30 Years of Research: What I Have Learned

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30 Years of ResearchWhat I Have Learned

• Jon Kangas
• RP Conference, April 2006

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Research Journey

• Intelligence at Middle Age
• Vitamin E and Ulceration In Rats
• Self Disclosure in Small Groups
• Alcohol as a Cure for Ulcers in Rats
• 3500 research studies in the SJECCD

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Referenced in
Psychology Today Time New Woman Magazine Readers
Digest National Enquirer Robin Comic Book
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Start with Values

• What is a healthful individual?
• I outlined my values in
• The Psychology of Strength, Prentice Hall

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What Attributes Make up a Good Citizen?

• Check out the accreditation standards
• Personal integration
• Ethics
• Aesthetics
• Communication
• Can take care of self and others
• Can participate wisely in a democracy

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Personal Values

• What is ultimately productive while you are doing
  the work others are paying you to do?

Personal Logo Representing Central Value
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Personal Values

• One thing I have learned
• People only move forward if they start where they
  are at
• People move forward when they say where they are
  at is OK, interesting, and fascinating to share
  with others

Personal Logo Representing Central Value
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The workplace is a social laboratory for personal
and professional growth.
If You Meet the Buddha on the Road Kill Him Book
by Sheldon Kopp
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Start with the Big Picture

• Before getting caught up in details, check out
  the big picture first

• Your time is limited and deserves to be focused
  in the most valuable way

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Values or Bag of Tricks?

• To consciously choose what you do in light of
  your values and vision of health is a value
  oriented enterprise
• Not to consciously know your
• values and make conscious
• choices makes for a
• bag of tricks approach to
• research

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Single Most Useful Report

• Success rate by gender and ethnicity by section,
  course, subject, department, and college over
  time
• Special emphasis on
• English and Math
• sequences leading
• to transfer English
• and Math

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Sample format for Success by Gender and Ethnicity
Note Success A, B, C, D, CR/All grade
notations including W, D, and F
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Why the English and Math Sequences

• Need these to graduate or transfer
• Exception majors requiring algebra
• If you dont achieve graduation or transfer,
  your chances of bridging the economic gap are low
  (relates to a chosen value)

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Comparisons Groups Over Time are Essential

• Favorite Comparison Story
• Algebra Success at EVC

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Comparisons Groups Over Time are Essential

• Favorite Comparison Story
• Algebra Success at EVC and Statewide

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Comparisons Groups Over Time are Essential

• Favorite Comparison Story
• EVC, State, and SJCC

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Comparisons Groups Over Time are Essential

• EVC, State, and SJCC
• After Bob transferred from SJCC to EVC
• Note Bob gives 95 A Grades

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Comparisons Add Ethnicity to 1A Persistence from
1 Level Below
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Is the converse more telling?

• How many dont persist to
• English 1A from 1LB

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EnlaceConsistently Higher than Comparison Groups
Over Time
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How to Create Comparison Groups

• Construct your programs/grants around the writing
  sequence leading to transfer English writing
• Place your programs students in special sections
  of writing starting 2 levels below 1A
• Use your success reports by gender and ethnicity
  to get your comparison data

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How to Create Comparison Groups

• Start with a group of 100 not equal to any other
  groups (typical of grants)
• GPA, of units, success rates are interesting
  but not very useful by themselves
• Sort the students by writing courses 1, 2, and 3
  levels below English 1A
• Then compare the students 2 LB in that section
  with all other students 2LB in that course (minus
  the exp. grp), etc.

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Advice

• Try to avoid one time studies (not over time)
  with no comparison group
• Choose studies that have the same measures over
  time with comparison groups using the same
  measures

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There are no Remedial Students

• Transfer English Composition
• 1 Level Below Educational Futures Level
• 2 Levels Below Orientation to College Level
• 3 Levels Below Assessment Level

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Early Alert is too Late

• The
• !!first two weeks!!
• are critical

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When in Doubt Ask the Student

• Every Friday for the first 4 weeks use CAT
  ask
• Are you thinking of dropping this class?
• Do you understand the material to date?
• Do you need a tutor?
• Would you like a study group?
• Would you like to talk to the instructor?
• Are you worried about succeeding in this class?
• Have the student sign their name.

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Or How Many Steps Can We Take to Move Away from
the Student and real/relevant intervention?

• Dont ask the student anything
• Wait a long time to infer nonsuccess
• First Exam
• 2 Absences
• Ask the instructor rather than the student
• Put the instructor response on a form
• Send form to Counseling
• Have counselor try to contact the student
• Arrange to talk to the student
• Ask the student if they are having trouble
• Early Alert is too late
• Do a study to correlate type of problem reported
  with Success
• If you meet the Buddha

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Simple Principles

• If you want to train future behavior, practice
  the behavior
• If you want to know if a student is having
  trouble, ask the student
• If you want someone to move forward in life,
  accept, acknowledge, and find fascinating the
  place where they are at. Do not require change

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Gateway U
Note N Gateway 105 Comparison Groups 335 5
different English courses represented
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Data Over Time Essential

• Affirm Success F01

N 19, 52, 382 in 5 courses in math, English
and Chem
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Data Over Time Essential

• Affirm Success F04

N 45, 83, 373 in 5 courses in Math, English
and Chemistry, Political Science, Guidance
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Data Over Time Essential

• Affirm Success F04

New Intervention Strategy
Note utility of success by ethnicity reports by
section and course
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Data Over Time

