Presenters Rogeair D. Purnell Bri C. Hays A guide to help examine and monitor equitable access and success Assessing and Mitigating Disproportionate Impact in Matriculation Services

To start… By a show of hands, how many of you would say that your knowledge about and familiarity with disproportionate impact can be described as follows: A. I know everything there is to know B. I know just enough to get in trouble C. I know barely anything at all 2 Disproportionate Impact| RP Group Conference | April 2013

Session Objectives Define disproportionate impact Outline how to access and analyze available data Highlight promising mitigation strategies 3 Disproportionate Impact| RP Group Conference | April 2013

ENSURING STUDENT EQUITY Why the focus on disproportionate impact? 4

Advancing student success Student Success Taskforce Focus on Strengthening Support for Entering Students Student Success Act of 2012 “Refocus” core matriculation services so that more students are receiving these services while requiring colleges to use common assessments and an accountability scorecard Student Support (Re)defined 6 support success factors 5

DEFINING THE TERM What is disproportionate impact? 6

Definition (CA Ed code (d), Title 5) Disproportionate impact occurs when the percentage of persons from a particular racial, ethnic, gender, age or disability group directed to a particular service or placement based on an assessment instrument, method, or procedure at a rate that is significantly different from the representation of that group in the population of persons being assessed, and discrepancy is not justified by empirical evidence demonstrating that the assessment instrument, method or procedure is a valid and reliable predictor of performance in the relevant educational setting 7 Disproportionate Impact| RP Group Conference | April 2013

In Simpler Terms… Condition where some students’ access to key resources and supports and ultimately their academic success may be hampered by inequitable practices, policies and approaches to student support 8 Disproportionate Impact| RP Group Conference | April 2013

CALCULATING THE MAGIC RATIO How can I determine whether disproportionate impact is a concern? 9

Assessing for Disproportionate Impact Sample Research Questions: Do male and female students access counseling services in different proportions relative to their representation on the campus? Are younger students more likely to complete an orientation course? If a student is older (26 years or older), is s/he more likely to assess into basic skills level math? Is race/ethnicity associated with lower success rates in prerequisites in certain fields of study? 10 Disproportionate Impact| RP Group Conference | April 2013

The 80 Percent Rule The benchmark for the ratio of selection or participation rates between a minority group and the reference (majority) group Disproportionate Impact (<80%) = the access (or placement or success) rate for the given group ÷ the rate of the reference group 11 Disproportionate Impact| RP Group Conference | April 2013

RESOURCES TO HELP EXPLORE & MONITOR What if I need help to assess disproportionate impact as it relates to matriculation services? 12

Guide’s Focus Matriculation Services: designed “to increase community college student access and success”  Admissions  Assessment and Placement  Orientation  Counseling and Advising (education planning)  Follow-up (evaluation of student progress)  Prerequisites 13 Disproportionate Impact| RP Group Conference | April 2013

Guiding Questions ● Where is disproportionate impact an issue? ● What strategies and approaches have colleges successfully implemented to mitigate it? ● What data can be accessed to explore the issue? ● What relevant analyses can be conducted to monitor changes in disproportionate impact? ● How can colleges use this information for action planning and improvement? 14 Disproportionate Impact| RP Group Conference | April 2013

Guide Outline Context Available data Relevant analyses Guidelines for data analysis (80% rule) Sample data tables Highlighted areas for analysis Additional research questions Promising strategies and approaches Action planning for improvement 15 Disproportionate Impact| RP Group Conference | April 2013

Context: Matriculation Service Access and Outcomes ServiceWhen could DI be an issue? AdmissionsLate registration AssessmentPlacement decisions OrientationSession attendance Course enrollment / completion Counseling & AdvisingCompletion of ed plan Access to counseling Follow-upEarly alert warning Academic probation PrerequisitesRestricted access to courses w/ prereqs Retention and persistence in field of study 16 Disproportionate Impact| RP Group Conference | April 2013

Available Data 17 Disproportionate Impact| RP Group Conference | April 2013

Relevant Analyses: 80% Rule 18 Disproportionate Impact| RP Group Conference | April 2013

Calculation: Steps 1 and 2 1. Disaggregate the target population of students by gender, age, and ethnicity and calculate percentages for each group (e.g., 50% female, 50% male) 2. Calculate the percentage of students within each group that received a particular service, placed into a course or level, or met the prerequisite skill level for a course 19 Disproportionate Impact| RP Group Conference | April 2013

Calculation: Steps 3 to 5 3. Identify the majority or reference group and use that group’s percentage as the benchmark 4. To obtain the ratio, divide the percentages for each other student group (minority group) by that of the majority or reference group 5. Highlight any group with a ratio of less than 0.80 or 80% = disproportionate impact 20 Disproportionate Impact| RP Group Conference | April 2013

Example: The 80 Percent Rule 1. The majority ethnic group is White students 2. 60% of White students accessed the service 3. 60% would serve as the reference rate 4. Divide minority group’s rate by 60% (reference rate) 5. So, if 50% of Hispanic/Latino students accessed the service, divide 50 by 60 to obtain the ratio for Hispanic/Latino students (50 ÷ 60 = 83%). Since the ratio for Hispanic/Latino students is greater than 80%, there is no evidence of disproportionate impact for this group 21 Disproportionate Impact| RP Group Conference | April 2013

Sample Data Table: Orientation Ethnicity Fall 2010 First-Time Students Received Orientation Services Ratio African American2408%12050%83% American Indian/ Alaskan Native 301%1240%67% Asian30010%14448%80% Filipino1204%5042%70% Latino93031%46550%83% Multi-Ethnicity1806%10458%97% Pacific Islander301%1550%83% Other, non-white1204%7260%100% White1,05035%63060%100% Total/Overall3,000100%1,61254%-- 22 Disproportionate Impact| RP Group Conference | April 2013 Shaded group represents the reference group Bolded rows identify groups for which disproportionate impact has occurred

Promising Strategies & Approaches 23 Disproportionate Impact| RP Group Conference | April 2013 ServiceStrategies & Approaches AdmissionsNo late registration AssessmentHigh school transcript data OrientationStudent success courses Counseling & Advising Online degree audit Follow-upMandatory counseling / success course PrerequisitesAccelerated pathways

Action Planning: Questions for Consideration How are you monitoring disproportionate impact? What other factors may have contributed to the findings? Who is or needs to be involved in this effort? How often should available data be examined to note progress or a need for additional changes? Which groups of students are likely to be affected and/or targeted? What kind of training or professional development is needed? 24 Disproportionate Impact| RP Group Conference | April 2013

Q & A 25 Disproportionate Impact| RP Group Conference | April 2013

For more information Check the RP Group website for updates! Rogeair D. Purnell RP Group, Senior Researcher Bri C. Hays SD Mesa College, Campus Researcher 26

Thank You! 27