Conducting Research to Improve Equity in Higher...
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Conducting Research to Improve Equity in Higher Education Attainment
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION’S 10TH ANNUAL DEAN’S SYMPOSIUM ON INCREASING MOMENTUM FOR
POSTSECONDARY STUDENT SUCCESS FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
SEPTEMBER 26, 2016
Conducting Research to Improve Equity in Higher Education Attainment
Laura W. Perna
Executive Director, Penn AHEAD James S. Riepe Professor
@lauraperna1
Why Do We Need to Improve Equity in Higher Education
Attainment?
Improving Higher Education Attainment Is One of the Most Important Issues of Our Time
Aninvestmentinknowledgepaysthebestinterest.BenjaminFranklin
Higher Education is Increasingly Important to Individual AND Societal Well-Being
Source: Carnevale, A., Smith, N., & Strohl, J. (2010). Help wanted. Washington, DC: Georgetown Center for Workforce and the Economy.
Salaries Increase with Educational Attainment
Available Jobs in the U.S. Increasingly Require Postsecondary Education
Source: Carnevale, A., Smith, N., & Strohl, J. (2013). Recovery: Job growth and education requirements through 2020. Washington, DC: Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce .
72%
16%
44%
29%
41%32%
36% 35%
NomorethanHighSchool Bachelor'sormore
1973 1992 2010 2020
Higher Education Attainment in U.S. Has Fallen Behind Other Nations
Percent of 25 to 34 year olds with a type a tertiary degree: 2000 and 2012
Source: Cahalan, M. & Perna, L. W. (2015). Indicators of Higher Education Equity in the United States. The Pell Institute and Penn AHEAD.
The U.S. Cannot Achieve Required Attainment Without Closing Gaps
What are Gaps in Attainment?
15% 22%
37%
60%
Lowest quartile Second quartile Third quartile Highest quartile SocioeconomicStatus
Source: Cahalan, M., Perna, L.W., Yamashita, M., Ruiz, R., & Franklin, K. (2016). Indicators of Higher Education Equity in the United States. Washington, DC: The Pell Institute and Penn AHEAD.
Bachelor’s Degree Attainment of 2002 10th Graders by 2012
College Enrollment Rates Increase with Family Income
Source: Baum, S., Ma, J., & Payea, K. (2013). Education Pays. Washington, DC: College Board.
Postsecondary Enrollment Rates of Recent High School Graduates by Family Income, 1987 to 2012
Among Those Who Enroll: Completion Rates Increase With Family Income
6
26
35
44
58
52
38
31
27
20
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Independent
LowestquarCle
2ndquarCle
3rdquarCle
HighestquarCle
Bachelor's Associate's CerCficate Enrolled Notenrolled
Source: Baum, S., Ma, J., & Payea, K. (2013). Education Pays. Washington, DC: College Board.
Outcomes by Family Income Five Years After First Enrolling, 2003-04
Educational Attainment Varies by Race / Ethnicity
54%
34%
18%
10%
60%
40%
23%
15%
Asians Whites Blacks Hispanics
2000 2012
Source: National Center for Education Statistics (2013). Digest of Education Statistics. Washington, DC: Author.
Percentage of adults age 25 to 29 with at least a bachelor’s degree, 2012
Educational Attainment is Lower for Men than Women Regardless of Racial / Ethnic Group
55%
36%
19% 12%
64%
44%
27%
17%
Asian White Black Hispanic
Male Female
Source: Census Bureau, Quick Facts, 2009-2013.
Percentage of adults age 25 to 29 with at least a bachelor’s degree, 2012
The Racial/Ethnic Diversity of The U.S. Population Is Increasing
Source: WICHE (2012). Knocking on the college door. Boulder, CO: Author.
White
Hispanic
Black
Asian American Indian
Composition of U.S. Public High School Graduates, by Race/Ethnicity, 2008-09 (Actual) and 2009-10 to 2027-28 (Projected)
As Is The Composition of Public High School Graduates in Florida
53% 47% 42%
23% 27% 32%
21% 21% 21%
3% 4% 5%
2008-09 (actual) 2014-15 (projected) 2019-20 (projected)
Asian
Black
Hispanic
White
Source: WICHE (2012). Knocking on the College Door.
