Fresno, CA April 22, 2013

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Darla Cooper, EdD Director, Research and Evaluation Using Student Perspectives to Reimagine Support on Your Own Terms Student Support (Re)defined

Session outcomes  Describe the six factors that support student success  Highlight what students identify was important to their success  Identify how all educators have a role to play in supporting student success 4 The RP Group | Lunch N Learn | April 2013

OVERVIEW OF PROJECT Student Support (Re)defined 5 The RP Group | Lunch N Learn | April 2013

Let’s Talk 1.Thinking back, what would you say was most important to your success as a college student? 2.What do you think is most important to community college students’ success today? 6 The RP Group | Lunch N Learn | April 2013

General research question In an environment of extreme scarcity, which student support activities can be delivered inside and outside of the classroom to improve success for all students, paying special attention to African-American and Latino learners? 7 The RP Group | Lunch N Learn | April 2013

Participating colleges 8 The RP Group | Lunch N Learn | April 2013

Study participants  Survey: 785 students (12 CCCs) 36% current students, 32% completers, 32% leavers 30% first generation 32% white, 31% Latino, 25% African American, 12% other  Focus groups: 102 students (4 CCCs) 9 The RP Group | Lunch N Learn | April 2013

Study participants (cont.) Among survey participants…  71% had taken an assessment test  61% received need-based financial aid  40% had seen a counselor  36% had an ed plan on record  14% were in EOPS  7% were in DSPS 10 The RP Group | Lunch N Learn | April 2013

Six success factors  Directed  Focused  Nurtured  Connected  Engaged  Valued 11 The RP Group | Lunch N Learn | April 2013

Six success factors Directed 12 DefinitionRelated Activities Students have a goal and know how to achieve it The RP Group | Lunch N Learn | April 2013

Six success factors Directed 13 DefinitionRelated Activities Students have a goal and know how to achieve it Counseling/student success courses Career center Applying for financial aid Introductory courses The RP Group | Lunch N Learn | April 2013

Directed: Students’ Suggestions for Action  Provide career exploration and discipline- specific advising (faculty)  Connect students to existing academic support programs and services (faculty, counselors & support staff)  Provide additional resources and tools for goal selection and monitoring of progress (administrators)  Direct more intrusive outreach to first-generation and undecided students (administrators) 14 The RP Group | Lunch N Learn | April 2013

Six success factors Focused 15 DefinitionRelated Activities Students stay on track—keeping their eyes on the prize The RP Group | Lunch N Learn | April 2013

Six success factors Focused 16 DefinitionRelated Activities Students stay on track—keeping their eyes on the prize Student educational plan Regular/required advising Mentoring program The RP Group | Lunch N Learn | April 2013

Focused: Students’ Suggestions for Action  Provide regular feedback on students’ performance and progress (faculty)  Have high expectations for students (faculty)  Connect students with special programs (e.g., DSPS, EOPS, Puente, Umoja, etc.) that provide intensive support (counselors & support staff, faculty)  Develop resources that enable students to track their own progress towards meeting their educational goals (administrators) 17 The RP Group | Lunch N Learn | April 2013

Six success factors Nurtured 18 DefinitionRelated Activities Students feel somebody wants them to succeed as a student and helps them succeed The RP Group | Lunch N Learn | April 2013

Six success factors Nurtured 19 DefinitionRelated Activities Students feel somebody wants them to succeed as a student and helps them succeed Regular/required advising Mentoring program Learning communities The RP Group | Lunch N Learn | April 2013

Nurtured: Students’ Suggestions for Action  Offer direct and tangible academic support (faculty)  Ensure students understand course material (faculty)  Know students’ names (faculty)  Communicate and demonstrate to students that you care about their success (faculty, counselors, staff, administrators) 20 The RP Group | Lunch N Learn | April 2013

Six success factors Engaged 21 DefinitionRelated Activities Students actively participate in class and are involved in extracurricular activities The RP Group | Lunch N Learn | April 2013

Six success factors Engaged 22 DefinitionRelated Activities Students actively participate in class and are involved in extracurricular activities Service learning Student leadership Learning communities Tutoring/supplemental instruction On-campus job The RP Group | Lunch N Learn | April 2013

