THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE’S ROLE IN
DEVELOPING STUDENTS’ CIVIC OUTCOMES
RESULTS OF A NATIONAL PILOT &
NEXT STEPS FOR TDC’S
CIVIC OUTCOMES SURVEY
CARRIE B. KISKER, PH.D.
CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES
MALLORY ANGELI NEWELL, ED.D.
DE ANZA COLLEGE
PROJECT FUNDED BY THE SPENCER FOUNDATION
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IN COMMUNITY COLLEGES
• WHERE DO CIVIC SKILLS FALL IN A POLICY ENVIRONMENT CONCERNED
WITH GRADUATION RATES AND WORKFORCE PREPARATION?
• CIVIC CAPACITY AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY SHOULD BE A “NONNEGOTIABLE, SOUGHT-AFTER OUTCOME FOR EVERY STUDENT, WHATEVER
THE SPECIALTY.” (MCTIGHE-MUSIL, 2015)
• COMMUNITY COLLEGES PERFORM BOTH A DEMOCRATIZING ROLE AND A
CIVIC FUNCTION; THEY “DEMOCRATIZE OPPORTUNITY, AND DO THE
WORK OF DEMOCRACY.” (RONAN, 2012)
PURPOSE(S) OF INVESTIGATION
• EXAMINE THE INDIVIDUAL AND INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS
ASSOCIATED WITH GREATER CIVIC OUTCOMES AMONG
COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS
• INVESTIGATE IF AND HOW STUDENTS’ CIVIC OUTCOMES MAY VARY
BY RACE AND GENDER
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
• ASTIN’S (1993) INPUT-ENVIRONMENT-OUTCOME (I-E-O) MODEL
• CONDITIONAL COLLEGE IMPACT MODEL
• INCLUDES MULTIPLE BI-DIRECTIONAL CONNECTIONS BETWEEN INPUTS,
ENVIRONMENTS, AND OUTCOMES
• SIGNIFIES HOW RELATIONSHIPS MAY DIFFER DEPENDING ON STUDENTS’
BACKGROUND CHARACTERISTICS (SAX, 2008)
• TAKEN TOGETHER, THESE MODELS ALLOW US TO ASSESS HOW EXPOSURE
TO AND INTERACTION WITH THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE ENVIRONMENT
AFFECT STUDENTS’ CIVIC OUTCOMES, AND TO EXPLORE HOW THE
OUTCOMES MAY VARY BY RACE AND GENDER.
METHODS
• INSTRUMENTS:
• CIVIC OUTCOMES SURVEY
• INSTITUTIONAL QUESTIONNAIRE
• DATA COLLECTION:
• 9 COMMUNITY COLLEGES ADMINISTERED SURVEY TO ENTIRE STUDENT BODIES
• COLLEGES PURPOSIVELY SELECTED FOR DIVERSITY IN GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION,
CAMPUS SETTING, SIZE, RACIAL/ETHNIC COMPOSITION OF STUDENTS
• 4,788 RESPONDENTS (AGGREGATE 5% RESPONSE RATE)
• ANALYSES:
• FACTOR ANALYSIS
• STEPWISE LINEAR REGRESSION
• ANALYSIS OF TWO- AND THREE-WAY INTERACTION TERMS IN REGRESSION
MODEL
INDIVIDUAL PREDICTORS OF CIVIC OUTCOMES
CIVIC AGENCY
CIVIC CAPACITY
• + AFRICAN AMERICAN (0.11)
• + AFRICAN AMERICAN (0.07)
• + LATINO (0.06)
• + LATINO (0.06)
• - FEMALE (-0.01)
• + FEMALE (0.07)
• - PARENT INCOME (-0.06)
• - PARENT EDUCATION (-0.03)
CIVIC KNOWLEDGE
CIVIC BEHAVIOR
• + AFRICAN AMERICAN (0.10)
• - AFRICAN AMERICAN (-0.05)
• + LATINO (0.08)
• - LATINO (-0.03)
• - FEMALE (-0.02)
• - FEMALE (-0.03)
• - PARENT INCOME (-0.06)
• - PARENT INCOME (-0.07)
• - PARENT EDUCATION (-0.05)
ENVIRONMENTAL PREDICTORS OF CIVIC OUTCOMES
Civic
Agency
-0.03
Percent of Students over 24
Percent of Students on Pell
Institutional Intentionality around
Civic Engagement
Civic
Capacity
Civic
Behavior
Final Betas
College Characteristics
Total FTE
Civic
Knowledge
-0.03
-0.03
-0.02
-0.03
0.03
0.08
0.04
0.06
ENVIRONMENTAL PREDICTORS OF CIVIC OUTCOMES
Civic
Agency
-0.03
Percent of Students over 24
Percent of Students on Pell
Civic
Behavior
-0.03
-0.03
