By: Elizabeth Pierotti
The California Cradle-to-Career Data System (C2C) conducts an annual survey to capture student voices and guide the development of our tools and resources. This survey, called the Student Experience Report*, is one of the most important ways that we shape our work to best support students.
For this year’s Student Experience Report, C2C partnered with researchers at the UC Davis California Education Lab and the California Student Aid Commission to create a large-scale survey of high school seniors transitioning to college and beyond. This year, more than 11,000 graduating California high school seniors responded to the survey. Students were asked about their experiences applying to college and for financial aid, where they found support during the process, and what they wish might have been different or easier for them.
Survey results show students need more support as they choose courses in high school to ensure they are eligible to attend four-year colleges. Students, especially first-generation college students, rely on teachers, counselors, and other adults in their life to help them apply for college and financial aid.
Many students wished they had started thinking about their college plans further ahead of time. Now that they are about to transition from high school to their next steps, students shared they are both excited for independence, but nervous about paying for college.
“Will I fit in? Will I find support when I need it most? Will I make meaningful connections, and find my place, and family here?”
– Student quote when asked what is the biggest challenge they will face in college
Almost 40% of the students who responded to this year’s survey reported that they took college courses during high school, sometimes called dual enrollment. Dual enrollment has become an increasingly common way for students to earn college credit in high school so they can get a head start on college coursework, and become more competitive as they apply to colleges. Students were also asked how easy it was to add dual enrollment coursework to their high school transcripts; while most students found the process at least somewhat easy, 8% of respondents found the process very difficult.
This report enables C2C to hear directly from students about the challenges and opportunities they face as they transition from high school to college. While the C2C Data System contains important historical data points that show where past students have been, the Student Experience Report is our way of understanding where students are now and where they want to go next. Findings from the report tell us how we, and our partners, can support students through their journeys, and ensure our work is relevant to students’ needs.
C2C is currently developing and supporting projects relevant to these findings. For example, students can use academic planning tools on CaliforniaColleges.edu to keep track of A-G requirements, which helps them understand if they are eligible to apply for admission to a CSU or UC. Students can also launch college and financial aid applications directly from the website. The California College Guidance Initiative (CCGI), which manages CaliforniaColleges.edu, can use the insight that students want to start planning for college earlier to expand their middle and high school curriculums to include more college and career planning.
Related to dual enrollment, C2C has supported the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) as they plan to scale their eTranscript California project. Among other benefits, the expanded eTranscript CA will make it easier for dual enrollment students to get credit for their community college classes when they apply to college.
“I wanted to get a feel of what a college course may be like.”
– Student quote when asked why they took dual enrollment
C2C is also developing tools that can benefit students, parents, and educators by providing trusted information to inform their decisions. The upcoming Student Pathways Data Story can help teachers and counselors understand where students from their school district have gone to college and how much they earn after they graduate. Parents can compare college-going rates at specific school districts to the statewide rate, and they can understand what kind of degrees students from these school districts earn. These features can help users provide support to the students who rely on them. Now that we know how much students count on the adults in their lives for help applying to college and for financial aid, future iterations of C2C’s dashboards can include even more features that specifically help these users support their students in meeting their academic and career goals.
“Being able to finally study what I’m interested in and it is one step forward into a better future for myself and my family. It’s also a chance to make a change in the world.”
– Student quote when asked what excites them most about college
We are excited to use the findings from this year’s Student Experience Report to gain insight into students’ experience during this transitional period and smooth the paths towards meaningful educational experiences and careers. Check out the executive summary here and the full Student Experience Report here. To hear the research team from the California Education Lab talk about the report’s findings, check out the recording of the Community Conversation here.