entering community college students: consciously creating critical connections 2012 fye conference...

Entering Community College Students:Consciously Creating Critical Connections

2012 FYE ConferenceSan Antonio, TX

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Center for Community College Student Engagement Research and service center at The University of Texas

at Austin, Community College Leadership Program

Currently serve 826 community and technical colleges across the United States, Canada, Bermuda, Nova Scotia, the Northern Marianas, and the Marshall Islands

Provide national and college-level data on student engagement (approx. 1.7 million respondents), faculty engagement, and promising high-impact institutional practices

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Center for Community College Student EngagementSurvey of Entering Student Engagement (SENSE), • administered during the 4th and 5th weeks

of the fall term• focuses on students’ experiences from

the time they decide to attend through the end of the first three weeks of the term

Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE), • administered in the spring term • gathers information from students about

their overall experiences at the college

Community College Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (CCFSSE), • administered in conjunction with CCSSE

to all faculty teaching credit courses• gathers information on instructors’

perceptions of student experiences and about teaching practices and use of professional time

Community College Institutional Survey (CCIS), • collects information on identifying and

promoting high-impact educational practices in community colleges

• gathers information about whether and how colleges implement a variety of promising practices

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Creating Critical Connections

Are community and technical colleges setting priorities that align with the needs of their entering students?

How do we know?

What are entering students saying about their earliest experiences at the college?

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What the Data Say

Source: A Matter of Degrees: Promising Practices for Community College Student Success, A First Look(2012) Center for Community College Student Engagement National Report

79% of entering students aim to complete an associate degree; yet fewer than half (45%) of entering students who intend to earn an associate degree or certificate meet their goal within six years.

72% of students who took a placement test report that they needed developmental education, but 82% of students say they never participated in supplemental instruction and 76% say they never participated in tutoring.

42% of part-time students and 19% of full-time students work more than 30 hours per week. But only 26% of entering students say a college staff member talked with them about their commitments outside of class to help them figure out how many courses to take.

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What the Data SayIn focus groups with students, what do they typically report as the most important factor in keeping them in school and persisting toward their goals?

Strong, early connection to someone on campus.

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Miss MaureenVideo Removed

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Placement

Advising

Orientation

First three weeks in class

Financial Aid

Registration

Effective Practice with Entering Students

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Engaged Learning

Academic and Social Support Network

Early Connections

Effective Track to College Readiness

Clear Academic Plan and Pathway

High Expectations and Aspirations

Benchmarks of Effective Practice

SENSE Benchmarks: Groupings of

conceptually related items

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Example: Benchmark Differences by Enrollment

Source: SENSE 2011 Cohort Data

Less than full-time

Full-time44

46

48

50

52

54

56

Early Connec-tionsClear Academic Plan and PathwayEngaged Learn-ing

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Example: Benchmark Differences by Developmental Education

Source: SENSE 2011 Cohort Data

Develo

pmen

tal

Non- D

evelo

pmen

tal

44

46

48

50

52

54

56

Early Connec-tionsClear Academic Plan and PathwayEngaged Learn-ing

Early Connections: Starting Right

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Early Connections in Detail

Assigned a contact person

Helped w/ financial aid qualifying questions

Someone learned my name

Provided info on financial aid

First time felt welcome

0% 20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

DisagreeNeutralAgree

Source: SENSE 2011 Cohort Data

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Early Connections

Male Female44

46

48

50

52

54

56

52.8

50.6

Males vs. Females

Assigned a contact person

Helped w/ financial aid qualifying questions

Someone learned my name

Provided info on financial aid

First time felt welcome

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Early Connections:Influencing Factors on Engagement

Baseline

Rec. Fin. Aid

Internat.

Develop.

Male

Certificate

Associates

Non-Trad. Age

First Gen.

