Pub Date : 2021-10-15DOI: 10.1177/00915521211047674
Amanda N. Nix, Tamara Bertrand Jones, Hollie Daniels, Pei Hu, Shouping Hu
Research Question: A sizable portion of college students experience food and housing insecurity, which poses a roadblock to fully and successfully engaging in higher education. In light of these complex challenges, we ask: How do Florida College System (FCS) institutions meet the basic needs of their students? Methods: To answer the question at hand, we conducted an embedded single case study of the FCS. Between 2014 and 2019, researchers traveled to 21 Florida colleges on one or more occasions to speak with college presidents, administrators, faculty members, advisors, academic support staff, and students. In total, we gathered data from 1,379 people through 213 focus group sessions and 20 individual interviews. Results: From these data emerged evidence of the extensive services and support programs provided by FCS institutions, ranging from food and housing assistance to clothing, transportation, and childcare. Such initiatives aim to meet the chronic, daily needs of students and their families, as well as acute needs that arise out of local disasters and crises. Contributions: The findings of this study contribute to the literature on the mission of community colleges. While these support programs address needs traditionally considered non-academic, participants suggest that they are essential to fostering student success. By meeting students’ physiological and safety needs, institutions can better accomplish their academic goals of remediation, transfer, vocational training, and contract education, particularly among students who have been traditionally excluded from higher education. The findings also highlight the importance of acknowledging the needs of students’ families when providing support.
{"title":"“There’s So Much That We’re Doing”: How Florida College System Institutions Address Basic Needs Insecurity Among Students","authors":"Amanda N. Nix, Tamara Bertrand Jones, Hollie Daniels, Pei Hu, Shouping Hu","doi":"10.1177/00915521211047674","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00915521211047674","url":null,"abstract":"Research Question: A sizable portion of college students experience food and housing insecurity, which poses a roadblock to fully and successfully engaging in higher education. In light of these complex challenges, we ask: How do Florida College System (FCS) institutions meet the basic needs of their students? Methods: To answer the question at hand, we conducted an embedded single case study of the FCS. Between 2014 and 2019, researchers traveled to 21 Florida colleges on one or more occasions to speak with college presidents, administrators, faculty members, advisors, academic support staff, and students. In total, we gathered data from 1,379 people through 213 focus group sessions and 20 individual interviews. Results: From these data emerged evidence of the extensive services and support programs provided by FCS institutions, ranging from food and housing assistance to clothing, transportation, and childcare. Such initiatives aim to meet the chronic, daily needs of students and their families, as well as acute needs that arise out of local disasters and crises. Contributions: The findings of this study contribute to the literature on the mission of community colleges. While these support programs address needs traditionally considered non-academic, participants suggest that they are essential to fostering student success. By meeting students’ physiological and safety needs, institutions can better accomplish their academic goals of remediation, transfer, vocational training, and contract education, particularly among students who have been traditionally excluded from higher education. The findings also highlight the importance of acknowledging the needs of students’ families when providing support.","PeriodicalId":46564,"journal":{"name":"Community College Review","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48301295","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-15DOI: 10.1177/00915521211047675
John Zilvinskis
Objective/Research Question: The purpose of this research is to explore the way use of student services can mediate engagement among first-generation and transfer students who use disability services at community colleges. The following research questions guided the current study: (1) At community colleges, how does frequency of use of student support services significantly relate to engagement among students who use disability services? (2) For first-generation and transfer students with disabilities, in what way does frequency of use of these services mediate engagement among this population? Method: Using Community College Survey of Student Engagement data, the relationship between frequency of use of student services and engagement behaviors was measured for 7,441 students using disability services. Through structural equation modeling, mediation effects of use of services on engagement for first-generation and transfer students with disabilities at community colleges were measured for academic challenge, support for learners, and student-faculty interaction. Results: Accounting for other student background characteristics, academic advising and career counseling were directly related to these measures and additive effects of this second service held for first-generation students with disabilities, but not transfers. Conclusion: These findings contribute to understanding which student services are successful pathways to increased engagement among students who use disability services. This research complements previous scholarship on increasing access of these services for this group, while suggesting further research may be conducted to understand quality of experience among student services.
