KEITH WURTZ D E A N O F I N S T I T U T I O N A L E F F E C T I V E N E S S ,

R E S E A R C H & P L A N N I N G

BENJAMIN GAMBOA R E S E A R C H A N A L Y S T

Compressed Courses and Student Success

1

Session Objectives

Review the research on the best predictors of Crafton students transferring to a four-year institution

Review the Characteristics of high impactful programs

Examine the impact of course length on student success

Explore implementing compressed courses as a high-impact strategy for student success

2

Best Predictor of Transferring to Four-Year Institution is Completing Transfer Level Math

The best predictor of transferring to a four-year institution is to complete transfer level math

31%

15%

58%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

Students inCohort

Did NotComplete

Transfer Math

CompletedTransfer Math

Tr

an

sfe

r R

ate

905

578

327

3

Transferring to Four-Year Institution is Related to Completing Transfer Level English

Students completing transfer level English are more likely to transfer to a four-year institution

31%

52%

82%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Students inCohort

Did NotCompleteTransferEnglish

CompletedTransferEnglish

Tr

an

sfe

r R

ate

905

628

277

4

Transfer Level Math and Completing 30 Units

Students who successfully complete transfer math in five years and 30 units in two years have a 72% transfer rate

60%

72%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

Completed Transfer Math in 5 Years…

…and Completed 30 Units in 2 Years

Tr

an

sfe

r R

ate

347

221

5

Transferring and Enrolling Full-Time

Students are more likely to transfer if they enroll full-time

20%

31%

54%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

2 Semesters orLess

3 Semesters 4 or MoreSemesters

Tr

an

sfe

r R

ate

543

114

248

6

Transferring and First Semester Units

Students who complete 15 units in their first semester are twice as likely to transfer (60%) than students in the first-time college student cohort (31%)

60%

36%

17%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

First Semester 2 or 3Semesters

4 or MoreSemesters

Tr

an

sfe

r R

ate

62

507

336

7

8

Characteristics of High-Impact Practices for Community College Student Engagement

Whether or not a program is successful depends on…

How they are implemented (quality)

How many students they reach (scale)

How many practices students experience (intensity)

9

When Considering Strategies Ask the Following Questions

• Entering students get a strong start

• Integrates student support and coursework

• High expectations

• Encourages learning in context

• Accelerates student progress towards completion

• Clear pathways

• Designed for scale

• Strategically focused professional development

10

Compressed Courses are Related to Students Successfully Completing Courses

69% 75%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

Traditional Courses CompressedCourses

7,599 3,437

• Students in compressed courses are statistically significantly more likely to successfully complete the course (75%) than students in an 18-week course (69%).

• Students in compressed courses are 1.5 times more likely to successfully complete the course than students in an 18 week course when controlling for prior GPA and instructor.

11

Students in Compressed English Courses are More Successful

Students in compressed English courses are substantially more likely to successfully complete the course (88%) than students in an 18-week course (71%).

71%

88%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Traditional Courses Compressed Courses

256

21

12

Compressed Courses are a Successful High-Impact Strategy

With a traditional term of 18 weeks, two series of 8-week course offerings could be scheduled consecutively with a first set of courses beginning on the same week as traditional courses and a second set beginning on the eleventh week.

English and math courses offered in compressed sequences provide opportunities for CHC to consider alternative scheduling, provide clear pathways, accelerate student completion, and increase transfer rates.

13

English Courses with Condensed Sequences

Fall 2014

ENGL 010

ENGL 010

ENGL 015

Spring 2015

ENGL 015

ENGL 101

Fall 2015

ENGL 101

ENGL 102

Spring 2016

ENGL 102

14

Math Courses with Condensed Sequencing

Fall 2014

Math 090

Math 943

Math 090

Math 943

Math 095

Math 952

Spring 2015

Math 095

Math 952

Transferable Math

Math 090

Math 095

Fall 2015

Transferable Math

Math 090

Transferable Math

Spring 2016

Math 095

15

Questions and Discussion

16