christopher a mccowen performance management program to increase student retention rates

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM TO INCREASE STUDENT

RETENTION RATES

CHRISTOPHER A MCCOWEN Chiang Rai Rajabhat University

© 2014 Christopher A McCowen

Performance Management Program to Increase Student Retention Rates

Introduction

Budgeting and resource constraints to establish new initiatives are two of the great challenges for many working

in large public Universities. However, with an entrepreneurial spirit, individual faculties can create initiatives at

the local level through their own ingenuity that align to broader organizational goals. The Faculty of Humanities

at Chiang Rai Rajabhat University, measures the student retention rates between first and second year students

as one of its key performance indicators. Recently this rate has become alarmingly low at 53%. To address this

problem, certain behaviors can be influenced to increase students’ chances of completing their degree and

succeeding in endeavors beyond. The same issue plagues many other faculties, and successes from the

Humanities Performance Management Program can be applied to their students and other stakeholders.

Using the comments of teachers, students and leaders at the neighboring Faculty of Education as a model, I’ve

discovered that goal orientation has contributed to the Faculty of Education’s impressive 81% student retention

rate. To increase retention at the Faculty of Humanities, I recommend that we empower and positively reinforce

students to partake in two key behaviors that relate to goal orientation. First, to actively seek out peers that can

aid them. And second, to actively identify and provide aid to their peers.

Pinpointing: Critical Business Result

Student retention is a vital business result for any University or learning center. It is a measurable and objective

performance indicator of the institution’s ability to develop customer relationships and create opportunities for

them. Without retention, all stakeholders lose. Students receive an incomplete service, parents lose a valuable

investment, communities are burdened when they should be supported, employers miss out on skilled and

motivated team members and learning institutions face financial uncertainty. There is hope however because

increasing retention rates benefits all stakeholders and small changes in habit formation can greatly influence

long term trajectory.

Measuring and observing the student retention rate is straightforward; students either remain enrolled or drop

out. The percentage is reliable and can be determined objectively. The mission and responsibility of the student

job position is to complete their degree. Daniels and Bailey (2014) state; “a person in this position (student) must

have more authority to fulfill that job than anyone else.” Graduating is ultimately the students’ obligation. The

teacher’s mission is to give direction, set goals that will increase students’ wisdom and to bring out their full

potential. The University’s mission is to give students greater opportunities for the future through the quality of

education, experiences gained and the reputation it maintains. If students can graduate, it is the University’s

responsibility to ensure the degree holds enough weight to increase the chances of employment. The missions

of the teacher, student and organization are reconcilable because they feed off each other; success in one

mission supports success in another.

Pinpointing: Gap Analysis

When looking for performance gaps, Daniel’s and ADI (2014) explain that it is useful to compare results relative

to top performers. They state; “You know it’s attainable because some people are performing at this level now!”

At Chiang Rai Rajabhat University, there is a performance gap between the Faculty of Humanities’ 53% student

retention rate and the Faculty of Education’s 81% student retention rate. One interesting outcome is that


graduates of these faculties tend to overlap in the careers they pursue. Many English Education majors pursue

business and tourism jobs while many Humanities majors end up as teachers. My aim is to increase the first to

second year student retention rate at the Faculty of Humanities from 53% to 70% after 2 years. If successful,

this could provide a model for other faculties.

Key Student Behavior: Actively Seek Aid

Most students who struggle do not take the initiative to seek out aid. I’d like to create a student area called an

‘English Corner’ where those who need help can post their questions and others can respond by choosing issues

and setting times to help in a face to face environment. One aspect of this program’s differentiation is to use

positive reinforcement to reward the habit of seeking help. To obtain rewards, students must make the effort to

think through a very specific request and take the time to work thoroughly with a helper to solve their problem.

Key Student Behavior: Actively Provide Aid

Students who wish to provide aid will also be rewarded. The most valuable aid may come from students who

have struggled through the very same issues previously. By becoming active helpers, they are strengthening

their own comprehension and creating reciprocal relationships.

Measurement: Weighted Checklists

Data collection will be conducted on an ongoing basis to assess the frequency and thoroughness of behaviors.

Academic problems occur naturally throughout the term and it is important that students are encouraged to ask

questions as soon as they arise. Attached to this report (see Appendices A and B) are two weighted checklists

comprised of steps to take when seeking or providing aid.

