How Colleges Can Help Students Complete Bachelors Degrees #2

A new report , Advancing By Degrees has been published by The Institute For Higher Education Leadership And Policy (www.CSUS.EDU/IHELP ). They use data from California and Florida including community college transfers, and students who enroll from high school in 4 year degrees.  The report provides specific practices and policies colleges can use to enhance completion based on longitudinal attainment patterns of students. Two of these policies are college use of student milestones and on-track indicators as a basis for intervention policies to help students.

Some of these indicators are :

• Begin remedial coursework in first term, if needed
• Complete college-level math and/or English in the first or second year
• Complete a college-success course or other first-year experience program
• Complete high percentage of courses attempted (low rate of course dropping and/or failure)
• Complete 20-30 credits in the first year
• Earn summer credits
• Enroll full time
• Enroll continuously without stop-outs
• Register on time for courses
• Maintain adequate grade-point average

The key is not just collecting this data but using it as a warning system to identify and help students who are not doing well on some of the indicators.