From High School to the Future: Potholes on the ... - DiversityWeb

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This report, <strong>the</strong> second report in <strong>the</strong> series, looks beyond qualifications <strong>to</strong> examine whe<strong>the</strong>r CPS students who aspire <strong>to</strong> four-year colleges are effectively participating in <strong>the</strong> college search and application process and where <strong>the</strong>y encounter potholes on <strong>the</strong> road <strong>to</strong> college. Drawing on prior research, we examine both how students manage <strong>the</strong> college application process and what types of colleges students apply <strong>to</strong> and ultimately enroll in. First, are CPS students who aspire <strong>to</strong> attend a four-year college taking <strong>the</strong> steps <strong>the</strong>y need <strong>to</strong> enroll in a four-year college? Second, do CPS students effectively participate in college search and get <strong>the</strong> support <strong>the</strong>y need <strong>to</strong> make informed choices about what colleges <strong>the</strong>y could apply <strong>to</strong> and what colleges may best fit <strong>the</strong>ir needs? A critical goal of this report is <strong>to</strong> understand where CPS students encounter difficulty and success as <strong>the</strong>y navigate <strong>the</strong> college search and application process, as well as <strong>the</strong> extent <strong>to</strong> which high school educa<strong>to</strong>rs can create environments that support students in thoroughly engaging in this process. Thus, throughout this report, we pay particular attention <strong>to</strong> differences in students’ experiences across high schools. We examine whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> norms for college enrollment of high school environments shape students’ likelihood <strong>to</strong> plan <strong>to</strong> attend, apply <strong>to</strong>, and enroll in four-year colleges. Supporting students in <strong>the</strong> college search and application process also requires that high schools be organized <strong>to</strong> maximize information and guidance for students as <strong>the</strong>y cross critical hurdles. While this report is not intended <strong>to</strong> provide a blueprint for what high schools should be doing, wherever possible we have tried <strong>to</strong> examine <strong>the</strong> impact of <strong>the</strong>se critical steps in determining whe<strong>the</strong>r and where students who aspire <strong>to</strong> attend a four-year college ultimately enroll. Examining Students’ College Search, Application, and Match Process: The Data and Organization of this Report In this report we use both qualitative and quantitative data <strong>to</strong> identify <strong>the</strong> barriers students face, and we focus specifically on <strong>the</strong> extent <strong>to</strong> which high school practices and environment shape students’ participation in <strong>the</strong> college search and application process and <strong>the</strong>ir college <strong>From</strong> <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Future</strong>: <strong>Potholes</strong> on <strong>the</strong> Road <strong>to</strong> College enrollment patterns. We surveyed seniors about <strong>the</strong>ir college plans and activities and used CPS’s postsecondary tracking system <strong>to</strong> follow successive cohorts of CPS graduates in<strong>to</strong> college. We also talked <strong>to</strong> students. In addition <strong>to</strong> using qualitative data <strong>to</strong> elaborate on some of <strong>the</strong> findings presented in this report, we also present case studies from our qualitative study, each of which highlights a student who struggled at a different point in <strong>the</strong> postsecondary planning process. These case studies draw on our longitudinal, qualitative study of 105 CPS students in three high schools. They represent common <strong>the</strong>mes that emerged from our qualitative work. For students <strong>to</strong> enroll in a suitable four-year college, <strong>the</strong>y must effectively negotiate two sets of tasks. First, <strong>the</strong>y must take a series of basic steps for four-year college enrollment: <strong>the</strong>y must submit applications on time, apply for financial aid, gain acceptance, and ultimately enroll. Second, throughout this process, beyond hitting benchmarks, students must also be fully engaged in <strong>the</strong> often overwhelming task of finding <strong>the</strong> right college for <strong>the</strong>m. This means thinking about what kinds of colleges <strong>the</strong>y will likely be admitted <strong>to</strong>, what kind of college experience <strong>the</strong>y want, and which colleges fit those descriptions. They must search for and decide upon a set of colleges that best meet <strong>the</strong>ir needs and provide a good college match. As we will illustrate in Chapter 1, CPS students are predominantly lowincome, first-generation college-goers, and previous research finds that <strong>the</strong>se students are particularly likely <strong>to</strong> encounter problems in both of <strong>the</strong>se sets of tasks. Clearly, <strong>the</strong>se two sets of tasks are intertwined and are part of a larger process of college search and selection, but it is important <strong>to</strong> distinguish between <strong>the</strong>se two ideas: taking <strong>the</strong> steps <strong>to</strong> enroll in college and engaging in <strong>the</strong> process of finding <strong>the</strong> right college. Students could take <strong>the</strong> steps necessary <strong>to</strong> enroll in a four-year college but fail <strong>to</strong> conduct a broad college search, limiting <strong>the</strong>ir applications. Or, students could conduct a broad college search, but miss important steps or deadlines. In Chapter , we focus on <strong>the</strong> first set of tasks: do students who aspire <strong>to</strong> attain a four-year college degree take <strong>the</strong> steps necessary <strong>to</strong> enroll in a four-year college? In Chapter 3, we look at <strong>the</strong> second set of tasks and consider <strong>the</strong> messier question of college
