Is Age Just a Number? A Statewide Investigation of Community College Students’ Age, Classroom Context, and Course Outcomes in College Math and English

Students 25 years of age and older comprise one-third of the population in public two-year institutions, and these students face significant disadvantages in first-year retention and eventual graduation. Successfully passing college math and college English are important steps for adult students in building momentum toward a degree. Classroom context and classroom experiences play important roles in students' likelihood of passing college math and English. However, little is known about how the contextual features and experiences that are associated with the likelihood of passing differ depending on students’ age. Using multilevel models and statewide administrative data, we examine variation by age in relationships between students’ likelihood of passing a college math or English course and the characteristics of the course itself, peers in the course, the instructor teaching the course, and student behaviors that may bear on course outcomes.