First Semester is Critical for Community College Transfers
California’s educated work force is in jeopardy, according to a new report by the Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE).
Beyond Access: How the First Semester Matters for Community College Students’ Aspirations and Persistence, indicates that, of the majority of students who enter community colleges with the goal of transferring to a four-year institution, only a fraction of them are still pursuing that goal after completing just one semester of courses.
The first semester in community college is critical to a student’s academic success. The report notes that, by “ . . . 2020, the percentage of jobs in California that will require at least some college will be greater than the proportion of the workforce with such training.” This report provided evidence that students who had a successful first semester were twice as likely to reach their goal of transferring to a four-year college, while students who were not successful were at greater risk of not transferring.
According to the report:
The majority of young adult high school graduates who entered community college in fall 1998 aspired to transfer to a four-year college to earn a bachelor’s degree, but only a minority of these students made it past the first semester with their goals intact. One quarter did not return for the spring semester. Overall, only four in ten returned for the spring semester and maintained their educational aspirations. One in three returned with lowered expectations. Ultimately, only 41.3 percent of this subset of students transferred to a four-year college or university.
Researchers based the study on data drawn from community college students who entered the system in California as first-time freshmen in the fall of 1998 and were between the ages of 17-20 during the time of the study. They tracked the students from their first semester through the next six years. At the end of the six years, only 32.5% transferred to a four-year college.
The research indicates that preparation is key to student academic success. Students who are ready to conduct college level work are more likely to meet their goals for transfer. In addition, students who took a full course load (12 units or more) of transfer courses in their first semester had a higher likelihood of transferring than other students.
According to the study, community colleges should devote more funds to counseling and academic support to first semester students. Specifically, resource centers and tutoring can increase the chances of success for recent high school graduates. The study also encourages colleges to focus these interventions on historically underrepresented groups if California hopes to develop the diverse educated workforce it needs to be competitive in a global economy.
A copy of the report can be found at: http://pace.berkeley.edu
—Jamillah Moore, Ed.D.