Assessment: Performance Matrix

A performance matrix is used for a third party to review scores and monitor data. Two separate matrices are

used for students as a seeker or provider. (see Appendices C and D) Habit formation is emphasized by giving

greater weight to a frequency count. The ideas expressed in these tools contrast from many students’ behavioral

patterns. The act of proactively taking steps to solve problems should be seen as a small victory in itself. Charles

Duhigg, author of bestselling business text The Power of Habit (2012) explains his “Golden Rule of Habit

Change”. He states; “use the same cue, provide the same reward, change the behavior”. A common behavioral

pattern for a student who misunderstands is to express it vaguely, put themselves at the mercy of the teacher’s

explanation and accept the answer blindly. We are attempting to change this behavior in two ways. First, for

students to take responsibility for their own learning. Second, to remove hierarchical barriers and enable students

to seek knowledge from different sources.

References

ADI. (2014) MBAC 602: Week 4 Gap Analysis Retrieved from: worldclass.regis.edu

Daniels, A. and Bailey, J. (2014). Performance Management Fifth Edition Published by: Aubrey

Daniels International, Inc.

Duhigg, C. (2012). The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business Published by: Random

House Trade Paperbacks


Appendix A

Seeker Weighted Checklist

Name: Student Number: Year: Course:

BEFORE:

5pts: Topic/Problem Title

_____________________________________________________________________________________

5pts: Photocopy and Highlight Problem Area

CHECK: YES or NO

10pts: write down what you have already tried to do

_____________________________________________________________________________________

15pts: Turn Problem into a Clear Question

_____________________________________________________________________________________

10pts: Identify a Concept you DO understand IN the same class

_____________________________________________________________________________________

10pts: Identify something that relates from OUTSIDE class

_____________________________________________________________________________________

15pts: Write a strategy you have used to fix a problem in the past

_____________________________________________________________________________________

15pts: Write 1 possible solution to the question you wrote

_____________________________________________________________________________________

AFTER:

Helper’s Suggestion=

_____________________________________________________________________________________

5pts: Identify a change in THINKING from hearing suggestion

_____________________________________________________________________________________

5pts: Identify one ACTION you will take IN the classroom

_____________________________________________________________________________________

5pts: Identify one ACTION you will take OUTSIDE the classroom

_____________________________________________________________________________________


Appendix B

Helper Weighted Checklist

Name: Student Number: Year: Course:

Problem/Topic:

BEFORE:

5pts: Identify whether seeing problem before…..if not, what other problem can relate

_____________________________________________________________________________________

10pts: What strategy was used before and did it work

_____________________________________________________________________________________

DURING:

10pts: Give Experience of Same or similar problem

_____________________________________________________________________________________

15pts: Ask questions that GUIDE the Seeker to answer

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

10: Provide analogy of the problem in a different context

_____________________________________________________________________________________

15pts: Provide example of solution in practice

_____________________________________________________________________________________

10pts: Observe the seeker practicing

_____________________________________________________________________________________

15pts: Create comprehension questions to double check seeker

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

AFTER:

10pts: Identify concept to keep for future problem solving

_____________________________________________________________________________________


Appendix C

Student Monthly ‘Seeking’ Balanced Scorecard Example

Behavior 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 X

weight

Raw

score

Points

Frequency

Seeking

Month

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 60 480

Avg. score

seeking

73 76 79 82 85 88 91 94 95 96 40 440

Score= 920

Reinforcement Plan

Points R+ Criteria Comments Plans

800+ No checklist score

under 50

Choose most

important topic for in

class activity

Teacher of choice

show upcoming

topics, student

suggests most vital

topic or something

missing

900+ No checklist score

under 50

Teacher recognition Discuss outcome of a

problem solved and

receive extra credit on

related assignment

1,000+ No checklist score

under 50

Highest score choose

small resource for

English corner room,

next highest

performers receive

900+ reinforcement

Within budgeted

parameters, student

picks most useful

resource for corner

within 2 weeks


Appendix D

Student Monthly ‘Providing’ Balanced Scorecard Example

Behavior 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 X

weight

Raw

score

Points

Frequency

Assisting

Month

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 15 60 420

Avg. score

assisting

73 76 79 82 85 88 92 95 96 97 40 480

Score: 900

Reinforcement Plan

Points R+ Criteria Comments Plans

800 No checklist score

under 60

Teacher asks for their

input on lessons

Teacher of their

choice shows

upcoming topic they

are less confident

about and asks

opinion

900 No checklist score

under 60

Choose class activity Teacher of their

choice tells upcoming

topics, student

chooses one and a fun

activity with it

1,000 No checklist score

under 60

Receive quantifying

letter of achievement

Letter must be

presented personally

to the student within 2

weeks

christopher a mccowen performance management program to increase student retention rates

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