Keeping Students on Course: An Impact Study of a Student Success Course at Guilford Technical Community College
Rutschow, Elizabeth Zachry; Cullinan, Dan; Welbeck, Rashida (2012). MDRC. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED531183
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examining911Students, gradePS
Practice Guide
Review Details
Reviewed: July 2021
- Practice Guide (findings for Student Success Course )
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Meets WWC standards without reservations because it is a randomized controlled trial with low attrition.
This review may not reflect the full body of research evidence for this intervention.
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Findings
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Cumulative - Earned a 2.0 GPA or greater |
Student Success Course vs. Business as usual |
3 Semesters |
Full sample;
|
39.70 |
43.10 |
No |
-- | ||
| Show Supplemental Findings | |||||||||
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in program semester-Term GPA- % with GPA >2.0 |
Student Success Course vs. Business as usual |
0 Weeks |
Full sample;
|
32.10 |
34.20 |
No |
-- | ||
|
first postprogram semester-Term GPA, % with GPA 2.0 or greater |
Student Success Course vs. Business as usual |
1 Semester |
Full sample;
|
29.70 |
33.60 |
No |
-- | ||
|
Percentage of students who passed all courses during the program semester |
Student Success Course vs. Business as usual |
0 Weeks |
Full sample;
|
31.70 |
35.70 |
No |
-- | ||
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cumulative - Registered for any course |
Student Success Course vs. Business as usual |
3 Semesters |
Full sample;
|
90.60 |
90.30 |
No |
-- | ||
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Cumulative - Number of semesters registered |
Student Success Course vs. Business as usual |
3 Semesters |
Full sample;
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2.40 |
2.40 |
No |
-- | ||
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Cumulative - Number of regular credits earned |
Student Success Course vs. Business as usual |
3 Semesters |
Full sample;
|
12.80 |
12.70 |
No |
-- | ||
| Show Supplemental Findings | |||||||||
|
first postprogram semester-Registered for any course |
Student Success Course vs. Business as usual |
1 Semester |
Full sample;
|
63.60 |
61.60 |
No |
-- | ||
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in program semester-number of regular credits earned |
Student Success Course vs. Business as usual |
0 Weeks |
Full sample;
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3.00 |
2.90 |
No |
-- | ||
|
first postprogram semester-Number of regular credits earned |
Student Success Course vs. Business as usual |
1 Semester |
Full sample;
|
3.20 |
3.20 |
No |
-- | ||
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Sample Characteristics
Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.
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Female: 69%
Male: 31% -
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North Carolina
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Race Black 59% Other or unknown 13% White 29% -
Ethnicity Hispanic 6% Not Hispanic or Latino 94%
Study Details
Setting
This success course was offered at three campuses of the Guilford Technical Community College located in in Guilford County, NC. The three campuses were Greensboro, Jamestown, and High Point. The course was offered in three different semesters to accommodate the college's capacity (Spring 2008, Fall 2008, and Spring 2009). Over those 3 semesters, the college offered 33 sections of the success course.
Study sample
Among the full sample, 68.8% were female and the average age of students was 25.3 years old. About thirty percent (28.5%) of students were White, 58.5% were Black, and 12.9% were of another race. Moreover, 5.7% were Hispanic; 12.2% were married; 5.5% of students lived in households that received unemployment/dislocated worker benefits; 7.8% were in households that received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or disability benefits; 2.3% of students were in households that received TANF; and 23.3% of students were in households that received food stamps.
Intervention Group
During the three semesters of the study, Guilford offered a two-credit student success course to intervention group students who were required to take one or more developmental education courses, either in reading, English, or math. This course was generally taught by two instructors and the activities engaged students in reflection about their experiences to develop students’ socio-emotional skills. The course also provided some instruction and practice in study and academic skills.
Comparison Group
Students in the comparison group received the college’s standard services, excluding the student success course.
Support for implementation
During the three semesters of the study, course instructors received varying levels of professional development.
First Year Experience Courses for Students in Developmental Education Intervention Report - Developmental Education
Review Details
Reviewed: April 2016
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Meets WWC standards without reservations
This review may not reflect the full body of research evidence for this intervention.
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Please see the WWC summary of evidence for First Year Experience Courses for Students in Developmental Education.
Findings
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Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Percentage of students who earned a GPA of "C" or better in nondevelopmental courses |
First Year Experience Courses for Students in Developmental Education vs. Business as usual |
Program semester to third post-program semester |
College students;
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N/A |
N/A |
No |
-- | |
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Percentage of students who passed all courses during the program semester |
First Year Experience Courses for Students in Developmental Education vs. Business as usual |
Program semester |
College students;
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N/A |
N/A |
No |
-- |
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Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Percentage of students registered for any course |
First Year Experience Courses for Students in Developmental Education vs. Business as usual |
Program semester to third post-program semester |
College students;
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N/A |
N/A |
No |
-- | |
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Number of credits earned (regular, college-level courses) |
First Year Experience Courses for Students in Developmental Education vs. Business as usual |
Program semester to third post-program semester |
College students;
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12.80 |
12.70 |
No |
-- |
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Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Passed developmental math course |
First Year Experience Courses for Students in Developmental Education vs. Business as usual |
Program semester to third post-program semester |
College students;
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N/A |
N/A |
No |
-- | |
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Passed developmental reading course |
First Year Experience Courses for Students in Developmental Education vs. Business as usual |
Program semester to third post-program semester |
College students;
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N/A |
N/A |
No |
-- | |
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Passed developmental English course |
First Year Experience Courses for Students in Developmental Education vs. Business as usual |
Program semester to third post-program semester |
College students;
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N/A |
N/A |
No |
-- |
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Sample Characteristics
Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.
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Female: 68%
Male: 32% -
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- A
- C
- D
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- V
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North Carolina
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Race Black 59% Other or unknown 7% White 29% -
Ethnicity Hispanic 6% Not Hispanic or Latino 94%
An indicator of the effect of the intervention, the improvement index can be interpreted as the expected change in percentile rank for an average comparison group student if that student had received the intervention.
For more, please see the WWC Glossary entry for improvement index.
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Study findings for this report.
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