College Persistence and Completion Strategies: Opportunities for Scaling Up

1. College Persistence and Completion Strategies: Opportunities for Scaling Up Terry E. Spradlin David J. Rutkowski Nathan A. Burroughs Justin R. Lang October 29, 2010

2. Setting the Stage

3. College Access College access has improved dramatically nationwide, and in Indiana alone the college-access rate has increased from 33% in 1986 to 63% today.

4. An Example!Indiana’s 21st Century Scholars Began in 1990 as Indiana's way of raising the educational aspirations of low and moderate-income families At 6th-8th Grade the Scholars make a pledge to: • Graduate with an Indiana High School Diploma • Achieve a cumulative high school GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale. • Not use illegal drugs or alcohol, or commit a crime. • Apply for admission to an eligible Indiana college, university or proprietary school as • a high school senior. • Apply on time for state and federal financial aid. The Program Provides: • Undergraduate tuition scholarship to an eligible college or university; • 14 Twenty-first Century Scholars Regional Support Programs throughout the state that offer activities such as tutoring, mentoring, and college visits. • Annual statewide and regional parent conferences. • Monthly regional parent meetings.

5. A little more… • Over 60% are first-generation students • 40% of Scholars are minority students • Average family income is 58% less than the average FAFSA filer • Scholars are much more likely to attend college than other Pell Grant-eligible students (the most appropriate comparison group) • However, persistence and completion rates for Scholars are statistically indistinguishable from the Pell Grant-eligible group

6. Policy Shifts • Access remains a concern • But what happens once access improves? • In other words is it enough to simply get a student’s foot in the door?

7. Turning Towards Persistence • Many strategies to improve college persistence and completion remain problematic. • Graduate with four year degree within 6 years • Indiana=55% U.S.= 56% • Graduate with two year degree within 3 years • Indiana=27% U.S.=28% • Degree attainment varies greatly by race/ethnicity

8. Objectives of Report • Examine existing research on outcomes of programs designed to increase higher education success of underrepresented student populations • Identify effective programs and/or strategies for replication or scaling up • Take an inventory of existing retention and persistence initiatives currently in use at Indiana institutions

9. So… What did we learn?

10. Literature • Academic literature is helpful and plentiful on this topic. • Perhaps the most highly researched topic in American higher education (Seidman, 2005). • Fortunately for us we have one of the foremost experts in the field on our panel today! • There exist a number of models… • But they largely suggest that the decision to remain in college is the product of a number of different influences. How these influences operate is a more difficult topic.

11. Literature • Academic preparation is a largely agreed-upon variable • Important to achieve a “match” between the level of commitment, ability and institutional rigor • High School GPA appears to be strongest predictor of degree completion • First semester freshman GPA appears to be strongest factor in persistence to sophomore year

12. Literature • However, some researchers posit that 75% of all dropout decisions are non-academic in nature, and three “lenses” have appeared through which persistence can be viewed • Financial factors • Psychological factors • Institutional factors

13. Financial • When controlling for various factors, aid awards appear to increase persistence for wealthier students but the effects can be less clear for lower-income students. • Financial issues go well beyond tuition. • Students indicate that employment is a major academic impediment, and several studies have reported a negative retention effect associated with a part-time job

14. Psychological • Multiple studies identify a need for underrepresented students to feel a sense of “fit” on campus • This need is difficult to measure objectively • Attendance with existing friends • Customized orientation or interaction programs • Noticeable minority population • Family support or “cultural capital” is important • Family responsibilities, such as dependents or siblings, interfere with academic success

15. Institutional • Mentoring Programs • The efficacy of these programs appears weak, but there are successful successes like Purdue’s HORIZONS program • The existing research is fairly thin • Learning Communities • Consists of groups of students who attend scheduled classes and structured social events together • Includes both residential and non-residential communities • Results are equivocal

16. Institutional • Faculty-Student Interaction • Studies have noted a possible positive effect • More research is needed on this level • Transition and Orientation Programs • This category has a large amount of research demonstrating a positive effect. • Students indicate programs are critical to their success. • Advising • Targeted advising for at-risk groups and freshmen is frequently reported as desirable by all students.

17. Interventions Among Selected High Persistence Institutions In a review of 45 institutions with evidence of retention improvements, several common program types emerged:

18. Campus-Based Retention Programs Some observations: • Counseling and mentoring programs (71% of programs) • Freshman-specific programming (38%) • Transition/orientation programs and early-warning tracking systems (29%) • Learning communities (27%) • Student-faculty interaction programs and additional academic support (24%)

19. Indiana Retention Programs • Within Indiana, a survey of 28 public and private institutions provided some enlightening findings: • All of the previously-noted methods are in use • No two campuses use the same mix • The institutions with the largest persistence issues have the most extensive programs (IUPUI, Ivy Tech) • Additional academic support is the most common method utilized • Learning communities are the least common approach

20. Overview of Retention Interventions at Indiana Institutions Includes data from 28 of approximately 51 institutions

21. Recommendations Access Is Not Enough Expand Financial Assistance • Should address the hidden costs of attending college Indiana can build upon Twenty-First Century Scholars Program • IU has expanded the program to cover all costs • Funding for this program will need to be expanded and alumni may be a good source

22. Recommendations More Information Is Needed • Improve data collection systems • Similar and comparable data across systems and states. • Policy sharing (Complete College America) • Better support for research

23. Recommendations Tailor Programs to Specific Needs • Target At-Risk Student • Target Non-residential and 2-year Colleges • These students face different challenges than traditional Universities • Adopt a Comprehensive Strategy • College retention programs should be as unique as the students.

24. Thank You