References
We have included links to a sample of the readings that we found particularly helpful in guiding our process.
- ACT, Inc. (2004). What Works in Student Retention? (All Survey Colleges Report). Iowa City, IA: Author.
http://www.act.org/path/postsec/droptables/pdf/AllColleges.pdf.
Authors’ description of the document: “…highlights information on successful practices in college student retention based on ACT's national survey that included more than 1,000 colleges." - ACT, Inc. (2006). Reading Between the Lines: What the ACT Reveals about College Readiness in Reading. (Executive Summary).
Iowa City, IA: Author.
http://www.act.org/research/policymakers/pdf/reading_summary.pdf (file size = 124KB).
Authors’ description of the document: “This policy report concludes that too many American high school students are graduating without the reading skills they'll need to succeed in college and in workforce training programs.” - Carey, K. (2008). Graduation Rate Watch: Making Minority Student Success a Priority. Education
Sector Reports. Washington, DC: The Education Trust.
http://www.educationsector.org/usr_doc/Graduation_Rate_Watch.pdf (file size = 420 KB).
Author’s description of the document: “College graduation rates for minority students are often shockingly low. And most institutions have significantly lower graduation rates for black students than for white students. But, as Research and Policy Manager Kevin Carey documents in a new Education Sector report, these high-failure rates are not inevitable: Some institutions are graduating black students at a higher rate than white students.” - The Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education. (2007). Demography is not
Destiny: Increasing the Graduation Rates of Low-Income College Students at
Large Public Universities. Washington, DC: Author.
http://www.pellinstitute.org/files/files-demography_is_not_destiny.pdf (file size = 2690 KB).
Authors’ description of the document: “Colleges and universities that design and implement student retention programs with the challenges of low-income students in mind can improve college graduation rates without narrowing access. Demography is not Destiny: Increasing the Graduation Rates of Low-Income College Students at Large Public Universities reveals retention strategies that help some institutions succeed beyond all predictors and points to the pitfalls that can hamper retention efforts elsewhere.” - The Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education. (2007). Straight from the
Source: What Works for First-Generation College Students. Washington, DC: Author.
http://www.pellinstitute.org/files/files-sfts_what_works.pdf (file size = 1423 KB).
Authors’ description of the document: “…offers a comprehensive look at the college access struggles of students who are the first in their families to pursue post-secondary education…. The report… reveals the academic, financial, familial and work issues first-generation students confront on a daily basis as they strive to succeed in college.” - The Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education. (2004). Raising the
Graduation Rates of Low-Income College Students. Washington, DC: Author.
http://www.pellinstitute.org/gradrates/Pell_Web.pdf (file size = 645 KB).
Authors’ description of the document: “As a group, colleges that serve large percentages of low-income students have lower graduation rates than other colleges. However, among the colleges that serve low-income students there is also considerable variation in graduation rates, differences that suggest a strategy for studying and improving college outcomes. This report presents the findings of a study to identify the institutional characteristics, practices, and policies that might account for differences in retention and graduation rates among colleges and universities that serve high concentrations of low-income students.” - Tinto, Vincent. (1994). Leaving College: Rethinking the Causes and Cures of Student
Attrition, 2nd edition. University of Chicago Press. (No link provided for this reference / text).
Vincent Tinto is a renowned expert on the social dimensions of student learning, student retention and student success. The text cited above is perhaps his best-known work. We provide two summaries of Tinto's work, provided by the author on his web site: - Tinto, Vincent. Rethinking the First Year of College. http://soeweb.syr.edu/academics/grad/higher_education/Copy%20of%20Vtinto/Files/RethinkFirstYearCollege.pdf (file size = 69 KB).
- Tinto, Vincent. Student Success and the Building of Involving Educational Communities. http://soeweb.syr.edu/academics/grad/higher_education/Copy%20of%20Vtinto/Files/PromotingStudentSuccess.pdf (file size = 94 KB).