How To Know How Successful A First Generation Student Is

(1)

IS THERE SUCH A THING AS TOO MUCH OF A

GOOD THING WHEN IT COMES TO EDUCATION?

REEXAMINING FIRST GENERATION STUDENT

SUCCESS

Dr. Mary Lou D’Allegro, Senior Directory g , Stefanie Kerns, Statistical/Data Analyst

Th P l i St t U i it B k C ll

The Pennsylvania State University – Berks College

(2)

Abstract

Relationships between parents’ educational level and some p p

first year success indicators are not linear.

Students grouped by five parent education levels are

assessed by

Mathematics SAT Critical Reading SAT Critical Reading SAT Placement tests

First semester credits attempted and credits earned First semester GPA

(3)

Abstract (cont.)

(

)

• AnalysisAnalysis

– variable construction

– definition of first generation studentsdefinition of first generation students

– exploratory analyses

– inferential statistics

– predictive models

– ordinary least squares y q

– logistic and regression techniques, limits, and

(4)

Introduction

Evidence suggests first generation students are not Evidence suggests first generation students are not

as successful as non-first generation students

Discerning between the different levels of parent Discerning between the different levels of parent

education

Institution selectivity Institution selectivity

(5)

Background

g

Penn State Berks is a public college

campus of The Pennsylvania State University

Berks is 1of 5 PSU college campuses that

confers both associate and baccalaureate degrees

2000 Carnegie Classification:

(6)

Background

g

Fall 2007 overall enrollment – 2,824 Fall 2007 overall enrollment 2,824

Fall 2007 new baccalaureate degree-seeking

freshmen – 850 freshmen 850

20% of Berks students are STEM majors 5 year average combined SAT 1 003 5 year average combined SAT – 1,003

(7)

Research Questions

• Is the success of first generation students different from non-g

first generation students at less selective institutions with respect to pre-college, college, and student success

indicators?d ca o s?

• What is the relationship between student success and parent

level of education?

Do students who have not reported the educational level of

• Do students who have not reported the educational level of

their parents or guardians fare as well as those students who do identify parent education level?

(8)

Data Collection

• Information was collected using Penn State’s Data Information was collected using Penn State s Data

Warehouse

• New baccalaureate degree-seeking students New baccalaureate degree seeking students

enrolled at Penn State Berks for fall semesters between 2000 and 2006

• Three types of independent variables

– student demographic information g p

– pre-college data

(9)

Data Collection

Fi t G ti

First Generation

Defined

Neither parent or

guardian of an

enrolled student has obtained a Bachelor’s degree

(10)

Data Collection (cont.)

(

)

Dependant Variables

first semester GPA

f d

first semester credits

attempted

first semester credits

earned

(11)

Results

Proportion of St dents b Parent Ed cation Le el Proportion of Students by Parent Education Level

Variable N Percent

High School or Less 1,246 23.6%

Some College 1,278 24.2%

Baccalaureate Degree 1 126 21 3%

Baccalaureate Degree 1,126 21.3%

Beyond Baccalaureate Degree 1,327 25.1%

Missing 304 5.8%

(12)

Demographics

1st _Generation _Non-1st _Generation

Variable N Percent N Percent

Male 1,460 57.8% 1,535 62.6%

Female 1,064 42.2% 918 37.4%

Native American 0 0.0% 1 0.1%

African-American 178 7.1% 88 3.6%

A 9 4 % 0 4%

Asian 119 4.7% 11 0.4%

Hispanic 94 3.7% 42 1.7%

Caucasian 2,000 79.2% 2,069 84.3%

Non-Resident Alien 18 0.7% 11 0.4%

(13)

Pre-College Variables

1st _G _ti _N ₁st _G _ti

Variable Mean Standard

Deviation

Mean Standard

Deviation SAT

SAT

Mathematics 502.10 87.24 521.84 83.57

Critical Reading 486.10 79.51 508.33 75.80

PLACEMENT TESTS PLACEMENT TESTS

Vocabulary 8.29 3.84 9.37 4.06

Spelling 4.56 2.62 4.90 2.67

Grammar 3.31 2.04 3.58 2.13

Punctuation 5.90 2.78 6.39 2.72

Basic Math 12.62 3.22 13.18 2.81

Algebra/Trig 11.30 4.05 12.10 3.90

Business Calculus 7.73 5.41 8.59 5.74

Calculus 9.65 5.96 10.63 6.41

(14)

Enrollment in Majors

j

V i bl N P t N P t

Variable N Percent N Percent

Has a Major (1st _Sem)

Yes 1,860 73.7% 1,770 72.2%

No 664 26.3% 683 27.8%

TOTAL 2,524 100.0% 2,453 100.0%

Is a STEM Major (1st _Sem)

Is a STEM Major (1 Sem)

