the role of community colleges in closing the gaps in access and success el centro college karen...
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The Role of Community Colleges in Closing the Gaps in Access
and Success
El Centro CollegeKaren Laljiani
Rick Leyva
Presented at the 28th Annual Conference of the Texas Association for Institutional Research, February 2006, Austin TX.
Objectives
• High Risk Students• Where are the Men?• Students of Color• El Centro Programs• Student Engagement at El Centro College• Future programs: H.S.I. Grants
High Risks Students• Students attending community colleges are three to
four times more likely than their counterparts in four-year colleges and universities to reflect four or more of the key risk factors. The risk factors are:
• being academically underprepared,
• not entering college directly after high school,
• attending college part-time,
• being a single parent,
• being financially independent,
• caring for children at home,
• working more than 30 hours per week, and
• being a first-generation college student.
CCSSE Survey 2005 Results
A Large Percent of El Centro Students Require Remedial Coursework
40.0%32.7%
66.1%
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
Perc
ent o
f Re
spon
dent
s
Dev Reading Dev Writing Dev Math
Students Either Planning to or Having Taken a Developmental Class at ECC
Self Reported on CCSSE, 2005
Many El Centro Students Juggle School and Children
32.1%
18.9%
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
20.0%
25.0%
30.0%
35.0%
Per
cent
of
Res
pond
ents
Care for Children at Home Single Parent
Students Who are Also Parents
Self reported on CCSSE, 2005
First-Generation Studentsat El Centro College
30.2%
47%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
Per
cen
t o
f R
esp
on
den
ts
Neither Parent EnteredCollege
Neither ParentCompleted Bachelors
First Generation College Students
El Centro College Students Contend with Competing Priorities
Most El Centro Students are Enrolled Part-Time
Part Time Students75%
Source: El Centro Student Data System
Most El Cento College Students Work
Students who work more than 20 hours per week
56%
Source: El Centro CCSSE Results
Closing the Gaps
• Where are the gaps in college access and success?
• What are the strengths of the community colleges in narrowing these gaps?
The Gender Gap: Where are the men?Women outnumber men on
college campuses
• Between 1970 and 2001, women went from being the minority to the majority of the U.S. undergraduate population, increasing their representation from 42 percent to 56 percent
of undergraduates (Freeman 2004). • Between 1980 and 2001, women also
received a majority of associates degrees (55-60%) and bachelor’s degrees (50-57%) (Peter and Horn, 2005).
The Gender Gap: Where are the men?Women outnumber men on
college campuses
• The percentage of young men going from high school to college today has scarcely changed since 1968, hovering around 61 percent. By contrast, the percentage of women enrolling in college increases every year, reaching 72 percent in 2004.
• This male-female disparity exists across all racial groups. Among white 18- and 19-year-olds in 2002, women outnumbered men on campus by about 2 percentage points. Among blacks, the figure was 6 percentage points and 5 percentage points for Hispanics. In all cases, the gap widens as the student population ages.
Michael H. Hodges / The Detroit News
Education of Minority Groups
• Steve Murdock, State Demographer, says Hispanics are fastest growing population in Texas, but are not entering college at the same high rate.
• If the education of minority groups does not improve, per capita income would drop from $23,404 in 2000 to $22,222 in 2020 — a decline of $1,182 or 5 percent when adjusted for inflation, the study predicts.
Alison BertGannett News Service
Education of Minority Groups
• “Over the past decade, the gaps have narrowed between whites and other ethnic groups in the proportions of students earning certificates and degrees relative to the numbers enrolled. Nonetheless, substantial gaps remain.”
