Table Of Content

Engagement By Design Summary of 2004Findings Community College Survey of Student Engagement Engagement By Design: A Call To Action Reflections: Reaching for Excellence Each year,the Community College ★serving disproportionately high CCSSEencourages colleges, policy- Survey ofStudent Engagement numbers oflow-income and first- makers, and other stakeholders to ask continually whether current performance (CCSSE)presents the results ofits generation college students;and is good enough; whether the national annual survey.These survey results help average is good enough; and what community colleges assess their educa- ★addressing all ofthese challenges measures of success ultimately are most while dealing with severe resource appropriate, relevant, and useful. tional practices so they can improve constraints. student outcomes in one ofthe most For this reason, CCSSEoffers two ways challenging and least understood sec- Overcoming these hurdles — providing to look at data. CCSSEbenchmarks — groups of conceptually related survey tors ofAmerican higher education. quality education and the necessary items that address key areas of student support to help all students meet their engagement — denote areas that educa- The challenges facing community tional research has shown to be important educational goals — is the driving force colleges include: in quality educational practice. Described ofcommunity colleges.It is their mis- with a standardized mean of 50, bench- ★providing full access to education sion.It is their job.And it is achievable. marks provide overviews of performance through open admissions; areas. They are useful for comparing per- It is true that most community college formance across several areas within an ★serving a diverse mix ofstudents students will continue to work,com- institution and comparing institutional performance to groups of similar institutions. with dramatically varying goals, mute,and have other demands compet- from earning a degree to receiving ing for their time.Many will continue Students’ responses to individual survey items, presented in absolute terms, are the on-the-job training; to feel that abandoning their education place to see exactly what is happening. is an easier path than continuing it. ★serving students who have signifi- Together, these two measures allow col- cant time commitments — to their But these challenges do not make stu- leges to gauge their performance and progress. Here, CCSSEoffers five ways families,their jobs,and their com- dent engagement impossible.They that colleges might reach for excellence munities — in addition to their simply indicate that student engage- in student engagement: studies; ment is not likely to happen by acci- 1. Use benchmarks to compare them- dent.Engagement,therefore,must be ★serving the students who were selves to the national average (the aver- intentional.It must happen by design. age of participating colleges, which is 50). least well served by their previous public school education and 2. Use benchmarks to compare them- selves to high-performing colleges. A therefore are most likely to have college might, for example, aspire to be academic challenges; at or above the 80th percentile on some or all benchmarks. 3. Measure their overall performance against results for their least-engaged Why Student Engagement? group. A college might aspire to make sure all subgroups within its population (e.g., full- and part-time students; devel- Research shows that the more actively engaged students are —with college fac- opmental students; students across all racial, ethnic, and income groups, etc.) ulty and staff, with other students, and with the subject matter they study — the more engage in their education at similarly likely they are to learn and persist toward achieving their academic goals. Student high levels. engagement, therefore, is a valuable yardstick for assessing whether, and to what 4. Gauge their work in areas their college extent, an institution is employing educational practices likely to produce successful strongly values. They might focus, for results — more students across all subgroups achieving their academic goals. example, on survey items related to service to high-risk students or on survey items related to academic rigor (e.g., are CCSSE’s survey, which is grounded in research, focuses on institutional practices and they asking students to read enough and student behaviors that promote student engagement. CCSSEworks with participating write enough?). colleges to administer the survey to their students. The colleges then receive their sur- 5. Make the most important compari- vey results, along with guidance and analysis they can use to improve their programs son: Where they are now, contrasted and services for students. CCSSEalso makes its results public on its Web site, with where they want to be. www.ccsse.org. CCSSEopposes using its data to rank colleges. ★ For more information about CCSSE, survey results, benchmarks, student engagement, and retention, visit www.ccsse.org. ★ Engagement By Design: Summary of 2004 Findings Practicing Engagement By Design Community college students have These facts and CCSSEdata indicate Given community college students’ strong aspirations for academic and that students may too often leave com- multiple obligations and the conse- career success.Asked