Transfer

Hrs. Work

Part-Time

Non-English

-10 0 10 20 30 40 50

43.9

+3.9

+3.3

+2.6

+2.4

+2.3

+2.3

+1.2

+0.5

+0.2

-1.0

-1.7

-2.0

Source: SENSE 2011 Cohort Data

Clear Academic Plan and Pathway: Engagement through Goal Setting and Academic Planning

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Clear Academic Plan and Pathway in Detail

Talked to me about outside commitments (balance)

Helped me set goals and make a plan

Helped me select program or major

Able to meet at convenient time

Helped me to identify needed courses for first semester/quarter

0% 20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

DisagreeNeutralAgree

Source: SENSE 2011 Cohort Data

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Clear Academic Plan and Pathway: Developmental vs. Non-Developmental

Develo

pmen

tal

Non- D

evelo

pmen

tal

44464850525456

52.1

48.9

Developmental vs. Non-DevelopmentalTalked to me

about outside commitments

(balance)

Helped me set goals and make

a plan

Helped me select program or major

Able to meet at convenient time

Helped me to identify needed courses for first

semester/quarter

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Clear Academic Plan and Pathway:Influencing Factors on Engagement

Baseline

Rec. Fin. Aid

Certificate

Associates

Develop.

Internat.

Male

Non-Trad. Age

First Gen.

Transfer

Hrs. Work

Non-English

Part-Time

-10 0 10 20 30 40 50

44.6

+3.9

+3.3

+2.6

+2.4

+2.3

+2.3

+1.2

+0.5

+0.2

-0.4

-0.8

-1.4

Source: SENSE 2011 Cohort Data

Engaged Learning: Transitioning to the classroom

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Engaged Learning: What Happened Along the Way?

Source: SENSE 2011 Cohort Data

Female Male44

46

48

50

52

54

56

Early Connec-tionsClear Academic Plan and PathwayEngaged Learn-ing

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Engaged Learning:Influencing Factors on Engagement

Baseline

Non-Trad. Age

Develop.

Internat.

Transfer

Rec. Fin. Aid

Associates

Certificate

Hrs. Work

First Gen.

Non-English

Male

Part-Time

-10 0 10 20 30 40 50

43.3

+3.9

+3.3

+2.6

+2.4

+2.3

+2.3

+1.2

+0.5

+0.2

-0.5

-2.4

-7.3

Source: SENSE 2011 Cohort Data

A Look at Practice: Orientation, Student Success Courses, and Learning Communities

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Orientation

I attended an on-campus orientation prior to the beginning of classes

I enrolled in an orientation course as part of my course schedule during my first semester/quarter at this college

I was not aware of a college orientation

45%

7%

18%

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Impact of Orientation: A Profile

• Impact of orientation: + 4.7

Predicted Early Connections: 55.4

• Impact of orientation: + 3.4

Predicted Clear Academic Plan and Pathway: 49.8

• Impact of orientation: + 2.4

Predicted Engaged Learning: 40.2

For a male student, in developmental education, who received financial aid, attending part-time:

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Student Success CoursesIn which of the following types of courses were you enrolled during your first semester/quarter at this college?

A course specifically designed to teach study skills and strategies to help students succeed in college (e.g., a college success or student success course)

27%

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Impact of Student Success Course: A Profile

• Impact of student success course: + 4.8

Predicted Early Connections: 56.7

• Impact of student success course: + 3.0

Predicted Clear Academic Plan and Pathway: 50.9

• Impact of student success course: + 4.9

Predicted Engaged Learning: 40.3

For a male student, in developmental education, who received financial aid, attending part-time:

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Learning CommunitiesIn which of the following types of courses were you enrolled during your first semester/quarter at this college?

An organized “learning community” (two or more courses that a group of students take together)

5%

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Impact of Learning Communities: A Profile

• Impact of learning communities: + 7.9

Predicted Early Connections: 57.5

• Impact of learning communities: + 5.5

Predicted Clear Academic Plan and Pathway: 51.3

• Impact of learning communities: + 9.3

Predicted Engaged Learning: 40.9

For a male student, in developmental education, who received financial aid, attending part-time:

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Connections Matter…

Video Removed

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Creating Critical Connections:

What are your college’s entering students saying about their earliest experiences?

SENSE data provide one way to find out…

Is your college setting priorities that align with the needs of your entering students?

Contact Information:

April JuárezProgram Coordinator, Student Success BY THE NUMBERS Initiative512-232-3744juarez@ccsse.org

Deryl HatchResearch Assistant512-471-6807hatch@cccse.org