Partnering for Student
Success: The University of
South Carolina’s Early
Intervention Initiative
Chrissy Coley, Ph.D.
Director of Retention and Planning
2006 Annual Conference on The First-Year
Experience – Atlanta, GA
Goals of this Session
 Review the literature/research on student
success and class attendance
 Highlight best institutional practices/models
as they relate to early warning systems
 Discuss the development and implementation
of USC’s Early Intervention Initiative
 Review the results/assessment findings of the
intervention
 Share recommendations based on what we
have learned this year
Review of the Student
Success Literature
and Research
Literature on High-Performing Institutions
Student Success in College (2005 AAHE)
 Highlights DEEP institutions (Documenting Effective
Educational Practices) from National Survey of
Student Engagement (NSSE)
 DEEP Institutions clearly mark routes to student
success through:
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Acculturation – instilling values, articulating what
successful students do, and teaching students how to
make use of resources (orientation, bridge programs)
Alignment – connecting the institution’s mission and
resources with students’ abilities and needs (early
warning systems, academic advising systems)
Literature on High-Performing Institutions
What Works in Student Retention (2004 ACT)
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Learning Support
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Academic Advising and Monitoring
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supplemental instruction, comprehensive learning
assistance centers, summer bridge programs, tutoring
programs, and reading centers
early interventions with selected student populations,
integration of advising with first-year transition programs,
academic advising centers – some combined with
career/life planning
First-Year Programs
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freshman seminars, learning communities, and
integration of advising with first-year programs
Literature on High-Performing Institutions
 Raising the Graduation Rates of Low-Income
College Students (2005 Pell Institute)
Intentional, intrusive academic advising
 Systems for monitoring student progress and
intervening when problems arise
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 Role of Academic and Non-Academic Factors
in Improving College Retention (2004 ACT)
Academic-Related Skills
 Academic Self-Confidence
 Academic Goals
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Relationship Between 1st Year Grades
and Persistence to Degree Completion
 “Borrowers Who Drop Out” (National Center
for Public Policy and Higher Education's May
2005 report):
 “Regardless of borrowing status, more than
half of those who dropped out had a grade
point average of less than 2.25 in the first
year they were enrolled." This data was
based on freshmen enrolling in 4-year
institutions in 1995-96.
Research on Class Attendance and
Academic Performance
 Richie and Hargrove (2005) note that
“researchers have consistently found a
significant negative correlation between
absences and grades” (p. 396).
 Brocato, J. (1989). How much does coming to class matter?
Some evidence of class attendance and grade performance.
Educational Research Quarterly, 13, 2-6.
 Hammen, C. S., & Kelland, J. L. (1994). Attendance and
grades in a human physiology course. Advances in Physiology
Education, 12, S105-S108.
 Schuman, H., Walsh, E., Olson, C., & Etheridge, B. (1985).
Effect and reward: The assumption that college grades are
affected by quantify of study. Social Forces, 63, 945-966.
Research on Class Attendance and
Academic Performance
 Friedman, Rodriguez, and McComb (2001)
found that “the higher the GPA of the students
in our study, the fewer absences they had.
Thus our results suggest that students who
receive better grades have fewer absences
from their classes” (p. 128).
From: Why students do and do not attend classes:
Myths and realities. College Teaching, 49(4), 124133.
Research on Class Attendance and
Academic Performance
 Clump, Bauer, and Whiteleather (2003) compared
General Psychology students who were present on
days in which unannounced quizzes were given with
those who were not present.
 They found “that attending class significantly
increased the number of correct answers on a unit
test over the material and on overall test scores,
which appears to support this notion that attending
class is very influential on a student’s grade” (p. 222).
From: To attend or not to attend: Is that a good question? Journal of
Instructional Psychology, 30, 220-224.
Research on Class Attendance and
Academic Performance
 Richie and Hargrove (2005) conducted 2
experimental studies with 345 students enrolled in
freshman English classes in 2000-2001. (Freshman
Academic Performance and Retention project)
 Students in the intervention group received telephone
calls when they reached an excessive number of
absences.
 They had significantly fewer absences and higher
grades (p<.01) than students in the control groups.
They were also retained at higher rates to Fall 2001.
From: An analysis of the effectiveness of telephone intervention
in reducing absences and improving grades of college
freshmen. Journal of College Student Retention, 6(4), 395-412.
Research on Factors Related to
Class Attendance
 Wyatt, G. (1992) found that:
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Time spent studying was associated negatively with
absenteeism
Frequency of alcohol consumption was associated
positively with absenteeism from disliked courses
Being female was associated positively with
absenteeism from liked and disliked courses
The previous semester’s gpa was associated
negatively with absenteeism from disliked courses
From: Skipping class: An analysis of absenteeism among firstyear college students. Teaching Sociology, 20, 201-207.
