Student Fcus Grup Resurce Guide What is This Guide? Public Agenda and WestEd develped this guide fr CBD t supprt cadres in their effrts t learn frm students. What fllws is intended as a user- friendly tl t help with the planning, executin, analysis, and reprting f student fcus grups, and includes tips fr each phase f the prcess. Appendices A and B include a sample discussin guide (als called a prtcl) and a sample facilitatr de- brief frm r prtcl, respectively. Appendix C includes questins that CCRC develped t help the cadres learn mre abut their targeted student grups. Carrying ut high- quality fcus grups des nt take much mre wrk than putting tgether lwer- quality fcus grups that prvide less valid r reliable infrmatin - - and the pay- ff f ding it right is wrth it. As this guide discusses, WestEd and Public Agenda are wrking t develp a slid system f supprts s that the cadres will be able t cnduct quality fcus grups t infrm their wrk during bth the planning and implementatin phases. Why Cnduct Fcus Grups? Unlike surveys, which are designed t identify patterns acrss large numbers f individuals, fcus grups are best used t explre in greater depth the experiences f a subset r crss- sectin f a larger grup and t learn frm interactins between tw r mre individuals. Fcus grups shuld create a safe space fr dialgue in which a relatively small number f participants 10-12 interact by brainstrming and buncing ideas ff f each ther. Grups that are much larger than that will nt create safe r interactive spaces. Fcus grups are ften used t infrm the design f surveys and/r t dig int and explre the meaning f survey findings. They are als a pwerful freestanding research and engagement vehicle fr explring cmplex issues, identifying cmmunicatins bstacles and pprtunities, and engaging critical stakehlders as partners in prblem- slving. BEFORE CONDUCTING FOCUS GROUPS Belw are sme tips and guidelines t think abut and discuss with yur team when designing student fcus grups: Be clear abut yur gals and what yu hpe t achieve frm the grups. When yu begin planning the fcus grup, ask yur cre team questins such as, What are yu mst interested in knwing? What d we want t learn frm student fcus grups? Hw will we use the infrmatin? There are a number f valid reasns t cnduct student fcus grups, but withut clarity abut yur team s 1
gals, it is unlikely that yu will be able t ask the right questins r listen deeply t students. Develp and rganize questins accrding t themes r areas f interest. When writing questins, it is helpful t think abut the general themes/areas f interest and rganize the questins alng thse lines. That will help include all the relevant questins and eliminate nnessential questins. Fr example, the student fcus grup questins culd be rganized acrss the Lss and Mmentum framewrk. Frame questins with a fcus n students. When writing questins, step utside f yurself and think first abut students experiences and what yu are mst curius abut. Rapid- fire yes/n questins r survey questins are usually nt apprpriate fr fcus grups, nr are questins framed frm the perspective f administratrs r faculty. Fcusing n better understanding student experiences as yu write the questins will result in better questins and better grups. Think abut hw yur questins can spark a cnversatin between students, and especially a cnversatin that will prvide the space fr students t build ff f each ther and brainstrm tgether. That is a unique benefit f fcus grups. Assume that students are experts n their wn experience, but nt necessarily n what is required fr success in cllege. Avid all jargn and technical language, and make sure the questins are nt leading r laded. Recruit participants carefully. Be very clear as a team abut which student grups yu are mst interested in learning frm and why. It is imprtant t identify the best strategies fr recruiting the kinds f students yu are mst curius abut and avid relying n easy access students (e.g., thse in student gvernment) t ppulate fcus grups. Easy access students might be the nes wh are mst mtivated, engaged, and/r academically successful, fr example. At the same time, there may be sme student rganizatins that are ppulated by specific types f students that yu re interested in. Targeting classes that are heavily ppulated by the kinds f students yu mst want t knw abut can be a gd strategy, and a single class can ften yield multiple grups. It is als a way t respect students time and nt ask them t take time ut f their busy lives t take part in anther activity. Nte, hwever, that finding quiet 2
