1. Transitions from High School to College for First-Generation Students: Challenges and Opportunities
Heather Lattimer, EdD
Epipahny Alford
Sinai Cota
Cherylnn Mason
Alexis Migliaccio

2. General Background Lackluster college graduation rates –
Fewer than 6 in 10 students who enroll in a 4 year college will earn a degree within 6 years
Only 1 in 8 students who enroll in a 2 year college will successfully transfer and earn a bachelor’s degree within 6 years
Significant disparities based on income & background –
90% of college freshman from top income quartile will earn degree within 6 years; Only 11% of college freshman from lowest quartile will earn degree within 6 years
Across all individuals in 18- to 24-year age range, 54% of students from wealthy families earn degrees; 9% of students from poor families earn degrees.

3. General Background Significant cost and debt increases
Tuition has risen at 5x the rate of inflation over the past 30 years
Average student graduates with approx. $30,000 in debt
Nationally student debt in the U.S. exceeds $1 trillion
Concerns about college learning
45% of students made no gains in critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and communication skills during their first 2 years of college
36% made no statistically significant gains across all 4 years
“American higher education is characterized by limited or no learning for a large proportion of students” – Richard Arum & Josipa Roksa, Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses

4. General Background
College continues to be primary driver of economic mobility & financial stability
Average American adult with college degree earns 2x amount earned by average adult without a degree
Adults without a degree are 4x as likely to be unemployed
College graduates are happier, healthier, more likely to be married, be engaged parents, & contribute to their communities.

5. The San Diego Pipeline

6. The Study 1st generation college students 68 participants
Wide range of high school & college experiences
Narrative inquiry approach
High school experiences
College experiences
Transition from high school to college
Family, friends & community
Goals and expectations
Peer interviewers

7. Findings: Universal Strengths
Strong motivation to go to college
Family encouragement
Desire to “give back”
“College was a definite for me. I think it has a lot to do with my parents not being able to go to school and knowing that I have so many siblings that are going to follow in my footsteps. To show them what success looks like is really important to me.”
“My parents want me to succeed in life They want me to do the best I can. For my father, he wants me to continue on this path and finish college. I’m the only one in his family that would, that attempted and probably will finish college. That is the main goal for my parents right now.”
“My dad didn’t finish high school. He worked from the time he was 17, nonstop, 7 days a week. He knew that if he had at least finished high school a lot more doors would have been open for him. So it was always kind of like drilled into our brains that education is important. I think the majority of the reason I’m here is because of my parents and the majority of the reason I stay here is because of my parents.”

8. Findings: Universal Challenges
Poor Advising
I just haven’t had anyone or met anyone on campus who I feel some kind of guidance from. I feel like I am on my own.
I was on academic probation my first year but no one ever said anything. My professors could have said something when I was failing tests but no one reached out or tried to help.
I don’t have a mentor. I get the feeling that every student just kind of does their own thing, like they have to mentor themselves.

9. Findings: Universal Challenges
Lack of Community
It’s really hard. Particularly because everyone lives together and as soon as they get here they have a friend. They have a roommate and for me because I am a commuter it was more like I’m just here to go to class.
I definitely thought college was going to be a lot different than it is…. It hurts that I don’t have that many friends here and it is really unfortunate but at the same time I know why I am here. So. I don’t know. It’s a lot different than what I thought it would be.
In so many of my classes I feel like I’m just a number.

10. Findings: Universal Challenges
Uninspiring Teaching
In college I feel like I’m sitting in a class and I’m learning about stuff that I don’t feel like I’m ever going to need.
I feel like in college there’s a lot of lecture, lecture, lecture and you don’t really get anything out of it.
College professors go so fast with things that I can’t really retain the information as well as I guess some other students are used to because they went to high schools where they were used to having lectures every day.
For my first semester I kept on falling asleep in class. It isn’t that I wasn’t there to learn. It’s just that I was so bored that I kept on falling asleep.

11. Findings: Universal Challenges
Financial Stress
Not all the decisions that I’ve made at college have been financial ones but I can’t say that the money issues haven’t held me back.
I was on scholarship but even paying for half of the tuition was really rough. I had to work two jobs and I would work you know 30 hours a week and go to school full time at the same time. I had no free time at all. That was really rough.
It’s like, you’re going to this school because it has a good name but you are doing the same thing that you would at a community college, which is just commute, go home, not really talk to anyone. It makes me wonder if it is worth the cost.

12. Disaggregated Data: Linked Learning Schools
Strengths –
Higher Likelihood of Going to College
Strong Community of Support
I’m not sure I would have made it to college, certainly not a four year college, if I hadn’t gone to my high school where the teachers really cared about me and really pushed me. When I would hear a teacher say that she was proud of me, and hearing her telling me that like she believed in me, it made me believe in myself and think that I could graduate from high school and go on to college.
Prepared for Life after College
The main purpose of my school was not really to prepare you for college but to prepare you for life.

13. Disaggregated Data: Linked Learning Schools
Challenges:
Care & Community
In high school, like I said, the teachers really invested their time in you and really cared about you. So college was a hard transition. In my math class, specifically, the professor made it clear that she did not care whether I failed or I passed.
Pedagogical Differences
I didn’t really have the necessary study skills when I got to college. My high school taught me to how to manage projects and interview for internships but I didn’t know as much about taking notes during a lecture or studying for tests. I’m not sure how useful those things will be in real life, but for college it’s important that I know how to use quizlet to make flashcards.

14. Disaggregated Data: Community Colleges
Strength:
Easier Transition
“Initially I was sad to be going to community college but they really made me see the benefits that I got from it which was smaller class sizes, begin able to engage with my peers, my professors, understanding how much money I was saving. Talking with some of my friends who graduated from high school with me I actually think my first year experience was better than what they had at [four year universities.]”
Challenge:
Lower completion rates
San Diego 31% two year completion rate
San Diego 59% four year completion rate
Low transfer rates
U.S -- Only 1 in 8 students who enroll in a 2 year college will successfully transfer and earn a bachelor’s degree within 6 years

15. Youth Voices: In Their Own Words
Epiphany Alford – Mesa College Sinai Cota – San Diego State University Cherlynn Mason – San Diego State University Alexis Migliaccio – University of San Diego

16. Discussion
What aspects of the student experiences stood out for you? Why?
What are the implications…
For K-12 educators?
For colleges and universities?
For business and community partners?
How can the San Diego community work together to build K-16 success for students?

17. https://sites.google.com/site/hlattimerusd/
Thank You!
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@hlattimer