Sponsored by ETS
Author
By Ross Markle, Ph.D., senior research and assessment advisor at Educational Testing Service
Student success and retention are important topics in higher education and a significant challenge for most colleges and universities. U.S. college graduation rates continue to show little improvement, with national graduation rates hovering around 56 percent for four-year institutions and 30 percent for two-year institutions. Increasing these rates of completion is critical to the success of college students and our economy, according to experts who predict 65 percent of U.S. jobs will require some form of higher education credential by the year 2020.
To improve student success, here are three immediate steps institutions can take to address this challenge, especially with those students who are unlikely to graduate without some additional support.
1. See the WHOLE STUDENT.
Test scores and high school GPAs represent one predictor of student success — academic achievement — but they don’t tell the entire student’s story. Time management, responses to stress, commitment toward earning a degree and confidence in meeting the demands of college life are just some of the factors that affect a student’s success. A sizable body of research shows students’ noncognitive behaviors and access to social support are just as, if not more, important in determining whether a student will succeed in college.
2. Get your students an ACTION PLAN.
A plan is only as good as the information you’ve gathered to help shape it. The more accurate and holistic your information about a student, the better you’ll be able to allocate the right resources. The realities of budget constraints and limited resources at institutions force student support services to be as economical and effective as possible. The SuccessNavigator® assessment provides a holistic view of a student by incorporating academic factors with measures of noncognitive skills and behaviors. Institutions can then identify at-risk incoming students and target resources to those who need them most. A detailed picture of each student is provided so advisors can tailor the right supports to address the individualized vulnerabilities that might be hindering degree completion. The information provided allows institutions to implement the right ACTION PLANS for students, while students gain an understanding of their strengths and challenges — empowering them to be active participants in their own success.
3. FOLLOW UP persistently.
Positively influencing a student’s noncognitive skills takes time, effort and persistence, and the amount of intervention depends on the student’s need. Students with a low likelihood of success might require intrusive advising early and often in their careers, while students with higher likelihoods of success might need only a “light-touch” early interaction to engage them with the right resources and set them on the path to success. ACTION PLANs are only useful when both parties adhere to their roles within the plan, and persistent FOLLOW UP is key. In either case, by assessing the WHOLE STUDENT and using an effective ACTION PLAN, an institution builds credibility with students that the institution cares about their success and has the right resources to help them reach their goals.
What is the SuccessNavigator® assessment from ETS?
The SuccessNavigator® assessment gives you a holistic view of the critical factors that most greatly influence incoming student success — academic skills, commitment, self-management and social support — so you can identify at-risk students, deliver detailed action plans and improve first-year retention rates. This 30-minute self-administered online assessment is EASY to implement and will give you the specific tools you need to:
✓Easily identify and reach at-risk students whose personal challenges go unreported in standardized academic tests.
✓Prioritize your resources more strategically because you have a complete understanding of what students need.
✓Effectively guide students to success using individualized reports with detailed action plans and resources.
Copyright © 2014 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING. and SUCCESSNAVIGATOR are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). 27050