-0.02
-0.03
0.03
Institutional Intentionality around
Civic Engagement
Academic Focus on Civic Engagement
Civic
Capacity
Final Betas
College Characteristics
Total FTE
Civic
Knowledge
-0.03
0.08
0.04
0.06
0.01
0.02
0.03
ENVIRONMENTAL PREDICTORS OF CIVIC OUTCOMES
Civic
Agency
-0.03
Percent of Students over 24
Percent of Students on Pell
Civic
Capacity
Civic
Behavior
Final Betas
College Characteristics
Total FTE
Civic
Knowledge
-0.03
-0.03
-0.02
-0.03
0.03
Institutional Intentionality around
Civic Engagement
Academic Focus on Civic Engagement
-0.03
Civic Engagement in Faculty Professional
Development & Tenure
-0.04
0.08
0.04
0.06
0.01
0.02
0.03
-0.02
0.01
ENVIRONMENTAL PREDICTORS OF CIVIC OUTCOMES
Civic
Agency
In-College Behaviors
Number of Credits Completed
Acted as Tutor or Mentor
Interacted with a Professor
Studied or Prepared for Class
-0.02
0.11
0.04
0.14
Final R ²
0.21
Civic
Knowledge
Civic
Capacity
Final Betas
0.06
0.03
-0.06
0.12
0.11
0.12
0.09
0.10
0.29
0.34
Civic
Behavior
0.13
0.10
-0.05
0.59
ENVIRONMENTAL PREDICTORS OF CIVIC OUTCOMES
Civic
Agency
In-College Behaviors
Number of Credits Completed
Acted as Tutor or Mentor
Interacted with a Professor
Studied or Prepared for Class
Participated in a Racial/Ethnic
Organization
Taken a Course Dealing with Social,
Political, or Economic Inequality
Taken a Political Science or
Government Class
Final R ²
Civic
Knowledge
Civic
Capacity
Civic
Behavior
-0.02
0.11
0.04
0.14
Final Betas
0.06
0.03
-0.06
0.12
0.11
0.12
0.09
0.10
0.13
0.10
-0.05
0.08
0.12
0.17
0.23
0.08
0.26
0.19
0.08
0.07
0.06
0.07
0.06
0.21
0.29
0.34
0.59
ENVIRONMENTAL PREDICTORS OF CIVIC OUTCOMES
Civic
Agency
In-College Behaviors
Number of Credits Completed
Acted as Tutor or Mentor
Interacted with a Professor
Studied or Prepared for Class
Participated in a Racial/Ethnic
Organization
Taken a Course Dealing with Social,
Political, or Economic Inequality
Taken a Political Science or
Government Class
Hours/Week Work for Pay On-Campus
Hours/Week Work for Pay Off-Campus
Final R ²
-0.02
0.11
0.04
0.14
Civic
Knowledge
Civic
Capacity
Final Betas
0.06
0.03
-0.06
0.12
0.11
0.12
0.09
0.10
Civic
Behavior
0.13
0.10
-0.05
0.08
0.12
0.17
0.23
0.08
0.26
0.19
0.08
0.07
0.06
0.07
0.06
0.03
-0.04
-0.04
0.03
-0.07
-0.04
0.21
0.29
0.34
0.59
ENVIRONMENTAL PREDICTORS OF CIVIC OUTCOMES
Civic
Agency
In-College Behaviors
Number of Credits Completed
Acted as Tutor or Mentor
Interacted with a Professor
Studied or Prepared for Class
Participated in a Racial/Ethnic
Organization
Taken a Course Dealing with Social,
Political, or Economic Inequality
Taken a Political Science or
Government Class
Hours/Week Work for Pay On-Campus
Hours/Week Work for Pay Off-Campus
Attended a Religious Service
Obtain News
Registered to Vote
Voted in Student Election
Voted in a Local, State, or
National Election
Final R ²
-0.02
0.11
0.04
0.14
Civic
Knowledge
Civic
Capacity
Final Betas
0.06
0.03
-0.06
0.12
0.11
0.12
0.09
0.10
Civic
Behavior
0.13
0.10
-0.05
0.08
0.12
0.17
0.23
0.08
0.26
0.19
0.08
0.07
0.06
0.07
0.06
-0.04
-0.02
0.09
0.05
0.09
0.03
-0.07
-0.05
0.13
0.06
0.07
-0.04
0.03
-0.02
0.04
0.06
-0.02
-0.06
0.03
0.29
0.34
0.59
0.03
-0.04
0.05
0.06
0.02
0.03
0.21
GENDER, TUTORING, AND CIVIC CAPACITY
Sig.
