TCCTA Blog

"Priority Model" for Financial Aid Debated

Funding for the TEXAS grant financial aid program for students is never adequate to cover all those who wish to attend college but can't afford it. Consequently, Commissioner of Higher Education Raymund Paredes has proposed a "priority" model, which would award grants to students who have already demonstrated potential for success, in the form of several factors, including high school rank, test scores, and participation in dual credit and Advanced Placement programs.

The issue was discussed in an interim hearing of the Senate Committee on Higher Education on April 26. The panel is chaired by Sen. Judith Zaffirini (D-Laredo).

It's an important question, given the demographic outlook for the future of Texas. During the hearing, the foremost expert on such trends, Steve Murdock of Rice University stated that Texas population growth has been phenomenal, with 60 percent of all growth among "non-Anglos." Blacks and Latinos lag whites in both education and income. By 2040, about 33 percent of the state's population will be white and up to 59 percent will be Latino. Dr. Murdock projected that the rising numbers of impoverished children will increase higher education financial needs by 200 percent in 30 years. He said that if "we do nothing," by 2040, average household income will drop by $6,500, 30 percent of residents will not have a high school diploma, and prison population will total 341,000 and cost Texas $5 billion annually. Responding to senators' questions, Dr. Murdock said the higher education criteria should aid the "most needy first."

Dr. Paredes defended the "priority" model, stating that it will neither diminish the number of minority students nor pit students from poorer schools with those from wealthier schools. Dr. Paredes stated that students will compete with their peers, and the SAT is only one of the factors in the model. The idea is that students who have demonstrated success already have a better chance of completing courses once they get into college. Assuming limited resources, it's the best way to distribute student aid funds, the commissioner said.

Student Evaluations: It's Complicated

Texas may be the proverbial canary in a coal mine when it comes to the prospective online publication of student evaluations of faculty. At least it's the only state mentioned with a legislative mandate in the April 25 issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education, on the variety of approaches for evaluations used around the country. The article is by David Glenn.

Here's a choice passage:

…many find the concept of evaluations toxic. "They should be outlawed," says D. Larry Crumbley, a professor of accounting at Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge who recently co-edited a book about the topic. "They have destroyed higher education." Mr. Crumbley believes the forms lead inexorably to grade inflation and the dumbing down of the curriculum.

Outlawing the forms seems unlikely. The tide, in fact, seems to be moving in the opposite direction. Last year, Texas enacted a law that will require every public college to post each faculty member's student-evaluation scores on a public Web site.

As reported here often, the Legislature in 2009 enacted HB 2504, requiring all colleges and universities to formulate a plan to publish evaluations, as well as other course information, for inspection by anyone with an Internet connection. For background, please see this initial post.

The Chronicle piece paints a picture of increased sophistication around the country, designed to make the evaluation instruments more appropriate to individual disciplines and pedagogical techniques. The University of North Texas, facing the new statutory requirement, has engaged in extensive collaboration with all those who stand to be affected, including adjunct faculty. The UNT analysis even examined variances in classroom space and equipment, and how these factors could influence student perceptions.

Some educators at Texas community colleges envision a different scenario, in which the forms will become more brief, generic, and applicable to all—for the sake of simplicity. On the other hand, one official at a large community college says their plan will take at least a year to implement fully, and will engender considerable technical challenges. If you do a little arithmetic on the numbers involved statewide, the HB 2504 project may get hairy, and expensive, very quickly.

Commissioner Speaks on Funding "Completers"

As noted here frequently, Commissioner of Higher Education Raymund Paredes plans to propose to the Legislature a major shift in the way revenue is distributed through the higher education instructional funding formula. Simply put, he wants the enrollment "census" day to take place at the end of the semester instead of the traditional "12th class" day, for all public colleges and universities.

Recently, Dr. Paredes, in a presentation to the board of regents of Stephen F. Austin State University, noted that such a shift is part of a nationwide trend. Here's a key passage from an article by Michele Marcotte in the Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel:

"We want to place more emphasis on seeing students complete their courses," Paredes said.

"We want universities and community colleges to do all they can to help students persist. We've already put $80 million into incentive funding, and I would expect over time that more and more public higher education funding will be based on performance rather than simple enrollment at the beginning of the semester."

