Supporting Rural Students in Oregon in High School and Beyond
Destiny McLennan, Sam Riggs, Emi Fujita-Conrads
December 14, 2023
Project Team
Destiny McLennan Senior Researcher, Education Northwest
Emi Fujita-Conrads Senior Researcher, Education Northwest
Sam Riggs Senior Researcher, Education Northwest
Michelle Hodara Senior Leader, Education Northwest
Project overview Study 1
Study 2
Next steps
A quantitative study of college enrollment, persistence, transfer, and completion outcomes using data from Oregon public high school graduates between 2005 and 2019.
A qualitative study using interviews with high school and college students, caregivers, high school and college staff members to explore how rural students in Oregon make decisions about education and training after high school.
Recommendations to support rural students’ decision-making and postsecondary plans.
Study 1. A study of college enrollment, persistence, transfer, and completion outcomes
National context on rural students’ postsecondary pathways • There are disparities in educational opportunities for rural and nonrural students.
Rural students face unique challenges, including: • Connections to resources
• Exposure to college • Access to advanced coursework • 21% of the rural adult population earn a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared
to 36% of nonrural adults (Postsecondary National Policy Institute, 2023)
Study 1 overview • Quantitative study examined college outcomes for rural and nonrural Oregon high
school graduates • 521,616 Oregon public high school graduates between 2005 and 2019
Rural students had lower rates of college enrollment, persistence, transfer, and completion than their nonrural peers 73%
• Enrollment: College enrollment in fall following high school graduation • Persistence: College enrollment in fall following student’s first academic year
65% 56%
53%
44%
42% 21% 23%
• Transfer: College enrollment at 4-year college within three years • Completion: Completed college credential within six years
Enrollment
Persistence
Transfer
Rural
Nonrural
Source: Authors’ analysis of Oregon Department of Education and National Student Clearinghouse data.
Completion
Two-thirds of Oregon high schools are rural
Source: Authors’ analysis of Oregon Department of Education and Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System data.
Nearly one-third of rural high school graduates identify as students of color 100% 4%
31% 75%
23%
<1% 0% 1% 1% 2%
41%
3% 7% 1% 6% 23%
1%
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Black Asian American Indian/Alaska Native
50% 69% 25%
Multiracial 59%
Latinx White
0% Rural Source: Authors’ analysis of Oregon Department of Education data.
Nonrural
Three-quarters of rural high school students are economically disadvantaged Nonrural
Rural
74%
Source: Authors’ analysis of Oregon Department of Education data.
60%
The college enrollment gap between rural and nonrural students has increased 57%
56%
11-point gap
14-point gap 46% 42%
2005
2015 Rural
Nonrural
Source: Authors’ analysis of Oregon Department of Education and National Student Clearinghouse data.
2019
The college enrollment gap has increased between rural male and female students
10-point gap
51%
50% 15-point gap
41% 35%
2005
2019 Rural Male
Rural Female
Source: Authors’ analysis of Oregon Department of Education and National Student Clearinghouse data.
The college enrollment gap between male and female students has increased 61%
61% 7-point gap
10-point gap
54%
51%
51%
10-point gap
50% 15-point gap
41% 35%
2005
2019 Rural Male
Rural Female
Nonrural Male
Source: Authors’ analysis of Oregon Department of Education and National Student Clearinghouse data.
Nonrural Female
Community college is the most common enrollment choice for rural students Other 2%
Out-of-state public university 9% Private college or university 10%
Oregon community college 57%
Oregon public university 22%
Source: Authors’ analysis of Oregon Department of Education and National Student Clearinghouse data.
Persistence and completion rates for rural students are lower at community colleges 85% 65%
63% 55% 44%
30%
All colleges and universities Oregon community college
21%
Oregon public university Persistence
Transfer
Completion
Source: Authors’ analysis of Oregon Department of Education and National Student Clearinghouse data.
Which rural groups need the most support for college enrollment? 40%
40% 37%
37%
36%
35%
42% Rural
average
33% 28%
Black
N = 115 (< 1%)
Native Economically Hawaiian/ disadvantaged Pacific Islander N = 42 (< 1%)
N = 11,451 (74%)
Latinx
American Indian/Alaska Native
Male
Student ever classified as English learner
Student ever had an IEP
N = 3,489 (23%)
N = 341 (2%)
N = 7,687 (50%)
N = 2,319 (15%)
N = 3,521 (23%)
Source: Authors’ analysis of Oregon Department of Education and National Student Clearinghouse data.
