Data Notes Newsletter

• May/June 2010: Returning Students  
  This issue of Data Notes looks at students who returned to their original Achieving the Dream institution after completing credentials or transferring to another institution. Forty-two percent of students who either received a degree or certificate or transferred from an Achieving the Dream college within three years of initial enrollment returned within six years of initial enrollment. More than 80 percent of students who returned after credential completion or transfer returned on a part-time basis; 17 percent returned full-time. Nearly two-thirds, 65 percent, of returning students who initially attained certificates in transfer majors persisted to complete associate degrees. Interestingly, 62 percent of the students who initially transferred and then returned transferred again. The findings highlight the variability of institutional enrollment, and the fact that despite completing credentials or transferring to other institutions, a significant portion of Achieving the Dream students who returned to their original institution continued their coursework or earned additional credentials.

• March/April 2010: Attendance and Completion Patterns  
  Community college students take circuitous routes through their education; very few enroll full-time and continue until they graduate. Erratic enrollment patterns have been negatively linked with academic progress and eventual credential completion—students enrolled continuously and on a full-time basis are more likely to attain their academic goals than those not enrolled continuously or who drop to part-time status.  This analysis followed students through three regular academic years to identify their varying attendance patterns. Determining students’ reasons for changing their enrollment status may help colleges become more sensitive to how they might help students who are intent on their goals, but inconsistent in their pursuit of education. The analysis suggests that, in addition to leaving college without credentials, students often shift among full-time, part-time, and non-attendance. Measuring persistence simply by determining if a student enrolls over successive enrollment periods misses the complexity indicated by these data, as community college students take many diverse paths to achieve their goals.

• January/February 2010: Grade Point Average and Student Outcomes 
  This issue of Data Notes investigates the academic achievement patterns of students attending Achieving the Dream colleges. The data show that 21 percent of students at Achieving the Dream colleges had grade point averages (GPAs) of 3.50 or higher at the end of their first year. At least 40 percent of students with year one GPAs of 2.00 or higher completed, transferred or were still enrolled by year five, compared with 21 percent of those with GPAs less than 2.00. High achieving students who received a Pell grant were more likely to persist than were those who did not receive Pell grants.

• November/December 2009: Late Stop-Outs, Part 2 
  This issue of Data Notes is the second of a two-part series investigating the characteristics of late stop-outs - students who accumulate at least 30 credits within the first two years, only to stop out without completing credentials or transferring. The data show that male students were more likely to stop out (53 percent) than female students (48 percent), and students under 20 and 30 years old and over were less likely to stop out (47 percent and 52 percent, respectively) than students in their twenties (about 55 percent). Fifty-five percent of students without a declared major or program of study left the college by the end of their fifth year, compared with 53 percent of students with a terminal goal and 47 percent of students with a transfer goal. Students who had earned at least 30 credits by the end of their second academic year and were referred to developmental education courses one level below college level—regardless of subject area—had five-year outcomes (45 to 49 percent) that were not dissimilar to those for non-referred stu dents (50 percent).

• September/October 2009: Late Stop-Outs  
  This issue of Data Notes is the first of a two-part series investigating the characteristics of late stop-outs - students who accumulate at least 30 credits within the first two years, only to stop out without completing credentials or transferring. Seventy-five percent of students at Achieving the Dream colleges who accumulated 30 or more credits in their first two years were either still enrolled (59 percent), transferred (2 percent), or completed their credential (14 percent) by the end of their third year. Native American students had the highest stop-out rate (59 percent) by the end of year 5, while Asian/Pacific Islanders had the lowest stop out rate (44 percent). Interestingly, Pell grant recipients were slightly more likely to stop-out than non-recipients (49 percent).

• July/August 2009: Academic Outcomes of High Risk Students  
  Many postsecondary students possess risk factors that are associated with decreased rates of persistence and credential completion. Traditional students—those without risk factors and with greater rates of postsecondary success—are in the minority. This issue of Data Notes examines Achieving the Dream data for students identified as possessing risk factors, by intensity of risk. The outcomes of students with none, one, two, and three or more risk factors were compared. The vast majority—92 percent—of Achieving the Dream students came to college with at least one risk factor. Although students possessing risk factors did not complete or transfer at the same rates as those with no risk factors, the study indicates that persistence through the third year was found to be inversely related to the number of risk factors students possess. 

• May/June 2009: Characteristics of Students Who Stop Out  
  This issue of Data Notes is the second of a two-part series investigating the characteristics of stop-outs at Achieving the Dream colleges. In this issue, students who stop out during high-frequency terms are examined by age, developmental referral status, grade point average and credit load, and Pell Grant status. Contrary to national studies showing age as a risk factor for stopping out, our analysis suggests that older students at Achieving the Dream colleges who stay in college through the first academic year are more likely to persist into their third academic year than younger students. Students referred to developmental education were less likely to stop out, as were those who received a Pell Grant. Students who stopped out later in their academic career had higher GPAs and completed a greater percentage of the credits they attempted than students who stopped out early on.

