A recent report from the Brookings Institution highlights key strategies that can effectively improve student retention and graduation rates.
It provides vital insights for administrators in higher education as they navigate the complexities of student support.
Research has shown that when institutions integrate support programs, tailor advising to individual needs, and communicate effectively, they significantly enhance student retention.
Effective Interventions for Student Success
Colleges and universities are experimenting with a range of initiatives designed to help students stay enrolled and earn their degrees.
However, a pressing question remains: Which methods have proven to be the most effective based on empirical evidence?
To address this, Brookings conducted a comprehensive review of twenty years of research on college access and completion strategies.
The findings point to three main types of programs that can positively influence student success: comprehensive support initiatives, personalized advising, and low-touch communication methods.
In her report, researcher Sarah Reber underlines areas ripe for further investigation.
- Comprehensive Support Programs: These holistic initiatives aim to tackle various obstacles that students encounter during their academic journeys.
They often provide a range of support services, such as personal coaching, case management, academic guidance, financial aid, and chances for community involvement.
A notable success story is the City University of New York’s Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP).
This program has been adapted by various institutions across the country and includes benefits like priority registration, dedicated advising, tutoring, career counseling, last-dollar scholarships, and transportation help.
While these programs yield positive outcomes, they come with hefty price tags—around $23,000 per student—which complicates broader implementation.
- Personalized Advising and Navigation Support: Programs offering individualized or group mentoring have shown robust positive effects on students’ academic persistence and success.
These initiatives can vary in approach, utilizing everything from near-peer mentoring to professional advising.
Their objectives can range widely—from improving immediate skills to helping students navigate the path toward college access and degree completion, starting from high school.
The costs associated with these programs depend on several factors, including the training of advisers, the size of their caseloads, and the intensity and duration of the support provided.
Generally speaking, programs with higher levels of intensity tend to lead to more substantial positive outcomes than those with a lighter touch.
- Automated, Low-Touch Interventions: This category primarily includes programs that rely on automated systems with minimal personal interaction, like text messaging campaigns or virtual coaching.
They focus on helping students access necessary resources and encouraging positive behaviors while addressing potential barriers.
The report does not detail specific outcomes or costs for these interventions due to the vast array of approaches within this low-touch category.
Researchers caution that many studies here feature small sample sizes, making it difficult to draw strong conclusions.
Investigating Innovative Strategies
Beyond the core focus on improving college success, Brookings researchers explored other transformative practices that could impact campuses.
These included:
- Overhauling developmental education methods
- Integrating college-level courses into high school curricula
- Offering performance-based scholarships
- Launching promise programs for high school students
Important Insights and Future Directions
A crucial takeaway from Reber’s analysis is the intricate nature of college structures.
While this complexity serves specific purposes, education leaders must pursue greater simplicity and transparency to enhance access and success in higher education.
Instead of continually trying to create new interventions to navigate these complexities, institutional leaders could find it more beneficial to streamline existing processes.
Another important finding emphasizes the significance of developing interventions that are not only effective but also sustainable.
Although comprehensive support programs like ASAP demonstrate impressive completion rates, not all institutions possess the necessary resources to carry out such initiatives effectively.
If a program relies on support services like tutoring but lacks the quality resources to back it up, its overall effectiveness could diminish.
Institutions also need to encourage participation in these services without unintentionally creating added obstacles, such as registration holds.
Possible solutions like non-deductible complementary payments could alleviate some negative impacts but may increase program expenses.
The researchers recommend a renewed focus on best practices for support programs, emphasizing the integration of technology and boosted student engagement with available resources.
Additionally, the influence of faculty practices and teaching methods warrants examination, particularly how faculty-student dynamics and the choice of academic majors affect persistence and success in relation to labor market outcomes.
While existing research provides valuable insights for institutions and policymakers, much work remains to identify sustainable strategies that can effectively help more students access and complete their college education.
Source: Insidehighered