space t cnduct and recrd grups during a class perid can be a challenge (each grup needs a separate space). Hlding fcus grups at the end f the day can be challenging, since many students need t wrk and have ther respnsibilities. Grups shuld be capped at abut 12, and shuld last n lnger than tw hurs (r be shrter than ne hur). Ninety minutes is the ideal length fr a grup because it is a gd balance f having enugh time fr gd give- and- take while ensuring that the cnversatin will nt take t much f students time. Chse the facilitatr carefully. The quality f facilitatin can make r break a grup and, unfrtunately, sme peple wh are likely t self- identify as strng facilitatrs (e.g., instructrs) may nt have the qualities necessary fr strng facilitatin f fcus grups. The facilitatrs f the cnversatins must be neutral and credible (i.e., have n baggage fr students) and the students shuld nt knw the facilitatrs as this can make it mre difficult fr students t be candid r critical. Facilitatrs shuld be prvided a cpy f the Cmpletin by Design Facilitatr s Handbk prduced by Public Agenda, and shuld take time t review the key traits f a gd facilitatr and the basic mves f facilitatin. (The Handbk is available n CBD s Knwledge Center, http://knwledgecenter.cmpletinbydesign.rg.) Ideally, facilitatrs shuld take part in training ffered by WestEd and Public Agenda. Find the right space. Physical envirnment can have a majr impact n the quality f a fcus grup. The ideal space is ne that is quiet, that is temperature cntrlled, and in which everyne can see each ther and is clse enugh tgether fr a cmfrtable cnversatin. A rund table r chairs rganized in a circle is the ideal cnfiguratin fr a cnversatin. This als allws fr all vices t be picked up by a recrder. (See belw regarding the imprtance f recrding fcus grups.) DURING THE FOCUS GROUPS Belw are sme tips and guidelines t keep in mind when cnducting student fcus grups: Prvide incentives fr participatin. Fd r refreshments are a nice way t give back t students t thank them fr their time and t help recruit students utside f classrm time. They shuld be prvided at all fcus grups. Other ways t give back t students include prviding them with infrmatin abut key issues f interest at the end f the fcus grup 3
(prviding infrmatin at the beginning wuld bias their respnses), and talking with them abut scial science research (hw will this infrmatin be used t make change letting them knw their vices will cntribute t refrms). Set nrms and use ice-breaker questins t help set the tne fr the grup. This is particularly imprtant fr students since they might feel uncmfrtable talking abut sensitive issues in frnt f each ther and they might be cncerned abut pssible stakes fr themselves in terms f hw faculty and administratrs might view them. As mentined earlier, it is imprtant t think abut these issues when develping the questins t minimize the pssibility that students might feel stigmatized r uncmfrtable during the cnversatin. Students shuld be tld that their cmments are annymus and their names will nt be used in any materials develped frm the fcus grup infrmatin. Prvide cntext, but keep it brief. It is imprtant t prvide sme cntext abut the wrk but nt s much that the infrmatin might bias participants cntributins during the cnversatin. It is a gd idea t avid the temptatin t data dump at any pint during a fcus grup. Create space fr questins frm students, let the cnversatin flw. It is imprtant t leave time fr participants t ask questins befre starting the fcus grup questins, such as, Is there anything yu wuld like t ask befre we get started with questins? Keeping the tne and pace cnversatinal and light, rather than rapid- fire r excessively frmal, will help create a safe space fr students. Curisity is the greatest resurce at a facilitatr s dispsal, and smetimes curisity calls fr letting the cnversatin flw where it may. Quantify respnses when pssible. Fcus grups shuld nt be treated like surveys, but be n the lkut fr ways t apprpriately quantify respnses t questins that are especially imprtant t yu. Fr example, if a student said, I chse my certificate/degree prgram because ne f my instructrs tld me I d d well in that area, the facilitatr culd say, Frm a shw f hands, hw many thers have had a similar experience? Did sme peple have ther reasns fr chsing a certificate r degree prgram? The facilitatr can then state, Oh, I see that ten peple shared that experience in rder t dcument that number in the transcript/recrding. Elicit detail and examples. It is critical t ask students t give examples thrughut the cnversatin. That can help make sure yu knw yu are all talking abut the same thing, and examples are cncrete ways t illustrate a pint. Simple prbes like, Can yu say mre abut that? and Des anyne have an example f smething like that? are the best fr eliciting detail. 4
