Attrition, meaning shrinking, is a
commonly used term in college. Student attrition typically
refers to the number of students who do not complete their
program of studies. These "dropouts" are viewed as failures by
the schools and reduce the "graduation rate" typically measured
by everyone from the schools themselves, to the accrediting
agencies to the national publications (e.g., U.S. News & World
Report).The dropout rate
at American universities is about 50% for traditional students
and 60% for online learners. (National Dialog on Student
Retention, 2008)
Validity and Reliability
As any statistician or graduate
student can tell you a statistic is meaningful only when it
satisfies two important criteria: Validity (both "construct"
and "content"), and Reliability. Validity, the most critical of
the two, simply means that the test "measures what it purports
(is supposed) to measure". And Reliability means that it
consistently does this over time.
How valid is this measure?
With attrition, there are
several concerns. If the retention rate is calculated
programmaticaly, it fails to account for inter-program
transfers. If it is applied to the institution as a whole, it
still has problems. For example, do we really want to measure
if a student completes their education at a particular
institution, or should our primary concern be that the students
obtains their degree or diploma? It could be easily argued that
the latter measure is most important. When the Census Bureau
reports on the percentage of "college graduates" they aren't
particularly concerned about how many schools the graduate
attended. Whether the student graduated from "Podunk U" or
"Retention College" is of no consequence. The important number
is the percentage who graduates.
The institution perspective
Of course colleges are always
looking for ways to measure their success. Is it quality,
quantity, reputation, faculty/student ratios, etc.? All of
these measures, and more, are incorporated into the College
Rankings which are so eagerly consumed by prospective students,
parents, graduates, administrators and the college community.
Just take a look at the most recent U.S. News College Rankings.
But how meaningful are these
measures and rankings? Probably not very. From one
perspective, especially at the two-year (Community College)
level, success could mean that there are large numbers of
transfers to four-year colleges. This would be true whether or
not the student completed their Associates degree. A broader
view of institutional success may involve a longer perspective.
Longitudinal studies, tracking students throughout their total
academic life might provide a better perspective. For example,
if a student attends "Lousy U" and has such a horrible
experience that he is turned off from education for the rest of
his life, that would clearly be a negative. If, on the other
hand, students at "Success College" gain confidence and
experience academic success, but due to increased confidence and
broadened perspectives move on to other schools prior to
completing their program of studies, this could be considered
extremely positive.
Student Retention Research
The converse of student
attrition is student retention. Perhaps the best model of
student retention comes from research and a theoretical
perspective provided by Vincent Tinto (Tinto V, ). Although
there is limited empirical evidence to support Tinto's theories,
his work clearly identifies the complexities of the issue. Some
of the factors in the retention equation include: academic
integration, teaching, learning, support, facilities, [student]
qualifications/preparation/motivation, individual attributes,
family attributes [e.g., mother's education], finances, debt,
medical, family events, social integration, etc. When
interacting with the principal factors of Goal Commitment and
Institutional Commitment, dropout decisions are made (or not
made).
According to Tinto the
different reasons for departure boil down to two categories: 1)
Voluntary (student decision) and, 2) Involuntary (poor academic
[and/or attendance] performance). Tinto, (and other researchers)
further refine this model by emphasizing two overarching
decision markers: 1) Academic Integration, and 2) Social
Integration.. In other words: 1) how is the student performing
academically, how much do they enjoy their subjects, and how
they view themselves as a student; 2) how many friends the
student has at the school, quality of interaction with faculty
and staff, and how much they enjoy being at the school.
What can We Learn?
The admission of students who
are not ready, inadequately prepared, or don't have sufficient
commitment to succeed in a College program will clearly increase
the attrition rate, and although intervention can help mitigate
the problem, the stage is set for failure. And, many students
lack the self-motivation to perform adequately in the
less-structured post-secondary setting.
Students leave school for a
number of reasons. They may not do well academically, or they
may have competing priorities which cause attendance problems.
They may feel socially isolated at school or feel disconnected
from the institution. They could have financial problems, family
problems, learning disabilities, transportation, childcare or
persistence issues. They can have a combination of problems, and
even all of the foregoing could apply. If they are minority,
foreign, adult learners, re-entry students, low income students,
single-parents, etc., they have further complications. Students
may not feel supported by the institution or do not relate well
with its staff. A primary factor is students' relationship with
their teachers.
Merely measuring attrition may
not tell the whole story. And, some factors are beyond
administrative or faculty control. However, establishing a
supportive culture and a welcoming environment can help.
What can be Done to Improve
Student Retention?
The literature provides a
number of suggestions, and intuitively we know some approaches
that work. Here are some ideas:
--Provide student services
emphasizing a support system for the student (e.g., orientation,
advising, counseling, student organizations, social events,
carpooling assistance, tutoring, etc.)
--Establish systems to
proactively identify problems and quickly intervene to resolve
them (e,g., grades, attendance, distraction, etc.)
--Enlist the support of the
faculty in improving student retention. Inform them of the
problem, offer recommendations, and most importantly solicit
their input. --Encourage student input, e.g., student
satisfaction surveys.
--Allow students to gain some
success before enrolling them in "weed out"/ bottleneck courses
(e.g., math and science). --Arrange student events (e.g.,
Charitable events, pizza sales, celebrations)
--Promote "belongingness"
through student government, associations, clubs, etc.
--Recognize student
achievements and success (attendance and academic awards) --Keep
students regularly informed about their academic progress.
--Gather and analyze student
attrition data. Benchmark data and compare with comparable
institutions.
--Link with employers and
potential employers of students and graduates. Provide superior
Career Placement Services for all students. --Assign student
mentors to assist incoming students.
--Develop, nurture and maintain
a friendly, customer service oriented atmosphere.
--Constantly review, analyze
and upgrade programs and services.
--Make every student feel
welcome and necessary.
Finally...
Students leave college for a
variety of reasons. Sometimes the institution is powerless to
influence these decisions. However, the ideas presented in this
article may be valuable to administrators looking to reduce
attrition. It's definitely worth a try.
References:
Tinto, V (1975) "Dropout from
Higher Education: A Theoretical Synthesis of Recent Research"
Review of Educational Research, vol.45, pp.89-125
Tinto, V (1982) "Limits of
Theory and Practice in Student Attrition" Journal of Higher
Education, vol3 pp. 687-700
Tinto,V., Leaving College:
Rethinking the Causes and Cures of Student Attrition, 1994,
Univ. of Chicago Press
Journal of College Student
Retention: Research, Theory and Practice, Ed. Alan Seidman
National Dialog on Student
Retention, 2008,
http://educationdynamics.com/retention_conference/
