1. 1 How Well is Your College Assessing Student Retention? Using CIRP Data to Inform Institutional Planning & Practice Victor Sáenz & Doug Barrera Higher Education Research Institute University of California at Los Angeles Tuesday, June 5 th, 2007 2007 Annual Forum Kansas City, Missouri

2. 2 Presentation Goals  Overview Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) Defining College Student Retention Using CIRP longitudinal data to assess Student Retention Degree Completion Adjustment/Transition/Integration Outcomes Discussion/Wrap-up

3. 3 Higher Education Research Institute CIRP Cooperative Institutional Research Program Freshman Survey YFCYCSS Faculty Survey Funded Research National Institutes of Health Spencer Foundation Templeton Foundation

4. 4 The problem of defining college student retention  Retention & Persistence are complex issues requiring many forms of assessment and evaluation Is it simply about calculating graduation rates? What about measuring intermediate goals like term-to-term completion? What about assessing transition, adjustment, or satisfaction outcomes for students? What about the notion of student departure? What about transfer students or revolving door students?

5. 5 What do we know about college student persistence toward graduation?  Factors hindering degree attainment: lack of self-efficacy or academic competency (Nora & Lang, 2000); financial constraints (Longerbeam, Sedlacek & Altorre, 2004); and external familial or work obligations (Kennen & Lopez, 2005)  Factors positively influencing degree attainment: high educational aspirations (Perna, 2000); family support and encouragement (Cabrera et al. 1993; Hurtado & Carter, 1997, Nora, 2004, Ceja, 2001); and role models and mentors (Castellanos & Jones, 2004)

6. 6 CIRP and Student Retention  What do graduation or retention rates give us other than numeric benchmarks?  What about the student experience? What about student characteristics coming in? How can longitudinal frameworks assess “in-college” or “long-term” retention outcomes?  How can CIRP longitudinal data help? Surveys are based on student experience/college impact model Establish important baseline information on your students Strong focus on student assessment and change over time

7. 7 CIRP: Longitudinal Framework Inputs CIRP Freshman Survey academic performance in HS financial concerns expectations for college degree aspirations Environments YFCY/CSS place of residence transition/adjustment to college curricular/co-curricular experiences Outcomes YFCY/CSS college satisfaction social/emotional adjustment sense of belonging student retention I E 0 Degree Completion

8. 8 Retention: Longitudinal Framework College Entry End of 1 st Year Senior Year Degree Completion College Entry Degree Completion College Entry End of 1 st Year College Entry Senior Year Two DARCU Examples

9. 9 DARCU Data: Example #1 DARCU Report (Astin & Oseguera)  DARCU (Degree Attainment Report of C’s & U’s)  HERI used data from the 1994 CIRP Freshman Survey and degree completion data provided six years later by the registrars at 262 baccalaureate-granting institutions.  There were three main objectives of the study: To determine national degree completion rates by sex, race, and type of institution To identify entering student characteristics that predict degree completion To develop formulas that individual institutions can use to compute “expected” (Ŷ) retention rates to compare to actual (Y) retention rates Ŷ & Y (Expected vs. Actual Degree Attainment)

10. 10 DARCU Data: Example #1 DARCU Report (Astin & Oseguera)  Institutions that are highly successful at retaining their students should have actual degree attainment rates that exceed their expected rates  Positive Residual  Institutions that have ineffective retention efforts would be expected to have actual degree attainment rates that fall below their expected rates.  Negative Residual Positive Residual Negative Residual Degree Attainment Rate Ŷ Y

11. 11 SAT Composite Score by Weighted % of Students Who Received Bachelor’s Degrees Within 4 yrs, 6 yrs, & 6+ years SAT Verbal & Math Score Unweighted N4 yrs6 yrs6+ yrs 1300+5,68562.376.578.6 1200-12996,77255.273.174.8 1100-11998,70748.068.069.9 1000-10999,15040.263.265.9 900-9999,58329.652.356.0 800-8996,30921.745.249.1 Less than 8002,68818.239.843.8 DARCU Data: Example #1