Capture the infrmatin carefully. The facilitatr shuld nt be distracted by taking detailed ntes during the cnversatin nr shuld a silent scribe sit in the rm writing while students talk (as this can make participants uncmfrtable). Instead, recrd the cnversatins with a digital vice recrder and assure students that n qutes will be attributed when the recrdings are transcribed. Let students knw that the cnversatin is being recrded t ensure that their thughts and ideas are captured exactly as they said them (instead f having t rely n peple s interpretatins r paraphrasing which can be distrtive). It is als helpful t mentin that recrding the cnversatin allws the facilitatr t be in the mment with students and nt fcused n taking ntes. Facilitatrs can jt ntes t capture key themes r wrds alng the way, but mst f the time shuld be spent listening attentively. Minimize the chance f technical failures by using the fllwing checklist: Have yu tested yur digital recrder befre using it? Is there sufficient space n the recrder t recrd the whle grup? Is the battery life full? Is the recrder placed t pick up all the vices (center f the table)? Are yu in a lcatin with minimal ambient nise? D yu have a back- up digital recrder yu can use in case the primary ne malfunctins? See Appendix A fr a Sample Fcus Grup Prtcl. AFTER THE FOCUS GROUPS Belw are sme tips and guidelines t keep in mind t ensure that yu are able t capture and use the infrmatin generated in the fcus grups. Facilitatrs shuld de-brief (either with a team member r n her/his wn) t capture initial impressins f the grups. This is a way fr yu t get sme quick infrmatin that yu can use t infrm yur plans. Facilitatrs shuld receive a de- brief frm befre they cnduct the fcus grup s that they will knw what the expectatins are with respect t capturing infrmatin immediately fllwing the grup. The facilitatr shuld write dwn hw many students were in each fcus grup, nte if there were n- shws, and capture basic infrmatin abut the methd f recruitment, cmpsitin f the grup, and length f the cnversatin. It is critical that the infrmatin be cnnected t the digital 5
recrding. Otherwise yu will end up nt knwing which recrding is cnnected t which student grup. Facilitatrs shuld als write up their general impressins f the fcus grups immediately after the discussin, such as the biggest surprises, the main themes, areas f agreement r disagreement between students, and s frth. Thse ntes can be used as initial impressins that can later be cnfirmed (r nt) by cmparing thse impressins with the transcripts. Such ntes can als add useful cntext, such as nting if the grup was interrupted at sme pint, r if ne persn dminated the cnversatin (thugh facilitatrs shuld try t make sure that ne persn des nt dminate). See Appendix B fr a Sample De-brief Prtcl. Send digital files t WestEd and Public Agenda t have the fcus grups transcribed fr yu. Transcriptin will ensure that yu will have useable data. CDAT can fund abut $1,000 per cadre fr transcriptin csts (each hur f recrded cnversatin amunts t rughly $150 dllars fr transcriptin). If yu d nt have the time r capacity t develp a sund prcess fr analyzing transcripts and reprting the results, Public Agenda and WestEd are ffering t analyze transcripts fr yu. It will be critical fr WestEd and Public Agenda t wrk with yu t determine hw many transcripts they can analyze, given ther requests and yur timeframe. If there is a high vlume f requests fr analysis supprt, it is likely that Public Agenda and WestEd will review the de- brief frms t select the highest quality grups fr analysis. Depending n demand, a cap n analysis supprt may be placed at five transcripts per cadre. Therefre, t ensure that WestEd and Public Agenda are able t prvide help with fcus grup analysis, it is extremely imprtant that the debrief frm (Appendix B) be used. It is imprtant t nte that there are different types f analysis that are mre and less rigrus, and that different types serve different purpses. Fr yur purpses, yu may decide that less rigrus analysis is mst useful given the cmpressed timeframe f the planning perid. If the grups are digitally recrded, the data are preserved fr future use, and it is pssible t cnduct additinal analyses f the grups t infrm the implementatin phase. Even in cases in which analyses will be less rigrus r frmal, there are sme basic practices that can help ensure that the infrmatin gathered and the stry tld abut that infrmatin is reliable and useful. This is ne f thse areas where ding it well is nt that much mre difficult than ding it prly and the payffs f ding 6
