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Graduation
Rates as Measures of Institutional Success
The Need for Continuous Assessment
and Intrusive Continuous Monitoring: STARS & SMARTS
Retention and graduation rates continue to stand out
as lead indicators of institutional effectiveness. Such indicators ramain as
the most significant measures of institutional performance and success sought
by legislatures and accrediting bodies. For that reason, institutions keep
continuously developing and maintaining initiatives to increase retention and
graduation rates. Yet, year after year, a significant increase in such KPIs
still remains conspicuously elusive.
Is it due to lack of theories or lack of research? Probably neither, but
results suggest that something seems to be missing that needs to be addressed.
Formal theories of student retention emerged in the
70s and 80s leading to sound explanatory models and constructs of the student
attrition phenomenon. As a result, and during more than half a century, copious
empirical research on the causes of attrition proliferated as theories became
mainstream models, bringing an ensuing plethora of prescriptive remedies. Yet,
the success and adequacy of such prescriptions still remains questionably
ineffective, if not unproven at many colleges where, despite decades of
thriving retention initiatives, graduation rates have remained unchangeably
stagnant.
A conjecture herein posed, points at the fact that
the outcomes derived from current retention efforts might be explained due to a
deficiency, not in the theories and models per se, but rather in a lack of an integrative action of
retention-supporting strategies, this desintegration is the result in a
fragmentation of services that leads to seemingly meager increments in
retention measures, thus failing to meet expectations. To address this
conjecture, we must study the difference between retention efforts without an
integrative effort and those to which the integration element is incorporated
as part of the overall process. Also, we need to devise a robust and
comprehensive integrative strategy which first takes into account the joint
interaction effects of distinct simultaneous retention interventions. For this
to be effective, we need to infuse a practice of a continuous assessment,and
introduce an intrusive monitoring of student success that goes beyond degree
audits, in order to effectively
integrate instruction, advising, testing, tutoring and other retention drivers,
to have an impact on the learner on a true continuous process as opposed to
discrete, between-terms degree audits. The results will be incrementally
measurable, following solid continuous quality improvement techniques.
In Search
of Definitions and Conceptual Maps
In order to design a student-success management
systems, we must find first a working definition
for student success, and use the concept of student
development; second we need to find what learning
theories tell us about the the learning process, and third we need to
determine the factors and processes that
influence persistence and success. Regarding this third element, we envision a
“Retention
Management Model” through the identification of those critical services
that are unquestionably pertinent
to develop an integrated model. We do so in a star-shaped model. The key
attribute lies here on the integration. Later, we arrive at the architecture of
a “Student Success Management System”
by integrating the operational processes that drive learning and persistence.
We present it in the “SMART” diagram.
STARS:
Design of a Student-Centered Retention Integrated Model
The conceptual map that follows below, places the
student at the center of the action, and displays an star-shaped
interconnection of key types of activities and actions that are needed to
successfully complement current retention supporting strategies. In our
framework and context, Student centered means that only those process that are
DIRECTLY relevant in impacting student retion are considered in the model.
SMARTS:
Design of An Effective Student Success Monitoring System
The Second diagram shows the design of a continuous
and intrusive monitoring system currently being tested as a prototype to
permanently track student success, with interactive communication between the
Student Information System, the Learning Management System and the Business
Intelligence System. This system have been labeled SMARTS depicted below in the
second diagram. In our context and framework, student success is conceived as
the result of the confluence and operationalization
of three constructs: the attainment
of the aims of the student her/him self, second the realization of the
institutional mission and purpose; and third the fulfillment of the overarching
societal expectations placed upon the graduate in regard to knowledge, skill,
values and contribution to society. The degree to which each of these three
constructs are attained will determine the degree of student success.
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Student-Centered Monitoring, Assessment, Retention &
Tracking for Success
Learning-Centered Success
Management System
Architecture