to name their pri- munity colleges before they achieve quent constraints on their time,this mary goals,more than a quarter (27%) their goals.Just as important,CCSSE engagement is not likely to occur ofCCSSE2004 respondents said com- data indicate that many students are spontaneously. pleting a certificate program,59% not certain about their future educa- Community colleges,therefore,must named obtaining an associate degree, tional plans.When asked about their find ways to promote student success by and 53% said transferring to a four- educational plans for subsequent making engagement inescapable.The year college or university.More than a terms,only 11% ofCCSSErespondents good news is that community colleges third (39%) cited obtaining or updat- said they had accomplished their goals. do not have to do this work alone. ing job-related skills as a primary goal, It is encouraging that 67% planned to Taken as a whole,CCSSEresults,other while 29% named changing careers. return to their community colleges community college research,and expert within 12 months,but 17% ofrespon- Unfortunately,available data show a judgment suggest a number ofstrate- dents — nearly one-fifth ofthe stu- significant,persistent,unacceptable gies that can strengthen student engage- dents — said their educational plans gap between student aspirations and ment and improve student outcomes. were uncertain. student outcomes as measured by In addition,community colleges can graduation and transfer rates. The Role of Intentional, learn from one another.Following are Inescapable Engagement ★More students aspire to earn some promising engagement strategies, degrees than actually do.Only along with examples ofstudent engage- These figures identify significant per- one-quarter ofthe students who ment,provided by colleges ofall sizes, centages ofcommunity college stu- entered a public two-year institu- from all regions ofthe country. dents who are primary candidates for tion in 1995–96 with the goal of more effective engagement strategies. earning a degree or certificate had attained a credential at that institution by 2001,six years later.* ★More students aspire to transfer than actually do. 53% ofstudents cite transferring to a four-year col- Students’ Plans after the Current Semester lege as a primary goal (an addi- tional 21% name it as a secondary When do you plan to take classes at this college again? goal),but national data indicate that only about 25% ofstudents I will accomplish my goal(s) during this term and will actually do transfer.** not be returning 11% 17% Uncertain 5% I have no current plan to return Within the next 12 months 67% Source:CCSSE2004 data. *American Council on Education,“Student Success:Understanding Graduation and Persistence Rates,”ACE Issue Brief.Washington,DC:ACE Center for Policy Analysis,2003. **National Center for Education Statistics,Community College Transfer Rates to 4-Year Institutions Using Alternative Definitions ofTransfer.Washington,DC: U.S.Department ofEducation,2001. CCSSERespondents by Credit Hours Earned at the College STRATEGY 1 35 33.69% s Engage Early,Engage Often ent 30 d u Community colleges typically lose about Est 25 S S halfoftheir students prior to the begin- CC 20 20.48% ning ofthe sophomore year,and data of e 15 13.52% indicate that most students who leave g 12.96% a college before achieving their goals do so cent 10 10.74% 8.61% early in their collegiate experience. er P 5 Colleges can address this precipitous 0 credits 1–14 15–29 30–44 45–60 more than credits credits credits credits 60 credits loss ofstudents by designing engagement efforts that start from the Total credit hours earned at the college moment ofstudents’first interactions A typical semester for a full-time student is 12–15 credit hours.Sixty credits is the typical point at with the college — and continue with which students obtain an associate degree.If all students who started college completed an associate degree or the first half of a baccalaureate degree,the line between one and 60 credits would be flat. powerful focus during their first few weeks and months as college students. Source:CCSSE2004 data. Intentional Engagement Strategies sequences,giving students a better the beginning ofeach term.Throughout Sinclair Community College(OH) chance at early success.In addition, the campus,students can stop at infor- increased retention rates after better application deadlines are enforced,and mation tents for help finding classes or marketing their learning support and students are not added to classes after other resources.Office employees wear financial aid services. the class has met just once so real work “Ask Me”buttons,and faculty and staff can begin on the first day. create welcome stations stocked with The Start Right program at Valencia refreshments,maps,and other informa- Community College(FL) mandates Tallahassee Community College(FL) tion in academic building lobbies. developmental and prerequisite creates a positive,helpful environment at STRATEGY 2 Students’ Use of Academic Students’ Use of Career Stress Academic Advising Advising/Planning Services Counseling Services Having a plan — a clear goal and a don’t know step-by-step strategy for attaining it — rarely/never 36% don’t know 21% or n/a 10% or n/a plays a critical role in students’choosing rarely/never 49% 12% often 6% often to return