New York City Goes to College A First Look at Patterns of College Enrollment, Persistence, and Degree Attainment for NYC High School Students

Transcription

1 TECHNICAL APPENDICES New York City Goes to College A First Look at Patterns of College Enrollment, Persistence, and Degree Attainment for NYC High School Students Vanessa Coca November 2014

2 1 APPENDIX A: DATA AND SAMPLE This appendix describes the data, sample, and key measures used in the accompanying report, New York City Goes to College: A First Look at Patterns of College Enrollment, Persistence, and Degree Attainment for New York City High School Students. Data Sources The data used for this study come from an extensive longitudinal database with information about NYC public school students, compiled by the Research Alliance for New York City Schools using data from the New York City Department of Education (DOE). Since 2006, the DOE has tracked the post-secondary enrollment of its graduates through an agreement with the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC), a nonprofit organization that collects information on post-secondary enrollment and degree attainment. The NSC is increasingly working with school districts around the country to track the post-secondary outcomes of students those districts serve. The Research Alliance merged NSC data obtained by the DOE with our existing data archive. This allowed us to create a new and comprehensive database that illuminates the educational pathways of NYC students from kindergarten through post-secondary education. It is important to note that NSC data is likely to understate actual rates of college enrollment and completion (Goldrick-Rab & Harris, 2010). One reason for this is that not all colleges participate in NSC data collection. In the fall of 2006, the NSC captured about 89 percent of college enrollment (two- and four-year) nationwide (NSC, 2014). At that point, the rate of coverage for New York State was 90 percent. By the fall of 2012, coverage rose to 95.8 percent in New York State. Given the high rate of coverage throughout the period we studied, we do not expect that increases in NSC participation by colleges significantly influenced the outcomes we observed. Individual college students may also decline to have their enrollment information shared with the NSC, and are then missing from NSC data. Further, high school students (or their guardians) may opt out of having their personally identifiable information shared with the NSC, which results in their exclusion when the NSC matches DOE data to their database (NYC DOE, n.d.). Another source for undercounting emerges from the method the NSC uses to match information about college students with information requested by school districts. The NSC uses an algorithm to match information from school districts requesting data to the data received from colleges. This means that the NSC s ability to provide reliable data to school districts depends on receiving accurate information both from colleges and from school districts. Any inconsistency in data sent to the NSC

3 2 (e.g., first and last names, date of birth) could result in changes in observed estimates of college enrollment or degree attainment seen over time. Using college enrollment and degree attainment data from multiple sources can help ensure greater reliability of estimates of college enrollment and completion. In fact, our college enrollment and persistence rates may differ from those reported by the DOE because we rely solely on information from the NSC, whereas the DOE supplements NSC data with information received directly with CUNY (Wilkes et al., 2012). In the future, we hope to incorporate CUNY data into our analyses. In addition, the DOE may report higher rates of college enrollment than we do in this report because NYC high schools are allowed to appeal their college enrollment rates based on formal evidence of their students enrollment in college (NYC DOE, 2013a). This information was not included in the NSC data we received. Despite the challenges described above, NSC data is still the one of the best sources available for tracking college-going in the U.S. For this report, we used NSC data to investigate three important college-related outcomes: enrollment, persistence, and completion. Importantly, NSC data allow us to us track students as they move across different colleges and college systems, giving us a comprehensive picture of NYC high school graduates pathways through college. Currently, our data only allow us to examine post-secondary degree attainment within four years of starting college for the 2006 cohort of on-time high school graduates. As we integrate NSC data covering more recent years, we plan to update the analyses in this report. Finally, to conduct analyses about the selectivity of colleges attended by NYC high school graduates, we integrated selectivity ratings for almost all four-year institutions in the U.S. from the 2011 Barron s Profile of American Colleges into our database. Sample To present a rich picture of key post-secondary outcomes, New York City Goes to College: A First Look examines patterns of college enrollment, persistence, and completion for three distinct groups of NYC public school students: first-time 9 th graders, on-time high school graduates (a subset of firsttime 9 th graders), and immediate college enrollees (a subset of on-time high school graduates). First-Time 9 th Graders We examined seven cohorts of first-time 9 th graders entering NYC public high schools (school years to ). A first-time 9 th grader is a student who enrolled in a NYC public high school as a 9 th grader in either the fall or spring semester of a given school year and was not enrolled in a NYC high school at any time during the previous two years. This means that we did not include