Parades said the sentiment of funding on performance is gaining popularity all over the country, noting how the Lumina Foundation, Obama administration and Gov. Rick Perry have all voiced support for the idea.

He said he planned to present the recommendation, along with another recommendation to alter the requirements for students to receive monies through the Texas Grant Program from being based solely on need to being based on both need and merit, before the Texas Legislature, which convenes next January.

Faculty members have expressed concerns that such a proposal would result in grade inflation. Based on statements made by Dr. Paredes on a number of previous occasions, students who receive failing grades would count as "completers."

Laptops: To Be or Not to Be

As noted here from time to time, some colleges and universities require students to possess personal laptops when they enroll. Some schools even provide them for all entering freshmen. Most recently, Apple's new iPad is also attracting attention, since such a device could be practical as a replacement for traditional textbooks.

Increasingly, however, professors are banning laptop use in the classroom. The instructors simply don't want to compete with Internet browsing, shopping, checking e-mail, Instant Messaging, Twittering, and Facebook. Especially Facebook.

Some schools are finding ways to choke off the Internet in classrooms, but students are reportedly devising ways to circumvent whatever firewalls the various IT departments have erected. Some students believe it is a violation of their rights to ban laptops, and simply say that teachers should be more interesting if they are losing the competition for attention.

A recent segment on National Public Radio explores the issue. Here's the link.

"Call to Action" Attracts National Media

The concerns over the poor performance of many students who attend community college are not limited to Texas (please see the previous post).

National organizations representing the nation's almost 1,200 community colleges, their governing boards, faculty, and their 11.8 million students have signed a statement of commitment to increase student completion rates by 50 percent over the next decade during closing ceremonies of the American Association of Community Colleges' convention in Seattle. Leaders of the six groups participated in a public signing of a "Democracy's Colleges: Call to Action" preceding the closing session. The coalition called on all community colleges to share in the commitment.

Because of the convention and statement, many national media outlets have picked up on the issue of student success at community colleges in the U.S.

Here's a pdf of the document.

Here's an interesting interview on PBS' "News Hour" program, with Mary Spilde, president of Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon, and chair of the board of directors for the American Association of Community Colleges, and Hilary Pennington, who oversees higher education programs for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which is providing funding for the new effort.

Panel Probes Graduation and Completion Rates

The House Committee on Higher Education conducted an important hearing on April 20, the majority of which dealt with an interim charge to "study and recommend strategies for improving community college participation and success." The committee is chaired by Rep. Dan Branch (R-Dallas).

The panel explored other important issues that will be taken up in subsequent blog posts.

As noted here frequently, state policy makers are very concerned about the rates of transfer, graduation, and course completion by students at Texas two-year colleges. Enrollments are at historic highs, but the percentage of students who transfer or receive a credential is low compared with other states. A majority of students who walk in the door of a Texas community college do not achieve any of these objectives after six years—the customary chronological benchmark used nationwide.

Much of the current discussion in the Legislature is driven by a recent report by the Governor's Business Council. The full GBC report is available here. All concerned community and technical college educators should peruse the statistical presentation, as it frames the dialogue in the House and Senate these days.

One controversy stems from the GBC's use of data involving "First-Time Students," collected in even-numbered years from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (also known as IPEDS). Here's a link for more information. Many community college leaders believe the IPEDS numbers fail to capture the success of two-year college students, who are distinct demographically from those who attend state universities and private schools. Community college students increasingly tend to come and go over a long period of time, reflecting precarious life circumstances.

However, this solitary phenomenon would not seem to explain the low performance of Texas students when compared with those in many other states, at least according to the GBC. After all, virtually all community colleges in the U.S. are open admission institutions with essentially the same mission. Hence it may be the comparative information in the study that is most problematic.

As the study indicates, part of the explanation undoubtedly lies in the lack of college readiness that Texas college students display. For instance, we have known for many years that standardized test scores tend to be lower here.

Also, since the median income level is lower in Texas, students are more likely to be "on the edge" financially. To cite a small but important example, those with low incomes are less likely to own computers, making it less likely that they will take advantage of distance education opportunities. Many faculty members report that students who are ill or have sick kids have less educational persistence in a state with one of the highest percentages of children without health insurance.

Many observers have noted that there has been little incentive over the years for students to achieve associate degrees in Texas, as most simply prefer to transfer when they think they are ready. Some other states, according to testimony, have made policy decisions to create incentives encouraging students to stick around at their local two-year college for an associates degree.

