Update on Virginia College Access Provider Activity
Author: Corning, Amy
Date: 2015-11-02
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Access to Education,Statewide Planning,State Surveys,Higher Education,Educational Demand,Educational Supply,Consciousness Raising,Computer Literacy,College Entrance Examinations,Test Preparation,Money Management,Parent Education,Parent Participation,Transitional Programs,Developmental Studies Programs,Career Readiness,Trend Analysis,Educational Trends,Program Evaluation,Data Collection,Educational Cooperation,Change Strategies,Interviews,Television Surveys,Administrator Attitudes

In the fall of 2008, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) commissioned a research study comparing the college access provider resources in Virginia to the access and academic achievement needs of the state. That study--conducted by researchers from the College of William and Mary and West Carolina University--resulted in the 2009 report entitled &quot;A Statewide Examination of College Access Services and Resources in Virginia&quot; (Alleman, Stimpson, &amp; Holly, 2009, see ED511025). The multi-faceted research report: (1) provided information on the distribution and the types of college access providers across the state; (2) used state and division level data to calculate an index for access need by school division; and (3) collected information from access providers about program activities and areas for additional attention. In May 2015, SCHEV, in conjunction with Virginia529 released an Institutional Partnership Opportunity to conduct a second access study that replicated and expanded the scope of the 2009 report. The goal of this second access study is to understand change in the landscape of college access providers as well as the relationship between college access work and access need in communities across the state. As a continuation of the 2009 study and with a charge from the Senate Finance committee, SCHEV is coordinating the follow up study through an agreement with the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) at Virginia Commonwealth University to conduct the study. This agreement was reached in October of 2015. As a first step in updating the earlier research, MERC has undertaken an examination designed to elicit the perspectives of key leaders within the Virginia college access field. Two research questions guide this study: (1) What progress has been made in the state in relation to six areas identified in the 2009 report for increased provider activity; and (2) What further recommendations emerge for improving statewide coordination, support, information sharing, and data gathering to address the varied needs identified? Through a set of qualitative interviews (n = 7) with state access leaders, the authors sought insight into these two questions. This report on the exploratory study begins with an overview of relevant components of the earlier report, &quot;A Statewide Examination of College Access Services and Resources in Virginia&quot; (referred to simply as the &quot;2009 Access Study&quot;), including a brief discussion of its method and a review of key findings related to increased access provider activity. The authors then discuss the method they used to identify participants, and to collect and analyze data for this report. Finally, the authors present key findings related to the two research questions, along with their recommendations. The Research Method is appended.