College Expectations Research Articles

An Examination of Parental College Expectations’ Mediating Role between Children’s Savings Accounts and Children’s Educational Attainment by Income Level

Even though ownership of a Children’s Savings Account (CSA), children’s academic achievement, and parental college expectations are potentially key components for closing the inequality gap in education, the interdependence of these elements is not yet fully understood. Guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior, we utilize structural equation modeling (SEM) in this cross-sectional study to examine the mediating role of parental college expectations on the relationship between ownership of a Harold Alfond College Challenge (HACC) account and parents’ perception of children’s math and reading abilities by the level of household income. Although it is currently a universal, opt-out CSA program available to all babies born in Maine, HACC started in 2008 as an opt-in program, and it is this timeframe that is the focus of the current study. SEM models utilizing survey data from a sample of Maine parents reveal a positive association between the Alfond Grant enrollment and parental college expectations among low-to-moderate income families. Moreover, parental expectations are found to be a complete mediator between having a HACC account and parental perceptions of children’s math ability (but not reading ability) among low-to-moderate income students. No findings were significant for high income families. Correlational evidence from this study suggests that HACC may complement schools’ academic objectives in Maine, particularly about improving parents’ perceptions of their child’s math performance among low-to-moderate income families. This study highlights the need for more rigorous research on HACC and its potential effects on children’s educational attainment.

The effects of college savings on college enrollment and the mediating role of parental expectations and discussions about college among students from low-income households

Given the high college costs and inadequate financial aid available to students today, college savings are a promising strategy to pay for higher education. This study is designed to test the effect of parents’ savings for college on their children’s two-year or four-year college enrollment among students from families with low incomes, hypothesizing the statistically significant and positive association between college savings and college attendance. In addition, this study pays special attention to the mediating role between college savings and college attendance of parents’ college expectations and discussions about college plans with their children. This study utilizes the Education Longitudinal Study (2002/06) with families with household incomes at or below 185 percent of federal poverty guidelines (FPL). Since the outcome variable, two-year or four-year college attendance, is polytomous, multinomial logistic regression analyses were used. To test mediation effects, both the Baron and Kenny approach and multiple mediation bootstrapping were employed. Results of this study suggest college savings are significantly associated with parental college expectations, parent-child discussions about college, and two-year college attendance. Both parental expectations and discussions about attending college mediate the relationship between college savings and college attendance. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

Understanding Alumni Relations Programs in Community Colleges

The purpose for conducting the study was to explore and describe the use of alumni societies and associations in community colleges, particularly focusing on the intended outcome of their implementation. To collect data for the study, a research-team developed survey instrument was distributed electronically to 250 community college advancement senior leaders. A total of 106 (42%) usable surveys were returned for use in the study. The results of the data collection and analysis described community college expectations for alumni societies, and that this expectation was primarily focused on fundraising. The societies were also critical, however, in career placement for students, developing career-oriented programs, and reviewing curricula. Survey results also indicated that many community college leaders use alumni societies in creative ways, including assisting in faculty searches, hosting recruitment events, and teaching community education (lifelong learning) courses. Study findings are critical for college leaders who are often faced with difficulties in funding existing or new programing. The respondents to the study illustrated how alumni societies can serve as critical catalysts for improving existing programs and expanding the reach and value of the institution. Findings also suggest that alumni societies are perceived to be strong gateways to developing philanthropic support for institutions.

College Expectations Promote College Attendance: Evidence From a Quasiexperimental Sibling Study

When adolescents are asked how likely they think it is that they will go to college, does their answer influence what they will actually do? Typically, it is difficult to determine whether college expectations promote academic achievement or just reflect a reasonable forecast of what is likely to happen to them. We used a sample of siblings from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (N = 1,766) to test whether associations between college expectations and educational attainment remained after accounting for unobserved family factors that may shape both educational expectations and attainment. Compared with their siblings, adolescents with higher college expectations were also 43% more likely to attend college, even when analyses controlled for grades and IQ. The effect of college expectations on college attendance was strongest among youths living in higher-socioeconomic-status families.

