student success in college: puzzle, pipeline or pathway?

Student Success in Student Success in College: College:

Puzzle, Pipeline or Puzzle, Pipeline or Pathway?Pathway?

George D. KuhGeorge D. Kuh

Earl V. Pullias LectureEarl V. Pullias LectureUniversity of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California

September 27, 2006September 27, 2006

OverviewOverview

The “pipeline” problem

Theoretical perspectives

Student success framework Propositions and

recommendations Final thoughts

http://nces.ed.gov/npec/pdf/Kuh_Team_Report.pdfhttp://nces.ed.gov/npec/pdf/Kuh_Team_Report.pdf

Student Success in CollegeStudent Success in College

Academic achievement, Academic achievement, engagement in engagement in educationally purposeful educationally purposeful activities, satisfaction, activities, satisfaction, acquisition of desired acquisition of desired knowledge, skills and knowledge, skills and competencies, competencies, persistence, attainment persistence, attainment of educational objectives, of educational objectives, and post-college and post-college performanceperformance

Student Success QuizStudent Success Quiz

What percent of first-year high What percent of first-year high school students complete school students complete college six years after high college six years after high school graduation? school graduation?

(a) 18% (b) 27% (c) 40% (d) 68% (a) 18% (b) 27% (c) 40% (d) 68% (e) none of the above(e) none of the above

a. 1818%% (“participation rate”)

or e. – none of the abovenone of the above


What percent of high school What percent of high school seniors have college-level seniors have college-level reading skills?reading skills?

(a) 51% (b) 59% (c) 68% (d) 77% (a) 51% (b) 59% (c) 68% (d) 77% (e) none of the above(e) none of the above

e. 5151%% (ACTACT, 2006)


True or false:True or false:

26% of first-year first-time frosh 26% of first-year first-time frosh take one or more remedial take one or more remedial courses in college.courses in college.

FalseFalse. 40%. 40%


True or false:True or false:

About $300 million is spent About $300 million is spent annually on postsecondary annually on postsecondary remediation coursework.remediation coursework.

FalseFalse. $1-2 . $1-2 billionbillion

The primary weakness [is our] inability The primary weakness [is our] inability to help poor kids escape from the to help poor kids escape from the impoverished conditions in which they impoverished conditions in which they grow up… The vast majority of poor grow up… The vast majority of poor young people can’t even imagine going young people can’t even imagine going to college. By the time many poor kids to college. By the time many poor kids are sixteen or seventeen years old, are sixteen or seventeen years old, either they have already dropped out of either they have already dropped out of school or they lag well behind their school or they lag well behind their peers educationally. peers educationally.

Levine & Nidiffer,1996

32.N162FG12

Postsecondary Education OPPORTUNITY Association for Institutional Research – May 16, 2006 – Chicago, Illinois


About what percent of About what percent of community college students community college students return for the second year?return for the second year?(a) 29% (b) 33% (c) 50% (a) 29% (b) 33% (c) 50% (d) 61% (e) 77%(d) 61% (e) 77%

e.e. 5050%%

15% do not complete one 15% do not complete one academic termacademic term

Factors That Threaten Persistence and Factors That Threaten Persistence and Graduation from College Graduation from College

academically underprepared for academically underprepared for college-level workcollege-level work

first-generation college studentfirst-generation college student gap between high school and college gap between high school and college 30+ hours working per week30+ hours working per week part-time enrollmentpart-time enrollment single parentsingle parent financially independentfinancially independent children at homechildren at home


What percent of 1999-2000 What percent of 1999-2000 college graduates attended two college graduates attended two or more institutions?or more institutions?

(a) 14% (b) 26% (c) 33% (a) 14% (b) 26% (c) 33% (d) 42% (e) 59%(d) 42% (e) 59%

e. e. 5959%%

Theoretical PerspectivesTheoretical Perspectives

1.1. SociologicalSociological

2.2. OrganizationalOrganizational

3.3. PsychologicalPsychological

4.4. CulturalCultural

5.5. EconomicEconomic

What Really Matters in College: Student Engagement

Because individual effort and involvement are the critical determinants of impact, institutions should focus on the ways they can shape their academic, interpersonal, and extracurricular offerings to encourage student engagement.