What Do We Know From Research
About How to Improve Equity in Higher Education
Attainment?
Educational Attainment is a Longitudinal Process
College Enrollment Decisions: Students Weigh the Benefits and Costs
Source: Derived from Perna, L. W. (2006). Studying college choice: A proposed conceptual model. In J. C. Smart (Ed.), Higher Education: Handbook of theory and research, Vol. XXI .
Factors That Influence Benefit-Cost Calculations
Source: Derived from Perna, L. W. (2006). Studying college choice: A proposed conceptual model. In J. C. Smart (Ed.), Higher Education: Handbook of theory and research, Vol. XXI (pp. 99-157). Springer.
Improving Higher Education Attainment Requires Attention to the Context
Source: Derived from Perna, L. W. (2006). Studying college choice: A proposed conceptual model. In J. C. Smart (Ed.), Higher Education: Handbook of theory and research, Vol. XXI (pp. 99-157). Springer.
ToImproveEquity:AddresstheSystemicandStructuralBarriers
ThatLimitOpportunityandOutcomes
How Do We Conduct Research to Inform
Policy and Practice?
What Does a Program of Research on Equity in Attainment Look Like?
An Evolving Program of Research on Improving Equity in Higher Education Attainment
One Example: The Role of State Policy In Closing Gaps in Attainment
Context Matters: Educational Attainment Varies By State
-5%
5%
15%
25%
35%
45%
55% M
assa
chus
etts
C
onne
ctic
ut
New
Ham
pshi
re
Col
orad
o N
orth
Dak
ota
Min
neso
ta
New
Jer
sey
Mar
ylan
d N
ew Y
ork
Verm
ont
Virg
inia
H
awai
i W
ashi
ngto
n R
hode
Isla
nd
Illin
ois
Kan
sas
Neb
rask
a U
tah
Sout
h D
akot
a Io
wa
Cal
iforn
ia
Ore
gon
Wis
cons
in
Penn
sylv
ania
U
S M
onta
na
Del
awar
e N
orth
Car
olin
a M
aine
Fl
orid
a A
lask
a G
eorg
ia
Wyo
min
g M
ichi
gan
Mis
sour
i O
hio
Idah
o So
uth
Car
olin
a A
rizon
a N
ew M
exic
o In
dian
a Te
xas
Ala
bam
a O
klah
oma
Tenn
esse
e N
evad
a M
issi
ssip
pi
Ken
tuck
y Lo
uisi
ana
Ark
ansa
s W
est V
irgin
ia
% Adults with College Degrees (2008)
Annual % Increase Needed to Meet 55% Goal by 2020
Georgia National Average
Illinois
Texas
Washington Maryland
Florida
Source: Kelly (2010)
What Did We Do?
• Georgia• Illinois• Maryland• Texas• Washington
States
• Documents• Reports• ExisCngdata• Interviews
DataSources• Casestudyreports
• Cross-caseanalysis
Products
Perspec7ve GA IL WA TX MD
StateHigherEducaConLeaders 18 13 22 9 14
StatePoliCcalLeaders 4 5 8 10 4
InsCtuConalLeaders 6 6 8 8 4
K-12andP-16/P-20EducaConLeaders 4 1 2 1 1
Business/Research/PhilanthropicLeaders 1 1 4 2 1
Others 3 3 4 4 1
TOTAL 36 29 48 34 25
WhoDidWeInterview?
Varying Demographics
State %Blacks
%Hispanics ProjectedGrowthHispanicH.S.Grads2005-
2022
Georgia 29.6 8.3 711%
Maryland 28.7 7.2 372%
Total–U.S. 12.1 15.8 88%
Illinois 14.4 15.3 70%
Texas 11.2 36.9 79%
Washington 3.3 10.3 152%
Racial/EthnicDiversityofthePopula7on:2009
U.S.CensusBureau,TableC03002,“HispanicorLa7nooriginbyrace,”universe:totalpopula7on;dataset:2009AmericanCommunitySurvey,h[p://fac\inder.census.gov,accessedOct.1,2010;WesternInterstateHigherEduca7onCommission,KnockingattheCollegeDoor,datafiles,h[p://www.wiche.edu/knocking/data,accessedDec.1,2009.