match. In <strong>the</strong>se two chapters, we analyze how students’ negotiation of <strong>the</strong>se tasks, as well as <strong>the</strong>ir schools’ college climate, impacts whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong>y enroll in a four-year college (Chapter ) and where <strong>the</strong>y enroll (Chapter 3). Key Findings 1. Cps students who aspire <strong>to</strong> complete a four-year degree do not effectively participate in <strong>the</strong> college application process. Among CPS students who aspire <strong>to</strong> attain a four-year degree, only 41 percent <strong>to</strong>ok <strong>the</strong> steps necessary in <strong>the</strong>ir senior year <strong>to</strong> apply <strong>to</strong> and enroll in a four-year college. An additional 9 percent of students managed <strong>to</strong> enroll in a four-year college without following <strong>the</strong> standard Figure 11 Only Figure 41 11. percent Only 41 of percent cps graduates of CPS graduates who aspired who aspired <strong>to</strong> complete <strong>to</strong> complete a four-year a four-year degree degree <strong>to</strong>ok <strong>to</strong>ok <strong>the</strong>se steps and enrolled in in a four-year a four-year college college in <strong>the</strong> fall in after <strong>the</strong> graduation. fall after graduation—an An additional 9 percent additional enrolled 9 percent in college enrolled without in taking college <strong>the</strong>se without steps. taking <strong>the</strong>se steps Tracking students through <strong>the</strong> steps <strong>to</strong> college enrollment: Voc/ Tech 2 4 14 8 Don’t Know 100 Two-Year O<strong>the</strong>r Plans Aspired <strong>to</strong> Complete a Four-Year or Graduate Degree Note: These figures are based on <strong>the</strong> <strong>Potholes</strong> Sample (see Appendix B for details). 72 13 Did Not Apply steps, for a <strong>to</strong>tal of 50 percent of all CPS students who aspired <strong>to</strong> a four-year degree. Our look at CPS seniors’ road from college aspirations <strong>to</strong> enrollment identifies three critical benchmarks that even well-qualified students <strong>to</strong>o often failed <strong>to</strong> make. First, many students opt <strong>to</strong> attend a two-year or vocational school instead of a four-year college. Fewer than three-quarters (7 percent) of students who aspired <strong>to</strong> attain a four-year degree stated in <strong>the</strong> spring that <strong>the</strong>y planned <strong>to</strong> attend a four-year college in <strong>the</strong> fall. Second, many students who hoped <strong>to</strong> attend a four-year college do not apply. Only 59 percent of CPS graduates who stated that <strong>the</strong>y aspired <strong>to</strong> attain a four-year degree ever applied <strong>to</strong> a fouryear college. Third, even students who apply <strong>to</strong> and are accepted at a four-year college do not always enroll. Planned <strong>to</strong> Attend a Four-Year College in <strong>the</strong> Fall 59 8 Not Accepted Applied <strong>to</strong> a Four-Year College 51 10 Not Enrolled Accepted In<strong>to</strong> a Four-Year College 41 Enrolled in a Four-Year College Executive Summary 3
Page 1 and 2: c c s r CONSORTIUM ON CHICAGO SCHOO
Page 3 and 4: Table of Contents Executive Summary
Page 5: Executive Summary Over the<
Page 9 and 10: • Not filing a FAFsA may be a sig
Page 11 and 12: colleges, making sure that students
Page 13 and 14: Chapter Introduction 1 Over <strong
Page 15 and 16: set of colleges that best meet <str
Page 17 and 18: Chapter 1 The Problem: Translating
Page 19 and 20: High and rising as
Page 21 and 22: important context on the</s
Page 23 and 24: is a long way to g
Page 25 and 26: students, more than 95 percent of A
Page 27: eal college costs are an additional
Page 30 and 31: Moises and Grady-A Case Study A sup
Page 32 and 33: Finishing senior Year: Making <stro
Page 34 and 35: Moises and Grady’s Road t
Page 36 and 37: Do CPS Students Take the</s
Page 38 and 39: Why We Focus on Four-Year Colleges
Page 40 and 41: make. First, many students like Jen
Page 42 and 43: How Many Undocumented CPS Latino Gr
Page 44 and 45: Drawing on student interviews, we c
Page 46 and 47: process. They were fearful of debt,
Page 48 and 49: The College-Going Culture of a scho
Page 50 and 51: Figure 17. Students Were More Likel
Page 52 and 53: showed that filing a FAFSA later th
Page 54 and 55: Figure 22. After controlling for st
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5 From Hig
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Maribel-A Case Study Working hard <
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Jennie-A Case Study Paralyzed by <s
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Sabrina-A Case Study The easy road
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Marco-A Case Study How students get
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What a Strong College Culture Looks
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what information was important <str
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66 From Hi
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Clara-A Case Study Making her hard
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To many, a pattern of constrained e
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College Match for Cps students A fi
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schools enrolled in colleges that m
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While we do not have the</s
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This analysis controls for differen
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in two ways. First, particularly fo
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in helping students plan and apply
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Conclusion This chapter focused on
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of these barriers
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Sakaarah-A Case Study The path <str
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Javier-A Case Study When schools ta
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Franklin-A Case Study A successful
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Amelia-A Case Study As hard as a pe
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Chapter 3: Case Study Endnotes 1 Al
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“Too many CPS students who aspire
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“If the most hig
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3. Rising college costs may be a si
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104 From H
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Chicago Public School</stro
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Turner, Sarah E. (2004) Going <stro
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Ratings Grouping Used in This Repor
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(b) Quantitative samples In <strong
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Each case went through an extensive
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Appendix D: Variables Used in this
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Teacher/Counselor structured suppor
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Appendix E Models Used in this Repo
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Additional predicto</strong
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Appendix F Summary of College Plann
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3. In the fall of
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Chapter 2 29 Descriptions of <stron
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About the Authors
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c c s r CONSORTIUM ON CHICAGO SCHOO
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