Txt 4 Success: Utilizing text messaging to shift students' college-going behaviors

Txt 4 Success!Utilizing text messaging to shift

students’ college-going behaviors

Road map

Day 2:

• Needs assessment

• Technology

• Messaging

• Implementation

Day 1:

• Introductions

• Research Review

• Case Studies

Introductions

Let’s Get to Know Each Other!

• Name

• Department/Organization & Role/Title

• Starburst Question

• One thing you hope to learn

Research review• Prior studies and trials

• Principles of behavioral economics

• Other policy interventions

• Key publications and resources

Prior studies and trials

Session informed by leading researchers in this

field - Dr. Ben Castleman and Dr. Lindsay Page

● Use principles from behavioral economics

& psychology to improve college outcomes

● Focus their work on supporting low-income

& non-traditional students

● Powerful, exciting results have garnered

national attention & widespread application


2010: uAspire began partnership

with Castleman & Page to study

summer melt 20% drop-off

2011: First summer melt

intervention designed - successful

but difficult to reach students

Summer Melt: the phenomenon whereby

college-intending students do not make the

transition from high school to college


• Advisors reached out to HS graduates

in summer to support their transition

• Statistically significant impact on

enrollment - more students went to

college in the fall!

• One year later - even greater

statistically significant impact on

persistence

First summer melt study (2011)


First texting study (2012): Applied key

ingredients of summer melt intervention to texting

Text messaging statistically

increased on-time college

enrollment by 7 percentage

points.

Among first-generation

students, there was an 8

percentage point increase in

enrollment in 4-year colleges.

2012 Text Messaging Results



Sent reminders to renew financial aid

and check SAP

Advisors texted back real-time

responses to student questions

Texting increased 2nd year persistence

by 12 percentage points

First College Texting Study (2013):Restarted texting in January of freshman year

Research insights

Source: Castleman (2013)

In planning for college,

students and families face…

Complex

information

Complicated

processes

Research insights

Key behavioral principles:

• Limited attention

• Planning fallacy

• Social norms

• Identity

• Status quo bias

Key behavioral principles

Sources: Castleman (2013); Ideas42 (2014)

Limited attention and planning fallacy Adolescents are particularly prone to

put off hard choices/complex tasks in

favor of pleasurable pursuits — and

their attention often is divided.


But adults also procrastinate when

faced with complexity.Sources: Castleman (2013); Ideas42 (2014)


Sources: Ideas42 (2014); Iyengar and Lepper (2000); Sivers (2009)

Status Quo Bias

• When overwhelmed, people

tend to do nothing.

• “Preset” or default options can

create monumental shifts in

behavior.

• “Choice is demotivating.”


Sources: Ideas42 (2014); Castleman (2013)

Identity and Social Norms

• Individuals are highly influenced by their perceptions of

what’s normal for their peers.

• Individuals are motivated to meet clear expectations that

they deem to be standard or usual.

• The way we view and reflect on our personal identities or

roles has a powerful influence over our behaviors.


Sources: Ideas42 (2014); Castleman (2013)

Coping with complexity

• Simplifying strategies

• Following the crowd

• Paralysis

Prior policy interventions

• Simplifying information increases participation in retirement

programs and the quality of school and college choices (Beshears et al,

2012; Hastings & Weinstein, 2008; Hoxby & Turner, 2013)

• Reducing hassles increases completion of federal financial aid

applications (Bettinger et al, 2012)

• Shifting perceptions of social norms increases tax compliance and

reduces home energy use (Alcott, 2011; Coleman, 1996)

• Prompts increase financial savings and flu vaccination rates (Karlan et al,

2010; Stockwell et al, 2012)

Prior policy interventions

• Simplifying information increases participation in retirement

programs and the quality of school and college choices (Beshears et al,

2012; Hastings & Weinstein, 2008; Hoxby & Turner, 2013)

• Reducing hassles increases completion of federal financial aid

applications (Bettinger et al, 2012)

• Shifting perceptions of social norms increases tax compliance and

reduces home energy use (Alcott, 2011; Coleman, 1996)

• Prompts increase financial savings and flu vaccination rates (Karlan et al,

2010; Stockwell et al, 2012)

Other interventions

• Weight Loss & Fitnesso Reify Health used text messaging in clinical trials

o Focused on weight-loss & fitness related interactions

• Ebola Outbreak

o The WFP is using texting to survey food supplies in Sierra Leone(The Guardian, October 14, 2014)

• India Rural Farmingo Texting is used to communicate to rural villagers about subsidized

farming products

• Literacy in Nigero World Bank Cell-Ed intervention increased basic literacy by 5 years

(World Bank, ‘Teach Literacy by Text. Really.”, 7/7/2014

Reading list

• Castleman and Page: Summer Nudging: Can Personalized Text Messages

and Peer Mentor Outreach Increase College Going Among Low-Income High

School Graduates (2013)

• Castleman: Prompts, Personalization, and Pay-offs: Strategies to Improve the

Design and Delivery of College and Financial Aid Information (2013)

• Ross et al: Using Behavioral Economics for Postsecondary Success (2013)

• Pew Research: Internet Project (see the myriad of reports related to mobile

internet access and use of text messaging among various populations)

• Castleman and Page: Summer Melt: Supporting Low-Income

Students Through the Transition to College (2014)

• Castleman and Page: Freshman Year Financial Aid Nudges

(2014)

Questions?

Comments?

Let’s recharge!We’ll start back in 10 minutes…

Context• Organizations using texting

• Audiences targeted through texting

Where is this happening?