Pascarella & Terenzini, Pascarella & Terenzini, How College How College Affects StudentsAffects Students, 2005, p. 602, 2005, p. 602

What the Research Says About What the Research Says About High School Student EngagementHigh School Student Engagement

More engaged More engaged students are less students are less alienated from their alienated from their schools and have schools and have higher levels of higher levels of academic academic achievementachievement(Norris, Pignal, & Lipps, 2003)(Norris, Pignal, & Lipps, 2003)

What the Research Says About What the Research Says About High School Student EngagementHigh School Student Engagement

Engagement is linked to:Engagement is linked to:PersistencePersistenceIntegration into school Integration into school

culture and participation culture and participation in extracurricular in extracurricular activitiesactivities

A school climate A school climate supportive of achieving supportive of achieving educational goalseducational goals

Various desirable Various desirable outcomesoutcomes

What do we know about high school engagement?

What percent of high school students spend less than 4 hours per week preparing for class?

9th – 30%

10th – 33%

11th – 34%

12th – 47%

What do we know about high school engagement?

What percent of high school students go to class without completing readings or assignments? (very often and often combined)

9th – 22%

10th – 23%

11th – 30%

12th – 33%

Other Findings Pertaining toOther Findings Pertaining toHigh School EngagementHigh School Engagement

Seniors disengagedSeniors disengaged

Average 1 hour of Average 1 hour of homework per nighthomework per night

Passive learning Passive learning dominates over dominates over active and active and collaborative learningcollaborative learning

Student Engagement TrinityStudent Engagement Trinity

What students What students dodo -- time and energy -- time and energy devoted to educationally purposeful devoted to educationally purposeful activitiesactivities

What institutions What institutions dodo -- using -- using effective educational practices to effective educational practices to induce students to do the right induce students to do the right thingsthings

Educationally effective institutions Educationally effective institutions channel student energy toward channel student energy toward the the right activitiesright activities

Good Practices in Good Practices in Undergraduate EducationUndergraduate Education

(Chickering & Gamson, 1987; (Chickering & Gamson, 1987; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005)Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005)

Student-faculty contactStudent-faculty contact Active learningActive learning Prompt feedbackPrompt feedback Time on taskTime on task High expectationsHigh expectations Respect for diverse learning stylesRespect for diverse learning styles Cooperation among studentsCooperation among students

National Survey of National Survey of Student EngagementStudent Engagement(pronounced “nessie”)

Community College Community College Survey of Student Survey of Student EngagementEngagement(pronounced “cessie”)

College student surveys that assess the extent to which students engage in educational practices associated with high levels of learning and development

NSSE SurveyNSSE Survey

Student Behaviors

Institutional Actions & Requirements

Reactions to People & Environment

Student BackgroundInformation

Student Learning &

Development

In your experience at your institution during the current school year, about how often have you done each of the following?

1

Grades, persistence, Grades, persistence, student satisfaction, student satisfaction, and engagement go and engagement go hand in handhand in hand

Behold the Behold the compensatorycompensatory effects of engagementeffects of engagement

Propositions and RecommendationsPropositions and Recommendations

1.1. The trajectory for academic success in The trajectory for academic success in college is established long before students college is established long before students matriculate. matriculate.

Ensure that all students have rigorous, Ensure that all students have rigorous, intensive pre-college academic preparation. intensive pre-college academic preparation.

Align high school curricula with college Align high school curricula with college performance standards.performance standards.

Develop comprehensive college readiness Develop comprehensive college readiness strategies that address the educational strategies that address the educational needs of all students.needs of all students.

Instill in K-12 educators an assets-based Instill in K-12 educators an assets-based talent development philosophy about talent development philosophy about teaching and learning.teaching and learning.


Which group has the lowest Which group has the lowest expectations for student expectations for student academic performance?academic performance?

(a) students (b) peers (a) students (b) peers (c) parents (d) teachers(c) parents (d) teachers

d. d. teachersteachers


2.2. Family and community support are Family and community support are indispensable.indispensable.

Expand the scale and scope of Expand the scale and scope of demonstrably effective college demonstrably effective college encouragement and transition encouragement and transition programs.programs.

Ensure that students and families Ensure that students and families have accurate information about have accurate information about college, including real costs and aid college, including real costs and aid availability. availability.


3.3. The right amount and kind of money The right amount and kind of money matters to student success.matters to student success.

Align financial aid and tuition policy Align financial aid and tuition policy so that financial assistance so that financial assistance packages meet students’ need. packages meet students’ need.

Create small pockets of emergency Create small pockets of emergency funds to meet student financial funds to meet student financial needs in “real” time.needs in “real” time.


4.4. At-risk students require early At-risk students require early interventions and sustained attention interventions and sustained attention at various transition points at various transition points

Clarify institutional values and Clarify institutional values and expectations early and often to expectations early and often to prospective and matriculating prospective and matriculating students. students.

What to Do?!?What to Do?!?

