A Scalable Solution for Student Success: Evaluating a Medium-Touch Coaching Enhancement in Community Colleges

• In Event: The Persistence Puzzle: Understanding Departures and Designing Effective Support for Community College Students

Abstract

Community colleges represent a gateway to higher education and improved labor market outcomes, particularly for nontraditional and historically underrepresented populations (Community College Research Center, 2021). Despite success at creating access, student success rates in community colleges are stubbornly low, with most failing to transfer or complete in six years (National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 2023). A growing body of research suggests that student advising and coaching are effective practices for realizing gains in persistence and completion (Valentine & Price, 2023; Carruthers & Pratt, 2024), but the costs are often prohibitive to scaling (Dawson et al., 2021).  

Using a block randomized controlled trial, this project evaluates a coaching intervention in the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) that leverages existing infrastructure and focuses on proactive, targeted support during a crucial transition period.  We ask: What is the impact of an enhanced coaching intervention on students’ persistence to the next year and credential completion within 2 years of first enrollment?  

We examine the impact of an enhanced coaching intervention implemented through the Los Angeles College Promise (LACP). LACP provides full-time, first-time students with a range of supports, including tuition and fees for 2 years of enrollment, dedicated advisors, coaches, a summer bridge program, a first-year experience, and priority enrollment. The non-financial supports provided by LACP are concentrated in students’ first semester. However, among LACP students, 9% exit after their first fall, with a cumulative stop out rate of 20% following their second term. By enhancing support in their spring semester, institutions can potentially see gains in student persistence and momentum. The intervention has two components: 

1. 
   

   Students in the treatment group will attend two 60-minute workshops. The March workshop focuses on promoting help-seeking behaviors, building resilience and growth mindset. The April workshop focuses on time management strategies, stress management techniques, and strategies to maintain motivation facing challenges. Workshops are facilitated by LACP Success Coaches, near-peers typically in degree programs for counseling who often began as students in LACCD. 

   
   


2. Students will receive weekly text messages between March and June 2025. Messages focus on topics like asking for help, breaking down goals, applying stress and time management techniques, and reminding students to register for classes. All messages will encourage students to meet with their Success Coach and utilize resources through LACP 

We evaluate the effects of the enhanced coaching intervention on persistence and completion by randomizing students participating in LACP in the spring 2025 semester. The pilot includes 5,101 students in 7 campuses, with 1,578 students assigned to treatment and 3,523 assigned to control (business as usual). Initial power analyses suggest we will be powered to detect effects of roughly 6 to 7 percentage points, suggesting this evaluation is powered to detect moderate to large effects. Results from this study will provide critical evidence to community college and system-level leaders about the efficacy of a scalable intervention to improve student persistence and credential completion.

Authors

• Elise Swanson, Harvard Graduate School of Education
  Presenting Author

• Rachel Worsham, Harvard Graduate School of Education
  Non-Presenting Co-Author

• Christopher Norio Avery, Harvard University
  Non-Presenting Co-Author