• March/April 2009: Stop Outs  
  This issue of Data Notes is the first of a two-part series investigating which academic terms have the highest frequency of stop-outs at Achieving the Dream colleges. In this issue, students who stop out during high-frequency terms are examined by enrollment status, gender, and race/ethnicity. Colleges have been divided into two groups: those operating on semesters and those on quarters/trimesters. Similar to national studies on student persistence, slightly more than half of part-time students at Achieving the Dream colleges stopped out by the fall of their second academic year. Female students were significantly less likely to stop out than male students, and Hispanic students were less likely to stop out over three years than were black, non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic; or Native American students.

• January/February 2009: Transfer Students  
  This issue of Data Notes examines the reported transfer rates of Achieving the Dream colleges and the enrollment patterns of students who transfer to another institution either before or after receiving degrees from the community colleges. Nineteen percent of students in the 2002 cohort transferred during the five-year data collection period. Comparable percentages of students were reported as transfers for each academic year—ranging between three and five percent. The relatively large share of community college students that transfer indicates the importance of understanding the enrollment patterns of transfer students, and of including transfers in institutional measures of student success. 

• September/October 2008:Students Earning Zero Credits  
  Nearly one-quarter of students in community colleges leave school during the first year of enrollment for reasons other than transfer or credential completion. Generally, nontraditional community college students drop out within their first year at higher rates than do traditional students. This analysis identifies the characteristics of Achieving the Dream students who enroll but do not earn any credits during the first term, and focuses on their persistence to the second term. The analysis revealed a set of characteristics having strong associations with earning zero credits during the first term: Being male, black, between 20 and 24, needing developmental education, or starting part-time, which was the strongest of these relationships. If a student did not earn credits, another set of characteristics was related to a greater likelihood of not persisting to the second term. The strongest relationships were being Native American, male, over 20 years old, attending part-time, or being enrolled in a terminal program. These results do not explain why students leave college, but they do help identify populations more likely to leave college early.

• July/Aug 2008: Developmental Education: Completion Status and Outcomes   
  Developmental Education programs are designed to provide assistance to students who are academically under-prepared for college-level coursework. Previous issues of Data Notes compared the outcomes of developmental students completing all of their required developmental courses to those not requiring developmental education. This analysis examines outcomes of four different groups of students organized by their developmental needs and completion statuses: students referred to developmental education and completing (1) all, (2) part, (3) none of their developmental education requirements during the first academic year and (4) those not referred. The results suggest that getting students who need remediation to enroll in the appropriate classes immediately, and doing everything possible to help them succeed will result in improved completion rates. The results also show that different measures of student success - persistence, credits completed, and GPA - can provide conflicting evidence.

• May/June 2008: Population Characteristics and Student Outcomes   
  Colleges can gain a better understanding of their students’ progress by comparing themselves to peers. This issue of Data Notes focuses on Achieving the Dream colleges that serve high percentages of Hispanic, black, and low-income students. This analysis reveals the noteworthy result that although we are talking about institutions enrolling high populations of at-risk students, these peer group institutions often displayed better outcome measures than their comparison groups. In many cases, persistence rates for students attending colleges serving large populations of students traditionally labeled at-risk were higher than those of students attending the comparison colleges.

• March/April 2008: Outcome Differences Across Age Groups 
  This issue examines the differing developmental needs and enrollment and persistence patterns of Achieving the Dream students across different age groups. The data show older students in Achieving the Dream colleges tended to achieve higher grades and perform better academically than younger students, yet they did not persist at the same rate.  The results indicate that it may be worth examining options for separate intervention strategies designed specifically for older students, as their needs are often different from those of younger students.
  
  
• January/February 2008: Minority Males : Race/Ethnicity, Gender and Student Outcomes  
  This issue examines the differing developmental needs and enrollment and persistence patterns of Achieving the Dream students by gender, with a focus on male students of color. The data show females in Achieving the Dream colleges, regardless of race, were less likely than males to enroll full time during their first term, and they were referred to developmental education with higher frequency than males. But females who enrolled full time accumulated more credits, completed a larger percentage of the credits they attempted and attained higher GPAs than male students. The gender gap is wider for students of color. The results indicate that it may be worth examining options for separate intervention strategies designed specifically for males and females. Colleges also may consider specific strategies for male students of color.

• November/December 2007: Enrollment Status and Student Outcomes 
  This issue looks at the differences between students enrolled part-time, compared with those enrolled full-time, during their first term.  The analysis addresses differences in developmental needs, as well as various outcome measures – persistence, credits completed, and accumulated and cumulative GPA.  The data show that at Achieving the Dream colleges more full-time students were referred to developmental education, yet a larger portion of full-time students persisted.  However, part-time students achieved slightly higher GPAs and completed slightly larger percentages of credits attempted than did full-time students.  Being sensitive to such variations will help colleges develop their strategies, as interventions that help full-time students may not be suitable for part-time students.