Engaged: Students’ Suggestions for Action  Encourage students to utilize academic supports and ensure adequate access to these resources (faculty, administrators)  Offer challenging classes with hands-on, real world applications (faculty)  Allow students to provide feedback in both formal and informal ways (faculty)  Highlight the advantages of and encourage participation in extracurricular activities (faculty, counselors, administrators) 23 The RP Group | Lunch N Learn | April 2013

Six success factors Connected 24 DefinitionRelated Activities Students feel they are part of the college community The RP Group | Lunch N Learn | April 2013

Six success factors Connected 25 DefinitionRelated Activities Students feel they are part of the college community Learning community/ cohort approach Mentoring programs Student lounge/center The RP Group | Lunch N Learn | April 2013

Connected: Students’ Suggestions for Action  Provide both formal and informal opportunities for peer-to-peer connections both inside and outside of class (faculty, administrators)  Find ways to link students to available support resources and programs (faculty, counselors, administrators)  Promote your community college as a place of pride and worth in students’ postsecondary experience (administrators, faculty, staff, counselors)  Show students what makes you feel connected to the college (faculty, staff, administrators) 26 The RP Group | Lunch N Learn | April 2013

Six success factors Valued 27 DefinitionRelated Activities Students’ skills, talents, abilities and experiences are recognized; they have opportunities to contribute on campus and feel their contributions are appreciated The RP Group | Lunch N Learn | April 2013

Six success factors Valued 28 DefinitionRelated Activities Students’ skills, talents, abilities and experiences are recognized; they have opportunities to contribute on campus and feel their contributions are appreciated Student activities Mentoring programs Service learning Student leadership Focus groups The RP Group | Lunch N Learn | April 2013

Valued: Students’ Suggestions for Action  Provide community service and leadership opportunities (administrators)  Create opportunities for and encourage students to provide feedback (faculty, administrators)  Offer venues where students can share their family history, culture and traditions (faculty, administrators)  Recognize students’ potential and encourage them to use their skills, abilities and experience to help others (faculty, counselors, staff, administrators) 29 The RP Group | Lunch N Learn | April 2013

Key Themes 1. Colleges need to foster students' motivation. 2. Colleges must teach students how to succeed in the postsecondary environment. 3. Colleges need to structure support to ensure all "six success factors" are addressed. 4. Colleges need to provide comprehensive support to historically underserved students to prevent the equity gap from growing. 5. Everyone has a role to play in supporting student achievement, but faculty must take the lead. 30 The RP Group | Lunch N Learn | April 2013

Next steps Phase 2 Sharing these findings among a variety of constituent groups Facilitating dialogue about the findings (convenings) Developing an action guide that helps facilitate the improvement of student support Identifying related practices that can be sustained and scaled in a cost-effective manner 31 The RP Group | Lunch N Learn | April 2013

For more information on Student Support (Re)defined nt-support Dr. Darla Cooper, Project Director 32

NOTE: To change the image on this slide, select the picture and delete it. Then click the Pictures icon in the placeholde r to insert your own image. DEVELOPING A SENSE OF BELONGING AS A RETENTION STRATEGY FOR FOSTER YOUTH IN COLLEGE California College Pathways: Lunch and Learn Series California State University, Fresno Monday, April 22, 2013 By Kizzy Lopez

I NTRODUCTION  Presenter: Kizzy M. Lopez  Professional Role: Program Coordinator Renaissance Scholars at Fresno State  Education: PhD student at Azusa Pacific University; M.S. in Educational Counseling and B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from National University  Foster Care Alum

P RESENTATION O VERVIEW  Brief review of research  Promising practices for college retention  Question and answers

R EASONS FOR STUDY  What factors contribute to former foster youths’ college persistence?  Previous studies have demonstrated that a sense of belonging improves college retention and graduation rates for college students, particularly those students from underrepresented groups.  Does sense of belonging contribute to former foster youths’ college persistence?

R ESEARCH Q UESTION To what extent does psychological sense of community (a.k.a. sense of belonging) predict intent to re-enroll among former foster youth in California colleges?