it well are enrmus (while the csts f ding it prly are quite significant and ptentially dangerus t the wrk r t the perceived credibility f thse cnducting and analyzing the grups). Belw is a basic descriptin f hw WestEd and Public Agenda wuld plan t analyze the data fr the purpses f the planning year. We suggest yu apprach the wrk f making sense f the fcus grup cnversatins similarly, if yu chse t d the analyses. T begin, at least tw individuals shuld read the same transcript t ensure inter- cder reliability f the findings t make sure that they are analyzing the data similarly. This is als called calibratin. Each individual shuld read thrugh and jt dwn ntes regarding themes as they emerge. Thrugh this initial run- thrugh, readers can develp a simple cding system t identify thse themes r issues each time they arise. It is als useful t highlight the qutes peple think are imprtant. After each reader has had time t read the transcript and jt ntes abut themes and their frequency, the readers shuld sit tgether and share their ntes, cding schemes, and highlighted qutes t ensure that thse analyzing the grups are n the same page abut what they are hearing and what it means. Ideally, the individuals shuld repeat that exercise with anther transcript r tw, especially if there are very different cnversatins acrss, fr example, different student grups. Once peple are cnfident that they are n the same page it is still ideal t have tw peple read each transcript, but, if time is an issue, it is pssible t have ne persn read each transcript as lng as the readers are well calibrated. Based n this system, a set f cre themes can be identified and the transcripts can be cmbed fr illustrative qutes. It is ften useful t develp matrices t chunk the infrmatin by theme. Fr example, there culd be a matrix fr each student grup f interest (such as part- time students, students wh placed ne level belw in develpmental educatin, and s frth). The peple analyzing the transcripts shuld pay clse attentin t particularly instructive qutes and can keep thse in a separate file, r belw the relevant matrix. It is imprtant t keep infrmatin that can identify the qute with the student grup f interest t be able t knw, fr example, if the qute was stated by a student wh was enrlled part time, r wh was in develpmental educatin, r bth. Team members shuld lk acrss the matrices t determine which themes are cmmn acrss fcus grups and which are nt. The cmmn themes can be synthesized int findings, stating that they are cmmn acrss grups. Findings that are nt cnsistent acrss grups shuld be presented as such. 7
The summary reprt prduced shuld be qute- rich in rder t best illustrate the main themes f the grups. Direct qutes are the best vehicles fr understanding and explring student experiences, bth because they are cmpelling and because they require a certain diligence in analysis that less frmal interpretatin des nt affrd. This is anther reasn why it is imprtant t create audi recrdings and transcriptins if at all pssible. The qutes shuld be framed s that the reader knws if the qute is representative f the cnversatin, r if it is unique. Fr further infrmatin n cnducting student fcus grups, please cntact Andrea Venezia, avenezi@wested.rg, r Alisn Kadlec, akadlec@publicagenda.rg. 8
APPENDIX A: SAMPLE FOCUS GROUP PROTOCOL (DISCUSSION GUIDE) Public Agenda and WestEd develped this prtcl fr Lrain Cunty Cmmunity Cllege s student fcus grups. It was develped arund the Lss and Mmentum framewrk. SAMPLE OPENER: Thank yu fr agreeing t talk with us tday. We want yu t knw that we think everything yu have t say is imprtant and we are here t learn frm yu. We are wrking n a prject t include student vices and experiences in discussins that cmmunity cllege leaders, faculty, elected fficials and thers are having in [name f state] abut hw clleges can d a better jb f helping students succeed. Our discussin shuld take abut [duratin f time]. We knw yu have a lt ging n and we really appreciate yur willingness t share yur thughts and experiences with us. There are n right r wrng answers we are interested in knwing mre abut yur perspectives and ideas. We are recrding the cnversatin s that we can be abslutely certain that we are capturing all f yur ideas, exactly as yu present them. We wn t qute yu we just want t make sure we re hearing yu accurately. The infrmatin yu give us tday will be shared with peple acrss the state t help imprve cmmunity clleges. We will nt use yur name. We hpe that yu can feel cmfrtable t speak freely abut yur experiences and we ask that everyne be respectful f what everyne else has t say. We want t make sure we agree abut the meaning f a few wrds that we want t use. (Are there wrds yu need t define, r are there issues that culd be cnfusing t peple that yu need t discuss t make sure there is a cmmn understanding? This culd be a gd time t define develpmental educatin, student success curses, prgrams f study, etc., but als be sure t use accessible language thrughut the develpment f the questins.) D yu have any questins r cncerns befre we start? SAMPLE PROTOCOL (fr a tw- hur cnversatin based n the Lss and Mmentum framewrk) Warm-up Please g arund, intrduce yurselves, and just tell us a little bit abut why yu decided t g t cllege. (This will give yu a chance t hear peple talk, unprmpted, abut why they re in schl. Yu ll prbably get a sense fr thse wh are mre and less gal- riented. In additin, yu will get a sense f whether sme students are nt part f yur grup f interest. If, fr example, yu want t talk with students wh went directly frm high schl t cllege and smene mentins a different path, yu knw the infrmatin yu hear frm that persn will be filtered thrugh a different set f experiences.) 9
