Expanding a Successful Reform for
Increasing Graduation Rates:
The Continuing Story of CUNY’s
Accelerated Study in Associate
Programs (ASAP)
October 17, 2017
Co-sponsored by MDRC
@aypf_tweets
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Presenters
 Donna Linderman, University Associate Dean for
Student Success Initiatives, CUNY
 Sue Scrivener, Senior Associate, MDRC
 Loukman Lamany, Bronx ASAP grad and Baruch
College graduate
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IMPROVING STUDENT
RETENTION AND
GRADUATION
CUNY Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP)
Comprehensive Supports and Assessments
American Youth Policy Forum
Washington DC
October 17, 2014
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BARRIERS TO SUCCESS



Students are poorly
prepared
Education is often
competing for their time
Colleges are large with
many departments,
majors and
procedures
“Minimize students’ uncertainty to increase engagement.”
Former CUNY Chancellor Mathew Goldstein
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CUNY COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS
Enter with developmental needs
79%
Re-enroll after a year
Graduate in 3 years
14%
Source: CUNY Office of Institutional Research 2014
66%
ASAP THEORY OF ACTION
 Remove financial barriers to full-time study
 Provide structured degree pathways and comprehensive, well-coordinated
support services
 Establish clear expectations for all students
 Build community through early engagement and cohort model
 Better engaged students who graduate in a timely manner
Goal: At least 50% of students will complete an associate degree within three years
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ASAP HISTORY
2007:
 CUNY funded by Mayor’s Center for
Economic Opportunity (CEO) for threeyear pilot
 ASAP launched with 1,132 fully skills
proficient students* across six CUNY
community colleges in the fall
* 28% of fall 2007 ASAP students had some developmental needs when recruited that were addressed over summer.
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ASAP HISTORY
2009:
 Two-year graduation (cohort 1): 30% ASAP vs. 11% comparison group
 ASAP begins to admit students with some developmental needs*
2010:
 Three-year graduation (cohort 1): 55% ASAP vs. 24% comparison
group
 ASAP funding “baselined” to CUNY by CEO
2011/2012:
 Three-year graduation (cohort 2): 56% ASAP vs. 23% comparison
group
 CUNY Chancellor announces ASAP expansion plans
*One to two developmental course needs based on CUNY Assessment Test scores at time of
application.
ASAP TODAY
Major expansion over past three years:
 Fall 2012: 2,259 students
 Fall 2013: 3,200 students
 Fall 2014: 4,300 students
In 2014 ASAP serves about: 0
20%
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of first-time full-time CUNY community college students
ASAP SELECTION CRITERIA
 Must be a New York City resident
 Agree to study full-time in an ASAPapproved major
 Continuing/transfer students: no more
than 15 credits and good academic
standing
 Have no more than two developmental
course needs
 Receive some need-based financial aid
(Pell and/or TAP)
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Summary Profile of Combined ASAP and Comparison Group Cohorts
Cohorts 1 to 7 (2007-2013)
Total Enrollment
Gender
Male
Female
Ethnicity
American Indian/Native Alaskan
Asian/Pacific Islander
Black
Hispanic
White
Mean Age
Admission Type
First-time Freshmen
Transfer Students
Continuing Students
Developmental Students
At Time of Application to ASAP
At Time of Entry into ASAP
College Admissions Average
GED Recipients
Pell Receipt
N
Combined
ASAP Students
6,389
Combined Comparison
Group Students
19,274
%
%
41.9
58.1
44.4
55.6
%
%
%
%
%
mean
0.4
11.5
32.0
42.6
13.6
21.4
0.4
14.1
29.1
39.9
16.5
21.2
%
%
%
%
%
%
mean
%
%
66.6
7.1
26.3
51.6
17.8
30.6
80.1
69.7
76.0
11.6
74.3
77.0
69.2
74.3
11.3
85.2
Source: CUNY's Institutional Research Database (IRDB).
ASAP CORE ELEMENTS
 Financial Resources
 Tuition waivers
 Free use of textbooks
 Monthly Metrocards
 Structured Pathways
 Consolidated full-time course schedules
 First-year blocked courses
 Immediate/continuous developmental course taking
 Winter and summer courses
 Comprehensive Supports
 High-touch advisement
 Embedded career development
 Mandated tutoring for some students
 ASAP Summer Institute
 ASAP College Success Seminar
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ASAP PROGRAM ORGANIZATION
ASAP
Bronx
ASAP
BMCC
ASAP
Queensborough
ASAP
Medgar Evers
CUNY Academic
Affairs
ASAP
LaGuardia
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ASAP
Hostos
ASAP
Kingsborough
ASAP EVALUATION
INTERNAL EVALUATION
 Ongoing quasi-experimental analysis
 Web-based data management system
 Annual student surveys and focus groups
 Data reviewed regularly to assess impact, measure movement towards
goals, and constantly improve program practice
EXTERNAL EVALUATION


