1. Reshaping the College Transition: Improving the High School to College Pathway
March 2017
UMA Summit
Elisabeth Barnett, PhD
Senior Research Associate

2. About CCRC Community College Research Center
Based at Teachers College, Columbia University
Research organization, founded in 1996
Focused on assessment, completion, pathways, college readiness, outcomes, evaluation of models and initiatives
Lead organization in three USDOE national centers
WEBSITE:

3. Today’s presentation
Research on improving the high school to college pathway
DURING HIGH SCHOOL
Summer bridge programs
Early assessment
Transition courses
Dual enrollment
IN COLLEGE
Improving assessment
Guided pathways

4. Many students are not ready for college (NCES, 2013)

5. Students needing remediation are less likely to graduate college (Attewell, Lavin, Domina, and Levey, 2006)

6. Building Student Momentum from High School Into College
A report that builds on:
Prior CCRC work on momentum points
A belief in the power of K-12 and higher education partnerships
Research evidence on what works in the high school to college transition.

7. Promoting College Readiness
Students need to graduate high school college-ready in three domains
Every student needs work in each of these areas. This creates a “momentum chain.”
Academic knowledge and skills
Non-cognitive skills
College cultural capital

8. A Momentum Chain System
Student should accumulate both experiences and attainments that create a momentum chain.
Every student is monitored using a tool like this.

9. SOLUTIONS?
PROCESSES, POLICIES– Ways to structure the student experience to achieve better outcomes.
PROGRAMS–
Specified activities offered to selected students to achieve better outcomes.

10. Developmental Summer Bridge Programs

11. Developmental Summer Bridge Study (2009-12)
DSBs were implemented by 8 colleges in Texas
Research was done by NCPR
Implementation study
Random assignment study of student outcomes
Cost study

12. Programs in the DSB Study (2009)
Sponsored by and located at a college
Offered to recent high school graduates
Four to five week interventions ( hours)
Accelerated instruction in developmental math, English, and/or reading
Academic and student services support
“College knowledge” component
Student stipend of up to $400 for completers.
-The specific program was conducted at 8 open access institutions in Texas, 6 ccs and 2 nonselective 4 year institutions. The program was geared toward recent high school graduates. The program was 4-5 weeks and students attended for hours. Students were offered instruction in their academic area of need – math, English and or reading. Students were purposively grouped into cohorts so they could begin to form a peer support network. Students were well supported in their academics as the program provided tutors and the use of writing and math labs. In addition to the academics, there was explicit institution on college knowledge skills. This included workshops and seminars on financial aid, selecting a major that aligns with career goals, and information on how to access and navigate available college services. Students who successfully completed the program were also provided a 400 stipend. This was provided as a way to help offset time for missed work so students could devote more time to their studies.
The programs contained the common elements listed here but should be noted that individual institutions tailored the program to meet the needs of their local students
Preliminary Findings: Do Not Circulate

13. 2009 DSB Students

14. DRAFT impact section for June 7 webinar
11/28/2017
Impact Findings
Texas Developmental Summer Bridge programs:
Did not impact college enrollment or persistence (cumulative semesters enrolled).
Did not impact credits earned over 2 years.
Accelerated students’ initial progress through college-level math and writing in the first year.

15. Students passing college-level math**
3.5
***
5.7
***
46.5
7.4
9.4
42.6
43.0
35.6
36.9
32.3
28.2
***
22.8
5.9
10.7

16. Students passing college level writing
3.3
4.5*
5.3**
5.0*
71.7
69.0
68.3
64.8
63.2
64.5
59.6
58.2
4.1*
32.9
28.8

17. Summary of 2009 Program Costs
Total costs ranged from $62,633 to $296,033 per site.
Average costs ranged from $840 to $2,349 per participant; the average across 8 sites was$1,319.

18. Thoughts on summer bridge courses
Well designed bridge courses are a lot of work, expensive, and hard to make appealing to students.
Bridge courses can increase students’ preparation for college math and English courses.

19. Early College Readiness Assessments and Transition Courses

20. Reshaping the College Transition Research
Early college readiness assessments: Assessments administered no later than the 11th grade that measure students’ readiness to successfully perform entry-level, credit-bearing postsecondary work.
Transition curricula: Courses, learning modules, or online tutorials developed jointly by secondary and postsecondary faculty and offered no later than 12th grade to students at risk of being placed into remedial math or English in college.

21. Potential of early college readiness assessments
Theory:
Knowledge is power. Students and schools can take action to help students become college ready by graduation.
Evidence:
Participation in California’s early assessment (EAP) reduced students’ probability of taking remedial courses in college by 6.1 percent in English and by 4.3 percent in math.
Howell, Kurlaender, and Grodsky (2010)

22. Potential of transition courses
Theory:
A full year course in math or English can be offered to students in the 12th grade…
At no extra cost
Offering high school credit
Meeting colleges’ criteria for college readiness.
And some include a mechanism for placing out of developmental education.
Evidence:
Promising descriptive results from high schools and colleges.
Emerging more rigorous research results.