• Enlace Success Rates over Time

Ns from 128 to 227, courses include English,
Math, and Biology
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One of top 2 studies

• Course placement success rates
• Counselor judgment vs. the computer

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Placement Success for 1 Counselor F89
Note Counselor rallied to 60 in F90 and then
backslide to 57 in S93. Shows the value or data
over time.
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Comparisons of Instructional Methodologies

• Comparison of On-Line, Hybrid, and Web Enhanced
  Methodologies with Similar Courses

Ns 305, 71, 1117
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We Dont Really Need More Research
Actualization
Esteem
Belonging
Love
Safety
Physiological
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We know what is neededLife is not abstract

• Food
• Sleep
• Shelter
• Safety
• Money to pay for college
• Transportation to college
• Sense of belonging
• Group
• Place
• Program that carries a sense of pride and
  identity

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We know what is needed

• Support
• Blocked classes
• Support personnel
• Caring follow-up when problems occur including
  CATs (early alert is too late)
• Assessment for realistic life/educational
  strategies
• Sense of a home on campus
• Study Skills
• Time management
• Career planning and a clear vision of an
  educational and career future
• Mentors, Role Models
• Learning Communities

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We know what is neededLove is not Enough

• !!!Time on task (Rouche)
• with correct practice (Jon)!!!

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Add Other Instructional Strategies

• Courses with clearly articulated learning
  outcomes that put the grade within control of the
  student
• Interactive learning
• High structure for low skill level students
• Peer Led Team Learning

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Formula for Creating a New Support Program/Effort

• Absolute Essentials Insure that
• Food
• Shelter
• Transportation
• Money to pay for college
• Books
• Time on Task
• Then Add
• Any of the other support/instructional variables
  but include a way to create a strong sense of
  belongingness

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My Sense with a Longitudinal Perspective

• New religions are needed with each new
  generation If you meet the Buddha on the road
• Funding has not changed over time so we keep
  shuffling the chairs on the Titanic
• Grants and fresh enthusiasm create new requests
  for research for what works, new programs and
  initiatives

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Examples of Temporary Change

• Success in Writing 2 Levels Below 1A

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Examples of Temporary Change

• Success in Reading 3 Levels Below 1A

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Examples of Temporary Change

• Success in Writing 1 Level Below 1A

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Short Story Gateway U

• Chancellors Office Grant
• Blocked Classes
• High Pride in Program
• Emphasis on Time on Task
• Enthused Instructors
• Dubbed a Model Program
• Success Above Baselines
• Someone forgot to reapply
• Here today, gone tomorrow

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Moral of Story

• We know what works
• But have to rediscover it on our own
• We dont build on accumulated knowledge
• We cant afford to increase our efforts so we
  make progress in the moment with our grants and
  enthusiasm
• Enjoy your successful initiatives in the moment

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Building on Previous KnowledgeReminder Life is
Practical
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Simple Rules

• If you want a student to know the names of other
  students, have them meet and say the names of
  other students
• If you want students to contact others,
  construct ways for them to contact each other
• Life is real

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Examples of Temporary Change

• Success in Reading 1 Level Below 1A

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Persistence to Transfer Math from Intermediate
Algebra
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Persistence to Transfer Math from Intermediate
Algebra SJCC
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Persistence from Writing Classes below Transfer
English 1A to Transfer English 1A
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Persistence from Writing Classes below Transfer
English 1A to Transfer English 1AComparisons
still helpful
Why would you guess EVC higher?
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College Success Rates Over Time
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Make an Impact with Data

• People make 100s of decisions with no data
• People dont wait for data to make decisions
• People make decisions based on what they feel
  about data, not data itself
• People want to feel confident and on solid ground
  using the data we provide
• So construct a strategy to make people
  confident/comfortable

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Make an Impact with Data

• Test of effective data
• Your primary finding will be repeated at a
  cocktail party

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The One Page Report

• People will read one page
• People will remember information from one page
• Our Trends Newsletters are one page reports

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The One Page Formula

• Words State the Question in 1-2 sentences
• Data Present the key data often in 8 pts.
• Use notes in 6-8 pts for, caveats,
• definitions
• Always find a way to include Ns
• Picture Chart
• Words Comments, conclusions using short
• sentences, bullets. Try to have one major
• finding that can be presented like a sound
• bite. Make Recommendations

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• Make Recommendations
• Outline Options
• Suggest Possible Programs
• Suggest Possible Decisions

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Differentiate Your Data

• Green when a number/ goes up
• Red when a number/ goes down
• Use an arrow to point to the most imp.
• Make important stuff big, reference info small
• Use fall colors for fall data
• Bold the cell with totals
• Colorize success columns but not columns
• Use music on slide shows
• Call Julie Slark

Red
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Impact with Data in a Document

• Put the story on the cover
• Put the credits on the inside of the cover
• Put the larger story as a one page
• document on page 1

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Example of first page Tells the story Tells how
the program works so it can be replicated Data,
pictures, words Notes and credits
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For maximum impact with your data

• Turn your data into a social problem, not a set
  of numbers Persistence from 1LB 1A to 1A

80 will not graduate or transfer and are not
likely to bridge the economic gap
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30 Years of Research What I Have
Learned Have a Life
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• Enjoy
• Grow
• Chart Your Own Course
• Have an Impact
• Value Your Impact in the Moment

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• Jon