Claire A. Boeck’s research while affiliated with University of Michigan and other places

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Publications (8)


In What Institutional Contexts Do Adult Community College Students Prosper?
  • Article

October 2024

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8 Reads

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1 Citation

Community College Review

Peter Riley Bahr

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Yiran Chen

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Claire A. Boeck

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[...]

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Objective: Policymakers in many states are endeavoring to increase graduation rates among older community college students. However, we know little about how the factors that influence college completion among older students differ from their younger peers. We aim to identify features of institutional contexts in which adult community college students are more likely to prosper, as evidenced by an elevated likelihood of graduating. Methods: Using a multilevel statistical approach to analyze administrative data for Ohio’s community colleges, we examine how associations between students’ age and their likelihood of graduating differ as a function of dosage-weighted exposure to six contextual characteristics that align with the organizational, human aggregate, and socially constructed dimensions of Strange and Banning’s (2015) socioecological framework for campus environments. Results: Contrary to expectations, we find more similarities than differences between older and younger students in how exposure to particular institutional characteristics is related to the likelihood of graduating. Only one of the six characteristics has a relationship of meaningful magnitude with the likelihood of graduating among students of any age. Specifically, exposure to classmates taking heavier course credit loads is positively related to the likelihood of graduating for students 40 years of age and older. Conclusion: Our findings point to two potential levers for strengthening outcomes of older students as community colleges seek to become adult- serving not just adult- enrolling. First, incentivize a full-time course load across the student population. Second, create opportunities for adult students, many of whom attend part-time, to take classes with a range of classmates, including younger classmates and classmates who are attending full-time.


Early academic momentum. Predicted first-year momentum in community college by age and gender, based on the estimates presented in Table 2
Postsecondary certificate. Predicted change in the probability of completing a postsecondary certificate within six years of community college entry for a one-unit change in each measure of early college momentum, by age and gender, based on the estimates presented in Table 3
Associate degree. Predicted change in the probability of completing an associate degree within six years of community college entry for a one-unit change in each measure of early college momentum, by age and gender, based on the estimates presented in Table 3
Baccalaureate degree. Predicted change in the probability of completing a baccalaureate degree within six years of community college entry for a one-unit change in each measure of early college momentum, by age and gender, based on the estimates presented in Table 3
Less is more, or is it? Age and Gender Differences in How Students Build Momentum toward College Graduation
  • Article
  • Full-text available

August 2024

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42 Reads

Research in Higher Education

Do older community college students build momentum toward graduation differently than their younger peers? One-third of students in community colleges are 25 years of age or older, and these students tend to have lower rates of graduation than their younger peers. Yet, we know little about how the factors that influence college graduation differ across the wide range of ages found among community college students. Using multilevel statistical models to analyze data for Ohio’s community colleges, we investigate how the relationships between early academic momentum and the likelihood of completing a postsecondary credential vary by age. We disaggregate results by gender in light of prior evidence of differences in the educational experiences and outcomes of adult men and women. The measures of momentum, all observed in the first year in community college, include credits earned, credit success rate, enrollment continuity, passing college-level math, and passing college-level English. The college graduation outcomes, observed over six years, include earning a postsecondary certificate, earning an associate degree from a community college, and earning a baccalaureate degree from a four-year institution. We find some differences and some similarities in how older and younger students build momentum toward a postsecondary credential, and how these patterns differ for men and women, revealing fruitful opportunities to strengthen the outcomes of older students.

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Conceptual model of adult students’ course outcomes in college math and English
Is Age Just a Number? A Statewide Investigation of Community College Students’ Age, Classroom Context, and Course Outcomes in College Math and English

June 2022

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163 Reads

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5 Citations

Research in Higher Education

Students 25 years of age and older comprise one-third of the population in public two-year institutions, and these students face significant disadvantages in first-year retention and eventual graduation. Successfully passing college math and college English are important steps for adult students in building momentum toward a degree. Classroom context and classroom experiences play important roles in students' likelihood of passing college math and English. However, little is known about how the contextual features and experiences that are associated with the likelihood of passing differ depending on students’ age. Using multilevel models and statewide administrative data, we examine variation by age in relationships between students’ likelihood of passing a college math or English course and the characteristics of the course itself, peers in the course, the instructor teaching the course, and student behaviors that may bear on course outcomes.






Trust Issues: The Role of Trusting Relationships on Students’ Knowledge about and Transition to Community College

December 2020

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150 Reads

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9 Citations

Community College Journal of Research and Practice

Having accurate, sufficient information can help students prepare for and transition college. However, access to information about college is inequitable. Drawing from interviews with eight first-year community college students, this study explored how community college students decided whom they could trust to provide college knowledge, the role of existing relationships in their trust decisions, and how those decisions can influence students’ transition to college. Findings indicate that not all students had high school environments that facilitated the development of trusting relationships with teachers or counselors. Therefore, students turned to family members and peers for guidance. Students did not question advice from people with whom they had a relationship but did question the validity of information from people with whom they did not have a relationship. For some students, inequitable access to sufficient information created challenges in their transition to college. This study highlights the importance of creating educational environments in which students can trust teachers and staff with expertise in the college preparation process. Implications for high school and community college practitioners and community college researchers are discussed.

Citations (4)


... Early college momentum may look and operate differently for adult students than for younger students due to the time demands of adults' multiple roles and responsibilities. Adult students are more likely than younger students to carry significant nonacademic responsibilities such as caregiving or working (Bahr et al., 2021; Center for Community College Student Engagement [CCCSE], 2020a). Therefore, adults may be more subject to intervening life circumstances that require them to direct time and energy away from school, such as caring for an ill child or parent, working on marital difficulties, or changing jobs. ...

Reference:

Less is more, or is it? Age and Gender Differences in How Students Build Momentum toward College Graduation
Strengthening Outcomes of Adult Students in Community Colleges
  • Citing Chapter
  • March 2021

... responsibilities of Adult Learners, from facing and overcoming challenges to skills developed from fulfilling responsibilities in an array of areas (Bahr et al., 2021). Despite overall advances in college affordability, these results reinforce that course material costs continue to negatively influence both academic achievement and progress to graduation. ...

Strengthening Outcomes of Adult Students in Community Colleges
  • Citing Chapter
  • December 2020

... Therefore, adults may be more subject to intervening life circumstances that require them to direct time and energy away from school, such as caring for an ill child or parent, working on marital difficulties, or changing jobs. In balancing external responsibilities, adult students may not benefit as much from momentum-building behaviors as do younger students because taking a heavier course load or devoting a large amount of time to college may come at the cost of other obligations, ultimately hurting their ability to succeed in courses and stay in college (Bahr et al., 2022;Markle, 2015). Taking a lighter course load and spreading out time-and effort-intensive courses could be advantageous for adult students' chances of persisting in college and completing a credential. ...

Is Age Just a Number? A Statewide Investigation of Community College Students’ Age, Classroom Context, and Course Outcomes in College Math and English

Research in Higher Education

... Gast (2022) provides compelling knowledge that reconceptualizes what we know about race and class inequities and their impact on college access. Finally, Boeck (2022) illustrates the importance of trusting relationships on student community-college decision-making. These studies provide an initial grounding for understanding cultural capital and trust within college choice; however, there is still much to be understood in terms of how these mechanisms interact, particularly for individuals in rural populations. ...

Trust Issues: The Role of Trusting Relationships on Students’ Knowledge about and Transition to Community College
  • Citing Article
  • December 2020

Community College Journal of Research and Practice