Best Practices for Serving Transfer Students

Ohio Transfer Conference May 30, 2008 Jill Oakley-Jeppe Educational Manager Higher Education Services The College Board

Preview

I.

The Community College Landscape: A Primer & Fact Book II.

III.

Critical Student Transitions The College Board’s Interest in Serving Community Colleges IV. Q&A, and Wrap-Up

Our Mission

•

The College Board’s mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. We are a not-for profit membership organization committed to excellence and in education.

equity

• • •

Membership

Community colleges need to be at the table with K-12 and four-year institutions The College Board is one of the few national organizations bringing together

all

to the table. education constituencies How do we grow community college membership?

I. The Community College Landscape: A Primer and Fact Book

• • • How can we describe effectively the scope and depth of America’s community colleges?

Who are the students that attend these institutions?

Let’s do the numbers…

Community Colleges are Geographically Accessible

• •

Number of community colleges: 1,158 This includes:

• 979 public community colleges • 148 private community colleges • 31 tribal community colleges American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), 2005

Community colleges are the least expensive higher education institution

•

Average annual fees/tuition for..

• Private four-year institution: $22,218 • Public four-year institution: $5,836 • Public community college: $2,272 The College Board, 2006

Community colleges enroll nearly half of all students in higher education

• • • • Total enrollment: 6.6 million students Comprise 46% of all higher education enrollment Comprise 58% of all higher education enrollment in

public institutions

Between 1993 and 2002, CC enrollment grew 17.6% compared to 13% for four-year institutions.

AACC, 2005

Community colleges attract students from diverse ethnic & racial backgrounds Race / Ethn icity African Am e rican Nativ e Am e rican As ian / Pacific Is lan de r His pan ic White Proportion of Com m un ity Colle g e En rollm e n t 12.0% Proportion of Four-Ye ar Colle g e / Un iv e rs ity En rollm e n t 11.3% Proportion of All Colle g e Stude n ts from Each Group e n rolle d in Com m un ity Colle g e 47.0% 1.2% 6.3% 13.7% 59.5% 0.8% 5.7% 9.0% 64.4% 57.2% 48.% 56.1% 62.2%

Community college students are generally older, but younger students are enrolling in greater numbers

• • • Average age of CC student: 29 years But 49% of all CC students are 24 years or younger In the last 10 years, the proportion of students under 22 years has increased from 32% to 42% of all CC enrollments AACC, 2005;

Chronicle of Higher Ed

, 2006

Community colleges are less well-off financially

• • Nearly 50% of all low-income students attend a community college About 10% of all high-income students attend a community college Kahlenburg, 2004

Community colleges attract more students who are first generation college goers

• • About 45% of all community college students come from families with no history of college-going.

For four-year institutions, this proportion is about 29% AACC, 2005

Community colleges attract more students with specific “risk factors” Public Community College Public 4 Year College Independent Status 61.2% Delayed Enrollment in College 50.3% Part time 66.1% Supports Dependents 35.4% Single Parent 17.2% Working Full Time 40.8% GED or No HS Diploma 11.6% Possesses 1 Factor 85.7% 34.3% 23.3% 30.2% 14.3% 6.3% 21.6% 3.6% 51.4%

Community colleges attract students who need help in basic skills

• As many as one-half of all entering community college students must complete at least one remedial course in basic English or mathematics

II. Critical Student Transitions: What’s Working and What’s Not…

• Central Issues • • • Student preparation for college Student persistence and transfer in college Student completion • Critical Transition Points • • High school-to-community college Community college-to-four-year institution

Focus on the basics…

High School to Community College Transition

• •

What’s working?

• The “second chance” function of community colleges

What’s Not?

