Phase I Research Summary CTE Transfer Research Project Introduction

Transcription

1 Phase I Research Summary CTE Transfer Research Project Introduction The Research and Planning Group for the California Community Colleges (RP Group) Center for Student Success is currently engaged in the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Transfer Research Project. This study aims to assess the state of transfer between community colleges and four-year institutions for CTE students (2/4 CTE transfer) and document factors that inhibit and support such transfer. Funding from the California Community College s Chancellor s Office launched Phase I of this investigation, conducted between Fall 2007 and Summer With additional support from the James Irvine Foundation, the research will continue into a second stage which will conclude in Fall Phase II of the project will use Phase I findings to deepen and expand its quantitative and qualitative research and will culminate in recommendations for approaches, strategies and policies that can lead to increased transfer in CTE disciplines. While the study focuses on transfer for CTE students, the research team acknowledges that vocational programs are designed to achieve a wide range of outcomes and that transfer is only one possible path. Yet, recent workforce studies agree that California will confront potentially debilitating shortages in the availability of workers with bachelor s degrees in the next decade unless baccalaureate attainment rates are increased, particularly in CTE disciplines ranging from Accounting, Computer and Information Technology, Engineering and Health to emerging programs such as Logistics, Nanotechnology and Green Technologies. These workforce studies conclude that one part of the solution to these projected shortages includes increasing transfer rates from community colleges to four-year institutions, particularly in high-demand occupational disciplines (Johnson, 2009). Economic forecasters specifically point out the need to address shortages, and thus transfer rates, in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines (Offenstein & Shulock, 2009). The following document highlights research conducted in Phase I. This first stage of investigation included a quantitative study of the CTE course infrastructure, student enrollment, transfer rates and destinations. Additionally, the project engaged in a qualitative exploration of factors that students and faculty believe support and compromise CTE transfer. This document starts with a brief overview of research terms and design and then offers several key findings from Phase I. Overview of Research Terms and Design The project used the California Community Colleges Taxonomy of Programs (TOP Code) as a basis for its investigation of CTE programs and student engagement with this system of career Phase I Summary CTE Transfer Fall 2009 Page 1

2 preparation [see What are TOP Codes?]. 1 As a first step, the study documented and reviewed the infrastructure of coursework and programs considered vocational according to the TOP Code guide. For the purpose of this study, the research team also included a limited number of offerings without the vocational designation. Specifically, the research team defined CTE programs as a cluster of 12 or more units of transferable coursework in a four-digit TOP code that is either (1) marked as vocational in the TOP code guide or (2) NOT identified as vocational in the TOP code guide, but relating to a high-growth, high-demand occupation such as Engineering, Computer Science, and Education. The study followed six CTE cohorts, each made up of first-time college students entering a community college in a single academic year between and Two categories of students were included in the cohorts: CTE concentrators and CTE degree and certificate completers. CTE concentrators are students who have completed 12 or more transferable units in a CTE program such as Accounting or Engineering Technology. CTE degree and certificate completers are students who receive a degree or certificate in a CTE program without completing 12 transferable units. The study calculated transfer rates by dividing the number of students who transferred from each cohort by the number of students in the cohort. The quantitative study also investigated course infrastructure, enrollments, transfer rates and destinations in four clusters of CTE programs: (1) those related to occupations projecting high growth and (2) high demand for baccalaureate-trained workers; (3) those related to emerging occupations; and (4) programs with the highest enrollment. The quantitative investigation was complemented by a series of qualitative research activities, including focus groups, interviews and surveys with CTE faculty, counselors and administrators along with What are TOP Codes? California Community Colleges employ Taxonomy of Programs (TOP) codes a classification system used to generate information on programs in different colleges throughout the state working toward similar outcomes. Classification rests on two important features: (1) Programs are labeled at the two-, four- and six-digit level indicating a discipline, sub-discipline and field respectively, and (2) Programs are labeled as vocational or transfer. Those with a vocational designation can be counted for the purposes of government vocational education funding and accountability mandates. This study found that the separation of vocational from transfer programs presents several limitations, particularly when considering those offerings that directly relate to preparation for specific occupations and that place students on a path toward baccalaureate completion. The most recent Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education (CTEA) reauthorization acknowledges this challenge by allowing for the allocation of funds to facilitate the transition of sub-baccalaureate degree students to bachelorlevel programming. The CTE Transfer Research study included all vocational and some non-vocational TOP codes particularly those that relate directly to highgrowth, high-demand occupations expecting a future need for baccalaureate-trained workers (e.g., Engineering, General). Combined, this report refers to these as CTE TOP Codes. Unless otherwise indicated, the bulk of data collected focuses on the four-digit level. 1 For more information on TOP codes, visit: als/tabid/412/default.aspx Phase I Summary CTE Transfer Fall 2009 Page 2

