School of Education, College of Human Sciences
The New Reverse Transfer
A National Landscape
Janice Nahra Friedel, Ph.D.
Sarah Wilson, M.Ed., Doctoral Candidate
NACTC Winter Conference 2014
February 20-21, 2014
Houston, Texas
Presenters
Janice Nahra Friedel, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
School of Education
College of Human Sciences
Iowa State University
Sarah Wilson, M.Ed.
Doctoral Candidate,
Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
Iowa State University
OBJECTIVES
•
What is the New Reverse Transfer and why is it
important?
•
What is the status of the New Reverse Transfer
across the country?
•
What have we learned that can improve the
practice?
•
Where are you with the New Reverse Transfer?
Topic
•
The “New Reverse Transfer”
•
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Limited research exists on reverse transfer
programs across the nation.
•
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Referring to students who transfer “academic credits for applicable
coursework at the university…back to the community college for the
purposes of awarding an associate’s degree” (Marling, 2012, p.2).
Traditional reverse transfer data is available.
Need for information on how institutions can
create meaningful and effective programming
around the new reverse transfer.
Status of Reverse transfer
•
President Obama’s 2020 Strategic Vision and
Goals
•
•
Increase the U.S. College Degree Attainment Rate from
40% to 60% (Kanter, Ochoa, Nassif, & Chong, 2011).
Emerging across the Nation
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1.
To what extent has the new reverse transfer
been implemented across the states?
2.
How is reverse transfer being implemented
within each state (i.e., legislatively mandated,
state-wide agreement, or institutional
agreements)?
3.
What have practitioners learned so far about
making reverse transfer work at the
institutional level?
Literature Review
Related Studies on the New Reverse Transfer
•
2012 Survey of Access and Finance conducted by The
University of Alabama Education Policy Center
•
Summer 2013 survey of the National Council of State Directors
of Community Colleges conducted by Iowa Department of
Education
•
The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Hot
Topics in Higher Education brief, 2013
College Completion Initiatives
•
Project Win-Win
•
Complete College America
•
Credit When It’s Due
Literature Review
•
Outcomes of Reverse Transfer
•
Why the New Reverse Transfer?
(traditional & new)
First Document Analysis and Process
(National Landscape)
Analysis &
Rating
SHEEOs/System
Officers
Public records/
legislation
search
Noted inconsistencies
3 studies
related to
Reverse
Transfer
Second Document Analysis & Process
(Implementation)
Six major themes of
recommendation for
implementation
2013 IHEP Forum on
Project Win-Win
Web-based
documents
• Presentations and
papers,
• Agency/college
issued reports, etc.
Research Question #1
To what extent has the New Reverse
Transfer been implemented across
the states?
Results
Following the literature review and document analysis, each
state’s data was analyzed and was given an implementation
rating based on the following scale:
•
1) Non-participant
• State did not have any institutional or state participation
•
3) Emerging participant
• State had between one and three institutions that had
reverse transfer agreements, currently did not have any
statewide legislation or policy, and was not a participant in
the Credit When It’s Due Grant
•
5) Strong participant
• States that had state legislation or state-wide policies
regarding reverse transfer, were a participant in the Credit
When It’s Due Grant, and/or had four or more institutions
that had reverse transfer agreements.
Results
•
The New Reverse Transfer participation by State
•
5) Strong participant: 21
•
3) Emerging participant: 11
•
1) Non-participant: 18
New Reverse Transfer Participation by State
Participation Key
5: Strong (21)
3: Emerging (11)
1: None (18)
Research Question #2
How is the New Reverse Transfer
implemented in each state?
Results
•
•
Implementation Structure
•
Institutional Agreements (IA): 13
•
Statewide Agreements (SA): 19
•
Not applicable: 18
Legislation related to Reverse Transfer: 7
•
Mississippi (IA)
•
Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, Tennessee & Texas (SA)
•
Indiana (n/a)
Discussion RQ1 & RQ2
•
64% of states have the new reverse transfer programs.
•
Statewide agreements are more prevalent.
•
Increased participation though adoption of an “opt-out model”
• This model would likely contribute to an increase in awards
granted.
•
At this time, research indicates only positive return on the
policy (Ekal & Badillo, 2011; Arndt & Robinson, 2012).
•
The study did not reveal any negative implications.
Research Question #3
What have practitioners learned so far
about making the new reverse transfer
work at the institutional level?
Implications for Practice
18 states do not have the New Reverse Transfer.
For those states that were identified as
non-participants, it may be helpful to reference
models of best practice from states that
do have the program.
Implications for Practice
1.
Form a reverse transfer committee or team of
participants to contribute to the program’s
formation and maintenance.
2.
Create a communications plan to share the
new reverse transfer program details with your
constituents.
3.
Implement a fully automated process for
evaluating degree requirements.
Implications for Practice
4.
Be aware that it will be a challenge to track
students as they move from institution to
institution.
5.
Due to FERPA regulations, institutions will need
to address how they will share and track
eligible reverse transfer participants between
colleges and universities.
6.
Consider the differences in institutional degree
requirements to participate in the program.
Implications for Research
•
Are the New Reverse Transfer programs
promoting success and improving student
outcomes as they are currently promising?
•
Define the essential components of the new
reverse transfer.
• GPA requirements, credits earned
requirements, student participation sign-ups
References
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Arndt, R. & Robinson, M. (2012). Reverse Transfer Increases Degree Attainment.
[PowerPoint Presentation]. Cuyahoga Community College.
Bahr, P. R. (2012). Student Flow between Community Colleges: Investigating Lateral
Transfer. Research in Higher Education, 53(1), 94-121.