• The “first chance” function of community colleges

Factors that Influence Bachelor’s Degree Completion

• • Behaviors (“Academic Momentum”) • Intensity and Quality of HS Curriculum • Doing well in that curriculum (upper 40% of class) • No delay between enrollment in high school and college • Participation in summer sessions • Completion of 20 units in first year of college Other Factors • SES • Educational expectations/aspirations Adelman, 2005, 2006

These same factors are negatively related to community college attendance

• • Behaviors (Lack of Academic Momentum) • (Low) Intensity of HS Curriculum • (Not) Doing well in that curriculum (upper 40%) • (Delay) between enrollment in high school and college • (No) Participation in summer sessions • (Less than) Completion of 20 units in first year of college Other Variables • (Low) SES • (Low) Educational expectations/aspirations

Second Chances are good, but…

• • “No problem…Community colleges are about second chances. If students lose out in high school, we can bring up to speed when they get to us…” True… but it is a gamble…Can we get them to enroll? Can we convince them to persist? Do we have the resources to help them sustain this effort?

…first chances are better.

• • • • Why? Because these students may lose “academic momentum” Nearly two-thirds come to CCs needing remedial assistance Many never complete their educational goals Some data suggest they’ve already lost momentum in high school….let’s take a look….

High school student perceptions of community colleges…

• • • Some students do not see the efficacy of working hard in high school as a means of achieving their educational goals.

This is especially true of low-achieving students (whether college-bound or not) This is

not

“senioritis”

Many low-achieving high school seniors believe they can earn a degree (Data from Rosenbaum, 2001)

“Even if I do not work hard in high school, I can still make my future plans comes true.” “People can do OK even if they drop out of high school.”

Non-College Bound Students 46% 44%

“School teaches me valuable skills.”

30% College Bound Students 44% 41% 28%

• • •

Students who believe they can earn a college degree in spite of low achievement, exert little effort in high school

HS students perceive school as irrelevant for their future lives

& believe that weak efforts extracts no penalty

But effort in high school is strongly related to whether students see school as relevant to their future lives “Effort variable” mediates effect of teacher help, school help, and parental help and is independent of a students’ SES

Long-term impact on college students who do not make an effort in high school

• •

Over 83% of students with low grades who planned to go to college and earn a BA degree fail to do so.

Over 92% of students with low grades who planned to go college and earn an AA degree fail to do so.

(Rosenbaum, 2001)

But if effort is so important, why are some students slacking off in high school….?

“…some youths have misread the American emphasis on opportunity. Although Americans may believe that society should provide youths…with ‘second chances,’ youths [believe] that school failures never matter and their efforts are not necessary…these attitudes may justify their poor effort in high school. “

(Rosenbaum, 2001, p. 64)

Are we sending a mixed message?

• •

The Paradox of Open Admissions

• We are open to all who might to benefit, offering unprecedented higher education access… • …but many students believe that such access comes at no cost…

Student perceptions are not entirely incorrect

“…low grades are not a barrier to enrolling in two-year colleges. College bound students who think high school effort is irrelevant to their future plans are partly correct – high school grades are not an obstacle to enrollment at two year colleges”

(Rosenbaum, 2001, p. 65)

How should we respond? Clarify our Messages

• • • High school grades are the most important predictor of success (and effort is the driver) Balancing the “access” message with the “preparation” message: Community colleges have open doors, but academic success must be achieved at a higher (college) level Rekindle academic momentum: Prevent delay to college, promote summer school, complete appropriate preparation for college.

How should we respond? Provide academic “check-ups”

• • Community colleges should offer academic “check-ups” to high school students • Identify basic skills strengths and weaknesses of students prior to community college entry • Tools: ACCUPLACER, PSAT Opportunity to align curricula, establish baseline criteria, and combat negative image of the community college

High School to College Transition

Continuing the College Board Success Model for students in K-12 prepares students well for community college success

Many CC Bound Students Begin Planning for College Here (Late 11 th or 12 Grade)

Advanced Placement® Pre-AP ACCUPLACER “Academic Check-Ups” in 12 th Grade PSSS PSAT/NMSQT

®

SAT ®

(Community) COLLEGE SUCCESS

CollegeEd

® : Information, Empowerment, and Inspiration

Springboard

™ : Critical Thinking and Academic Preparedness

The Community College-to-Four-Year College/University Transition

• What’s working?

