St. Petersburg College CCSSE 2011 Findings Board of Trustees Meeting

What is Student Engagement? …the amount of time and energy students invest in meaningful educational practices …the institutional practices and student behaviors that are highly correlated with student learning and retention SPC Board of Trustees Meeting 2

The Community College Survey of Student Engagement ( CCSSE ) SPC Board of Trustees Meeting 3 CCSSE is designed to capture student engageme nt as a measure of institutional quality.

Student Respondent Profile SPCCCSSE 2011 Cohort Part-Time Enrollment31%58% Female59%57% Years Old63%58% Minority37%44% SPC Board of Trustees Meeting 4 Source: 2011 CCSSE data Administered in Spring 2011 (planned for Spring 2012) Out of 1,168 SPC survey respondents…

Student Respondent Profile SPC First Generation 17% Working 76% Work: More than 30 Hours 38% Caring for Dependents 57% Caring for Dependents: More than 30 Hours 22% Participating in College Sponsored Activities 15% Participating in College Sponsored Activities: 1-5 Hours 11% SPC Board of Trustees Meeting 5 Source: 2011 CCSSE data Out of 1,168 SPC survey respondents…

CCSSE Benchmarks Active and Collaborative Learning Student Effort Academic Challenge Student-Faculty Interaction Support for Learners

CCSSE Benchmarks  Active and Collaborative Learning. Students learn more when they are actively involved in their education and have opportunities to think about and apply what they are learning in different settings. Through collaborating with others to solve problems or master challenging content, students develop valuable skills that prepare them to deal with real-life situations and problems.  Student Effort. Students’ own behaviors contribute significantly to their learning and the likelihood that they will successfully attain their educational goals. SPC Board of Trustees Meeting 7

CCSSE Benchmarks  Academic Challenge. Challenging intellectual and creative work is central to student learning and collegiate quality. These survey items address the nature and amount of assigned academic work, the complexity of cognitive tasks presented to students, and the rigor of examinations used to evaluate student performance.  Student-Faculty Interaction. In general, the more contact students have with their teachers, the more likely they are to learn effectively and to persist toward achievement of their educational goals. Through such interactions, faculty members become role models, mentors, and guides for continuous, lifelong learning. SPC Board of Trustees Meeting 8

CCSSE Benchmarks  Support for Learners. Students perform better and are more satisfied at colleges that provide important support services, cultivate positive relationships among groups on campus, and demonstrate commitment to their success. SPC Board of Trustees Meeting 9

CCSSE Benchmarks for Effective Educational Practice Source: 2011 CCSSE data CCSSE Benchmark Scores for St. Petersburg College Compared to Colleges of Similar Size SPC Board of Trustees Meeting 10 Notes: Benchmark scores are standardized to have a mean of 50 and standard deviation of 25 across all respondents.

CCSSE Benchmarks for Effective Educational Practice Source: 2011 CCSSE data Historical CCSSE Benchmark Score Trends for St. Petersburg College SPC Board of Trustees Meeting 11 Notes: Benchmark scores are standardized to have a mean of 50 and standard deviation of 25 across all respondents.

Aspects of Highest Student Engagement Source: 2011 CCSSE data CCSSE Benchmark Scores for St. Petersburg College Compared to 2011 CCSSE Cohort SPC Board of Trustees Meeting 12 Benchmark Item No.Item Active and Collaborative Learning 4b Made a class presentation Student Effort4dWorked on a paper or project that required integrating ideas or information from various sources Student-Faculty Interaction4kUsed to communicate with an instructor Academic Challenge5eApplying theories or concepts to practical problems or in new situations Academic Challenge6cNumber of written papers or reports of any length Notes: For Item(s) 4, ‘Often’ and ‘Very Often’ responses are combined; For Item(s) 5, ‘Quite a bit’ and ‘Very much’ responses are combined; For Item(s) 6, ‘5 to 10,’ ‘11 to 20,’ and ‘More than 20’ responses are combined. Notes: Benchmark scores are standardized to have a mean of 50 and standard deviation of 25 across all respondents.

Aspects of Highest Student Engagement Source: 2011 CCSSE data A History of CCSSE Benchmark Scores for St. Petersburg College SPC Board of Trustees Meeting 13 Benchmark Item No.Item Active and Collaborative Learning 4b Made a class presentation Student Effort4dWorked on a paper or project that required integrating ideas or information from various sources Student-Faculty Interaction4kUsed to communicate with an instructor Academic Challenge5eApplying theories or concepts to practical problems or in new situations Academic Challenge6cNumber of written papers or reports of any length Notes: For Item(s) 4, ‘Often’ and ‘Very Often’ responses are combined; For Item(s) 5, ‘Quite a bit’ and ‘Very much’ responses are combined; For Item(s) 6, ‘5 to 10,’ ‘11 to 20,’ and ‘More than 20’ responses are combined.

Aspects of Lowest Student Engagement Source: 2011 CCSSE data CCSSE Benchmark Scores for St. Petersburg College Compared to 2011 CCSSE Cohort SPC Board of Trustees Meeting 14 Benchmark Item No.Item Active and Collaborative Learning 4f Worked with other students on projects during class Student Effort4mTalked about career plans with an instructor or advisor Student-Faculty Interaction4qWorked with instructors on activities other than coursework Academic Challenge9dHelping you cope with your non-academic responsibilities (work, family, etc.) Academic Challenge13h1Frequency: Computer lab Notes: For Item(s) 4, ‘Often’ and ‘Very Often’ responses are combined; For Item(s) 9, ‘Quite a bit’ and ‘Very much’ responses are combined; For Item(s) 13,’Sometimes’ ‘and ‘Often’ are combined. Notes: Benchmark scores are standardized to have a mean of 50 and standard deviation of 25 across all respondents.

