Transforming Institutions, Transforming Lives - JENNIFER WELLS, Impatient Optimists (Gates Foundation)

We are seeing the emergence of new technologies and approaches that are showing real results. These include courseware that adjusts to students’ needs, boosting student performance and reducing the amount of time needed to master content; integrated planning and advising services that provide “just in time” support to at-risk students, increasing retention and completion rates; and redesigned remedial programs that double pass rates in entry-level courses. These innovations—and others—are powerful by themselves, but we are learning that the real power comes from integrating them. We see this at Georgia State University, which has used data to pinpoint trouble spots for students and has developed a multi-pronged strategy that includes adaptive courseware, improved and expanded student advising, and retention grants that help students with unplanned expenses that can hinder their progress. The result? The university has eliminated attainment gaps across racial/ethnic groups. http://www.impatientoptimists.org/Posts/2016/04/Transforming-Institutions-Transforming-Lives