• • • Student Satisfaction with Community College Remediation Policies Transfer • What’s not?

• • Need to transfer more students Need more counselors, planning tools, professional development • Policies that work against transfer and degree completion

Community College-to-Four-Year College/University Transition

Supporting community college students and counselors helps prepare students for the transition to a four-year college or university .

CC Counselor/Educator Resources (e.g., Counselor Sourcebook) Transition from High School “Academic Check Ups” (12 th Grade) ACCUPLACER

®

CLEP ® MyRoad ®

Transfer & BA Degree Success

Student Resources:

Information , Inspiration, Preparation

Students are satisfied

• • • Eight in ten students rate their community college experience as “good” or “excellent.” Seven in ten believe that the community college provided the support they needed to be successful. Nine in ten students would recommend a community college to a friend or family member.

Community College Survey of Student Engagement

, 2004

Factors Relevant to BA Completion (For all students)

• Earlier Variables that Remain Important… • • • • • • Quality and intensity of the HS Curriculum No delay between enrollment in high school and college Participation in summer sessions Completion of 20 units in first year of college SES (Educational expectations) Adelman, 2006

Factors Relevant to BA Completion (For all students)

• New Variables • • • • • GPA trend over time Cumulative (collegiate) math credits Continuous enrollment Part-time status (-) Excessive no penalty repeats/withdrawals (-) Adelman, 2006

Factors Relevant to Transfer (For community college students)

• • • •

Credits in collegiate math Credits in summer session Continuous enrollment Excessive no penalty repeats/withdrawals from courses

Adelamn 2006

Behaviors Relevant to Transfer and BA Degree Completion

• • • • Everything in earlier slide (Cumulative math credits, summer session, continuous enrollment, no excessive withdrawals/repeats), plus: More units completed at the community college “Classic” (Junior) transfer Part-time status (-)

Side Note 1:

•

Classic Transfer and “Swirling”

• • • For traditional aged students, transferring from a community college to a four-year institution is a positive factor in BA degree completion This is also true of four-year-to-four year college transfer (though not as significant) Swirling in and out of institutions (whether CC and/or four-year is negative)

Side Note 2:

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Remediation

• General view is that remediation is a drag on degree completion • No one recommends that students come to school needing help in basic skills that they should have gained in high school • But recent evidence shows that it is not a drag on transfer behavior, degree completion, or academic momentum

Side Note 2: Remediation

“That there is no difference in the large percentages of the two community college groups who completed course work in pre collegiate mathematics – 53 percent of the transfer bachelor’s [group] versus 57 percent of those who earned lesser (if any) credentials – suggests that this type of remedial work, while widespread in community college settings, by itself is not an impediment to earning a bachelor’s degree”

[Adelman, 2005, p. 59]

Side Note 3: The Paradox of Part-Time Enrollment

• Advantages • Promotes access for traditionally underrepresented groups • Represents a important element of the community college student-focused culture • Disadvantages • • Drags down AA, transfer, and BA attainment Does not prepare students well for the transition to a four-year college and university

Side Note 4:

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Grading Policies

• Excessive course withdrawals and repeats significantly undermine degree completion • Withdrawing from and repeating 20% or more of courses reduces probability of completing BA by nearly 50% • Analysis does not include courses added/dropped during regular “add/drop” periods • The analysis counts courses attempted (whether or not credited was awarded) Adelman, 2006, p. 73-74

Side Note 4: Grading Policies

• These grading policies are not unique to community colleges, but are nonetheless widespread • Fifty five (55) percent of all colleges & universities allow students to repeat any course for a better grade • Fifty five (55) percent allow students to repeat a course as many times as they wished • Four (4) percent of institutions do not allow repeats.

