MAP-Works: An Early-Warning Indicator of Student …MAP-Works History 1988, Ball State developed concept. 2005, Ball State partnered with EBI to create MAP-Works. 1989 to 2004, Ball

MAP-Works: An Early-Warning Indicator of Student Success

Darlena Jones, Ph.D.Director of Research and Development, Educational Benchmarking

Todd PicaEBI Project Director, Educational Benchmarking

Comments from Institutions

“MAP-Works has allowed us to get an early and in-depth read on our first-year students' transition, as promised. We have been able to use this information, in turn, to target early interventions toward those students who are struggling. We have been very pleased with the results of our use of MAP-Works in this first year of use.” Ron Chesbrough, Vice Pres for Student Affairs, Hastings College

“As I said to my staff during the initial training on using MAP-Works, ‘We get into this field to work with young people and to hopefully make a difference in their lives.’ The information we get from this project

will allow us to do that in a very concrete and measurable way. The potential is amazing.”  Gary

Bice, Jr., Director of Residence Life, SUNY Fredonia

Who is EBI?

• Founded in 1994

• Participants in EBI Assessments

– Nearly 1300 Colleges and Universities worldwide

– Surveyed 12 million people

• Assessments to Date

– Currently offer 76 National/International assessments in 22 areas of study

– Over 500 custom assessments conducted for 78 institutions

• Reporting

– Produced over 15,500 customized reports

– Created a state-of-the-art online data collection, reporting and distribution system

EBI’s Professional Partnerships

Housing/ Residence Life

Union Student Center

Fraternity/Sorority Policy Center

on the First Year of College

Military HousingMAP-WorksAlcohol

Education

Nursing Education

MAP-Works History

1988, Ball State developed concept.

2005, Ball State partnered with EBI to create MAP-Works.

1989 to 2004, Ball State used MAP in-house.

Fall 2008, 40 schools used MAP-

Works!

Original Developers of MAP

• First-year students arrived with unrealistic expectations

• Retention rates were not as high as desired

• Mid-terms was too late to intervene

• Wanted better data about incoming students

What is MAP-Works?

Who is Responsible?

• Who is responsible for student success on your campus?– Enrollment Management/

Retention?– Student Affairs?

– Academic Affairs?

• What information do you know about this first-year student?

Student ID: YD252952HS GPA: 3.93SAT Verbal: 29Location: In stateGender: FemaleRace: African AmericanAge: 18Major: Undecided

Do you really know them?

Enrollment Management/R

etentionStudent Affairs

Academic Affairs

Paradigm Shift

• What would happen if…– ALL faculty/staff were

responsible for student success?

– YOU knew student was struggling?

• Could you do something about it before it was too late?

Enrollment Management /

Retention

Residence Hall Staff

Academic Advisor

First-Year Seminar Instructor

Academic Department

Heads

Financial Aid

Minority Student Affairs

I’m really homesick

I don’t think I can afford college My roommate

and I argue all the time

Student AffairsAcademic

Affairs

I’m thinking about

transferring

I’m struggling in my math

class

What is MAP-Works?

• MAP-Works is the next generation student success and retention program that:– Enables effective early intervention with at-risk students

– Addresses student academic success

– Educates students about issues related to the transition to college

MAP-Works Focus

• Retention– Minimize percentage of capable students who drop out

due to issues that could have been addressed by self-awareness or timely intervention by professional staff.

• Academic & Socio-Emotional Success: – Improve students' ability to succeed academically by

realigning behavior with grade expectations and focusing on elements of academic success. Address socio-emotional transition issues.

4-Year Colleges/Universities• Angelo State University• Ball State University*• Brigham Young University• Buffalo State College• Colorado State University• Georgia College & State University• Hastings College• Huntington University*• Iowa State University• Miami University (Ohio)• Rutgers Univ - New Brunswick• Saint Louis University• Slippery Rock University• Southern Illinois Univ -Carbondale• Southern Illinois Univ -Edwardsville• St. Mary's University-San Antonio• SUNY Fredonia• University of Arkansas

2008-2009 MAP-Works Participants• University of Central Arkansas• University of Evansville• University of Illinois at Chicago• University of Illinois at Springfield• University of Indianapolis• University of Iowa• Univ of North Carolina at Asheville• University of Northern Colorado• University of Southern Indiana• University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh• University of Wisconsin-Whitewater• Western Illinois University• Wright State University

2-Year Colleges• Casper College• Snead State Community College• Pasco-Hernando Comm College• Sheridan College• Gillette College

*Also participating in the 2008-2009 Sophomore Transition pilot

Information Collected

Academic Integration– Academic Self-Efficacy

– Core Academic Behaviors– Advanced Academic Behaviors– Commitment to Higher

Education

Academic Integration– Academic Self-Efficacy– Core Academic Behaviors– Advanced Academic Behaviors– Commitment to Higher

Education

Self-Assessment– Communication Skills– Analytical Skills– Self-Discipline– Time Management– Health and Wellness– Potential Issues (stress,

financial, etc.)

Self-Assessment– Communication Skills– Analytical Skills– Self-Discipline– Time Management– Health and Wellness– Potential Issues (stress,

financial, etc.)

