Annotated Bibliography
April 2015
Anderson, L., & Fulton, M. (2015). Multiple measures for college readiness.
Denver, CO: Education Commission of the States.
This report reviews the multiple measures for college readiness being used by states.
Currently, eighteen states have complete or partial alignment between high school
graduation and higher education admission requirements. Some of the measures
states use to assess college readiness include competency-based assessments, course
rigor or curriculum, GPA, class rank, other standardized assessments, or a
combination of the previous measures. Of these, competency-based assessments are
gaining traction in high schools. This form of assessment considers students’ mastery
of subject content and skills in graduation requirements and college admission
policies. The authors recommend that K-12 and higher education collaborate to
ensure college readiness expectations are aligned and students can transition
seamlessly from high school to college.
Center for Community College Student Engagement (2015). Engagement rising:
A decade of CCSSE data shows improvements across the board. Austin, TX: The
University of Texas at Austin, Program in Higher Education Leadership.
The Center for Community College Student Engagement (Center) administers the
Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) to inform institutions
about their students’ educational experiences. This report provides an overview of
student engagement trends for the past decade. The Center finds that there has been
a steady rise in engagement that is “the result of intentional changes in policy and
practice” (1). The Center includes results on the following key areas of student
engagement: active and collaborative learning, student effort, academic challenge,
student-faculty interaction, and support for learners. The results are disaggregated by
student enrollment status and developmental status. Overall, part-time students are
becoming more engaged and are catching up to full-time students. For example, 96%
of full-time students reported that they frequently used email to communicate with an
instructor compared to 92% of part-time students. In 2004, these figures were 79%
and 66%, respectively. Similarly, the Center finds that non-developmental students
are catching up to developmental students on various student engagement measures.
The Center concludes that “even though engagement is trending up in many crucial
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Annotated Bibliography
April 2015
areas, few students experience high-impact practices” (12). Lastly, the report provides
a profile of two institutions that are implementing change to increase student success.
One of the institutions, Palo Alto College, is based in Texas. This institution has
incorporated various changes, including expanding learning communities, shifting to
problem-based learning, requiring tutoring for developmental education students, and
developing a unique AlamoAdvise model based on student input.
Crisp, G., & Nunez, A. M. (2014). Understanding the racial transfer gap: Modeling
underrepresented minority and nonminority students’ pathways from two- to
four-year institutions. The Review of Higher Education, 37(3), 291-320.
In this study, the authors examine factors that influence White and underrepresented
minority (URM) community college students’ transfer to a university. Specifically, they
investigate student-level factors, such as academic preparation and enrollment status,
and institutional-level factors, such as the percentage of full-time faculty or URM
students. Using data from the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study
(BPS: 04/09) and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)
surveys, the authors find that there is not significant overlap between the factors that
affect transfer for White and URM students; number of hours worked and degree
expectations are the only variables that positively predict transfer for both groups. For
URM students, being a “continuing-generation student, taking rigorous mathematics
courses during high school, and program type [are] unique factors that positively
influence successful transfer” (305). On the other hand, enrolling in a vocational
program negatively affects transfer among URM students. The authors conclude by
suggesting how advising practices can help students reach their academic goals.
Counselors and faculty can advise students who aspire to a four-year degree on the
appropriate degree program for them and encourage students to take advanced
mathematics courses.
Excelencia in Education. (2015). Helping or hindering? State policies and Latino
college completion. Washington, D.C.: Excelencia in Education.
This report provides an analysis of current state policies in three states to determine
how they may affect Latino college completion rates. Excelencia in Education presents
the educational profiles of California, Colorado, and Texas. Texas has the second
largest Latino population in the US, with Latinos representing nearly 40% of the
population and almost 50% of the K-12 population. The author then offers analysis on
state policies that may help, hinder, or merit further attention to increase Latino
student success. In Texas, there are various programs aimed at helping students
enroll and complete higher education, such as GenerationTX and AdviseTX.
Additionally, Texas provides financial support through the TEXAS (Towards
Excellence, Access and Success) Grant and in-state tuition for undocumented
students. However, the author cautions that the effects of these policies depend on
how they are implemented. Texas policies that may hinder Latino student success
include: the reduced rigor in high school curriculum as a result of House Bill 5 and
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April 2015
higher tuition costs as a result of decreased state funding. Lastly, Excelencia in
Education recommends Texas should reexamine the Closing the Gaps by 2015
initiative and the top 10% plan to ensure they are having the intended effects on
Latino student success.
Nguyen, T. H. et al. (2015). On their own terms: Two-year Minority Serving
Institutions. Philadelphia, PA: Penn Center for Minority Serving Institutions,
Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania.
This report includes an overview of community colleges that are designated as
minority-serving institutions (MSIs) to better understand “their role in improving
postsecondary access and degree completion for our nation’s most disadvantaged
students” (1). The authors begin by identifying the various types of institutions that
are classified as MSIs: Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Asian American
and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions, Hispanic Serving
Institutions, and Tribal Colleges and Universities. These institutions are typically
designated as such through legislation or demographic requirements. Next, the
authors highlight the enrollment and completion rates of MSIs. Significantly, HSIs
represent just 7% of all two-year institutions, but they enroll nearly 30% of all
Hispanics in community colleges. Additionally, 45% of all Hispanics completing their
degrees at community colleges attain their degree at HSIs. The authors then present
available research on MSIs and educational and workforce outcomes. They find that
two-year MSIs play an important role in awarding postsecondary credentials and
facilitating transfer for minority students. The authors conclude by emphasizing the
need for more research on these distinct institutions to better enable them to help
traditionally underserved students.
Tovar, E. (2015). The role of faculty, counselors, and support programs on
Latino/a community college students’ success and intent to persist. Community
College Review, 43(1), 46-71.
The purpose of this study is to examine how interactions with institutional faculty and
staff affect Hispanic community college students’ grades and intent to persist. Based
on student data from a community college in California, the author finds that
discussing career-related issues with faculty positively affects students’ GPA, but not
intent to persist. Interestingly, failing to discuss career-related issues with counselors
negatively influences students’ GPA. The author also examines the impact of specific
college support programs on students’ GPA or intent to persist and finds that
programs allowing for greater interactions with counselors have a positive effect.
Lastly, the author also accounts for students’ demographic information, transition-tocollege experiences, and academic and social factors and finds that “having supportive
family and friends, receiving transition assistance from the institution, spending
adequate time studying, and committing to the pursuit of a major or a degree”
positively influences students’ intent to persist (63). The author concludes by
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April 2015
highlighting the important role counselors play in students’ lives and recommends
that they systematically address students’ academic and developmental issues.
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