4 3 students who enrolled in a NYC public high school after their 9 th grade year. We also excluded students who transferred out of the NYC system after 9 th grade, and students who attended a special education high school (District 75), an alternative high school (District 79), a charter high school (District 84), or a school with fewer than 15 9 th graders in a given year. Our analysis of first-time 9 th graders allowed us to examine whether patterns of college enrollment ran parallel with growth in on-time high school graduation rates. On-Time High School Graduates We defined a student as an on-time high school graduate if he or she graduated with an Advanced Regents, Regents, or Local diploma by October after his or her expected fourth year of high school. Throughout this report, the term high school graduates refers only to these on-time high school graduates of NYC public schools. Calculations do not include students who transferred into or out of a NYC public high school after 9 th grade. We focused on this group (as opposed to including five-year or six-year high school graduates or GED recipients) for three reasons. First, it allowed us to examine the college-going patterns of more cohorts than if we had included students who took extra time to finish high school. 1 Second, it enabled us to track more semesters of college for each cohort. Third, we do not have college enrollment information for all students who received a GED. Looking at high school graduates, as opposed first-time 9 th graders, allows us to compare college enrollment rates in NYC to national rates, which are generally expressed as a percentage of high school graduates. (Note that precise definitions of high school graduates vary across different information sources.) Immediate College Enrollees An immediate college enrollee meets the definition of immediate enrollment on page 5. For most of the report, we examine patterns of college persistence and degree attainment for immediate college enrollees. This allows us to compare college persistence and degree attainment rates in NYC to rates seen elsewhere in the U.S., which are generally expressed as a percentage of first-time college enrollees.

5 4 Key Outcomes and Measures High School Diploma Type During the period covered in this paper, the New York State Education Department (NYSED) increased the requirements for a Regents diploma and phased out the Local diploma (NYC DOE, 2014). See Appendix B for more details on New York State diploma requirements. Regents Diploma: Students who entered 9 th grade in 2012 were required to earn a minimum of 44 (semester) units of credit and to pass a minimum of five end-of-course Regents examinations with a score of 65 or higher. Advanced Regents Diploma: Students who entered 9 th grade in 2012 were required to meet all the requirements for a Regents diploma, and pass additional Regents exams in math, science, and a language other than English. Local Diploma: The Local diploma did not require passing scores on any Regents examinations for students entering 9 th grade prior to Students who entered 9 th grade in 2005 had to pass two out of five required Regents examinations; students who entered 9 th grade in 2006 had to pass three out of five; and students who entered 9 th grade in 2007 had to pass four out of five. Beginning with students who entered 9 th grade in 2008, with a few exceptions, students had to earn a Regents diploma to graduate from high school in New York State. New York State Aspirational Performance Measure (APM) In 2011, NYSED released a state-specific benchmark for college readiness the Regents-Based Math and English Aspirational Performance Measure (APM). The APM is defined as earning a New York State Regents (or Advanced Regents) diploma and receiving a score of 80 or higher on a math Regents exam and a score of 75 or higher on the English Regents exam. Students who meet the APM are automatically qualified to enter a CUNY four-year college and exempt from developmental coursework. Immediate College Enrollment This report looks at immediate college enrollment, defined as entering a post-secondary institution (full- or part-time status) between August 1 st and December 31 st of the same year a student graduated from high school. The report focuses on immediate fall enrollment because the vast majority of NYC high school graduates who go to college enter in the fall. For example, among 2006 on-time high school graduates, 83 percent of first-time college enrollment within five years of graduating high school occurred in the immediate fall semester. Prior research has shown that students who delay college enrollment are less likely to finish (Bozick & DeLuca, 2005). Thus, immediate entry appears