3 students both pre- and post-transfer. These investigations aimed to identify the factors that support and compromise CTE transfer, document approaches and strategies that stimulate and increase this transition, and examine how obstacles to transfer differ from one program to the next. Key Findings CTE Infrastructure California Community Colleges have a flexible, expansive and expanding infrastructure of CTE programs, including a vast array of transferable coursework in CTE disciplines that relate to occupations projected to experience shortages in the availability of baccalaureatetrained workers. For example, in Foothill College offered 63 different transferable courses (189 different units) 2 in Computer Software Development. During the same period, Antelope Valley offered 38 different transferable courses (109 units) in Digital Media, and Yuba College offered 31 courses (95 different transferable units) in Child Development. With some exceptions, the infrastructure is presently under-utilized in terms of its potential capacity to aid CTE students in completing lower-division major requirements at community colleges prior to transfer. The indication of under-utilization is the relatively low and declining number of students who complete a cluster of courses in CTE programs (defined here as a minimum of 12 transferable units). CTE Enrollments and Concentrators Between and , as more students enrolled in CTE credit and transferable courses and as colleges added new CTE programs to the infrastructure, the number of students in the cohort of CTE concentrators and CTE degree and certificate holders decreased by 14% from 43,914 in to 37,749 in Of particular concern is that the number of CTE cohort students is particularly low in several disciplines related to occupations expected to drive California economic growth, including Engineering, Biotechnology, Computer Information Systems and Environmental Technology. In and 10 years later in , the five colleges with the highest CTE program to enrollment ratio 3 were all small, rural colleges. All but one of them was located in the North or Far Northern part of the state. They included both in and in Lake Tahoe, Lassen, Feather River, and Mendocino. Copper Mountain (Desert region) joined the top five in Among large colleges with enrollments above 15,000 students, San Joaquin Delta, City College of San Francisco (CCSF) and Southwestern had the highest CTE program to 2 This report assumes an average of three units per transferable course. 3 The CTE program to enrollment ratio refers to the average number of CTE programs offered by a college divided by the average fall enrollment of that college. Phase I Summary CTE Transfer Fall 2009 Page 3

4 enrollment ratio in Ten years later, the top performers remained geographically diverse as San Joaquin Delta retained its number one spot followed this time by Santa Barbara and Fresno City College with CCSF and Southwestern remaining in the top six. CTE Transfer Transfer rates for CTE concentrators vary widely among disciplines; for example, CTE concentrators transferred at an overall rate of 79.5% in Engineering, General while those in Accounting transferred at an overall rate of 43.7%. Transfer rates also often range significantly within CTE programs from one college to another. De Anza s 76% transfer rate in Accounting and Pasadena City College s 68% transfer rate in Information Technology offer just two examples of colleges that have achieved considerably higher transfer rates for their CTE cohorts in a particular CTE program than other high transfer rate colleges in that same program. As a basis for comparison, the transfer rate in Accounting for the college with the fifth highest transfer rate is 57%; for Information Technology, it is 37%. The difference between these rates beckons questions about what these top colleges are doing to lead the pack with such significant margins. Concern has been raised about the fact that Latinos, the fastest growing population segment in California, are less likely to complete baccalaureate-level education than most other ethnic groups and are especially underrepresented among baccalaureate holders in STEM disciplines (Cook & Cordova, 2007). This study does little to dispel these concerns. In terms of enrollment in CTE two-digit TOP code programs, the largest proportion of Latino students is in Family and Consumer Sciences, the lowest in Information Technology, one area expecting high demand and fast growth. By contrast, the largest proportion of Asian students is in Information Technology while the lowest is in Education. African American students make up the largest portion of Education and the lowest portion of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Conversely, the largest portion of White students is found in Agriculture and Natural Resources while the lowest is found in Education. Two CTE programs related to Engineering (Engineering, General and Engineering Technology) produce a combined average of only 181 transfers per year. Certainly students not included in this study s CTE cohort transfer into four-year Engineering programs. However, the low number of transfers fulfilling a concentration of coursework under these two Engineering programs calls into question why more students do not complete a portion of their lower-division course requirements prior to transfer. While the numbers are low, the percent of Engineering concentrators who ultimately transfer tops all other disciplines at 80%. With the state projecting a shortfall of 40,000 engineers by 2014 (Office of the Governor of CA, 2007), and with several colleges offering 20 to 25 transferable units of Engineering coursework, it would be useful to determine how community colleges can increase the number of concentrators in this program, and in turn the related Engineering transfer count. Phase I Summary CTE Transfer Fall 2009 Page 4