• September/October 2007: Cohort Composition Changes 
  This issue looks at changes in cohort composition. The analysis addresses the changing composition of the Achieving the Dream student cohorts from 2002 to 2005. The data show that at Achieving the Dream colleges, the percentage of Hispanic students increased over the four cohorts studied, as did the percentage of students who received Pell Grants and the percentage of students referred to developmental education. Being sensitive to such variations will help colleges interpret results from their strategies, because changes in cohort composition can inform evaluations of intervention strategies over time.
  
  
• May/June 2007: Achieving the Dream Students and Financial Aid 
  This issue of Data Notes looks at who receives aid, how much they receive and how financial aid relates to persistence. The data show that among full-time students in the 2003 Achieving the Dream cohort, students of color were more likely to receive grants to fund their postsecondary education than were white students. Furthermore, full-time students who received financial aid were more likely to persist, although this relationship was stronger for some racial/ethnic groups than others.

• January/February 2007: Different Paths for Different Majors 
  This issue of Data Notes compares terminal-major, transfer seeking and undeclared students. The different educational paths represent students with different objectives and likely different needs, both of which may be related to persistence. Understanding these differences is critical for community colleges working to improve student outcomes.

• November/December 2006: Developmental Math Students and College-Level Coursework 
  This issue examines the percentages and numbers of students who attempted and completed both developmental and college-level math. The analysis reveals that a large portion of students either do not attempt or do not complete developmental math coursework.  Furthermore, the data show that students who do complete developmental math do not always move on to college-level math.  Each step of the analysis — referral to developmental math, attempting and then completing developmental math, attempting and then completing college-level math — displays a precipitous decline in the number of students.

• September/October 2006: Developmental Education and Student Success 
  This issue looks at student's developmental education needs and outcomes by race and ethnicity. The data indicate that the depth of students' developmental needs varies by race and ethnicity - and that the depth of developmental needs is related to success. Colleges, therefore, would be well served by identifying student groups with high developmental education needs and implementing intervention strategies tailored for them.

• July/August 2006: Developmental Education 
  This issue of Data Notes looks at the percentage of students referred to developmental education and, of those referred, the percentage that attempted and completed at least one developmental education course in their first and second terms. The data show that more than 80 percent of students at Achieving the Dream institutions were referred to some type of developmental education, and that students referred to developmental education who completed at least one developmental class during their first term were more likely to return the next term than those who did not complete any developmental education classes.

• June 2006: Institutional Size Differences 
  This issue of Data Notes looks at the relationship between institutional size differences at Achieving the Dream colleges. Nearly half of Achieving the Dream colleges are classified as small, but these colleges account for only 11 percent of students in the fall 2002 cohort. Only 29 percent of colleges are classified as large, but they account for 68 percent of students. This issue makes the point that while these colleges differ in terms of size, locale and student demographics, they face the same challenges and share a commitment to improving student outcomes.

• May 2006: Do Pell Grants Make a Difference? 
  This issue of Data Notes compares students in the 2002 Achieving the Dream cohort in terms of achievement and persistence over three academic years based on Pell Grant receipt. The results reveal a complicated relationship between Pell Grant receipt and measures of student success. Students who received Pell Grants needed more developmental education than those who did not receive these grants, but were also more likely to persist or to complete their credentials in their first three academic years and accumulate slightly more credits.

• April 2006: Gatekeeper Achievement  
  This issue of Data Notes examines student attempts and completions for the gatekeeper English and math courses during the first three academic years of the 2002 Achieving the Dream cohort. Approximately a quarter of these students attempted gatekeeper classes in math, and slightly less than half attempted English by the end of their third academic year. Eighteen percent of the students in the cohort successfully completed at least one gatekeeper math class, compared with 34 percent for gatekeeper English.

• March 2006: Credits, Persistence and Attainment 
  In this issue of Data Notes, we examine the relationships between course attempts, completions, and attainment - and found results that countered our expectations. The analysis examines the number of credits attempted and completed for the 2002 Achieving the Dream cohort's first academic year as it relates to their persistence and credential completion through the third academic year. These findings underline the importance of using detailed analysis and results, rather than general theories, to guide institutional change.

• February 2006: Developmental Math 
  This Data Note's issue examines developmental math referrals, attempts and completions from the 2002 Achieving the Dream student cohort over two academic years, fall 2002 through spring 2004. Although approximately half of the students who were referred to developmental math completed at least one math class within two years, nearly half of the referred students had to take two or three classes to qualify for college-level math. At the end of two years, only 17 percent of those in the 2002 cohort who had been referred to any developmental math met all of the qualifications to continue on to college-level math.