Yes 757 30.0% 748 30.5%

No 1,767 70.0% 1,705 69.5%

(15)

College Variables

g

Variable Mean Standard Deviation Mean Standard Deviation

FIRST SEMESTER

Credits Attempted 14 49 1 99 14 64 2 11

Credits Attempted 14.49 1.99 14.64 2.11

Credits Earned 14.02 3.19 14.42 2.70

(16)

14

Mathematics Placement Scores For Fall 2000‐Fall 2006 Baccalaureate Degree

Seeking Freshmen

12.44 12.80 13.24 13.13 12.11 12.08 12 11.68 11.14 11.45 10.61 10.64 11 me n t Sc o re 10.42 8.57 8.61 9.25 9.60 9.70 9 Me an Pl ac e 7.35 7.63 7.83 7

Missing First Generation, Parents with HS Plus (Some College) Parents has a Baccalaureate Parents Beyond a Placement‐Basic Math

Placement‐Algebra/Trigonometry Placement‐Business Calculus Placement‐Calculus

Missing First Generation, Parents with

No Beyond HS

HS Plus (Some College) Parents has a Baccalaureate

Degree

Parents Beyond a

Baccalaureate Degree

Parent Educational Level

* Independent t-tests between first generation and non-first generation p g g students was significant p ≤ .001

(17)

10

English Placement Scores for Fall 2000‐Fall 2006 Baccalaureate Degree Seeking

Freshmen 8.12 8 16 8.41 9.28 9.44 8 10

Placement‐Vocabulary Placement‐Spelling Placement‐Grammar 8.16 5.77 6.46 6.33 6 me n t Sc or e Placement Grammar Placement‐Puncuation

4.47

4.55

4.57

4.89

4.90

3.31 3.54 _{3 62}

5.58 6.02 4 Me an Pl ac e 2.98 3.31 3.32 3.62 2

Missing First Generation, Parents

h d

HS Plus (Some College) Parents has a Baccalaureate Parents Beyond a

l

with No Beyond HS Degree Baccalaureate Degree

* Independent t tests between first generation and non first generation * Independent t-tests between first generation and non-first generation students was significant p ≤ .001

(18)

First Semester Credits Attempted/Earned for Fall 2000‐Fall 2006

Baccalaureate Degree Seeking Freshmen

14.40 14.60 14.71 14.58 14.6 14.8 e di ts n ed 14.38 14.26 14.41 14.50 14.36 14.2 14.4 Se m e st e r Cr e em p ted /E a rn 13.63 13.8 14.0

First Semester Credits Attempted First Semester Credits Earned

Fi rs t Att 13.6

No Beyond HS

Degree

Parents Beyond a

Baccalaureate Degree

* Independent t-tests between first generation and non-first generation students credits attempted was significant p ≤ .01

** Independent t-tests between first generation and non-first generation students credits

d i ifi t ≤ 001

(19)

2 69

First Semester GPA for Fall 2000‐Fall 2006 Baccalaureate Degree

2.63

2.69

2.7

A 2.60 2.6 S em es te r GP A 2.5

First Semester GPA

Fi rs t S 2.49 2.5

No Beyond HS

Degree

Parents Beyond a Baccalaureate

Degree

** Independent t-tests between first generation and non-first generation t d t i ifi t 001

(20)

First Year Retention for Fall 2000‐Fall 2006 Baccalaureate Degree

Seeking Freshmen 90%

80.59% 82.71% 83.48% 85.46% 80% 85% r Re te n ti o n 74.64% 75%

One Year Retention

On e ‐ Ye a r 65% 70%

Missing First Generation Parents with HS Plus (Some College) Parents has a Baccalaureate Beyond Baccalaureate One‐Year Retention

Missing First Generation, Parents with No Beyond HS

HS Plus (Some College) Parents has a Baccalaureate Degree

Beyond Baccalaureate

(21)

Limitations

I. Generalizabilityy

Small Campus

Less Selective

II. Variables

Only looked at first semester variables, first year may

i ld b l

yield better results

Financial Aid information was not included

Placement Testing

PSU uses their own testing methods, not able to

(22)

Recommendations

Intervention at Middle School / High School Level Intervention at Middle School / High School Level Further study of missing information

Continue to develop & deliver special services to first Continue to develop & deliver special services to first

generation students

Information on college expectations

(23)

Summaryy

Reinforces previous research: Non-1st generation Reinforces previous research: Non 1 generation

students outperform 1st _{generation students}

1st generation students also perform more poorly on 1 generation students also perform more poorly on

pre-college variables

Students who do not report parent education level Students who do not report parent education level

do not fare as well - important group to focus future research on

(24)

Use on Campus

p

Share results with college’s Retention

Council

Use results in Summer Bridge

program planning

ACT 101 planning

Large number of 1st generation

students in program

Intervention at High School level

(25)