12. 12 Summary of Full Formula Prediction Equations (DARCU) Prediction FormulasUnweighted N Weighted NTotal Variables Entering Final R 4-yr Formula Inputs w/SAT Scores48,170757,16938.473 Inputs & Environments w/SAT Scores 48,170757,16934.515 Inputs w/o SAT Scores55,870878,29837.460 Inputs & Environments w/o SAT55,870878,29830.506 6-yr Formula Inputs w/SAT Scores48,170757,16933.410 Inputs & Environments w/SAT Scores 48,170757,16934.422 Inputs w/o SAT Scores55,870878,29831.406 Inputs & Environments w/o SAT55,870878,29828.418 DARCU Data: Example #1

13. 13 Conceptual Model for Researching Latin@ Retention Cerna, Perez, & Saenz Demographics -Socio-economic status -Citizenship status -Primary Language Control Variable -High school GPA Economic Capital -Financial assistance -College cost and work-related concerns Human Capital -Academic preparation in HS -Perceptions of academic competency and self-efficacy, and institutional reputation Social Capital -Social relations and networks -Expectations of peer college interactions Cultural Capital -Degree aspirations -Cultural values and norms Institutional Variables -Selectivity level -Control (public/private) -Latina/o student enrollment percentage Degree Completion w/in 6 Years of College Entry Adapted from Perna & Titus (2005) Conceptual Model of College Enrollment Adapted from Perna & Titus (2005) Conceptual Model of College Enrollment DARCU Data: Example #2

14. 14 Conceptual Model for Researching Latin@ Retention Cerna, Perez, & Saenz  Academic achievement and institutional quality critical to degree persistence  Economic concerns possibly suppress college aspirations, hinder eventual degree attainment  Family influences remain salient motivators for Chican@ degree attainment  Expectations of peer-related and value-driven activities in college positively influence degree attainment

15. 15 Retention: Longitudinal Framework College Entry End of 1 st Year Senior Year Degree Completion College Entry Degree Completion College Entry End of 1 st Year College Entry Senior Year Two CIRP/YFCY Examples

16. 16 Conceptual Model: Chicana/o Student Transition Student Background Pre-college Academic Achievement Financial Concerns Family as External Push or Pull Factor College EntrySocial and Academic First Year Experiences Multi-Institutional Characteristics First Year Outcomes Campus Structures that Link the Social and Academic Systems (specific programs, memberships, courses, advising) Peer Racial/Dynamics: Quality of cross-racial friendships Racial Climate Competitive Climate Academic Development and Performance Psychological Sense of Integration: Success in Managing the Academic Environment Sense of belonging at the institution Note: Model adapted from Nora (2001). CIRP/YFCY Data: Example #1

17. 17 Chicana/o Student Transition (Cabrera, Saenz, & Espinosa, 2007) Factors of significance affecting Chicana/o students academic success habits:  Relevance of coursework to student's life (+***)  Social Self-Confidence (+***)  Familial Responsibilities (-**)  Perceptions of hostile racial campus climate (-**) Factors of significance affecting Chicano student sense of belonging  Relevance of coursework (+***)  Hostile Campus Climate (-***)  Cross-racial interactions (+***)  Academic Success Habits (previous DV; +***) CIRP/YFCY Data: Example #1

18. 18 Profile of Latina/o & African American Students During Critical First Year (Saenz & Oseguera, 2004) CIRP/YFCY Data: Example #2

19. 19 Profile of Latina/o & African American Students During Critical First Year (Saenz & Oseguera, 2004) CIRP/YFCY Data: Example #2

20. 20 Profile of Latina/o & African American Students During Critical First Year (Saenz & Oseguera, 2004)  African American & Latino students show a “major” concern over financing college at higher rates than white students, and are employed at higher rates while in college  Latina/o and African American students reported similar levels of academic engagement in their first college year as their peers. They reported similar levels of satisfaction and comparable amounts of time spent studying, developing effective study skills, managing their time effectively, and adjusting to the academic demands of college  Latina/o and African American students were just as likely as their peers to be academically and socially self-confident, yet they were more likely to have poorer emotional and personal experiences after their first college year CIRP/YFCY Data: Example #2

21. 21 Future Research  Update of the Degree Attainment Report  CIRP Trends Reports 40-year Trends First-Generation College Students Latina/o College Students Asian/Asian American College Students  Use of Faculty Survey Data for Retention Outcomes  Data Archival Project

22. 22 Thank you…  For more information, please contact: Victor Sáenz, PhD, vsaenz@ucla.eduvsaenz@ucla.edu Doug Barrera, dsbarrera@ucla.edudsbarrera@ucla.edu Higher Education Research Institute, UCLA http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/heri