1 how well is your college assessing student retention? using cirp data to inform institutional...

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How Well is Your College Assessing How Well is Your College Assessing Student Student RetentionRetention??

Using CIRP Data to Inform Using CIRP Data to Inform Institutional Planning & PracticeInstitutional Planning & Practice

Victor Sáenz & Doug Barrera Victor Sáenz & Doug Barrera

Higher Education Research InstituteHigher Education Research Institute

University of California at Los AngelesUniversity of California at Los Angeles

Tuesday, June 5Tuesday, June 5thth, 2007, 2007

2007 Annual Forum2007 Annual Forum

Kansas City, MissouriKansas City, Missouri

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Presentation Goals

Overview Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP)

• Defining College Student Retention

• Using CIRP longitudinal data to assess Student Retention• Degree Completion• Adjustment/Transition/Integration Outcomes

• Discussion/Wrap-up

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Higher Education Research Institute

CIRPCooperative Institutional

Research Program

FreshmanSurvey YFCY CSS

Faculty Survey

Funded Research

•National Institutes of Health

•Spencer Foundation•Templeton Foundation

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The problem of defining college student retention

Retention & Persistence are complex issues requiring many forms of assessment and evaluation

Is it simply about calculating graduation rates?

What about measuring intermediate goals like term-to-term completion?

What about assessing transition, adjustment, or satisfaction outcomes for students?

What about the notion of student departure?

What about transfer students or revolving door students?

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What do we know about college student persistence toward

graduation?

Factors hindering degree attainment: lack of self-efficacy or academic competency (Nora & Lang, 2000); financial constraints (Longerbeam, Sedlacek & Altorre, 2004); and external familial or work obligations (Kennen & Lopez, 2005)

Factors positively influencing degree attainment: high educational aspirations (Perna, 2000); family support and encouragement (Cabrera et al. 1993; Hurtado &

Carter, 1997, Nora, 2004, Ceja, 2001); and role models and mentors (Castellanos & Jones, 2004)

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CIRP and Student Retention

What do graduation or retention rates give us other than numeric benchmarks?

What about the student experience? What about student characteristics coming in? How can longitudinal frameworks assess “in-college” or “long-

term” retention outcomes?

How can CIRP longitudinal data help? Surveys are based on student experience/college impact model Establish important baseline information on your students Strong focus on student assessment and change over time

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CIRP: Longitudinal FrameworkCIRP: Longitudinal Framework

InputsCIRP Freshman Survey

•academic performance in HS•financial concerns •expectations for college •degree aspirations

Environments YFCY/CSS

•place of residence •transition/adjustment to college•curricular/co-curricular experiences

OutcomesYFCY/CSS

•college satisfaction•social/emotional adjustment•sense of belonging•student retention

I

E

0

Degree Completion

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Retention: Longitudinal FrameworkRetention: Longitudinal Framework

College Entry

End of 1st Year

Senior Year

Degree Completion

College Entry

Degree Completion

College Entry

End of 1st Year

College Entry

Senior Year

Two DARCU Examples

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DARCU Data: Example #1

DARCU Report (Astin & Oseguera)

DARCU (Degree Attainment Report of C’s & U’s)

HERI used data from the 1994 CIRP Freshman Survey and degree completion data provided six years later by the registrars at 262 baccalaureate-granting institutions.

There were three main objectives of the study: To determine national degree completion rates by sex, race, and type of

institution To identify entering student characteristics that predict degree completion To develop formulas that individual institutions can use to compute

“expected” (Ŷ) retention rates to compare to actual (Y) retention rates

Ŷ & Y (Expected vs. Actual Degree Attainment)

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DARCU Report (Astin & Oseguera)

Institutions that are highly successful at retaining their students should have actual degree attainment rates that exceed their expected rates

Positive Residual

Institutions that have ineffective retention efforts would be expected to have actual degree attainment rates that fall below their expected rates.

Negative Residual

0

25

50

75

100

Expected Degree Attainment (Ŷ )

Actual Degree Attainment (Y)

Positive Residual Negative ResidualDeg

ree

Att

ainm

ent R

ate

Ŷ

Y

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SAT Composite Score by Weighted % of Students Who Received

Bachelor’s Degrees Within 4 yrs, 6 yrs, & 6+ years

SAT Verbal &

Math Score

Unweighted N 4 yrs 6 yrs 6+ yrs

1300+ 5,685 62.3 76.5 78.6

1200-1299 6,772 55.2 73.1 74.8

1100-1199 8,707 48.0 68.0 69.9

1000-1099 9,150 40.2 63.2 65.9

900-999 9,583 29.6 52.3 56.0

800-899 6,309 21.7 45.2 49.1

Less than 800 2,688 18.2 39.8 43.8


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Summary of Full Formula Prediction Equations (DARCU)

