Student Achievement in Identified Workforce Clusters: Understanding Factors that Influence Student Success

Abstract

This study blends elements from two South Carolina Technical College System initiatives—Achieving the Dream and a workforce cluster strategy. Achieving the Dream is a national non-profit organization created to help technical and community college students succeed, particularly low-income students and students of color. This initiative, combined with a recent strategy that places particular emphasis on five workforce clusters (advanced manufacturing, energy, healthcare, tourism, and transportation and logistics), necessitates an exploration into student retention and achievement specific to these cluster areas, which are critical to the state's advancement in the knowledge economy. All students in this study were first-year, first-time South Carolina Technical College System students assigned to one of three cohorts based on start date (2002, 2003, or 2004). Outcomes were analyzed using backward binary logistic regression to determine academic preparedness as defined by enrollment in developmental studies, financial aid receipt, full-time/part-time enrollment, and demographic variables including age, ethnicity, and gender. Additional analyses were performed to disaggregate outcome and student-level variables by workforce cluster. Results of the analyses in this omnibus study assist in determining which factors are most important in predicting student success in technical and community colleges. Findings show enrollment in developmental studies courses, gender, and availability of financial resources are significant when predicting student persistence. The number of credit hours earned each semester, age, and gender are significant when examining students' likelihood of graduating. Implications for future research and policy decisions, including the need for cluster-specific initiatives, are also discussed.

Notes

¹Pell eligibility available beginning in 2004.