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1
Significant Increases in Associate Degree Graduation Rates: CUNY
Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP)
(June 2020)
Launched in 2007 with support from the New York City Center for
Economic Opportunity (CEO), Accelerated Study in Associate Programs
(ASAP) is a comprehensive program for associate-degree students at
nine CUNY colleges: Borough of Manhattan, Bronx, Hostos,
Kingsborough, LaGuardia, and Queensborough Community Colleges;
Medgar Evers College; College of Staten Island; and New York City
College of Technology. ASAP’s extensive supports include financial
resources (tuition waivers for students in receipt of financial aid
with a gap need, textbook assistance, and New York City Transit
MetroCards), and structured pathways to support academic momentum
(full-time enrollment, block scheduled first-year courses,
immediate and continuous enrollment in developmental education,
winter and summer course-taking). ASAP also provides comprehensive
direct support services (personalized advisement, tutoring, career
development services, and early engagement opportunities to build a
connected community).
ASAP is committed to graduating at least 50% of students within
three years through the provision of comprehensive support services
and financial resources that remove barriers to full-time study,
build student resiliency, and support timely degree completion.
Currently, less than 25% of CUNY community college students and
only 16% of urban community college students nationally graduate
within three years.1 ASAP has served over 59,000 students since
inception across thirteen cohorts, with the first cohort entering
in fall 2007. In the academic year 2019-20, ASAP served
approximately 25,000 students.
ASAP has proven to be one of CUNY’s most successful initiatives
with students in the program graduating at a rate more than double
that of similar students. The program has garnered national
attention and has gone through rigorous evaluation. ASAP evaluation
includes an internal analysis by CUNY across eight cohorts
utilizing a quasi-experimental constructed comparison group design,
a five-year experimental design random assignment study led by
MDRC, and a cost-benefit analysis conducted by Dr. Henry Levin and
the Center for Benefit-Cost Studies in Education (CBCSE) at
Teachers College, Columbia University. Key findings from CUNY’s
evaluation of ASAP2 reveal:
ASAP students graduated at more than double the rates of
non-ASAP students. Across the eight cohorts in the evaluation, ASAP
had an average graduation rate of 53.4% vs. 24.6% for the
historical matched comparison group. The most recent average
graduation rate across ten ASAP cohorts is 52.9%.
Students who started ASAP with developmental needs graduated at
high rates just like students who entered fully skills proficient:
After three years, 47.8% of ASAP students with developmental needs
and 60.6% of fully skills proficient ASAP students graduated vs.
20.9% of non-ASAP students with developmental needs and 29.9% of
fully skills proficient non-ASAP students.
There are significant differences between ASAP and comparison
group students in terms of retention rates, movement through
developmental coursework, credit accumulation, and graduation
rates. These differences are seen as early as the first semester
and continue to occur at all junctures over three years.
Students from underrepresented groups appear to benefit more
from ASAP than other students.
When considering longer-term outcomes across CUNY, ASAP students
are more likely to earn a degree. Six years after beginning, 63.6%
of ASAP first-time freshmen had earned either an associate or
baccalaureate degree (or both) vs. 43.3% of comparison group
students.
EXTERNAL EVALUATION OF ASAP
MDRC conducted a random assignment study of ASAP’s third and
fourth cohorts, which included a sample of 900 students.3
Participants included ASAP students from three community colleges
who entered with developmental education needs. Students were
randomly assigned to either the program group or control group,
ensuring that the two groups were similar in terms of background
and motivation, and differences in outcomes were a direct result of
participating in ASAP. MDRC’s three-year report found that ASAP
students outperformed the control group students with respect to
persistence, credit accumulation, full-time enrollment, three-year
graduation, and transfer to four-year colleges. The three-year
graduation rate for ASAP students was nearly double the graduation
rate of control group
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2
students. MDRC stated that “ASAP’s effects are the largest MDRC
has found in any of its evaluations of community college reforms.
The model offers a highly promising strategy to markedly accelerate
credit accumulation and increase graduation rates among
educationally and economically disadvantaged populations”
(Scrivener et al. 2015).
