1 promising early effects of a multifaceted program to boost graduation rates for at-risk students...
TRANSCRIPT
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PROMISING EARLY EFFECTS OF A MULTIFACETED PROGRAM TO BOOST
GRADUATION RATES FOR AT-RISK STUDENTS
DREAM 2013Anaheim, California
February 6, 2013
Sue Scrivener, MDRC Daniela Boykin, City University of New York
Richard Rivera, Kingsborough Community College
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Session Outline
• Context and importance of Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP)
• ASAP’s history, goals, and model• ASAP at Kingsborough Community
College• Early effects for students• What’s next• Q & A
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Context
• Only about 1/3 of community college students get a certificate or degree within 5 years
• Recent unprecedented national focus on the importance of increasing graduation rates for community college students
• Many reforms have been tried
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Past MDRC Research
• Studied several reforms, including enhanced academic advising, student success courses, learning communities, performance-based scholarships
• In general, programs can improve academic outcomes, but effects typically modest and short-lived
• College completion rates remain stubbornly low and field still seeking reforms that can substantially help students
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Why Look at ASAP?
• The City University of New York’s (CUNY’s) Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) is multi-faceted and long-lasting– Brings together many promising reforms– Provides services for three years
• One of the most ambitious efforts in the country to boost graduation rates for at-risk community college students
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CUNY ASAP:Who We Are
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CUNY Community College Students
79%
In need of remediation
66%
Re-enroll after a year
13%
Graduate in 3 years
Source: CUNY Office of Institutional Research 2011
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Address barriers and streamline student experience
• Students are poorly prepared• Education is
often competing for their time• Colleges are
large with many departments, majors and procedures
“Minimize students’ uncertainty to increase engagement.”
Chancellor Mathew Goldstein
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ASAP History• Goal: At least 50% of students
will complete an Associate’s degree within three years
• 2007: – CUNY funded by Mayor’s
Center for Economic Opportunity (CEO) at $6.5 million annual budget for three years
– ASAP launched 1,132 fully skills proficient students* across six CUNY community colleges
*28% of fall 2007 ASAP students had some developmental needs when recruited and addressed over summer.
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ASAP History• Fall 2009:
– ASAP begins to admit students with developmental needs
• Spring 2010:
– ASAP exceeds 3-year graduation goal with fall 2007 cohort
– ASAP funding now a permanent allocation to CUNY
• Fall 2011:
– Fall 2009 cohort 2-year graduation rate four times higher than comparison group
– CUNY Chancellor announces plans to expand ASAP
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ASAP Today…– Recruited 1,500+
new students in fall 2012
– Serve 2,200+ students
– Expanding to 4,000+ students by fall 2014
28%
In 2014, ASAP will serve
of first-time full-time degree seeking students
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Play Video here
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ASAP Design Principles
• Required full-time study • Limited number of majors
• Sample Majors: Liberal Arts, Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Accounting, Human Services, Early Childhood Education
• Consolidated class schedule • Cohort design by major • Winter and summer course taking• Dedicated full-time staff at each college• Rigorous evaluation and use data
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ASAP Resources and Services
ASAP Financial Resources: • Tuition waivers• Free use of textbooks • Monthly MTA MetroCards
ASAP Services:• Case management advisement• Academic support services• Faculty engagement• ASAP Seminar• Career development services• Special programs
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ASAP Structure
ASAP Central
ASAP Bronx Community
College
ASAP BMCC
ASAP Hostos
ASAP Kingsborough
ASAP LaGuardia
ASAP Queensborough
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ASAP at Kingsborough Community College
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KBCC Profile• 70 acre campus located in
Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn
• Founded in 1963; only community college in Brooklyn
• Serves over 30,000 students in credit and non-credit courses
• Offers 2-year Degrees: Associate in Arts (A.A.), Science (A.S.) and specialized careers (A.A.S.)
