Student Retention: Expanding The Paradigm To Focus On Individual Student Success Dr. Wes Habley Assistant Vice President, Strategic Partnerships ACT, Inc.
President Obama 2020 Goal U.S. will return to first in the world in the proportion of year-olds with some form of postsecondary education Requires H.S. graduation rate of 90% (current rate is 74.9%) We must double current undergraduate enrollment 8 million more individuals must complete postsecondary education
Lumina Foundation Goal Increase the percentage of Americans with high- quality degrees and credentials to 60 percent by the year (166,000/year) Current level: 39.9% Higher education attainment rates among adults, first- generation, low-income and students of color are significantly lower than those of other students Fastest growing segments of the US population are those least likely to complete high, enroll in college and earn certificates or degrees.
Topics Overview of WWISR surveys Attrition Factors Retention Interventions Retention and Degree Completion Rates Educational Attainment Rates Expanding the Retention Paradigm
Section 1: What Do We Know About Retention and Persistence to Degree? Section 2: The Case for Intensified Campus Efforts Section 3: Core Components of Student Success
ACHIEVEMENT BEHAVIORGOALS SUCCESS
What Works in Student Retention Beal and Noel (1980) Collaboration with NCHEMS 40.2% response rate Cowart (1987) Collaboration with AASCU 51.7% response rate Habley & McClanahan (2004) 35.4% response rate Habley, McClanahan, Valiga, & Burkum (2010) 34.5% response rate
Highest Rated Dropout Characteristics ( ) Low academic achievement Limited educational aspirations Indecision about a major/career goal Inadequate financial resources
Greatest Impact on Attrition ( ) Factor TechC.C.4-pub4-priv Level of student preparation for college work Level of student commitment to earning a degree Adequacy of personal financial resources Level of student motivation to succeed Student study skills
Greatest Impact on Attrition ( ) Factor TechC.C.4-pub4-priv Student low socio-economic status Amount of financial aid available to students Student institution “fit” Level of job demands on students Student family responsibilities
Least Impact on Attrition ( ) Factor TechC.C.4-pub4-priv Campus safety and security Cultural activities Residence hall facilities Student physical health issues Commuting/living off campus
13 Least Impact on Attrition Factor TechC.C.4-pub4-priv Campus safety and security Cultural activities Residence hall facilities Student physical health issues Commuting/living off campus
Least Impact on Attrition ( ) Factor TechC.C.4-pub4-priv Rules and regulations governing student behavior Extracurricular programs Student access to needed courses in sequence Distance from student home Relevancy of the Curriculum
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.
Section 1: What Do We Know About Retention and Persistence to Degree? Section 2: The Case for Intensified Campus Efforts Section 3: Core Components of Student Success Section 4: Proven Student Success Practices
Retention Interventions All four surveys…… LLearning support Entry placement/remedial education FFirst-year transition programs AAcademic Advising
ACHIEVEMENT BEHAVIORGOALS SUCCESS
Indirect v. Direct Relationships FACTOROUTCOME MEDIATOR DIRECT EFFECT INDIRECT EFFECT
Indirect v. Direct Relationships FACTOROUTCOME MEDIATOR DIRECT EFFECT INDIRECT EFFECT RELATIONSHIP SATISFACTION PERSISTENCE ACADEMIC ADVISING LEARNING SUPPORT TRANSITION PROGRAMS High Quality
Retention Trends Freshman-Sophomore Year Highest %Lowest %Current % Two-Year Public 55.7 (’10)51.3(’04)55.5 BA/BS Public70.0(’04) 66.4(’96,’05)65.4 MA/MS Public71.6(’06)68.1(’89)69.7 PhD Public78.6(’10)72.9(’08)76.7 Two-year Private72.6(‘92)55.5(’08,’12)55.5 BA/BS Private74.0(’89)67.3(’10,’12)67.3 MA/MS Private78.0(’85)70.3(’10,’12)70.3 PhD Private85.0(’85)80.2(‘12)80.2 ALL66.5
Completion Trends Two-year Colleges – Graduation in 3 years or less Highest %Lowest %Current % Public38.8(’89)25.4(’12)25.4 Private66.4(’90)50.2(’08)51.4 ALL44.0(’89)28.3(’10)29.1
Highest % Lowest % Current % BA/BS Public52.8(’86)36.6(’12)36.6 MA/MS Public46.7(’86)37.0(’00)38.3 PhD Public50.6(’89,’90)45.0(’01)48.0 BA/BS Private57.5(’06)53.3(’01)54.7 MA/MS Private58.4(’88)53.5(’01)55.7 PhD Private68.8(’86)62.9(‘12)62.9 Completion Trends Four-year Colleges – Graduation in 5 years or less
College Participation/Attainment Some College AA/AS Degree BA/BS Degree Above a BA/BS All races19.5%8.5%17.7%9.3% White (non-Hispanic)20.0%9.2%19.9%10.6% White in combination19.4%8.6%18.1%9.4% Black alone22.2%8.1%11.6%5.6% Black in combination22.5%8.2%11.7%1.1% Hispanic (any race)15.6%5.8%8.8%3.1% Asian alone13.9%6.6%29.8%18.7% Asian in combination14.6%6.7%29.5%18.2% U.S. Census, 2010: population 18 years or older
After 40 Years….. Attrition Factors – No Change Retention Interventions – No Change Retention and Persistence to Degree Rates – No Change U.S. Educational Attainment – No Change The fastest growing demographic groups include those least likely to succeed in the educational system
Global Competitiveness? 23 rd of 35 countries on high school enrollment of year-olds 20 th of 28 countries on high school completion rate 10 th of 32 countries on B.A. enrollment rate 12 th of 36 countries in degree attainment of year-olds
Lumina Foundation Goal? Obama Goal?