» Measuring Up 2004: The State Report Card on Higher Education (Texas)
The Ethnic Gap: Success Rates of Students of Color
Ethnic and Gender Distribution, Spring 2005
White Female 17%
Black Female 29%
White Male 10%
Black Male 9%
Other Students 10%
Hispanic Male 8%
Hispanic Female 17%
White Female25%
Black Female22%
Other Female11%
Other Male4%
Hispanic Male3%Black Male
5%
White Male16%
Hispanic Female14%
Graduates, Spring 2005
El Centro Demographics
El Centro 2005FA Gender
23%
77%
Male Female
El Centro 2005FA Ethnicity
28%
28%
10%
34%
White Black Hispanic Other
El Centro 2005FA Male Ethnicity
32%
28%
30%
10%
White African American Hispanic Other
El Centro Male Distribution
El Centro College Programs for “High Risk” Students
• Brother to Brother Mentoring Program• Rising Star• TRIO • SURGE• Other Student Services (CCSSE)• Future: Hispanic Serving Institutions Grants
75%
50%
58.9%
60.4%
43.4 %
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Surge
Brother toBrother
TRIO
Rising Star
El Centro
2005SP to 2005FA Retention Rates
ECC Programs Graduation Rates Based On 2001FA Cohort
11%
27%
15%
1 11 21
TRIO
Rising Star
El Centro
% Graduates
Brother to Brother African American Mentoring Program
• Encourage academic excellence and success among the African American Male Students (ages range from 18-50 yrs old)
• Mentors work on a volunteer basis with students in the program
• Create lasting relationships and support networks among African American Men by bringing students, staff, faculty, and administrators together in variety of programs and activities
Brother to BrotherQualifications
• Must be enrolled at El Centro College
• Invitations were sent via email to all African American male students
• Currently, the program is expanding to include Hispanic males
Brother to BrotherBenefits
• 1 on 1 Advising with Mentor (encouraged to meet with mentor as often as possible)
• Financial Aid assistance- applying and answering questions
• Scheduling of Classes assistance• Build network with other students in program
(two meetings per semester)• Assistance finding employment
El Centro African American Male Population vs Brother to Brother
Completion
82 8578
88 83
97
0
20
40
60
80
100
2004FA 2005SP 2005FA
ECC Completers BB Completers
Per
cen
tag
es
El Centro African American Male Population vs Brother to Brother
Success (ABC Grades)
59
72
55
66
54
71
0
20
40
60
80
2004FA 2005SP 2005FA
ECC Success BB Success
Per
cen
tag
es
50
43
61
89
0 20 40 60 80 100
05SP to 05FA
05FA to 06SP
Brother to Brother ECC
ECC vs Brother to Brother Retention Rates
Rising Star Program
This Foundation guarantees high performing high school students the opportunity to earn a two-year college education from any one of the seven Dallas County Community Colleges with tuition covered.
Rising Star Qualifications
• Graduating from any Dallas County public high school or Dallas CAN! Academy
• Meet eligibility guidelines for financial assistance
• Graduate in the top 40% of class or have at least a "B" average or pass the required skills assessment exam (TSI) before enrolling in college classes
Rising Star Benefits• Academic support services
– Assigned advisors– One on one tutoring– Promote student engagement through community
projects, field trips, new student mentoring, and other special programming
• Up to $4,000 for tuition and books (covers two years of college)
• Funded by private corporations• Special introduction to college course for Rising
Star cohorts
El Centro Population vs Rising StarCompletion
84
88
83
85
84
86
808182838485868788
2004FA 2005SP 2005FA
ECC Completers RS Completers
Per
cen
tag
es
El Centro Population vs Rising StarSuccess (ABC Grades)
68
69
66
65
64
66
616263646566676869
2004FA 2005SP 2005FA
ECC Success RS Success
Per
cen
tag
es
ECC Rising Star Students Taking Developmental Courses
88
68
87
0
20
40
60
80
100
2004FA 2005SP 2005FA
% Rising Star Students
Per
cen
tag
es
43
60
86
61
0 20 40 60 80 100
05SP to 05FA
05FA to 06SP
ECC Rising Star
ECC vs Rising Star Retention Rates
El Centro and Rising Star 2005FA Ethnic Distributions
Rising Star Ethnicity
31%
3%3%
63%
White Black Hispanic Other
El Centro Ethnicity
28%
28%
10%
34%
White Back Hispanic Other
El Centro and Rising Star 2005FA Gender Distributions
El Centro College
31%
69%
Female Male
Rising Star
80%
20%
Female Male
TRIO- Educational Opportunity for Low-Income and Disabled
Americans
The program assists students to overcome class, social and cultural barriers to higher education. Individual attention is provided to the TRIO student in a personalized, supportive relationship with their TRIO Advisor who assists the student in setting and achieving educational goals.
TRIO services enhance successful retention, graduation and transfer outcomes
TRIO Qualifications
• El Centro student enrolled in at least 6 credit hours each semester
• Must meet two of these qualifications:– Either low-income, disabled, or first generation college
students (neither parent has received a bachelor’s degree)
TRIO Benefits
• One to one or group tutoring assistance • Advising/Counseling for degree/course selection,
career and registration• Assistance with Financial Aid and Scholarship
Applications • Transfer planning for 4-year college or university
including field trips to four year colleges• Referrals for social services, personal counseling, as
needed
TRIO Benefits cont.
• Workshops such as time management and study skills as well as cultural events in the arts, music, dance and theater
• Monitoring of academic progress and early intervention if problems arise
• Special events where students meet and reinforce each others' successes including Summer Orientation
• Information via weekly email and bi-annual newsletter on activities, trips, scholarships, jobs, etc. available only to TRIO students.