ASAP was also the subject of a comprehensive cost-benefit study
led by Dr. Henry Levin of the Center for Benefit-Cost Studies in
Education (CBCSE) at Teachers College Columbia University.4 Part
one of Dr. Levin’s study, a cost-effectiveness analysis of ASAP,
revealed that despite higher up-front costs, the average cost per
three-year ASAP graduate was lower than for comparison group
graduates. The study found an average savings of $6,500 per
graduate. Part two of Dr. Levin’s analysis looked at the benefits
of timely graduation, both for the individual and for the public
sector, by examining increased earnings and tax revenues as well as
reduced costs for social services such as public health, public
assistance, and criminal justice. The study found that an
investment in ASAP has significant financial returns for both the
taxpayer and the student. For every dollar invested in ASAP by the
taxpayer, $3.50 are returned per associate degree conferred in the
form of increased tax revenues and social service savings, and for
each dollar invested by the ASAP student, $12.20 are returned
through increased earnings. Dr. Levin and his team concluded that
the total net benefits for 1,000 ASAP students are $46.5 million
higher than for 1,000 comparison group students who did not enroll
in ASAP.
ASAP EXPANSION AND REPLICATION
Thanks to generous support from the City of New York, ASAP
expanded from 4,300 students in 2014-15 to over 25,000 in 2018-19.
Part of the ASAP expansion includes serving more Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) majors and a
campus-wide expansion at Bronx Community College to serve most
incoming first-time, full-time freshmen.
In addition to serving more CUNY students seeking their
associate degree, ASAP is also beginning to serve students who are
pursuing their bachelor’s degree. CUNY received funding from Robin
Hood to adapt the ASAP model to a four-year college setting at John
Jay College of Criminal Justice, which launched the Accelerate,
Complete, Engage (ACE) program in fall 2015. The goal of ACE is to
graduate at least 50% of students in four years.
John Jay ACE has served over 900 students since the program
launch and admitted its fourth cohort in fall 2019. Also, with
support from Robin Hood, ACE expanded to Lehman College in fall
2019, welcoming 125 first-time freshmen and 125 transfer students
in its inaugural cohort. Additionally, generous funding from the
Donald A. Pels Charitable Trust will support a second Lehman ACE
cohort of 300 students, 200 first-time freshmen, and 100 transfer
students.
To expand the reach of ASAP beyond New York City, CUNY partnered
with MDRC and the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) to
support adaptations of ASAP at three Ohio community colleges. MDRC
released three-year findings from this Ohio demonstration5, which
showed that the ASAP-like programs nearly doubled graduation rates
after three years and increased the number of students who
transferred to four-year colleges. In 2017-2019, CUNY ASAP provided
technical assistance to support replication efforts in two
additional states through grants from Arnold Ventures’ “Move the
Needle” initiative. Westchester Community College (NY) and Skyline
College (CA) launched ASAP-like programs in fall 2018. Currently,
CUNY ASAP is supporting further replication of the model across the
San Mateo County Community College District and at two West
Virginia Community and Technical Colleges (Blue Ridge Community and
Technical College and West Virginia University at Parkersburg).
Additionally, Nashville State Community College (TN) is replicating
the model through the support of former Nashville Mayor Briley’s
Getting Results by Advancing Degrees initiative (Nashville
GRAD).
1 Source: CUNY Office of Institutional Research and Assessment
(OIRA) and the Institutional Postsecondary Educational Data System
(IPEDS). 2 For CUNY’s evaluation, comparison groups were
constructed for each cohort from fall 2007 and fall 2014 to
estimate the effect of ASAP. The comparison groups consisted of
students enrolled at each college who met ASAP eligibility criteria
but did not participate in the program. Estimated effects were
verified using propensity-score matched comparison groups for each
cohort as well and similar results were found. Additional ASAP
evaluation findings, briefs and reports can be found:
http://www1.cuny.edu/sites/asap/evaluation
3 MDRC ASAP reports:
http://www.mdrc.org/publication/doubling-graduation-rates 4 Dr.
Levin’s reports:
http://cbcse.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Levin-ASAP-Cost-Effectiveness-Report_092412_FINAL-5.pdf
and
http://cbcse.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Levin_ASAP_Benefit_Cost_Report_FINAL_05222013.pdf.