Current Retention Paradigm The percentage of students who enroll at an institution, are retained at that institution, persist at that institution and graduate from that institution in a reasonable period of time.
DIMENSIONRETENTION PARADIGM GoalDegree or certificate WhereAt institution of first enrollment Path to GoalLinear Time to GoalWith all due speed Institutional Questions How can we best serve? Why did she leave? Student RolePrimary life role Important Transitions Into this institution Through this institution Graduation from this institution Relationship to other education Providers Competitive Opaque Discreet Unsystematic Measure of Effectiveness Institutional retention rate Institutional degree completion rate
Challenging the Assumptions of the Retention Paradigm For every 100 college students……. 45 bring college credit with them at first full-time enrollment (dual credit, AP, online, CLEP) 11 simultaneously enroll in more that one institution 41 attend more than one institution 29 transfer from two-year to four-year colleges 14 transfer from four-year to two-year colleges 38 enroll part time 30 delay enrollment a year or more 25 are over the age of enroll in an online course
Reality cover
Reality of College Readiness- National 2011 status of 2010 ACT-tested students Approximately 32% of either never enrolled in 2010 or did not re-enroll in 2011 Approximately 80% of students were retained at institutions of first enrollment Approximately 10% who enrolled out of state in 2010 re-enrolled in-state in 2011 Approximately 20% who did not enroll in 2010 were enrolled in 2011
Reality of College Readiness-National 2011 status of 2010 enrolled students In two-year colleges o 72% were retained within institution o 9% were enrolled at another institution in the state o 4% were enrolled at an out-of-state institution In four-year public colleges o 88% were retained within institution o 8% were enrolled at another institution in the state o 3% were enrolled at an out-of-state institution In four-year non-public colleges o 92% were retained within institution o 4% were enrolled at another institution in the state o 4% were enrolled at an out-of-state institution
Reality of College Readiness- State Reports on the 2011 status of ACT-tested in-state students in the graduating class of 2010 Academic performance and enrollment status Those who did not enroll Those who enrolled o In-state/out of state o Institutional type Academic performance and retention status Those who were not retained o In-state/out of state o Institutional type Those who were retained o In-state/out of state o Institutional type
Reality of College Readiness- State State reports on the 2011 status of ACT-tested enrolled students in the graduating class of 2010 Percent of students by re-enrollment status Retained within institution Retained in-state at different institution Re-enrolled out of state Retention Rates by interest/major fit
Rethinking the Retention Paradigm Horizontal thinking is daydreaming. The horizontal thinker has a thousand ideas but puts none of them into effective action. Vertical thinking is based in the belief that if we do more of the same but just better, things will improve.
Rethinking the Retention Paradigm Horizontal thinking is daydreaming. The horizontal thinker has a thousand ideas but puts none of them into action. Vertical thinking is based in the belief that if we do more of the same but just better, things will improve. Lateral thinking is idea generation and problem solving in which all assumptions are examined and new concepts are created in a novel way.
Section 1: What Do We Know About Retention and Persistence to Degree? Section 2: The Case for Intensified Campus Efforts Section 3: Core Components of Student Success Section 4: Proven Student Success Practices Section 5: Making Student Success a Priority
Rethinking the Retention Paradigm How would things be different if individual student success became the goal rather than institutional retention and persistence to degree rates? How would we expand the paradigm?
DIMENSIONRETENTION PARADIGMEXPANDED PARADIGM GoalDegree or certificateStudent defined WhereAt institution of first enrollmentAny college Path to GoalLinearNon-linear, discontinuous Time to GoalWith all due speedStudent pace, discontinuous Institutional Questions How can we best serve? Why did she leave? How can we best serve? Where is she going? How can we help her get there? Student RolePrimary life roleMay be one of several important life roles Important Transitions Into this institution Through this institution Graduation from this institution Into this institution Transition to another institution Relationship to other education Providers Competitive Opaque Discreet Unsystematic Transparent Collaborative Systematic Measure of Effectiveness Institutional retention rate Institutional degree completion rate Student success – goal achievement rate
Implementing the Expanded Paradigm Recommendations for Policy Makers Pursue P-20 collaborations to develop integrated education systems Expand the current retention definition to focus on individual student success - the achievement of student educational goals rather than the completion of a degree at a specific institution within a specific timeframe Measure and reward individual student success across the postsecondary system. Success should not be measured solely by retention and graduation rates within an institution.
Implementing the Expanded Paradigm Recommendations for Policy Makers Review and revise policies and agreements which increase the transparent movement of students from one educational experience to another Develop a common course numbering system Develop a course applicability system Expand articulation agreements Establish a clearinghouse which serves as a repository for a student-owned educational portfolio used to facilitate institution to institution transitions.
Implementing the Expanded Paradigm Recommendations for Institutional Practice Initiate collaboration and dialog with K-12 teachers Explore the redesign of teacher preparation programs Validate and refine course placement practices Provide advising that supports transition to other institutions Review and revise policies and practices which impede transparent movement of students both to and from other institutions Participate in the Voluntary System of Accountability (VSA) or the Voluntary Framework for Accountability (VFA).
Topics Overview of WWISR surveys Attrition Factors Retention Interventions Retention and Degree Completion Rates Educational Attainment Rates Expanding the Retention Paradigm
Dr. Wes Habley Assistant Vice President, Strategic Partnerships ACT, Inc.