What Works in Student Retention

April Hansen, Director of Postsecondary ServicesRae Jones, Director of Secondary ServicesTom Osborn, Senior Consultant for Postsecondary Services

By definition:

Retention is the process of holding or keeping in one’s possession

Persistence is to continue to exist or prevail

Attrition is becoming fewer in number

Why Should We Care?

By 2020: Cost of the average private--$60-70,000 per year Cost of the average public--$17,500-27,500 per year

In 2008:Out of approx. 1.8 million first year college students,450,000 did not return to the college or university where they began their college career.*That’s 25%.

*Bryan Matthews, Retention Matters, Inside Higher Ed, Nov. 2, 2009

Why Should We Care?Retention rates vary widely among different types of schools.*

Two-year schools -- 54 % Four-year private colleges -- 73%Four-year public -- 71%

Nearly all four-year institutional categories have experienced declines in retention over the past two years or more. *Wes Habley, ACT, January 2009

Do the math!

If you have an incoming class of 1000, and lose even 10% ofthe class (100 students), that’s

100 x $30,000 = $3 million $3 million x 4 years = $12 million

Retaining students allows you to maintain revenue streamswhile keeping tuition increases down.

It’s the low hanging fruit.

Prior academic achievement and cognitive ability surpass all other factors in their influence on student retention and persistence.*

1. Students who meet all four of the ACT Readiness Benchmarks re-enrollat a higher rate by up to 13%. (English 18, Math 22, Social Science 21, Science 24)They are also more likely to complete a college degree and achieve a 2.5 cum. GPA.

2. Students who take higher level math, social studies, and/or science courses in high school re-enroll at a higher rate by up to 16%.

3. Academic factors (ACT scores and High School GPA) account for 68% of the model that predicts college success.

*These findings are generally consistent across gender, ethnic, and family income groups. “What We Know About College Success” ACT 2008.

Non-academic factors can also influence retention and persistence, but cannot substitute for academic achievement.*

1. Students who are academically self-disciplined, socially engaged, and committed to college are more likely to have higher first-year GPAs, return to the same college and graduate.

2. Of the psycho-social factors, academic self-discipline accounts for 21% of the model that predicts college success. All other non-academic factors comprise 11% of the model.

3. Students from a higher socio-economic status are more likely to return.

*The Role of Nonacademic Factors in College Readiness and Success, ACT 2007

*These findings are generally consistent across gender, ethnic, and family income groups.

Relevant nonacademic factors can be classified into 3 groups:

1. Psychosocial: motivation, academic self-discipline, commitment to school, self-regulation, emotional control, academic self-confidence

2. Family factors: involvement, stability, attitude toward education

3. Career planning: identifying a good fit between a student’s interests and their postsecondary work.

Students with these characteristics are more likely to earn higher GPAs in college and persist through the 3rd year of college

Used in conjunction with ACT or COMPASS scores, the SRI increases your institution’s ability to detect risk with the use of two predictive indices:

Retention Index: likelihood of returning second year Academic Success Index: likelihood of GPA 2.0 or higher

The SRI is an assessment that helps postsecondary educators:

evaluate students’ psychosocial and study skills attributesdetermine their levels of academic riskapply specific interventions to help them persist in their studies and achieve academic successidentify student strengths and areas for improvement in student motivation, social engagement, and self-management

Used in conjunction with EXPLORE scores, Middle School SRI (can be administered in grades 6-9) also provides an academic success index to help identify at-risk students and identify where school or district-wide interventions may be needed.

The SRI is an assessment that helps middle school educators:

evaluate students’ personal, behavioral, and academic skills critical to middle and high school achievementdetermine their levels of academic riskapply specific interventions to help them persist in their studies and achieve academic successidentify student strengths and areas for improvement in student motivation, social engagement, and self-regulationidentify school safety climate

Why SRI?Grounded in research:

Reviewed meta-analysis of 109 studies that examined predictors of academic performance and retention

Allows you to consider the whole student:Motivation, academic skills, effort, social involvement and connection, self-

management, etc.

