Community College Student Success Research Articles

Are algorithms biased in education? Exploring racial bias in predicting community college student success

AbstractPredictive analytics are increasingly pervasive in higher education. However, algorithmic bias has the potential to reinforce racial inequities in postsecondary success. We provide a comprehensive and translational investigation of algorithmic bias in two separate prediction models—one predicting course completion, the second predicting degree completion. We show that if either model were used to target additional supports for “at‐risk” students, then the algorithmic bias would lead to fewer marginal Black students receiving these resources. We also find the magnitude of algorithmic bias varies within the distribution of predicted success. With the degree completion model, the amount of bias is over 5 times higher when we define at‐risk using the bottom decile than when we focus on students in the bottom half of predicted scores; in the course completion model, the reverse is true. These divergent patterns emphasize the contextual nature of algorithmic bias and attempts to mitigate it. Our results moreover suggest that algorithmic bias is due in part to currently‐available administrative data being relatively less useful at predicting Black student success, particularly for new students; this suggests that additional data collection efforts have the potential to mitigate bias.

The resiliency of urban community college students: Implications for practice

AbstractCommunity colleges are vital sources of educational and economic opportunities in urban areas. This chapter provides readers with a review of the research on students served by these institutions. While the experiences of this population are similar in many ways to those of community college students across the country, the influence of their urban environment makes their lived experiences quite distinct. This chapter highlights that although a great deal of emphasis in the literature has been placed on the economic, educational, personal, and social struggles faced by urban community college students, resiliency is also a prominent positive characteristic of this population. The chapter concludes with recommendations for evidence‐based strategies that affirm these students’ cultural capital and are proven to be effective approaches to enhancing the resiliency and success of urban community college students.

The Power of One More Course: How Different First Semester Credit Loads Affect Community College Student Persistence

ABSTRACT Establishing early academic momentum via credit accumulation is strongly associated with community college student success. Using data from one of the nation’s largest and most racially diverse community college systems, our quasi-experimental study examined how different first-semester credit loads influenced persistence. For part-time students (less than 12 semester credit hours), enrolling in one additional course (3 more credits) significantly improved their chances of persistence to the subsequent term and next academic year. For part-time students, an increased credit load was significantly and positively related to persistence. However, for full-time students, an increase from 12 to 15 credits was not related to persistence. These patterns were consistent across subgroups by students’ level of academic preparation (developmental education status) and degree objective (workforce credential or transfer associate degree). Moreover, the increased course load did not significantly hinder students’ early academic performance as measured by GPA for any group and in some cases was related to increased GPA. We discuss the implications of these findings for academic advising, course scheduling, and completion initiatives at community colleges.

Exploring Relationships Between Full-Time Faculty and Community College Student Success

ABSTRACT Community colleges are trending toward a decrease in full-time faculty and an increase in adjunct faculty. Using 2019–2020 IPEDS data from 853 community colleges, researchers explored the relationship between full-time faculty and community college student retention, and combined graduation and transfer rate. Results demonstrated that proportion of full-time faculty was related to community college student graduation and transfer rate. Results also showed that proportion of full-time faculty was not related to retention for full-time or part-time community college students but that these retention rates have a small mediation between full-time faculty proportion and combined graduation and transfer rates. Implications for future research are discussed.

High-Priced Textbooks’ Impact on Community College Student Success

Objective: This research study examined textbook costs and student success rates at one community college in the Southwest United States. Method: Descriptive statistics were used in the study to identify the mean textbook costs and student success rates over five semesters. Chi-square tests for independence were used to determine if a statistically significant relationship exists between textbook costs and student success rates based on course level of lower or upper-level courses. Results: The chi-square tests of independence found a statistically significant relationship between textbook costs and student success rates in lower and upper-level courses. Contributions: Research shows college students often opt not to purchase commercial textbooks due to costs, thus resulting in higher D, F, and W rates. The results of this study support numerous recent research studies on the impact of textbook costs and student success.

Supporting Community College Student Success: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial

This paper presents findings from a randomized controlled trial studying a comprehensive program designed to support students in achieving their goals. One Million Degrees (OMD) is a nonprofit organization serving community college students in the Chicago metro area that supports students financially, academically, personally, and professionally. Results from our study demonstrate that the randomized offer of a spot in the OMD program leads to a statistically significant and substantively meaningful increase in community college enrollment, persistence, and associate’s degree attainment three years after randomization. Applicants who applied while still in high school were less likely to take up the offer of the program than students who were already enrolled in community college, but those high school students who enrolled outperformed their control group peers by a substantially larger margin. Finally, we find the program does not appear to affect the likelihood that students will enroll in a four-year college.

