At our school, we currently closely monitor students' progress, attendance, and participation.
I feel these can be very good indicators of "school commitment" and the onset of "academic erosion".
We have a very effective student services staff who seem dedicated and proficient. I am not always sure though, when someone appears to need some help beyond what I can deliver, exactly who is the key person the student should see. There has recently been some discussion within the faculty and staff to address this. I feel since these discussions, action is being taken to address this.
We also have at our school a knowledgeable and accessable faculty training manager. He has initiated group discussions to debate the strategies and policies we currently have in place as well as concerns and possible improvements for the future.
One thing I really like the sound of would be to call a small group of students to a meeting on a rotating schedule to hear their concerns. Then, within a few days, they would get a response to the issues they expressed. I'm sure there would be some unrealistic requests but within the context of it, there is bound to be some useful and helpful information we could extract. There may be hundreds of reasons why this would not work and I'm sure I'll hear some of them, but I feel it is an idea to consider.
1.) I will observe the instructors I am involved with and do a one on one discussion with the instructor on what well and what didn't.
2.) I will ask the instructors what they need from me to help them achieve their objectives for their class.
3.) I will interview students from classes that maybe at risk in attendance,academics,or professional failing of a course and discuss what resources are available to them.
First, I will continue to develop my knowledge and understanding of retention through additional training and observation of fellow staff members. I will also make an effort to greet students and ask how they are doing. And as I continue to learn more about the Institution and the industry i will be able to communicate better with the students.
Our school actually does all of the items listed in ways to improve retention. Our student services department prints a guide that is thoroughly gone through at orientation that explains the services of all the departments with contact information and even includes things such as lists of local resources that offer discounts to our students. We have a student carpool program and our housing department assists students in finding places to live and room mates as needed. Our student council is a voice for students to communicate to staff and they regularly plan functions to help students aquaint each other. Our initial classes also have team lab group work, which helps students meet and interact in the early classes also.
I think that we have some very good retention tools that we already have in place.
(1)I do think that one thing we could improve on is getting more staff involved in meeting with students for drop prevention. We always talk about doing that but to be perfectly honest, we get busy and we just rely on our own ability or dont want to bother anyone else who is busy.
I think that rather than emailing people and waiting for them to respond, we need to physically get up and take the student to people.
(2)We will send out more cards to students having a hard time or students that are doing well to check in with them and remind them that we are here adn we care.
(3) We will monitor meet with students having attendance issues once per week to check in with them and make sure they are sticking to the action plan we set for them to help them get back where they need to be.
Develop a more in depth retention program/plan
Introduce retention to all personnel and departments it is a school goal not just one departments
develop a system for early/timely intervention
1. I am revising our orientation checklist to include a new incentive program for student attendance in which a student who attends 95% of a module will receive a coupon for pizza and a drink or a sweet from a bakery.
2. Looking to set up a mentoring program for students who need additional help.
3. Reviewing your on line course or Orientation and First Week Activities to Increase Retention
1. Expand the available coaching time for students.
2. Get Education Managers involvement when you first see a weakness in a student.
3. Discuss 1 on 1 with a student when he scores lower on a test than you expected.
Encourage students to communicate freely. Listen to students concerns. Keep and show an open door and mind attitude when students have concerns.
1. I feel I need to get to know the students one on one, earlier in the 12 weeks that I have them in class. If I could read them better, earlier, then I could possibly spot any behavioral changes earlier and point them to whatever resource or department best suited to help them.
2. I need to divide my time more evenly with the students in my class. I seem to follow the old adage "the squeeky wheel gets the grease" I spend more time dealing with the noisier, more boisterous students, possibily missing some warning signs from the quieter, more introverted ones.
3. I am going to suggest to at risk students that they seek tutoring sooner if needed. I have never really pushed the use of tutoring with students, tending to try and help the students myself. If I am not being effective at helping, then maybe peer tutoring could help them.
1. Maintain focus on student involvement in the class. Don't teach to them, facilitate their learning experience and keep them interested;
2. Continue to identify students who may be at risk of dropping or failing the class. Doing this sooner than later in the class will greatly improve the chance of retaining the student;
3. Work with Student Services to improve school contact with all students, not just those who are at risk. Continued school involvement could prevent some students from entering the risk category.
1. Talk to our resorce person to see if there is something our dept can do for them.
2. keep an eye on the students to see weather or not there is some outside influences effecting the class situation.
3. try to be as helpful as possible in the areas needed to ensure that they are recieving and understanding the material.
4.try to have an interactive class,so that I can make sure that they have fun at the same time learn the subject.
contact an individual in employment search,and inquire why is it taking so long to process the students resumes
contact student services, and find out why there seems to be problems (according to a few students)with their accounts
then there is me,
make sure to keep myself open to all student needs
First I am going to keep retention as a focus in my classroom.
Second I am going to improve my awareness of student problems and try to direct them to the proper people for help.
Third I am going to help with the in house peer tutoring program.
How is the communication with the student success counselor handled? Does this become part of a data base?
We already have a good system in place. Instructors identify "down students" we send advising contacts in immeadiately and the student will be contacted by our student success counselor. Three things I will do,
#1. As a Chief Instructor students approach me with all manner of problems. I will either handle the problem myself, or, promptly put them in touch with the proper person to handle their concerns.(Normal part of my job)
#2. Continue to evaluate students in my class room and send advising contacts when ever needed.
#3. Continue to review and work on our curriculum to avoid stagnation and boredom. Also keep pace for our customers and students.
1.) Make sure we inform the students on first day of class to what is expected, monitor & guide.
2.) Meet with students that are showing attendance issues or strugeling to find out what is happening and how I can assist.
3.) Listen to other students when they might mention some one is looking to drop and find that student to help in what ways I or we can.
1. Motivate the accdemically weaker students by talking about the prospect of getting employed better by completing the course.
2. Motivate the weaker students to attend more tutorial classes.
3. Provide clasroom resourses such as books and computers during before or after class hours.
I will CONTINUE to monitor student behaviors that indicate possible retention risks. I will CONTINUE to mentor students. I will CONTINUE my involvment with student activities and school functions.
1.Identifying at risk students by listening.
2.Use survey and verticly probe students to identify issues.
3.Communicate with the supporting departments within my organization.