El Centro Population vs TRIOCompleters
84
82
83
81 81
80
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
2004FA 2005SP 2005FA
ECC Completers TRIO Completers
Per
cen
tag
es
El Centro College vs TRIOSuccess (GPA)
2.23 2.31 2.25 2.25 2.24 2.26
0
1
2
3
4
2004FA 2005SP 2005FA
ECC Success TRIO Success
El Centro Population vs TRIOSuccess (ABC Grades)
68
65
66
63
64 64
606162636465666768
2004FA 2005SP 2005FA
ECC Success TRIO Success
Per
cen
tag
es
59
88
43
61
0 20 40 60 80 100
05SP to 05FA
05FA to 06 SP
ECC TRIO
ECC vs TRIO Retention Rates
El Centro and TRIO 2005FA Ethnic Distributions
TRIO Ethnicity
63%
7%9%
21%
White Black Hispanic Other
El Centro Ethnicity
28%
28%
10%
34%
White Back Hispanic Other
El Centro and TRIO 2005FA Gender Distributions
El Centro College
31%
69%
Female Male
TRIO
82%
18%
Female Male
El Centro and TRIO 2005FA Age Distributions
El Centro College
27%
41%
3%
19%
10%
0%
<21 21-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 >60
TRIO
13%
47%
23%
14%3% 0%
<21 21-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 >60
Students in Underrepresented Gender Education (SURGE)
Program
This program offers male students who are in need of financial assistance and pursing degrees in male underrepresented programs such as:
• Paralegal• Nursing (LVN, RN or Medical Assisting)• Interior/Fashion Design• Office Technology• Accounting
SURGE Qualifications
• Financial need- if eligible for FA, they are also eligible for financial assistance from this program (Perkins Grant money)
• Must have a degree plan on file that shows they are a male in a female dominant program
SURGE Benefits
• $300.00 per semester for books and supplies• Participation in early intervention program• Advising by an ARC counselor
El Centro Male Population vs SURGE Completion
84 8877
84 82 79 83 8494
0
20
40
60
80
100
2004FA 2005SP 2005FA
ECC Males In Prog SURGE
El Centro Male Population vs SURGE Success (ABC Grades)
6877 72
66 69
5864
71 74
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
2004FA 2005SP 2005FA
ECC Males In Prog SURGE
75
43
61
89
0 20 40 60 80 100
05SP to 05FA
05FA to 06SP
SURGE ECC
ECC vs SURGE Retention Rates
El Centro and SURGE 2005FA Ethnic Distributions
SURGE Ethnicity
30%
40%
10%
20%
White Black Hispanic Other
El Centro Ethnicity
28%
28%
10%
34%
White Back Hispanic Other
El Centro and SURGE 2005FA Age Distributions
El Centro College
27%
41%
3%
19%
10%
0%
<21 21-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 >60
SURGE
28%
27%9%
18%
9%
9%
<21 21-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 >60
Other Services: CCSSE Data
El Centro College
44.0
46.0
48.0
50.0
52.0
54.0
56.0
58.0
Active and Collaborative LearningStudent EffortAcademic ChallengeStudent-Faculty Interaction Support for Learners
El Centro College scored among the 2005 high performing colleges in our size category on Student Effort and on Support for Learners
51.1
55.5
53.0
49.3
56.9
Student Effort
• Key Findings 2005 : El Centro College students were significantly more likely than the national average, medium colleges, and the Texas Small College Consortium students to use these services:
Percent of Students Who Sometimes or Often...
33
44
72
22
36
61
26
43
57
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Used peer orother tutoring
services
Used skill labs*
Used a computerlab
El Centro Medium Texas Small* Significantly different from other Medium Sized Colleges
Only
Support for Learners at El Centro
A significantly higher percentage of El Centro College students than the other groups said that they used these services...
Sometimes or Often...
59
38
5353
33
54
28
27
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Used academicadvising/planning
services **
Used careercounseling services*
El Centro Medium Texas Small All Colleges
*P<0.001 different from medium sized colleges.
** P<0.001 different from medium and Texas Small
Future Programs for Closing the Gaps- Hispanic Serving Institution
Grants
• Institutional Grant (Closing the Gaps)• Cooperative Grant with NLC
• Totaling $6,250,000
HSI- Institutional Grant
• Strengthening Institutions Grants (Title III and V)• 5 Year Grant• Hispanic Serving Institution- over 25% FTE
Hispanic and at least 50% low income• Coordinating Board plan to increase enrollment-
Closing the Gaps
Financial Aid
• The chances of staying in school and getting a degree by age 24 are more than 8½ times less likely for a needy student than one whose family has a combined income of more than $95,000, according to Postsecondary Education Opportunity.
• "One of the greatest problems in need-based financial aid is that the poor are the least able to understand what is available and how to get it.”
Doug Guthrie / The Detroit News
El Centro HSI Grant
• Hiring an additional financial aid person for student follow up
• Hiring student ambassadors (ftic student recruiters)
• Increase minority male recruitment
• Pilot assigned advisor program
• Summer activities for h.s. students (Xtreme Camp)
HSI Cooperative Grant with North Lake College
• 5 Year Grant for Hispanic Serving Institutions • Career Pathways
– NLC is our satellite for Nursing– We have strong Urban Education program– They want to improve their Education program– They have strong transfer program– We want to improve our transfer program
• E.g., New “Transition Center”
Thank You
Any Questions?
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