focus, persistence and success!
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Meet with an SCC counselor in D-106, where you can get walk-in counseling. Making an appointment is better for you so that you have more time to discuss your needs. Together, you will review your Guided Self-Placement results along with other information which you provide. All of this will help you decide on the most appropriate course placement.
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Register for the appropriate ACE courses.
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Pay your fees within 3 days...or the computer will drop you automatically.
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Attend all class sessions, especially during the first two weeks. If you miss the first class meeting, the instructor can drop you. If you know you will miss any class during the first two weeks, email your professors before classes begin. If they don't hear from you, they will add students from their Wait List--and you don't want to lose a seat in any class this way!
Can I change to the ACE program if I'm in an English class that is too hard?
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YES! But you need to make all add/drop changes during the first two weeks of the semester so that you can receive accurate refunds and become comfortable in the new course. Be sure to talk to the ACE department chair or a counselor in D-106 for assistance.
Will the ACE program slow down my plans to transfer or look bad on my transcripts?
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NOT REALLY. First, most ACE students place into ACE 106 or ACE 116 and will need only a couple semesters of ACE courses before they are prepared for English 100/101. If you take English 100/101 too soon and don't pass, it will take you as long or longer and it will cost as much or more to finish because you will need to repeat the course! Second, ESL students may need to accept a more realistic plan for transfer. Many ESL students think they can handle all the work they have to do in English, but it is time-consuming and challenging to handle a full-time load completely in English. That's why it is so important for you to determine your BEST placement right from the beginning.
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GOOD NEWS--all ACE 100-level courses transfer to CSU and some UCs.
Are the ESL programs at Santiago Canyon College and Santa Ana College the same?
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They develop the same fluency skills, but they are organized differently. The chart below shows in general how the two programs compare. At SAC, the credit ESL program is called EMLS (English for Multilingual Students); at SCC, the credit ESL program is called ACE (American College English). The total number of units will differ depending on initial placement.
What if I'm a Continuing Education student? Can I take ACE classes?
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YES! We save about 10 seats in ACE 104, 094, 106, 095 and 091 for Continuing Education students as part of the guided pathway between our noncredit and credit ESL programs. Working with credit students you often realize that you are ready to study college credit classes and perhaps leading toward a degree or certificate. You will attend classes on the SCC campus with ACE students and do the same work as ACE students. Talk to Eden Quimzon at the Chapman Center about this opportunity, or on the SCC campus, visit the Continuing Education staff in U-80.
American College English/ESL Students: Who Are They?
ACE students come from diverse countries and range in age from recent high school graduates to people who have college degrees from their native countries. Some are coming back to school after a very long absence, maybe 20 years or more; others are just beginning the exciting adventure of college. The ACE program has enjoyed having students from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Cuba, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Argentina, Venezuela, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Pakistan, India, Taiwan, China, Mongolia, Vietnam, Laos, Korea, Japan, France, Italy, Myanmar and more. Come to SCC and add to our list of places represented!
Our classes are smaller than in many other colleges, and with our diversity, you enjoy more opportunities to interact with people from all over the world in English--the lingua franca of commerce and communication.
No matter where our students come from, they all share one goal: to gain greater fluency in speaking and writing college-level English as quickly as possible so that they can succeed in their other classes.