5 Increasing Community College Graduation Rates with a Proven
Model:
https://www.mdrc.org/publication/increasing-community-college-graduation-rates-proven-model
http://www1.cuny.edu/sites/asap/evaluationhttp://www.mdrc.org/publication/doubling-graduation-rateshttp://cbcse.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Levin-ASAP-Cost-Effectiveness-Report_092412_FINAL-5.pdfhttp://cbcse.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Levin_ASAP_Benefit_Cost_Report_FINAL_05222013.pdfhttps://www.mdrc.org/publication/increasing-community-college-graduation-rates-proven-modelhttps://www.mdrc.org/publication/increasing-community-college-graduation-rates-proven-model
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Total Enrollment2 N 59,120Gender
Male % 43.1Female % 56.9
EthnicityAmerican Indian/Native Alaskan % 0.4Asian/Pacific
Islander % 12.2Black % 32.6Hispanic % 44.1White % 10.7
Age Group18 or younger % 47.319 % 16.020 to 22 % 18.223 to 29 %
11.830 or older % 6.7
Mean Age mean 20.6Admission Type
First-time Freshmen % 66.8Transfer Students % 8.3Continuing
Students % 24.9
Developmental Students3 %Initial Remedial Need4 % 74.2At Time of
Entry into ASAP % 42.3
College Admissions Average5 mean 75.1GED Recipients % 6.2Pell or
TAP Receipt6 % 86.4
March 1, 2020
6 Students who received either a Federal Pell Grant and/or a New
York State Tuition Assistance Program Grant. Based on a preliminary
data source.
2 Data for the fall 2019 cohort not yet reflected in the
profile. Also, excludes a small percentage of students from other
cohorts whose data were not available.
Profile of ASAP StudentsFall 2007 to Fall 2019 Cohorts1
1 Includes ASAP students admitted in fall 2007 through fall
2019. Medgar Evers College joined in fall 2014 and NYC College of
Technology and College of Staten Island joined in fall 2015.
3 Students who required developmental coursework. Developmental
need data comes from CUNY's Administrative Data Warehouse. Includes
students from cohort 1 who were required to address all
developmental needs prior to entering ASAP. Data for cohorts 11 and
12 are not yet available and therefore excluded from the average.4
Initial remediation need is based on first CUNY Skills Assessment
test taken and/or test exemption. 5 Data is not available for all
students; Data is missing for most transfer students and students
who applied as direct admits to the college.
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Source: ASAP calculations using data from the CUNY Office of
Institutional Research and Assessment February 27, 2020
55% 55%
47%45%
57% 55% 58% 55% 52%55%
47%52%
47%42%
51%46%
50%46%
43%47%
39%30%28%
17% 19%
33%30%
34% 34%30% 31%
25%
23%
16% 14%
24%
18%
24% 22%18%
20%16%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Cohort 1(FA07)
(N=1,132)
Cohort 2(FA09)
(N=429)
Cohort 3(SP10)(N=390)
Cohort 4(FA10)
(N=559)
Cohort 5(FA11)
(N=475)
Cohort 6(FA12)
(N=1,562)
Cohort 7(FA13)
(N=1,847)
Cohort 8(FA14)
(N=2,278)
Cohort 9(FA15)
(N=3,996)
Cohort 9S(SP16)
(N=1,682)
Cohort 10(FA16)
(N=8,036)Preliminary
ASAP 2-Year and 3-Year Graduation RatesFall 2007 to Fall 2016
Cohorts
All Students:3-Year Rate
Dev ed Students:3-Year Rate
All Students:2-Year Rate
Dev ed Students:2-Year Rate
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ASAP Cohort Total Graduated Rate Total Graduated Rate Total
Graduated RateN N % N N % N N %
Cohort 1 (Fall 2007) 1,132 621 54.9 ~~ ~~ ~~ 1,132 621
54.9Cohort 2 (Fall 2009) 429 238 55.5 329 172 52.3 100 66
66.0Cohort 3 (Spring 2010) 390 185 47.4 335 157 46.9 55 28
50.9Cohort 4 (Fall 2010 559 249 44.5 431 181 42.0 128 68 53.1Cohort
5 (Fall 2011) 475 271 57.1 312 159 51.0 163 112 68.7Cohort 6 (Fall
2012) 1,562 866 55.4 819 379 46.3 743 487 65.5Cohort 7 (Fall 2013)
1,847 1,063 57.6 899 448 49.8 948 615 64.9Cohort 8 (Fall 2014)
2,278 1,244 54.6 981 453 46.2 1,297 791 61.0Cohort 9 (Fall 2015)