{"title":"The Mediating Effects of Student Services on Engagement Among First-Generation and Transfer Students Who Use Disability Services at Community Colleges","authors":"John Zilvinskis","doi":"10.1177/00915521211047675","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00915521211047675","url":null,"abstract":"Objective/Research Question: The purpose of this research is to explore the way use of student services can mediate engagement among first-generation and transfer students who use disability services at community colleges. The following research questions guided the current study: (1) At community colleges, how does frequency of use of student support services significantly relate to engagement among students who use disability services? (2) For first-generation and transfer students with disabilities, in what way does frequency of use of these services mediate engagement among this population? Method: Using Community College Survey of Student Engagement data, the relationship between frequency of use of student services and engagement behaviors was measured for 7,441 students using disability services. Through structural equation modeling, mediation effects of use of services on engagement for first-generation and transfer students with disabilities at community colleges were measured for academic challenge, support for learners, and student-faculty interaction. Results: Accounting for other student background characteristics, academic advising and career counseling were directly related to these measures and additive effects of this second service held for first-generation students with disabilities, but not transfers. Conclusion: These findings contribute to understanding which student services are successful pathways to increased engagement among students who use disability services. This research complements previous scholarship on increasing access of these services for this group, while suggesting further research may be conducted to understand quality of experience among student services.","PeriodicalId":46564,"journal":{"name":"Community College Review","volume":"50 1","pages":"71 - 95"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41838615","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-08DOI: 10.1177/00915521211047676
Bethany Sweeney
{"title":"Book Review: Empowering the community college first-year composition teacher: Pedagogies and policies, by Siegal, M., & Gilliland, B. (Eds.)","authors":"Bethany Sweeney","doi":"10.1177/00915521211047676","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00915521211047676","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":46564,"journal":{"name":"Community College Review","volume":"50 1","pages":"117 - 120"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44769099","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-01DOI: 10.1177/00915521211026680
Aaron Leo
Objective: This article explores the experiences of 32 first-generation immigrant and refugee students as they transition into and out of community college. The challenges students face and the resources on which they draw in their educational pursuits are viewed through Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital. Method: This project utilizes an applied ethnographic approach that primarily elicited participant-observation and interview data. Results: Findings demonstrate that prospective community college students articulated uncertainty about the college process and concern over the quality of community colleges. Current and former community college students validated these concerns as they described their struggles to overcome both in- and out-of-school challenges. In many cases, such obstacles resulted in the leveling of previously high aspirations. Contribution: Although the growing number of immigrant and refugee students in the United States are disproportionately represented at community colleges, little is known about their experiences in these institutions. This article adds to our understanding of immigrant and refugee students’ experiences in community colleges through their own words.
{"title":"Aspiration and Opportunity: First-Generation Immigrants and Refugees at Community College","authors":"Aaron Leo","doi":"10.1177/00915521211026680","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00915521211026680","url":null,"abstract":"Objective: This article explores the experiences of 32 first-generation immigrant and refugee students as they transition into and out of community college. The challenges students face and the resources on which they draw in their educational pursuits are viewed through Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital. Method: This project utilizes an applied ethnographic approach that primarily elicited participant-observation and interview data. Results: Findings demonstrate that prospective community college students articulated uncertainty about the college process and concern over the quality of community colleges. Current and former community college students validated these concerns as they described their struggles to overcome both in- and out-of-school challenges. In many cases, such obstacles resulted in the leveling of previously high aspirations. Contribution: Although the growing number of immigrant and refugee students in the United States are disproportionately represented at community colleges, little is known about their experiences in these institutions. This article adds to our understanding of immigrant and refugee students’ experiences in community colleges through their own words.","PeriodicalId":46564,"journal":{"name":"Community College Review","volume":"49 1","pages":"435 - 456"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/00915521211026680","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41562795","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-01DOI: 10.1177/00915521211026681
Cameron Sublett, Jason L. Taylor
Objective: This study examined the statistical association between net tuition and changes in degree aspirations among community college students. In addition, the study explored the moderating influence of unmet financial need. Method: Analyses relied on data from the most recent iteration of the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study. Estimates were derived from a series of robust multinomial models controlling for student, institutional, and state-level covariates. Results: Net tuition was consistently associated with decreased risks of experiencing a “cool out,” regardless of model specification. Yet, this main effect of net tuition was moderated by unmet need, such that net tuition increased cool out risks among students with greater unmet need. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that net reductions in tuition alone may not fully reduce or eliminate barriers to college access and student success. Future financial aid policies should focus on the full cost of college attendance.
