“Access, Persistence and Retention: Family Involvement for Latino Success in College”

1. “Access, Persistence and Retention: Family Involvement for Latino Success in College” Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education Conference Saturday, February 16th, 2008

2. Overview • Grant funded research project to create a Family Involvement Model that engages college students’ families in the instructional process • Measure the effect of the model on access, retention, and persistence • Document the impact of involving students’ families in the learning process • Share the model with other colleges to replicate results

3. What is the FIM Model? • Refers to the integration of one or more key family members of Latino students into student success initiatives throughout their academic experience

4. Why use FIM Model? • Involving families works according to an extensive review of successful K-12 and other similar student retention practices • Our approach will use the FIM model for the first time at the college level.

5. Participants • Lead Colleges Mountain View College Brookhaven College • Follow-on Colleges El Centro College Richland College North Lake College Cedar Valley College Palo Alto College

6. Year 1 Mountain View College and Brookhaven College Planning Project Timeline Year 2 Implementation Richland College And El Centro College Planning Year 3 Implementation Follow-On Colleges Four DCCCD and external colleges will be added Year 1 Mountain View College and Brookhaven College

9. Mountain View College: Cultural Studies Fiesta Oak Cliff • Learning how the Oak Cliff communities work: families, churches, schools, political groups HIST 1302 / ARTS 1301 • La Raza: the history and art of Latino Americans Learning Community

10. Brookhaven College: Cultural Studies Mexico Studies: A Cultural Perspective • Interdisciplinary and cross-cultural studies human thought and relationships by considering a significant theme • The Caribbean: A Cultural Perspective • Focuses on topics related to the Caribbean, with special emphasis on the African influence within the broader Caribbean, Central, and South American regions.

12. Richland College • Introduction to the field of Mexican-American/Chicano studies from its inception to the present. Introduce students to salient cultural, economic, educational, historical, political, and social concepts.

13. Website

17. Statistical Treatment

18. Types of data • Qualitative data in the form of video, opinionaires, and feedback sessions • 2. Artifacts • 3. Quantitative data from Colleague data base

19. Success – A,B,C Definitions Persistence – Staying in the class until the end with a performance grade Retention – Returning in the next full term

20. Family Involvement Enrollment Compared toGeneral College Enrollment

21. The First CohortSpring 2007 To Fall 2007Brookhaven CollegeCultural Studies-2370-2001Mountain View CollegeCultural Studies-2370-6001Cultural Studies-2370-6002

23. The Second CohortFall 2007 to Spring 2008Brookhaven CollegeCultural Studies-2370-2001Mountain View CollegeCultural Studies-2370-6001Cultural Studies-2370-6002 Richland CollegeHumanities-1305-8096Cultural Studies-2370-8096

25. Spring 2007 Persistence Spring 2007 Persistence The null hypothesis is that the two variables are independent - or, in this particular case that the likelihood of success is the same for students receiving treatment as the students not receiving treatment (control). X2 = 1.749 significance <.20 In this case the null hypothesis is accepted. The treatment did not have a statistically significant positive effect on the retention of students. However, there is the possibility of educational significance. This result should be examined further to determine the cause of the magnitude of increase in persistence.

26. Fall 2008 Persistence The null hypothesis is that the two variables are independent - or, in this particular case that the likelihood of success is the same for students receiving treatment as the students not receiving treatment (control). X2 = .24 significance <.30 In this case the null hypothesis is accepted. The treatment did not have a statistically significant positive effect on the retention of students. However, there is the possibility of educational significance. This result should be examined further to determine the cause of the magnitude of increase in persistence.

27. Spring 2007/Fall 2007 Retention The null hypothesis is that the two variables are independent - or, in this particular case that the likelihood of not returning is the same for students receiving treatment as the students not receiving treatment (control). X2 = 6.49 significance .01 In this case the null hypothesis is rejected. The treatment did have a statistically positive effect on the retention of students.

28. FAQ’s • Do you offer scholarships to students? • Is the grant limited in supporting classes pertaining to a specific subject area? • What are the benefits for faculty? • Are there guidelines for faculty to follow when using the FIM model? • What will happen to the classes, once the grant’s funding has ended?

29. Desired Results • Models that include the family in the instructional process • Models implemented in courses with addition of minimal funding • All colleges involved in the data collection and evaluation processes

30. The Contents of this presentation were developed under a grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal government