CTE / Occupational Major Research

1. CTE / Occupational Major Research DESIGN, COMMUNICATE, ENGAGE Facilitators Eva Schiorring, RP Group Terrence Willett, Cal-PASS

2. Learning Outcomes • Identify and use tools and strategies to research transfer in occupational majors • Understand challenges and opportunities particular to such research • Identify and use tools and strategies to engage stakeholders in research cycle • Identify and use tools and strategies to communicate findings

3. Agenda • Why study transfer in Occupational Majors? • Perspectives on OM Transfer • Investigating OM Transfer • Using Research Findings to Engage and Activate Stakeholders Group Think and Exchange of Ideas, Experience } {

4. Case for OM Research: Labor Market OutlookOccupations With Largest # of Jobs Requiring BA

5. Case for OM Research: Labor Market OutlookFastest Growing Occupations Requiring BA Projected Growth 2006-2016

6. Perspectives Two Paths to Transfer & Baccalaureate

7. Perspectives Two Paths to Transfer & Baccalaureate

8. Opportunities to Improve/Facilitate Transfer • Expand pipeline • Increase % pipeline participants who reach the transfer point • Reduce time and increase speed to transfer • Encourage students to complete as much coursework in major as possible prior to transfer • Reduce time and units to completion of BA/BS

9. Discussion Questions • What data does your college collect to assess transfer in occupational majors? • How is this data used? • What other data would you like to have? RP Conference | April 2011 | www.rpgroup.org9

10. Investigating OM Transfer Research Questions • Backward mapping the pathways of successful transfer students: What did they do? • Listening to successful transfer students: Why and how did they do it? What was the experience like? Advice? • Listening to and following would-be transfer students: Who is entering the PW? How prepared are they? What’s helping, complicating their progress?

11. Investigating OM Transfer Research components • Quantitative • Backward mapping path taken by degree completers • Qualitative • Collecting and analyzing perspectives from transfer students • Colleting and analyzing perspectives from those embarking on the transfer pathway

12. Investigating OM Transfer: Quantitative Approach Using Cal-PASS Data System • Backward Mapping from students earning Bachelor’s degree in selected disciplines • Obtain permissions from colleges • Define CIP and TOP codes for target disciplines • Define inclusion criteria • Determine variables of interest

15. Engineering Unit Balance

17. Investigating OM Transfer:Quantitative ApproachSelected Regression Findings • African American students had fewer total CC units in Engineering • Male students spent longer time to degree in all three disciplines • Special admit students spent shorter time to degree in all three disciplines • Higher percentage of total units taken in the major equals: • Shorter time to degree in Engineering and Nursing • Shorter time at university in Engineering • Fewer total CC units in all three disciplines • Fewer total university units in Engineering and Nursing • More likely to swirl in Engineering

18. Investigating OM Transfer: Quantitative Approach Caveats • Not all universities participate • Creates biases for certain disciplines • Limits representativeness • No common university course coding schema • Forward mapping desirable but difficult due to focus on GE courses at CC and lack of incentive for CC students to declare and update majors • Ignored concurrent and post-graduate CC

19. Investigating OM Transfer: Qualitative Approach • Research Activities • Survey 600 transfer students • Focus groups/interviews with 140 students • Surveying 35 students beginning pathway • Follow and interview 16 students to document progress toward transfer

20. Investigating OM Transfer: Qualitative Approach • Transfer Student Perspective • Motivation • Factors supporting/compromising transfer • Use of support services • Ed plan • Advice to students, CCs, 4-years • Most/least prepared for 4-year

21. Investigating OM Transfer: Qualitative Approach • Accounting, Engineering & Nursing Majors @: • 4 CSUs • 1 UC • 2 private non-profit • 1 private for-profit

22. Investigating OM Transfer: Qualitative Approach • Invite faculty to add own questions • Test surveys with students • Distribute survey to students through known faculty • Adjust survey along the way (ed plan, BS courses) • Report back to faculty and students

23. Investigating OM Transfer: Qualitative Approach Sample Findings/Transferred Students • GPS and “yes you can” factors found across disciplines • Students completed large number of courses that did not count toward transfer (Engr, Acct) • Insufficient access to required courses major barrier (Engr) • Students in private institutions more diverse, older, often don’t see themselves as transfer students

24. Investigating OM Transfer: Qualitative Approach • Intro to Engineering • How many are serious about transfer? • Why do so many not make it? • What can we do to increase success? • What happens on the way to transfer? Where are students derailed and why?

25. Small Group Activity Consider a research design for an occupational program with a transfer component at your college. • What data do you think your college would want to have on transfer in OM? • What is a potential research question? • What resources do you have to answer the question? • What data sources would you use or create (qualitative and quantitative)? • What interaction would you have with stakeholders during various stages of the research cycle? RP Conference | April 2011 | www.rpgroup.org25

26. Using Research Findings to Engage and Activate Stakeholders • We have a lot of findings – now what? • Who (should) care(s)? Identifying stakeholders • Faculty, others at CCs in targeted disciplines • Faculty, others at universities in targeted disciplines • Students (both sides of transfer) • Employers in targeted disciplines

27. Determine what evidence will help answer the questions Collabo- ratively explore research questions Research Request Collaborative Dialog on Student Success Conduct research & analysis Act on findings & evaluate results Explore action steps Dialog to interpret results Designed by Gregory M Stoup

28. Communication Tools & Devices • Briefs, discipline-specific, audience-specific • Student advice to students, faculty • Case studies • Website • Social media?

29. State of Engagement / Activation • Points and Scope of Engagement • Statewide, inter-segmental Engineering Group • Regional Engineering Consortium • Inter-segmental, regional Accounting meeting • Debrief w. Engineering students • Bringing industry on board? • Regional vs Statewide Convenings?

30. Small Group Discussion Communicating OM Transfer Data • What kind of communication strategies have you used in the past and for what kind of transfer findings? • Have you communicated findings to students in the past? How? How did it work? • Would any of the communication tools used in the study work for your purpose(s)? Why? Why not? • Have you used social media tools to communicate research findings? Do you have any interest in doing so? RP Conference | April 2011 | www.rpgroup.org30

31. Revisiting the Learning Outcomes • Identify and use tools and strategies to research transfer in occupational majors • Understand challenges and opportunities involved in such research • Identify and use tools and strategies to engage stakeholders in research cycle • Identify and use tools and strategies to communicate findings

32. CTE/OM Web Page & Contact Information CTE Transfer Study Web Page www.rpgroup.org/css/CTETransfer.html Eva Schiorring, RP Group eschiorring@rpgroup.org Terrence Willett, Cal-PASS/IEBC twillett@calpass.org RP Conference | April 2011 | www.rpgroup.org32