NCAN Members’ Postsecondary Success Services

Mariah Brown

Spencer Dixon

McCall Hopkin

Shelbe Klebs

Emily Labandera

Keys to Success:

Rationale

Less than half of students

who enroll in college

graduate within 150% of

normal time

SOURCES: Long, 2018; Bailey et al., 2015; Jacob, 2018

Rationale

NCAN member-served

students’ six-year completion

rates trail the National Student

Clearinghouse average

52.4%56.9%

0%

25%

50%

75%

NCAN Overall All Students

Overall Six-year Completion Rates, Class of 2011

SOURCE: National College Access Network, 2019

Rationale

Less than half of students

who enroll in college

graduate within 150% of normal time

Costs of Non-Completion:

EARNINGS

STUDENT DEBT

HEALTH/WELL-BEING

NCAN member-served students’ six-

year completion rates trail the National

Student Clearinghouse average

Rationale NCAN Member-Served College Students’ Status at 150% of Normal Time, 2017

45%57%

14%

15%

41%28%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Access Services Only Success Services

Graduated

Still Enrolled

Not Enrolled

SOURCE: National College Access Network, 2019

NCAN member-served

students who received

postsecondary success

services completed at higher

rates than those who did not

Research Questions

What is the nature of postsecondary success services provided by NCAN member programs?#1

#2Do students’ outcome patterns vary depending on which success services they receive?

Literature Review

• Interventions fall within 3 categories:› Financial Aid

› Academic Pathways

› Individual Student Support

• Example of large impacts: CUNY’s ASAP Program

• Limited, mixed evidence on individual student support provided independently

Methodology

• Original online survey› 52% response rate (27 of 52)

• Semi-structured interviews › 6 phone interviews

› 1 site visit

• Case studies › Selected based on promising practices (strong relationships,

responsiveness to student needs, scalability, etc.)

• Secondary analysis of survey data and student outcome data

Getting to Our Sample

Responded to Our Survey?

Provided Success Services in 2010/11?

Participated in NCAN Benchmarking Survey?

All NCAN Members420+

Members

Yes: 73 Members

Yes: 51 Members (8,087 students)

Yes: 26 Members (3,959 students)

No: 25 Members (4,151 students)

No/UNK: 22 Members (61,179 students)

No: 340+ Members

Findings: Question 1

What is the nature of postsecondary success services provided by NCAN member programs?#1

#2Do students’ outcome patterns vary depending on which success services they receive?

Which Services?Pe

rcen

t o

f M

emb

ers

(n

= 2

7)

Services Provided

How Often & What Method?

Delivery Method

6%Electronic Only

32%In-Person

Only62%

In-Person & Electronic

Service Dosage

55%

23%

11%

5% 6%

< 1 permonth

1-2 permonth

3-4 permonth

5-6 permonth

7+ permonth

Perc

ent

of

All

Serv

ices

CollegeTracks Site Visit

• 1:1 session with student and success coach

• Importance of in-person check-ins

• Free flowing conversation, but hit four key areas:

› Academics

› Financial Aid

› Career

› Life

• Holistic approach to service delivery

• Connect to community resources (e.g. non-institutional scholarships)

Silver Spring, MD

Qualitative Findings

• Member services are complementing – not competing with – existing services on campus

• Technology makes delivery easier and more scalable, but is not a silver bullet

• Organizational structure and scale vary considerably

“[We’re] not trying to replace anything on campus … We’re just trying to make sure our kids are connected to those programs, and know how to navigate those programs.”

- McNair Educational Foundation

Case Studies

Key Promising Practices:

1. Identified gap and created RCT pilot program

2. Strong relationship with local college

3. Networks with others in the field to develop programming

Robert & Janice McNair FoundationForest City, NC | 300 students

Case Studies

Key Promising Practices:

1. Virtual coaching program to supplement existing services at larger scale

2. Strong relationships with partners

3. Intentional data collection and student tracking

Beyond 12Oakland, CA & Atlanta, GA | 52,000 students

Case Studies

Key Promising Practices:

1. Virtual coaching program to supplement existing services at larger scale

2. Strong relationships with partners

3. Intentional data collection and student tracking

Beyond 12Oakland, CA & Atlanta, GA | 52,000 students

Key Promising Practices:

1. Identified gap and created RCT pilot program

2. Strong relationship with local college

3. Networks with others in the field to develop programming

Robert & Janice McNair FoundationForest City, NC | 300 students

Findings: Question 2

What is the nature of postsecondary success services provided by NCAN member programs?#1

#2Do students’ outcome patterns vary depending on which success services they receive?

Patterns Among Top Programs?

0%

40%

40%

60%

60%

60%

80%

80%

80%

80%

100%

Mental Health

Tutoring

Summer Bridge

Scholarship Search

Campus Resources

Budgeting

Networking

Job Search

FAFSA Renewal

Course Selection

Study Skills

Percent of Programs

(5 total)

Programs with Top 5 Completion Rates

10%

14%

19%

24%

24%

24%

33%

38%

62%

62%

76%

Networking

Tutoring

Job Search

Mental Health

Summer Bridge

Course Selection

Study Skills

Budgeting

Scholarship Search

Campus Resources

FAFSA Renewal

Percent of Programs

(21 total)

Remaining 21 Programs

0% 25% 50% 75%

Study Skills

Job Search

FAFSA Renewal

Course Selection

Networking

Program Completion Rate

Patterns Among Top Services?

Program Completion Rates

46%

48%

51%

51%

54%

0% 25% 50% 75%

Study Skills

Job Search

FAFSA Renewal

Course Selection

Networking

Program Completion Rate

Patterns Among Top Services?

Program Completion Rates

46%

48%

51%

51%

54%

Mean (Remaining 21), 46%

0% 25% 50% 75%

Study Skills

Job Search

FAFSA Renewal

Course Selection

Networking

Program Completion Rate

Patterns Among Top Services?

Program Completion Rates

Patterns Among Top Services?

Cohort Coverage

Patterns Among Top Services?

90%

67%

59%

65%

64%

69%

85%

90%

93%

95%

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

Networking

Job Search

Study Skills

Course Selection

FAFSA Renewal

Percent of Total Students Served

Top 5 Programs

Remaining 21 Programs

Cohort Coverage

Recommendations

• For NCAN:

› Ask more questions about success service provision (type, dosage, etc.) on annual Benchmarking Survey

› Facilitate communication between success service programs

• For NCAN Members:

› Expand coordination/programming with institutions

› Share ideas and models with other NCAN members

› Expand and improve data tracking systems