You will be able to: Administer at orientation and have reports for early in the semester Identify areas of challenge for individuals within known “at-risk” groups Create a cross walk of scales to your services and use within an existing framework of services including:

Academic coursework for freshmen WellnessStudent Affairs programs and services Tutoring/Learning CentersAcademic/Career Advising Developmental Workshops

Postsecondary SRI: 108 Psychosocial factors organized in 3 broad domains, scored on a scale of 1-100:

Motivation and SkillsCommitment to CollegeGoal StrivingAcademic DisciplineGeneral DeterminationStudy SkillsCommunication Skills

Social EngagementSocial ActivitySocial Connection

Self-ManagementAcademic Self-ConfidenceEmotional Control

Middle School SRI: 106 Psychosocial items that measure 10 attributes, scored on a scale of 1-100:

Commitment to SchoolAcademic DisciplineFamily InvolvementFamily Attitude Toward EducationManaging FeelingsOptimismOrderly ConductRelationships with School PersonnelSchool Safety ClimateThinking Before Acting

SRI Scale Definitions & Sample Items

Reports & Resources

Reports:Student AdvisorRosterAggregate

Resources:User GuideStudent Toolshop

Student ID Last Name First NameRetention Index PAB

Academic Success Index PAB

Commitment to College PAB

Goal Striving PAB

Academic Discipline PAB

General Determination PAB

Study Skills PAB

1 SCHMIT KRISTEN 20 17 51 57 59 72 672 SMALLS ALEISHA 73 73 71 95 97 99 933 SMITH KATIE 83 86 99 63 68 78 854 SWEANEY JOLENE 1 1 31 7 9 50 355 SCHMIT HAILEY 88 86 71 75 77 78 716 SMALLS JUSTIN 24 20 63 75 54 78 357 SMITH ELIZABETH 50 54 81 75 97 83 838 SWEANEY JAMES 3 1 35 22 33 30 389 SCHMIT JUSTIN 47 26 99 99 97 99 9310 SMALLS LAUREN 47 37 81 95 82 94 8011 SMITH FAYE 15 14 81 63 59 83 9012 SWEANEY ALEXANDRIA 9 4 99 15 6 19 2313 SCHMIT SHEENA 36 37 39 31 33 45 6314 SMALLS LEAH 76 86 39 63 92 78 5115 SMITH KRISTEN 43 34 71 75 73 83 8016 SWEANEY KATE 30 14 99 57 33 83 6317 SCHMIT WILLIAM 66 69 44 57 33 35 6318 SMALLS JOHNNY 88 90 99 90 92 78 8819 SMITH JOVAN 24 37 57 75 68 35 2020 SWEANEY LACEY 47 32 99 99 99 99 9521 SCHMIT JOSHUA 39 21 63 52 19 55 4322 SMALLS MELISSA 50 32 99 52 13 40 5123 SMITH TORI 47 37 51 99 73 60 7724 SWEANEY MANDY 50 51 51 40 82 55 5525 SCHMIT KATIE 36 30 63 69 41 50 926 SMALLS LOGAN 80 73 99 69 85 83 6727 SMITH MATTHEW 39 43 63 99 95 89 9628 SWEANEY BRETT . 1 28 . 2 . .29 SCHMIT TRAVIS . . . . . . .

Student Readiness Inventory Roster Report forYour Institution Name Here

www.act.org/sri/studentguide/index.html

www.act.org/sri/studentguide/index.html

Nuts and Bolts

Paper and Pencil or Online$5.00 per assessment (1-250)$4.75 per assessment (251-1000)$4.50 per assessment (1001+)

Local questions are allowedACT sends data electronically (fastest), or paper reports3 days to ship from order dateReports sent within 10 days of receipt at ACT

SRI web site: www.act.org/sri

SRI User Guide and Technical Manual:www.act.org/sri/pdf/UserGuide.pdf

Arkansas Dept. of Higher EducationBaker UniversityBaylor UniversityBridgton Academy Cambridge College College of Southern MarylandColumbus College of Art & DesignCourage CenterDalton State CollegeDaniels FundDawson College Estrella Mountain Comm. Coll.Ferrum CollegeGeorgia Southwest State Univ.Hilbert College Horatio Alger AssociationLaMar University, BeaumontMacon College Madison Area Tech CollegeMaricopa CC – Paradise ValleyMt. St. Vincent

Nevada State High SchoolNorthern Arizona UniversityOhio University Ohio University, Lancaster CampusPurdue UniversitySacred Heart University Shepherd UniversitySouthern Illinois University – CarbondaleSuffolk University Texas Tech University University of Illinois – Chicago University of North TexasUniversity of OklahomaUniversity of South CarolinaUniv of Toronto ScarboroughUniversity of UtahUtah State University Utah Valley University VA Commonwealth University Wilbur Wright College