Finally, what may be the most telling fact of life today: Texas community college students today tend to come from homes in which no one ever attended college.

In point of fact, most educational indicators tend to be lower in Texas than in other states (a glaring exception is medical education and research), so it should come as no surprise that some statistics related to community colleges would lag behind, too.

These added factors are intended as partial explanations, not excuses. All are agreed that improvement is vital. But you are unlikely to get the entire picture from one report. So it is imperative for Texas community and technical college educators to provide all additional pertinent information to their lawmakers and community leaders as the Session approaches in January.

There is room for hope in the fact that the "default" curriculum in Texas high schools is now more rigorous, and the new end-of-course exams may show some promise as they are implemented.

Actually, many statistics related to student success are improving, according to testimony by Commissioner of Higher Education Raymund Paredes, but not fast or extensive enough to keep up with population growth. To complicate matters, as one witness noted, the growth in enrollment at community colleges is partly because of increases in the "difficult-to-educate" student population—low income, first-generation students who almost always require remediation before they can tackle credit-bearing classes.

As noted in a previous post, El Paso Community College is often heralded as exhibiting the "best practices" in helping students navigate through their academic careers, even when it involves developmental education. Richard Rhodes, president of EPCC, told the panel that a grant from the Lumina Foundation was instrumental in their success. A key component deserves emphasis: early intervention while the student is in high school. This requires additional resources, of course.

Another witness observed that EPCC is able to achieve notable improvement in transfers, party because the overwhelming majority of students there advance to one university—in this case the University of Texas at El Paso. Coordinating all the articulation agreements at, say, Temple College in Central Texas, might be more problematic, the witness pointed out.

Dr. Paredes also testified that 57 percent of higher education students are enrolled in two-year colleges. The cost to attend a community college in Texas is much lower than the national average ($1,750 to $2,793). Texas four-year year universities charge basically the same as the national average, but since Texas’ per capita income is below the national average, it makes university attendance more prohibitive. So these cash-strapped individuals enroll at their local two-year school.

The commissioner reiterated his support for a complete overhaul of developmental education, and for changing the funding formula to reward schools for "completers" of courses rather than enrollment numbers, as under the current funding formula.

HCC to Open Campus in Qatar

Houston Community College has signed a $45 million, five-year contract with the government of Qatar, in the Persan Gulf, to open the nation's first community college.

Community College of Qatar is set to open this fall, offering job training and basic academic programs. Students who complete the program will be considered graduates of HCC.

Chancellor Mary Spangler told the Houston Chronicle that the project is a natural extension of the community college's role. “We need to prepare our students to be comfortable in a global environment,” she said. “They need to recognize that Houston isn't the start and end of their world.”

The move will provide students from Houston with the opportunities for international exchanges, she added.

In the past, HCC has worked with institutions in Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, and Brazil, "experience that may come in handy as it hires faculty and staff for the Qatari campus over the next few months," according to the article. But unlike the earlier projects, which involved existing institutions, HCC will be creating a college from scratch in Qatar.

Dr. Spangler said HCC will receive “slightly less than 10 percent” of the $45 million operating budget covered in the contract.

“This is not costing taxpayers money,” she said. “We are not doing less at home because we're doing this. We're bringing larger opportunities.”

Here's another piece on the subject, in Inside Higher Ed.

Campus Violence Analyzed

A new report by federal law enforcement officers, released on the third anniversary of the Virginia Tech shootings, offers the first statistical analysis of violence on college campuses over the last century. More than half the violent attacks have occurred in the past 20 years.

The study, "Campus Attacks," was a joint effort of the Secret Service, the FBI, and the U.S. Department of Education. It found that three-fifths of campus attacks in a 108-year span occurred in the past two decades: 79 in the 1990s, and 83 in the 2000s through 2008.

The report attributes the apparent surge to "the growing campus populations and expanding media coverage; the past two decades have also seen increased federal requirements for colleges to report crimes." The report focuses on "attacks that were premeditated and used potentially lethal force," according to an analysis of the report by the Washington Post (registration).

In other words, (1) there are simply many more students now and (2) officials have gotten better at reporting all events. Of course, any incident receives national publicity these days. One violent attack is one too many, but this trend seems to be far short of an epidemic, statistically speaking.

