Calbright was designed by the state of California to be a research engine that creates new approaches to adult online education, and solves systemic barriers to higher education accessibility and job skills program completion.
Research conducted by Calbright and other community colleges shows that one of the greatest barriers to adult students completing their programs are difficulties meeting basic needs in their lives: Issues like a lack of stable housing, food scarcity, and difficulty getting medical care can make it more challenging, or impossible, for students to meet their educational goals. Whereas students whose basic needs are met have more capacity and less stress to focus on their futures.
That’s why one of Calbright’s newest research initiatives, working with partners ideas42 and Catbird Strategies, is finding ways to offer the different kinds of support students need in their daily lives, not just their education. It’s called: “Increasing Student Success Through Basic Needs Support.”
“This initiative is one of the most exciting that we’ve kicked off since we first began this work,” said Tom Tasch, Senior Director of Innovation at ideas42. “We’re addressing barriers outside of the traditional student focus.”
Calbright’s new “Basic Needs Support” research looks at practical, day-to-day, student needs that student surveys by Calbright are telling us working-age adults especially need to stay enrolled.
Many Students Qualify For Support They’re Not Getting
Calbright’s initial surveys show that many students aren’t receiving public benefits that they are eligible for. They might not be aware that the programs exist, or have the time or knowledge to navigate the sometimes complex application processes. While other students might feel like they are not “struggling enough” to deserve the support they need. Still others may miss deadlines as they manage school, work, and family responsibilities.
But in fact significant numbers of students who are eligible for state benefits for food, cash assistance, and health care from programs like CalFresh, CalWorks, and Medi-Cal, are either not enrolled in the programs or not using their full benefits.
By helping students recognize their needs, understand what benefits they’re eligible for, and helping them navigate the systems, Calbright could support a significant number of adult learners with issues like access to food, housing assistance, employment, and health care.
“Students frequently under-report their basic needs and stability,” which makes it difficult to get the support they’re eligible for, said Cathy Senderling-McDonald, CEO of Calbright partner Catbird Strategies. “With this work we’re hoping to get students to express their needs and connect them to resources.”
Asking The Right Questions Is The First Step
Calbright and its research partners began a pilot initiative that uses behavioral science to help students recognize and identify their needs.
By changing the questions Calbright asks its students as part of the intake process, Calbright theorized that it could “normalize” the idea that assessing one’s basic needs and asking for help is part of being an adult student. Questions and prompts also gave concrete examples of what asking for assistance might look like.
This had a significant impact, with over 2.4 times as many students using the new intake process indicating a need on their Calbright onboarding survey. More interaction and testing is now in progress by Calbright, ideas42, and Catbird Strategies to find additional ways to get students to proactively identify needs that, if met, will support their education and keep them in classes.
Small Tweaks Can Lead To Big, Personalized, Results
As more students identify needs, new ways of connecting them with benefits need to be developed. Through its pilot research initiative, Calbright is now able to monitor students’ applications if they apply through the statewide BenefitsCal portal – which means Calbright counselors and staff can work directly with students to help them navigate the process, providing both automated and personalized support.
The idea isn’t to plug students into a new formula – it’s about having a personalized, streamlined process that is easier to navigate and scalable to other community colleged across the system.
“It’s not about assuming we know what our students need based on the Census box they check off. It’s about creating spaces where they are better able to communicate their needs,” said Calbright President and CEO Ajita Talwalker Menon. “We’re finding ways we can better listen to their needs, and know how we can help.”
This is just the beginning – more research, and more innovative approaches to meeting the kinds of needs that a significant number of students say cause them to drop out of their college programs, is coming.
“We’re really excited about some of the creative tweaks that can support and scaffold students through the process,” said Marisa Bold, Calbright’s Vice President of Sustainable Growth and District Development. “We’re continually asking questions, continually adapting, and continually looking at the tools in the system that we can use to adapt and differentiate what we’re offering.”
The result will be a better education system and healthier communities for everyone.