Creating a Trauma-informed College Model for Improving Student Success

ABSTRACT This study developed an equity-minded and trauma-informed model for improving community college student success rates. Since up to 94% of community college students have experienced trauma, it was imperative to establish a comprehensive approach to overcoming the resulting non-academic barriers and low completion rates. Since there is no existing research-based trauma-informed college model, the study used an institutional case study, qualitative research design and grounded theory analytic approach. The study’s participants included 23 employees (nine staff, eight faculty, and six administrators) at a Southern California community college. Semi-structured interviews were utilized with unscripted follow-up questions. Grounded theory methods were applied to analyze the data and identify open, axial, and selective codes. The study’s results include two core elements, “trust at all levels” and equity-mindedness, as well as five supporting themes, including institutional responsibility and top-down buy-in, alignment and integration of initiatives, ongoing professional development, individual commitment, and universal design. When presented together, the results create the Trauma-Informed College Model, which is a campus-wide culture of care and holistic support. Research findings can be utilized as a checklist for creating change at community college districts nationwide.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Community College Enrollment and Student Success: Evidence from California Administrative Data

Enrollment increased slightly at both the California State University and University of California systems in fall 2020, but the effects of the pandemic on enrollment in the California Community College system are mostly unknown and might differ substantially from the effects on 4-year colleges. This paper provides the first analysis of how the pandemic impacted enrollment patterns and the academic outcomes of community college students using administrative college-level panel data covering the universe of students in the 116-college California Community College system. We find that community college enrolment dropped precipitously in fall 2020 – the total number of enrolled students fell by 4 percent in spring 2020 and by 15 percent in fall 2020 relative to the prior year. All racial and ethnic groups experienced large enrollment decreases in spring and fall 2020, but African-American and Latinx students experienced the largest drops at 17 percent in fall 2020. Enrollment fell the most for first-year students in the community college system, basic skills courses, and fields such as engineering/industrial technology, education, interdisciplinary studies, and art. There were smaller decreases for continuing students, academic courses transferable to four-year institutions, and business and science fields. Enrollment losses were felt throughout the entire community college system, and there is no evidence that having a large online presence in prior years protected colleges from these effects. In terms of course performance, there was a larger disruption to completion rates, withdrawal rates, and grades in spring 2020 than in fall 2020. These early findings of the effects of the pandemic at community colleges, which serve higher percentages of lower-income and minority students, have implications for policy, impending budgetary pressures, and future research.Please note: Data from fall 2020 might overstate enrollment losses due to misinterpretation of data that coincides with variation in college/district submission and verification as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The California Community College Chancellor’s Office is reviewing the processes in consultation with college and district stakeholders to produce complete, accurate, and verified revised data.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Community College Enrollment and Student Success: Evidence from California Administrative Data

The Impact of COVID-19 on Community College Enrollment and Student Success: Evidence from California Administrative Data

The Impact of COVID-19 on Community College Enrollment and Student Success: Evidence from California Administrative Data

Enrollment increased slightly at both the California State University and University of California systems in fall 2020, but the effects of the pandemic on enrollment in the California Community College system are mostly unknown and might differ substantially from the effects on 4-year colleges. This paper provides the first analysis of how the pandemic impacted enrollment patterns and the academic outcomes of community college students using administrative college-level panel data covering the universe of students in the 116-college California Community College system. We find that community college enrolment dropped precipitously in fall 2020 – the total number of enrolled students fell by 4 percent in spring 2020 and by 15 percent in fall 2020 relative to the prior year. All racial and ethnic groups experienced large enrollment decreases in spring and fall 2020, but African-American and Latinx students experienced the largest drops at 17 percent in fall 2020. Enrollment fell the most for first-year students in the community college system, basic skills courses, and fields such as engineering/industrial technology, education, interdisciplinary studies, and art. There were smaller decreases for continuing students, academic courses transferable to four-year institutions, and business and science fields. Enrollment losses were felt throughout the entire community college system, and there is no evidence that having a large online presence in prior years protected colleges from these effects. In terms of course performance, there was a larger disruption to completion rates, withdrawal rates, and grades in spring 2020 than in fall 2020. These early findings of the effects of the pandemic at community colleges, which serve higher percentages of lower-income and minority students, have implications for policy, impending budgetary pressures, and future research. Please note: Data from fall 2020 might overstate enrollment losses due to misinterpretation of data that coincides with variation in college/district submission and verification as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The California Community College Chancellor’s Office is reviewing the processes in consultation with college and district stakeholders to produce complete, accurate, and verified revised data.

State‐level coordination for community college student success

AbstractHigher education governance of community colleges is understudied. Driving an increased focus on community college coordination and oversight at the state level are the role of access from dual enrollment to adult learners, the need to smooth the transfer function of community colleges, jobs requiring educational attainment beyond high school, and reorganization of higher education governance to assist in achieving state attainment goals. This article addresses three topics relevant to state‐level governance of community colleges. First, it explains the various types of state‐level community college coordination (e.g., governing, coordination, association). Second, it highlights results from a State Higher Education Executive Officers Association's (SHEEO) survey on the functions of state‐level community college governing boards, coordinating boards, and associations. Third, it offers conclusions from the survey results and suggestions for action by community college practitioners and researchers.