Getting int the issues Hw did yu decide t cme t X Cmmunity Cllege? Did yu knw ther peple ging here? D yu knw peple wh chse t g ther places? Why? Did yu think abut ging smewhere else? Did anyne, like a family member r high schl guidance cunselr, tell yu abut the pprtunities here at X? Culd yu describe the first time yu came t campus why did yu cme here? Was it befre yu became a student here, r was it the first day yu came t enrll? Was it a psitive experience r nt s much? (Give peple time t chat, listen fr stries abut rientatin vs. ther kinds f stries. Gd place t ask hw many peple attended a frmal rientatin; did they take a placement test the first time they came t campus.) What culd have made that first experience better? Hw are things ging s far? Pretty well, pretty rugh, smewhere in between? Is cllege different than what yu expected? Have yu been able t get the classes yu want? Hw was the placement testing prcess fr yu? Did yu knw abut thse tests befre yu came here? Did yu scre abut what yu thught yu wuld scre? Are yu taking the level f classes that yu thught yu wuld be taking? Have yu talked t an adviser r cunselr? Describe that experience--was it helpful r nt? Readiness Nw that yu re here, d yu feel like yu arrived here ready succeed in cllege? Why r why nt? (Let them talk. Ask simple prbes like Can yu say mre abut that? r Did thers have a similar experience? ) Befre yu came t X, did yu have teachers/cunselrs/family members/thers wh talked t yu abut what t expect in cllege? If yes, was that helpful? If nt, wuld yu have liked t have that? If yur little brther r sister in high schl was thinking abut ging t cllege, what advice wuld yu give them t help set them up fr success? A lt f students cme t X and need t brush up n sme f the basics befre they can get int their main curses. Thse are ften called remedial educatin r develpmental educatin classes. D yu knw a lt f peple wh have had t take thse brush-up curses (r did yu yurself)? If yes, what d peple usually think abut thse classes? D peple think thse curses are pretty gd here r nt s much? Are all new students are required t take a cllege rientatin class? Hw many f yu already tk this class? Hw many are taking it nw? What did yu think f the rientatin class? Was it useful r nt? Hw s? Hw culd it have been better? 10
Getting int a prgram f study Hw d yu decide which curses t take? (Listen fr indicatrs f cncentratin vs. nn- cncentratin, e.g., are they wandering arund taking curses that sund interesting r are they n a clear path?) Did yu knw what yu wanted t study befre yu came here? If s, was that a factr in yur decisin t cme here did yu think that [name f cllege] had gd prgrams in that area? Are yu able t get the advising/cunseling that yu need? Hw many f yu have decided what yu want t majr in what kind f certificate r degree yu want t earn? Fr thse f yu wh have already decided, hw lng had yu been here befre yu made that decisin? Did smene help yu make that decisin? Fr thse f yu wh haven t decided yet, when d yu think yu ll decide? Hw d yu think yu ll g abut deciding what kind f certificate r degree yu want t earn? Hw imprtant is it fr yu r anyne t figure ut yur prgram f study yur certificate r degree path early n? If it s imprtant, why? If it s nt imprtant, why nt? Fr thse wh think it s imprtant, what culd the cllege be ding t help mre students get lcked in t the right prgram f study as fast as pssible? Derailers D yu knw anyne wh has had t stp r drp ut befre finishing their classes/prgrams? Why d yu think that happens? What are the kinds f things that make it hard fr peple t stay in cllege and finish their degrees r prgrams? Have yu ever wrried abut having t take a break r drp ut yurself? What s keeping yu ging? What kinds f things can the cllege be ding t help students vercme the biggest challenges and stay in schl? Digging deeper Ok, nw we re ging t dig a little deeper and talk mre abut yur best and wrst experiences here at X. Thinking abut the best instructrs yu ve had here, what were they like? Why were they s gd? Thinking abut yur wrst instructrs, what were they like n need fr names we just want t knw what the experiences were like that made them challenging fr yu? What abut advisrs and cunselrs have yu had gd experiences r bad experiences? (Let them talk. Prbe arund what cunselrs culd be ding differently.) What abut ther staff, like peple in financial aid, librarians, thers? Have yu had any particularly gd r bad experiences? 11
