Six strategies for collecting and using data in retention planning

My colleagues and I work with many colleges and universities on student success and retention, and one thing we observe far too often is how many campuses have retention plans that are not based on data. The plans have no data driving their creation and no established metrics for tracking results. Instead, they are a collection of initiatives loosely focused on the vague task of student retention.

The problem is, student retention is not what we do. It is the outcome of what we do. Increased completion or graduation rates are the end product of a long process. Before we can even discuss increasing those rates, we should be trying to improve many other measures that will affect the end result of student completion.

That process requires planning, and good planning requires the use of solid, reliable data. When I tell that to our campus partners in the early stages of working with them, they often admit they are not sure what data they should be collecting or how to collect it properly. But by breaking down the data we need into distinct categories and then following a systematic process for incorporating those data into a plan, we can make retention planning more manageable and more tangible.

First, we need to collect data across four broad categories I call PPRC:

• Persistence (term-to-term)
• Progression (successful persistence)
• Retention (fall-to-fall)
• Completion (rates as defined by the institution)

By examining these four areas, we can better understand an institution’s strengths and challenges as they relate to student retention.

So how do we collect this information? Usually, if a college has an Institutional Research (IR) officer, that person may have these data readily available for planners. I’m finding PPRC data aren’t usually compiled into one central database and that many faculty and staff members throughout campuses have multiple databases with corresponding activities that may or may not lead to improvements in PPRC. We first have to get our data houses in order before we can begin an effective planning approach. Consider the following steps as the planning effort unfolds:

1. Establish a retention planning team with membership from academics, student affairs, and finance/administration. This team should be limited to 15 members and should be charged with plan development leading to data-informed strategies.
2. Make your “data person” or IR officer your best friend and part of the retention planning team.
3. Identify and define PPRC measures that are relevant to your college. All colleges and universities want students to persist from first term to second term but the student may not have progressed. We need persistence and progression measures in order to more effectively plan for our retention and completion outcomes. I would suggest starting with:
   • Cohort fall-to-spring persistence (term-to-term return rates). Keep in mind you may have multiple cohorts to track.
   • Course success rates (progression measure). If students aren’t successfully completing courses, then obviously term-to-term persistence will be affected. There are many other progression variables to be considered but I believe course success rate data are the easiest data to begin gathering to create strategies that support students.
   • Cohort fall-to-fall retention rate. This may be the standard IPEDS definition or it may be an institutional definition. For example, some two-year colleges have a 90 percent part-time student population. The IPEDS rate may not be appropriate in their planning effort.
   • Cohort graduation/completion rates. Again, this may be the standard IPEDS definition or it may be an institutional definition.
4. Conduct a “data sweep” across campus. Go to the offices which have PPRC data and compile the data into a central database. For example, Freshman Year Experience (FYE) offices usually have data about the PPRC differences between students who take the course and those who don’t. Academic support centers may have data regarding tutoring and Supplemental Instruction. Academic units may have data about high-risk courses and resulting course success rates. Rarely do I find an institution where the IR officer has all the data needed for planning. In fact, many colleges and universities don’t have IR officers and, even if they do, the officer isn’t always involved with retention planning.
5. Use these data to establish three to five goals and make sure each goal has three to five strategies designed to improve the PPRC measures.
6. Update/refresh the plan annually.

These six steps illustrate the importance of making data the central pillar of retention planning. By analyzing data before the planning process begins, you can establish goals that will address your most pressing areas of concern and create strategies that will have the greatest impact on student success. Then, by examining metrics after the plan is in place, you can evaluate the effectiveness of your efforts and adjust your retention plan to meet the needs of your students.

If you have any questions about retention planning or the use of retention data, please leave me a comment below or send me an e-mail. I would be happy to have a conversation with you and hopefully help you add a solid data foundation to your retention efforts.