Sharing College Knowledge

While undergraduate enrollment is increasing among historically underrepresented students, completion rates remain lower than their peers. A lack of college knowledge may be partly responsible. We used Gardner, Csikszentmihalyi, and Damon’s (2001) Good Work model to develop 2 programs to introduce historically underrepresented students to the expectations of college, that is, to improve their college knowledge. Assessment data (n = 44 in Program 1; n = 50 in Program 2) showed that while the programs were only somewhat effective at improving students’ understanding of what it means to do academic good work, students valued participating in the program.
 Authors’ Note
 We would like to thank Ms. Elizabeth G. Lucas and Dr. Joan F. Miller, Professor Emeritus, Department of Nursing, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania for their support of our university’s Good Work Initiative. We also thank the General Psychology Teaching Assistants, as well as the faculty and staff of Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania who volunteered to help implement the Good Work reflective sessions. In addition, we extend our gratitude to Dr. Irvin Wright and Dr. Kristin Austin of the ACT101/Educational Opportunity Program for their support. Finally, we are indebted to Dr. Howard Gardner and his colleagues at Project Zero, including Wendy Fischman, Lynn Barendsen, Margot Locker, Paromita De, and Daniel Mucinskas for their thoughtful consultation and encouragement.

College expectations and choices: Explaining the gaps in college enrollment for high- and low-SES students in China

This study aims to better understand how college expectations influence college enrollment during the process of transition from high school to college, using a baseline and follow-up survey of high school students from Shaanxi Province in China. The findings show that students from low-SES families tended to have higher college expectations, whereas students from high-SES families were more likely to be accepted into college and more likely to attend college, even conditional on admission. We also found different patterns in college application behaviors between high- and low-SES students. Students from high-SES families were more likely to have valid college choices and aim for more selective colleges, whereas students from low-SES families tended to underestimate their academic performance.

College expectations of eighth grade students: The role of learning approaches and parent influences

The development of expectations to attend college is the first step toward future college attendance, yet its predictors are not fully understood. The current study seeks to identify individual and parent predictors of expectations for college completion among eighth grade students and examine inter-relationships between the independent variables. Data were used from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort (ECLS-K), a nationally representative and longitudinal study of 21,260 kindergarteners. Logistic regression models were employed to predict college expectations of eighth grade students from child and parent characteristics. Youth were more likely to expect to complete college when they had greater learning approaches (OR = 1.82, 95% CI = 1.05–3.15) and higher school competence/liking (OR = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.13–2.26). Controlling for demographic covariates, the odds of students expecting to complete college were nearly four times greater for youth whose parents expected them to complete a bachelor's degree (OR = 3.82, 95% CI = 2.34–6.23), compared to parents who expected their children to complete high school or less. A generalized structural equation model was then specified to understand the inter-relationships between child's behavior, learning approaches, and reading and math abilities. Child's self-control (β = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.53–0.60) and internalizing behavior (β = −0.15, 95% CI = -0.19 - -0.12) significantly predicted learning approaches, which then predicted child's reading ability (β = 0.24, 95% CI = 0.20–0.28) and math ability (β = 0.26, 95% CI = 0.00–0.53). Future research should examine effectiveness of programs seeking to increase student learning abilities and feelings of competence.

The Best Laid Plans: Postsecondary Educational Expectations and College Enrollment in Massachusetts

ABSTRACTThis article explores how college expectations in 8th grade change by 10th grade, and if students realize the expectations for a given level of college from 8th and 10th grade, in light of the “college for all” ethos. This study is based on administrative data from 235,875 public school students in Massachusetts from 2006 to –2016. Using a multinomial logistic regression, I find that students who plan to attend a 4-year college in grades 8 and 10 are 24% more likely to enroll in college and attend a 4-year institution than their peers who did not have such plans. However, students who plan to attend a 2-year college in both 8th and 10th grade are less likely to enroll in any type of college when compared to students who planned to attend a 4-year college and students who were unsure of their college plans. Further, both Black and Latinx students are less likely than their White peers to have college enrollment outcomes that mirror their expectations, after controlling for academic preparation. These results, which update prior research on expectation, have implications for increasing access to college for students who planned to attend college.

Critical Reflections of College Sophomores About Preparation and Persistence During Their Freshman Year

The purpose of this study was to explore the needs and experiences of college freshman with the hope of informing universities how to improve freshman preparation and persistence. Focusing on students at a public "metro-commuter" university, this qualitative study extends previous research on the topic. Using participatory research methodology, this study utilized dialogues to explore the critical reflections of students who have successfully completed their freshman year. This study found that during the preenrollment phase, it is critical that students and their families experience programs and services that educate students about the transition to college, increase students' commitment to the institution, and help students develop realistic expectations for college. Several factors were found to contribute to college freshman persistence including support for social and academic integration, academic engagement, fostering student development, and promoting internal locus of control. The author argues that preenrollment programs must be viewed as critical to student success, and should be mandatory and carried out utilizing current students who are trained in issues of transition. He concludes that more programs are needed throughout the first year to help students develop social support networks.

