Increase Graduation Rates Research Articles

Addressing Systemic Barriers to Timely Degree Completion through the Establishment of a Graduation Help Desk

This practice report details a large, four-year, public, research 1 (very high research activity), Hispanic Serving Institution’s (HSI) approach to tackling barriers to timely graduation through the implementation of a virtual support center, the Graduation Help Desk (GHD). The GHD, established in late 2017, operates at the level of the provost’s office and tackles graduation obstacles through individual referral cases, proactive outreach, and institutional policy review. By collaborating with academic departments, colleges, and support services, the GHD ensures solutions align with degree integrity and institutional standards of excellence. Its organizational position allows it to quickly elevate institution-wide issues and make recommendations for systemic changes. The GHD’s impact, specifically the number of referral cases, students served, institutional policies changed, cost savings to students, and increased graduation rates is provided. As a successful, cost-effective, virtual service model, the GHD is instrumental in supporting undergraduate students, specifically at-risk and difficult-to-reach student populations, preventing graduation delays and lowering student costs. GHDs are a scalable intervention with a high return on investment for both students and institutions through improved operations and student success outcomes.

Grit and Graduation: Exploring Persistence Among Urban University Students

This study examines predictors of college success in 968 students, focusing on the influence of grit, demographic, and academic factors, using logistic and Cox regression analyses. It finds that higher grit scores significantly predict increased graduation rates and decreased dropout rates, with gender, ACT scores, entry-level, and summer course enrollment as key factors. The research highlights the importance of considering broader socioeconomic and systemic contexts that affect the development of resilience and grit. It emphasizes that resilience and grit are not only personal attributes but also outcomes shaped by socioeconomic status and systemic barriers, such as income disparities and institutional biases. The study advocates for educational environments that support individual resilience and grit while addressing socio-economic and systemic inequalities to promote equitable student success. This approach calls for integrated supportive structures and policies within educational institutions to alleviate the compounded challenges faced by students, ensuring resilience and grit are nurtured within a context that recognizes and confronts systemic inequity.

GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT FOR ADDRESSING THE INTERSECTION OF EDUCATION, LABOR MARKET MISMATCH, AND CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR: ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES AND IMPLICATIONS

Several expected results from government expenditure, education, and labour market regulations are revealed when one examines the complex interaction between education, labour market mismatch, and criminal behaviour. Government spending on education is projected to increase graduation rates and student performance, among other observable advantages. The likelihood of a mismatch between job capabilities and market demand may be decreased as a result of a more trained workforce. Investments in employment agencies and job placement services may also help job seekers find positions that fit their qualifications, enhancing job satisfaction and lowering instances of labour market mismatch. Additionally, government initiatives to lessen income disparity through progressive taxation and social safety nets may improve economic stability, so averting the economic unrest that is frequently associated with criminal activity. Initiatives for preventing crime, such as counselling, assistance with finding a job, and skill-building programmes, may provide those who may otherwise turn to crime out of job dissatisfaction an alternative route to success and a decrease in criminal activity. Investments in mental health services and addiction treatment programmes are anticipated to enhance mental health and decrease substance misuse, two factors linked to criminal behaviour. By providing prisoners with the knowledge and skills they need for successful work after release, education programmes within correctional facilities are expected to lessen recidivism rates. Last but not least, government-funded research initiatives may give light on the viability of various strategies, providing a foundation for evidence-based policies that concentrate on tackling the complex problems at the confluence of education, labour markets, and criminal behaviour. Although these anticipated results present a bright image, it is important to recognize that outcomes may differ depending on implementation strategies, local socioeconomic situations, and community demographics. To effectively handle the numerous difficulties within this sector, ongoing assessment and policy improvement are essential.

Participation in Undergraduate Research Reduces Equity Gaps in STEM Graduation Rates.

