InsideTrack eBook: Building a highly effective coaching and mentoring program at scale

1 Confidential © InsideTrack, 2013

Building a highly effective coaching and mentoring program at scale


The effectiveness of success coaching for students is well documented in higher education literature

• Tinto’s theory of student departure - Coaching facilitates students’ smooth transition from separation transition incorporation

• Astin’s theory of involvement aligns with coaching’s efforts to facilitate student action

• Rendon – coaching provides space for student validation, helping to improve confidence and reduce self-doubt

• Sanford – coaching assesses student readiness, and aims to provide appropriate mix of challenge and support for student

• Kuh – coaching promotes student engagement in high impact practices and educationally purposeful activities


Longitudinal data shows the impact of coaching on retention and graduation rates

Data source: Bettinger, E. P., & Baker, R. (2011). The effects of student coaching in college: An evaluation of a randomized experiment in student mentoring (Working Paper No. 16881).


0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

Involvement in the campus community (i.e. friends, organizations, etc.)

Budgeting, finances, covering educational and living costs

Commitment to graduating

Academic success

Managing competing commitments

Staying healthy and mentally positive

Being an effective college student

Control Coached

Coaching also has a positive impact on student engagement and satisfaction

Percentage of students who reported they were very satisfied with the following areas of college life:

Data source: Florida State University and InsideTrack, “Coaching enhances the student experience and increases enrollment, retention and graduation rates,” January, 2011.


Numerous controlled studies have verified the impact and cost-effectiveness of coaching

“The results are clear: retention rates were greater in the coached group and the results do not change when we control for key demographic factors. Moreover, the expenditure is much smaller than that which would be required under an alternative policy.” Professor Eric Bettinger, Associate Professor, Stanford University

“ This mentoring program for college students was found in a well-conducted randomized controlled trial to produce a 14% increase in college persistence two years after random assignment, and a 13% increase in likelihood of graduating college four years after random assignment.”


Coaching programs can be tailored to various students and points in the student lifecycle

Enrollment Coaching • Conversion (from app or admit) • Yield (admit/registration to start) • Strong Start (prep for success)

Success Coaching • Transition (first 2 terms/semesters) • Continuation (on-demand) • Special populations (military, non-resident, first-gen, etc.) • Special situations (probation, transfer, etc.)

Career coaching • Structured/Comprehensive • On-Demand/Tactical

Enrollment growth and diversity Competitive differentiation

Improved efficiency Market insights

Higher retention and completion Tailored student experience

Improved operational effectiveness Student experience insights

Better career readiness Stronger employer relations

Stronger alumni relations Brand differentiation


Developing an effective, scalable coaching program requires cross-functional commitment

Core functions

Serves as liaison to academic advising, financial aid, career and other services

Prospective Student Coaches

Enrolled Student Coaches

Coaching Managers

Mentor coaches and facilitate development of best practices

Work one-on-one with prospective and enrolled students through regular, structured phone conversations and ad-hoc online communication

Organizational support Quality Control Pedagogy Communications Research/ Analytics

Operational Consulting Recruiting IT/Systems

Development Professional Development

Guides program director and serves as liaison to other senior administrators

Evaluate coaching calls; measure performance on broad range of metrics

Improve and develop new coaching methodologies and incorporate into best practices

Develop student-facing coaching materials and drive student adoption

Prepare detailed quantitative and qualitative reports for administrative decision making

Support functional leaders in operationalizing changes based on student experiences and feedback

Extensively screen and evaluate coach candidates to ensure highest quality hiring

Develop and administer systems used for coaching, data management and reporting

Train and certify coaches through multiple levels of mastery in various subjects

Program Director

Executive Sponsor


First-year retention (first-time-full-time freshman at semi-selective private

university campus)

89.0% 90.1% 88.5%

84.6% 85.1% 85.5%

Cohort A Cohort B Cohort C

Coached Control

Graduation (first-time-full-time freshman at semi-selective private

university campus)

75.4% 68.9%

54.5% 63.2% 65.2%

50.2%

6-year 5-year 4-year

Coached Control

Success requires clear and realistic goals, based on current realities

Dropout resumption (post-traditional students at low selectivity online program)

21%

34% 32% 31%

12% 20% 20%

15%

1st TermDrops

2nd TermDrops

3rd TermDrops

4th TermDrops

Coached Control

Inquiry conversion (all inquiries at semi-selective online program)