Transformative Learning in Teacher Education

This article describes a partnership between teacher education candidates in a small, rural, private university and students in a large, public, urban junior/ senior high school. This partnership utilized technology and used a Literature as a Bridge (LAAB) program to foster discussions designed to be vehicles of learning for all participants. The objectives of this program were to 1) have urban youth see higher education as an option for their future by giving them experience with college students, college expectations, and a college campus, 2) increase cultural competence by providing opportunities for teacher candidates to work with culturally and ethnically diverse students with experiences different from their own, and 3) allow literature to be a vehicle to bridge diverse groups. The dynamic relationship between teacher candidate and high school students set the stage for transformational learning for both the teacher candidates and the junior/senior high school students.

Early impacts of college aid

We analyze the impact of an expansion in government aid for higher education in Chile in a sample of elementary and high school students. Using students who had an alternative source of funding as a control group, and administrative records before and after the reform, we present evidence that students are affected in different ways. First, we show that parents of students who ex ante were more likely to be credit restricted are more likely after the reform to report that their child ends up completing college. Second, we find that students in the same groups that increase their college expectations, obtain a score in high-stakes examination that actually qualified them for college aid. Third, we find that lifting future credit restrictions reduces the probability of dropping out of high school.

College in the media: the relationship between repeated exposure and college expectations

Media consumption can influence viewer perceptions and attitudes. Recent research on media’s effect on college students has failed to address gender differences. Using Mere Repeated Exposure Theory (traditionally used in marketing research), this study aims to answer three research questions regarding college media consumption and college perceptions: What types of fictional college media do college students consume? How does college media consumption differ by gender? How does fictional college media consumption relate to perceived college expectations? Results suggest that college students who consume high amounts of fictional college media are more likely to have positive attitudes towards partying and socializing in college. High consumers of college media, however, do not believe that college media influences their college perceptions. Men are more likely to socialize in college and are more aware than women that college media influences their college perceptions. Women are more likely to believe that college is difficult regardless of media consumption.

The developmental course of community service across the transition to adulthood in a national U.S. sample.

Analyses tested for cohort differences in community service and for individual differences in developmental trajectories by socioeconomic status, gender, grades, religiosity, race/ethnicity, college expectations, and college degree attainment. Using Monitoring the Future data from 1976 to 2011, the best-fitting latent growth model for community service was quadratic: Community service declined from Ages 18 to 24 and leveled off thereafter. Cohort differences in intercepts indicated that Age 18 community service increased over historical time; developmental declines in community service were consistent over 4 decades. Parent education predicted higher Age 18 community service but not growth parameters. Community service trajectories varied by gender, high school grades, religiosity, college expectations, and educational attainment, although all groups declined. Findings contribute to civic developmental theory by clarifying age and cohort effects in community service. Rising levels of community service at Age 18 may reflect heightened focus on service in high schools or the role of other socialization forces, yet these increases do not mitigate the decline across the TTA. We highlight the need for rethinking the ways in which institutions and communities can better support youth community service during the TTA. (PsycINFO Database Record