G UIDING F RAMEWORK  Retention Theory  Sense of Belonging  Austin’s I-E-O model ( Input, Environment, and Output )

M ETHOD Data Source and Sample  The Thriving Quotient (TQ) survey was ed to Directors and Coordinators of Foster Youth Support Programs at California Community Colleges, CSU, and UC campuses.  Former foster youth students responded to the TQ survey on a voluntary basis but were entered into a drawing for a $25 Barnes and Noble card  There were 95 former foster youth student respondents

A NALYSIS /R ESULTS Analysis:  Multiple regression was performed to assess the degree to which each of the independent variables predicted intent to re-enroll. Results:  Results indicate that only one predictor was significant and that was psychological sense of community (sense of belonging) PSC (β =.45, p <.001).

F INDINGS  Results from this pilot study provide new data to suggest that sense of belonging is a significant predictor of intent to re-enroll among former foster youth in California Colleges.  The findings indicate that former foster youth who feel a sense of belonging are more likely to re-enroll and persist in college.

PROMISING PRACTICES

O VERVIEW  Renaissance Scholars Program  Student Recognition Ceremony  Summer Residential Program  Weekly Seminars  Community Building Activities  Program Apparel

R ENAISSANCE S CHOLARS P ROGRAM Mission Statement: Renaissance Scholars is a comprehensive support program that supports ambitious, college-bound individuals, formerly in foster care. The program is committed to providing a system of support and experiences that will empower students to grow into self-sufficient adults and future leaders in the community.

R ENAISSANCE S CHOLARS P ROGRAM Quick facts:  Established fall 2008  Under auspice of the Educational Opportunity Program  Average 88% year-to-year persistence rate  Almost 70% of our alum are pursuing graduate or doctoral programs

A NNUAL S TUDENT R ECOGNITION C EREMONY  Each year, Renaissance Scholars accepts a small group of incoming students  The incoming students are invited to the Annual Renaissance Scholars Student Recognition Ceremony and formally introduced at the ceremony to the campus and community partners

S UMMER R ESIDENTIAL P ROGRAM (LINC)  Incoming Renaissance Scholars attend a mandatory four-day Summer residential program called LINC  Renaissance Scholars LINC stands for (Learn, Integrate, Network, and Connect)  LINC occurs the week before school starts  LINC was implemented summer 2009  The purpose of LINC is to support the transition of incoming Renaissance scholars into the program and/or college and to have scholars build a strong connect with other students and staff.

LINC O BJECTIVES 1.Students will become familiar with goal setting techniques and strategies 2.Students will gain knowledge about physical and mental wellness. 3.Student will apply money management skills and techniques to financial aid and other financial resources 4.Students will about conflict resolution and the importance of building community and maintaining positive relationships 5.Students will learn about leadership styles and development 6.Students will be provided with opportunities to learn and better understand themselves and others.

F IRST - TIME FRESHMEN, YEAR - TO - YEAR PERSISTENCE Fall 2008, Renaissance Scholars did not have the Summer Residential Program (LINC) for incoming students

R ENAISSANCE S EMINARS  Renaissance Scholars meet weekly during the fall term and bi-weekly during the spring term  The weekly Renaissance Seminars are designed to equip students with skills and information that can be utilized as a student and young professional.  A variety of topics are covered from time management, test taking strategies, money management, healthy relationships, True colors (personality assessment ) and many others.

C OMMUNITY B UILDING A CTIVITIES  Renaissance Scholars offers several activities throughout the year for students to create a sense of belonging and lasting memories. The activities include:  Each month, one of the Renaissance seminars is dedicated to a fun community building activity (i.e.- Easter Egg Hunt, Bowling, Pumpkin carving contest, and many more themed ideas)  Annual Thanksgiving Dinner and Holiday Luncheon  Group Volunteer activity each semester (i.e.-MS Walk event, Food Pantry pack and distribution, AspiraNet Walk/Run event, and others)

P ROGRAM A PPAREL  The purpose of program apparel is to create a sense of belonging and pride among Renaissance Scholars.  Renaissance Scholars apparel is provided to students upon program entry, throughout the year and at graduation. Renaissance Summer LINC Holiday Luncheon Student Recognition Ceremony

S TUDENT Q UOTE “ I just wanted to thank you again for the Christmas Dinner. I greatly appreciate all that RSP has done for me. It truly means a lot to me to come to events such as these and see friendly faces. Your gifts were wonderful. I love my sweater! It's awesome. I will be sure to remember this special Christmas dinner each time I wear my sweater.” -Senior, Renaissance Scholar

Questions?

For further questions, contact: Kizzy Lopez (559)