Making Connections Dimensions of Student Engagement 2010 Findings

SOAR- Survey Outcome Assessment for Retention Why? Student Success – we want our students to succeed GRAD Act – our legislator’s want our students to succeed We spend a lot of money of surveys – let’s use what we have learned. Center for Community College Student Engagement

A word about the GRAD Act Over the next 6 years,  We must increase our First-time Full-time degree seeking Fall to Fall retention rate by 2.5%  We must increase our IPEDS GRS (percent of First-time, full-time degree seeking students who graduate within 150% of the normal time by 2%. While these may seem like small increases, it is very difficult to increase these rates. There are so many reasons students drop out that we have no control over. Center for Community College Student Engagement

CCSSE Community College Survey of Student Engagement The survey asks questions about institutional practices and student behaviors that are highly correlated with student learning and retention

The Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) provides a much-needed tool for assessing quality in community college education. CCSSE results help colleges focus on good educational practice — defined as practice that promotes high levels of student learning and retention — and identify areas in which community colleges can improve their programs and services for students. All our work is grounded in research about what works in strengthening student learning and persistence. Center for Community College Student Engagement

CCSSE: Background Information CCSSE data analyses include a three-year cohort of participating colleges.  The CCSSE Cohort includes more than 400,000 community college students from 663 institutions in 48 states, British Columbia, the Marshall Islands, Nova Scotia, and Ontario. Center for Community College Student Engagement

“I’m a divorced, single mother. I can and need to do this. If I fall down, my kids are going to fall down. If I’m standing, they will be there, right beside me.” Giving Voice to Students Carolina Villamar (left) and classmate Luisa Castano. 26-year-old single mother of a 6-year-old son and a 4-year-old daughter

“Students need someone to show them empathy, kick them in the butt, and raise the bar.” — FACULTY MEMBER Center for Community College Student Engagement

What have we learned about our students from CCSSE? The next several slides, come from information gathered by CCSSE Some of the charts will surprise you, others will confirm what you already know. Center for Community College Student Engagement

Key Demographics, Enrollment, and Attendance Most Students Are Enrolled Part-Time Many Full-Time Students Work Close to Full-Time Source: DCC Enrollment, spring Source: 2010 Delgado CCSSE data. Center for Community College Student Engagement Part-time students Full-time students who work more than 30 hours per week

Key Demographics, Enrollment, and Attendance Many Students Take Evening Classes Many Students Take Classes Online Source: 2010 Delgado CCSSE data. Source: Data from DCC 2010 enrollment. Center for Community College Student Engagement Students who take evening classes Students who have taken an online class

Community College Students’ Plans When asked when they plan to take classes at this college again, 23% of students had no plan to return or were uncertain about their future plans. Source: 2010 Delgado CCSSE data. Center for Community College Student Engagement

Barriers to Returning to College How likely is it that the following issues would cause you to withdraw from class or from this college? In addition, 51% of respondents say that transfer to a four-year college or university is a likely or very likely reason they would not return to this college. Source: 2010 Delgado CCSSE data. Percentage of students responding likely or very likely Center for Community College Student Engagement

Least Engaged Students* *This analysis does not include students who hold degrees. Source: 2009 CCSSE Cohort data. The least engaged community college students are:  Part-time students  Traditional-age students (those 24 and younger)  Students not seeking credentials  Students who have not completed 30 or more credits  Male students  Financially independent students (those using their own income or savings as the major source of tuition)  Students who work more than 30 hours per week  Students who have not taken developmental courses  Students who have not taken study skill courses  Students who have not participated in orientation  Students who have not participated in learning communities

CCSSE Benchmarks Benchmarks are groups of conceptually related items that address key areas of student engagement. CCSSE’s five benchmarks denote areas that educational research has shown to be important in quality educational practice.

