Important Relationships Exist between Key Psychosocial Outcomes and Supporting At-Promise Student Groups

The mixed-methods evaluation of the CCTP examined multiple psychosocial outcomes. While the data do not allow a full test of the causal relationships between these constructs, the researchers brought together different pieces of evidence to suggest hypotheses for how these constructs are related and call for future research rigorously evaluating these relationships. The experimental evaluation of the CCTP shows that participating in the CCTP increased students’ sense of belonging during their first two years and reported feelings of mattering during their first three years on campus. Descriptive quantitative analyses of students in the CCTP indicated that higher levels of belonging in students’ first year were associated with higher levels of mattering in students’ second year. Qualitatively, feelings of belonging and mattering may have contributed to students’ sense of academic self-efficacy. Using qualitative and descriptive quantitative analyses, we also show that validation is a key lever underlying both belonging and mattering. Based on these results, the project team hypothesizes that validation may help students to establish a foundation of belonging, which then grows alongside increases in mattering. Having these strong relationships and connections to campus then help students feel confident in academic settings, which may promote academic success.

Validating Approaches Prove Effective

The mixed-methods data help to provide evidence that the implementation methods used by CCTPs were more important than the specific elements (e.g. mentoring, learning community) included in the CCTP. In other words, how you implement policies and practices matters. A validating approach among faculty, staff, other institutional agents, and peers affirming students’ capabilities for success was more important than specific programmatic elements. Validation was important to at-promise students, low performing students, and all subgroups examined.

A Culture and Ecology of Validation Supports Students Across All Marginalized Identities

The CCTP was successful because it created a culture of ecological validation. Students feeling validated as learners acted as the most important lever for at-promise students. An ecology of validation involves proactive, holistic, asset-based, and tailored support that is offered at multiple touchpoints over time; a culture embeds validation into the CCTP’s values, policies, practices, rituals, and traditions. These findings are particularly important as they run counter to much of the student success literature that focuses on interventions, particularly technology. As validation is developed through human interactions, student success efforts need to focus much more centrally on the training and support of faculty, staff, and paraprofessionals on campus.

Focus on Students’ Sense of Mattering Facilitates Success

Much of the research in higher education has focused on a sense of belonging to the detriment of focusing on mattering. This study’s findings suggest that as campuses work to create better climates, focusing on helping students feel like they matter to someone on campus is critical. Students may be more successful not only when they feel like they are part of campus, but also when they feel their goals, successes, disappointments, and experiences are valued.

Tailoring Support and Creating Multiple Pathways for Students is a Key Lever for At-Promise Student Success

Various analyses revealed that different CCTP components lead to the same psychosocial outcomes for different groups of students. For example, staff care and support were associated with mattering for female students, whereas faculty interactions were associated with mattering for male students. Tailoring is a process in which lessons that emerge from individual students are scaled to create broader change and to support students from different programs (Kezar et al., forthcoming; under review 9 )

The mixed-methods research identified tailoring practices and processes used by CCTP staff, including one on one meetings, focus groups, surveys, communication with other CCTP offices, communication across faculty and staff, and the use of peer mentors. These practices and processes can be scaled to thousands of students. These findings suggest that program consolidation should be considered with care. In hard economic times, campuses may be looking for ways to narrow support programs. This study suggests that having a variety of different program interventions was necessary to obtain equal outcomes because different elements were associated with the successes of different student groups.

Flexibility in Implementation Allows for Similar Student Outcomes Across All Campuses

The CCTP was modified at each campus slightly to meet the needs of the student population and the mission of the institution. However, even with these slight modifications, the research team found that the CCTP produced similar outcomes for students at each campus, challenging the notion that strict fidelity is needed to garner the desired outcomes. This finding is important as policy research often emphasizes strict implementation fidelity but this study demonstrates that such fidelity may have compromised rather than supported outcomes and campus leaders should consider ways that programs may need to be modified to best fit their student population and context.