“I Never Learned More in My Life in Such a Short Period of Time”: Math Contextualization as Momentum toward Community College Student Success

ABSTRACT Math courses serve as cornerstones to most, if not all, community college programs. Yet, these courses continue to be gatekeepers. Contextualization represents a promising venue through which instructors might break down math barriers for students. This study explores community college students’ learning experiences in contextualized math classes, and how those experiences shape momentum toward success. We used a narrative inquiry approach, drawing upon the stories of six students enrolled in two contextualized math courses at a two-year college in a Midwestern state. Interviews, field notes, and survey data helped build and deepen the students’ narratives. We presented each student’s narrative individually, detailing their experiences in the contextualized math classes. We also discussed the thematic analysis results, which revealed six themes. The first three themes spoke to clear expectations and learning path in math, digging into and building upon math content and knowledge, and individual and group work dynamics. The latter three themes centered on discovering and recognizing utility of math, building and translating a foundation in math, and situating math within broader education and goals. This study offers empirical evidence on the potential of contextualization to enhance community college students’ learning experiences and success in math, particularly across college-level math courses and various program areas.

Predictors of Student Academic Success in the Corequisite Model

The purpose of this study was to determine predictors of community college student academic success in corequisite English and mathematics courses. Academic success was defined dichotomously on a pass or fail basis. The population included 1,934 students enrolled in at least one corequisite English and/or mathematics course at a community college between the fall semester of 2015 and summer semester of 2018. Binary logistic regression was used to examine the fol- lowing predictors: a student’s sex, race, age at time of enrollment, Pell Grant recipient status, first-generation college student status, high school grade point average (HSGPA), placement test scores, academic major, time spent receiving academic tutoring; and corequisite course faculty employment status. The two strongest predictors of student academic success in corequisite English courses were: (1) HSGPA and (2) being female. The three strongest predictors of student academic success in corequisite mathematics courses were: (1) HSGPA, (2) corequisite course faculty employment status, and (3) mathematics course based on major. The strongest predictor in both logistic regression analyses was HSGPA. It is recommended that educational leaders use HSGPA as a metric for placing students in the corequisite model. Additionally, it is recommended that institutions continue to invest in faculty professional development opportunities as it relates to teaching students who are non-female, minority, economically-disadvantaged, or first-generation.

An Eye toward Equity: Redesigning Course Scheduling within Guided Pathways Reform Efforts

ABSTRACT While community colleges excel at expanding postsecondary enrollments, these institutions often struggle to help students succeed. A chorus of school leaders and policymakers increasingly agree that broad-based, comprehensive organizational change is needed to drastically improve community college student success and equity. The Guided Pathways reform model has been increasingly adopted in recent years by institutions looking to usher in such change. This paper explores an important but overlooked aspect of guided pathways reforms: course scheduling practices and how such practices can be redesigned to improve the experiences and outcomes of racially minoritized student groups.

Charting the Design of Community College Student Success Courses: Uncovering Their Espoused and Enacted Curricula

ABSTRACT Community colleges increasingly turn to various types of student success courses for their potential as high-impact practices to foster college completion. Despite commonly held assumptions of what characterizes these interventions, upon close inspection there is an un-scrutinized, circular confounding of their goals and means, which limits the ability of educators to design, deliver, and assess them adequately. In this mixed methods study of 45 community college student success programs across the U.S., we show how a sociocultural perspective helps to clarify the espoused versus enacted curriculum of student success courses and to explain the problematic tendency to continuously expand their curricular scope. Additionally, findings reveal the latent salience that instructors place on developing self-awareness and a college-going identity, notions rarely invoked as justification for student success courses to the same degree as instrumentalist notions of skills, navigation, and career planning valued by the traditional completion agenda discourse.

