Starting Early, Staying on Track: A

Chronological Review of Critical Steps Along

the Path to CollegeAlberto F. Cabrera

Professor

Erin Ward Bibo

Doctoral Student

Department of Educational Leadership, Higher Education, & International Education

University of Maryland

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Path To College is a Longitudinal Process

Collegiate Experiences & Behaviors

AcademicIntegration

Social Integration

Facilities & Services

Climate & Diversity

PersistenceTransferStop-out

Competencies

Satisfaction &Commitment

DegreeCompletion

GraduateSchool

Employment& Income

JobPerformance

Job Satisfaction

Loan Repayment

Financial Aid Mix

Predisposition & choices

Preparationfor College

Awareness of College Characteristics, Admission Standards,

& Costs

Family Encouragement & Involvement

K-16 Communication& Engagement

Aspirations& Plans

Outcomes

1000 8th

Graders in 1988

714 Not Qualified

134 Minimally Qualified

151 Qualified

477 Graduated

237 Did Not Graduate

132 Graduated

2 Did Not Graduate

151 Graduated

0 Did Not Graduate

70 Applied to 4-year

Institution

407 Did Not Apply

46 Applied to 4-year

Institution

86 Did Not Apply

99 Applied to 4-year

Institution

52 Did Not Apply

CollegeQualifications

HighSchool

Graduation

4-year CollegeApplications

Institution Type of First Enrollment

College Choice Process for 1000 Lowest SES Students

None Vocational 2-year 4-year

11 2 6 27

46 7 33 0

None Vocational 2-year 4-year

5 1 13 79

23 5 24 0

None Vocational 2-year 4-year

17 5 10 38

288 31 88 0

Cabrera & La Nasa (2000). Understanding the college choice process. Jossey Bass

A Case for Starting EarlyPreparation for college begins as early as the 7th grade

(Cabrera & LaNasa, 2000 ; Hossler, Schmit & Vesper, 1999)

Preparation for college is the result of a complex process marked by plans and expectations, curriculum choices, taking pre-college & college admission tests, applying for college, enrolling and succeeding in college (Adelman, 1999, 2006; Bowen, Chingos & McPherson, 2009; Cabrera & LaNasa, 2001; Cabrera, Burkum & LaNasa, 2005)

While 80% of 8th graders expressed an intent to attend college, only 47% of high school graduates enroll in college (NCES,2010 ; Wimberly & Noeth, 2005) What happens over this five-year period to create such a

stark difference between aspiration and outcomes?

Students who particularly struggle through the transition to ninth grade are more likely to drop out of high school (Grossman & Cooney, 2009)

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Why Focus on Low-Income Students? Poorest 8th grade students are more likely to be exposed to

at-risk factors including: History of high school dropouts in family Raised by a single parent Changing schools more than twice

Low-income students are more likely to drop out of high school than their peers (Cabrera & LaNasa, 2001; Cabrera, Burkum & LaNasa, 2005)

77% of poorest 8th graders have parents unfamiliar with college (Cabrera & LaNasa, 2001; Cabrera et al., 2005)

Only 15% of low-income 8th graders are college-qualified by the end of high school (Cabrera & LaNasa, 2001)

61% of low-income high school graduates start at community college, irrespective of their college qualifications (Cabrera & LaNasa, 2001; Cabrera et al., 2005)

Poorest students' baccalaureate degree completion rate lags nearly 44% behind that of their upper-SES counterparts (Cabrera et al., 2005)

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Why Focus on Latino/a Students? By 2020, Latinos will comprise 25% of the US school-

age population (Pew Foundation,2005) 98% increase from 2005

Latino parents are less likely to have attended college than African American or White parents (Swail, Cabrera, Lee & Williams, 2004; Swail, Cabrera & Lee, 2005)

27.7% of Latino/a 8th graders are college-qualified by the 12th grade (Swail et al., 2004, 2005) Compared to 47.4% of White 8th graders

Latino students are 8 percentage points more likely to enroll in a 2-year institution than their White peers (Swail et al., 2004, 2005)

23.2% of Latino/a postsecondary students graduate with a four-year degree within 10 years of leaving high school (Swail et al, 2004, 2005) Compared to 47.3% of White postsecondary students

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Critical Steps Along the Path to CollegeEstablishing Career & Educational Attainment Goals

Taking & Succeeding in College Preparatory Coursework

Learning about Postsecondary Options

Taking Pre-College & College Entrance Exams

Graduating High School

Applying to College

Enrolling in College

Successfully Transferring to a 4-year institution (among community college students)

Successfully Completing a Baccalaureate Degree

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Critical Steps Along the Path to College: Achieving Each Task

Establishing Career &

Educational Attainment Goals

Succeeding in College

Preparatory Coursework

Learning about Postsecondary

Options

•Assert Career Goals, with Parent & School Support.•Understand What Postsecondary Attainment Levels Are Required to Achieve Career Goals.•Create a game plan to reflect career and educational aspirations by 8th grade.

•Succeed Academically During Middle School.•Parental involvement in high school course/track selection. •Seek academic assistance from parents & school.•Remind students of their game plan.

•Inform students of schools & programs related to career interests.•Home & School Culture: College is a Foregone Conclusion•Become college qualified.•Learn about application requirements, aid. •Visit campuses.