Track Placement and the Motivational Predictors of Math Course Enrollment

BackgroundVirtually all high schools offer a range of courses to allow students to enroll in four years of high school mathematics. However, only two thirds of U.S. high school graduates took mathematics courses each school year.Purpose/Research QuestionThis study addresses three research questions: First, how do students’ math course enrollment and motivational beliefs (i.e., self-efficacy in math, math utility, interest in math, and college expectations) differ by math track? Second, what is the relationship between students’ motivational beliefs and their decision to take four years of math? Third, to what extent does this relationship vary by math track and whether a student passes or fails a math course? Much of the relevant prior literature approaches these relations primarily from an individualistic psychological perspective, viewing motivation as a student-level attribute that similarly effects students’ decision-making process. By contrast, our analyses take a more contextual approach, focusing particular attention on the ways in which students’ math track placements shape their academic approaches and moderate the link between motivation and course-taking.Research DesignThis study uses secondary restricted-access data from the nationally representative Education Longitudinal Study (ELS: 2002). Students were surveyed and tested in mathematics during the base year (2002). In the follow-up (2004) year, data collectors requested academic transcripts for all participants along with follow-up student surveys and an additional math exam.FindingsOur results coincide with previous motivation research that shows that students opt to take additional math courses when they are interested in math, consider themselves skillful in math, and have high college expectations. But the motivational predictors of math course enrollment vary with students’ initial math placement. For above-track students, interest in math is the strongest indicator that they will take four years of math, followed by self-efficacy in mathematics and college expectations, respectively. In contrast, for both low-track and on-track students, the strongest indicator of taking four years of math is college expectations.ConclusionsOur study focused on students’ motivation and course enrollment, but this does not diminish the importance of tracking, curricular rigor, and teacher pedagogy. This study provides an additional way to improve inequities in math course enrollment, which is by making explicit recommendations for enhancing students’ motivation. Understanding which particular beliefs have the greatest influence on specific student groups allows educators to appropriately allocate limited resources and increase math course enrollment. This would likely be more effective than a one-size-fits-all approach.

Creating good problems

At most high schools, the goal is to prepare students to make the leap to a college environment. By contrast, Philadelphia’s G.W. Carver High School of Engineering and Science has decided to create an environment that mirrors the culture and expectations of college so the transition to college won’t seem like a leap at all. Three changes have been most critical: giving students more choice in their course of study, ensuring greater equity in access to high-level classes and electives, and slowing down the typically frenetic pace of high school to give students more time to focus.

“A Bridge Between High School and College”

Underserved students express a high interest in earning a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degree. However, their ACT benchmark indicators tend to be much lower than their peers, especially for students who report more than one underserved attribute. There are a number of STEM intervention programs (SIPs) that are designed to retain and graduate underserved students in STEM. Yet, relatively few engage in theoretically driven, empirical research to elucidate what program components contribute to college readiness. Using Conley’s college and career readiness framework, this qualitative case study examined how one SIP helped underserved students overcome academic barriers and acquire context-specific knowledge. Findings revealed that nine interrelated practices and activities contributed to students feeling better prepared for the STEM curriculum and college expectations. Still, more attention could have been devoted to advancing key cognitive strategies. This article concludes with practical implications for SIP program administrators and faculty.

Sources of Bias in Teenagers' College Expectations

ObjectiveThough many studies have found that teenagers overestimate their chances of college completion, the sources of this bias are still not well understood.MethodsThis article compares individuals' college expectations as teenagers with their subsequent college outcomes using data from the 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY97). I analyze how a rich set of youth characteristics correlate with the discrepancy between expectations and realizations.ResultsTeenagers' expectations are highly predictive of future college completion, but they are also systematically positively biased (overly optimistic). I find that scholastic aptitude—as proxied by youths' AFQT scores—is highly negatively correlated with expectation bias. Once test scores are accounted for, family income, parental education, race/ethnicity, and sex have little or no effect on bias in teenagers' college expectations.ConclusionsThe relationship between scholastic aptitude and college success may not be well understood by some youths, contributing to inflated expectations among those with lower test scores.

45: DEVELOPING AN AUDIT MODEL FOR EVALUATING EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENTS

Background and aims:To achieve the goals and expectations of education, universities, colleges and educational departments, have to measure and improve the quality of education through specific mechanisms in the form...

Social Capital and College-Going Culture in High Schools: the Effects of College Expectations and College Talk on Students' Postsecondary Attendance

Using the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002, we examined the probability of students attending college by taking into account their 10th- and 12th-grade exposure to college expectations from and college-related interactions with school staff. Our results suggest that college expectations and college-related interactions with their school counselors, teachers, and coaches had a modest impact on students' odds of enrolling in college, considering the large impact of taking advanced courses and completing college admissions tests.

Great Expectations Unmet: The Impact of Adolescent Educational Expectations on Deviant Coping During the Transition to Adulthood

Previous research has shown that during adolescence, holding high expectations of college education serves as a protective factor for delinquency and substance use. Little is known whether the protective factor of college expectations extends into young adulthood, especially among ambitious youth who do not earn a degree. Using longitudinal data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, this research focuses on the longer term effects of adolescent educational expectations on deviant coping. This study finds that failing to realize realistically high expectations of college education during the transition to adulthood increases an individual's likelihood of deviant coping during the transition to adulthood.