InsideTrack

A program for college students that aims to promote academic engagement and retention through individualized mentoring delivered by coaches via phone, email, text messaging or social media.

Brief Description of the Program

InsideTrack is a universal educational management and services provider that aims to promote academic engagement, learning, retention, and degree completion in college students. Mentoring services are delivered by trained coaches via phone, email, text message, and social media. During these interactions, the coaches work with students to encourage prioritization of studies and identify and overcome academic and "real-life" barriers to students' success.

InsideTrack is a universal educational management and services provider that aims to promote academic engagement, learning, retention, and degree completion in college students. Mentoring services are delivered by trained coaches via phone, email, text message, and social media. During these interactions, the coaches work with students to encourage prioritization of studies and identify and overcome academic and "real-life" barriers to students' success.

InsideTrack coaches generally work with students over two semesters, although part-time students are occasionally allowed to enroll in a single course (i.e., one semester). Coaches call their students regularly, and in some cases have access to course syllabi, transcripts, and additional information on students' performance and participation in specific courses. InsideTrack then uses this information in a set of predictive algorithms that assess each student's daily status for the purpose of contacting them at appropriate times. Students have the option to participate or not when contacted by the coach.

Outcomes

Primary Evidence Base for Certification

Bettinger and Baker (2014) found that, compared to participants in the uncoached control condition, participants who received InsideTrack coaching showed significantly higher rates of:

• College retention during and after the program (at the six, 12, 18, and 24-month assessments)
• Degree completion (for a subsample of students with available graduation data)

Brief Evaluation Methodology

Primary Evidence Base for Certification

Blueprints has reviewed one study (Bettinger & Baker, 2014), and it meets Blueprints evidentiary standards (specificity, evaluation quality, impact, dissemination readiness). The study was conducted by an independent evaluator.

Bettinger and Baker (2014) evaluated the program from academic records for all 13,555 students who were randomly assigned in 17 lotteries to receive InsideTrack coaching or a business-as-usual control during the 2003-2004 and 2007-2008 school years. College retention and degree completion were examined in six-month increments from baseline through 24 months following the initiation of the 12-month program.

Blueprints Certified Studies

Study 1

Bettinger, E. P., & Baker, R. B. (2014). The effects of student coaching: An evaluation of a randomized experiment in student advising. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 36, 3-19.

Risk and Protective Factors

Subgroup Analysis Details

Gender Specific Findings

• Male

Subgroup Analysis Details

Subgroup differences in program effects by race, ethnicity, or gender (coded in binary terms as male/female) or program effects for a sample of a specific race, ethnic, or gender group.

Study 1 (Bettinger & Baker, 2014) tested for subgroup effects by gender and found stronger benefits for males than females.

Sample demographics including race, ethnicity, and gender for Blueprints-certified studies:

The sample for Study 1 was approximately evenly split between males (51%) and females (49%).

Training and Technical Assistance

InsideTrack uses a custom coaching platform that was designed based upon millions of coaching interactions and which allows coaches to use multi-channel communications to fit the needs of learners. Coaches undergo intensive initial and ongoing training. In their first year, coaches receive over 100 hours of professional development and they continue to receive 30+ hours each subsequent year to provide continued growth. A member of a specially trained team virtually observes a coach/learner interaction for each InsideTrack coach once every three months.

Four competencies drive the coaching approach:

1) Individualization: Understanding each learner's specific situation in order to tailor the approach
2) Self and Situational Awareness: Recognizing differences between coaches and learners to allow for a supportive relationship
3) Adaptability: Sharpening listening and communication skills to use different approaches for different types of learners
4) Cultural Competence and Humility: Committing to learning about different cultures, backgrounds and perspectives and recognizing each individual's journey is unique

For some partnerships, InsideTrack coaches learners directly. For others, InsideTrack builds organizational capacity, teaching staff to coach learners using InsideTrack's methodology. For the greatest organizational transformation, InsideTrack can work with partner organizations to do both.

Benefits and Costs

Source: Washington State Institute for Public Policy
All benefit-cost ratios are the most recent estimates published by The Washington State Institute for Public Policy for Blueprint programs implemented in Washington State. These ratios are based on a) meta-analysis estimates of effect size and b) monetized benefits and calculated costs for programs as delivered in the State of Washington. Caution is recommended in applying these estimates of the benefit-cost ratio to any other state or local area. They are provided as an illustration of the benefit-cost ratio found in one specific state. When feasible, local costs and monetized benefits should be used to calculate expected local benefit-cost ratios. The formula for this calculation can be found on the WSIPP website.

Program Costs

Funding Strategies

Evaluation Abstract

Program Developer/Owner

Eric Bettinger (Evaluator)Stanford Graduate School of EducationStanford, California United Statesebettinger@stanford.edu

Program Outcomes

• Post Secondary Education

Program Specifics

Program Type

• Academic Services
• School - Individual Strategies
• Skills Training

Program Setting

• School

Continuum of Intervention

• Universal Prevention

Program Goals

A program for college students that aims to promote academic engagement and retention through individualized mentoring delivered by coaches via phone, email, text messaging or social media.