Why Students Do Attend Class
Friedman, Rodriguez, and McComb (2001)
 Attendance Reasons Related to Behavior (p<.001) in
Descending Order
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I believe I should attend (not going makes me feel
guilty).
The teacher notices and cares when I am there.
Absences above a minimum affect my grade.
I like participating in this class.
I want to ask questions in class.
We work on assignments or projects in class.
The amount of my class participation affects my grade.
I am interested in the course content.
Why Students Miss Class
Friedman, Rodriguez, and McComb (2001)
 Absence Reasons Related to Attendance Behavior
(p<.001) in Descending Order:
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Attendance is not taken or does not influence my
grade.
The teacher doesn’t notice or care whether I am there.
Course content is available from another source.
I felt tired or overslept because I had fun the night
before.
The teacher is repetitious, confusing, or boring.
I dislike the subject matter.
I did an assignment/studied for another class.
It is my first or last class of the day.
Development of
The University of
South Carolina’s
Early Intervention
Initiative
January – February 2005
 Hiring of Director of Retention and
Planning
 Review of the literature/research
 Identification of institutional models for
early intervention initiatives
Primary Model: Mississippi State
University’s Pathfinders Program
 Mississippi State University's research indicated that
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students missing excessive class sessions in any one
course during their first semester earned significantly
lower gpas and were less likely to be retained than
students who did not miss class excessively.
MSU’s Pathfinders Program started in 1998 in
response to this data.
The program coordinates Resident Assistant
interventions with first year students reported by
faculty members as missing 2+ classes.
Retention and graduation rates have increased since
the implementation of this initiative.
For more information, visit:
http://www.ssrc.msstate.edu/fresh/
Other Institutional Models
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University of Florida -- Tracking program
Clemson University -- Freshman Academic
Success Program – 4th-5th weeks of class
Mercer University – Advising sessions at the 4 th &
8th weeks of class
University of Connecticut – Mid-term interventions
with 1st year students earning Ds and Fs
University of Louisville – Early Warning Alert
system
Columbia College – First Year Student Success
Team
March – April 2005
 Identification of key academic and student
affairs partners
 Facilitation of discussion and planning
meetings to review the literature/best
practices, prioritize issues, establish goals,
and develop a USC-specific model through
consensus-building
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Key players: Retention and Planning,
University 101, Counseling and Human
Development, Residence Life, Student
Disability Services, Financial Aid
Rationale for Implementing an Early
Intervention Program at USC
 Early intervention programs help students
address issues and get to important campus
resources before problems become too
overwhelming to overcome.
 Millennial students are accustomed to
receiving clear directions for success and
frequent monitoring of and feedback on their
progress.
 “First-year students may need more explicit
guidance with respect to the expectations and
demands of college courses.” (2003 YFCY)
Rationale for Using Class Absences as
USC’s Early Intervention “Red Flags”
 Absences give the instructor an objective, tangible
point at which to intervene.
 Absences can be an early indicator that a student is
experiencing issues with academic-related skills,
academic self-confidence, or academic goals.
 Absences can be an early indicator that a student is
experiencing serious emotional, mental, or physical
health issues.
 Absences are usually an earlier measure of progress
than grades on tests or assignments.
Class Absence Early
Intervention Initiative
 Purpose: To intervene with students who are
excessively absent from class so that they
can overcome obstacles that prevent them
from meeting their academic responsibilities
and to connect them with helpful campus
resources before their problems become too
overwhelming
 Overall Goal: Enhance student success
through early interventions, campus
partnerships, and data collection and analysis
Class Absence Early
Intervention Initiative
 Target population: Students enrolled in University
101 and English 101/102
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Small class sizes (manageable for monitoring
attendance)
High percentage of first year students enrolled in at
least one or both of these courses
Student success focus
Support of the directors of these programs
 “What we are trying to do here is offer help and
guidance to our students before they find themselves
facing seemingly insurmountable difficulties.” (Dan
Berman, Director of University 101)
Components of Class Absence Early
Intervention Initiative
 Beginning of semester: Clear and positive articulation of
attendance expectation by instructor
 At 2nd absence: Instructor intervenes with student
 At 3rd absence: Instructor refers name of student to Retention
and Planning through the Excessive Absence Report Form (on
website)
 Excessive Absence Responders (Residence Life, Multicultural
Student Affairs, Greek Life, Student Disability Services, and
Athletics) intervene with student
 At 4th absence: Instructor refers student to the Class Absence
Reflection (CAR) Group sponsored by Counseling and Human
Development
Role of Excessive Absence
Responders
 Make personal contact with the student
 Inform the student they have been made aware of
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his/her class absences through official capacity with
USC’s EII (FERPA allows disclosure to university
officials with legitimate educational interests)
Emphasize that they and the instructor care about the
student’s academic success and personal well-being
Explain that attending class is essential for
succeeding academically at USC
Explore the situation with the student to see if it
would be helpful to refer him/her to other campus
resources
Document intervention with Dir. of Retention/Planning
Role of the Class Absence Reflection
(CAR) Group
 “The goal is for you to have an opportunity to ‘think
out loud’ about your specific circumstances,
academic goals, priorities, and habits in order to
improve your performance at USC.”
