RP Conference | April 2011 | 1 CTE / Occupational Major Research Facilitators Eva Schiorring, RP Group Terrence Willett, Cal-PASS DESIGN,

RP Conference | April 2011 | www.rpgroup.org 1

CTE / Occupational

Major Research

Facilitators

Eva Schiorring, RP Group Terrence Willett, Cal-PASS

DESIGN, COMMUNICATE, ENGAGE


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


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{ }


Case for OM Research: Labor Market Outlook

Occupations With Largest # of Jobs Requiring BA


Projected Growth 2006-2016

Case for OM Research: Labor Market Outlook

Fastest Growing Occupations Requiring BA


Perspectives

Two Paths to Transfer & Baccalaureate


Perspectives

Two Paths to Transfer & Baccalaureate


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

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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?


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?


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


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



11%21%

31%12%

22%

22%

77%

57%47%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Engineering (N=3,746)

Accounting (N=1,907)

Nursing (N=2,246)

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f S

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ts w

ith

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om

mu

nit

y C

olle

ge

Ma

th E

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First Math Attempted at Community College

Transfer Level Math

Intermediate Algebra

Below Intermediate Algebra


0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

12-29 30-55 56-69 70-85 86+

Pe

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of

All

Co

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un

ity

Co

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its

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to T

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rea

Transferable Units Earned at the Community College Prior to Transfer

Engr Tech Engr, Other Engr, Transfer English GE Math All STEM

Engineering Unit Balance


48%

29%

14%9%

65%

24%

7%4%

37% 36%

17%10%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1 2 3 4+

Number of Community Colleges Attended

Engineering (N=4,219) Accounting (N=2,118) Nursing (2,820)


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


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


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



• 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



• Accounting, Engineering & Nursing Majors @:

– 4 CSUs

– 1 UC

– 2 private non-profit

– 1 private for-profit



– 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



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



• 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?


Small Group ActivityConsider a research design for an occupational program with a transfer component at your college.

1. What data do you think your college would want to have on transfer in OM?

2. What is a potential research question?

3. What resources do you have to answer the question?

4. What data sources would you use or create (qualitative and quantitative)?

5. What interaction would you have with stakeholders during various stages of the research cycle?



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


Designed by Gregory M Stoup

Research

Request

Collabo-

ratively explore research

questions

Determine what evidence will

help answer the questions

Conduct

research &

analysis

Act on findings &

evaluate results

Explore

action stepsDialog to interpret

results

Collaborative Dialog on Student

Success


Communication Tools & Devices

• Briefs, discipline-specific, audience-specific

• Student advice to students, faculty

• Case studies

• Website

• Social media?


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?

RP Conference | April 2011 | www.rpgroup.org 30RP Conference | April 2011 | www.rpgroup.org 30

Small Group Discussion

Communicating OM Transfer Data

1. What kind of communication strategies have you used in the past and for what kind of transfer findings?

2. Have you communicated findings to students in the past? How? How did it work?

3. Would any of the communication tools used in the study work for your purpose(s)? Why? Why not?

4. Have you used social media tools to communicate research findings? Do you have any interest in doing so?


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


CTE/OM Web Page & Contact Information

CTE Transfer Study Web Pagewww.rpgroup.org/css/CTETransfer.html

Eva Schiorring, RP [email protected] Willett, Cal-PASS/[email protected]


Documents

RP Conference | April 2011 | 1 CTE / Occupational Major Research Facilitators Eva Schiorring, RP Group Terrence Willett, Cal-PASS DESIGN,