Center for Community College Student Engagement CCSSE Benchmarks for Effective Educational Practice CCSSE uses 5 benchmarks to measure student engagement:  Active and Collaborative Learning  Student Effort  Academic Challenge  Student-Faculty Interaction  Support for Learners

How benchmarks are calculated Every college has a score for each benchmark, computed by averaging the scores on survey items that comprise that benchmark. Benchmark scores are standardized so that the mean — the average of all participating students — always is 50 and the standard deviation is 25. The most valuable use of benchmarks is to see an individual college’s deviation from the mean, and the standardized score provides an easy way to assess whether an individual college is performing above or below the mean (50) on each benchmark. Center for Community College Student Engagement

Delgado’s Benchmark Scores CCSSE Delgado Community College 2010 Benchmark Scores 50 is the mean score

Center for Community College Student Engagement Benchmarking — and Reaching for Excellence The most important comparison: where you are now, compared with where you want to be.

How Good Is Good Enough? The purpose of “benchmarking” is to compare performance of like institutions — and through that process, to identify opportunities for improvement and potential models of “best practice.” Center for Community College Student Engagement

Where do we want Delgado to be? Part of the SOAR initiative was to bring together a group to review the CCSSE 2010 results. That group after reviewing the survey results chose Active and Collaborative Learning as our focus. The next slides outline the reason for that choice. Center for Community College Student Engagement

Fifty is the average of all colleges participating. The chart below shows DCC compared to other Large colleges  The most meaningful comparison is of DCC to large colleges

Center for Community College Student Engagement Since we are below the mean of other large colleges in Active & Collaborative Learning and Student Effort, it would make sense to focus on one of them.

Center for Community College Student Engagement If we look at the benchmark scores for DCC over the last 7 years, Active & Collaborative Learning has consistently decreased, while Student Effort has increased. Therefore it was decided to make Active & Collaborative Learning the focus

What is Active & Collaborative Learning ? Students learn more when they are actively involved in their education and have opportunities to think about and apply what they are learning in different settings. Through collaborating with others to solve problems or master challenging content, students develop valuable skills that prepare them to deal with real- life situations and problems. Center for Community College Student Engagement

Active & Collaborative Learning (ACTCOL) The following seven survey items contribute to this benchmark. During the current school year, how often have you: Asked questions in class or contributed to class discussions ¹ Made a class presentation ¹ Worked with other students on projects during class ¹ Worked with classmates outside of class to prepare class assignments ² Tutored or taught other students (paid or voluntary) ² Participated in a community-based project as a part of a regular course ³ Discussed ideas from your readings or classes with others outside of class (students, family members, co-workers, etc.) ³ Center for Community College Student Engagement 1 -- Connections in the classroom, 2 -- Connections on campus, 3 -- Connections beyond the campus

Center for Community College Student Engagement Connections in the Classroom at Delgado Community College DCC vs. Large College Active & Collaborative Learning

Center for Community College Student Engagement Connections on Campus at Delgado Community College DCC vs. Large College Active & Collaborative Learning

Center for Community College Student Engagement Connections Beyond the Campus at Delgado Community College DCC vs. Large College Active & Collaborative Learning

Center for Community College Student Engagement How do different student groups score?

Center for Community College Student Engagement The Inarguable Fundamentals 1.The center of community college work is student learning, persistence, and success. 2.Every program, every service, every academic policy is perfectly designed to achieve the exact outcome it currently produces.

Center for Community College Student Engagement Connections at DCC by developmental students (ACTCOL) 1=Never, 2=Sometimes, 3=Often, 4=Very often Developmental students vs. Non-dev students

The Connection Gap

Center for Community College Student Engagement The Connection Gap  60% of community college students attend college part-time.  67% of community college faculty teach part-time.  Part-time faculty typically teach 50% - 66% (half to two-thirds) of all community college course sections.

Center for Community College Student Engagement The Connection Gap How can we include Part-time faculty in our initiatives? If Part-time faculty are not engaged – how can we expect the students they teach to be?

Center for Community College Student Engagement The Connection Gap After controlling for income and other demographics, NCES found:  15% of part-time students earned a degree or certificate in six years — compared with 64% of full-time students  73% of part-time students left college without earning a degree — while 72% of full-time students persisted