to school the next day,next sometimes 42% 24% sometimes month,and next year.There are indica- tions from college data that the simple Source:CCSSE2004 data. act ofdeclaring a major (a form of articulating a plan) can be a key factor Unfortunately,more than a third (36%) confidence and decision-making skills. in student persistence. ofCCSSErespondents report that they Developmental advising helps make stu- rarely or never use academic advising/ dents self-sufficient.Faculty and staffare Thus,engagement efforts that encour- planning services,and nearly half students’advising partners,providing sig- age students to set and meet goals — (49%) report that they rarely or never nificant information and support.The such as academic and career advising — use career counseling services. expectation,however,is that as students can have a significant impact on stu- gain experience they will increasingly dent retention and,ultimately,student Intentional Engagement Strategies take the lead in defining and implement- success.Certainly the 17% ofstudents The LifeMap program at Valencia ing their educational and career goals who report that they are undecided Community College(FL) provides until,ultimately,they are directing their about whether they will return to col- developmental advising that supports own learning process.LifeMap includes a lege after the current semester are likely student planning (for education,career, variety ofelectronic tools,including candidates for such advising. and life) and aims to strengthen self- MyCareerPlanner and MyEducationPlan. ★ For more information about CCSSE, survey results, benchmarks, student engagement, and retention, visit www.ccsse.org. ★ Community College Survey of Student Engagement STRATEGY 3 In addition,most students who success- The Need for Developmental Courses Is High fully complete the prescribed remedial Which of the following have you done,are you Emphasize Effective course sequence become productively doing,or do you plan to do while attending this Developmental Education employed:16% as professionals;54% in college? Almost 50% ofall first-time community mid-level,white-collar,or technical Take a developmental reading course 27% college students are assessed as under- positions;and 20% as high-skill,blue- prepared for the academic demands of collar workers.Only 9% remain in Take a developmental writing course 31% college-level courses,and the numbers unskilled or low-skill jobs.** Take a developmental math course 47% are far higher in some settings.* Colleges Take developmental study skills 31% Intentional Engagement Strategies that design strategies to retain these stu- Prince George’s Community College dents learn that effective remediation Source:CCSSE2004 data. (MD) requires aspiring college students pays high dividends. who lack sufficient reading,writing, First and most important,students who and computational skills to complete *Roueche,J.E.,and S.D.Roueche,High Stakes,High Performance: benefit from effective developmental the college’s developmental program. Making Remedial Education Work.Washington,DC:Community College Press,1999;Grubb,W.N.,From Black Box to Pandora’s education will then have the opportunity The later academic performance of Box: Evaluating Remedial/ Developmental Education.CCRC Brief to be successful in college-level studies. those who successfully complete the 11.New York:Community College Research Center,Teachers College,Columbia University,2001. The reality is that without developmen- developmental program is as strong as tal education to level the playing field, the performance ofstudents who never **McCabe,R.H.,No One to Waste: A Report to Public Decision Makers and Community College Leaders.Washington,DC: they will not have that opportunity. needed remediation. Community College Press,2000. STRATEGY 4 Intentional Engagement Strategies Collaborative Learning among Northwest Vista College(TX) Redesign Educational Students uses learning communities to engage Experiences students in multidisciplinary environ- Students who often or very often worked on projects with other students during class Because oftheir competing priorities, ments.In the Weekend College learning 44% most community college students community,for example,two or three spend little time on campus.In fact, disciplines are combined in a team- Students who often or very often worked with CCSSEdata indicate that overall the taught,multidisciplinary atmosphere. classmates outside of class to prepare class most successful engagement strategies For their final project,the students — assignments currently occur in classrooms. either as a class or in smaller groups of 21% four to five students — develop a play These data notwithstanding,however, 0 10 20 30 40 50 that incorporates what they have engagement does not have to be limited learned in all ofthe disciplines over to in-classroom activities.Colleges can the semester.Working together,the redesign educational experiences to pro- Interactions with Faculty Members students write the script,direct,act, mote engagement both in and out ofthe make costumes and props,design light- Students who often or very often asked questions classroom.Every interaction with stu- in class or participated in class discussions ing and sound,and create handouts. dents presents the potential to engage 63% them.Community colleges