Five-year random assignment study by MDRC
Cost-benefit study by the Center for Benefit-Cost Studies in Education
(CBCSE), Teachers College, Columbia University led Dr. Henry Levin
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Movement Through Developmental Education for Combined
ASAP and Comparison Group Cohorts
ASAP
90,0%
Comparion Group
82,5%
79,7%
71,3%
80,0%
73,0%
70,0%
60,0%
41,1%
50,0%
40,0%
30,0%
16,3%
20,0%
10,0%
0,0%
Dev Ed Need
at Application
Source: CUNY Institutional Research Database
Dev Ed Need
at Entry
Dev Ed Remaining 3rd
Sem
Average Graduation Rates of ASAP and Comparison Group Students:
Fall 2007-Fall 2012 Cohorts
60%
ASAP
51,9%
50,6%
Comparison Group
58,7%
48,0%
50%
40,8%
37,9%
40%
35,7%
30%
27,4%
26,1%
22,2%
20,0%
19,8%
19,0%
20%
14,8%
13,2%
12,6%
9,0%
10%
6,5%
0%
All
Dev Edu
Need
Fully
Proficient
2-Year Graduates
(ASAP N=4,547; Comp N=19,087)
All
Dev Edu
Need
Fully
Proficient
2.5-Year Graduates
(ASAP N=2,985; Comp N=15,042)
Source: CUNY Office of Institutional Research and Assessment, CUNY ASAP participating colleges, and National Student Clearinghouse.
October 9, 2014
All
Dev Edu
Need
Fully
Proficient
3-Year Graduates
(ASAP N=2,985; Comp N=15,042)
3-Year Graduation Rates for ASAP Cohort 5 and Comparison Group Students
Preliminary
College
Total
2-Yr Graduates
Total
Total
3-Yr Graduates
N
N
%
N
%
Fall 2011 ASAP Students
BMCC
BMCC Evening
Bronx
Hostos
Kingsborough
LaGuardia
Queensborough
TOTAL
51
13
72
42
140
82
75
475
14
3
28
19
50
21
20
155
27.5
23.1
38.9
45.2
35.7
25.6
26.7
32.6
28
7
49
24
80
44
39
271
54.9
53.8
68.1
57.1
57.1
53.7
52.0
57.1
College
Total
Fall 2011 Comparison Group
BMCC
BMCC Evening
Bronx
Hostos
Kingsborough
LaGuardia
Queensborough
TOTAL
Total
2-Yr Graduates
Total
3-Yr Graduates
N
N
%
N
%
1,224
53
267
142
1,058
791
994
4,529
101
10
24
16
105
67
79
402
8.3
18.9
9.0
11.3
9.9
8.5
7.9
8.9
333
17
56
41
265
181
234
1,127
27.2
32.1
21.0
28.9
25.0
22.9
23.5
24.9
Source: CUNY's Administrative Data Warehouse (ADW); data will be verified once it is available in CUNY's Institutional Research Database (IRDB).
ASAP COST-BENEFIT STUDY BY LEVIN AND GARCIA
Cost Effectiveness Report (September 2012):
 ASAP saves $6,500 per graduate vs. comparison group
 Analysis suggests ASAP is a wise up-front investment
Cost Benefits Report (May 2013):
 Increased lifetime earnings and tax revenues and savings to
public assistance, criminal justice, and public health
 Total net benefit for 1,000 enrolled ASAP students=$46.5
million higher than for 1,000 comparison group students
Source: Center for Benefit-Cost Studies in Education (CBCSE)
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ASAP EXPANSION, COSTS AND REPLICATION
 Expanded to 4,300 students in fall 2014
 Will expand to 13,000 students by 2016/17
 Costs* are Dropping:
 Pre-expansion annual cost per student=$6,000
 FY15 annual cost per student =$3,900
 ASAP replication demonstration project in Ohio
 In partnership with MDRC, Ohio Board of Regents, Great Lakes Higher
Education Corporation, and three community colleges
*ASAP costa are above usual CUNY community college FTE allocations.
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Evaluation of CUNY ASAP
Sue Scrivener
Senior Associate
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20
Why Look at ASAP?

