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?
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?
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