Implications from the study • Highlighted specific rural groups that need more support • Co-developed a series of research briefs that focus on rural male students
and rural students who identify as Latinx • Community college is the most common enrollment choice for rural students • Shaping The Ford Family Foundation’s investments in persistence and
completion in community college, transfer pathways and broadening postsecondary aspirations • Gap in understanding how rural students in Oregon make decisions about their
lives after high school • Qualitative study on rural student pathways
Group discussion 1. What questions do you have about the study? 2. How do the data presented align with your own experiences?
3. Which data points were surprising or confirmatory? 4. What do you want to know more about?
Study 2. Exploring how rural students in Oregon make decisions about education and training after high school
Study overview • Qualitative study to understand how rural students in Oregon make decisions about
their lives after high school, including perspectives from: • High school students • Parents or caregivers • High school counselors and teachers • College students • College or university counselors or advisors
Exploring rural community assets • Individual: Civic and community engagement • Relational: Close-knit community and support network • Organizational: Faith-based organizations, community-based organizations,
schools, and businesses • Cultural: Pride in self, community, and family • A survey from The Ford Family Foundation found that Oregon rural residents
place a greater importance on their connection to community, their natural environment, and their location in Oregon compared to urban residents (The Ford Family Foundation, Oregon by the numbers: Key measures for Oregon and its counties, 2022)
Advisory group • To ensure a rich, culturally responsive project aligned to the culture and context of
Oregon, we recruited a multi-sector advisory group. • Feedback on the study design, instruments, participant recruitment, and report. • Members included: • High school staff members from rural high schools • College staff members at rural-serving colleges and universities • Current community college students from rural backgrounds
High school site selection Random selection with constraints Rural locale
Ten rural high schools from the following regions participated in data collection
Enrollment of at least 100 students
Two from Southern Oregon
At least 75% of the student body eligible for free or reduced-price lunch
Two from Central Oregon
Attention to Latinx and American Indian diversity
Three from Valley North Coast
One from the Portland metro region Two from Eastern Oregon
Qualitative data collection Role
Number of participants
College-bound high school senior*
11
Non-college-bound high school senior
8
Parent or caregiver
8
High school staff member
9
College student
10
College staff member
7
Total
53
*Two students who participated in the study had at least one parent/caregiver who had completed a college degree, and both of those students were college bound
High school participants’ pathways Education and training pathways College degree pathway
• 11 students are attending a two or four-year degreegranting college or university after high school
Training pathway
• Two students are pursuing a trade or certificate program at a vocational or trade organization
Alternative pathways Military, straight into the workforce, and undecided
• One student is joining the U.S. Navy • Two students are entering the workforce (e.g., working in family business) • Two students are undecided
Challenges rural students face when making informed decisions about postsecondary education and training
The primary barrier for rural students was the perceived high cost and potential debt associated with attending college • Students spoke of the high costs of college and potential debt as deterrents
to pursuing college • Seeking workforce opportunities in the community • Impacts of COVID-19 “I want to go to college, that's something I do want to try to go for, but for now I do want to make sure I have money to do that so that way I don't get into a large student debt.” – High school student
Rural students need more exposure to information about a variety of pathways • Many high schools focused largely on preparing students for college
degree pathways • Fewer schools provided students with information about other pathways,
including the workforce, trade and certificate programs at a vocational or trade organization, and the military • Rurality can impact student exposure and access to information about various pathways • High school staff members have limited capacity to provide students with individualized support
Parents and caregivers did not always know how to support children in applying for and enrolling in college • By far, students were most influenced by their parents and families regarding their
pathways after high school • Parents and caregivers would like more information about how to support their
children, including in completing financial aid documents • However, high schools faced challenges connecting with families due to time and capacity constraints
Some rural students who plan to pursue college after high school ultimately do not enroll due to a lack of transition support • Students need extra support during the critical period between graduation from
high school and entrance into college • However, work obligations can make it difficult for rural students to take advantage of summer support (e.g., transition programs) “I know that we are losing a lot of kids. They're just falling through the cracks ... I wish we had more bodies, or more people, that we could follow up with those kids that freshman year, ‘Hey, do you need help with anything? Can we get you in contact with someone?’ I don't know how you would do that with our current staffing.”
