on student retention

Collaborative LearningAcademic AchievementCollege Student SuccessCollege Student Retention

The College Board Pilot Study on Student Retention, funded by the College Board, is working with eight postsecondary institutions to develop a survey instrument that will identify key campus policies and practices as well as student behaviors associated with first-year-to-second-year student retention. Using survey results, campus administrators will be able to better determine which campus programs and policies have a positive or negative influence on student success and persistence.


Target Population

The target population of the College Board Pilot Study on Student Retention is full-time first-year students who are attending participating campuses for the first time, never having matriculated at another campus. Definitions and classifications for "first-time" and "full-time" vary from campus to campus.


Research Methodology

The College Board Pilot Study on Student Retention employs a standard cohort research methodology widely used in student persistence studies. Results from the initial pilot survey, administered in spring 2006, will be matched with data on students returning for the fall 2006 semester. Using unique student identification codes to protect student privacy, cohort data will include GPAs and financial aid information for each student.


Survey Administration

Most participating campuses are using an efficient Web-based administration for the College Board Pilot Study on Student Retention, while a paper-and-pencil classroom survey is more practical for a few campuses. Indiana University’s Center for Survey Research, which conducts numerous research projects including the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), will follow up with nonrespondents.


College Board Advisor

  • Dr. Steven Graff, Director & Senior Consultant, Admission & Enrollment Services


Advisory Board

  • Mr. David Bousquet, Vice President for Enrollment Management & Student Affairs, Northern Arizona University
  • Dr. John Braxton, Professor of Leadership, Policy, and Organizations, Vanderbilt University
  • Dr. Arlene Cash, Vice President of Enrollment Management, Spelman College
  • Dr. David Kalsbeek, Vice President for Enrollment Management, DePaul University
  • Dr. Vasti Torres, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Indiana University
  • Dr. Cornelia Wills, Director of Institutional Research, Middle Tennessee State University