6 5 to be a better benchmark for a successful transition into college than enrollment over an extended time period. If a student was enrolled concurrently in more than one post-secondary institution, we identified his or her initial institution as the college where he or she was enrolled for more days. If a student attended multiple institutions for the same number of days, we used the college where the student had the highest level of enrollment (e.g., four-year over two-year institution). If both schools had the same level of enrollment, we used the institution in which the student had a more intensive enrollment status (e.g., full-time over part-time). Persistence Persistence refers to continued enrollment regardless of the specific college attended. Persistence is defined in two ways in this report: 1. Continued enrollment in any post-secondary institution in each semester (fall/spring 2 ) after initial enrollment, including the semester where a student obtains a degree, and continued enrollment after attaining a degree. This method takes into account the continued enrollment of students who immediately transfer to a bachelor s program after receiving an associate s degree. This definition is used in Figures 2 and 11 and Tables 1, 2, and 3 in the full report, as well as Appendix Tables C-6, C-8, C-9, and C Continued enrollment in any post-secondary institution in each semester (fall/spring) after initial enrollment until (and not including) the semester when the first post-secondary degree is received. This is a more traditional approach, which does not take into account continued enrollment after receipt of a two-year degree. This definition is used in Figures 3, 6, & 10 as well as Appendix Tables C- 10 and C-11. Degree Attainment/College Completion This report presents degree attainment data for 2006 on-time high school graduates who enrolled immediately in college and received at least one two-year or four-year degree by August 31 st, 2010 (i.e., four years after initial enrollment). Level of Initial Post-Secondary Institution Attended The NSC categorizes post-secondary institutions by the highest level of degree offered (i.e., less than two-year, two-year, or four-year). The NSC does not indicate the level of degree program pursued by students. This could be problematic if many colleges classified as four-year institutions had significant numbers of students enrolled in certificate or associate s degree programs.

7 6 In fact, four CUNY schools defined by the NSC as four-year institutions served a high proportion of students in certificate or associate s degree programs (see Table A-1). This means that NSC data categorizes all students at these schools as attending a four-year institution, even if they are in a twoyear program. To address this potential misclassification, which would affect a significant number of students in our sample, we re-categorized Medgar Evers College, the NYC College of Technology, and the College of Staten Island as two-year institutions because of the large proportion of enrollees who entered two-year programs. Table A-1: Proportion of First-Time Freshmen Pursuing an Associate s Degree or Certificate at Each CUNY College Four-Year Colleges Proportion of First-Time Freshmen Pursuing an Associate s Degree or Certificate Baruch Brooklyn City College of New York Hunter John Jay Lehman Medgar Evers a NYCCT a Queens Staten Island a York Professional Studies n/a n/a n/a Total Four-Year College Community Colleges BMCC Bronx Hostos Kingsborough LaGuardia New Community College/ Guttman N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Queensborough Total Community College Total CUNY Source: CUNY (2012 & 2013). Note: a Due to the high proportion of students at these schools pursuing associate s degrees, we classified these schools as two-year institutions in this report.