• Offers nearly 700 courses in 30+ majors
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ASAP College Staffing Structure
Under Provost:• College Director• 6 Advisors (1:100)• Career Employment Specialist• Administrative Assistants• Supplemental Instructors & Tutors
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What Makes ASAP Effective…
Support students by: • Removing financial
barriers to full time study• Organizing classes in
block schedules (morning, afternoon and evening blocks) to accommodate work &/or other commitments
• Assigning them to an advisor to help address many of the stresses that deter students from receiving degrees
• Developing a connection to the college and building community
• Accessing comprehensive and relevant support services
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Admissions Criteria • Must be a New York City
resident
• Agree to study full-time in an ASAP
• Continuing students must have less than 15 credits and a GPA of 2.0 or above
• Be fully skills proficient or have no more than two developmental course needs
• Receive some need-based financial aid (PELL and/or TAP)
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ASAP Program Components
• Financial Incentives:
– Tuition waivers (PELL/TAP recipients)
– Free use of textbooks
– Unlimited monthly MTA MetroCards
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ASAP Program ComponentsASAP Services:
• Intensive Academic Advisement
• Blocked Courses• Priority Registration• Supplemental
Instruction & Tutoring• Career Development
Services• Leadership
Development• Laptop Loaner
Program • Academic & Cultural
Opportunities‐ Honors Program‐ Travel Abroad
Program
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The Recruitment Process• Recruitment begins in the
Spring Semester & runs through August
• ASAP students & staff present to continuing students in classes during Spring Semester
• Work with Testing & Freshmen Services to screen academically eligible students
• Academically eligible students must then provide FA confirmation
• Students meet with ASAP Staff to review requirements & expectations
• Students with developmental needs are encouraged to attend summer immersion
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Building A Community
• Students with a developmental need are strong encouraged to attend summer immersion classes
• Students (parents invited too) are required to attend a Summer Orientation Meeting
• Students are required to attend a two day summer orientation (1st Day ASAP focused & 2nd Day Campus Fest)
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Developmental Policies • Students w/ more than 1
developmental need are required to enroll in Summer Immersion
• All students are expected to take developmental courses immediately & continuously
• Students take a mix of blocked remedial courses and workshops
• Tutoring is required for students w/ developmental needs
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Supportive Community
• ASAP Seminar and workshops
• Career Employment Specialists
• Additional campus supports
• Advisement
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ASAP Advisement • Dedicated full-time staff
with a 1:120 caseload• Work with advisor
through graduation• Contacts builds
relationships and student comfort – number of contacts per semester are determined based on needs of students
• Assess and address academic and personal needs
• Follow-up with faculty about attendance and progress via mid term progress reports
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MDRC’s ASAP Evaluation
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The Evaluation
• MDRC is studying the implementation of ASAP and its impacts on students’ academic outcomes
• Study is taking place at three of CUNY’s six community colleges: Kingsborough, Borough of Manhattan, and LaGuardia
• Study began in 2009 and will continue through 2014
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Random Assignment Research Design
Target
• Targeted population invited to participate in study
Consent &
Data
• Participants give consent• Baseline data collected
Random
Assignme
nt
• Program group – Students can enroll in ASAP• Control group – Students can receive standard
college services
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Students in the Study
• Low-income students who needed one or two developmental courses and were willing to attend school full time
• About 900 students randomly assigned in 2010– Almost 2/3 women–Most relatively young– Racially diverse
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Early impacts are very promising
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Increased Full-Time Enrollment in First Semester
*p ≤ .10 ***p ≤ .01
2.5*10.6***
Enrolled Enrolled Full-time0
20
40
60
80
100
96.4 95.894.085.2
Program group Control group
Enro
llmen
t (%
)
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Increased Average Credits Earned in First Semester
Program group
Control group Difference
Total credits earned College-level Developmental
11.48.52.9
9.37.61.7
2.1***
0.9***
1.1***
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Helped Students Complete Developmental Courses in First Semester
0
20
40
60
80
100
Program group Control group
Com
plet
ed d
evel
opm
enta
l req
uire
men
ts (%
)
14.7***
***p ≤ .01
46.6
31.9
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Increased Enrollment in Second Semester
9.8***
20.6***
***p ≤ .01
Enrolled Enrolled Full-time0
20
40
60
80
100
90.3
80.580.4
59.8
Program group Control group
Enro
llmen
t (%
)
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Comparing Impacts on Credits Earned in First Semester Across
Studies
ASAP
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
Impacts on credits earned in MDRC's higher education experimental evaluations
Estim
ated
Impa
ct
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Conclusions and What’s Next
• Early findings very promising• Too early to speculate about
longer-term outcomes like graduation
• Future reports will present two- and three-year impacts, including graduation rates, and full implementation story
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Source: CUNY Office of Institutional Assessment and ASAP Colleges
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ASAP Expansion• Core program elements recommended for
consideration across CUNY to improve retention, movement through developmental education, and graduation.
• structured degree pathways• immediate and continuous developmental course
taking• mandatory advisement• incentives for full-time study
• Expansion over next 3 years; expected enrollment of 4,000+ students by 2014
• Expansion planning efforts supported by CEO• Central & college planning teams developed
plans • Launched a citywide outreach & marketing
campaign • Additional funding to be raised by CUNY
Academic Affairs
