Project Activities
During the first phase of this project, the research team will conduct a survey of college leaders to uncover how supplemental federal, state, and other philanthropic dollars were spent on recovery efforts, and what these recovery activities consisted of. The survey instrument will inquire about supplemental financial aid, basic needs support, technology access, changes to enrollment and grading practices, alternative modes of remote instruction (i.e., synchronous/asynchronous courses), and investments in professional development for online instruction. During the second phase of the project the research team will engage in descriptive and quasi-experimental analysis of survey data as well as administrative data from the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office (CCCCO). Researchers will begin this phase with correlational analyses of college recovery activities and student engagement outcomes. Next, they will analyze the impact of two specific recovery activities—supplemental financial aid, and the introduction of short course formats—as well as two additional recovery activities identified as promising during phase 1. During phase three, the research team will engage community college leaders across California in a set of continuous improvement-focused activities that directly build upon the research findings from research phases one and two.
Structured Abstract
Setting
This project takes place in 116 community colleges in California.
Sample
The sample will be a census of students enrolled in California community colleges from the 2014-15 through the 2023-24 academic year, with nearly two million enrollees each year.
The project will focus on at least four recovery activities undertaken by CCC to support student reengagement and academic success including supplemental student relief aid, shortened course formats, other reforms aiming to increase enrollment flexibility, and grading practices.
Research design and methods
To understand what actions CCC have taken to address enrollment declines and student outcomes, the research team will analyze data from the CCCCO administrative database and a project-administered statewide survey of recovery activities at the colleges. In addition, correlational analyses will focus on the relationship between these college-level recovery activities and student outcomes and assess whether and what types of recovery efforts may be supporting student reengagement and success. The research team will also conduct quasi-experimental analyses that leverage differences in the implementation of specific recovery strategies across the system, including the timing of those activities and details of their implementation. All analyses will include tests for potential heterogeneity by race/ethnicity, gender, age, and a proxy for income.
Control condition
In the quasi-experimental analysis of the impact of supplemental aid, students who do not receive supplemental aid, or who receive smaller amounts of aid, will serve as the control condition. For the analysis of short course formats, students in standard-length courses will serve as the control condition.
Key measures
From administrative data provided by CCC, the research team will construct a variety of short- and long-term measures of postsecondary success at both the individual and college level including enrollment, persistence (e.g., fall-to-fall enrollment), credit accumulation, course performance, degree and certificate attainment, and transfer to a four-year university. From the survey of college administrators, researchers will construct measures that specify the recovery activities undertaken by the colleges such as supplemental student relief aid and short course formats, as well as variation in the features and implementation of these activities. Also from administrative data provided by CCC, the research team will construct student subgroup measures (race, gender, age, first time vs returning, part-time vs full-time).
Data analytic strategy
The research team will begin their analysis by employing descriptive statistics and correlations to summarize and assess the types of recovery activities employed by colleges and the extent to which these activities are associated with improved student outcomes. Next, to assess plausible causal relationships between recovery activities and student outcomes, the research team will employ quasi-experimental modeling strategies to evaluate relations between the recovery activities and short- and long-term postsecondary measures of postsecondary success. To assess the effects of short courses, researchers will use student fixed effects to control for unobserved factors at the student level that are correlated with academic outcomes, and campus-by-course fixed effects to control for differences in the availability of short courses across campuses and courses. To assess the effects of financial aid funded through recovery programs, researchers will employ a difference-in-difference design to identify the effect of the relief aid by comparing the change in outcomes between eligible and ineligible students before and after the pandemic. The model specification will also include campus fixed effects to distinguish effects of the relief aid from effects of other programs that may vary across campuses. All analyses will also include a focus on key student subgroups as well as region and urbanicity of campuses.
Cost analysis strategy
Using administrative data and data collected from the Phase 1 survey, the research team will calculate costs for recovery activities that entail spending (e.g., relief aid paid to students). They will report both per-recipient and total program costs.
People and institutions involved
IES program contact(s)
Project contributors
Products and publications
Products: Through all phases of the project, researchers will prepare presentations of emerging results in partnership with the CCCCO through their regular webinar series and other professional learning opportunities aimed at community college practitioners and leaders. Other infographics, or research and policy briefs will be prepared for national audiences and the field at large and published through Wheelhouse: The Center for Community College Leadership and Research at UC Davis or through the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC). In addition, the research team will present and publish results from descriptive and quasi-experimental analyses in peer-reviewed conferences and publications.
Additional project information
This project is a research team in the Community College Recovery Research Network.
Supplemental information
Co-Principal Investigators: Carrell, Scott; Hetts, John; Johnson, Hans; Lundy-Wagner, Valerie; Martorell, Francisco; Rodriguez, Olga
Education Agency: California Community Colleges (CCC)
Questions about this project?
To answer additional questions about this project or provide feedback, please contact the program officer.
