The Impact of Participation in Early Start on Students' Literacy Practices

• In Event: 72.028 - Examining California State University Remediation Policies and Practices: Implications for Students, Faculty, and Staff

Abstract

Purpose
At a CSU designated as Hispanic-Serving Institution and situated within California’s Central Valley, first-generation students requiring remediation in math and English are invited to apply to the First Year Experience (FYE) Program. Following their participation in ESP, the 100 accepted students take all classes together in their first year. Using qualitative data, this paper examines the impact of ESP on the literacy practices of 18 students enrolled in FYE.

Framework
The academic transition from high school to college is a challenging path for many students to navigate, posing an even greater challenge for first-generation college students (Smith & Zhang, 2010), many of whom speak English as a second language (Engle, Bermeo, & O’Brien, 2006). These students face the challenges of both learning the postsecondary culture and developing the necessary literacy practices to be successful in their academic coursework (Armstrong, Stahl, & Kantner, 2015; Chen, 2005). For example, meeting postsecondary literacy demands requires, among other things, reading complex texts in multiple content areas, synthesizing information from various sources, demonstrating understanding through written responses, and writing appropriately for different audiences (Addison & McGee, 2010; Engle, et al.; National Center on Education and the Economy, 2013). But this list goes far beyond the types of literacy practices developed in high schools across the country (Applebee & Langer, 2009; Engle, et al.), leaving students struggling to fill the gap in their development through remediation programs like ESP.

Method
This paper presents data from a larger study examining the literacy development of 18 first-generation college students enrolled in CSU Fresno’s FYE program throughout their enrollment in the university. All students included in the study also participated in ESP.

Data
Data include two interviews conducted with each student during their first year, along with student-selected work samples. Interview transcripts were coded inductively for emerging themes, using the constant comparative method of data analysis (Glaser & Strauss, 1967). Where appropriate, student-selected work samples further informed understandings of students’ literacy practices.

Results
Findings indicate students recalled few specifics from their ESP participation. Some students remembered being introduced to skills such as how annotate text or the idea that they should include their opinions in an essay. However, students also recalled further developing their reading and writing skills in their FYE courses. Without that additional work, students did not believe they would have implemented any of the strategies or knowledge developed in ESP.

Overall, students agreed that the two-week timeline of the English ESP course was too short. “I feel like everything was just so crammed up,” reported one student. The short timespan left students unable to process what they were learning, leaving them little more prepared for the literacy demands of college than they were before they began.

Scholarly Significance
As colleges and universities continue to devote resources to remedial programs such as ESP, they must consider the effectiveness of those programs. Findings from this study indicate that a two-week course is likely too short to develop students’ literacy skills in meaningful ways.

Author

• Juliet Michelsen Wahleithner, California State University - Fresno