AACRAO Survey , 2002 (Quoted in Adelman, 2006, p. 74)

III. Summing Up

• • What’s Working… • • • • Second Chance Function Remediation Transfer Student Satisfaction What’s Not Working… • • • High School connection Not Enough Transfers Academic policies and practices that serve as disincentives to degree attainment (part-time enrollment & withdrawal and repeat policies)

• • • •

Advice to HS Students Preparing for Community College

Get an academic “check-up” in high school to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses Focus on math and English skills • To prepare for collegiate math and English Don’t delay in enrollment Earn college credit while in high school • • AP, dual enrollment, summer sessions Helps prepare for college, discourages delay, and begins the road to the 20 unit threshold.

• • •

Advice to Institutions (HS to CC)

• Partner with local high schools to administer diagnostic testing that… • • Helps prepare students for college Encourages curriculum alignment • Undermines negative perceptions of community colleges Maintain/enhance remedial programs Tighten up withdrawal/repeat rules Promote policies that accept college credit while students are in high school (AP, dual enrollment, summer sessions)

Advice to CC Students Preparing for Transfer

• • • Stay continuously enrolled (even if part-time!) Complete at least 20 units in first year Use summer sessions strategically to build and maintain momentum • • • • Complete at least one course in collegiate mathematics Complete at least one course in English composition Completion as many units as possible at the community college before transfer Don’t “swirl”

Advice to Institutions that Prepare Transfer Students

• • • • • • Implement a minimum progress requirement (to encourage continuous enrollment) Tighten up withdrawal/repeat rules Encourage skill building in collegiate math and English composition Encourage completion of major preparation Support transfer at the junior level allowing students to complete both GE and prepare for a major Expand advising services advising tools, and counselor professional development

• • •

IV. The College Board Community College Initiative

College Board wants to better serve community colleges as a means to: • Advance access and equity • Strengthen the high school-to-community college connection • Create professional development opportunities for community college counselors/staff • Highlight the importance of the transfer mission National Office of Community College Initiatives, guided by the Community College Advisory Panel Nationwide conversation with community college leaders

Foundational Strategies in Serving Community Colleges

• • • • • Advancing Access and Equity Supporting Student Preparation

and

Completion Leveraging College Board Expertise Listening and Responding Encouraging Membership, Partnership, & Leadership

Community College Advocacy

• • • • Community College Advisory Panel •

Destinations of Choice

Initiative National Commission on Community Colleges • Report due Early 2008 National Office of Community College Initiatives • Publications, Conferences, Sponsorship Membership • The Strategy for Future Engagement

Community College Web Site

Contact…

•

Jill Oakley-Jeppe

Educational Manager, Higher Education Services Midwestern Regional Office, The College Board 216-410-7730 [email protected]

• • • • • • • • • •

References

Adelman, C. (2205).

Moving Into Town – and Moving On: The Community College in the Lives of Traditional Age Students

. Washington DC: US Department of Education.

Adelman, C. (2006).

The Toolbox Revisited: Paths to Degree Completion from High School Through College

. Washington DC: US Department of Education.

Alliance for Excellent Education (2006).

Paying Double: Inadequate High Schools and Community College Remediation

(www.all4ed.org) Cohen, A. M. and Brawer, F. B. (2003).

The American Community College

Edition). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass (4th Handel, S. J. (2006). “Recommendations for Strengthening the High School-to Community College Transition: Preparing All Students for Student Success.”

Community College Trustee Quarterly.

Kahlenburg, R. D. (Ed) (2004).

America’s Untapped Resource: Low Income Students in Higher Education.

New York: The Century Foundation Press.

National Center for Public Policy & Higher Education (2006).

Measuring Up 2006: The National Report Card on Higher Education National Profile of Community Colleges: Trends and Statistics (2000 -- 3rd Edition).

Washington DC: American Association of Community Colleges. (www.aacc.nche.edu/)

Trends in College Pricing (Trends in Higher Education Series).

New York: The College Board (updated annually). (www.collegeboard.com) Rosenbaum, J. (2001).

Beyond College for All

. New York: Russell Sage Foundation