Many students who enroll in a public U.S. 4-y college will not graduate. The odds of completing a college degree are even lower for students who have been marginalized in higher education, especially in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields. Can undergraduate research increase a student's likelihood of graduating college and close educational equity gaps in college completion? To answer this question, we use data from six public U.S. universities (N = 120,308 students) and use Propensity Score Matching to generate a comparison group for analyses. We conducted logistic regressions on graduation rates and equity gaps in 4 and 6 y using the matched comparison group and undergraduate researchers in STEM (n = 2727). When being compared with like-peers and controlling for background characteristics and prior academic performance, students who participated in undergraduate research were twice as likely to graduate in 4 y and over 10 times as likely to graduate in 6 y. We also found that equity gaps in 4-y graduation rates for students of color, low-income, and first-generation students were cut in half for undergraduate researchers. At 6 y, these gaps were completely closed for undergraduate researchers. As we seek ways to close education gaps and increase graduation rates, undergraduate research can be a meaningful practice to improve student success.

Historically Underrepresented Graduate Students’ Experiences at a U.S. Majority Serving Institution: A Narrative Analysis

Aim/Purpose: This study explored the experiences of a group of historically underrepresented graduate students at a research-intensive university to understand their perceived supports and barriers to academic persistence and success and how these related to their background, socioeconomic status, language, and cultural differences. Background: Attending graduate school can provide learning in specialized disciplines, creating opportunities for career advancement and gains in income. Under-represented students (i.e., underrepresented minorities, females in STEM, first-generation students, part-time, and international students) often encounter additional barriers in graduate school, such as a lower sense of belonging, imposter phenomenon, or microaggressions. However, they may find emotional support through family and friends and mentor support through faculty and advisors. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs was used to understand how these graduate student success factors acted as supports and barriers to motivate students to reach their optimal potential. Methodology: In this qualitative narrative study, interview transcripts from fourteen graduate students studying at an R1 university in the United States were restoried into narratives. For the typographic analyses, themes emerged from the individuals’ stories. Similarities in the data were organized into categories, and relationships were sought between the categories. For the rhetorical analyses, short storylines developed from these cases were used to derive opposition statements and syllogisms. Contribution: This study illuminates the graduate student experience through novel analytical methods and a well-regarded psychological theory – Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs – tied to graduate student success factors. Although each person’s graduate experience is unique, the study findings lead to recommendations to enhance the graduate student experience for all students. Findings: Case analyses revealed nine major themes linked to students’ backgrounds, socioeconomic status, language, and cultural differences: (1) mentor support, (2) sense of belonging, (3) financial support, (4) peer support, (5) community, (6) imposter phenomenon, (7) microaggressions, (8) family obligations, and (9) access and opportunity for academic research and writing. Recommendations for Practitioners: Universities can better support graduate students by providing better professional development for faculty to serve as mentors, using a cohort-based model for better peer support, financial counseling for graduate students, better mental health services and access, more parental support considerations, and more opportunities for research experiences. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers will gain a more nuanced understanding of individuals’ circumstances – particularly those students who have many complicating life circumstances (e.g., enrollment status, family, finances, citizenship) – by collecting and analyzing qualitative data. Mixed methods, using validated instruments, could also enhance our understanding of graduate education. Impact on Society: Universities that follow the recommendations in this study will enhance the experiences of graduate students, likely increase graduation rates, and contribute to a more educated and more diverse workforce. Future Research: For universities that have already implemented some of the suggested support structures (e.g., mentor professional development, cohort programs, and financial counseling), future research could investigate their utility to graduate students.

Increased Graduation Rates in Students Who Take One or More Experiential Learning Classes during Their Undergraduate Program of Study

A large American university in the southeastern United States has infused experiential learning into academic courses to create a national model that is both sustainable and replicable. The EXL Scholars Program has consistently shown growth and significant positive outcomes by providing students with opportunities for hands-on experiences in their fields of study, service learning opportunities, valuable networking with professionals, and an opportunity to explore career paths through real-world activities. Student learning assessments provide evidence that the EXL Scholars Program has a positive benefit for students and does enhance students’ learning experiences as stated in the program’s motto, EXL: Experience the Advantage. This article will explore how the program has been institutionalized and how students who participate in the Experiential Learning Scholars Program graduate at a significantly higher rate than those students who do not.

