square peg in a round hole: developing student retention models in programs designed for adult...
DESCRIPTION
This session will provide an overview of Northeastern University's College of Professional Studies work in student retention for adult learners. Participants will gain an understanding of how they measure student progression in part-time undergraduate and graduate programs and how to identify variables that affect the likelihood of student success.TRANSCRIPT
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Square Peg in a Round Hole:Developing Student Retention Models in Programs Designed for Adult Learners
Rachael Denison
Northeastern University
2014 CALEM, All Rights Reserved.1
*Evaluation Keyword: rdenison
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Agenda
• Intro• Context• Measuring Retention• Application of Retention Data• Further Analysis of Indicators• Actions/Interventions• Next Steps
2014 CALEM, All Rights Reserved.2
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Traditional retention measures: Our square peg/round hole predicament...
Need• Mission-driven• Predict & stabilize
enrollments• Financial impact• Focused recruitment
strategies• Focused advising &
student support services
Challenges• Standard measures don’t
fit• Stop outs vs. drop outs• Work, family impacts• Application predictors
limited (no standard test scores)
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There are many aspects to the retention conversation.
Measurement
Application of Retention
Rates• Forecasting• Budgeting• Internal
Benchmarking
Understanding Indicators
Action / Intervention
2014 CALEM, All Rights Reserved.
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Square peg in a round hole: Measuring retention
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Enrollment cycle – 8 points of entry
Fall 1Fall 2
Winter 1
Winter 2Spring 1
Spring 2
Summer 1
Summer 2
2014 CALEM, All Rights Reserved.
Fiscal Year
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Flexible enrollment patterns of attendance
Fall 1
Fall 2
Spring 1
Spring 2
2014 CALEM, All Rights Reserved.
Fiscal Year
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Retention Defined
2014 CALEM, All Rights Reserved.
Fiscal Year Cohort
Enrolled (or Graduated)
in Year 2
Retention Rate
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Sample Report (masked data)
2014 CALEM, All Rights Reserved.
Retention & Graduation Rates
Initial Year 2nd Year 3rd Year
Cohort Starting Size Returning Size Returned % Total
GraduatingTotal %
GraduatingTotal % Returning
or GraduatingReturning
Size Returned % Total Graduating
Total % Graduating
Total % Returning or Graduating
FY05 115 50 43% 3 3% 46% 35 30% 7 6% 37%
FY06 110 65 59% 2 2% 61% 36 33% 9 8% 41%
FY07 285 175 61% 12 4% 66% 112 39% 42 15% 54%
FY08 440 290 66% 18 4% 70% 172 39% 82 19% 58%
FY09 500 345 69% 32 6% 75% 214 43% 98 20% 62%
FY10 850 565 66% 96 11% 78% 290 34% 288 34% 68%
FY11 830 475 57% 149 18% 75% 241 29% 302 36% 65%
FY12 720 450 63% 155 22% 84% 219 30% 314 44% 74%
FY13 800 540 68% 122 15% 83%
FY14 795
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Weekly Monitoring – Year 1 to Year 2
2014 CALEM, All Rights Reserved.
ProgramFY13 Starting
Cohort3 Yr Avg
Retention RateReturning
Enrolled CountReturning
Retention RateProgram 1 60 86.2% 45 75.0%Program 2 180 85.4% 160 88.9%Program 3 40 91.9% 30 75.0%Program 4 15 84.4% 14 93.3%Program 5 40 75.9% 30 75.0%Program 6 55 86.1% 45 81.8%
Grand Total 390 85.0% 324 83.1%
Year 1 - Year 2 Retention by Program
Fiscal Year 2013 Cohort Tracking - Progress to Fiscal Year 2014Progress is tracked by starting program in FY13 to enrollment in ANY graduate course in FY14 (including
certificates and non-degree)
Data current as of December 16, 2013
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Weekly Monitoring – Term 1 to Term 2
ProgramFL13 Starting
Cohort
3 Yr Avg Retention Rate
(FL-WN)WN14 Current Enrolled Count
Current FL-WN Retention
RateProgram 1 10 -- 8 80.0%Program 2 25 93.3% 22 88.0%Program 3 60 89.1% 53 88.3%Program 4 35 94.8% 33 94.3%Program 5 10 80.0% 6 60.0%Program 6 20 81.4% 14 70.0%
Grand Total 160 87.6% 136 85.0%
Term 1 - Term 2 Retention by ProgramFall Cohort Tracking - Progress to Winter
Progress is tracked by starting program in Fall 2013 continuing to take a course within the same degree program in Winter 2014
2014 CALEM, All Rights Reserved.
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Time to Completion
2014 CALEM, All Rights Reserved.
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Foundation Year – Measuring progress to degree completion
2014 CALEM, All Rights Reserved.
• One year program, encourages students to “transfer out” after year 1
• Goal is degree completion, system persistence (not institutional retention)
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The retention conversation…
Measurement
Application of Data:
Forecasting, Budgeting,
Internal Benchmarking
Understanding indicator
Action / Intervention
2014 CALEM, All Rights Reserved.
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Retention Data Used to Inform Budget Planning
2014 CALEM, All Rights Reserved.
Cohort Size
Retention
Rate
Avg. Credit Hour Load
Credit Hour
Projection
Annual Retention Rate for continuing student impact
Quarterly Retention Rates for new student impact
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FY15 Continuing Student Credit Hour
Generation
Students in Year 3
Students in Year 4 or more
FY12 Cohort
(or before)
FY13 Cohort
Students In Year 2
FY14 Cohort
Retention Data Used to Inform Budget Planning
Time to Completion
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Retention Data Used for Internal Benchmarking
ProgramLeads/ Year
Avg Apps/ Year
App Growth
Conversion Rate
Yield Rate
Retention Rate (Y1 to Y2)
3-Year Completion
RateActive
Students
Program 2 10,433 743 -28% 2.1% 68.2% 85% 76% 688
Program 3 3,992 441 35% 5.1% 78.9% 93% 75% 671
Program 4 1,010 401 23% 7.1% 85.9% 84% 59% 549
Program 5 1,369 313 9% 11.0% 81.5% 86% 62% 453
Program 6 1,398 167 21% 6.7% 85.7% 89% 81% 273
Program 7 1,142 117 14% 7.0% 85.7% 89% 65% 212
Program 8 1,052 100 -8% 4.6% 82.2% 87% 70% 156
Program 9 346 123 23% 13.8% 66.3% 89% 77% 153
2014 CALEM, All Rights Reserved.
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Retention and the enrollment lifecycle: it’s about more than new enrollments.
ENROLLMENT LIFECYCLE REPORT – SAMPLE
LEADS APPLICATIONS NEW STUDENTS CONTINUING STUDENTS QUARTER HOURS
Fall Term Leads Submitted Apps
Projected Submitted
Apps Completed Apps
Projected Completed
Apps New Enrolled
Projected New
Students
Avg. QH Load -
New Enr. Stu.
Continuing Enrolled
Avg. QH Load - Cont.
Enr. Stu.Quarter Hours -
FallQuarter Hours YTD
Annual
Eng MQEC Acc
EC Qual Act Goal
% of Goal
Proj Sub
% of Goal Act Goal
% of Goal Proj
% of Goal Act Goal
% of Goal Proj
% of Goal Act Exp Act Exp Act Exp Act Goal
% of Goal Act Goal
% of Goal
Program 1 179 13 4 4 12 13 92% 12 94% 7 7 100% 10 143% 2 5 40% 7 147% 8.0 7.5 10 3 6.0 7.6
12,021 13,148 91% 15,522 42,456 37% Program 2 1,000 42 26 28 140 122 115% 142 117% 121 104 116% 117 112% 78 81 96% 93 115% 8.8 8.6 169 107 7.6 7.3
Program 3 831 22 20 29 59 78 76% 60 77% 55 70 79% 49 70% 46 56 82% 40 72% 7.8 7.5 120 85 7.1 7.0
Program4 900 141 73 58 218 329 66% 221 67% 182 266 68% 182 68% 139 193 72% 135 70% 8.3 9.4 328 254 8.4 8.1
• Four statuses (levels of engagement/score)Workable Leads
• Submitted, completed, acceptedApplications
• Average course loadNew Students
• Average course loadContinuing Students
• Term and YTDCredit Hours
Com
paris
on to
Goa
l and
Pr
ojec
tion
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The retention conversation…
Measurement
Application of Data:
Forecasting, Budgeting,
Internal Benchmarking
Understanding indicators
Action / Intervention
2014 CALEM, All Rights Reserved.
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Understanding Retention Indicators – Predictive Analytics
Application & Student Record Data
• Demographics• First Term Grades• Employment Status• Military Affiliation• Financial Aid Application
2014 CALEM, All Rights Reserved.
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Analysis – Decision Tree
• Enters each variable by importance and provides statistically significant splits.
• Example: 84% baseline -> English
• Surprisingly, where English is not the primary language, the students do better. This is a possible overlap with International students.
2014 CALEM, All Rights Reserved.
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Those without a W or an I had a success rate of 85%. However, those who earned a W or an I had a success rate of 48%.
2014 CALEM, All Rights Reserved.
Findings - W or I Grade in First Term
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The retention conversation…
Measurement
Application of Data:
Forecasting, Budgeting,
Internal Benchmarking
Understanding indicator
Action / Intervention
2014 CALEM, All Rights Reserved.
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Action & Intervention
Targeted Outreach
Early Alert/Early Warning
Informing & Empowering Faculty
Global Student Success
Tutoring
Student Appreciation Week
Passport to Success Program
2014 CALEM, All Rights Reserved.
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Next Steps
Further build out of predictive analytics• Overlay
admissions, LMS, early alert, call center data
Monitor other measures of student progress to completion• Within term
(grades)• Withdrawal
rates
Implement informed retention strategies• Measure
impact of strategies
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Questions & Discussion
2014 CALEM, All Rights Reserved.
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Rachael Denison
Northeastern University
2014 CALEM, All Rights Reserved.
Evaluation Keyword: rdenison