5 Many top CTE transfer colleges also have high transfer rates for non-cte students. This finding is inconsistent with previous studies of transfer suggesting that colleges are either transfer- or CTE-focused (Cohen & Brawer, 1996). Colleges with high certificate completion rates in the CTE programs studied by the research team tend to have lower transfer rates in these same programs. This finding may suggest a negative correlation between transfer and certificate completion in individual CTE programs rather than between transfer and CTE in general. The project will further investigate the nature of this relationship in Phase II. CTE Transfer Destinations Among all CTE students in the cohort, two-thirds transferred to the California State University (CSU) system; 13% each to the UC system and to private in-state institutions; and 8% to out-of-state institutions. Computer Software Development and Computer Science had a much larger proportion of students transferring to UC than the cohort average, 48% and 52% respectively, compared to 13% overall. Across the state, San Jose State University was the single largest transfer destination for all CTE transfers in the cohort, followed by CSU Sacramento, CSU Fullerton and San Diego State University. The largest number of students transferring between two institutions was seen at De Anza and San Jose State University (1,229 students from among the cohort of students who took their first community college course between and ), followed by City College of San Francisco and San Francisco State University (719 students). There were more transfers to the University of Phoenix than to any individual UC campus. University of Phoenix transfers were more likely to be African American or Latino than transfers to other institutions. University of Phoenix transfers were much less likely to be Asian than transfers to other institutions. CTE Transfer Predictors Students identified as CTE concentrators (those who completed a minimum of 12 units of transferable coursework in a CTE program) demonstrated lower transfer rates than those recognized as CTE completers (those who achieved an associate degree or certificate without completing 12 units of transferable coursework in a CTE program). Additional investigation into this and other predictors will be a focus of Phase II, including a review of how these and other variables affect transfer in different CTE programs. CTE Instructor, Counselor and Administrator Perspectives In interviews and surveys, faculty and counselors pointed to the following factors as supporting transfer: Phase I Summary CTE Transfer Fall 2009 Page 5

6 Two-year college instructors who help create transfer paths and promote CTE transfer Regional transfer agreements between the two- and four-year institutions Existence of a transfer culture 4 at the two-year college Use of ASSIST 5 to identify which courses will transfer to the four-year college of choice Local outreach efforts in which UC, CSU, and/or private colleges visit the community college to promote their CTE programs The top four challenges identified included: The major courses required at the two-year level for CTE students vary across receiving four-year institutions Many courses required for the AA/AS degree are incompatible with courses required for CTE transfer programs An insufficient number of hours are provided for academic counseling Outreach by the four-year colleges to the community colleges is insufficient The relative importance of these and other factors varied across disciplines. For example, a handful of regionally-administered programs create smooth pathways connecting community college students interested in teaching to university-based credential programs. A statewide agreement standardizing four-year course requirements across all CSU Nursing programs facilitates transfer for community college RN students. Meanwhile, inconsistent lower-division major requirements represent a significant barrier to transfer for Engineering students while it is less of a problem for those transferring into Accounting programs. CTE Student Perspectives In a preliminary investigation of CTE student perspectives on transfer, students provided the following suggestions to their community college educators: o Provide two different types of support to transfer: (1) personal and motivational support that makes students believe they can transfer, and (2) accurate information about the technical and logistical aspects of the transfer process o Promote transfer early and often to community college CTE students and engage teachers, counselors, and Transfer Center representatives in the effort o Incorporate transfer exploration and information into CTE coursework 4 In colleges with transfer culture students are encouraged and supported to consider transfer by all they encounter on campus from faculty and counselors to administrators and top leadership to support staff and other service providers. The Transfer Leadership Center (TLC), another RP Group study currently underway, notes that colleges with a transfer culture support transfer throughout the college and through a variety of actions and activities. For more information on the TLC study, visit: 5 ASSIST is an online student-transfer information system that shows how course credits earned at one public California college or university can be applied when transferred to another. Phase I Summary CTE Transfer Fall 2009 Page 6

7 o Raise awareness about four-year programs that accommodate students working in their field of study Students also offered the following suggestions to their community college peers: o Transfer immediately upon completion of the community college CTE program o Take university-level courses while still enrolled at the community college Preliminary Identification of Effective Practices Respondents involved in the project s qualitative investigation, including faculty, administrators and students, identified several effective practices supporting CTE students in their pursuit of transfer. These include: o Statewide agreements between community colleges and the CSUs that facilitate transfer in Child Development and Nursing; no other CTE disciplines have such agreements in place at this time o Regional agreements, often between one CSU and several local community colleges, around one CTE program o Bridge or connector courses for students interested in transfer designed to increase their preparedness for university-level instruction o Incorporation of transfer information into community college CTE courses o Dedication of advisors or counselors to CTE programs to provide information and technical assistance related to specific transfer paths and opportunities o Connections with motivational mentors, such as faculty, counselors, employers and peers o University partnerships designed to offer baccalaureate-level coursework at the community college campus to address issues of distance and cost Conclusions The following summarizes key findings and questions generated by the CTE Transfer Research study thus far: There is a need and the opportunity to increase CTE transfer in many disciplines. The community college system maintains a large and under-utilized infrastructure of transferable courses that could provide significant numbers of students with lower-division major preparation in disciplines related to high-growth occupations requiring a bachelor s degree. Phase I Summary CTE Transfer Fall 2009 Page 7