CUNY’s ASAP is comprehensive and long-lasting
• Brings together many promising reforms
• Provides services for three years

One of the most ambitious efforts in the country to
boost graduation rates for community college students
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The Evaluation

MDRC studied the implementation and cost of ASAP,
and its impacts on students’ academic outcomes over
three years

Study took place at three of CUNY’s community
colleges: Borough of Manhattan, Kingsborough, and
LaGuardia
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Random Assignment Research
Design
Target
Consent &
Data
Random
Assignment
• Targeted students invited to participate in
study
• Participants give consent
• Baseline data collected
• Program group – Students can enroll in ASAP
• Control group – Students can receive standard
college services
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Evaluation Target Group

Family income at or below 200% of federal poverty level
or Pell-eligible

Needed one or two developmental courses
 ASAP also serves college-ready students but they were not
included in the MDRC study

Incoming freshman or continuing student with 12 or
fewer credits and 2.0+ GPA

Willing to attend school full time
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Characteristics of Students at Start of the Evaluation

900 students randomly assigned in 2010

62% women

Average age 21.5

Racially diverse

6% married, 15% had a child

31% employed
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ASAP Provided Much More Intensive Student Supports
Average reported
meetings in first year
with:
Program group
students
Control group
students
Advisor
38
6
Career services
9
2
Tutoring
24
7
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26
ASAP Affected Course Enrollment

Most program group students took an ASAP seminar for
three semesters

Most program group students took at least one
additional course with a concentration of ASAP students
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ASAP’s Financial Benefits Were Well Implemented

Most students received monthly MetroCards, and text
books

ASAP provided a tuition waiver to students who needed
it
 3 – 11 percent of program group, depending on semester
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ASAP Increased Enrollment
100
3*
10***
Program group
8**
80
Enrollment Rate (%)
Control group
9***
21***
60
7**
25***
17***
5
40
10***
1
20
4
0
Main
Inter
Semester 1
Main
Inter
Semester 2
Year 1
Main
Inter
Semester 3
Main
Inter
Semester 4
Year 2
Main
Inter
Semester 5
Main
Inter
Semester 6
Year 3
29
ASAP Increased Credit Accumulation
50
Program Group
Control Group
Total Credits Earned
8.1*** 8.2***
7.2*** 7.6***
40
5.6***
30
3.5***
20
10
8.6*** 8.7***
1.5***
6.0***
4.3***
2.1***
0
Main
Inter
Semester 1
Main
Inter
Semester 2
Year 1
Main
Inter
Semester 3
Main
Inter
Semester 4
Year 2
Main
Inter
Semester 5
Main
Inter
Semester 6
Year 3
30
ASAP Almost Doubled Graduation Rates

40.1 percent of program group earned a degree after
three years, compared with 21.8 percent of control
group

Biggest increase in graduation – by far – MDRC has
found

Program group also more likely to be enrolled in fouryear school at end of study
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31
Conclusions and Lessons

Comprehensive, long-term program can substantially
boost students’ success

Pairing a full-time requirement with an array of supports
was central to improving and accelerating students’
progress

Monitoring students’ program participation and
providing a meaningful benefit to those who participate
can increase engagement
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32
Conclusions and Lessons

Developmental education students’ outcomes can be
markedly improved without changing what happens in
the classroom

Encouraging or requiring students to take
developmental courses early can hasten and increase
completion of those courses
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33
For Additional Information
See www.mdrc.org for
reports from the ASAP
evaluation
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34
Student Perspective
Loukman Lamany
Bronx ASAP grad and Baruch College graduate
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Audience Questions
 Donna Linderman, University Associate Dean for
Student Success Initiatives, CUNY
 Sue Scrivener, Senior Associate, MDRC
 Loukman Lamany, Bronx ASAP grad and Baruch
College graduate
#aypfevents
Panel Discussants
 Amy Ellen Duke-Benfield, Senior Policy Analyst, Center for Law and
Social Policy (CLASP)
 Ajita Menon, Senior Policy Advisor for Higher Education at the White
House Domestic Policy Council
 Dr. Belinda Miles, Executive Vice President and Provost, Cuyahoga
Community College
 Brett Visger, Associate Vice Chancellor, Institutional Collaboration &
Completion, Ohio Board of Regents
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Audience Questions
 Amy Ellen Duke-Benfield, Senior Policy Analyst, Center for Law and
Social Policy (CLASP)
 Ajita Menon, Senior Policy Advisor for Higher Education at the White
House Domestic Policy Council
 Dr. Belinda Miles, Executive Vice President and Provost, Cuyahoga
Community College
 Brett Visger, Associate Vice Chancellor, Institutional Collaboration &
Completion, Ohio Board of Regents
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