Staying on track with SUNY ASAP|ACE: Results from the first year of the program

• In Event: Scaling and Adapting for Student Success: Findings from Three States Implementing a Proven Postsecondary Model

Abstract

In Spring 2024, 25 State University of New York (SUNY) campuses began enrolling students in the Advancing Success in Associate Pathways (ASAP) and Advancing Completion through Engagement (ACE) programs. These programs provide both academic and financial support to Pell eligible students for both associates (ASAP) and bachelors (ACE) degree programs. This intensive and hands on support program was first developed at the City University of New York (CUNY). In its first year at SUNY, the programs were implemented at 25 campuses and enrolled over 4,000 students. Using student administrative records data and nearest neighbor matching to identify a group of control students, we estimate that ASAP|ACE students attempt 0.3 to 0.5 more credits per semester than comparable peers, earn 1.2 to 1.5 more credits per semester, and are 7 to 10 percentage points more likely to return the following semester. These results are robust to different matching strategies and match variables. Subgroup results including identifying differential effects by demographic and education history variables are ongoing. These results are consistent with earlier ASAP|ACE evaluations both at CUNY and across the country. The breadth of the SUNY system and significant differences in geography and culture compared to CUNY do not initially appear to have altered the program’s effectiveness.

To further evaluate any difference in effectiveness or implementation at SUNY, we conducted two surveys: an implementation survey of campus ASAP|ACE leadership and a survey of student participants. Using the implementation survey, we identified some differences in the execution of the program by campus including the precise types of support services, career services, and activities offered. However, these differences were primarily cosmetic. For example, all campuses provide general tutoring centers, but some additionally offer faculty-led academic support programs (44 percent) and supplemental instruction (48 percent). Additionally, all campuses provided social gatherings for ASAP|ACE students to foster community and most (68 percent) also hosted networking events. Very few (12 percent) had formalized peer mentorship. Results from the student survey are expected in Summer 2025.

Author

• Leigh Ramsay Wedenoja, SUNY Rockefeller Institute of Government
  Presenting Author