Handling Big Data in Education: A Review of Educational Data Mining Techniques for Specific Educational Problems

In the era of big data, where the amount of information is growing exponentially, the importance of data mining has never been greater. Educational institutions today collect and store vast amounts of data, such as student enrollment and attendance records, and their exam results. With the need to sift through enormous amounts of data and present it in a way that anyone can understand, educational institutions are at the forefront of this trend, and this calls for a more sophisticated set of algorithms. Data mining in education was born as a response to this problem. Traditional data mining methods cannot be directly applied to educational problems because of the special purpose and function they serve. Defining at-risk students, identifying priority learning requirements for varied groups of students, increasing graduation rates, monitoring institutional performance efficiently, managing campus resources, and optimizing curriculum renewal are just a few of the applications of educational data mining. This paper reviews methodologies used as knowledge extractors to tackle specific education challenges from large data sets of higher education institutions to the benefit of all educational stakeholders.

The Role of the Discipline of Information Technology: A Systematic Literature Review

Aim/Purpose. The goal of this publication is to explore methods for advancing student success in technology related disciplines via improved program classification and selection within higher education. Background. Increased demand for information technology (IT) professionals has been cited as a challenge in many fields including cybersecurity and software development. Many highlight the challenge as not just a numbers gap but a skills gap when comparing industry needs to the curricula in traditional disciplines within higher education. Closing the gap by increasing the number of skilled graduates remains a critical challenge we must address. Methodology. This publication leverages a systematic literature review to identify factors that classify existing higher education programs within the discipline of information technology. Contribution. Research in this area can act as a catalyst to increase relevance of IT related programs as well as graduation rates in technology and engineering. Findings. Authors analyzed forty-four primary studies and found that 56.8% of the publications referenced programs that meet the IT framework definition although they were not classified as IT programs. The findings and further analysis highlight direct challenges between program classification and the potential impact on student success. Recommendations for Practitioners. Research in this area is relevant for academic administrators, private sector executives and others working to increase the technology pipeline. Recommendations for Researchers. Researchers may benefit by exploring thematic analysis as a means of generating relevant classifications and taxonomies that highlight opportunities for improvement in a broad set of subject areas. Impact on Society. Research in this area can serve as a catalyst to increase graduation rates in programs related to technology and engineering. Future Research. This area would benefit from further research by comparing program success rates within varied disciplines. Future research may also produce a classification process.

Do Deadlines Affect Project Completion? Experimental Evidence from Israeli Vocational Colleges

We study a large-scale intervention aimed at increasing graduation rates in Israeli vocational colleges. In this context, the main reason for low graduation rates has been found to be the failure of students to complete the required final project. This may result from procrastination which is prevalent among students in many settings. To address procrastination, we introduce a deadline for final project defense in randomly selected departments while control group departments maintain the practice of scheduling defense dates on a rolling basis. We compare student performance over time in treated and control departments in a difference-in-differences framework and find no effect of deadlines on project defense or on graduation rates. A potential explanation for these findings is that there are other constraints faced by students, such as academic difficulties or a low perceived value of the diploma, which are not alleviated by the deadline. Using administrative and survey data, we find that deadlines have no effect even when the alternative constraints are not binding.

Clustering Analysis for Classifying Student Academic Performance in Higher Education

There are three income categories for Malaysians: the top 20% (T20), the middle 40% (M40), and the bottom 40% (B40). The government has extended B40′s access to higher education to eliminate socioeconomic disparities and improve their lives. The number of students enrolled in bachelor’s degree programmes at universities has risen annually. However, not all students who enrolled graduated. Machine learning approaches have been widely used and improved in education. However, research studies related to unsupervised learning in education are generally lacking. Therefore, this study proposes a clustering-based approach for classifying B40 students based on their performance in higher education institutions (HEIs). This study developed three unsupervised models (k-means, BIRCH, and DBSCAN) based on the data of B40 students. Several data pre-processing tasks and feature selection have been conducted on the raw dataset to ensure the quality of the training data. Each model is optimized using different tuning parameters. The observational results have shown that the optimized k-means on Model B (KMoB) achieved the highest performance among all the models. KMoB produced five clusters of B40 students based on their performance. With KMoB, this study may assist the government in reducing HEI drop-out rates, increasing graduation rates, and eventually boosting students’ socioeconomic status.

