African American Transfer Tipping Point Study with Dr. Darla Cooper

LISTEN TO THE EPISODE:

Learn about factors that increase the likelihood of African American students transferring to four-year universities.

In this episode, I interview Dr. Darla Cooper, Executive Director of The RP Group, a nonprofit research and planning organization focused on supporting California community colleges to increase student success and equity.

(Scroll down to access the transcript.)

Note: While The RP Group is California-based, the research findings and resources are applicable to all U.S. community colleges and open access universities.

Focus of the episode: African American Transfer Tipping Point (AATTP) Study

We cover the following key topics:

7:12:25: Impetus and methodology

12:56:00: Findings

19:05:50: Impact of academic probation

25:44:50: Actions colleges can take 

35:42:25: Classroom practices matter

45:29:00: Campus Leadership

48:47:50: Warm hand off to four-year universities

Select Dr. Cooper episode quotes:

"Something is happening between when [African American students] start and when they get to this milestone of 60 transferable units. That's really where the African American Transfer Tipping Point Study came from--trying to uncover what's going on, what makes a student more or less likely to transfer. The study unpacks what those factors are that either facilitate or hinder a student's chances of getting to transfer and then trying to figure out what institutions can try to make that happen."

"The key factor was whether the student had completed transfer-level English and math in the first year. Students who successfully completed both transfer-level English and math in their first year were 310% more likely to reach the gate [i.e., transfer].

If the student had completed transfer-level math, but not English in the first year: their chances were 160% more likely to transfer.
If the student completed transfer-level English, but not math: 70% more likely to transfer.
If the student saw a counselor: 60% more likely.
If the student participated in the Umoja program: 20% more likely.
If the student came from a low-income background: 20% LESS likely.
If the student receives DSPS [disabled students programs & services]: 20% LESS likely.
If a student was put on academic probation: 70% LESS likely."

"[To describe academic probation], students used the word "devastating." A feeling that the college had abandoned them or given up on them. They felt they were being punished in some way. No one ever asked them why they were on probation. They really equated it to the criminal justice version of probation and that you lose privileges."

"The rest of the [non-Black]  faculty feel like the Black students are the Black faculty and staff's responsibility and that has to stop. Black students are everyone's responsibility, not just the Black faculty and staff."

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About Dr. Darla Cooper
Dr. Darla Cooper has worked in the community college system for over 20 years, having previously held institutional research director positions at a variety of colleges. She led Student Support (Re)defined, a landmark research project that examined what supports student success and co-directed Through the Gate, a research study that examined what happens with students who appear ready to transfer, but do not. Dr. Cooper has extensive experience serving as an external evaluator for several federal and private foundation grants and has worked on various other projects designed to promote student success including the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, and the American Association of Community Colleges’ (AACC) Pathways Project.

About Dr. Al Solano
Al is Founder & Coach at the Continuous Learning Institute. A big believer in kindness, he helps institutions of higher education to plan and implement homegrown practices to improve student success and equity by coaching them through a process based on what he calls the "Three Cs": Clarity, Coherence, Consensus. In addition, his bite-sized, practitioner-based articles on student success strategies, institutional planning & implementation, and educational leadership are implemented at institutions across the country. He has worked directly with over 50 colleges and universities and has trained well over 5,000 educators. He has coached colleges for over a decade, worked at two community colleges, and began his education career in K12. He earned a doctorate in education from UCLA, and is a proud community college student who transferred to Cornell University.

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