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What Works in Student Retention?

What Works in Student Retention?. ACT’s Fourth National Survey on College Retention. Nebraska State Organization Conference. Dr. Wes Habley Principal Associate Educational Services ACT, Inc. Types of Attrition. Expected and Justified realized a goal other than a degree/certificate

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What Works in Student Retention?

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  1. What Works in Student Retention? ACT’s Fourth National Survey on College Retention Nebraska State Organization Conference Dr. Wes Habley Principal Associate Educational Services ACT, Inc.

  2. Types of Attrition Expected and Justified realized a goal other than a degree/certificate Stopping Out not on our timeframe Unnecessary and subject to institutional intervention

  3. Definitions • Retention: the process of holding or keeping in one’s possession • Attrition:the process or state of being gradually worn down • Persistence: to continue to exist or prevail

  4. Retention Trends 1983-2011Freshman-Sophomore Year

  5. Completion Trends 1983-2011Two-year Colleges – Graduation in 3 years or less

  6. Completion Trends 1983-2011Four-year Colleges – Graduation in 5 years or less

  7. What Works…..Survey Details Overall responses Mailing: 3360 institutions Usable returns: 1104 (32.9%) Response rates: Vocational/Technical: 70 (28.2%) Community Colleges: 305 (32.1%) Four-Year public: 258 (43.1%) Four-year private: 440 (33.3%)

  8. Survey Details Survey sections Background Retention and degree completion rates Factors affecting attrition Retention practices Highest impact programs

  9. What Works….. The data reported in this survey are based on the perspectives of the individuals who responded to the survey. In some cases responses were informed by data collected at the respondent’s institution This session is the tip of the iceberg. Additional reports based on these data can be found on the ACT retention web page 9

  10. WWW.ACT.ORG ‘Retention’ in the Search Engine

  11. Factors affecting attrition 42 student and institutional factors To what degree does each factor affect attrition at your school 5 = Major effect on attrition 4 3 = Moderate effect on attrition 2 1 = Little or no effect on attrition

  12. Highest Rated Factors in Attrition

  13. Highest Rated Factors in Attrition

  14. Lowest Rated Factors in Attrition

  15. Lowest Rated Factors in Attrition

  16. John Gardner comments…. It is disturbing to note….that in spite of all we know about student retention that institutions are still inclined to hold students responsible for their retention/attrition while dramatically minimizing the institutional role in student retention.

  17. Retention Interventions 94 identified retention practices 2 wild cards Two sub-sections: Is this intervention offered? (yes or no) If it is offered, rate the contribution to retention Five-point Rating Scale 5 = Major Contribution to Retention 4 3 = Moderate Contribution to Retention 2 1 = Little or no contribution to Retention

  18. Retention Interventions Intervention clusters First-year transition programs (8 items) Academic advising (15) Assessment (9) Career Planning and Placement (6) Learning Assistance/Academic Support (19) Mentoring (4) Faculty Development (7) Financial Aid (3) Co-curricular Services/Programs for specific sub-populations (10) Other activities/programs (10)

  19. Among the Top Ten Highest Rated Interventions

  20. Among the Top Ten Highest Rated Interventions

  21. Among the Bottom Ten Lowest Rated Interventions

  22. Among the Bottom Ten Lowest Rated Interventions

  23. Combining Percentage of Use with Item Means Percentage of Institutions offering a specific intervention (INCIDENCE) Good Bet Consider Sleeper

  24. SLEEPERS: Techs Freshman seminar/university 101 (non-credit) (4.3) Summer bridge program (4.2) Foreign language center/lab (4.1) Integration of advising with first-year transition programs (4.0) Enhanced/modified faculty reward system (4.0) Program for adult students (3.8) Program for international students (3.8)

  25. SLEEPERS: Community Colleges integration of advising with first-year transition programs (3.9) organized student study groups (3.8) extended freshman orientation (credit) (3.7) foreign language center/lab (3.7) peer mentoring (3.7) staff mentoring (3.6)

  26. SLEEPERS: Four-Year Public • increased number of academic advisors (3.9) • reading center/lab (3.9) • first-generation students (3.8) • extended freshman orientation (credit) (3.7) • center that integrates academic advising with career/life planning (3.6) • summer bridge program (3.6)

  27. SLEEPERS: Four-Year Private • increased number of academic advisors (4.0) • first-generation students (3.9) • reading center/lab (3.9) • extended freshman orientation (credit) (3.8) • staff mentoring (3.6) • extended freshman orientation (non-credit) (3.6) • center that integrates academic advising with career/life planning (3.6)

  28. Top Three Interventions 26% 21% 12% 10% 24% 10% 20% 12% 14% 13% 36% 18% 13% 22% 15% 13%

  29. Top Clusters

  30. Comparing Intervention Differences • Top quartile first to second year retention rate (high performers) v. bottom quartile first to second year retention rate (low performers) • Included only items with a mean > 3.6 for all colleges of a given institutional type • High performer incidence rate > 10% above low performer incidence rate

  31. reading center/lab (61% - 48%) comprehensive learning assistance center/lab (81% - 70%) increased number of academic advisors (44% - 32%) integration of advising with first-year transition programs (43% - 28%) remedial/developmental coursework (51% - 37%) Community College Intervention Differences

  32. pre-enrollment financial aid advising (93%-77%) diagnostic academic skills assessment (69% - 41%) programs for racial/ethnic minority students (63% - 41%) center that integrates advising with career/life planning (61% - 45%) staff mentoring (29% - 18%) Community College Intervention Differences

  33. Four-year public collegeintervention differences • increased number of academic advisors  (43% - 30%) • advising interventions with selected student populations (96% - 82%) • supplemental instruction  (75% - 64%) • summer bridge program  (75% - 49%) • honor students  (91% - 73%) • integration of advising with first-year transition programs (72% - 48%)

  34. Four-year public college intervention differences • training for non-faculty academic advisors (84% - 67%) • faculty mentoring  (74% - 45%) • living/learning communities (residential)  (84% - 42%) • international students  (87% - 60%) • staff mentoring  (57% - 31%)

  35. academic advising center   (46% - 33%) advising interventions with selected student populations (78% - 66%) integration of advising with first-year transition programs (53% - 43%) tutoring  (96% - 86%) faculty mentoring   (60% - 43%) required on-campus housing for freshmen  (73% - 45%) peer mentoring   (74% - 45%) honors students   (59% - 45%) Four-year private college intervention differences

  36. What Works in Student Retention? ACT’s Fourth National Survey on College Retention Nebraska State Organization Conference Dr. Wes Habley Principal Associate Educational Services ACT, Inc.

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