Critical Steps Along the Path to College: Achieving Each Task

Taking Pre-College & College Entrance Exams

Graduating High School

Applying to College

•Secure information and assistance on SAT and ACT, including financial assistance opportunities.•Research and participate in low or no-cost test-taking courses.•Allot time to take test on multiple occasions.

•Preservation of college-going and career goals: end goal should not be HS graduation.•Maintain continuous high school enrollment.•Maintain GPA of 2.5 or higher.•Parental support/involvement/high expectations.

•Ensure student meets course requirements.•Secure assistance in college application procedures.•FAFSA•Strategically apply to various institutions.•Do not underestimate value student brings to college.

Critical Steps Along the Path to College: Achieving Each Task

Enrolling in College

Successfully Transferring to a 4-

year institution

Successfully Completing a Baccalaureate

Degree•Enroll immediately upon completion of High School•Start at a four-year institution (if possible)•Avoid summer melt•Seek out work-study opportunities•Start engaging faculty, peers and staff

•Develop transfer plan•Make certain coursework taken is aligned with articulation agreements•Take math & science courses even if they are not in your major (impress college admission officers)•Maintain high GPA•Be in constant communication with the college admission office

•Maintain continuous, full time enrollment•Maintain high GPA•Take math & science courses•Work on campus in areas related to major up to certain number of hours per week•Avoid assuming family responsibilities•Engage in financial aid planning and seek debt advising•Participate in multicultural education•Participate in workshops & training on learning styles•Use of validation strategies in the classroom & out of the classroom

What matters most for the attainment of a bachelors’ degree among Latina/o students?

The role of planning & parental expectations for Latino middle school students

The role of academic preparation

Postsecondary experiences: Performance in college

In Conclusion…Latino students are much more likely to earn a

BA or higher if they: are supported by their families in the pursuit of a

postsecondary education create a plan by the eighth grade take three years of mathematics or more start at a four-year institution maintain continuous enrollment Earn a GPA of 2.50 or above

Intervention strategies need to be Holistic, Sustained over time and involve Multiple Partners

Elementary Schools

Middle Schools

Two-Year Institutions

Four-Year Institutions

Business organizations

Community organizations

PTAs

GEAR-UP

TRIO

ReferencesAdelman, C. (1999). Answers in the tool box: Academic intensity, attendance

patterns, and bachelor’s degree attainment. Document # PLLI 1999-8021. Washington DC: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement

Attewell, P. & Lavin, D.E. (2007). Passing the torch: Does Higher Education for the disadvantaged pay off across the generations? New York: Russell Sage Foundation.

Bowen, W., Chingos, M.M. & McPherson, M. S. (2009). Crossing the finishing line: Completing college at America’s public universities. Princeton University.

Bowen, W.G., Kurzweil, M.A., & Tobin, E.M. (2005). Equity and excellence in American higher education. The “elite” schools: Engines of opportunity or bastions of privilege? (pp. 122-136). Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia Press.

Hagedorn, L.S., Cabrera, A.F., & Prather, G. (2010-11) The Community College Transfer Calculator: Identifying the Course-Taking Patterns that Predict Transfer. Journal of College Student Retention, 12(1), 105-130.

Hossler, D., Schmit, J., & Vesper, N. (1999). Going to college: How social, economic, and educational factors influence the decisions students make. Maryland, Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press.

 

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ReferencesCabrera, A. F. & La Nasa, S. M. (2000). Understanding the

college choice of disadvantaged students. New Directions for Institutional Research. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Cabrera, A. F. & La Nasa, S. M. (2001). On the path to college: Three critical tasks facing America’s disadvantaged. Research in Higher Education, 42(2), 119-150.

Cabrera, A. F., Burkum, K. R. & La Nasa, S. M. (2005). Pathways to a four year degree: Determinants of transfer and degree completion. In A. Seidman (Ed.). College Student Retention: A Formula for Student Success (pp. 155-209). ACE/Praeger series on Higher Education.

Hossler, D., Schmit, J., & Vesper, N. (1999). Going to college: How social, economic, and educational factors influence the decisions students make. Maryland, Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press.

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References

McDonald, Botti & Clark (2007). From visibility to autonomy: Latinos in Higher Education in the US, 1965-2005. University of Maryland, College Park

Volkwein, J. F.(2010). Overcoming obstacles to campus assessment (pp. 47-63). In J. F. Volkwein (Editor). Spring Supplement. New Directions for Institutional Research. Volume 2010. Jossey-Bass.

Swail, W. S., Cabrera, A.F., Lee, C., & Williams, A. (2004). Part I: From middle school to the work force: Latino students in the Educational Pipeline. Washington, DC.: The Educational Policy Institute. http://educationalpolicy.org/pdf/LatinoI.pdf

Swail, W. S., Cabrera, A. F. & Lee, Ch. (2005). Part II: Latino High School and Baccalaureate graduates: A comparison. The Pew Hispanic Center/USC Annenberg School for Communications .Washington, DC: Educational Policy Institute, Inc. http://educationalpolicy.org/pdf/LatinoII.pdf

Swail, W. S., Cabrera, A.F., Lee, C., & Williams, A. (2005). Part III: Pathways to the bachelor’s degree for Latino students. Washington, DC.: The Educational Policy Institute. http://educationalpolicy.org/pdf/LatinoIII.pdf

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