HEQCO shares “graduation predictor” to identify what students need additional support

In a new article for the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario, Rob Brown and Gillian Parekh described the creation of a “graduation predictor” that can be used to show which students may need additional support from their postsecondary institutions. Researchers investigated three factors, including students’ first sessional GPA, first year credit accumulation, and if they entered postsecondary directly or indirectly from high school. They found that GPA, completion of 15 or more credits during the school year, and direct-entry status were strongly related to graduation. They also found that these patterns revealed issues around forms of privilege. Brown and Parekh say that institutions can use the data to consider how they could create further opportunities for students to develop their study skills, ensure courses are adopting inclusive pedagogy, and integrate accommodations for students with responsibilities outside the school. HEQCO Note: Archived stories may contain dead links or be missing source links.