Undergraduate student retention in context: An examination of first-year risk prediction and advising practices within a college of education

Abstract

This study examined the use of an institutionally-specific risk prediction model in the university's College of Education. Set in a large, urban, public university, the risk model predicted incoming students' first-semester GPAs, which, in turn, predicted the students' risk of attrition. Additionally, the study investigated advising practices within the College of Education via semi-structured interviews with the College's advising staff and a document analysis of students' advising notes in an attempt to find thematic links between undergraduate retention and usage of an advising center. Data were analyzed to determine the accuracy of the risk model in the College of Education. The results of this study are used to inform the College of Education's administration, faculty, and staff about the implications of risk prediction and to suggest potential treatments to increase retention rates. Furthermore, recommendations for future research are discussed for this study's institution and for the field of education.