Social and Emotional Learning: Meeting and Addressing Educator and Student Concerns While Providing Benefits for All Involved

Guided by the social-emotional learning framework, this article establishes and discusses the associations between students’ perceptions of five core social emotional learning (SEL) competencies (i.e., responsible decision-making, social awareness, self-awareness, self-management, and relationship skills) and their effect on overall student learning and educational experiences. Social and emotional learning (SEL) provides a foundation for safe and positive learning, and enhances students’ ability to succeed in school, careers, and life. Educators have many concerns regarding various social and emotional needs of the students they serve including absenteeism, behavior, student achievement, higher order thinking, problem solving and overall student mental health. SEL initiatives within the classroom prove to show results in: greater academic success, fewer behavioral issues, less emotional distress, positive social behavior, improved teacher-student relationships, less bullying, improved career readiness, increased graduation rates, decreased teacher stress, and an overall positive school climate.

UPAYA PENINGKATAN PENDIDIKAN MELALUI PROGRAM MENGAJAR DI SEKOLAH DI KAMPUNG GUNUNG LEUTIK DESA BENTENG KABUPATEN BOGOR

Bogor Regency is one of the districts that has a high dropout rate in basic education. The average dropout rate occurs at the junior high school level, one of which has occured in Benteng Village, especially Gunung Leutik Village, Bogor. The high dropout rate in 2018 showed that the 9-year basic education goals stated in the 1945 Constitution have not been realized. As a form of community service, the academic community of the Management Department, Faculty of Economics and Management, IPB University in collaboration with SMP Negeri 1 Ciampea and the Nusa Educator Community organized a program named “teaching activities in schools”. The program was held for sixth months, started on August 16, 2021 - January 14, 2021. The activity was initiated by Thematic Community Service Program activities / KKN-T (a regular program of IPB University Students) that was continued by ‘teaching in schools’ program. This program taken place in Mount Leutik Village. Teaching at this school was carried out to students from Open Middle School, Package B, and Package C. The Nusa Educator Community and the IPB University KKNT team carried out program planning, including acceptance and search for new students, preparation of teaching materials and the determination of teaching locations. Furthermore, socialization was carried out simultaneously to the community so that their children who are not yet in school are sent to school. The outputs of this activity were to increase the motivation of students who have dropped out of school to continue education until they graduate and provide knowledge for students so that they are able to achieve graduation according to their level and are able to increase graduation rates at the elementary, junior high, and high school levels in the local area.

From Undergraduate Research to Graduation: Measuring the Robustness of the Pathway at a Hispanic-Serving Institution.

Based on several regression specifications that control for a host of covariates, this article demonstrates that the quantity of undergraduate research experience was by far the most important determinant for increased graduation rates at a 100% Hispanic-serving institution. Our finding also shows a causal relationship confirmed by propensity score matching analyses. Results underscore the high impact but sometimes underestimated contribution of undergraduate research to academic success, even for teaching-oriented colleges.