3,996 2,096 52.5 1,454 618 42.5 2,542 1,478 58.1Cohort 9S (Spring
2016) 1,682 929 55.2 563 262 46.5 1,119 667 59.6Cohort 10 (Fall
2016) 8,036 3,753 46.7 3,438 1335 38.8 4,598 2,418 52.6Total /
Average1 22,386 11,515 52.9 9,561 4,164 46.2 12,825 7,351 59.6
ASAP Cohort Total Graduated Rate Total Graduated Rate Total
Graduated RateN N % N N % N N %
Cohort 1 (Fall 2007) 1,132 341 30.1 ~~ ~~ ~~ 1,132 341
30.1Cohort 2 (Fall 2009) 429 119 27.7 329 77 23.4 100 42 42.0Cohort
3 (Spring 2010) 390 67 17.2 335 52 15.5 55 15 27.3Cohort 4 (Fall
2010 559 105 18.8 431 59 13.7 128 46 35.9Cohort 5 (Fall 2011) 475
155 32.6 312 76 24.4 163 79 48.5Cohort 6 (Fall 2012) 1,562 472 30.2
819 146 17.8 743 326 43.9Cohort 7 (Fall 2013) 1,847 630 34.1 899
215 23.9 948 415 43.8Cohort 8 (Fall 2014) 2,278 781 34.3 981 217
22.1 1,297 564 43.5Cohort 9 (Fall 2015) 3,996 1,200 30.0 1,454 256
17.6 2,542 944 37.1Cohort 9S (Spring 2016) 1,682 516 30.7 563 113
20.1 1,119 403 36.0Cohort 10 (Fall 2016) 8,036 1,971 24.5 3,438 548
15.9 4,598 1,423 30.9Total / Average1 22,386 6,357 28.2 9,561 1,759
19.4 12,825 4,598 38.1
Source: ASAP calculations using data from the CUNY Office of
Institutional Research and Assessment
1 This row includes the total number of students for all cohorts
combined for the columns labeled "N" and the mean of the cohort
graduation rates for the columns labeled "%".
3-Year Graduation Rate for ASAP Students by Developmental Need
at Time of Entry
All Students Developmental Need at Entry Fully Proficient at
Entry
February 27, 2020
2-Year Graduation Rate for ASAP Students by Developmental Need
at Time of Entry
All Students Developmental Need at Entry Fully Proficient at
Entry
1 This row includes the total number of students for all cohorts
combined for the columns labeled "N" and the mean of the cohort
graduation rates for the columns labeled "%".
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ASAP Cohort Total Graduated Rate Total Graduated Rate Total
Graduated RateN N % N N % N N %
Cohort 1 (Fall 2007) 1,132 621 54.9 852 470 55.2 280 151
53.9Cohort 2 (Fall 2009) 429 238 55.5 298 166 55.7 131 72
55.0Cohort 3 (Spring 2010) 390 185 47.4 147 62 42.2 243 123
50.6Cohort 4 (Fall 2010 559 249 44.5 366 155 42.3 193 94 48.7Cohort
5 (Fall 2011) 475 271 57.1 324 185 57.1 151 86 57.0Cohort 6 (Fall
2012) 1,562 866 55.4 1,083 571 52.7 479 295 61.6Cohort 7 (Fall
2013) 1,847 1,063 57.6 1,187 659 55.5 660 404 61.2Cohort 8 (Fall
2014) 2,278 1,244 54.6 1,434 714 49.8 844 530 62.8Cohort 9 (Fall
2015) 3,996 2,096 52.5 2,645 1,266 47.9 1,351 830 61.4Cohort 9S
(Spring 2016) 1,682 929 55.2 709 300 42.3 973 629 64.6Cohort 10
(Fall 2016) 8,036 3,753 46.7 5,818 2,527 43.4 2,218 1,226 55.3Total
/ Average1 22,386 11,515 52.9 14,863 7,075 49.5 7,523 4,440
57.5
ASAP Cohort Total Graduated Rate Total Graduated Rate Total
Graduated RateN N % N N % N N %
Cohort 1 (Fall 2007) 1,132 341 30.1 852 250 29.3 280 91
32.5Cohort 2 (Fall 2009) 429 119 27.7 298 70 23.5 131 49 37.4Cohort
3 (Spring 2010) 390 67 17.2 147 15 10.2 243 52 21.4Cohort 4 (Fall
2010 559 105 18.8 366 59 16.1 193 46 23.8Cohort 5 (Fall 2011) 475
155 32.6 324 94 29.0 151 61 40.4Cohort 6 (Fall 2012) 1,562 472 30.2
1,083 276 25.5 479 196 40.9Cohort 7 (Fall 2013) 1,847 630 34.1
1,187 348 29.3 660 282 42.7Cohort 8 (Fall 2014) 2,278 781 34.3
1,434 379 26.4 844 402 47.6Cohort 9 (Fall 2015) 3,996 1,200 30.0
2,648 597 22.5 1,348 603 44.7Cohort 9S (Spring 2016) 1,682 516 30.7
709 92 13.0 973 424 43.6Cohort 10 (Fall 2016) 8,036 1,971 24.5
5,818 1,145 19.7 2,218 826 37.2Total / Average1 22,386 6,357 28.2
14,866 3,325 22.2 7,520 3,032 37.5
Source: ASAP calculations using data from the CUNY Office of
Institutional Research and Assessment
1 This row includes the total number of students for all cohorts
combined for the columns labeled "N" and the mean of the cohort
graduation rates for the columns labeled "%".
