Essential Question 18

About this Essential Question

This question looks at early indicators of whether postsecondary students are on track for later success. Credit accumulation, gateway course completion, and selection of an area of concentration during the first year can signal whether students are on track to complete a degree. Various factors influence early momentum in postsecondary education, such as the quality and comprehensiveness of advising services, students’ growth mindset and self-regulation, and access to intentionally designed career pathways. Institution leaders, academic advisors, and student success teams can use this question to assess whether current supports are helping students stay on track for graduation, identify students that may need targeted support, and develop strategies to help all postsecondary students build early momentum toward earning a credential.

Probing Questions

Use these probing questions to dive deeper on the essential question or approach it through a different lens. Feel free to adapt these questions further or come up with your own.  

• How do postsecondary institutions define and measure being “on track” to earn a degree?  
• How do first-year credit accumulation, gateway course completion, selection of an area of concentration, and persistence vary across different postsecondary institution and institution types? How do they vary by students’ race and ethnicity, income level, first-generation college student status, parenting status, attendance intensity, and/or postsecondary major?
• How do institutional policies and practices—such as first-year orientation and student programs, supports to help students complete gateway courses, and expenditures on student services—help or hinder early momentum? How do contributing factors vary by institution and institution type?
• How might we better support early momentum for postsecondary students? What policies could or conditions could be improved? Who needs to be involved?