Increasing Persistence: Research-based Strategies for College Student SuccessINCREASING PERSISTENCE "Of all the books addressing the puzzle of student success and persistence, I found this one to be the most helpful and believe it will be extremely useful to faculty and staff attempting to promote student success. The authors solidly ground their work in empirical research, and do a brilliant job providing both an overview of the relevant literature as well as research-based recommendations for intervention." Research indicates that approximately forty percent of all college students never earn a degree anywhere, any time in their lives. This fact has not changed since the middle of the 20th century. Written for practitioners and those who lead retention and persistence initiatives at both the institutional and public policy levels, Increasing Persistence offers a compendium on college student persistence that integrates concept, theory, and research with successful practice. It is anchored by the ACT's What Works in Student Retention (WWISR) survey of 1,100 colleges and universities, an important resource that contains insights on the causes of attrition and identifies retention interventions that are most likely to enhance student persistence.?? The authors focus on three essential conditions for student success: students must learn; students must be motivated, committed, engaged, and self-regulating; and students must connect with educational programs consistent with their interests and abilities. The authors offer a detailed discussion of the four interventions that research shows are the most effective for helping students persist and succeed: assessment and course placement, developmental education initiatives, academic advising, and student transition programming. Finally, they urge broadening the current retention construct, providing guidance to policy makers, campus leaders, and individuals on the contributions they can make to student success. |
Contents
| 19 | |
The Case for Intensified | 41 |
Public and Private Benefits of College | 63 |
Examining the Return | 79 |
Core Components | 99 |
Academic Preparation | 117 |
Psychosocial Characteristics | 137 |
Career Development | 161 |
Academic Advising | 283 |
FirstYear Transition Programs | 311 |
Implications | 337 |
Creating a Student Success Culture | 363 |
Leading the Campus to Student Success | 383 |
A What Works in Student Retention 2004 Survey | 397 |
B What Works in Student Retention? | 411 |
References | 425 |
Assessing the Impact of Academic Psychosocial | 181 |
Proven Student Success | 211 |
Assessment and Course Placement | 235 |
Development Education Initiatives | 255 |
| 453 | |
| 459 | |