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Webinar: Adult Learners: A Key Piece of the College Completion Puzzle
The document discusses the Adult College Completion Network, which aims to increase degree and certificate completion among adults with prior college credit through collaboration among various stakeholders. It highlights the importance of educational attainment for workforce needs and economic competitiveness, while pointing out the limitations of traditional educational pipelines. Strategies for outreach, engagement with adult learners, and partnerships with employers are also emphasized as essential for achieving successful educational outcomes.
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Webinar: Adult Learners: A Key Piece of the College Completion Puzzle
- 1. Adult Learners: AKey Piece of the Completion Puzzle Patrick Lane Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) November 1, 2013
- 2. What is WICHE? Promotes accessand excellence in higher education for all citizens of the West
- 3. So…what is it,exactly, that you do? The Adult College Completion Network Overarching goal: Share promising policies and practices among all stakeholders to increase degree and certificate completion by adults with prior college credit
- 4. The Adult CollegeCompletion Network Nationwide collaborative learning network Partnering with: State higher ed agencies Metropolitan-based projects Workforce-focused organizations Economic development organizations Institutions Non-profits “Etc.” Funded by Lumina Foundation www.adultcollegecompletion.org
- 5. The ACC Networkassumption We can’t reach our ambitious attainment goals through improvements in the traditional education pipeline alone.
- 6. Why educational attainmentmatters Workforce needs Economic competitiveness Individual income gains Civic improvements (crime, civic participation, health care costs) Estimated 2020 degree/certificate shortfall: 5 million (Source: Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce, 2012)
- 7. Why can’t weget there by fixing the traditional pipeline? “Graying” of our workforce Relatively high educational attainment of the generation approaching retirement An increasingly knowledge-based economy No projected growth in high school graduates If states all improved their “traditional pipelines” to the average of the top 3 performing states, we’d still fall short of our 2018 workforce needs by 3 million workers with postsecondary education. (Sources: NCHEMS, Georgetown CEW, WICHE)
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- 9. “Near completers,” “stopouts,”“ready adults,” etc. “Significant college credit” but no degree Specific definition depends on city, state, institution, organization, etc. “Low hanging fruit”
- 10. What do weknow about near completers? Census data limited to “some college, no degree” category Not “first time, full time” students Institutions and state systems may not track near completers separately from adult students In short, data are limited.
- 11. Background Demographics: National LongitudinalSurvey of Youth Variables HS Diploma Assoc. Deg Bach Deg. Above Bach. Near Comp. Income (2010) $41,324 $48,560 $77,395 $103,416 $49,902 Library card (1979) 68.6% 73.4% 83.3% 86.2% 77.9% Mother’s Educ. 10.6 10.7 12.5 13.1 11.7 Father’s Educ. 10.6 10.9 12.9 13.3 11.8 Source: WICHE Analysis of National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1979
- 12. Near completers: Backgrounddemographics Variables Poverty line (1979) ASVAB Score HS Diploma Assoc. Deg Bach Deg. Above Bach. Near Comp. 23.3% 20.3% 10.9% 11.2% 18.5% 36.1 44.8 63.8 70.5 48.9 Source: WICHE Analysis of National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1979
- 13. What conclusions canwe draw from this? First the caveats: One data source, preliminary analysis, etc. Near completers are as expected on most college access/success predictor variables Depending on the year, near completers (as defined!) are 6%-10% of the sample
- 14. WHAT ROLE CANCITIES PLAY IN ADULT DEGREE AND CERTIFICATE COMPLETION EFFORTS?
- 15. Credential completion: Thatwas then… Institutions of Higher Ed State Higher Ed Agencies Improved policies and practices Improved policies and practices Increased degree completion
- 16. …this is now Institutionsof Higher Ed Local employers National employers Workforce Agencies State Higher Ed Agencies Economic Development Agencies Increased credential completion Business organizations Education providers Community Organizations Local Government Chambers of Commerce National Organizations
- 17. Connections with cities Institutionsof Higher Ed Local employers National employers Workforce Agencies State Higher Ed Agencies Economic Development Agencies Increased credential completion Business organizations Education providers Community Organizations Local Government Chambers of Commerce National Organizations
- 18. What do weknow about collaborative efforts? Collective Impact: The hot topic The commitment of key stakeholders from different sectors to a common agenda for solving a specific social problem. Source: Stanford Social Innovation Review, 2011
- 19. Why do somecollective efforts succeed, and others fail? Factors associated with success: Common agenda & metrics Continuous communication Backbone support organizations Establishing “professional” trust and cooperation Joint planning Interacting with the target population (Sources: Stanford Social Innovation Review, 2011; Turrini, et al., 2010)
- 20. Some commonalities, inthe form of questions? Who is leading the initiative? What is the goal? Why are we pursuing this? How will we reach this goal? How and when do partners meet and communicate? How will we know if we are successful?
