Book Description

Research indicates that students are more likely to succeed when they experience the following six factors: (1) have a goal and a path leading to this goal; (2) stay motivated to achieve this outcome; (3) believe that their success matters to others; (4) are engaged in the classroom; (5) feel connected to the college community; and (6) feel they are contributing positively to the college culture and community. In Student Support (Re)defined--a multi-year study of what community colleges can do to improve success for all students--the Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges (RP Group) summarized these six success factors as (1) directed, (2) focused, (3) nurtured, (4) engaged, (5) connected, and (6) valued. The RP Group conducted phone surveys and focus groups to ask almost 900 students from 13 California community colleges what supports their educational success, focusing particularly on the importance of these six factors to their educational achievement. The research over-sampled African-American and Latino learners and integrated survey findings with student background data extracted from the California Community Colleges State Chancellor's Office Management Information System. This report begins by synthesizing findings identified across the six success factors into five key themes. These five themes are: (1) colleges need to foster students' motivation; (2) colleges must teach students how to succeed in the postsecondary environment; (3) colleges need to structure support to ensure all six success factors are addressed; (4) colleges need to provide comprehensive support to historically underserved students to prevent the equity gap from growing; and (5) everyone has a role to play in supporting student achievement, but faculty must take the lead. The report then provides a detailed description of students' responses by success factor, including a full definition of each factor, key findings about that factor from both the survey and focus groups, and any significant highlights by survey participant subgroup. This section includes a one-page summary that underscores which aspects of the six success factors are particularly important to first-generation, African-American and Latino participants. This resource concludes with actions that faculty, counselors, staff, administrators and students can take to help students experience one or more of the six success factors, based on the suggestions of study participants. (Contains 2 references, 8 tables and 6 sets of discussion questions designed to facilitate campus conversations about the study's findings).