Implementing a Readiness Tool to Increase Persistence & Improve Student Success Rick Brandel, Mary Rostenberg, & Margot Saltonstall

Who are we? And, who are you? INTRODUCTIONS

Goals for this Session Share how our institution: –measured new students’ readiness for college –intervened with select groups in first few weeks of class –observed gains in GPA and retention –gathered more qualitative feedback Have a engaging session with lively discussion to not only increase participants’ knowledge but to increase our own.

Learning Outcomes Participants are able to: –Identify key scales and indices of the instrument we used, –Understand the process by which we targeted student groups for outreach, –Analyze our experience and integrate it with your own intervention strategies, and –Apply our approach (or parts of it) to conducting outreach to students at your institution in order to increase student success in terms of GPA and retention.

Setting New Students Up for Success In a group of 3-4, describe and list the programs, interventions, efforts on your campus that help set new students up for success in college: Freshman Year Experience Conditionally admitted student program Early alert program Mid-semester grade postings Required academic advising Mentor program Supplemental Instruction Other programs/strategies

Why do we make all these efforts? Nationally Average dropout rates from first to second year of college = 33% Average six-year graduation rate at four-year institutions = 57% (Habley & McClanahan, 2004) ( Horn & Nevill, 2006 ) Northern Arizona Univ. Average first year retention rate = 70% Average six-year graduation rate = 50%

Why these efforts? (Continued) Higher attrition rates for –ethnic minority students –first generation college students –low income Students of all abilities leave—need broad programmatic safety nets. Efforts to increase retention have yielded little Increased pressure from constituents

Bottom Line We could identify some of our “at-risk” student groups, BUT we needed to know –more about which students within those groups were most needy and –which services might help which students.

The Approach In other words, we needed to learn more about each individual student.

Strategic Intervention Model Requirements of a strategic model –Implemented early in the first semester –Include groups known to be at risk –Collaborative and not duplicative academic advising and first year programs Native American Student Services outreach program Summer bridge program and first year mentoring Any key groups interfacing with new freshmen –Systematic –Whole student –Grounded in research

ACT’s Student Readiness Inventory Reviewed Robbins’ (2004) meta-analysis of 109 studies (N = 152,985) that examined the effect of predictors on academic performance and retention –Considered traditional (e.g., standardized test scores, HS GPA), demographic (e.g., SES, race/ethnicity, gender), and psychosocial and study skill factors Participated in a pilot study with ACT, Inc. on their development of the Student Readiness Inventory Crafted a program model

Quick Overview of the SRI 108-item, Self-report Instrument Two Indices –Academic Success –Retention Ten Scales in Three Area –Motivation and Skills, such as Commitment to College, Academic Discipline, Study Skills –Social Engagement, such as Social Activity, Social Connection –Self-Management, such as Academic Self-Confidence Administered at Orientation Individual Profiles Available Ten Day after Administration

Program Model Summary Prioritize Student Groups for Outreach Ethnic minority students First generation college students Low scores on academic success and/or retention index Have one-on-one meeting with students to review profiles, matching student needs with campus and ACT/SRI resources NAU Website ACT Tool Shop Evaluate Track outreach efforts/communications Meeting attendance, receptivity, and seriousness Referrals to and use of campus resources Learning (self reported by students)

Prioritizing Student Groups Distributing Profiles Waterfall Summer Bridge Students (EM, FG, LI) Native American Students Other Ethnic Minorities Other First Generation Other Low Scoring (less than 50 th percentile on either index)

Additional Student Groups Distribution of Profiles General review in FYE and Freshman Seminar Remedial skills based course, one-on- one review if not met with professional staff Invitation from advising center to meet

One-on-One Meeting Systematic outreach –Look up schedules and set times –Postcard home with appointment time –Postcard to campus with appointment time –Personal with appointment time –Appointment time on their web calendar –Reminder phone call 1-2 days before appt –If miss scheduled meeting, protocol for rescheduling at least twice more

One-on-One meeting Meeting Content/Purpose Connect with student Match student need to campus resources –Website: home.nau.edu/emsa/sri.asphome.nau.edu/emsa/sri.asp –Tool Shop: act.org/sri/studentguide/toolshop.html Gather some data on SRI experience

Evaluation: Meeting Attendance Student Affairs GroupMet Not Met Group Total Summer Bridge Student Support Services Student Life Native American St Services Residence Life Learning Assistance Centers Multicultural Student Centers All Student Affairs

Evaluation: Academic Performance All students who met to receive SRI results fared better than those who did not meet with SA staff.

Evaluation: Academic Performance Students who did NOT meet in regard to SRIs were more likely to end up on academic probation.

Evaluation: Retention Students who met were more likely to be retained.

Apples to Apples How do we know it wasn’t just the better students who came in to receive their SRI results?

Apples to Apples

Other Studies Associations of Resource and Service Utilization, Risk Level, and College Outcomes, S. Robbins, J. Allen, A. Casillas, A. Akamigbo, M. Saltonstall, R. Cole, E. Mahoney & P. Gore. Research in Higher Education, In Press

Other Score Uses By scale for specific related services –Advertise academic assistance to lower scorers on study skills scale Combine multiple scores –High scores in com, soc con, com to college to recruit RAs, OLs, Leadership Spring follow up –Probationers

Small Group Activity How would using the SRI and or our intervention model assist your efforts?

Your Campus Benefits and Natural Fits Challenges and Limitations

Share Your Ideas

Moving Forward At Orientation, build students’ expectation that they will meet one on one in fall to get results Increase students’ understanding of why one on one meeting might be good Fold students with no/invalid SRIs into model for outreach

Summary Points Designate a visible individual to coordinate Collaborate and use natural fits with existing resources Conduct systematic analysis Use your data/feedback and improve the process Maximize utility of the instrument Go beyond the limits of the instrument

Questions/Discussion