- 21. WHAT’S WORKING –MARKETING AND OUTREACH
- 22. Outreach approaches Adult studentsare a diverse bunch…no one size fits all approach. Data mining and direct targeting Publicity-based campaigns Formal advertising campaigns
- 23. Outreach approaches: Messagesthat resonate Intrinsic: Others are in the same situation You can find a school that’s the right fit for you You can finish what you started / You’ve started, it’s time to finish Schools empathize with the sacrifices of returning Schools care about returning students Extrinsic: There are personal financial and economic benefits to returning to complete a postsecondary degree “The more you learn, the more you earn” Your degree may be closer than it appears College might be more affordable than you think (Sources: Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, University System of Georgia, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities)
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- 27. Communicating externally: Marketresearch (cont’d) EXAMPLES: Minnesota, West Virginia, Georgia PSAs, billboards, radio spots, etc. www.adultcollegecompletion.org/mktingCommunications Challenge: Evaluating effectiveness
- 28. Building stakeholder support Anotherform of outreach and marketing Decision-makers aren’t always data-driven Communicate with data and stories about constituents, employees, students, etc.
- 29.
- 30. Key policies andpractices Prior learning assessment Competency-based learning Lowering the cost of credentials Collaboration between workforce and higher ed Effective and relevant adult advising Etc., etc., etc.
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- 32. Employer partnerships: Promisingstrategies What support can businesses provide throughout the path to completion? $ Identify interested potential students Conduct outreach, marketing through HR departments Provide classroom space Allow flexible work schedules Include education goals in employee reviews Reward completers with increased responsibility and promotions Evaluate company training through ACE CREDIT program Provide tuition assistance
- 33. Return on investment Tuitionassistance Tax-free Lowers recruitment costs Increases retention Verizon: Estimates $25 million savings through LearningLink “Assistance” > “Reimbursement” 14% usage rate vs. 5% Sources: Corporate Voices for Working Families, CAEL, Chief Learning Officer
- 34. Examples of employerpartnerships Maine Employers Initiative http://www.mdf.org/mei_overview.php WorkforceChicago: http://www.workforcechicago.org/Exemplary-Practices.html Greater Louisville Degrees at Work http://www.greaterlouisville.com/degreesatwork
- 35. A final word:Evaluation A better final word: “Knowing what works” Difficult, expensive, and sometimes inconclusive But better than investing in failure
- 36. Knowing what works AdultEnrollment Project X in City Y Project starts Yr. 1 Yr. 2 Yr. 3 Yr. 4 Yr. 5
- 37. Knowing what works AdultEnrollment Project X in City Y Data from City Z Project starts No project Yr. 1 Yr. 2 Yr. 3 Yr. 4 Yr. 5
- 38. Adult Enrollment But incollaborative networks… Project starts Project X in City Y Data from City Z Data from City A Project starts Project starts Yr. 1 Yr. 2 Yr. 3 Yr. 4 Yr. 5
- 39. The final finalword Comparison is crucial, not for competition, but for knowing what works Sustainability Investing in successful programs Networks with projects starting at different times are naturally set up for comparisons
- 40. Resources & contactinfo Going the Distance in Adult College Completion: Lessons from the Non-traditional No More Project www.wiche.edu WICHE’s Adult College Completion Network www.adultcollegecompletion.org CONTACT INFO: Patrick Lane 303-541-0266 [email protected]
Editor's Notes
- #14 Explain that the data are for background, but that the size of the population suggests it is a key strategy for reaching attainment goals. Transition to the broader discussion with the idea that while collaborative arrangements benefit adults with some college credit, they’re beneficial to all adult learners.
- #35 Some institutions use their ready adults as volunteers to help identify those students…Doesn’t have to be expensiveSouth Dakota has already done a lot of this….