Population Demographics

The program targets college students.

Target Population

Age

• Early Adulthood (19-24)

Gender

• Both

Gender Specific Findings

• Male

Race/Ethnicity

• All

Subgroup Analysis Details

Subgroup differences in program effects by race, ethnicity, or gender (coded in binary terms as male/female) or program effects for a sample of a specific race, ethnic, or gender group.

Study 1 (Bettinger & Baker, 2014) tested for subgroup effects by gender and found stronger benefits for males than females.

Sample demographics including race, ethnicity, and gender for Blueprints-certified studies:

The sample for Study 1 was approximately evenly split between males (51%) and females (49%).

Other Risk and Protective Factors

Academic engagement and retention

Risk/Protective Factors

Risk Factors

Protective Factors

*Risk/Protective Factor was significantly impacted by the program

Brief Description of the Program

InsideTrack is a universal educational management and services provider that aims to promote academic engagement, learning, retention, and degree completion in college students. Mentoring services are delivered by trained coaches via phone, email, text message, and social media. During these interactions, the coaches work with students to encourage prioritization of studies and identify and overcome academic and "real-life" barriers to students' success.

Description of the Program

InsideTrack is a universal educational management and services provider that aims to promote academic engagement, learning, retention, and degree completion in college students. Mentoring services are delivered by trained coaches via phone, email, text message, and social media. During these interactions, the coaches work with students to encourage prioritization of studies and identify and overcome academic and "real-life" barriers to students' success.

InsideTrack coaches generally work with students over two semesters, although part-time students are occasionally allowed to enroll in a single course (i.e., one semester). Coaches call their students regularly, and in some cases have access to course syllabi, transcripts, and additional information on students' performance and participation in specific courses. InsideTrack then uses this information in a set of predictive algorithms that assess each student's daily status for the purpose of contacting them at appropriate times. Students have the option to participate or not when contacted by the coach.

Theoretical Rationale

InsideTrack was developed from empirical research suggesting that student coaching in students' educational careers can lead to engagement, learning, retention, and an increased probability of completing a degree.

Theoretical Orientation

• Skill Oriented
• Self Efficacy

Brief Evaluation Methodology

Primary Evidence Base for Certification

Blueprints has reviewed one study (Bettinger & Baker, 2014), and it meets Blueprints evidentiary standards (specificity, evaluation quality, impact, dissemination readiness). The study was conducted by an independent evaluator.

Bettinger and Baker (2014) evaluated the program from academic records for all 13,555 students who were randomly assigned in 17 lotteries to receive InsideTrack coaching or a business-as-usual control during the 2003-2004 and 2007-2008 school years. College retention and degree completion were examined in six-month increments from baseline through 24 months following the initiation of the 12-month program.

Outcomes (Brief, over all studies)

Primary Evidence Base for Certification

Bettinger and Baker (2014) found that compared to participants in the uncoached control condition, participants who received InsideTrack coaching showed significantly higher rates of college retention during the program implementation period (at six- and 12-month assessments) and at the two posttest assessments (six and 12 months after coaching ended). In addition, for a subsample of students with available graduation data (3 cohorts), participants receiving InsideTrack coaching services also showed significantly higher rates of degree completion, relative to uncoached control participants.

Outcomes

Primary Evidence Base for Certification

Bettinger and Baker (2014) found that, compared to participants in the uncoached control condition, participants who received InsideTrack coaching showed significantly higher rates of:

• College retention during and after the program (at the six, 12, 18, and 24-month assessments)
• Degree completion (for a subsample of students with available graduation data)

Mediating Effects

Study 1 (Bettinger & Baker, 2014) did not examine mediating effects.

Effect Size

In Study 1, at the six- and 12-month assessments (which occurred during the program implementation period), Bettinger and Baker (2014) reported 9% and 12% increases in college retention for InsideTrack students compared to uncoached students. At the 18- and 24-month assessments (six and 12 months after coaching ended, respectively) there were 15% increases in college retention for InsideTrack students compared to uncoached students.

Generalizability

One study meets Blueprints standards for high quality methods with strong evidence of program impact (i.e., "certified" by Blueprints): Study 1 (Bettinger & Baker, 2014). The sample included  college students from a variety of institutional types (e.g., two- and four-year schools, private and public colleges).

Endorsements

Blueprints: Promising
What Works Clearinghouse: Meets Standards Without Reservations - Positive Effect

Program Information Contact

InsideTrack
https://www.insidetrack.org/
https://www.insidetrack.org/contact-us

 

References

Study 1

Certified

Bettinger, E. P., & Baker, R. B. (2014). The effects of student coaching: An evaluation of a randomized experiment in student advising. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 36, 3-19.