Promoting Retention and Learner Persistence in Adult Education: Research and Best Practices

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Promoting Retention and Learner Persistence in
Adult Education Research and Best Practices

• Jan Jarrell and Barbara Pongsrikul
• San Diego Continuing Education

Literacy Training Network Brainerd,
Minnesota February 16, 2006
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Agenda

• Introductions, Agenda, Objectives
• Research on Retention and Persistence
• Strategies to Enhance Persistence
• SDCE Retention/Persistence Committee Case Study,
  Surveys, Retention Binder
• Student Guide Lessons
• Program Evaluation

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Objectives

• By the end of this workshop, participants will be
  able to
• Distinguish between learner persistence and
  learner retention
• Describe research findings in adult ed.
• Identify instructional and program strategies
  which are effective in enhancing
  retention/persistence
• Evaluate materials with respect to their own
  programs needs and goals
• Begin planning process to apply strategies to own
  department and/or institution.

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Your Definitions of Retention and Persistence

• Write your own definition of learner retention.
• Write your own definition of learner persistence.

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Retention Vs. Persistence

• Learner Persistence Adults staying in programs
  for as long as they can engaging in self-directed
  study or distance education when they stop
  attending program services, and returning to
  program services as soon as the demands of their
  lives allow. (Source NCSALL)
• Persistence is an internal attribute.

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Retention Vs. Persistence

• Learner Retention Rate The percentage of
  students who remain in and continue to attend
  adult education classes throughout the semester
  or year.
• Retention is a program statistic.

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Relationship between Persistence and Learning

• Approximately 100 hours of instruction the
  minimum needed by adults to achieve an increase
  of one grade-level equivalent on a standardized
  test for reading comprehension. (Sticht 1982
  Dakenwald 1986)
• At 150 hours of instruction, adult students in
  Massachusetts had a 75 probability of making a
  one (or greater) grade-level equivalent increase
  in reading comprehension or English language
  fluency. (Comings, Sum, and Uvin 2000)

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Key Points from the Research

• The Critical First Three Weeks
• Intensive support teams
• Smaller Classes
• One-on-one tutoring(Quigley Uhland 2000)
• Other Program Factors
• Intake/Orientation
• Learner Goal-Setting(Comings, Perella, and
  Soricone 1999)

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Key Points from the Research

• Barriers to Retention/Persistence
• Situational
• Institutional
• Dispositional
• Internal to Teaching/Learning Process (Ashcraft)
• Negative Forces that Hinder Persistence
• Positive Forces that Support Persistence

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Six Strategies for Addressing Learner Persistence

• Safety
• Community
• Self-Efficacy
• Clarity of Purpose
• Quality of Service
• Accessibility

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Retention Committee Studies, SDCE

• High Retention Teachers
• Observation Worksheet
• Interview Questionnaire
• Student Focus Group
• Student Survey 2003 2004
• Retention Binder Collection
• ESL Student Guide and Lessons

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High Retention Teachers

• Quick Facts
• 8/8 begin class on time
• 8/8 have a plan for welcoming new students
• 6/8 use an agenda
• 7/8 implement SCANS strategies
• 7/8 have set syllabus

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High Retention Teachers

• Quick Facts, continued
• 7/8 give homework
• 6/8 grade homework or class work
• 6/8 give tests
• 5/8 give certificates or prizes
• 5/8 give praise (Teacher and/or Peer)
• 3/8 call students if absent (long-term)

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High Retention Class Themes

• Structure agendas, syllabi, routine, teams
• Organization Students are busy, active during
  entire class
• Community Teachers know students names and
  details about their lives
• Examples and Explanations Teachers know their
  material

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Teachers Comments

• What do your students love?
• Making progress. Seeing success in themselves.
• Being treated like adults.
• Jokes, fun, role-playing social English. Friday
  games.
• Dictation.
• Knowing they have learned something every time
  they come to class.
• Special projects.
• Group work.

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Students Comments

• What do you like about your teacher? Or your
  class? Or your lessons?
• nice kind friendly, patient intelligent
  funny / has a good sense of humor.
• well-organized and prepared. can handle all of
  the students questions.
• listens to the students.
• helps everyone.
• makes us study hard.
• Our class is like a family.

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Ashcraft Model Applied

• Course Content
• Level Appropriate Instruction
• Instructional Quality (Observed)
• Instructional Quality (Student Interviews)
• Student Input
• Student/Student Relationship
• Teacher/Student Relationship

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Student Surveys

• Students Surveyed1,179 (2003) 1,312 (2004)
• Results focused on three questions
• What are the problems with the school or center
  where you attend?
• Do you know students who stopped coming to
  school? If yes, why do you think they left?
• Why do you continue to come to class?

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Student Survey Results

• Problems with school or center
• 1 Parking 2 School/Class Environment
• Reasons for Dropping
• 1 New job or schedule change 2 Moved
• Reasons for Continuing
• 1 I need English for a job.
• 2 I am progressing

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Student Surveys Year 1 to Year 2

• Changes in Survey Instrument
• Deletions
• Additions
• Improved Data Collection

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Retention Binder

• Section 1 Welcome Letters and Surveys
• Section 2 Needs Surveys
• Section 3 Student Contracts and Absence Forms
• Section 4 Classroom Rules
• Section 5 Progress Charts
• Section 6 Assessment Samples and Ideas
• Section 7 Classroom Responsibilities
• Section 8 Certificates and Student Recognition
  Letters
• Section 9 Miscellaneous Retention Tips

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ESL Student Guide

• ESL Student Guide, 12 pages
• Site Specific Page
• Community Resource Page
• FAQs
• Useful English Expressions
• Verb Chart
• Flow Chart
• Emergency Numbers / Postcard

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ESL Student Guide

• Lessons (Teacher-Facilitated)
• Beginning Low, Beginning High, Intermediate,
  Advanced
• Mini-Lessons (Student-Trainer)
• Lower Level Guide Developed but lessons need to
  be completed

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Retention, Persistence, and Progress

• Where are we going from here?