3-Year Graduation Rate for ASAP Students by Admission Type
All Students First Time Freshmen Continuing/Transfer
Students
February 27, 2020
1 This row includes the total number of students for all cohorts
combined for the columns labeled "N" and the mean of the cohort
graduation rates for the columns labeled "%".
2-Year Graduation Rate for ASAP Students by Admission Type
All Students First Time Freshmen Continuing/Transfer
Students
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0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
ASAP CompGroup
ASAP CompGroup
ASAP CompGroup
ASAP CompGroup
ASAP CompGroup
2nd Semester 3rd Semester(1 Year)
4th Semester 5th Semester(2 Year)
6th Semester
92.7%
83.9% 80.9%
65.7%
71.3%
54.8%
39.3% 38.7%
19.9%
27.7%
26.1%
9.0%
40.8%
14.8%
Average Retention Rates of ASAP and Comparison Group Students1:
Fall 2007-Fall 2013 Cohorts2 92.7%
83.9% 80.9%
65.7%
71.3%
54.8%
65.4%
47.6%
42.5%
60.7%
ASAP (Graduated)
ASAP (Re-enrolled)
Comparison Group (Re-enrolled)
Comparison Group (Graduated)
1
Comparison groups are constructed for each cohort and consist of
students enrolled at each college who met ASAP eligibility criteria
but did not participate in ASAP. 2
Semester to semester retention at college of entry. Second and
third semester retention rates for cohorts entering in fall 2007,
fall 2009, spring 2010, fall 2010, fall 2011, fall 2012 and fall
2013 (ASAP N=6,394; Comp group N=22,824). Fourth and fifth semester
retention rates for same cohorts except fall 2013 (ASAP N=4,547;
Comp group N=19,090). Sixth semester retention rate for same
cohorts except fall 2012 and fall 2013 (ASAP N=2,985; Comp group
N=15,042). Overall rates are calculated by averaging individual
cohort rates. Source: CUNY Office of Institutional Research and
Assessment. November 13, 2014
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0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
All Dev EduNeed
FullyProficient
All Dev EduNeed
FullyProficient
All Dev EduNeed
FullyProficient
2-Year Graduates(ASAP N=8,672; Comp N=20,680)
2.5-Year Graduates(ASAP N=8,672; Comp N=20,680)
3-Year Graduates(ASAP N=8,672; Comp N=20,680)
28.1%
20.1%
39.4%42.6%
35.3%
52.4% 53.4%
47.8%
60.6%
9.5%6.0%
13.8%16.3%
12.2%
21.9%24.6%
20.9%
29.9%
Results from Evaluation of Fall 2007-Fall 2014 Cohorts1Average
Graduation Rates of ASAP and Comparison Group Students1,2
By Developmental Need at Entry3
ASAP Comparison Group
1Comparison groups were constructed for each cohort from fall
2007 and fall 2014 to estimate the effect of ASAP. The comparison
groups consisted of students enrolled at each college who met ASAP
eligibility criteria but did not participate in the program.
Estimated effects were verified using propensity-score matched
comparison groups for each cohort as well and similar results were
found.2Overall graduation rates are calculated by averaging the
individual cohort graduation rates. 3Developmental education need
or skills proficiency is based on status at time of entry.Sources:
CUNY Administrative Data Warehouse (ADW); ASAP partner colleges.
November 14, 2017
Significant Increases in Associate Degree Graduation Rates:CUNY
Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP)(April 2020)EXTERNAL
EVALUATION OF ASAPASAP EXPANSION AND
REPLICATIONASAP_Program_Overview_Tables_and_Charts.pdf01
ASAP_super_group_profile_wEW_10201402
ASAP_combined_cohorts_retention_11131403
ASAP_combined_cohorts_grad_1031201404
ASAP_C5_3yr_Grad_overall_10091405
ASAP_C2toC4_3YR_GRAD_bySUBGROUPASAP_historical_grad_rates_20200227.pdfChart_cohortDev_needAdm_type