{"title":"Net Tuition, Unmet Financial Need, and Cooling Out: A National Study of Degree Aspirations Among First-Time Community College Students","authors":"Cameron Sublett, Jason L. Taylor","doi":"10.1177/00915521211026681","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00915521211026681","url":null,"abstract":"Objective: This study examined the statistical association between net tuition and changes in degree aspirations among community college students. In addition, the study explored the moderating influence of unmet financial need. Method: Analyses relied on data from the most recent iteration of the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study. Estimates were derived from a series of robust multinomial models controlling for student, institutional, and state-level covariates. Results: Net tuition was consistently associated with decreased risks of experiencing a “cool out,” regardless of model specification. Yet, this main effect of net tuition was moderated by unmet need, such that net tuition increased cool out risks among students with greater unmet need. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that net reductions in tuition alone may not fully reduce or eliminate barriers to college access and student success. Future financial aid policies should focus on the full cost of college attendance.","PeriodicalId":46564,"journal":{"name":"Community College Review","volume":"49 1","pages":"389 - 412"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/00915521211026681","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48519842","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-01DOI: 10.1177/00915521211028063
Jingjing Liu
{"title":"Book Review: On my own: The challenge and promise of building equitable STEM transfer pathways, by Wang, X","authors":"Jingjing Liu","doi":"10.1177/00915521211028063","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00915521211028063","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":46564,"journal":{"name":"Community College Review","volume":"49 1","pages":"506 - 509"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44000218","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-01DOI: 10.1177/00915521211026679
Gresham D. Collom, J. P. Biddix, Britta L. Svoboda
Objective: States increasingly create promise programs to increase college enrollment and degree attainment. The objective of this study was to understand the experiences of adult learners using the Tennessee Reconnect Grant (TN Reconnect) as they transitioned to becoming college students. Methods: Drawing upon interviews with 23 adult learners, this longitudinal qualitative study applied Schlossberg’s Transition Theory to explore the experience of transitioning to college. Results: Findings revealed students who used the TN Reconnect, many of whom were first-generation and low-income students, faced insurmountable barriers that contributed to their decision to initially not enroll in college or drop out of college. Access to TN Reconnect provided an unexpected opportunity for them to return to college. However, participants still faced barriers often associated with adult, first-generation, and low-income students. Contributions: Findings suggest state and institutional policy, and practice must adapt to fit the unique needs of adult learners to maximize degree completion outcomes. As currently structured, promise programs may not provide substantial benefits to student groups who face significant barriers to success, such as adult learners. State policymakers must explore the benefits of adopting a more equitable policy structure and/or implement additional services and resources for adult learners.
{"title":"“I’m Not Letting Nothing Stop Me This Time”: Transitions Among Adult Learners Using the Tennessee Reconnect Grant","authors":"Gresham D. Collom, J. P. Biddix, Britta L. Svoboda","doi":"10.1177/00915521211026679","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00915521211026679","url":null,"abstract":"Objective: States increasingly create promise programs to increase college enrollment and degree attainment. The objective of this study was to understand the experiences of adult learners using the Tennessee Reconnect Grant (TN Reconnect) as they transitioned to becoming college students. Methods: Drawing upon interviews with 23 adult learners, this longitudinal qualitative study applied Schlossberg’s Transition Theory to explore the experience of transitioning to college. Results: Findings revealed students who used the TN Reconnect, many of whom were first-generation and low-income students, faced insurmountable barriers that contributed to their decision to initially not enroll in college or drop out of college. Access to TN Reconnect provided an unexpected opportunity for them to return to college. However, participants still faced barriers often associated with adult, first-generation, and low-income students. Contributions: Findings suggest state and institutional policy, and practice must adapt to fit the unique needs of adult learners to maximize degree completion outcomes. As currently structured, promise programs may not provide substantial benefits to student groups who face significant barriers to success, such as adult learners. State policymakers must explore the benefits of adopting a more equitable policy structure and/or implement additional services and resources for adult learners.","PeriodicalId":46564,"journal":{"name":"Community College Review","volume":"49 1","pages":"413 - 434"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/00915521211026679","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48041979","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-01DOI: 10.1177/00915521211026682
K. Stofer, Jh Chandler, S. Insalaco, C. Matyas, Heidi J. L. Lannon, J. Judge, Brandan Lanman, B. Hom, Heather Norton
