Coding and Centering of Time in Latent Curve Models in the Presence of Interindividual Time Heterogeneity

The coding of time in latent curve models has been shown to have important implications in the interpretation of growth parameters. Centering time is often done to improve interpretation but may have consequences for estimated parameters. This article studies the effects of coding and centering time when there is interindividual heterogeneity in time such as when longitudinal responses are dependent on a point of origin that varies between individuals. Using representative examples that differ in their degree of interindividual time heterogeneity, we compare different models based on alternative forms of coding and centering of time to evaluate potential for biased estimates. Recommendations are made for studies marked by heterogeneity in time measures.     

COLLABORATION FOR EXCELLENCE: ENGAGED SCHOLARSHIP AT COLLIN COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

American democracy depends on civic involvement. However, many Americans are increasingly withdrawing from civic responsibility and community involvement. In his best-selling book Bowling Alone , Harvard sociologist Robert D. Putnam presents data showing that Americans have become increasingly unwilling to engage in ways that make American democracy successful. Collin County Community College (CCCC) is addressing civic disengagement through engaged scholarship collaboration between service learning and learning communities programs. Although college students are politically disengaged, most report being or having been involved in some form of community service in the previous year and say they are motivated by giving back to the community and making a difference. Engaged scholarship at CCCC draws on this interest in community service to enhance learning communities, create deeper learning for students, and instill values of citizenship and civic engagement. Learning communities classes blend courses from 2 or more disciplines into a single course with a common theme, enabling students to understand the connection between disciplines. Most integrate a service learning component into that theme, often in the form of a class project promoting civic involvement. Institutional research data reflect increased student retention and success in these classes and a climate of increased communication and objectivity, practical experience in community organizations, and a deeper understanding of democratic ideals. Faculty member focus groups indicate increased satisfaction with teaching, enhanced interdisciplinary knowledge, and feelings of being innovative in the classroom. Engaged scholarship at CCCC enhances student learning, helps develop a unified vision among faculty members, and benefits the community.     

We can Achieve if We Receive: Examining the Effects of Out-of-School Time Activities on Black Student Achievement in Mathematics

Using policy discourse analysis, the author analyzed 21 diversity action plans issued at 20 U.S. land-grant universities over a five-year period to identify images of diversity and the problems and solutions represented in diversity action plans. Discourses of marketplace, excellence, managerialism, and democracy emerged and served to construct images of the diverse individual as a commodity, entrepreneur, and change agent. These findings suggest that the dominance of the marketplace discourse may situate the diverse individual as a resource to be exploited and inspire entrepreneurial endeavors rather than change-making activism. Diversity action plans in their current form may unintentionally undermine the achievement of their equity goals.     

Oil,Maslow, and Competency: A Good Mix for Partnerships?

This article is a case study of a community college that received federal funding for two different projects involving welfare-to-work participants and local workforce development. Despite sounding good on paper, the partnerships did not finish on a high note for either the college or the local community. Social capital theory was used to analyze the study, and the goal is to engage in dialogue with the audience on the implications for policy and practice.     

PERSPECTIVES ON COMMUNITY COLLEGE LEADERSHIP: TWENTY YEARS IN THE MAKING

Findings from a national study of community college administrative careers, examining issues of position, gender, and race / ethnicity are reported. Career path data also are compared with an earlier national study, showing that paths to the presidency have changed since 1985. Implications for recruitment into senior positions and leadership diversity are discussed.     

Testing Factorial Invariance in Multilevel Data: A Monte Carlo Study

Testing factorial invariance has recently gained more attention in different social science disciplines. Nevertheless, when examining factorial invariance, it is generally assumed that the observations are independent of each other, which might not be always true. In this study, we examined the impact of testing factorial invariance in multilevel data, especially when the dependency issue is not taken into account. We considered a set of design factors, including number of clusters, cluster size, and intraclass correlation (ICC) at different levels. The simulation results showed that the test of factorial invariance became more liberal (or had inflated Type I error rate) in terms of rejecting the null hypothesis of invariance held between groups when the dependency was not considered in the analysis. Additionally, the magnitude of the inflation in the Type I error rate was a function of both ICC and cluster size. Implications of the findings and limitations are discussed.     

Assessing Learning Outcomes: Student Employees in Student Affairs

Erin Bentrim, Kim Sousa‐Peoples, Garrett Kachellek, and Wendy Powers report the results of assessing the effect of students' work experiences on their personal and academic development.     

CROSS-CULTURAL COMPARISON OF PERCEPTIONS ON THE GLOBAL SCIENTIFIC LITERACY WITH AUSTRALIAN,CHINESE, AND KOREAN MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

In this study, we explored the extent to which Australian, Chinese, and Korean middle school students perceived themselves to have scientific literacy as global citizens and attempted to identify differences and/or commonalities in their perceptions. A total of 655 middle school students (8th and 9th grades; 358 girls and 297 boys) from the three countries participated in the study. We used Global Scientific Literacy Questionnaires (GSLQ) as a survey instrument to assess the students’ perceptions. The GSLQ was developed based on a conceptual framework of Scientific Literacy suggested by Choi, Kim, Lee, Mun, Choi, Krajcik & Shin (2011) and Choi, Lee, Shin, Kim & Krajcik (Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 48(6), 670–697, 2011) for citizenship education in the 21st century. The results indicated that most of the students from the three countries showed a tendency toward higher scores for Science as human endeavor; the lowest scores were in Meta-cognition and self-direction. A pattern of gender difference was also examined among the three countries. We suggest future research questions based on a cross-cultural perspective in order to explore the reasons for the existence of these similarities and differences.

     

An effect of a mandatory counseling program for college students on academic probation: a preliminary study

This longitudinal study examined the effects of a mandatory counseling program for students placed on academic probation at a university in South Korea. The study compared longitudinal changes over three semesters in the grade point average (GPA) of students who were on academic probation. Two groups, 46 students with mandatory counseling and 49 students without, were used as comparison groups for testing the effects of counseling intervention on GPA improvement. The result suggested that the students who attended five or more counseling sessions beyond two mandatory sessions showed a significantly greater GPA improvement over three semesters in comparison with the students who did not receive the mandatory counseling sessions. Implications for counseling and suggestions for institutional action are discussed.