Aspects of Lowest Student Engagement Source: 2011 CCSSE data A History of CCSSE Benchmark Scores for St. Petersburg College SPC Board of Trustees Meeting 15 Benchmark Item No.Item Active and Collaborative Learning 4f Worked with other students on projects during class Student Effort4mTalked about career plans with an instructor or advisor Student-Faculty Interaction4qWorked with instructors on activities other than coursework Academic Challenge9dHelping you cope with your non-academic responsibilities (work, family, etc.) Academic Challenge13h1Frequency: Computer lab Notes: For Item(s) 4, ‘Often’ and ‘Very Often’ responses are combined; For Item(s) 9, ‘Quite a bit’ and ‘Very much’ responses are combined; For Item(s) 13,’Sometimes’ ‘and ‘Often’ are combined.

SPC Internal Comparisons  Active and Collaborative Learning During the current school year, how often have you: Asked questions in class or contributed to class discussions (65.2% very often or often) Participated in a community-based project as a part of a regular course (7.2% very often or often)  Student Effort During the current school year, how often have you: Worked on a paper or project that required integrating ideas or information from various sources (74.3% very often or often) Used peer or other tutoring services (29.2% often or sometimes)  Academic Challenge During the current school year, how often have you: Worked harder than you thought you could to meet an instructor’s standards or expectations (56.6% very often or often) Worked with classmates outside of class to prepare class assignments (22.2% very often or often) Source: 2011 CCSSE data SPC Board of Trustees Meeting 16

SPC Internal Comparisons  Student-Faculty Interaction During the current school year, how often have you: Used to communicate with an instructor (68.3% very often or often) Worked with instructors on activities other than coursework (8.7% very often or often)  Support for Learners How much does this college emphasize: Providing the support you need to help you succeed at this college (75.3% very much or quite a bit) Helping you cope with your nonacademic responsibilities (work, family, etc.) (23.3% very much or quite a bit) Source: 2011 CCSSE data SPC Board of Trustees Meeting 17

CCSSE Special Focus Items 90.3% of students were registered for ALL courses before the first class session(s). 54.1% took part in either an online or on campus orientation prior to the beginning of classes, but 25.8% were not aware of a college orientation. SPC Board of Trustees Meeting 18

SPC Special Focus Items 79.5% of students strongly agree or agree that this year, they have tried to better understand someone else’s views by imagining how an issue looks from his or her perspective. 50.7% of students very often or often learned something that changed his or her viewpoint about an issue or concept. 59.1% of students this year have very often or often considered ideas different from his/her own. 23.7% of students this year have used the academic support services, e.g., tutoring and academic assistance. SPC Board of Trustees Meeting 19

Community College Student: Aspirations and Persistence

Student Aspirations Students’ Goals Indicate which of the following are your reasons/goals for attending this college. A goal (Primary or Secondary) Not a goal Complete a certificate program40%60% Obtain an associate degree93%7% Transfer to a four-year college or university77%23% Obtain or update job-related skills67%33% Self-improvement/personal enjoyment73%27% Change careers47%53% Note: Respondents may indicate more than one goal. Source: 2011 CCSSE data SPC Board of Trustees Meeting 21

Student Persistence Barriers to Returning to College How likely is it that the following issues would cause you to withdraw from class or from this college? Source: 2011 CCSSE data SPC Board of Trustees Meeting 22

Strategies to Promote Learning that Matters The Center describes four key strategies to promote strengthened classroom experiences: Strengthen classroom engagement Integrate student support into learning experiences Focus institutional policies on creating the conditions for learning Expand professional development focused on engaging students

Strengthen Classroom Engagement 1. Raise Expectations Students work hard to meet instructors’ expectations:  56.6% of students “Often” or “Very Often” work harder than they thought they could to meet an instructor’s standards or expectations  38% of students report spending five or fewer hours per week preparing for class SPC Board of Trustees Meeting 24

Strengthen Classroom Engagement 2. Promote Active, Engaged Learning In your experiences at this college during the current school year, about how often have you done each of the using activities? Source: 2011 CCSSE data SPC Board of Trustees Meeting 25 Percentage of students responding never

Strengthen Classroom Engagement Source: 2011 CCSSE data 3. Ensure that Students Know Where They Stand During the current school year, how often have you received prompt feedback (written or oral) from instructors on your performance? SPC Board of Trustees Meeting 26

Integrate Student Support into Learning Experiences Student Use and Value of Student Services VeryNot at all Academic advising/planning74%8% Career counseling57%16% Peer or other tutoring52%22% Skill labs (writing, math, etc.)49%22% Rarely/Never Academic advising/planning31% Career counseling54% Peer or other tutoring44% Skill labs (writing, math, etc.)36% How important are the services? How often do you use the services? Source: 2011 CCSSE data SPC Board of Trustees Meeting 27

Focus Institutional Policies on Creating the Conditions for Learning Class Attendance During the current school year, how often have you skipped class? Source: 2011 CCSSE data SPC Board of Trustees Meeting 28

Expand Professional Development Focused on Engaging Students Source: 2011 CCFSSE data  Center of Excellence for Teaching and Learning (CETL) – Offering on-going professional development sessions for fulltime and part-time faculty  Expanded SPD funding for faculty $1500/faculty member over a two-year period  All College Professional Development Day SPC Board of Trustees Meeting 29

Questions…