Disrupting the Dominant Discourse: Exploring the Mentoring Experiences of Latinx Community College Students

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this study was to better understand the sources of mentoring and ways in which mentors, as forms of social and familial capital, facilitate the development of capital among Latinx community college students Background: A more focused and nuanced understanding of the role of mentors in further developing Latinx students’ capital is needed to guide mentoring programs in designing asset-based programs that recognize and build upon students’ community cultural wealth Methodology: Drawing from Solórzano and Yosso’s (2001) work, we use asset-based, counter-storytelling as a qualitative, methodological approach to reframe the deficit perspective that is embedded in prior literature on Latinx college students. The sample included 11 Latinx community college students who participated in the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. Contribution: Results suggest that mentoring programs designed to serve Latinx community college students may be more efficient and may provide more meaningful support by recognizing and building upon the assets and capital provided by students’ networks and communities. Findings: Interviews revealed that participants leveraged community cultural wealth in the form of mentoring networks established prior to and during college, to develop other forms of capital that enabled them to reach their educational goals. Recommendations for Practitioners: The paper provides practical implications for mentoring programs, initiatives that include a mentoring component, as well as more generally for institutional agents who support Latinx students. Recommendation for Researchers: Findings provide a foundation for future research opportunities that could further examine how supportive relationships with institutional agents promote the educational and professional success of Latinx community college students. Future Research: Several suggestions for future research are provided, including qualitative work that explores how students identify and interact with mentors and other institutional agents during college and how they utilize these relationships to navigate the college environment.

Coaching Toward Completion: Academic Coaching Factors Influencing Community College Student Success

Aligned with the American Association of Community College’s 21st Century Initiative for community college completion, coaching has emerged in higher education as a promising practice for student support. Although hundreds of community colleges have implemented coaching programs, few studies have explored the practice of coaching and its relationship with student success. This study examines the influence of specific coaching factors, including the frequency, nature, and contact modes, on community college student persistence. The study utilizes a secondary data set collected by the Ohio Association of Community Colleges. The analysis of the records of 5,808 students from 15 Midwest community colleges engaged in a Coaches Program shows that 31.5% of the variance in credit-hour completion can be explained by 17 factors related to student demographics, community college characteristics, and coaching factors. This established relationship between coaching factors and credit-hour completion is an important contribution of the study to existing research.

What Works: Learning Outcomes Due to Design Variations in Community College Student Success Courses

Background/Context Based on well-established evidence that certain student success skills and college knowledge are closely associated with academic achievement, persistence, and completion, community colleges increasingly implement various types of first-year student success courses and programs. However, by looking only at the distal impact of program participation, the question of whether these programs actually influence those mediating skills of college success has scarcely been investigated in the higher education literature, let alone which program features may be determining factors. Purpose/Objective This study examined the scope and design of community college student success courses to address which program features relate to learning objectives of student success skills, college knowledge, and engagement. Population/Participants/Subjects Participants were students and instructors drawn from 47 student success course sections at 42 public community colleges in 24 states, representing all U.S. geographic regions. Research Design The study adopted a multimodal research design, using both qualitative and quantitative research methods while primarily relying on quantitative analysis. Data Collection and Analysis Students in selected student success course sections completed a pre- and postsurvey. Instructors participated in a structured interview and provided course syllabi. Course design information was quantitized and merged with student-level data to model variation in learning outcomes as a function of course features, according to an activity theory conceptual framework. Data were analyzed using hierarchical linear modeling. Conclusions Findings from this research point to several recommendations for practice by highlighting the reality that one term may be too little to learn some student success skills and that particular features of course designs may result in unintended adverse effects. Results indicate that structural elements are the most impactful features and that the skills-based curricular features that receive the most attention may be in fact the least influential features in realizing desired skills and knowledge outcomes. The study points to methodological ways forward to further explore and unpack the relationship between success course design features and educational outcomes.

Establishing Metrics for Evaluating Community College Student Success in 3+1 Transfer Programs

ABSTRACTThis article reports on the findings of qualitative research which investigated appropriate means for measuring the efficacy of 3 + 1 transfer programs. In a 3 + 1 program, students complete 90 credits at the community college and are awarded a baccalaureate degree after completing their final 30 credits at a four-year college or university. Community colleges continue to explore ways to improve the transfer process with the goal of increasing baccalaureate degree completion for community college graduates. Transfer programs which articulate 90 credits from a 3 + 1 program have been growing as a model for community college baccalaureate completion. However, no scholarly research had previously focused on measuring the effectiveness of 3 + 1 programs. This research involved interviews with eight institutions: four community colleges with active 3 + 1 programs and their four-year partner institutions. The results show that 3 + 1 programs are not clearly defined and vary in implementation. While evidence seems to suggest that these programs are effective, little definitive data exist. The study concludes that clear metrics need to be established to measure the efficacy of these programs and proposes metrics to measure success.

The role of teacher care in determining academic success of community college students: a case study from Hong Kong

ABSTRACTThis article highlights findings from a case study research investigating factors that foster the academic achievement of community college students in Hong Kong. Data was collected from in-depth interviews with six community college students in a middle-sized, self-funded community college. The findings illustrate nuanced facets of teacher care that are conducive to students’ academic and personal development, including (i) teachers as important transmitters of knowledge; (ii) teachers as care-givers; (iii) pedagogical care; (iv) teachers as advice-givers, and (v) teachers as role models. The research has practical implications for practices within community colleges and teacher training in the sub-degree sector.