Sig.
Interaction Term Significant at F=0.05
GENDER, TUTORING, AND CIVIC KNOWLEDGE
Interaction Term Significant at F=0.05
GENDER, VOTING, AND CIVIC KNOWLEDGE
Sig.
Interaction Term Significant at F=0.02
RACE, RELIGIOUS SERVICE, AND CIVIC AGENCY
Significant
Differences:
Sig.
Sig.
Black or AA >
Hispanic, NH or
Other PI
Sig.
Two or More
Races > Hispanic,
White,
NH or Other PI
Sig.
Hispanic, White,
Asian > NH or
Other PI
Interaction Term Significant at F=0.01
RACE, GENDER, VOTING, AND CIVIC BEHAVIOR
Significant
Differences:
Sig.
Sig.
White F >
White M,
Asian F
Sig.
Asian F,
White M,
NH/Other PI F >
Hispanic M
Interaction Term Significant at F=0.05
IMPLICATIONS
• CERTAIN INSTITUTIONAL AND STUDENT BEHAVIORS HAVE POWERFUL EFFECTS
ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF STUDENTS’ CIVIC OUTCOMES
• GREATER SUPPORT FOR PROGRAMS AND PRACTICES THAT ARE INTENDED TO DEVELOP
CIVIC OUTCOMES (COURSES FOCUSED ON INEQUALITY; RACIAL/ETHNIC
ORGANIZATIONS; STUDENT ELECTIONS, ETC.)
• ESTABLISH PROGRAMS AND POLICIES TO ENCOURAGE BEHAVIORS ASSOCIATED WITH
CIVIC OUTCOMES
• STUDY PROVIDES PRELIMINARY INFORMATION ABOUT HOW IN-COLLEGE
BEHAVIORS ASSOCIATED WITH GREATER CIVIC OUTCOMES VARY BY
GENDER AND RACE
• WOMEN TEND TO SHOW STRONGER ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN CERTAIN IN-COLLEGE
BEHAVIORS AND CIVIC OUTCOMES THAN MEN
• RACE APPEARS TO MODERATE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CERTAIN IN-COLLEGE
BEHAVIORS AND CIVIC OUTCOMES, BUT THE UNDERLYING REASONS ARE NOT AS CLEAR
• WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR COLLEGE FACULTY AND ADMINISTRATORS?
LIMITATIONS AND NEXT STEPS
• LIMITATIONS:
• LOW RESPONSE RATE
• SMALL NUMBER OF INSTITUTIONS
• INABILITY TO DETERMINE CAUSALITY OF RELATIONSHIPS
• NEXT STEPS:
• ANNUALLY ADMINISTER CIVIC OUTCOMES SURVEY TO TDC COLLEGES
• DIG DEEPER INTO DATA ON SPECIFIC CIVIC OUTCOMES AND RELATIONSHIPS
BETWEEN THEM, AND INTO THE “WHY” QUESTIONS
• CONNECT SURVEY DATA TO MORE TRADITIONAL ACADEMIC OUTCOMES
(GPA, PERSISTENCE, GRADUATION)
THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE’S ROLE IN
DEVELOPING STUDENTS’ CIVIC OUTCOMES
EXPERIENCES FROM THE 2016 ADMINISTRATION
AND SUGGESTIONS FOR THE FUTURE
THANK YOU!
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT US WITH
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, OR IDEAS
CARRIE B. KISKER, PH.D.
MALLORY A. NEWELL, ED.D.
DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR THE
DIRECTOR, RESEARCH & PLANNING
STUDY OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES
DE ANZA COLLEGE
(310) 951-3565
(408) 864-8777
[email protected]
[email protected]