the adelante performance award program incentivizing academic success of low-income latino males at...
TRANSCRIPT
The Adelante Performance Award Program
Incentivizing Academic Success of Low-income Latino Males at
Pima Community College
Frank VelasquezAdelante Program CoordinatorPima Community College
Ireri ValenzuelaOperations AssociateMDRC
2
College Access and Completion
in the U.S.
Good News!•College attendance has increasedover the past 40 years.
•Students are increasingly diverse.
•Growing evidence that a college degree pays off.
3
The Bad NewsAmong students who intend to earn a credential or transfer to a four-year institution, only half meet that goal within 6 years.
4
Why Don’t More Students Succeed?
5
Personal Factors
• Competing Demands• Low Basic Skills• Financial barriers
6
Institutional Factors• Reduced resources
• Difficulty engaging all students
• Financial Aid Gaps Distribution 7
Modifying what already exists…
8
Most common path taken to address these issues.
Different FocusPerformance Based
Scholarships
9
Performance-Based Scholarships?
• Need-based grants • Contingent on academic performance and/or
student services
• Paid directly to students
• Paid in addition to other financial aid, such as Pell
10
A nonprofit social policy research group, dedicated to
finding what works to improve programs and policies that
affect low-income populations.11
12
The Performance-Based Scholarships (PBS) Demonstration
American Association of Community Colleges Annual Convention
Adult learners:Borough of
Manhattan and Hostos
Community Colleges (NY)
Parents: Lorain County, Owens, and Sinclair Community Colleges (OH)
High school seniors:California Cash for College (CA)
Traditional college students:University of New Mexico (NM)
Latino males:Pima Community College (AZ)
Developmental math sequence (in progress):Hillsborough Community College (FL)
UNCF
13
WHY care about Latino Male college completion?
By 2025
22%14
15
The Evaluation
Fall 2010
Random Assignment
16
Eligible Students Told about the Study and Possible Benefits
Baseline Data Collected
Students receive special services in addition to regular services
Access to all regular services and programs
Random Assignment
17
Implemented at Pima Community College
• Eighth-largest community college in the United States
• Almost 80,000 students
• Six campuses, four education centers
• Full-time student enrollment up 10% fall 2009 vs. fall 2010
18
• Latino Males
• Low-income as defined by an EFC of 5273 or less
• Accumulated 45 or fewer PCC credits at time of enrollment in the program
• Enrolled in 6 or more credits for the term20
Eligibility Criteria
• 26 years old
• Majority unmarried
• 30% have at least one child
• 38% first generation college 21
Who’s in Adelante?
22
45% receive government benefits
About 50% employed
Over 2/3 working more than 20 hours per week
Who’s in Adelante?
23
Most intended to attend full-time in
their first semester of the program
Adelante: Award Plus Services
•3 semesters
•Differential award full-time/ part-time
• Award paid directly to students24
Performance Award
2.0 (“C”) 12 + credits (full-time)
2.0 (“C”) 6-11 credits (part-time)
25
Services Award
Completion of Services
REQUIRED26
Support Services
Program Orientation
27
Support Services
Dedicated Adelante Advisors
28
Support Services
Tutoring Academic Workshops
29
Pláticas
Support Services
30
Where are we now?
31
Implementation • Students still in Adelante• Last group will end program in fall 2012
Data Collection and Analysis• Transcript• Survey• Focus groups
Early Findings
32
• Credits Attempted/Earned
• Full-time Attendance
• Debt Reduction
33
Student Voices…
“I think it’s good that tutoring and workshops are required, because then you make the time to go. I know these activities are beneficial so getting paid is like icing on the cake”.
34
35
“My advisor is very helpful. She encourages me to invest in my education. She spoke to me about trying to reduce my work hours so that I could focus on my studies”. “Think how many hours at an hourly wage job you would have to work to earn $800.00 (the full-time award)”. “I had never thought of the award in that way. She actually had a student lose his $800 award because he failed one class. He couldn’t keep up with the work because he was working too much”.
“The Pláticas are useful and uplifting. They help you when you start breaking down. They provide a place to vent and to express frustration that builds up over the semester with other Latino males. The facilitator turned things into positives and this helped me finish out the semester”.
“It is cool to be in a room with Latinos from all walks of life. We discuss what matters to Latinos as a whole”.
36
Contact Information
www.mdrc.org
Frank Velasquez(520) [email protected]
Ireri Valenzuela(510) 844-2232