23. 50-state scan (Barnett et al, 2013)

24. New York At Home in College (AHC):
Designed and administered by CUNY’s Collaborative Programs
Early assessment: Regents exams
Transition courses in English and math, with College Knowledge component
62 participating high schools (1,903 students)

25. Difference In Differences Design Outcomes Estimated:
Primary
(all within one year)
College readiness at college entry in math/English
Passing gatekeeper course in math/English
Secondary
College enrollment
College credits earned
Developmental education credits earned
Attempted a gatekeeper course in math/English

26. Impact of At Home in College - Math*

27. Impact of At Home in College - English* *

28. Tennessee Seamless Alignment and Integrated Learning Support (SAILS):
Community college initiated and supported; state funded
Student placement based on ACT score in 11th grade
5 online math modules that mirror the community college curriculum
Completers place out of college deved; some take dual credit math

29. SAILS - results From Fay, 2016
College students completers of deved math %
High school completers of SAILS % of students in schools studied
From Boatman, 2016
Participating in the SAILS program appears to positively impact high school graduation and enrollment in college.
The effects are driven largely by 2-year college enrollment.
SAILS students are more likely to enroll in college- level math in their first year in college.

30. Thoughts on transition courses
There are students with many different needs below the college ready cut-off.
Courses are informed by diverse views of college readiness.
Courses are “owned” to different degrees by K-12 and higher education.
It appears helpful if students place out of developmental education upon finishing the course.

31. Dual Enrollment

32. What is dual credit?
Dual credit: Students receive both high school and college credit for a college class successfully completed.
Dual enrollment: Students are concurrently enrolled in high school and college. They may or may not receive high school credit for college courses completed.

33. Types of dual credit Pathways from high school into college
Career pathways
Blended school designs
Middle/early colleges
Singleton or cafeteria style
Running Start- WA
Sequence of dual credit courses
Project Lead the Way

34. Why the excitement?
 academic rigor in HS (senioritis)
 academic HS options and electives
 students who see themselves as “college material”
 recruitment of students
 college costs- families and state
 time to degree (college)

35. Karp et al (2007) Analyses of dual credit outcomes in:
Florida: Used data set of all dual enrollment participants and sub-sample in CTE majors
NYC: Used CUNY data set of dual enrollment participants from CTE high schools
Research also looked at subgroups of students such as low-SES and male students

36. Findings from Florida
Dual enrollment participation positively related to:
Students’ likelihood of earning a HS diploma (4.3%)
Enrolling in college ( 7.7%)
Persistence to the second semester of college
Higher GPAs one year after HS graduation (.21)
Remaining enrolled in college 2 years after HS
More credits earned 3 years after HS graduation (15.1)
Male and low-income students benefited more from dual enrollment participation than their peers

37. Multiple Measures for Assessment and Placement

38. Assessment and Placement Research
By: Clive Belfield & Peter M. Crosta — February New York: Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University
This paper uses student-level data from a statewide community college system to examine the validity of placement tests and high school information in predicting course grades and college performance. It considers the ACCUPLACER and COMPASS placement tests.
The authors find that placement tests do not yield strong predictions of how students will perform in college. Placement test scores are positively—but weakly—associated with college grade point average (GPA). The correlation disappears when high school GPA is controlled for.
In contrast, high school GPAs are useful for predicting many aspects of students’ college performance. High school GPA has a strong association with college GPA…and with college credit accumulation. A student whose high school GPA is one grade higher will have accumulate approximately four extra credits per semester.
The authors also calculate accuracy rates and four validity metrics for placement tests. They find high “severe” error rates using the placement test cutoffs. The severe error rate for English is 27 to 33 percent; i.e., three out of every ten students is severely misassigned. For math, the severe error rates are lower but still nontrivial. Using high school GPA instead of placement tests reduces the severe error rates by half across both English and math.

39. Multiple measures – some approaches
Exempting students from testing (Ohio, others)
Hierarchy of measures (North Carolina, some NY colleges)
Review panel looking at a range of measures (Wisconsin)
Decision bands (MN)
Use of an algorithm (SUNY, CA)

40. Predictors of Success: SUNY College 1
ENGLISH
MATH

41. Predictors of Success: SUNY College 2
ENGLISH
MATH

42. Guided Pathways

43. Research on choices and pathways
Recent work in psychology, marketing, and behavioral economics: more choice is not always better.
Students undertake surprisingly minimal search efforts regarding educational options…they often resort to trial and error.
Students end up taking courses without a clear plan, especially if they are undeclared or in liberal arts.
Students take courses that aren’t required to complete a credential.
(Scott Clayton, 2011)

44. Guided Pathways Defined (Johnstone, 2015)
These highly structured student experiences encourage completion by:
• Establishing clear roadmaps to students’ end goals that include articulated learning outcomes and direct connections to the requirements for further education and career advancement
• Incorporating intake processes that help students clarify goals for college and careers
• Offering on-ramps to programs of study designed to facilitate access for students with developmental education needs
• Embedding advising, progress tracking, feedback, and support throughout a student’s educational journey.
(Jenkins & Choo, 2014; Bailey, Jaggers, & Jenkins, 2015)

46. Summary of recommendations
Prioritize reforms over programs.
Look for ways to reach ALL students.
Seek to use the senior year to:
Become ready in math and English
Choose a meta-major
Experience college.
Measure what matters.
Make the education pathway easy to follow.

47. For more information ELISABETH BARNETT, barnett@tc.columbia.edu
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Community College Research Center Institute on Education and the Economy, Teachers College, Columbia University 525 West 120th Street, Box 174, New York, NY Telephone: