The Survey of Entering Student Engagement
Texas Association of Institutional Researchers
Galveston, TX – February 5, 2008
Courtney Adkins and Angela Oriano-Darnall
Courtney Adkins, Ph.D.
CCSSE/SENSE Survey Operations Coordinator
Community College Survey of Student Engagement
The University of Texas at Austin
Angela Oriano-Darnall, Ph.D.
SENSE Project Coordinator
Community College Survey of Student Engagement
The University of Texas at Austin
Survey of Entering Student Engagement
High-Risk Students
• First generation
• Low-income
• Minority
• One or more developmental education needs
• Exhibit higher levels of engagement on CCSSE
Why? What’s going on?
•
Compensatory Effect
– High-risk students start the race behind the starting line.
– They have to run further and faster just to stay in the
race, much less to finish or win it.
•
Timing of CCSSE Survey Administration
– Preponderance of students start in the fall term.
– Administered during the spring term, CCSSE
essentially surveys “survivors.”
Why focus on entering students?
• The Entering Student Hemorrhage
Achieving the Dream Round One college data (fall 2002 cohort):
Of 41, 008 students, 14% did not complete ANY college
credits during their first academic term.
Why focus on entering students?
• The Entering Student Hemorrhage
Achieving the Dream Round One college data (fall 2002 cohort):
•
•
•
•
•
Part-time students – 17.5%
Male students – 15.9%
Native American students – 15.3%
Black, non-Hispanic students – 13.9%
Hispanic students – 19.0%
Why focus on entering students?
• There is hope.
• Emerging evidence suggests…
If students can be helped to earn the equivalent of one
academic term (12-15 hours), their chances of achieving
their educational goals are greatly increased.
Students who successfully complete a developmental course
(C or better) in their first term are from that point forward
MORE likely to persist and succeed than other student groups.
How can we help?
• We need a systematic way to understand the earliest
student experiences.
• SENSE, the Survey of Entering Student Engagement
• Starting Right, a MetLife Foundation Initiative
SENSE Overview
Instrument Overview
• ~90 Items (30% fewer than CCSSE)
• 7th Grade Reading Level
• Eight Topical Areas
Instrument Overview
• Topical Areas:
–Demographic/Student Characteristics
–Classroom/Learning
–Admissions, Orientation & Registration
–Academic Advising & Planning
–Financial Aid
–Relationships
–Academic Assessment & Placement
–High School Experience/Preparedness
Sampling
• Sample Created from Fall Course Schedule File (CSF)
• Course Parameters:
– All levels of developmental reading, writing, and math courses
(excluding ESL courses)
– First college-level English courses
– First college-level math courses
SENSE Survey Pilot / Fall 2007
• 22 Colleges
• Including 13 Texas Colleges
Alvin Community College
Brazosport College
College of the Mainland
El Paso Community College
Houston Community College
Lee College
Northwest Vista College
Palo Alto College
Richland College
San Antonio College
St. Philip’s College
Wharton County Junior College
Lone Star College District (formerly NHMCCD)
SENSE Happenings
• SENSE First Look Report / Spring 2008
• Entering Student Success Institute / Spring 2008
• National Field Test with 94 colleges / Fall 2008
• First National Administration / Fall 2009
Registration opens November 2008
Administration & Timelines
• Surveys arrive at colleges first day of fall academic term.
• College’s survey administrator prepares for administration
during weeks 1-3.
• SENSE is administered during weeks 4-5.
• Surveys are returned to SENSE/CCSSE offices by midOctober.
• SENSE reports are available early February.
Institutional Reports
• All reports will be provided online.
• Pilot results will be provided via the members-only section
of the SENSE website: www.enteringstudent.org
• Field test and all subsequent national administration results
will be posted in the public section of the SENSE website.
CCSSE/SENSE Compare & Contrast
• CCSSE administered during spring academic term.
SENSE administered during weeks 4-5 of fall academic term.
• CCSSE samples drawn from all credit courses.
SENSE samples drawn from courses in which first-time students
are most likely to enroll.
• CCSSE assesses overall quality and institution-wide use of
effective educational practice, predominantly through the eyes of
“experienced” students.
SENSE assesses effective practice in areas strongly affecting
entering student success.
Fonda Vera
Dean, Research and Planning
Richland College
Dallas Community College District
Georgia Sinclair
Statistical Research Associate
Office of Institutional Research
El Paso Community College
Survey of Entering Student Engagement
“They need to remember that they hold this
person's future in their hands —
and with one wrong action or one wrong word,
you can totally turn them off and they'll turn
around, walk out the door and never come back.”
Female student
SENSE focus group
Survey of Entering Student Engagement
Q&A
Discussion