8 7 CUNY Affiliation of Initial College Attended The CUNY system includes 11 four-year institutions (in which the highest undergraduate degree offered is a four-year degree) and seven community colleges (in which the highest degree offered is a two-year degree). As in other studies that examine CUNY enrollment (Treschan & Mehrotra, 2012), we categorized five CUNY four-year colleges as top-tier colleges (Baruch, Hunter, Brooklyn, and Queens Colleges, and the City College of New York) and three as second-tier colleges (York, Lehman, and John Jay Colleges). As mentioned above, we re-categorized three fouryear institutions as two-year schools (Medgar Evers College, the NYC College of Technology, and the College of Staten Island). Finally, CUNY has seven community colleges (Borough of Manhattan, Bronx, Hostos, Kingsborough, LaGuardia, Guttman, 3 and Queensborough Community Colleges). Selectivity of Initial Post-Secondary Institution Attended Barron s Profiles of American Colleges rates four-year institutions using a combination of incoming students average SAT/ACT scores, GPA and class rank, and the percentage of applicants admitted. In this report, we used a modified categorization of the Barron s ratings of four-year institutions, which has been also used by other researchers (Bowen, Chingos, & McPherson, 2009; Roderick et al., 2008, 2009, & 2011; Smith, Pender, & Howell 2013). Specifically, we grouped four-year institutions into five categories based on their 2011 Barron s ratings: very selective, selective, somewhat selective, non-selective, and other (see Table A-2). Table A-2: Modified Barron s College Selectivity Categories (2011) Ratings Used in this Report Very selective Selective Somewhat selective Non-selective Barron s Selectivity Rating Most competitive Highly competitive Very competitive Competitive Less competitive Barron s Definition Average freshman ranks in the top 20 percent of high school class; GPA of A to B+; median SAT in range; median ACT above 29. Admit less than 33 percent of applicants. Average freshman ranks in the top percent of high school class; GPA of B+ to B; median SAT from ; median ACT Admit percent of applicants. Average freshman ranks in the top percent of high school class; GPA no less than B-; median SAT of ; median ACT Admit percent of applicants. Average freshman ranks in the top percent of high school class; minimum required GPA ranges from B- to C; median SAT ; median ACT Admit percent of applicants. Average freshman ranks in the top 65 percent of high school class; admit students with GPAs generally below C; median SAT below 500; median ACT below 21.

9 8 Admit percent of applicants. Other Community college Noncompetitive Special Other four-year colleges Two-year colleges Source: Barron s Educational Series, Inc. (2011). Average freshman graduated from an accredited high school. Admit 98 percent or more of applicants or all state residents. Admissions requirements are not based primarily on academic criteria, but on evidence of talent or special interest. Barron s does not rate these colleges. Barron s does not rate these colleges. Table A-3: Examples of Colleges by Selectivity Category Selectivity Category Used in this Report Very selective Sample Colleges SUNY Binghamton, SUNY Stony Brook University, New York University, Syracuse University, Fordham University, Cornell University, SUNY Geneseo Selective Somewhat selective Non-selective Other Community college CUNY Hunter College, CUNY Baruch College, SUNY University at Buffalo, SUNY Albany, Polytechnic Institute of New York University, Pace University CUNY Brooklyn College, CUNY City College, CUNY John Jay College, CUNY Queens College, St. John s University, Long Island University, Buffalo State College CUNY New York City College of Technology a, CUNY College of Staten Island a, CUNY Lehman College, CUNY Medgar Evers College a, CUNY York College SUNY College of Technology at Canton, SUNY Morrisville, Monroe College New Rochelle, SUNY College of Technology at Delhi, Vaughn College of Aeronautics & Technology CUNY Borough of Manhattan, CUNY Queensborough, CUNY LaGuardia, CUNY Bronx, CUNY Hostos, Nassau Community College, Technical Career Institute Source: Barron s Educational Series, Inc. (2011). Notes: a Due to the high proportion of students at these schools pursuing associate s degrees, we classified these schools as twoyear institutions in this report.

10 9 APPENDIX B: NEW YORK STATE HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA REQUIREMENTS Local Regents Advanced Regents Units of credit English Social Studies Global History (4) U.S. History (2) Government (1) Economics (1) Science (including lab) Life Science (2) Physical Science (2) Life or Physical Science (2) Mathematics Including at least 2 advanced math (e.g., Geometry or Algebra II) Physical Education Foreign Language Arts Health Electives Total credits required Examination requirements English Language Arts Mathematics 55+ Global History and Geography U.S. History and Government Science on 1 math exam (Algebra I, Geometry or Algebra II) 65+ on 3 a math exams (Algebra I, Geometry & Algebra II) on 1 science exam (Living Environment, Earth Science, Chemistry, or Physics) 65+ on 2 science exams (Living Environment and Earth Science, Chemistry, or Physics) Foreign Language Not required Not required 65+ Total exams required to pass with at least a score of 65 For students entering 9 th grade before 2005: none. Students entering in 2005 were required to pass at least 2 of the 5 required Regents exams. Each cohort thereafter was required to pass an additional exam, until 2008, when this diploma type was phased out for most entering students. 5 9 a Source: New York City Department of Education (2014). Note: a For students who entered 9 th grade prior to Fall 2011, the number of mathematics Regents exams required varied depending on the type of exams available (i.e., the Mathematics A and Mathematics B Regents Exams were last administered in January 2009 and June 2010, respectively) and the combinations of exams taken. See New York City Department of Education (2014) for more detail.