Unbundling Urban Education: Which School Type, Traditional Public School or Charter School Are Most Effectively Educating Urban Students

Public education has been categorized as the perpetrator for everything from high crime rates to teen pregnancies. The American public has been tricked into believing the school system is a failure [1]. In fact, urban public-school systems have a dismal reputation in many cities across the United States because of lowered standardized test performance and increased school violence. Noted it was not schools that were the culprit for underachieving urban students, but poverty and segregation [2]. As explained by despite continually increasing graduation rates, over one million high school students dropped out of school each year. Stakeholders deliberate about how to improve education for urban students, and the introduction of charter schools came about as a solution to the many issues facing urban public education [3]. Implementation of charter schools could cause traditional public schools to become more effective. Junge concluded, “If a school is not working, let’s end it [4]. That’s how we’ll improve public education for all”. “End it”, is precisely what the city of Philadelphia did, in 2013, 30 schools in Philadelphia were closed, displacing over 15,000 students. The state and mayoral - appointed School Reform Commission engendered substantial political pushback. Philadelphia’s city council voted 14 to two passing a resolution calling for a halt of additional school closures [5]. Additionally, community groups filed civil rights complaints with the US Department of Education [6]. City wide planning meetings attracted upwards of 1000 students and parents [7]. Protests leading up to the decision drew thousands, leading to 19 arrests, including the head of the national teacher’s union.

Breaking Ties: Regression Discontinuity Design Meets Market Design

Many schools in large urban districts have more applicants than seats. Centralized school assignment algorithms ration seats at over‐subscribed schools using randomly assigned lottery numbers, non‐lottery tie‐breakers like test scores, or both. The New York City public high school match illustrates the latter, using test scores and other criteria to rank applicants at the city's screened schools, combined with lottery tie‐breaking at the rest. We show how to identify causal effects of school attendance in such settings. Our approach generalizes regression discontinuity methods to allow for multiple treatments and multiple running variables, some of which are randomly assigned. The key to this generalization is a local propensity score that quantifies the school assignment probabilities induced by lottery and non‐lottery tie‐breakers. The utility of the local propensity score is demonstrated in an assessment of the predictive value of New York City's school report cards. Schools that earn the highest report card grade indeed improve SAT math scores and increase graduation rates, though by much less than OLS estimates suggest. Selection bias in OLS estimates of grade effects is egregious for screened schools.

An On-Ramp to Student Success: A Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluation of a Developmental Education Reform at the City University of New York

Most community college students are referred to developmental education courses to build basic skills. These students often struggle in these courses and college more broadly. CUNY Start is a prematriculation program for students assessed as having significant remedial needs. CUNY Start students delay matriculation for one semester and receive time-intensive instruction in math, reading, and writing with a prescribed pedagogy delivered by trained teachers. The program aims to help students complete remediation and prepare for college-level courses. This article describes the results of an experiment at four community colleges (n ~ 3,800). We estimate that over 3 years, including one semester that students spent in the program and two-and-a-half years after the program was complete, CUNY Start substantially increased college readiness, slightly increased credit accumulation, and modestly increased graduation rates (by increasing participation in CUNY’s highly effective Accelerated Study in Associate Programs [ASAP]).

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT IN VIRTUAL CLASS ROOMS

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the education sector throughout the globe resulted in closure of schools, colleges and universities. Consequently, there was a radical shift to e-learning and digital classrooms. Even long before COVID-19, there was already exponential growth and incorporation of technology in the education sector. It may be language apps, virtual tutoring, video conferencing tools, or online learning softwares, a momentous spurt has been noticed in usage of information technology since COVID-19. It is alarming that challenges associated with the transition to online learning would have the greatest impact on students learning capabilities in the midst of this chaos, as the strategies followed by teachers in a conventional classroom differs from those adopted in a virtual classroom. students engagement strategies in a traditional class at the campus differs from a virtual classroom. Basically, student engagement is a measure of how often a student attends to a task, assignment or activity during a class session. Studies clearly indicates positive relationships between student engagement and academic achievement. Engaged learners have demonstrated stronger satisfaction with learning experiences, stronger achievement in courses and increased graduation rates. When it comes to learning, commitment shown by students is affected by the level of motivation, concentration and cognitive aptitude of a learner, as well as the nature of online courses and the decisions of an instructor about his specific facilitation style. Efficient virtual coursework needs much more than "giving a Zoom account to any professor and letting the instructor take his course." Online teachingrequires a deliberate, careful approach to instructional design; particularly at a time when students are transiting at an astounding level following the COVID-19 outbreak. The concept of online learning is absolutely new for many students. Mostly students promoted to colleges from secondary schools are inexperienced and have inculcated habit of being spoon fed during early years. For such students anapproach of online teaching is highly unacceptable. Teachers need to be transparent about the aspirations of students and proactively train students, how to participate in this new landscape of learning. An increasing body of evidence indicates that the biggest obstacle to achieve comparable online learning success rates has been addressing the challenge of fostering the kind of collaboration students interaction and discussion, that are often the trademark for creating excellent teaching and learning environments. While it can be difficult to anticipate any struggle that a student may be e x p e r i e n c i n g w i t h o n l i n e l e a r n i n g , c l e a r communication is the key.