can make Ideally,engagement happens both in and engagement inescapable by promoting outside ofthe classroom.To promote Students who often or very often used e-mail to engagement through each syllabus — meaningful student-faculty interaction communicate with an instructor each assignment,each course require- outside the classroom,faculty offices at 35% ment,and each mode ofassessment. Santa Fe Community College(FL) are They can require students to work on in interdisciplinary units that combine Students who often or very often discussed ideas from readings or classes with instructors outside projects with other students outside of private offices with comfortably fur- of class class,require a service learning project, nished common areas that become sites 15% require students to see faculty members for review sessions,informal advising, in their offices at least once before mid- and intellectual discussions. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 semester,make the end-of-course assess- Source:CCSSE2004 data. ment a group project,and so on. Engagement By Design: Summary of 2004 Findings Reflections: Why Colleges Should Build a Culture of Evidence The strategies outlined in this report and students to examine and use this Intentional Engagement Strategies are data-driven.They are predicated data.It means regularly assessing per- Faculty members at Lorain County on the willingness ofcollege adminis- formance in terms ofstudent outcomes. Community College(OH) review pro- trators,faculty,and staffto build and grams and plan for improvements A key element ofthis work is disaggre- work within a culture ofevidence. using the Course Assessment Record gating data.Each college should break Database (CARD),which focuses deci- Better educational outcomes do not just down data by race and ethnicity,income, sions on data.Through CARD,faculty happen.They are the result ofusing gender,and age to develop a genuine assess course outcomes using a variety data wisely and ofmarshalling the will understanding ofhow different student ofcriteria,including student learning to be honest about current student per- groups are faring in the institution. outcomes,general educational out- formance in order to identify means for On a national basis,disaggregating data comes,learning processes and activi- improving.They are the result ofsetting in this manner highlights an alarming ties,performance criteria,assessment goals and implementing strategies to difference between both college partici- techniques and analysis,and recom- achieve them. pation and attainment levels oflow- mendations for continuous improve- Ultimately,every actiona college takes income students and students ofcolor, ment.Individual faculty members’ — in classrooms,out ofclassrooms,in as compared to their more affluent and assessments oftheir own courses are the ways it reaches out to and commu- white peers.For example,38% ofwhite aggregated into a program assessment. nicates with students,in the way its students who begin at a community col- Faculty who teach the program then campus is configured and used — lege earn a degree or certificate within use that data to identify both success- should be designed to improve student six years;only 26% ofAfrican American ful strategies and specific actions that learning.And every project,program, students and 29% ofHispanic students should be taken to further improve and practice should be evaluated on do so.* Similar attainment gaps separate results.For example,as a result of these terms as well. academically prepared students and CARD,the humanities program faculty those who begin their college experience decided to use a common essay test to This means being relentless and coura- in developmental courses. establish a baseline for measuring cog- geous about putting data in front of nitive outcomes. faculty and staff— and using data to Colleges and their students would be focus effort and promote positive well served by becoming familiar with change.This is difficult work.It also, their own college data at this level of however,may be the best way to chart a specificity.Then,as a standard ofquality course to excellence. suitable to the challenge ofthe new century,a college’s overall performance How To Build a Culture of should be considered no better than the Evidence outcomes ofits lowest-achieving student Building a culture ofevidence means group. providing systematic,timely,useful,and user-friendly information about student * Price,D.V.,“Defining the Gaps:Access and persistence,learning,and attainment.It Success at America’s Community Colleges,” means encouraging governing board Keeping America’s Promise.Denver,CO: members,administrators,faculty,staff, Education Commission ofthe States,2004. Community College Leadership Program, The University of Texas at Austin 1 University Station D5600 Austin,TX 78712-0378 Partially supported by grants from Co-sponsored by Telephone:(512) 471-6807 The Houston Endowment, Inc. The Carnegie Foundation for the Fax:(512) 471-4209 Lumina Foundation for Education Advancement of Teaching E-mail:[email protected] MetLife Foundation The Pew Forum on Undergraduate Web site:www.ccsse.org Learning Editorial and design by KSA-Plus Communications, Inc. ★ For more information about CCSSE, survey results, benchmarks, student engagement, and retention, visit www.ccsse.org. ★