Serving Special Populations in California Community Colleges

1. Serving Special Populations in California Community Colleges Laurie Harrison Special Populations Collaborative Project and Joint Special Populations Advisory Committee

2. Research Questions: • What services are provided and what are the barriers? • What is the impact of career and technical training?

3. What Services are Provided?What are the Barriers? • Data source: • Special Populations Collaborative Project, West Hills Community College District

4. Survey Methodology • Electronically administered to all colleges • Personal follow-up of non-respondents • 94 colleges responded (87%)

5. Survey Results

6. Where do Colleges Focus Attention?

7. Services Provided by Colleges • Career Counseling 96% • Voc Ed Marketing 89% • Child care & Textbooks 82% • Interpreters 70% • Transportation 60%

8. Barriers Encountered by Colleges • Need to address remedial skills 80% • Insufficient Funds 77% • Low recruitment & retention 64% • Transportation 59% • Inadequate job market 51% • Insufficient staff 50% • Insufficient facilities 39% • Inadequate support services 30% • Timing of classes 25% • Lack of institutional support 16%

9. Survey results were also reported by: • Each of the six special population groups • Each community college region

10. Selected Findings

11. Career Counseling for Special Population Students • Career counseling was most frequently provided activity for each special population group. • However, the students who were least likely to get career counseling were nontraditional students. • May indicate a need for counseling with a nontraditional focus.

12. For nontraditional students: • Developing/Disseminating vocational marketing materials was the second highest activity. • Yet, low recruitment was the highest ranking problem for these students. • Clearly a need for more effective recruitment strategies for nontraditional students.

13. Transportation Factor • Transportation was the least frequently provided activity. • Yet, lack of transportation was the fourth greatest barrier. • Need to address transportation for special population students.

14. Transition to the workplace • Most frequently listed as a barrier for students with disabilities and limited English proficient students. • A need for better coordination with employers and the workplace for these two target groups.

15. What are Effective Practices? • Categorized by target population • For each practices there is a description and contact information

16. Survey Results and Effective Practices available at: • www.jspac.org (Website of the Joint Special Populations Advisory Committee) • www.vteabp.org (Website of the California community college industry/technology collaborative project which is coordinating with the special populations collaborative project.)

17. What Effect is Career and Technical Training having on Special Population Students? Data source: “Success for All” Study Anita Mathur, U.C. Berkeley for Joint Special Populations Advisory Committee

18. Methodology • Examined records of students who exited the community college system in 1999-2000, and • Earned a vocational degree, certificate, or 12 units of vocational credit. • Linked these students’ data with Employment Department wage data. • 48,000 students in the sample

19. Compared students from special populations groups to other students • Examined data for each special population group

20. Major Findings

21. The number of special population students: • 52% of students in the sample were classified in at least 1 special population group. • The sample included only completers or those with 12 units. • We know that special populations drop out at higher rates therefore initial percentages for special populations students are higher.

22. Special population students are more likely to be: • Female • Non-white • Lacking a high school diploma • Unemployed or earning less prior to entering community college

23. Increased Earnings • After receiving career and technical education: • Special population women increased median annual earnings by 182% • Special population men increased median annual earnings by 149%

24. Learn More - Earn More • The more vocational education attained, the more likely special populations students are to be employed year round. • Students with associates degrees or 60+ unit certificates benefit the most. • Therefore, encourage longer length programs

25. Nontraditional Careers Pay Off for Women • Women in nontrad careers earn more than women in traditional occupations. • The one exception is nursing • Therefore, encourage nontraditional enrollment

26. Equal work does not always mean equal pay • Women in nontraditional careers still earn less than their male counterparts.

27. Findings for Particular Special Population Groups:

28. Students with Disabilities • Disabled students were the most likely special population group to earn an Associates Degree. • But they had the lowest post college earnings. • Need to work on employer interface for students with disabilities.

29. Limited English Proficient Students: • LEP women are most likely to leave with only a certificate. • They showed lower gains in income (only slightly ahead of disabled students). • Encourage LEP student to pursue more in-depth training.

30. Economically Disadvantaged Students: • Only about 9% of economically disadvantaged students go into nontraditional programs where earnings are highest. • Encourage economically disadvantaged to consider nontraditional training.

31. “Success for All” study available at: www.jspac.org (Website of the Joint Special Populations Advisory Committee)

32. Data over time

33. Core Indicator #2 -Completions

34. Core indicator #3a - Employment one year later

35. Strategies to Increase Completions for • Single Parents • Displaced Homemakers • Economically Disadvantaged Students

36. Key support person • Financial support including transportation • Support groups or clubs • Role models • Mentors • Classes on parenting, money management, and stress management • Identify transferable skills • Interview and work clothes

37. Strategies to help Limited English Proficient students stay in school longer and succeed in the workplace

38. Become aware of cultural differences • Create group projects and flexible seating arrangements • Write lesson objectives/key points on board • Provide foreign language dictionaries and thesauruses

39. Strategies to help students with disabilities succeed

40. Ensure that the environment is well-equipped, accessible, and welcoming • Work closely with DSP&S • Promote teamwork and cooperative learning • Incorporate role models who are disabled • Work closely with potential employers

41. Strategies to increase Nontraditional enrollment and success

42. Refer to “high skill - high wage” programs rather than “nontraditional” programs • Expose students to role models, job sites • Recruit in groups • Create nontraditional student clubs/support groups • Prepare students for the nontraditional workplace

43. Remember • Special population students increase their incomes by 149 - 182%! • And the more they learn, the more they earn!

44. So…… • Spread the word about the effectiveness of Career and Technical Education for Special Population Students! AND…..

45. Toot Your Own Horn!