Student Success Through the Lens of Data

This course explores the effective use of data to improve student success. Designed for teams of three-to-five administrators, the intended audience includes those who plan, implement, and evaluate programs and services aimed to foster greater success among community college students.

Core Lessons

Data 101 – A Basic Introduction to Data and Research
Transforming Data into Information
Preparing Data for Longitudinal Analysis
The Achieving the Dream™ Approach to Student Success (Optional additional Core Lesson)

Task Modules and Exercises

Urban Legends

Explores uses of data to assess urban legends about student success and presents a process that colleges can use to identify truth and myth.

Data Definitions

Explores common definitions of variables associated with student success, and issues and nuances related to variable definitions.

Data Access and Availability

Explores data access and availability. Questions explored include: What data are collected, by whom, and from what sources; where data are stored; and who has access to the data?

Using Data Within a Culture of Evidence

Demonstrates how to use data within a culture of evidence including how to identify barriers to success, diagnose probable causes of barriers, choose and implement a strategy to address barriers, and evaluate results.

Snapshots of Student Success

Explores how to use “snapshot” data from a single year to identify opportunities to improve student success.

Using Longitudinal Data to Improve Student Success

Demonstrates how to us longitudinal data to analyze student enrollment patterns and identify opportunities to improve student completion rates.

Knowledge and Skills Taught
- Using longitudinal tracking of cohorts to explore enrollment patterns and completion rates		- Sorting and filtering data
- Procedures for conducting focus groups and interviews and using the results		- Uncovering and testing urban legends
- Key steps for data-informed decision-making		- Using qualitative and quantitative data to evaluate student success
- Understanding the definition, collection, source, storage and access for and of data		- Understanding and using operational and narrative definitions
- Identifying key variables used in student success analysis

« Student Success Through the Lens of Data

Data and Decisions Academy