Objective: Despite the availability of high-paying, high-demand careers, few women and students from underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities enter undergraduate programs understanding what the geosciences are and associated available career opportunities. This problem is compounded for students from backgrounds underrepresented in the United States. High-impact practices, such as mentoring, internships, undergraduate research experiences, and cohort-building, increase recruitment and retention of underrepresented students in science, technology, engineering, and math at 4-year institutions. What is not yet clear is the impact these interventions have on underrepresented students at two-year colleges, where the STEM pathway has become a main postsecondary school entry point for these students due to the affordability, flexibility, and academic support provided. Therefore, we designed, implemented, and researched a year-long program providing underrepresented students at a two-year college exposure to several of these experiences. Methods: We interviewed program participants about their perceptions and experiences in the program. Analysis proceeded using constant comparison. Results: Participants reported benefits from networking opportunities, gains in confidence, and gains in job skills, while some reported challenges for participation such as communication and time expectation conflicts; participants also struggled to balance the program with employment needs on top of school requirements. Different aspects of the program benefited different students, suggesting that all of these experiences could support recruitment and foster interest in geoscience for underrepresented students at two-year colleges. Conclusion: We conclude with implications for future research, program enhancements, and time constraint and mentoring needs related to characteristics of two-year college students.
{"title":"Two-Year College Students Report Multiple Benefits From Participation in an Integrated Geoscience Research, Coursework, and Outreach Internship Program","authors":"K. Stofer, Jh Chandler, S. Insalaco, C. Matyas, Heidi J. L. Lannon, J. Judge, Brandan Lanman, B. Hom, Heather Norton","doi":"10.1177/00915521211026682","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00915521211026682","url":null,"abstract":"Objective: Despite the availability of high-paying, high-demand careers, few women and students from underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities enter undergraduate programs understanding what the geosciences are and associated available career opportunities. This problem is compounded for students from backgrounds underrepresented in the United States. High-impact practices, such as mentoring, internships, undergraduate research experiences, and cohort-building, increase recruitment and retention of underrepresented students in science, technology, engineering, and math at 4-year institutions. What is not yet clear is the impact these interventions have on underrepresented students at two-year colleges, where the STEM pathway has become a main postsecondary school entry point for these students due to the affordability, flexibility, and academic support provided. Therefore, we designed, implemented, and researched a year-long program providing underrepresented students at a two-year college exposure to several of these experiences. Methods: We interviewed program participants about their perceptions and experiences in the program. Analysis proceeded using constant comparison. Results: Participants reported benefits from networking opportunities, gains in confidence, and gains in job skills, while some reported challenges for participation such as communication and time expectation conflicts; participants also struggled to balance the program with employment needs on top of school requirements. Different aspects of the program benefited different students, suggesting that all of these experiences could support recruitment and foster interest in geoscience for underrepresented students at two-year colleges. Conclusion: We conclude with implications for future research, program enhancements, and time constraint and mentoring needs related to characteristics of two-year college students.","PeriodicalId":46564,"journal":{"name":"Community College Review","volume":"49 1","pages":"457 - 482"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/00915521211026682","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44851691","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-06-23DOI: 10.1177/00915521211026677
Brit Wagner, Xiwei Zhu, Xueli Wang
Objective: This study is aimed at understanding the ways in which faculty at community colleges utilize their industry experiences to inform their teaching. Method: The research drew on Merriam’s basic qualitative approach in analyzing data from 14 semi-structured qualitative interviews. Results: Our findings expand upon prior research surrounding faculty development and community college faculty experiences. Our analysis revealed several themes in regard to how community college faculty with industry backgrounds follow diverse pathways leading to their teaching positions; how they teach using practical applications of concepts and sharing real-life examples; how they utilize their industry networks to enhance their academic programs and create practical opportunities for students; how they replicate workplace settings in their classrooms; and how they prepare students for their future careers. Contribution: Our study contributes new empirical evidence on the myriad ways in which faculty apply industry experiences in their instruction. The findings indicate that community colleges would benefit from offering targeted supports and pedagogical training for faculty with an industry background; encouraging faculty from all backgrounds and disciplines to share successful teaching strategies; and utilizing faculty members’ expertise, networks, and experiences from industry in mathematics-oriented classrooms.