11 10 APPENDIX C: SUPPLEMENTAL TABLES Table C-1: Demographic and Academic Characteristics of First-Time 9 th Graders, (%) Gender Year of Expected High School Graduation Female Male Race/Ethnicity Asian Latino Black White One or more poverty indicators in 8 th or 9 th grade Number of students 61,586 63,571 64,881 66,065 66,074 66,214 65,442 Source: Research Alliance calculations using data from the NYC Department of Education. Note: Calculations do not include students who transferred out of NYC public schools after 9 th grade.

12 11 Table C-2: Demographic and Academic Characteristics of On-Time High School Graduates, (%) Gender Year of Expected High School Graduation Female Male Race/Ethnicity Asian Latino Black White One or more poverty indicators in 8 th or 9 th grade Number of students 35,561 37,744 40,688 43,407 45,516 45,871 45,947 Source: Research Alliance calculations using data from the NYC Department of Education. Note: Table includes all students who enrolled in NYC public schools as first-time 9 th graders and graduated from high school in four years.

13 12 Table C-3: Demographic and Academic Characteristics of On-Time High School Graduates Who Enrolled Immediately in College, (%) Gender Year of Expected High School Graduation Female Male Race/Ethnicity Asian Latino Black White One or more poverty indicators in 8 th or 9 th grade Number of students 20,982 22,989 25,611 28,953 29,580 29,229 29,590 Source: Research Alliance calculations using data from the NYC Department of Education, including National Student Clearinghouse data. Notes: Table includes all students who enrolled in NYC public schools as first-time 9 th graders, graduated from high school in four years, and enrolled in college the immediate fall.

14 13 Table C-4: Rates of On-Time High School Graduation and College Enrollment (First-Time 9 th Graders, ) Year of 9 th Grade Entry Graduated from high school in four years Graduated from high school in four years and enrolled immediately in college Number of students 61,586 63,571 64,881 66,065 66,074 66,214 65,442 Source: Research Alliance calculations using data from the NYC Department of Education, including National Student Clearinghouse data. Note: Our calculations differ from those conducted by the New York State Education Department and the NYC DOE because we do not include students who transferred into or out of a NYC high school after 9 th grade. Our rates are typically 4-5 percent higher. Table C-5: High School Graduation Rates by Diploma Type (First-Time 9 th Graders, ) Year of 9 th Grade Entry Local diploma Regents diploma Advanced Regents diploma Number of students 61,586 63,571 64,881 66,065 66,074 66,214 65,442 Source: Research Alliance calculations using data from the NYC Department of Education. Note: Our calculations differ from those conducted by the New York State Education Department and the NYC DOE because we do not include students who transferred into or out of a NYC high school after 9 th grade. Our rates are typically 4-5 percent higher.

15 14 Table C-6: Rates of College Enrollment, Persistence, and Attainment by High School Diploma Type (On-Time High School Graduates, ) Year of High School Graduation All high school graduates Started college in immediate fall Persisted for three semesters N/A Persisted for five semesters N/A N/A Received a degree within four years 24.1 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Number of students 35,561 37,744 40,688 43,407 45,516 45,871 5,947 By diploma type Local diploma Started college in immediate fall Persisted for three semesters N/A Persisted for five semesters N/A N/A Received a degree within four years 10.5 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Number of students 11,614 11,611 11,532 10,820 9,227 6,360 2,064 Regents diploma Started college in immediate fall Persisted for three semesters N/A Persisted for five semesters N/A N/A Received a degree within four years 19.9 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Number of students 14,405 15,553 17,561 20,701 23,881 26,954 31,168 Advanced Regents diploma Started college in immediate fall Persisted for three semesters N/A Persisted for five semesters N/A N/A Received a degree within four years 47.2 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Number of students 9,542 10,580 11,595 11,886 12,408 12,557 12,715 Source: Research Alliance calculations using data from the NYC Department of Education, including National Student Clearinghouse data. Note: Table includes all students who enrolled in NYC public schools as first-time 9 th graders and graduated from high school in four years.

