K–12 Ever–English Learner Students' Community College Pathways: Transfer and Beyond

• In Event: English Learners and Community Colleges: Preparation, Engagement, Outcomes, and Policy in an Era of Reform

Abstract

Prior research suggests that community colleges—open-access, public, two-year colleges—are also more likely to enroll immigrant youth (Erisman & Looney, 2007). In addition, prior research suggests that English learners (ELs), or those students who were identified for linguistic support services during their K-12 careers select into community colleges even when they might otherwise be prepared for a four-year institution (Callahan & Humphries, 2016). We refer to these youth in particular as K-12 ever-EL students K-12 Ever-English Learners (ever-ELs) (Umansky, Thompson, & Díaz, 2017). Despite the prevalence of ever-ELs in community colleges, relatively little research has examined either the covariates or predictors of their community college outcomes.

In this paper, we use statewide administrative data to examine the postsecondary outcomes for EL students who enter community colleges and explore predictors for their success.
We draw on six years of administrative data from Texas to follow a cohort of students who graduated from Texas high school in 2011 and immediately enrolled in Texas community college in the 2011-2012 academic year. The second largest EL-enrolling state in the nation, Texas provides a rich resource for examining linguistic variation in student experiences and outcomes.

The 2011 cohort reflects Texas’ status as a majority-minority states (48% Latinx; 14% African American; 31% White; 2% Asian; 2% Other), as well as its rich linguistic diversity: over a quarter (26%) of the cohort was ever identified for EL services over the course of their K-12 education. Current models investigate how students’ prior linguistic status (ever-EL vs. never-EL) predicts their college outcomes while controlling for racial and ethnic background, social class, course placement, and academic performance.

Our preliminary results suggest that while ever-ELs at community colleges are significantly less likely to transfer to a four-year college or university than their never-EL peers (~3%), they are approximately about 2% more likely to earn an associate’s degree. In addition, we see a similar pattern for bachelor’s degree attainment (~4% lower for ever-ELs).

These preliminary findings and future models will help us to determine what, if any, covariates of students’ community college success may matter more for the ever-EL student population. In particular, our models to date reveal several interesting patterns regarding the importance of both dual enrollment programs and financial support in the form of Pell grants in facilitating ever-EL students’ transfer to a four-year institution and associate’s degree attainment respectively. In these cases, results suggest that while all students benefit from dual enrollment programs, ever-EL students experience an additional, significant boost to their likelihood of successful transfer compared to their never-EL counterparts. The present study offers one of the first population-level inquiries into ever-EL students’ postsecondary enrollment and attainment patterns, from initial enrollment patterns to transfer, duration, and attainment.

Authors

• Rebecca M. Callahan, University of Vermont

• Lauren Schudde, The University of Texas at Austin

• Ibrahim Bicak, University of Chicago