Employer Support as a Predictor of Online Master’s Student Retention

Enrollment in master level programs, particularly online, have been increasing nationwide. Students enrolled in online master’s programs tend to be older and more ethnically diverse, and are likely to be balancing work, finances, and family responsibilities with their educational pursuits. These challenges have resulted in higher attrition rates and lower completion rates. This study examined the extent that 1st year retention is predicted by employer support when controlling for demographics, student background, external factors, integration/socialization, and intent to graduate. Development of an online master’s student retention model using logistic regression analysis identified four variables that significantly predict 1st year retention including, employer support, household income, overall satisfaction, and importance of graduating from the institution. Master’s students who received employer support were almost two times more likely to be retained at 1-year. Having students seek these employer benefits may lead to increased graduation rates, higher pay, and job satisfaction.

Engagement in Practice: Engineering Minority Student Engagement Project (EM-STEP)

The US is in greater need of STEM graduates to keep its competitive edge. Various US government agencies have raised concerns about shortage of STEM graduates for 35 years. It is equally important to keep US in technologically superior position. One way to grow the STEM workforce is to increase enrollment, retention, and graduation rates. It has been reported that incoming students are weak in Mathematics and thereby having great difficulty in engineering courses. As a result, they are dropping out of engineering programs resulting in low retention and graduation rates. It is desired to reinforce mathematical concepts. It is desired to engage, mentor and tutor them to keep them from dropping. There are three objectives in this project. One is to increase recruitment; the second goal is to improvement via engagement and providing help. The third goal of increasing graduation rates will be automatically achieved by enhancing retention rates. To meet this objective, Engineering Minority student Engagement Project (EM-STEP) is using an innovative five prong approach of offering Saturday Academy, peer lead group, professional lecture series, freshman seminar and summer research projects. Four high D, withdrawals, incomplete and F grade rates courses have been identified and they are Fundamentals of Electric Circuit Analysis, Engineering Mechanics: Statics and Dynamics, Introduction to Fluid Mechanics and Introduction to Thermodynamics. Students in these courses are from four engineering disciplines of Chemical, Electrical, Mechanical and Petroleum Engineering. These courses are being taught in the Saturday Academy and twenty students are working as peer group leaders. We are also offering motivating lectures in the professional lecture series. Summer research project for 8-week duration is also offered.

The Insufficiency of High School Completion Rates to Redress Educational Inequities among Indigenous Students

A continued gap exists in student achievement between Indigenous and non- Indigenous students in the British Columbia school system. This article analyzes the balance of success and failure of the Accountability Framework, a provincial program designed to increase graduation rates in the province. In order to understand the successes and failures of this initiative, we draw upon the principles of John Rawls to consider the implications of rising graduation rates of those occupying the lowest standard of living in society. One of the primary findings is the necessity of policy makers and educational leaders to refrain from considering data regarding Indigenous student success in isolation and instead consider the shifts in disparity compared to non-Indigenous learners. Shifting the level of analysis from the school system to the overall well-being of a population unearths serious concerns regarding indicators of success within school systems. We contend that the initiative to solely draw upon high school completion rates as an indicator of success is misleading and further exacerbates existing problems of marginalization of Indigenous people in education.