10.8% 12.4% 11.2%

8.3% 9.2% 8.4% 8.1% 5.9%

September January March June

Coached Control


Second Round • In-depth raw coaching

skill assessment • Ability to implement

feedback • Performance

orientation

Program Director Interview • Team fit • Additional role play • Inquisitiveness • Tone of voice • Drive for Success

Reference Check and Background Check Include discussion with most recent supervisor, whenever possible

Resume and Cover Letter Screen • Degrees • Relevant prof.

experience • Interest in student

success • Fit with institution

Voice Screening • Tone of voice • Ability to respond

under pressure • Comfort with

technology • Communication skills • Interpersonal skills

Phone Interview • Communication skills • Interpersonal skills • Fit with institution • Drive for success • Salary range fit

Profiling exercise • Thinking and

reasoning style • Behavioral traits • Occupational

interests

Group Interview • Role plays • Raw coaching skill

assessment • Active listening • Interpersonal skills • Commitment to

mission

Top-Quality Candidates

Great coaching begins with great coaches and great candidates come from rigorous selection


Great coaches are developed, not born

New coach training /

orientation Ongoing certification –

multiple levels of mastery, multiple disciplines

Routine quality assessment/developmental observations

Individual professional development meetings

Team training

Student Impact

Coaching Methodology

Meeting Structure

In his/her first year alone, a new coach should receive 100+ hours of professional development


Great coaching also requires a methodology that addresses all areas of student success

School Community

Academics

Career

Managing Commitments

Commitment to Graduation

Health & Support

Finances

Effectiveness

Clarify where student wants to be after graduation Connect to what student needs to accomplish every week Help organize student’s commitments to get work done Motivate student to overcome obstacles Reaffirm value of the institution

LONG-TERM GOAL


Coaching works best when closely aligned with other student support functions

Other Support Services

Financial Aid

Career Services

Academic Advising

Coaching

Coaching supports: • Higher contact rates • Better student preparedness • Consistency in messages and service delivery • Proactivity / issue prevention


A “Success Creation” mindset is critical to an effective coaching program

Success Creation Failure Prevention

How students are introduced to coaching “Get to know you” call from coach Orientation / information packet

When students hear from coaches

At regularly scheduled meetings designed to keep them on track

toward their goals

Missed a class, failed a test or otherwise triggered a “flag” in the

early alert system

Why students might reach out to coaches

Want to brainstorm a challenge or celebrate a recent win

Facing significant hardships, on the verge of failing, dropping out

A “Failure Prevention” mindset results in wasted resources and lost opportunities


Coaching cost-effectiveness is maximized by assessing likelihood of impact by student type

Coach to enhance experience, optimize learning outcomes

Coach to maximize chances

of completion

Leverage other means to enhance experience,

optimize learning outcomes

Leverage other means to maximize chances

of completion

Risk of Attrition

Like

ly Im

pact

of

Coa

chin

g

Low

Low

High

Hig

h


Maximizing the impact of coaching requires investment in technology and analytics

Both to manage the delivery of coaching and to generate the insights that guide operational and executive decision making


Many institutions choose to partner with a coaching services provider

The reasons for partnering vary: Focus: Partnering enables institutions to focus on their core competencies and simultaneously address a larger number of competing priorities Time-to-Benefit: It takes many years to develop a coaching program to the point where it consistently delivers significant impact Economies of Scale/Scope: Coaching services providers work with a broad range of institutions and students, enabling them to better amortize the costs of specialized expertise and technology Variable Expense vs Capital Investment: By contracting for coaching services, institutions can turn a capital investment into an expense that varies directly with enrollment Risk Management: Implementing an established program avoids the financial, brand, regulatory and other risks associated with a steep learning curve


The keys to selecting the right partner are expertise and fit

Before engaging a coaching services provider, consider the following: Mission/Values: Does the organization share your core beliefs? Brand/Reputation: Are they known for operating with integrity, as a trusted partner? Effectiveness: Do they have a strong, well-documented history of success? Accountability: Are they committed to measurement, transparency and accountability? Focus: Is enhancing student engagement and success their core purpose?


Increase enrollment, retention and graduation by 15%. • 1:1 coaching for prospective and enrolled students

• Actionable insights on student perceptions and needs

• Systems to ensure measurement and accountability

InsideTrack works with you to implement a system for continuous improvement

InsideTrack is the only college dropout prevention initiative to meet WWC evidence standards

Increase student and institutional success.

Contact us: [email protected]

415.243.4468 www.insidetrack.com

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.insidetrack.com/

Education

InsideTrack eBook: Building a highly effective coaching and mentoring program at scale