Engaging Students, Challenging the Odds. 2005 Findings
Author: Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE)
Date: 2005-00-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Learner Engagement,First Generation College Students,Community Colleges,Income,College Faculty,Teacher Surveys,Teacher Attitudes,Student Attitudes,At Risk Students,Outcomes of Education,Achievement Gap,Nontraditional Students,Minority Group Students,Part Time Students,Educationally Disadvantaged,College Readiness,Gender Differences,Females,Males,Academic Aspiration,White Students,Hispanic American Students,American Indians,African American Students,Educational Practices,Educational Strategies,Student Surveys,National Surveys,School Holding Power,Two Year College Students,Student Characteristics,Program Effectiveness,School Culture,Evidence,Benchmarking,Student Personnel Services,Academic Support Services,Teacher Student Relationship,Improvement Programs,Academic Persistence,Student Needs,Student Educational Objectives,Educational Attainment

Each year, the Community College Survey of Student Engagement ("CCSSE") presents the results of its annual survey. These results give community colleges objective and relevant data about students' experiences at their colleges so they can better understand how effectively they are engaging their students and identify areas for improvement. This year 2005, the "CCSSE" report also includes results of the first administration of the Community College Faculty Survey of Student Engagement ("CCFSSE"), which provides insights into faculty perceptions and practices. Because many items on "CCSSE" and "CCFSSE" are aligned, the report includes side-by-side views of faculty members' and students' responses. This year's "CCSSE" report gives a voice to community college students, particularly those who have to overcome the greatest odds to complete their education. There are consistent, unacceptable gaps between outcomes for high-risk students and their peers. To better understand these gaps--and, even more important, to give colleges tools to address them--"CCSSE" has looked at findings for academically underprepared students, students of color, first-generation students, nontraditional college-age learners, and part-time students. The 2005 "CCSSE" data show that when there are differences in engagement between low- and high-risk students, the students typically described as high-risk--including academically underprepared students, students of color, first-generation students, and nontraditional-age learners--are more engaged in their college experience than their peers. For example, they are less likely to come to class unprepared, they interact more frequently with instructors outside the classroom, and they use support services more often. On the other hand, many of these students have lower aspirations and--especially in the case of academically underprepared students, students of color, and low-income students--show less successful outcomes in terms of lower grades and lower persistence rates. In other words, they are working harder, but achieving lower results. The inescapable conclusion from the data, however, is that where there are differences in engagement levels between low- and high-risk students, the community college students individuals normally describe as high-risk generally are more engaged than their peers. This point has significant implications for community colleges and their students. These results provide insight into how community colleges can help more students--high-risk, low-risk, and everyone in between--stick with their studies until they achieve their educational goals. [Funding for this paper was also provided by the Pew Forum on Undergraduate Learning. For "Engaging Students, Challenging the Odds. 2005 Findings. Executive Summary," see ED529082.]