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

Session Submission Type: Panel

Abstract

Community colleges have demonstrated the most significant improvements in student persistence over the past decade, with retention rates increasing 3.7 percentage points—from 51.3 percent for fall 2013 entrants to 55.0 percent for those starting in fall 2022. Despite this progress, these figures remain considerably lower than four-year institution rates. Public four-year institutions have also achieved substantial retention gains since 2013, with rates climbing 3.1 percentage points to reach 78.0 percent for fall 2022 cohorts compared to 74.9 percent for fall 2013 starters (National Student Clearinghouse [NSC], 2024). Two-year institutions continue to retain Black (44.8%) and Native American (45.1%) students at rates significantly below the 2022 national average of 55% (NSC, 2024). Given the critical role college credentials play in securing financial stability, improving persistence rates—particularly for historically marginalized populations—remains an urgent priority (Chetty et al., 2017). This panel features researchers presenting findings from three studies examining factors contributing to student attrition, alongside results from two randomized controlled trials evaluating coaching interventions designed to enhance persistence rates at community colleges. 

This panel opens with insights from an extensive survey conducted by the Community College Research Center at Teachers College, Columbia University, encompassing 4,500 community college students across four states. The survey illuminates how students' initial college perceptions influence their persistence decisions, while examining how institutional resources, advising services, and administrative practices influence attrition. This work provides essential context for understanding the student decision-making processes that the subsequent research projects aim to influence. Building on this foundation, researchers from Harvard University's Center for Education Policy Research will present findings from a medium-touch coaching intervention aimed to improve persistence implemented in the Los Angeles Community College District. This study evaluates the effectiveness of workshops and strategic text message nudges designed to encourage student self-reflection and development of critical success skills such as stress and time management. The panel concludes with findings from the Tennessee Board of Regents on a high-touch holistic advising model implemented at two Tennessee community colleges. This intensive intervention provides comprehensive career and academic success coaching that extends well beyond traditional course registration assistance. Notably, this study demonstrates improved persistence specifically among corequisite learning support students—a significant advancement in the field. By juxtaposing the Los Angeles and Tennessee interventions, this panel presents community college leaders with two distinct, evidence-based approaches to enhancing student persistence. 

The proposed panel will consist of researchers seeking to elevate emerging findings and engage in discussions with audience members about persistence at community colleges. To this end, the session is designed to include a series of short presentations from each panelist, followed by a panel discussion facilitated by the chair. The discussant, Michal Kurlaender, is the lead researcher at The Wheelhouse Center for Community College Leadership and Research and has significant experience in evaluating policies and programs at community colleges. Symposium attendees will be encouraged to interact with panelists by asking questions, discussing points raised, and considering unanswered topics ripe for future research.  

Policy Area

• Education

Chair

• Rachel Worsham, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Discussant

• Michal Kurlaender, University of California, Davis

Individual Presentations

• Aspirations Interrupted: Understanding Why Community College Students Leave During the First Year - Non-Presenting Co-Author: Rachel Barth Baker, University of Pennsylvania; Non-Presenting Co-Author: Hana Lahr, Teachers College, Columbia University; Non-Presenting Co-Author: Veronica M. Minaya, Teachers College, Columbia University; Presenting Author: Estefanie Aguilar Padilla, University of Pennsylvania

• A Scalable Solution for Student Success: Evaluating a Medium-Touch Coaching Enhancement in Community Colleges - Presenting Author: Elise Swanson, Harvard Graduate School of Education; Non-Presenting Co-Author: Rachel Worsham, Harvard Graduate School of Education; Non-Presenting Co-Author: Christopher Norio Avery, Harvard University

• Student Success Coaching in Tennessee: Results from a 3-Year Randomized Control Trial - Presenting Author: Cara Ann DeLoach, Tennessee Board of Regents

• From High School to High-Wages: The Role of Career Clusters for Students - Presenting Author: Angela Crevar, Texas Tech University

Organizer

• Rachel Worsham, Harvard Graduate School of Education