8 Compared to the projected need for baccalaureate-trained workers in Computer and Information Technology, Health and Engineering occupations, relatively few students complete lower-division major requirements in these disciplines at community colleges. For a large number of CTE programs including many projecting high demand for baccalaureate-trained workers the number and percentage of students who transfer with 12 or more transferable units in that particular program is low. The study s preliminary findings raise a compelling question: How many transfer students use the community college CTE infrastructure and how many bypass these courses to complete lower-division major requirements after transfer? Put differently, is the problem one of students under-utilization of the CTE infrastructure to prepare for transfer, and/or is it that few students transfer into CTE baccalaureate programs? The next phase of the project will begin to investigate this question by backward mapping the courses that students took prior to transfer in several targeted disciplines. The qualitative component of the study uncovered a wide range of factors that make transfer challenging for CTE students including inadequate or inaccurate guidance on course-taking requirements; issues of alignment between community college and four-year programs; and requirements and incompatibility between course requirements for AA/AS degree completion and those for transfer. The study also uncovered a wide range of factors and approaches that support transfer for CTE students. Some of these are statewide; others are regional in nature; yet others are specific to a particular discipline. The TOP code system is complicated and assignments are not always consistently applied across colleges. Moreover, by distinguishing between transfer and vocational courses and programs, the TOP code system suggests that CTE students do not transfer. This message is counterproductive for students, counselors, instructors or administrators, especially during a time when the California economy is projecting shortages in the availability of individuals with baccalaureate degrees in vocational disciplines. Next Steps The CTE Transfer Research Project s Phase II will build on findings generated in Phase I to address three research questions: 1. Which courses do students take in the community colleges to prepare for transfer to fouryear institutions in key CTE disciplines? 2. What pathways exist to support students transitioning between community colleges and fouryear institutions in key CTE disciplines? 3. What can our state s community college and four-year systems do to increase transfer in disciplines related to high-growth, high-demand occupations? The CTE Transfer Research Project is collaborating with Cal-PASS to backward map successful transfer students patterns of course-taking in the community colleges. We will analyze the Phase I Summary CTE Transfer Fall 2009 Page 8

9 number of transferable CTE and general education courses successful these students completed in the community colleges in their transfer discipline; the overall number of units they completed in the community colleges; the number of community colleges they attended, and other variable such as the highest level math and English courses completed. Our research will span from transfer students in CSUs and UCs to those enrolled in baccalaureate occupational programs offered at private colleges. We will supplement the quantitative investigation of what students did and how patterns may vary by CTE discipline to why they did what they did. The latter question will be addressed through surveys, focus groups and interviews with transfer students and community college and four-year college faculty. We will also investigate promising practices for CTE transfer identified in previous research. The next report, presenting findings from Phase II, will be released in Fall Eva Schiorring (Senior Researcher), Kelley Karandjeff (Researcher), and Darla Cooper (Associate Director) compiled this Phase I Research Summary for the RP Group s Center for Student Success. For more information on and publications produced by the CTE Transfer Research Project, visit Phase I Summary CTE Transfer Fall 2009 Page 9

10 References Cohen, A.M. & Brawer, F.B. (1996). The American Community College. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Cook, B.J. & Cordova, D.I. (2007). Minorities in higher education: Twenty-second annual status report: 2007 supplement. Washington, D.C.: American Council on Education. Johnson, H.P. (2009). Educating California: choices for the future. Retreived from the Public Policy Institute of California website: Offenstein, J. & Shulock, N. (2009). Technical difficulties: Meeting California s workforce needs in Science, Math, Engineering and Technology (STEM) fields. Sacramento, CA: California State University, Sacramento: Institute for Higher Education Policy and Leadership. Prepared for the Campaign for College Opportunity and the Bay Area Council. Office of the Governor of California. (December 26, 2007). Governor Schwarzenegger Announces 2008 Proposal to Bring 20,000 New Engineers to California s Workforce. Press Release. Retrieved on June 29, Phase I Summary CTE Transfer Fall 2009 Page 10