Student success requires that Student success requires that professors explain more things professors explain more things to today’s students that we once to today’s students that we once took for granted – took for granted –

““You must buy the book, you You must buy the book, you must read it and come to class, must read it and come to class, you must observe deadlines or you must observe deadlines or make special arrangements make special arrangements when you miss one”when you miss one”Prof. Richard Turner (1998, p.4)


4.4. At-risk students require early At-risk students require early interventions and sustained attention interventions and sustained attention at various transition points at various transition points

Clarify institutional values and Clarify institutional values and expectations early and often to expectations early and often to prospective and matriculating prospective and matriculating students. students.

Provide multiple learning support Provide multiple learning support networks, early warning systems, and networks, early warning systems, and safety nets. Ensure that all students safety nets. Ensure that all students have rigorous, intensive pre-college have rigorous, intensive pre-college academic preparationacademic preparation. .

Lessons from National Center for Lessons from National Center for Academic TransformationAcademic Transformation

If doing something is important, If doing something is important, require it (first-year students require it (first-year students don’t do ‘optional’)don’t do ‘optional’)

Assign course points to the Assign course points to the activityactivity

Monitor and intervene when Monitor and intervene when necessarynecessary

http://www.thencat.org/Newsletters/Apr06.htm#1http://www.thencat.org/Newsletters/Apr06.htm#1


5.5. Students who connect with someone Students who connect with someone or something are more likely to or something are more likely to persist.persist.

Make the classroom the locus of Make the classroom the locus of community.community.

Structure ways for more commuter Structure ways for more commuter students to spend time with classmates. students to spend time with classmates.

Involve every student in a meaningful way Involve every student in a meaningful way with some activity or some positive role with some activity or some positive role model in the college environment. model in the college environment.

Encourage students to live on campus at Encourage students to live on campus at least for the first year at institutions that least for the first year at institutions that have housing available. have housing available.


6.6. Institutions that focus on student Institutions that focus on student success are more likely to help their success are more likely to help their students succeed. students succeed.

Use effective educational practices Use effective educational practices throughout the institution. throughout the institution.

DEEP Practice Briefs

Available: www.nsse.iub.edu


6.6. Institutions that focus on student success Institutions that focus on student success are more likely to help their students are more likely to help their students succeed. succeed.

Use effective educational practices.Use effective educational practices. Use technology in educationally effective Use technology in educationally effective

ways.ways. Conduct periodic examinations of the Conduct periodic examinations of the

student experience, inside and outside the student experience, inside and outside the classroom.classroom.

Incentivize postsecondary institutions to Incentivize postsecondary institutions to identify and ameliorate debilitating cultural identify and ameliorate debilitating cultural properties.properties.


7.7. Focus assessment and accountability Focus assessment and accountability efforts on what matters to student efforts on what matters to student success.success.

Incentivize postsecondary institutions Incentivize postsecondary institutions to report and use information about to report and use information about the student experience to improve.the student experience to improve.

Develop an efficient way for colleges Develop an efficient way for colleges and universities to report back to high and universities to report back to high schools their graduates’ college schools their graduates’ college performance and use the information performance and use the information to improve.to improve.

Research NeedsResearch Needs

Determine effective approaches for Determine effective approaches for encouraging different types of students encouraging different types of students (e.g., first-generation, low income, students (e.g., first-generation, low income, students of color) to participate in and benefit from of color) to participate in and benefit from postsecondary encouragement programs. postsecondary encouragement programs.

Develop additional ways to assess the Develop additional ways to assess the ability to do college-level work. ability to do college-level work.

Further develop and refine assessment Further develop and refine assessment tools.tools.

Determine institutional policies and Determine institutional policies and practices that work best with different practices that work best with different groups of students at different types of groups of students at different types of institutions.institutions.

Research NeedsResearch Needs

Develop additional indicators of success for Develop additional indicators of success for different types of students.different types of students.

Determine appropriate ways to measure, Determine appropriate ways to measure, report, and use student success indicators report, and use student success indicators for accountability and improvement (e.g., for accountability and improvement (e.g., common template)common template)

Examine the motivations and quality of Examine the motivations and quality of educational experiences of “swirlers” -- educational experiences of “swirlers” -- students attending multiple institutions. students attending multiple institutions.

Determine what postsecondary institutions Determine what postsecondary institutions can realistically do at what cost to help can realistically do at what cost to help academically underprepared students academically underprepared students overcome the deficiencies they bring with overcome the deficiencies they bring with them to college. them to college.

student success in college: puzzle, pipeline or pathway?

Documents

college graduates

student success quiztrue

high school graduation

generation college studentgap

pdfstudent success

school culture

collegelevel reading

poor kids