{"title":"Tools in Their Toolbox: How Community College Faculty Transfer Industry Experience Into Their Teaching","authors":"Brit Wagner, Xiwei Zhu, Xueli Wang","doi":"10.1177/00915521211026677","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00915521211026677","url":null,"abstract":"Objective: This study is aimed at understanding the ways in which faculty at community colleges utilize their industry experiences to inform their teaching. Method: The research drew on Merriam’s basic qualitative approach in analyzing data from 14 semi-structured qualitative interviews. Results: Our findings expand upon prior research surrounding faculty development and community college faculty experiences. Our analysis revealed several themes in regard to how community college faculty with industry backgrounds follow diverse pathways leading to their teaching positions; how they teach using practical applications of concepts and sharing real-life examples; how they utilize their industry networks to enhance their academic programs and create practical opportunities for students; how they replicate workplace settings in their classrooms; and how they prepare students for their future careers. Contribution: Our study contributes new empirical evidence on the myriad ways in which faculty apply industry experiences in their instruction. The findings indicate that community colleges would benefit from offering targeted supports and pedagogical training for faculty with an industry background; encouraging faculty from all backgrounds and disciplines to share successful teaching strategies; and utilizing faculty members’ expertise, networks, and experiences from industry in mathematics-oriented classrooms.","PeriodicalId":46564,"journal":{"name":"Community College Review","volume":"49 1","pages":"483 - 505"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/00915521211026677","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44740425","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-04-07DOI: 10.1177/00915521211002896
Federick J. Ngo, David Velasquez, Tatiana Melguizo
Objective: Community colleges across the country are making dramatic shifts away from traditional reliance on placement testing for developmental education and toward using high school measures to assess college-readiness. Yet the views of faculty dealing with these changes, including their perspectives on the quality and usefulness of high school data, are not well-understood. We explore faculty views of high school transcript and placement testing data, attributions made with the data, and beliefs about the extent to which these data are useful for instruction. Methods: We conducted a survey and semi-structured interviews with math faculty in one community college math department (n = 21). We used real high school records to develop a Personalized Student Profile of student math backgrounds to engage faculty in sensemaking about high school and placement testing data. Results: Faculty did not appear to readily trust high school data, tending only to do so when it fit their existing understandings of student ability as measured by placement tests. Although faculty described opportunities to use the data to inform instruction, they noted the challenges of actually doing so. Conclusions: The findings reveal significant faculty concerns about high school measures and point toward shifts in faculty attitudes and beliefs that may need to be addressed in order for reforms that upend traditional approaches to remediation and instruction to be successful. We discuss critical future research directions for this new paradigm of developmental education in community colleges.
{"title":"Faculty Perspectives on Using High School Data in an Era of Placement Testing Reform","authors":"Federick J. Ngo, David Velasquez, Tatiana Melguizo","doi":"10.1177/00915521211002896","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00915521211002896","url":null,"abstract":"Objective: Community colleges across the country are making dramatic shifts away from traditional reliance on placement testing for developmental education and toward using high school measures to assess college-readiness. Yet the views of faculty dealing with these changes, including their perspectives on the quality and usefulness of high school data, are not well-understood. We explore faculty views of high school transcript and placement testing data, attributions made with the data, and beliefs about the extent to which these data are useful for instruction. Methods: We conducted a survey and semi-structured interviews with math faculty in one community college math department (n = 21). We used real high school records to develop a Personalized Student Profile of student math backgrounds to engage faculty in sensemaking about high school and placement testing data. Results: Faculty did not appear to readily trust high school data, tending only to do so when it fit their existing understandings of student ability as measured by placement tests. Although faculty described opportunities to use the data to inform instruction, they noted the challenges of actually doing so. Conclusions: The findings reveal significant faculty concerns about high school measures and point toward shifts in faculty attitudes and beliefs that may need to be addressed in order for reforms that upend traditional approaches to remediation and instruction to be successful. We discuss critical future research directions for this new paradigm of developmental education in community colleges.","PeriodicalId":46564,"journal":{"name":"Community College Review","volume":"49 1","pages":"290 - 313"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/00915521211002896","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45687754","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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