Varying Systems of Higher Education
State Public4-year
Public2-year
PrivateNFP PrivateFor-Profit
Illinois 15% 60% 13% 12%
Texas 30% 55% 6% 9%
Washington 38% 51% 7% 4%
Maryland 36% 49% 9% 6%
Total–U.S. 31% 44% 13% 12%
Georgia 41% 37% 10% 12%
Distribu7onofTotal12-monthUnduplicatedUndergraduateHeadcountbySector:2008-09
Source:IntegratedPostsecondaryEducaConDataSystem(IPEDS).2009enrollmentsurvey.hdp://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/datacenter/login.aspx
Findings from The Attainment Agenda: Five Unique State Stories
• Perpetuating Disparity Georgia
• A Story of Decline Illinois
• Much Accomplished, Much at Stake Maryland
• Hard Choices Ahead Texas
• State Policy Leadership Vacuum Washington
Source: Perna, L.W. & Finney, J.E. (2014). The Attainment Agenda: State Policy Leadership for Higher Education. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.
Emergent Conceptual Model: How State Policy Influences Attainment
Source: Perna, L.W. & Finney, J.E. (2014). The Attainment Agenda: State Policy Leadership for Higher Education. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press. .
How State Policy Influences Attainment: Three Categories of Policies
Source: Perna & Finney (2014).
Another Example: Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)
Our Study: 16 Penn Coursera Courses Offered Between June 2012 and July 2013
0
20000
40000
60000
80000
100000
120000
ParCcipantsbyCourse
Users
Registrants
Starters
AcCveUsers
Persisters
“Sequential Flow” As Measured as Share of Registrants Accessing at Least One Lecture in Each Course Module
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Module1 Module2 Module3 Module4 Module5 Module6 Module7 Module8 Module9Module10Module11Module12
AxisTitle
ADHD
Calculus
Cardiac
Design
GamificaCon
HealthPolicy
MicroEcon
ModPo
Myth
Networks
RaConing
Vaccines
Music
Source:Perna,L.W.,Ruby,A.,Boruch,R.,Wang,N.,Scull,J.,Ahmad,S.,&Evans,C.(2014).MovingthroughMOOCs.Educa9onalResearcher,43,421-432
A Third Example: College Promise Programs
Many emerging initiatives nationwide Place-based scholarship programs • Kalamazoo Promise State-based free-tuition programs • Tennessee Promise Other programs with promise label
“Promise” Program vs. “Student Financial Aid” Program
108 “Promise” Programs
308 State-Sponsored Aid Programs
Other Scholarship
Program 30 3
Source:Perna,L.W.,Leigh,E.,&Ruiz,R.(2016,June).Growth,scopeandimpactofcollegepromiseprograms.KeynotepresentaContoConferenceonDesigningSustainableFundingforCollegePromiseIniCaCves,EducaConalTesCngService,Princeton,NJ.
Many Remaining Questions About College Promise Programs
How Do We Conduct Research to Inform
Policy and Practice?
Value of Multiple Theoretical Perspectives and Methodological Approaches
Connecting Research and Policy / Practice: An Iterative and Reciprocal Process
Policy/PracCceResearch
Source:Perna,L.W.(2016,January).Connec9ngresearchandstatepolicy:Implica9onsforacademicresearchersandintermediaryorganiza9ons.Indianapolis,IN:LuminaFoundaCon,LuminaIssuePapers.
Mechanisms for Promoting Connections
Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) Collaborations • Council of Independent Colleges • NAFSA: International Educators • National Association for Student Financial Aid Administrators • Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Education • Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education Financial support from: William T. Grant Foundation
Many Pieces in Conducting Research to Inform Policy and Practice that Improves Equity
Improving Equity in Higher Education Opportunity and Outcomes
Must Be A Priority of Policy, Practice, and Research
Contact Us: —
Laura W. Perna University of Pennsylvania
Alliance for Higher Education and Democracy
@PennAHEAD @lauraperna1