Profile Information– Gender and race/ethnicity

– Entrance exam scores– # credit hours enrolled– Cumulative GPA– Credit Hours Earned

Profile Information– Gender and race/ethnicity– Entrance exam scores– # credit hours enrolled– Cumulative GPA– Credit Hours Earned

Social Integration– Homesickness– Peer Connections– Living Environment (on/off

campus)– Roommate Relationships– Campus Involvement

Social Integration– Homesickness– Peer Connections– Living Environment (on/off

campus)– Roommate Relationships– Campus Involvement

MAP-Works Process

•Expectations

•Behaviors

•Social Norming

•Expectations

•CampusResources

•Student Summary

•Sort Students•Coordinate Efforts

•Student Profile•Institution Profile•Campus

Resources

MAP-Works Organizational Structure

Direct-Connect RelationshipsIdentify At-Risk

Students; Intervention; Share InformationInstructor

sCoaches

Campus Coordinator

AthleticsHousing

AdvisorsHall Directors

AdvisingFirst-Year Experience

Departmental/UnitLevel

Transition Experiences

Understanding the Transition Experience

• First-Year / Freshman Students– Adjusting to living on-campus and

homesickness issues

– Adjusting to new academic pressures

– Adjusting to a new “pool” of students

• Sophomores– Choosing a major / entering a college/dept

– Increased academic competition

– Independence from family

– Planning for future internships / experiences

Questions where First-Year Students Out Rate Sophomores

4.74

5.18

5.14

6.66

4.97

5.41

5.75

6.85

4.00 4.50 5.00 5.50 6.00 6.50 7.00

Reads the assignedreadings within a day

before class

Making friends withothers in thehall/building

Satisfied with thesocial activities inyour hall/building

Attends class

2008 Sophomores 2007 First-Year

Change in Transition Experiences

First-year students are more likely to

attend class, make friends, read assignments

Questions where Sophomores Out Rate First-Year Students

4.20

4.92

6.14

6.26

3.68

4.49

5.54

5.69

3.50 4.00 4.50 5.00 5.50 6.00 6.50

Are you interested in holding a leadershipposition in a college / university student

organization?

Studies in blocks of time greater than onehour

Have you met someone who has becomeyour friend?

Do you think it is likely that you'll transfer toanother institution?

2008 Sophomores 2007 First-Year

Sophomores are more likely to stay at the

school, study in larger blocks of time, and

interested in leadership

opportunities

Other Populations

• Special Populations– Minority Students

– Transfer Students

– Student Athletes

– Nontraditional students

• Upperclassmen– Junior Transition Survey

– Senior Transition Survey

Student Reporting

Take-Away Points

Take-Away Points – If you continue to do

what you did in high school you might not get the grades you

want

Social Norming

Student self evaluations are calibrated with their peers to identify strengths and weaknesses.

Links to Campus ResourcesCampus-specific resource links allow your students to reach in and exploit all your

campus has to offer.

Faculty/Staff Reporting

Identify Non-Respondents

Filter by “Responded” or

“Not Responded”

Did You Know? For most campuses, non-response is one of the first signs of disconnect

Identify At-Risk Students

Students sorted by warning

indicators

Did You Know? Some students decide if they’re coming back in spring

term within a few days of beginning their fall term

Identify Students with Interests

Choose a survey or

profile question

Did You Know? Some students are eager to begin exploring leadership

opportunities immediately

Information for Meetings

Students are more likely to be truthful on surveys than face-to-

face

Identifying Common Issues

Homesickness is an issue for

a lot of students

Being creative in programming may help eliminate common issues experienced by your students

Keep Records – Contacts Made

Choose the type of contact then leave a

short comment regarding the contact

Providing your faculty/staff ways to keep notes on their students will

improve their efficiency

Organize Your Work with Students - Lists

Providing a way for faculty/staff to group their students based on

common issues/interests makes interventions easier to manage

Notifying Others of Issues – Notes/Alerts

Notifying other faculty/staff in better positions to aid the

student will likely help that student transition

Group Work

• Look at the student report and discuss the following.. – What interventions would you propose?– What resources would you recommend?

Checking Up with the Students

Check-Up Survey

• Survey stats…– Approximately 30 questions

– Unlimited launch times

– Items like• Are you attending class?

• What grades do you think you’ll earn?

• Do you intend to return next term?

• Recommended Launch– Recommend at 10th week of semester (after mid-terms but

before registration)

– Once or twice during spring semester

Identify Students

Students whose

situation has deteriorated

Students whose situation is unchanged

Students whose situation has

improved

Drill down to Erin’s report

Better Understand Student’s Issues

Erin’s “Warning Indicators” have sharply declined since the Transition Survey. Erin’s level of homesickness, peer connections, and increased stress may be the cause

Ending Thoughts…

“In our second year implementing MAP-Works on our campus, we’ve been astounded by our enhanced

ability to connect with our students on deeper and more meaningful levels. Our Resident Directors feel

empowered with the knowledge MAP-Works provides them regarding each of their students. The intricate

snapshots of the residents living in our buildings allow our live-in staff to reach more students in a

much more intentional way.” Jenesha Penn, Resident Director for Academic

Programs, The University of Illinois at Chicago 

Questions and Discussion

Todd Pica, EBI Project DirectorEducational Benchmarking

215-482-1664 or email [email protected]

www.MAP-Works.com