Student Retention - Monitoring and Support
During FY99-2000, PATHS focused significant resources on increasing student enrollment, attendance and completion rates for the program. We took a number of steps to enhance enrollment and redesigned our attendance tracking system to more accurately track student participation. As we examined factors which promote retention and completion rates, we did not find any one "magic bullet" strategy that guaranteed success; however, some of the research findings on TANF clients supported our belief that an approach which combines mentoring and aggressive monitoring could yield positive results. Thus, we formed a Recruitment, Retention and Completion Team to identify and address those barriers, which were preventing the student's full participation. The instructor/mentor was included as integral to this effort in that they were requested to do the following:
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Identification - Identify students who were absent from their class or internship assignment for two consecutive days.
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Intervention - Students were contacted by telephone to provide support and encouragement. Student contact forms were filled out and given to the lead person on this effort.
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Weekly meetings - Weekly meetings were held to assess efforts.
Additional Supportive Services
- Monthly PATHS Alumni Support Group meetings (covering work, family - also open to current PATHS students
- Job fairs/career days hosted by PATHS and various organizations in the community
- Child care counseling and placement facilitated through partnership with the D.C. Office of Early Childhood Development (since the inception of the program in 1998).
- Transportation issues discussed and cost provided until IMA stipends can be received
- Personalized transportation routes between home, day care, UDC and internship sites developed through the internet and Metro system information
- Financial aid advising useful for participants who plan to enter post-secondary training
- Business clothing:
- Referrals to Washington Hospital Center's 'Suited for Change'
- Clothing donations solicited from the University community
- Community referrals for participants experiencing difficulty in housing
- Referrals for family violence, drug abuse to:
- IMA and community partners
- My Sister's Place - domestic violence
- Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area
- The Ten (Tenants Empowerment Network) Program, Catholic Charities)
- Provide copies of IMA program brochures, the PATHS newsletter- Trailblazer, UDC and community literature on a range of topics pertinent to activities suitable for families or self.
- Celebrating successes - participant achievements acknowledged each Friday
- 'Noontime at PATHS' recurring 'Brown Bag' series in which speakers discuss a wide-range of work-related and life-sustaining topics of interest.
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