2P2 Retention, Persistence, and Completion

• Collecting student retention, persistence, and completion data (4.C.2, 4.C.4)
• Determining targets for student retention, persistence, and completion (4.C.1, 4.C.4)
• Analyzing information on student retention, persistence, and completion
• Meeting targets for retention, persistence, and completion (4.C.1)
• Selecting the tools, methods and instruments to assess retention, persistence, and completion (4.C.4)

With its mission of educating for employment, Southeast Tech has always valued the importance of retention and graduation rates.  In fact, retention rates is one of three key measures the State of South Dakota uses for continued program funding.  In recent years, with the increasing costs of providing cost-effective programming, and the increased external mandates for accountability from accrediting agencies, Southeast Tech has increased its focus on student retention.  That emphasis has been the key driver in determining what specific processes to target for improvement.

Collecting Student Retention, Persistence, and Completion Data (4.C.2, 4.C.4)

It is the responsibility of Southeast Tech’s Institutional Research (IR) Office to collect retention, persistence and completion data.  Data collection occurs on a scheduled basis, and data is stored in the Institute’s Planning and Assessments database with access available to all Southeast Tech employees.  Persistence, retention and completion rates are collected and reported at the Institutional level as well as disaggregated to the program level and for key student groups (2R1) (4.C.2) (4.C.4). The Southeast Tech Board and Council, Administrative Team, and the Federal and State Departments of Education determine, and in many cases require, specific tools and measures be used for determining retention, persistence and completion data.  

While Southeast Tech uses IPEDS and NSC retention and completion rates, and NCCBP persistence rates for benchmarking and target-setting at the Institutional level, the Institute has developed its own process and database for establishing internal cohorts for tracking purposes.  With Southeast Tech’s transfer-in student population of nearly 40% of the student body, the Institute believes it is important to include this population in internal retention/completion rate calculations.  Therefore, the Institute creates annual cohorts that include both first-time and transfer-in full time students for retention/completion rate tracking at the Institutional and program levels.  Cohort retention and completion rates are then tracked for a three-year period with rates reported in the Planning and Assessments database for employee review and action.

Once new retention, persistence or completion data is available, the IR department communicates this to all employees through an email announcement as well as providing information, updates and summaries at monthly all-employee meetings.  All disaggregated program data on retention, persistence, and completion is available through STInet at anytime for all Southeast Tech employees (4.C.2) (4.C.4).

Determining Targets for Student Retention, Persistence, and Completion​ (4.C.1, 4.C.4)

Southeast Tech’s retention focus begins with the setting of its Institutional Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and related retention targets, which in turn reflect Southeast Tech’s mission and vision.  KPIs are set through the actions of the Sioux Falls School Board, Administrative Team, and Southeast Tech Council and guide the Institution’s commitment to educational improvement. The KPIs are set based upon Board, Administrative Team and Council review of previous years’ data (a minimum of five years) and are developed as “stretch targets” to move the Institute forward in retention and completion rate improvement.  KPI results are presented to the Board and Council on an annual basis. Adjustments are made when necessary.  

Program retention and completion target levels mirror the Institutional-level KPI targets (4.C.1) (4.C.4).

Analyzing Student Retention, Persistence, and Completion Data

The IR department develops an Institutional report for analysis at the Institutional, program, and key student subgroup levels. The report reviews data trends, benchmarking levels, and results-to-target analysis and is available to all employees on the STInet site.  Summary information from the report is made available to the public through such means as the President’s Report, Tech Times, and the Systems Portfolio.

Once retention, persistence and completion rates have been set and data has been collected and distributed, analysis of the data occurs on several levels:

• Program Level:  Program faculty review both the IR report and program-level retention and graduation rate data to complete program-level analysis and develop action plans. Programs frequently involve Program Advisory committees and administration in their analysis and review.  
• Key Student Stakeholder Groups:  Key Student Stakeholder Champions review and analyze their specific student stakeholder group’s retention, persistence and/or completion rate data. (For example, the Tutoring Facilitator reviews the rates for those students using tutoring services.)  The champions then provide an analysis review to the Student Success Team.  The Team uses its summer retreat to discuss analysis on each key student group, look for connections among different groups, and set future direction (2P1, 2R1).
• Administration, Southeast Tech Council, Sioux Falls School Board:  The IR report is presented to all three groups for further analysis, communication and review.  The data is then used to determine potential action plans, either at the program or Institutional levels.