– High school staff member
The COVID-19 pandemic impacted both student motivation for attending college and adult support • Many students’ academic performance was impacted by the pandemic, which had
implications on their next steps after high school “Their grades during comprehensive distance learning—a lot of them were not very good. And because of other things ... They were taking care of the kids or different [circumstances] ... they didn't have the motivation. They were home. And so that really impacted their trajectory and their options because of the GPA, because of lacking credits.” – High school staff member
• The pandemic impacted high school staff members’ ability to provide usual supports
for student decisions (e.g., exposure to community partners and employers)
Systems of support that lead to informed decision-making practices about postsecondary education and training among rural students
Many rural high schools offer seniors a college and career pathways class • College and career classes support students by providing resources, connecting
students to career opportunities, and helping students to complete college, scholarship, and financial aid documents. “Our college prep class ended last semester, but basically, our teacher would go over scholarships that were going on. But he also did this step-by-step thing, habits that would help get us into good habits and stuff like that. And keeping things organized for college. For the kids that didn't know really what they wanted to do, he made us do a research project on what career would fit us best, and then made us research the career that we got.” – High school student
• While students find success with college and career classes, capacity constraints can
impact the quality and availability of those classes for all students
High school staff members provide both encouragement and hands-on support to students “Our biggest thing here at the high school is to make sure that students have a plan. And college is not for everyone, and in order to be successful, you don't have to go to college. We've seen so many people that are very successful, especially in the trades. So, our goal is to make sure that every student leaves here with a plan that's the best plan for them, and that they know they can always come back to us if they need help.” – High school staff member
While parents and caregivers may not always know how to provide technical support, they do provide encouragement and connections to social networks “My dad works at a winery as a ranch hand. And so, I've kind of grown up seeing the kind of financial disparity he has endured. And he's always told me, ‘You're smart, you are capable, you can go to college, you have this privilege, you are an American citizen, you have a right to a higher education, so take advantage of that.’ I’ve always been reminded that he did not have the same opportunities as I do. So, I'm trying to make the best of that. I'm doing it for me, but also for him.” – College student
Exposure to college via dual credit, college visits, and college presence at the high school increases student interest in pursuing college “Having those [dual enrollment classes] available to me was very helpful. At my school they would pay for you to take a certain amount of classes at the community college. And so, I ended up taking a college class over the summer, a math class, and actually being in a real college class. That really helped prepare me for college. I mean, just little things like how to work Canvas or how college professors operate differently than high school teachers. Very helpful.”
– College student
Group discussion • What do you think about the four components that make up a system of support
for rural students’ postsecondary decision-making? • College and career pathways classes • High school staff member encouragement and hands-on support • Parent or caregiver encouragement and connections to social networks • Exposure to college • What is missing? What would you add?
Challenges and supports for rural students pursuing a college degree
Many rural students face culture shock when entering college • Rural students and college staff
members described challenges transitioning to college, including: • Making connections on campus • Performing well academically • Navigating institutional systems • Receiving basic needs support
“It’s easy to have those connections when this is all you’ve known, and these are the people you’ve gone to school with or grew up with in a community your entire life. And then when you’re taken out of that it can be intimidating. How do I form relationships? How do I make friendships? It can be really easy to feel out of place or that they don’t fit in.” – College staff member
Rural students benefit from programs geared toward student success • All colleges in the study offered programs that supported students’ academic and
basic needs or helped them make connections on campus, including relationships with peers, staff members, advisors, and faculty members. College programs include: • College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) • First Generation Scholars Program • Summer Bridge Program • High School Equivalency Program (HEP) • Rural students are often eligible for these campus support programs due to their
backgrounds and experiences, including identifying as low-income, first generation, and BIPOC
Group discussion • How can we better leverage existing college resources, programs, and advising
to support rural student college completion? • Existing programs and resources include TRIO, First-Generation Scholars programs, Summer Bridge programs, etc. • What else is key to support rural student college completion?
Next steps to support rural student decision-making
Recommendations • Increase family engagement at rural high schools • Increase exposure to college at rural high schools via increased dual enrollment
opportunities, college visits, and summer transition supports • Increase professional development opportunities for college and high school
staff members who serve rural communities • Increase college pricing transparency for students and families • Leverage existing college resources, programs, and advising to better support
rural students
Want to learn more? Destiny McLennan Senior Researcher, Education Northwest
destiny.mclennan@ednw.org
View the full report and briefs here
https://www.tfff.org/supporting-rural-students-oregon-high-school-and-beyond https://www.tfff.org/exploring-how-rural-students-in-oregon-make-education-decisions/
References Berg, B., Lee, S., Randolph, B., Ryu, M., & Shapiro, D. (May 2023), Current term enrollment estimates: Spring 2023. National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. https://nscresearchcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/CTEE_Report_Spring_2023.pdf The Ford Family Foundation. (2022). Oregon by the numbers: Key measures for Oregon and its counties. https://www.tfff.org/wpcontent/uploads/OBTN_2022_101022-Digital.pdf
Questions?
Thank you! Contact Destiny McLennan| destiny.mclennan@ednw.org
educationnorthwest.org