 “The professional staff at the Counseling Center is
trained to help people think about issues in their lives
that are somehow impeding their personal goals or
satisfaction. If you are missing classes your risk of
failure at USC will increase. The group participants
will share problems and strategies for dealing with
college life.”
May – June 2005
 May
 University 101 Instructor Training
 June
 E-mail to U101 instructors with letter of
support from Dan Berman (Director U101)
 Website developed
http://www.sa.sc.edu/retention/eii.htm
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Instructor Guidelines
Excessive Absence Report Form
CAR Brochure and Optional Essay Questions
August - November 2005
 August
 English 101 Instructor Training
 Letter to U101/English 101 instructors from Russ
Haber (Director of CHDC) and Chrissy Coley (Director
of Retention and Planning)
 Follow-up e-mail with website link
 Training of Excessive Absence Responders
 September - November:
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Phone call reminders to U101 instructors (Sept.)
Instructor interventions and referrals
Excessive Absence Responder interventions
Class Absence Reflection Group sessions
Role of the Director of Retention
and Planning
 Serve as primary coordinator of the EII’s
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implementation (communication with partners,
instructor/responder training, PR, assessment, etc)
Create and maintain case file for each referred
student
Forward names of referred students to excessive
absence responders
Intervene with students not falling in an excessive
absence responder’s functional area
Monitor interventions and follow up with instructors
Serve as a support/resource to instructors
Fall 2005 Assessment
of the Early
Intervention Initiative
Statistical Analyses
 Currently analyzing following data using SPSS:
 Referring Instructors’ End of the Semester Progress
Reports (total absences in course, final grade in
course, perceived reasons for absences)
 Director of Retention and Planning’s Case Files
(excessive absence report forms, type of interventions,
feedback following responder interventions)
 Data from University Data Management System (fall
semester gpa, spring semester enrollment status, state
of residency)
 Class Absence Reflection Group Attendance
End of Semester Student
Progress Reports
 110 referrals (for 101 students) were made
through Excessive Absence Reports
48 instructors (47 U101 and 1 English 101)
referred students through this process
 Represented approximately 1/3 of U101
instructors
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 Received 92 End of Semester Progress
Reports for the 101 students referred
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Data on total absences, reasons for absences,
types of interventions, perceived impact of
intervention, and class grade
Preliminary Findings of the End of
Semester Progress Reports
 Absences
 50% had 4 or fewer absences
 30% had 5-9 absences
 20% had 10 or more absences
 Reasons for Absences (instructor perceptions)
 1/2 for poor time management/lack of focus
 1/3 for medical or health issues
 1/3 for oversleeping
 Interventions
 100% received an instructor intervention
 75% received a responder intervention
 10% attended the CAR Group
Preliminary Findings of the End of
Semester Progress Reports
 Perceived Impact of Interventions on Student
Attendance
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Yes = 57%
Somewhat = 15%
No = 28%
 Student End of Semester Grades
 A = 32%
 B = 22%
 C = 7%
 D = 9%
 F = 18%
 W = 12%
End of Semester Evaluation of
Referring Instructors
 % of instructors who responded that the
following aspects of the Early Intervention
Initiative were “excellent” or “good”
Timeliness of Communication = 93%
 Clarity of the Guidelines = 89%
 Ease of the Form = 71%
 Helpfulness of Correspondence = 61%
 Assistance in Identifying Solutions = 43%
 Connecting with Needed Support = 39%
 Improving Attendance Patterns = 36%
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End of Semester Evaluation of
Referring Instructors
 93% of participants responded that they would
recommend the Early Intervention Initiative to another
instructor.
 “Participating in the EII really changed my behavior
more than that of my students. I think I talked about
attendance more and from a positive stance rather
than a punitive stance.”