16 15 Table C-7: Rates of Initial College Enrollment by College Level, CUNY Affiliation, and Selectivity (On-Time High School Graduates, ) Year of High School Graduation College level Two-year Four-year CUNY affiliation Top-tier four-year CUNY a Second-tier four-year CUNY b CUNY community college c Four-year non-cuny Two-year non-cuny College selectivity d Very selective d four-year Selective d four-year Somewhat selective d four-year Non-selective d four-year Other/special d four-year Number of Students 35,561 37,744 40,688 43,407 45,516 45,871 45,947 Source: Research Alliance calculations using data from the NYC Department of Education, including National Student Clearinghouse data. Notes: Table includes all students who enrolled in NYC public schools as first-time 9 th graders and graduated from high school in four years. a Baruch, Hunter, Brooklyn, City and Queens Colleges. b York, Lehman, and John Jay Colleges. c BMCC, Bronx, Hostos, Kingsborough, La Guardia, and Queensborough Community Colleges, as well as City Tech, Medgar Evers and Staten Island Colleges (because of the high proportion of students in associate s programs at these institutions). d Selectivity was determined using modified Barron's categories (see Appendix A for more information). Table C-8: Rates of College Persistence and Degree Attainment (Students who Enrolled in College Immediately after Graduating High School On Time, ) Year of High School Graduation Started college in immediate fall Persisted for three semesters N/A Persisted for five semesters N/A N/A Received a degree within four years 37.7 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Number of students 20,982 22,989 25,611 28,953 29,580 29,229 29,590 Source: Research Alliance calculations using data from the NYC Department of Education, including National Student Clearinghouse data. Notes: Table includes all students who enrolled in NYC public schools as first-time 9 th graders, graduated from high school in four years, and enrolled in college the immediate fall.

17 16 Table C-9: Rates of College Persistence and Degree Attainment by College Selectivity (Students Who Enrolled in College Immediately after Graduating High School on Time, ) Year of High School Graduation Very selective four-year Started college in immediate fall Persisted for three semesters N/A Persisted for five semesters N/A N/A Received a degree within four years 73.5 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Number of students 3,313 3,379 3,490 3,479 3,454 2,993 3,167 Selective four-year Started college in immediate fall Persisted for three semesters N/A Persisted for five semesters N/A N/A Received a degree within four years 43.0 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Number of students 3,823 3,816 4,062 4,246 4,144 4,488 4,479 Somewhat selective four-year Started college in immediate fall Persisted for three semesters N/A Persisted for five semesters N/A N/A Received a degree within four years 29.5 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Number of students 6,594 6,952 7,148 7,403 7,007 6,650 6,753 Non-selective four-year Started college in immediate fall Persisted for three semesters N/A Persisted for five semesters N/A N/A Received a degree within four years 19.7 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Number of students 1,173 1,413 1,792 2,051 2,256 1,938 1,928 Other/special four-year Started college in immediate fall Persisted for three semesters N/A Persisted for five semesters N/A N/A Received a degree within four years 37.8 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Number of students , ,019 1,092 Source: Research Alliance calculations using data from the NYC Department of Education, including National Student Clearinghouse data. Notes: Table includes all students who enrolled in NYC public schools as first-time 9 th graders, graduated from high school in four years, and enrolled in college the immediate fall.