Finally, analysis of all pertinent program and department data is aligned as part of the Annual Planning process (4P2).  Since retention, persistence and completion rates are only one part of providing successful programming and services to students, the Annual Planning process (4P2) provides the opportunity to analyze and discuss all data points to assure that the allocations of resources are prioritized to best meet stakeholder needs and use resources efficiently.

Meeting Targets for Retention, Persistence, and Completion (4.C.1)

Targets for retention, persistence, and completion/graduation are part of action plans developed by each group involved in student success.  These action plans are developed with the support of administration, using the KPI and key student group targets. Therefore, throughout the year, teams, departments and programs pay attention to target goals.  At the program level, individual programs may have different targets, depending on the nature of the program and regional and national trends. Throughout the academic year, program teams address issues and adjust planning to ensure that targets for the year are met.  

At the Institutional and key student subgroup levels, Southeast Tech’s Student Success Team sets annual actions to improve retention, persistence and completion rates. This occurs as part of the Team’s annual planning meeting, which occurs every summer (2P1, 2R1).  

Once developed, actions are documented in the Planning and Assessments database, and results are monitored throughout the year with final results again documented in the database. Targeted areas are reviewed annually with administration as part of the Annual Planning process, allowing for further review, reflection, and future actions should a target level not be met.  The monitoring of targets and adjusting actions also assures that these goals/targets are appropriate to Southeast Tech’s student populations and educational programs (4.C.1).

Selecting Tools/Methods/Instruments to Assess Retention, Persistence, and Completion

It is the responsibility of the IR department to select the tools and methods used to assess retention, persistence and completion rates, based on best practices among educational peers. All measures are approved by the Administrative Team, Council and Board.  Southeast Tech’s method for developing internal cohorts has been consistent for almost 20 years, providing the Institute with a wealth of information regarding internal retention and completion rates.  In recent years, the IR department has expanded its analysis to include benchmarking through IPEDS, NCCBP and NSC, resulting in opportunities for external comparisons (4.C.4).  Finally, over the past five years, Southeast Tech has expanded its analysis to include key student subgroups, allowing the Institute to improve how it addresses the needs of those subgroups (2R1).

To assure that the selection of tools and methods includes the input of Institute stakeholders, the IR department has membership on the Student Success and Administrative teams, as well as the Southeast Tech Council. Faculty and staff also provide input into current best practice based on interactions with their professional organizations and conferences, including attendance at the HLC Annual Meeting.

At the Institutional level, Southeast Tech tracks and analyzes retention, persistence, and completion data through the following methods:

Internal Retention Rates

• Institutional Cohorts - Southeast Tech defines and tracks annual fall cohorts according to an Institutional model that includes all degree-seeking, full time (12+ credit) students who are new to the Institute, including transfer-in students.  Both one and two year programs are included in the Institutional measure.  Southeast Tech also disaggregates the data by program and provides this information to program faculty.  
• Perkins Data - As part of Southeast Tech’s Federal Perkins outcomes, the Institute must provide data on retention/transfer-out rates and completion of credentials, degrees and diplomas.  Perkins cohorts are built on degree-seeking students who have successfully completed a minimum of 12 credits anytime during the year of the cohort.
• Special Projects - As Southeast Tech implements action projects or initiatives within certain key student stakeholder groups or across campus, the Institute develops short-term measures to collect and analyze data and determine project effectiveness.

Comparison Retention Rates

• Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) - IPEDS provides first time, full time student benchmarking opportunities using nationally standardized fall cohort models.
• National Community College Benchmarking Project (NCCBP) - As a member of NCCBP, Southeast Tech has the opportunity to benchmark specific Institutional and key student stakeholder groups using NCCBP-developed cohorts.
• National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) - NSC is a new comparison benchmarking opportunity that uses NSC collected data from participating colleges for benchmarking.
• State Technical Institute Reports - State reports provide opportunities to benchmark with the state’s other three technical institutes based on fall-to-fall retention rates of all students.  For this analysis, the state requires each institute to take a snapshot of all fall degree-seeking students (including both full-time and part-time students) and determine the retention rate to the following fall semester. This method is unique to the state and does not correlate to other reporting processes.