 “The program lets the student know that people on
this campus care about them. Also, the program
makes a very big point about attending classes.”
End of Semester Evaluation of
Referring Instructors
 “It was nice having another person outside of my
class reinforce the importance of attendance.”
 “It is helpful just to have the support for addressing
the issue with students.”
 “For 2 of the 3 students I referred, it did improve their
attendance and class participation. One student was
very grateful that USC cared enough about him to
follow up on the absences.”
 “For students who care, it works wonders. For those
with no respect, it’s just a way to get absences
excused.”
End of Semester Evaluation of NonReferring Instructors
 Why didn’t some instructors refer students through
the Excessive Absence Reporting process?
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“Instructor met with the student about the absences
and assessed an outside intervention was not needed
at that time.”
Anecdotally, instructors are reporting that this is the
first year they haven’t had students miss excessive
classes…gut reaction is the impact of their proactive
and positive articulation of and attention to attendance.
 Recommendations?
 “More training with the instructors about how to use the
program will help instructors feel more confident about
explaining to students why it’s important.”
Class Absence Reflection Group
Student Self Assessment
 30 students attended CAR group sessions in Fall
2005 (9 of these had also been referred through
excessive absence reporting process)
 Top reasons students note for their absences
responding “often” or “sometimes”):
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Out too late = 41%
Partying = 41%
Alcohol/drug use = 37%
Feel class is not worthwhile = 27%
Illness = 23%
Feel I’m over my head = 19%
Professor is uninteresting = 19%
(%
Class Absence Reflection Group
Student Evaluation
 (% responding “absolutely” or “somewhat
true”):
I have a better understanding of issues
preventing me from getting to class = 88%
 I have a plan that I think will help me attend
class more regularly = 80%
 I think knowing the university staff is interested
in me helps me be more motivated = 65%
 I found the group helpful in clarifying my
educational goals = 61%
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Class Absence Reflection Group
Student Post-Evaluation, cont.
 (% responding “absolutely” or “somewhat
true”):
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I could benefit from continuing personal
exploration with some individual counseling = 61%
I think I will use some of the other campus
services if I find I need them = 57%
I could benefit from academic tutoring = 56%
I need to make some adjustments to my social
life = 49%
I feel more motivated to attend classes because of
what was discussed in this group = 41%
Insights and
Recommendations
Based on First
Semester’s Experience
Challenges in Implementing a Class
Absence Early Intervention Initiative
 Philosophical Concerns
 “Students are adults and should know and
accept the consequences of their choices.”
 Faculty autonomy in course decision-making
 Reluctance to “turn in” a student for absences
(don’t want to violate confidentiality or trust)
 Logistical Challenges
Time intensive for instructors, responders, and
coordinators
 Monitoring attendance in large lecture classes
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Recommendations for Implementing a
Class Absence Early Intervention
 Identify and partner with key players and
allies – involve in the planning process
 Take time to dialogue and incorporate
different positions and needs
 Be flexible and open
Listen
 Start where you can
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 Convince faculty and administrators through
data reporting (body of literature, campus
research) – use persuasion, not force
Changes For
Spring 2006 and Fall 2006
 Emphasize the positive nature of the interventions –
the purpose is to support students in becoming
successful at USC
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Changing language from “report” to “referral”
 Encourage instructors to use their discernment and
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judgment in referring students
Provide quicker, more consistent, and more specific
communication with and support for instructors
Improve content of training session with instructors
Make the referral form shorter and easier to use
Advertise CAR Group to all faculty and students
Noted Impact of the Early Intervention
Initiative at USC
 “My students said that the intervention really drove
some issues home, made them feel less like a
number, and provided the push they so desperately
needed. It also made me feel good knowing your
office was there to help!” (U101 Instructor)
 “This program…is a fantastic idea! It’s another way to
save some kids who can do the work but have other
issues time management, health, etc.” (U101
Instructor)
 “The instructors appreciated having a sense there was
a network of resources available to help them address
some serious issues.” (Coordinator of the Freshman
English Program)
Noted Impact of the Early Intervention
Initiative at USC
 Faculty and academic administrators are
approaching us about attendance issues and how we
can incorporate this effort in other courses.
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promoting awareness and dialogue
 It is fostering conversations and collaborations
between academic and student affairs units.
 “It is really about how we guide students throughout
their Carolina experience.” (Associate VP for Student
Development)
For Questions or More Information,
Please Call
 Chrissy Coley, Ph.D.
 Director of Retention and Planning
 Division of Student Affairs
 University of South Carolina
 [email protected]
 (803) 777-9307