Have yu ever sught ut extra help r tutring with a class? Was it a gd experience r nt? Hw did yu learn abut thse pprtunities? Have yu ever felt like yu needed extra help but didn t knw hw t find it? In general, d yu think there are a lt f gd resurces, like tutring and ther kinds f help, here fr students? D peple use all the services available? Why r why nt? What prevents peple frm taking advantage f the resurces here? (Listen fr lack f awareness, feeling intimidated, feeling like the resurces are inadequate, etc.) Clsing There are a number f ideas leaders have here abut hw t help mre students succeed and we want t knw what yu think abut them. What d yu think abut xxx? (Insert ideas abut prmising practices that yu are thinking f testing ut at the cllege.) Ok, t clse here, let s g arund nce and hear frm everyne n a final thughts questin: If there was ne (r tw) thing that the cllege culd be ding differently r better t help mre students achieve their gals, what wuld that be? (If they seem intimidated by the questin, yu can recast it like this: We ve talked abut a lt f different issues. Of all the things we ve talked abut, which are the things that seem mst imprtant when it cmes t helping mre students hang in there and finish their prgrams f study r degrees? What are the things that the cllege culd change? What are the things that are in yur cntrl?) Thank yu very much fr yur time. I learned s much frm this cnversatin and will pass n the infrmatin t peple wh can make changes t imprve students experiences. (If there is anything mre tangible yu culd say abut hw this will affect change, I wuld add that here.) 12
APPENDIX B: SAMPLE DE-BRIEF PROTOCOL Fllwing the fcus grups, the facilitatr shuld have the pprtunity t de- brief ideally with smene wh was nt in the rm. This de- brief shuld last n mre than 20 minutes and shuld either be recrded and transcribed, r captured n the spt by anther persn taking ntes. What was the grup like? If the facilitatr knws the answers t these questins, it wuld be very helpful t knw,: Can yu characterize this grup wh was in it (students in develpmental educatin, students wh have been at the cllege fr five years and have nt earned a degree r certificate, etc.)? Hw were the students selected? Hw many were in the fcus grup? D yu knw if any students were suppsed t be there but didn t cme? If s, d yu knw why they weren t there? Please describe wh yu are (the facilitatr) title and affiliatin. Why were yu selected t facilitate this fcus grup? Was it the right grup (what the team was lking fr in terms f the type f student)? Was it gender balanced? Did the students knw each ther (r sme subset knw each ther)? Did the facilitatr knw any f them persnally? Were there any dminating vices? Was anyne silent? Hw were they recruited? Hw lng did the cnversatin last? T shrt, t lng, just right? Was anything abut the envirnment prblematic (nise, bad seats, t cld/ht, bad timing fr sme reasn, etc.)? Did anyne else jin the grup (such as an instructr r administratr frm the cllege), r was it just the facilitatr and students? Hw did the cnversatin g? Did it feel like a gd cnversatin? Why r why nt? Was it hard t get them talking, t get them t pen up? Was there anything surprising in the cnversatin? What were sme f the mst interesting themes r ideas that emerged in the cnversatin? (The persn cnducting the de- brief shuld fcus a majrity f the time n this questin and ask light prbing questins like, Can yu say mre abut that? r Why d yu find that especially interesting? ) If yu culd talk t this same grup f students again, what wuld yu want t knw mre abut? When the transcripts are ready, are there parts f the cnversatin that yu will be mst interested in revisiting? 13
APPENDIX C: QUESTIONS TO DISCUSS AS A TEAM Belw are discussin questins develped by the Cmmunity Cllege Research Center (CCRC) t help teams generate a better understanding f their target student ppulatins. These questins can be useful t reflect upn when develping the student fcus grup prtcls, but they are nt framed fr students and shuld, therefre, nt be used as fcus grup questins withut reframing them fr students. Fr target students in the "entry" stage f the pathway whm clleges want t help enter a prgram f study as sn as pssible: What are the demgraphic characteristics f these students (age is particularly imprtant)? At which prgram levels d these students begin at the cllege? Hw much remedial instructin are they referred t? Hw d these students find ut abut the prgrams f study available t them? Are the ptins well- delineated fr students? In what ways des the cllege help students chse a prgram f study (r des the cllege pretty much leave it up t the student t decide)? What rle des advising play? What advising generally d these students receive? Is it mandatry (fr all r subgrups f the target students) r n an as- requested basis? Are