Data-Based Advising

There are plenty of projects out there that use data to direct student advising, but I decided to develop my own for the TRIO SSS program here at CCD. For one, it is free to develop and use our own system. For two, it allowed me to create a system that fits our contingent situation.

It is quite simple (though its description is not conducive to a narrative). I select ten quantifiable variables that historically indicate problems with persistence and completion for our students: Term Grades, Term GPA, Cumulative GPA, Cumulative Completion Rate, Cumulative GPA Hours, Financial Aid Standing, Financial Aid Application Status, Hold Status, TRIO Meetings, and TRIO Activities. Then I operationalize the data for each variable, crunch the data, and end up with a Persistence Score for each student. The Persistence Score is like a golf score, the lower the better. The higher the score, the greater the risk of student stop out.

Then, in the following semester, I use the Persistent Report as a triage model for intentional advising. For students scoring low, I provide no additional services beyond standard TRIO activity. For students scoring medium, I enact one additional intervention. For students scoring high, I enact two additional interventions.

The Persistence Report is also helpful when meeting with students, as it provides plenty of important conversation points. As another project, I am currently creating a "flipped classroom" curriculum that uses a website to guide students through the data collection for themselves, and then connects them with student development advising and activities.

An important question is: Does data-based advising based on the Persistence Report make a difference in student persistence and completion? Anecdotally, I can say - at minimum - that it raises awareness of student trajectories and is a helpful tool for student advising. I have not yet completed a scientific evaluation, though I am currently working on another project to methodically evaluate TRIO, so perhaps I will include it there.