18 17 Table C-10. College Pathways by High School Achievement (Percent of 2006 On-Time High School Graduates Who Enrolled in College Immediately) Semester Number of Status Students All 20,982 Still enrolled Stopped out Received a degree By High School Diploma Type Advanced Regents 7,630 Still enrolled Stopped out Received a degree Regents 8,697 Still enrolled Stopped out Received a degree Local 4,655 Still enrolled Stopped out Received a degree Source: Research Alliance calculations using data from the NYC Department of Education, including National Student Clearinghouse data. Notes: Table includes all students who enrolled in NYC public schools as first-time 9 th graders, graduated from high school in four years, and enrolled in college in the immediate fall. The categories in this table (i.e., still enrolled, stopped out, and received a degree) report the proportion of immediate college enrollees in each category at each semester. A student is defined as still enrolled if she persisted in any post-secondary institution in each semester (fall/spring) after initial enrollment until she either received a post-secondary degree or left college ( stopped out ). The three categories are mutually exclusive, and add up to 100 percent for each diploma type in each semester. This table does not fully capture the complexity of possible pathways through college. For example, some students who we define as stopping out may have returned to college or received a degree in a subsequent semester. However, we highlight stop out because of the additional barriers often faced by students who leave and then try to return to college. In fact, we found that an additional 1.4 percent of all 2006 on-time high school graduates who enrolled in college immediately received a post-secondary degree within four years, but were not included into the degree attainment rate in this table because they left college prior to degree attainment. This table also only tracks the first degree a student receives, so does not capture students who remain enrolled (e.g., in a bachelor s program) after receiving a degree (e.g., an associate s degree).

19 18 Table C-11: College Pathways by College Level and Selectivity (Percent of Students who Enrolled in College Immediately after Graduating High School On Time in 2006) Number of Students Semester Status Very selective 3,313 Still enrolled Stopped out Received a degree Selective 3,823 Still enrolled Stopped out Received a degree Somewhat selective 6,594 Still enrolled Stopped out Received a degree Non- selective 1,824 Still enrolled Stopped out Received a degree Two-year 5,428 Still enrolled Stopped out Received a degree Source: Research Alliance calculations using data from the NYC Department of Education, including National Student Clearinghouse data. Note: Table includes all students who enrolled in NYC public schools as first-time 9 th graders, graduated from high school in four years, and enrolled in college in the immediate fall. The categories in this table (i.e., still enrolled, stopped out, and received a degree) report the proportion of immediate college enrollees in each category at each semester. A student is defined as still enrolled if she persisted in any post-secondary institution in each semester (fall/spring) after initial enrollment until she either received a post-secondary degree or left college ( stopped out ). The three categories are mutually exclusive, and add up to 100 percent for each diploma type in each semester. This table does not fully capture the complexity of possible pathways through college. For example, some students who we define as stopping out may have returned to college or received a degree in a subsequent semester. However, we highlight stop out because of the additional barriers often faced by students who leave and then try to return to college. In fact, we found that an additional 1.4 percent of all 2006 on-time high school graduates who enrolled in college immediately received a post-secondary degree within four years, but were not included into the degree attainment rate in this table because they left college prior to degree attainment. This table also only tracks the first degree a student receives, so does not capture students who remain enrolled (e.g., in a bachelor s program) after receiving a degree (e.g., an associate s degree).

20 19 Table C-12: Rates of College Persistence and Degree Attainment by College Selectivity for Academically Well Prepared Students (Students who Enrolled in College Immediately after Graduating High School On Time with an Advanced Regents Diploma, ) Year of High School Graduation Very selective four-year Started college in immediate fall Persisted for three semesters N/A Persisted for five semesters N/A N/A Received a degree within four years 76.4 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Number of students 2,737 2,884 2,975 2,936 2,905 2,502 2,635 Selective four-year Started college in immediate fall Persisted for three semesters N/A Persisted for five semesters N/A N/A Received a degree within four years 49.7 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Number of students 2,180 2,404 2,681 2,849 2,816 3,029 2,971 Somewhat selective four-year Started college in immediate fall Persisted for three semesters N/A Persisted for five semesters N/A N/A Received a degree within four years 38.5 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Number of students 2,078 2,408 2,815 2,850 2,934 2,941 2,912 Non-selective four-year Started college in immediate fall Persisted for three semesters N/A Persisted for five semesters N/A N/A Received a degree within four years 44.8 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Number of students Other/special four-year Started college in immediate fall Persisted for three semesters N/A Persisted for five semesters N/A N/A Received a degree within four years 40.1 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Number of students ,088 1,014 1,092 Source: Research Alliance calculations using data from the NYC Department of Education, including National Student Clearinghouse data. Note: Table includes all students who enrolled in NYC public schools as first-time 9 th graders and graduated from high school in four years.