Here are a few interesting details: Attacks most often occur in April and October. Attackers are overwhelmingly male, and they have ranged in age from 16 to 62. The eldest was a part-time librarian who shot a fellow librarian in 2008 after a dispute over work ethics. Relatively few perpetrators, 75 of 260, were students of traditional college age, according to the analysis.

One-third of attacks were related to intimate relationships. "Retaliation" was the second leading cause, followed by romantic rejection and obsession.

The full report is available here.

Distance Ed. Completion Rates Rising

It should come as no surprise that more students are taking distance learning courses. In a recent survey by the Instructional Technology Council (affiliated with the American Association of Community Colleges), enrollment in distance learning classes at community colleges for the 2008-09 academic year increased by 22 percent nationwide over the previous year. This doubled the growth rate of the year before. Many community colleges are bursting at the seams and, as enrollments swell, the imperative for more flexibility in course delivery is profound.

But, according to the Texas Government Insider, a weekly publication of Strategic Partnerships, Inc., the survey also indicates that "76 percent of students complete their online courses, up nearly 25 percent in the last few years."

Many educators have reported consistently that student completion rates tend to be lower for distance courses. Now, perhaps this is turning around. If so, the recession might be a likely catalyst, as highly motivated students show up at two-year schools, anxious to advance their academic and professional careers. Also it is likely that many well-prepared students can't afford to attend exclusive universities and hence enroll at community colleges.

Below is the entire text of the TGI article:

As student populations on community college campuses in Texas continue their explosive growth, the uptick in the numbers of students who use distance education for their "classroom" experience is growing as well.
 
In a recent survey by the Instructional Technology Council, which is affiliated with the American Association of Community Colleges, enrollment in distance learning classes at community colleges for the 2008-2009 academic year increased by 22 percent nationwide over the previous academic year. That 22 percent increase doubled the growth rate of 11 percent from the year before.
 
As in most other states, Texas community colleges are experiencing that same growth pattern, according to Dr. Rey Garcia, president and CEO of the Texas Association of Community Colleges. The reasons are twofold, he said.
 
"First, as more people come back to school, they are finding that some of the traditional course offerings are full," explained Garcia. "So they use distance learning classes to fill out their schedule." That results in a mix of traditional classes and distance learning classes for some students, he said.
 
"Secondly, with the economy down, more people are going back to school to try to upgrade their skill set for other jobs but can't take the time off from work to attend classes. This is a way they can get engaged in higher education without having to give up their daily routine. They can take classes through distance learning at night or when their schedule permits."
 
Community college enrollment has increased overall recently because of the economic downturn nationwide. Online courses are being taken by persons looking for jobs or for those looking to improve skills for possible employment or advancement in high-growth industries such as technology, wind and solar energy, etc.

The survey revealed that administrators' greatest obstacle in distance learning is not having enough support staff for training and technical assistance. And in some cases, staff become overloaded with the addition of having to prepare for online classes as well as their traditional on-site classes. The upside, however, is that the survey notes that 76 percent of students complete their online courses, up nearly 25 percent in the last few years.

Garcia said the trend of offering a variety of courses by using distance learning is going to continue. Community colleges, many of which are currently strapped for funds while facing burgeoning student populations with limited facilities on campus "can only build so many classrooms," he said. "Distance learning is one way to expand our ability to provide access to higher education without bricks and mortar."

Professor Removed for Giving Bad Grades

A case at Louisiana State University is attracting attention—and understandably so.

A biology professor there was removed from class in mid-semester because 90 percent of her students were failing or had dropped out. The university also raised the grades of students in the class. She was not fired or penalized in terms of compensation, and she is tenured at LSU. The professor maintains that she was not contacted about any problem prior to the university's decision, and that she intended to award final grades on improvement. She also stated she fully expected that a much higher percentage would eventually pass.

As always, there are several points of view on such a question. For an excellent treatment of this particular episode, please read the recent piece in Inside Higher Ed., by Scott Jaschik. It's free in its entirety and available here.

As many states, including Texas, embark on a plan to reward colleges and universities financially according to their graduation rates and "completion" statistics, this issue will likely accelerate in intensity. Some will argue that, as long as "F" counts as "completion," there is little or no danger of grade inflation. Others are not so sure.