Bautsch, B (2013). State policies to improve student transfer. Hot topics in higher
education, National Conference of State Legislatures. Retrieved from
http://www.ncsl.org/documents/educ/student-transfer.pdf
Bowen, G. (2009). Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative
Research Journal, 9(2), 27-40.
Brandjord, K. (2012, Fall). Applying automation to reverse transfer process can
advance student completion. Community College Week, (Fall 2012, Technology
Supplement). Retrieved from http://www.ccweek.com/News/templates/pdfs/TEchSpecial-Reports/CCW-Tech-Supp-Fall2012.pdf.
Bureau of Labor. (2012). Employment Projections, Education Pays. Retrieved from
http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_chart_001.htm.
Complete College America. (2013). About us. Retrieved from
http://www.completecollege.org/about/.
Crotty, M. (1998). The Foundations of Social Research: Meaning and Perspective in the
Research Process. London: Sage.
Ekal, D. & Badillo, T. (2011). The University of Texas at El Paso and El Paso Community
College: A Partnership for Student Success [PDF document]. Project Kaleidoscope.
Ramping Up for STEM Success: Pathways for STEM Student Transfer. Retrieved
http://www.aacu.org/pkal/documents/TXTeamActionLabIIBestPractices.pdf.
References
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Ekal, D. & Krebs, P. (2011). Reverse-transfer programs reward students and colleges
alike. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from
http://chronicle.com/article/Reverse-Transfer-Programs/127942/.
Esterberg, K.G. (2002). Qualitative methods in social research. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Flack, A. (2013, July). The Win-Win Experience at Suffolk County Community College.
Paper presented at the meeting of Institute for Higher Education Policy, Washington,
D.C.
Friedel, J.N., Thornton, Z.M., D’Amico, M.M., & Katsinas, S.G. (2013, September).
Performance-Based Funding: The National Landscape. Tulcaloosa, Al: Education Policy
Center, University of Alabama.
Hagedorn, L. & Castro, C. (1999). Paradoxes: California’s experiences with reverse
transfer students. Understanding the impact of reverse transfer students on
community colleges. New Directions for Community Colleges, 106(Summer), 15-26.
Hoover, E. (2013, July). College-completion experiment gets degrees to “empty
handed ex-students. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from
http://chronicle.com/article/College-Completion-Experiment/140629/
Hossler, D., Shapiro, D., & Dunbar, A. (2012a). Reverse transfer: A national view of
student mobility from four-year to two-year institutions. National Student
Clearinghouse Research Center Signature Report. Retrieved from
http://www.insidehighered.com/sites/default/server_files/files/NSC_Signature_Report_
3.pdf
References
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Hossler, D., Shapiro, D., & Dunbar, A. (2012b). Transfer & mobility: A national view
of pre-degree student movement in postsecondary institutions. National Student
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http://pas.indiana.edu/pdf/Transfer%20&%20Mobility.pdf
Hoxie, T. (2011, September). Streamlining Student Transitions from Community
Colleges to Universities. [PowerPoint Presentation]. Michigan Student Success
Summit.
Illinois Colleges and Universities. (2012, November). Reverse Transfer Project, South
Metropolitan Higher Educational Consortium [PowerPoint Presentation]. Presented at
the meeting of Transfer Coordinators of Illinois Colleges and Universities, Fall
Meeting.
Institute of Higher Education Policy. (2013, July). Getting across the finish line with
Project Win-Win. Presentation presented at the meeting of IHEP Institutional Policy
Forum, Washington, DC.
Institute of Higher Education Policy. (2011). Project Win-Win. Retrieved from
http://www.ihep.org/projectwin-win.cfm.
Iowa Department of Education. (2013). [Exploring the “New Reverse Transfer”
Questionnaire]. Unpublished raw data.
Kanter, M., Ochoa, E., Nassif, R., & Chong, F. (2011). Meeting President Obama’s
2020 College Completion Goal [PDF document]. Retrieved from
www.ed.gov/sites/default/files/winning-the-future.ppt.
Kresge Foundation. (2012). Thousands of community college transfer students will
get degrees through ‘Credit When It’s Due’ initiative. Retrieved from
http://www.kresge.org/news/thousands-community-college-transfer-students-willget-degrees-through-%E2%80%98credit-when-it%E2%80%99s-due%E2%80%99-i
References
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Laanan, F. S. (2001). Transfer student adjustment. New Directions for Community Colleges,
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Lichtenberger, E. (2012a). Reverse Transfer Students and Postsecondary Outcomes: A Potential
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Lichtenberger, E. (2012b). Reverse Transfer Students and Postsecondary Outcomes: A Potential
Opportunity. Illinois Education Research Council. (Policy Research: IERC 2011-5). Retrieved
from http://www.siue.edu/ierc/publications/pdf/20115_Reverse_Transfer_Executive_Summary.pdf
Lumina Foundation (2012). Foundations help 12 state partnerships expand associate degree
completion for students transferring from community colleges to universities. Retrieved from
http://www.luminafoundation.org/newsroom/news_releases/2012-10-10.html.
Marling, J. (2012). Making Reverse Transfer Work. Insider Higher Ed Webinar, June 25, 2012.
Retrieved from http://blog.ung.edu/transferinstitute/files/2012/08/Making-Reverse-TransferWork.pdf
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National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. (2012). Snapshot Report; Degree Attainment.
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References
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Parke, S., Wilson, N., & Dufour, M. (2012). Executive Summary: Illinois Community
College System Complete College America Progress Report [PDF
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DISCUSSION
Where is your institution with the New
Reverse Transfer?
School of Education, College of Human Sciences
Thank you!
Janice Nahra Friedel, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
School of Education
Iowa State University
jfriedel@iastate.edu
Sarah L. Wilson, M.Ed, ABD
Doctoral Candidate
Iowa State University
slwilson@iastate.edu