students encuraged/helped t have an academic plan? Are (certain grups f) students required t take a cllege success curse? D such curses have as an explicit gal r fcus t help undecided students chse a prgram f study? Des the cllege generally, and individual departments, track when students have entered a prgram f study (fr example by taking curses in a required cre curriculum)? If s, wh lks at this infrmatin and hw is it used? What prgrams f study d the target students mst ften declare? Hw d they make these decisins? Des the cllege track these students' declared prgrams f study ver time? Wh uses data n student majrs and hw it is used? What cncentratins (based n students' actual curse- taking patterns) d students in the target grup tend t enter? What accunts fr the chice patterns yu bserve? What can we learn frm students in the target grup wh succeed in entering prgrams f study? Are there particular characteristics r behavirs f these students that we can use t help ther students? 14
Des remedial instructin help prepare students in the target grup t chse and successfully enter a prgram f study? Are there sets f curses (in additin t develpmental curses) that these students frequently take? Of the curses frequently taken by these students, which nes have high failure r withdrawal rate fr these students? T what extent d students in the target grup attempt t enter cncentratins in particular fields, but nt succeed in ding s? Why is this the case? Des the way students receive financial aid encurage r discurage students frm entering a prgram f study as sn as pssible? What ther cllege r departmental plicies and practices encurage students t enter a prgram f study as sn as pssible? What plicies discurage these students frm entering a prgram f study? What incentives (financial r therwise) d these students have t chse a prgram f study as sn as pssible? Are these incentives evident t students? Are students in the target grup required t d anything that wuld help them chse a prgram f study? What requirements might encurage r help such students t enter a prgram f study? Fr the target students in the "prgram" stage f the pathway whm clleges want t help cmplete a prgram f study as sn as pssible: What are the demgraphic characteristics f these students? Thrugh what pathways d students enter the given prgram(s) f study? Hw d students find ut abut the requirements fr prgram cmpletin? Are these requirements clearly delineated fr students? D the relevant departments r divisins track which f these students are in their prgrams f study (as ppsed t whether they are taking individual curses in an area)? If s, hw d these departments r divisins use this infrmatin? Is any prgram- specific advising r guidance prvided t these students? If s, by whm? Hw are the students identified? Is it required? Des the cllege r individual departments take steps t engage students (such as discipline- r field- specific clubs) in the field related t the target prgrams f study? If s, apprximately what prprtin f these students take part? Is there anything distinctive abut the behavirs f students in the target grup wh cmplete prgrams f study in these prgram area(s)? What can we learn frm the curse- taking patterns and ther behavirs f cmpleters in the relevant prgrams? 15
Des the way students receive financial aid encurage r discurage these students frm cmpleting their prgram f study as sn as pssible? What ther cllege r departmental plicies and practices encurage these students t cmplete their prgram f study as sn as pssible? Which plicies discurage these students frm cmpleting a prgram f study? What kinds f incentives (financial r therwise) d students have t cmplete their prgram f study as sn as pssible? What is the prcess by which the cllege reviews the prgrams in questin? What measures are used fr this purpse? Hw is the infrmatin frm such reviews generally used? Fr transfer prgrams, what plicies r agreements are in place t help these students transfer successfully t baccalaureate prgrams in related fields? Are prgram cmpleters readily able t transfer t baccalaureate prgrams with junir standing in relevant fields? Des the cllege track students in these prgrams wh transfer t baccalaureate prgrams? If s, hw is this dne and hw is this infrmatin used? Fr CTE prgrams (sme f which may als be transfer), what des the cllege r relevant departments d t ensure that students wh cmplete the prgrams in questin advance in the labr market? In what ways des the cllege r departments ensure that the prgrams in questin meet labr market needs/demands. Des the cllege track the labr market utcmes f students in these prgrams (including placement rates, satisfactin, and licensure rates)? If s, hw? Hw is this infrmatin used? What assistance des the cllege r departments prvide t students t secure internships and/r jbs? 16