Prediction Formulas Unweighted N

Weighted N Total Variables Entering

Final R

4-yr Formula

Inputs w/SAT Scores 48,170 757,169 38 .473

Inputs & Environments w/SAT Scores

48,170 757,169 34 .515

Inputs w/o SAT Scores 55,870 878,298 37 .460

Inputs & Environments w/o SAT 55,870 878,298 30 .506

6-yr Formula

Inputs w/SAT Scores 48,170 757,169 33 .410

Inputs & Environments w/SAT Scores

48,170 757,169 34 .422

Inputs w/o SAT Scores 55,870 878,298 31 .406

Inputs & Environments w/o SAT 55,870 878,298 28 .418


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Conceptual Model for ResearchingLatin@ Retention

Cerna, Perez, & Saenz Demographics-Socio-economic status-Citizenship status-Primary Language

Control Variable-High school GPA Economic Capital

-Financial assistance -College cost and work-related concerns Human Capital-Academic preparation in HS -Perceptions of academic competency and self-efficacy, and institutional reputationSocial Capital-Social relations and networks-Expectations of peer college interactions Cultural Capital-Degree aspirations-Cultural values and norms Institutional Variables

-Selectivity level-Control (public/private)-Latina/o student enrollment percentage

Degree Completion

w/in 6 Years of College Entry

Adapted from Perna & Titus (2005) Conceptual Model of Adapted from Perna & Titus (2005) Conceptual Model of College EnrollmentCollege Enrollment


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Conceptual Model for ResearchingLatin@ Retention

Cerna, Perez, & Saenz

Academic achievement and institutional quality critical to degree persistence

Economic concerns possibly suppress college aspirations, hinder eventual degree attainment

Family influences remain salient motivators for Chican@ degree attainment

Expectations of peer-related and value-driven activities in college positively influence degree attainment

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Retention: Longitudinal FrameworkRetention: Longitudinal Framework

College Entry

End of 1st Year

Senior Year

Degree Completion

College Entry

Degree Completion

College Entry

End of 1st Year

College Entry

Senior Year

Two CIRP/YFCY

Examples

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Conceptual Model: Chicana/o Student Transition

Student Background

Pre-college Academic

Achievement

Financial Concerns

Family as External Push or Pull Factor

College Entry Social and Academic First Year Experiences

Multi-Institutional Characteristics

First Year Outcomes

Campus Structures that Link the Social and Academic

Systems (specific programs, memberships, courses,

advising)

Peer Racial/Dynamics:Quality of cross-racial friendshipsRacial ClimateCompetitive Climate

Academic Development and Performance

Psychological Sense of Integration:Success in Managing the Academic EnvironmentSense of belonging at the institution

Note: Model adapted from Nora (2001).

CIRP/YFCY Data: Example #1

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Chicana/o Student Transition(Cabrera, Saenz, & Espinosa, 2007)

Factors of significance affecting Chicana/o students academic success habits: Relevance of coursework to student's life (+***) Social Self-Confidence (+***) Familial Responsibilities (-**) Perceptions of hostile racial campus climate (-**)

Factors of significance affecting Chicano student sense of belonging Relevance of coursework (+***) Hostile Campus Climate (-***) Cross-racial interactions (+***) Academic Success Habits (previous DV; +***)


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Profile of Latina/o & African American Students During Critical First Year (Saenz & Oseguera, 2004)

Figure 4. Factors Contributing to Being Away from Campus

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12 11

28

7

13 15

34

8

27

21

40

0

10

20

30

40

Work frequentlyinterferes with

coursework

Live off-campus Hours per weekCommuting (3 or

more)

Distance of Collegeto Home (less than

50 miles)

Perc

ent

White/Caucasians African Americans Latinas/os


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Figure 5a:

29

43

2931

44

2926

3929

01020304050

Spoke up in class Discussed Course w/otherstudents

Studied with other studentsFrequently:

Per

cent

White/CaucasiansAfrican AmericansLatinas/os

Figure 5b

37

20

32

19

35

17

29

18

32

17

28

15

0

1020

30

40

Understanding whatProfessors Expect

Developing effectivestudy skills

Adjusting to academicdemands

Managing timeeffectivelyVery Successful at:

Perc

ent

White/CaucasiansAfrican AmericansLatinas/os


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African American & Latino students show a “major” concern over financing college at higher rates than white students, and are employed at higher rates while in college

Latina/o and African American students reported similar levels of academic engagement in their first college year as their peers. They reported similar levels of satisfaction and comparable amounts of time spent studying, developing effective study skills, managing their time effectively, and adjusting to the academic demands of college

Latina/o and African American students were just as likely as their peers to be academically and socially self-confident, yet they were more likely to have poorer emotional and personal experiences after their first college year


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Future Research

Update of the Degree Attainment Report

CIRP Trends Reports 40-year Trends First-Generation College Students Latina/o College Students Asian/Asian American College Students

Use of Faculty Survey Data for Retention Outcomes

Data Archival Project

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Thank you…

For more information, please contact:

Victor Sáenz, PhD, [email protected] Barrera, [email protected]

Higher Education Research Institute, UCLAhttp://www.gseis.ucla.edu/heri

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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