Each year, we conduct a meta-analysis of Initiative Analyses run by our partner institutions to determine the impact of their success initiatives on persistence. For this installment, we examined long-term and recent practices that are moving the needle on persistence to graduation.
The full report shares many findings ranging from tried-and-true to emerging approaches that are improving student retention. Impact is measured using the percentage-point (PP) lift that each type of initiative had on persistence, a leading indicator of student success.
Here we share a few highlights from our community:
- Many best practices continue to have an impact
- A streamlined registration experience matters
- Proactive student engagement is critical
- Different students benefit from different services Access Full Report
Table of Contents:
- Top Insights in 2024 vs. 2023
- Streamlined Registration Experience Removes Barriers to Enrollment
- Connect Students to Just-In-Time Help with Proactive Engagement & Communication
- Different Populations Benefits from Different Kinds of Support
Top Student Success Initiatives 2023 vs. 2024
– CHANGE IN PERSISTENCE –
3 Highest Impact Student Success Initiatives 2023 vs. 2024
We found that many top practices from last year’s analysis continue to have a significant impact on student persistence in 2024.
However, this year, helping students successfully navigate their academic experience emerged as the top priority.
This involved:
- Removing barriers to academic performance by providing resources
- Supporting academic progress by offering guidance along the academic pathway Access Full Report
Streamlined Registration Experience Removes Barriers to Enrollment
– CHANGE IN PERSISTENCE –
Streamlined Registration Experience
Analysis of the impact of degree planning and student scheduling on persistence reveals that the registration experience matters.
A streamlined registration experience:
- Helps students understand the pathway to graduation by involving them in regular degree planning
- Simplifies the registration process by making it easy for students to auto-generate best-fit class schedules Access Full Report
Proactive Engagement & Communication Connect Students to Just-In-Time Support
– CHANGE IN PERSISTENCE –
Proactive Engagement & Communication
Analysis of 2023 data from our partner institutions shows that proactive student engagement continues to be a critical factor in student persistence.
Our partners delivering proactive support at scale:
- By gathering data about which students are most likely to benefit from support
- By developing strategies that target these populations to focus outreach efforts and resources. Access Full Report
Different Populations Benefit from Different Kinds of Support
– CHANGE IN PERSISTENCE –
Most Impactful Student Engagement Activities
One of the most effective ways our partners encourage persistence to graduation is by taking a tailored approach that connects students to the best intervention for them.
By targeting their student success services and supports, institutions can:
- Transition one-size-fits-all student success methods, instead targeting how they market their offerings, organize their programs, and engage their students
- Maximize their investment by ensuring that interventions reach the right students
- Achieve cumulative benefits from their student success programs, with the capability to measure how different students respond to programs over time and adjust accordingly. Access Full Report
Access the Full Report
Fill out the form to access the full report, and we’ll also email you a downloadable PDF.
Bring your questions. Leave with an estimate you can defend.
A 45-minute working session: we start from your public IPEDS figures, show what the platform found at institutions like yours, and size the outcome — before anyone touches your data.