21 20 Endnotes 1 According to the DOE, the difference between four-year and five-year high school graduation rates is, on average, about 5.6 percentage points. The difference between five-year and six-year high school graduation rates is, on average, 3 percentage points. For example, 65.1 percent of 9 th graders who entered high school in 2006 graduated by August 2010; 70.4 percent of that 9 th grade cohort had graduated after five years, and 73.2 percent after six years (NYC DOE 2013b). 2 Fall is defined August 1 st to December 31 st. Spring is defined as January 1 st to April 30 th. 3 Guttman Community College (initially known as the New Community College) opened in 2012, and is not included in any of the analyses in this report. Appendix References Barron s Educational Series, Inc. (2011). Barron s Profiles of American Colleges 2011 (29 th Edition). Hauppauge, NY: Barron s Educational Series, Inc. Bowen, W.G., Chingos, M.M., & McPherson, M.S. (2009). Crossing the Finish Line: Completing College at America's Public Universities. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Bozick, R. & DeLuca, S. (2005). Better Late Than Never? Delayed Enrollment in the High School to College Transition. Social Forces, 84(1), The City University of New York (2012). First-Time Freshmen by Degree Pursued, Full-Time/Part- Time Attendance, and College, Fall Retrieved from owl.cuny.edu:7778/adms_0019_ftfr_degp R_FTPT_HIST.rpt.pdf The City University of New York (2013). First-Time Freshmen by Degree Pursued, Full-Time/Part- Time Attendance, and College, Fall 2012 Retrieved from ra/ir/data-book/student/ /fall html Goldrick-Rab, S. & Harris, D.N. (2010). Memo to interested researchers using National Student Clearinghouse data. Retrieved from 0Dear20colleagues20letter.pdf National Student Clearinghouse (2014). NSC Coverage. Retrieved from New York City Department of Education (2013a). Data Verification Overview Guide Retrieved from B3-14AA-4163-B678-5B202499AF0C/0/DataVerificationGuide pdf New York City Department of Education (2013b). New York City Graduation Rates Class of 2013 (2001 Cohort). Retrieved from 9A-B35E-4C25-9D48-4E18E0BA90A5/0/2013GraduationRatesPublic Website.pdf New York City Department of Education (2014). Graduation Requirements. Retrieved from dca3-442b-89df- 18e674dc867e/0/acpolicygened.pdf New York City Department of Education (n.d.). Letter to High School Students and Families. Retrieved from 06-DDF4-497B-AC77- A98EFB3A5A5A/0/FAFSANSCOptOutLetterFo rm pdf Roderick, M., Nagaoka, J., Coca, V., Moeller, E., Roddie, K., Gilliam, J., & Patton, D. (2008). From High School to the Future: Potholes on the Road to College. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research. Roderick, M., Nagaoka, J., Coca, V., & Moeller, E. (2009). From High School to the Future: Making Hard

22 21 Work Pay Off. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research. Roderick, M., Coca, V., & Nagaoka, J. (2011). Potholes on the Road to College: High School Effects of Shaping Urban Students Participation in College Application, Four-Year College Enrollment, and College Match. Sociology of Education, 84(3), Smith, J., Pender, M., & Howell, J. (2013). The Full Extent of Student-College Academic Undermatch. Economics of Education Review, 32, Treschan, L. & Mehrotra, A. (2012). Unintended Impacts: Fewer Black and Latino Freshmen at CUNY Senior Colleges after the Recession. New York, NY: Community Service Society. Wilkes, S., Brohawn, K., Mevs, P., & Lee. J. (2012). Data Collaboration in New York City: The Challenges of Linking High School and Post-Secondary Data. Providence, RI: Annenberg Institute for School Reform. Retrieved from s/cris_brief2_0.pdf

23 285 Mercer Street, 3rd Floor New York, New York fax The Research Alliance for New York City Schools conducts rigorous studies on topics that matter to the city s public schools. We strive to advance equity and excellence in education by providing non-partisan evidence about policies and practices that promote students development and academic success.