Increasing Student Retention and Graduation: Findings from the ASAP Evaluation

1. Innovations Conference Philadelphia, PA March 6, 2012 Increasing Student Retention and Graduation: Findings from the ASAP Evaluation

2. 2007: Admit 1,132 students at six CUNY community colleges with support from the Mayor’s Center for Economic Opportunity (CEO) • 2010: Exceed 3-year graduation goal and funding made permanent allocation to CUNY by the Mayor’s Office • 2011: CUNY announces plans to expand ASAP to more students at CUNY community colleges ASAP History

3. Fall 2007 enrollment across all six CUNY community colleges: • Borough of Manhattan: 249 • Bronx: 118 • Hostos: 82 • Kingsborough: 247 • LaGuardia: 208 • Queensborough: 228 • Fall 2007 cohort was fully skills proficient at time of entry; 28% had developmental need when recruited and addressed over summer • Since Fall 2009, began to admit students with some developmental need at time of entry ASAP History

4. At least 50% of ASAP students will complete an Associate’s degree in no more than three years ready to transfer to a baccalaureate program and/or enter the workforce. ASAP Goal

5. Support students with: • Gaining and maintaining academic momentum • Developing a connection to the college • Accessing timely and relevant resources and services Students are better engaged and graduate in a timely manner ASAP Theory of Action

6. Required full-time study • Consolidated class schedule • Cohort design by major • Winter and summer course taking • Dedicated full-time staff at each college ASAP Program Design

7. ASAP Financial Resources: • Tuition waivers for financial aid-eligible students • Free Use of Textbooks • Monthly MTA MetroCards • ASAP Services: • Case management advisement • Faculty engagement • ASAP Seminar • Academic support services • Career development services • Special programs ASAP Resources & Services

8. ASAP Evaluation and Key Outcomes

9. QUANTITATIVE: • Student-level data from the CUNY Office of Institutional Research and Assessmentand colleges • Student Surveys QUALITATIVE: • Annual Student Focus Groups ASAP Data Analysis

10. Constructed Comparison Group (using CUNY data) • Entered one year prior to ASAP Cohort • Met same criteria as ASAP students • Full-time Associate students • Begin program with 12 or fewer credits • Not enrolled in College Discovery (program offering similar services as ASAP) • New York City residents • Enrolled in majors offered to ASAP students • Developmental Education • Cohort 1: Fully skills proficient in reading, writing and math • Cohort 2: Allowed up to two remedial courses (in any subject) ASAP EVALUATION

11. ASAP Cohort One Three-Year Outcomes

12. Summary Profile: Cohort One ASAP and Comparison Group Students

13. Used one-to-one propensity score matching • Led to large sample loss • Used optimal full matching as final procedure • One-to-many matching procedure • Maintained most of ASAP sample • Conducted in partnership with Metis Associates (external evaluators) Regression Matching Techniques

14. N=1,132 N=1,791 N=1,104 N=1,242 ASAP Cohort One Three-Year Graduation Rate: Before and After Optimal Full Matching Statistical Mean Difference = 28.4 Percentage Points, p < 0.05

15. N=1,100 N=1,247 Statistical Mean Difference = 6.6 Percentage Points, p < 0.05 ASAP Cohort One Three-Year Cumulative Credits and GPA: After Optimal Full Matching • GPA Outcome – no statistically significant difference between groups • (ASAP GPA: 2.50 , Comparison GPA: 2.46)

16. Research Question • Which variables are good predictors of two-year graduation • studied cumulative GPA, credits earned in 1st semester, and advisement meetings in 2ndyear • OUTCOME: Two-Year Graduation • Sample • ASAP students enrolled for four consecutive semesters (N=761) • Control Variables • Gender, Race, Age, Admission type, Parental education, Household income, High school average, Regents’ scores • Results • All three predictor variables significant • as predictor variable increases so does probability of graduating in two years Graduation Predictors Study

17. 2nd Year Advisement Meetings Outcome: RESULT: probability of graduating in 2 years increases by 10 percentage points. 9 meet 16 meet 23 meet 1 SD = 7 meetings • For every standard deviation increase in advisement meetings during the second year, approximately 7 meetings above the mean of 16.3 meetings, the probability of graduating increases by 10 percentage points.

18. ASAP Cohort Two Two-Year Outcomes

19. Summary Profile: Cohort Two ASAP and Comparison Group Students

20. Retention of Cohort Two ASAP Students:Re-enrolled in College of Entry

21. One-Year Basic Skills Proficiency Change:ASAP Cohort Two and Comparison Group Students

22. Two-Year Graduation Rate of ASAP Cohort Two Students

23. ASAP Student Survey and Focus Group Results

24. ASAP Students’ Educational Aspirations “I wouldn’t be in school (without ASAP)…I learned the sky is the limit.” ~ Cohort 2 student

25. Graduating Two Year ASAP Students :Most important ASAP Resource/Service to College Success “Tuition and books being paid for really helps because there is less to worry about.” ~ Cohort 2 student

26. Multiple responses allowed Graduating Cohort 2 Students: ASAP Resources “Very Helpful” to Student Success in College. “Advisors track students academics; they play a huge role. If you have a problem, you go to your advisor.” ~ Cohort 2 student

27. Graduating Cohort 2 Students: Advisor Services “It would be dramatically different without advisors. They know what you need. Without an advisor, the load would be on you to get what you need. It would not feel as personal.” ~ Cohort 2 student

28. Graduating Cohort 2 Students: How ASAP Has Helped Me “ASAP has done so many things to change my life…I am overwhelmed by the experience...” “I’m involved more in college because of ASAP activities. It’s been a great experience.” ~ Cohort 2 students

29. Multiple responses allowed Graduating Two Year ASAP Students :Post-Graduation Plans “ASAP plays a major role by helping me stay focused”. ~ Cohort 2 student

30. ASAP provides connection to the program and between classmates. “ASAP has helped me to learn how to speak and interact with people. It has opened doors for me to be free.” • ASAP encourages success, provides direction, and keeps students on track academically. “ASAP provides a roadmap for what you should focus on.” • ASAP gives students the skills to navigate the college experience and utilize available resources. “ASAP tells you where to go, how to contact them, and who you need to talk to.” ASAP Focus Groups: Recurring Themes

31. $5 million in additional foundation funds raised to expand ASAP program and evaluation capacity • Transfer scholarship program for ASAP graduates at six CUNY senior colleges • Random assignment study by MDRC at BMCC, Kingsborough, and LaGuardia • Fall 2011: CUNY announce plans to expand ASAP to more students at CUNY community colleges ASAP Updates

32. Expanding ASAP over the next three years at all community colleges to 4,000 + students by fall 2014 • 1,500 will be recruited for fall 2012 • Central & college planning teams developing expansion plans • Citywide outreach & marketing campaign includes ASAP graduates ASAP Expansion

33. www.cuny.edu/asap Contact Us