• State education departments–Louisiana, Arizona, Delaware, Montana, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Virginia, and many

others in process

• US Department of Education–Two funded research projects including an IES research grant and an Outward Bound

research study

–Inclusion in GEAR UP grant applications

•Major colleges and universities–Research: Stanford, Harvard, Penn, U of Chicago, Michigan State, and Others

–Admissions & Student Affairs: U of Washington - Bothel, Youngstown State University, etc.

•College access orgs, school districts, and charters–Philadelphia USD, KIPP Philly, Mastery, and many CAO’s

How is texting being used in Education?

• College-going process and summer melt–College access organizations, K-12 districts

–To increase matriculation rates

• Admissions and financial aid– Related to summer melt, improve engagement with students through their admittance

– Provide financial guidance up-front and renewal/compliance information throughout

– For financial aid, reduce loan default rates

•College persistence and student affairs–Communicate with college freshman (Louisiana) to maintain good standing and persist

–Expanding to more general dialogue with students at the college/university level

• K-12 Attendance - (University of Chicago Research)

• Values Affirmation (Middle School) - (Stanford Research)

• Early Childhood Reading - (Stanford Research)

Case studies• uAspire

• College Foundation of West Virginia

uAspire

Case study:

uAspire: College affordability non-profit

uAspire: College affordability non-profit

Impact in High-Need Cities:

● Direct Service to Students○ Boston, Springfield, Lawrence &

Fall River, MA

○ Miami, FL

○ Bay Area, CA

● New Impact Models○ Text messaging nationwide

Training & Technical Assistance:

● Training to Practitioners○ School districts

○ Charter management orgs

○ Youth serving orgs

Policy & Advocacy:

● Represent student and family voice in

national dialogue

● Study & inform on affordability issues

Goals:

– Re-establish student-advisor contact after high school graduation

– Nudge students on specific tasks to enrollment: orientation, registration, placement tests, financial aid & bill

– Provide customized advising content

using data from senior exit survey

uAspire texting: summer melt


Text messaging to support the high

school to college transition

2012: Piloted text messaging for

summer melt using online platform

• Students received 10 customized text

reminders July-August

• Could text message HELP but couldn’t

text back and forth

• Advisors called students in response


Identified need for a two-way, student-centered

texting platform.

2013: Redesigned platform so students could

interact “live” via text message

• Customized reminders sent out

• Students texted back for support

• Advisors responded immediately


Customized content based on student data:

Student City Data

Intended College Data Student City Data

uAspire texting in practice

Do students engage? Yes!

Real responses:

• I do need help. How do I file a loan?

• Yes, thank you! I have a lot of questions & the internet

is giving me little answers.

• I didn’t get accepted to any of the schools I applied to,

do I need to do FAFSA again for community college?

• Actually it’s great that you texted me bc I really do need

some help concerning my financial aid.

• OMG this came at just the right time. I need to

electronically SignMyLoan but I’m not sure how to do it.

But can advising happen via text? Yes!

uAspire texting in practice

uAspire evaluation and results

Used randomized design in each texting project:

-One group

randomly

assigned to

receive

texting

-One group

randomly assigned

to business as

usual

-More students than we could serve - lottery most equitable

-All students received support if they sought us out

-Allows for rigorous learning and lessons for the field

uAspire evaluation and results

Text messaging during

the summer statistically

increased on-time

college enrollment by 7

percentage points.

Among first-generation

students, we saw an 8

percentage point

increase in 4-year

enrollment.

Summer Melt Text Messaging Results

After summer melt success, uAspire expanded

texting into new domains:

1) Freshman year of college

2013-2014 - Reminders & real-time support for key

tasks: SAP, financial aid renewal, loan review

2) Parents of recent high school grads

Summer 2014 - Texted 650 parents about the

tasks required for their students’ enrollment

uAspire texting: expanded


1) Freshman year text messaging results

● Text messaging into the freshman year of college

doubled the rate at which community college students

sought help from uAspire with their FAFSA renewal

● What’s more, freshman year

texting increased sophomore

persistence by 12 percentage

points among community

college students


2) Parent Engagement via Texting

Continued Summer Melt texting • uAspire will bring texting program to our new Bay

Area site in summer 2015

Community College Pilot• New project in collaboration with 3 large MA

community colleges to support 600 students via texting and on-campus advising this school year

National Scale • Will text juniors across several states beginning in

spring 2015

uAspire Texting: Next Steps

Building your audience

Opt-out

• Utilizes an existing

database to start

sending messages.

• Students can choose

to stop messaging

after an introductory

message is

sent/received.

Opt-in

• Students sign up to

start receiving text

messages (specifically).

• Sign-ups might include

written, digital or verbal

agreements.

vs

Behavioral Economics: Default

Austria (Opt-out)

99%Source: Complete College America (2012). Guided pathways to success: Summary.

Germany (Opt-in)

12%

Organ

Donation

Rates

Opt-out model

When students have already agreed to

be contacted in some way…

Potential data sources:

• School administrative data

• Student surveys (online or paper)

• Scholarship applications

• College applications

• College registration paperwork

College Foundation of

West Virginia

Case study:

$225,000 grant from the

Kresge Foundation

Three-year pilot project

serving 14 high schools in

Year 1 (GEAR UP)

West Virginia’s project

Primary functions

NudgeUrge students to complete

college-related tasks

CounselProvide access to one-on-

one counseling with a

professional

AlignProvide a continuous

contact point from high

school into college

Project goals

Financial aid awareness

• Increase the number of students

applying for and utilizing financial aid

Project goals

Campus connections

• Increase students’ use of campus

resources

• Position campus and state-level staff

as a continuous source of support

• Address “summer melt” by guiding

students through transitional process

Project goals

Capacity building

• Design a low-cost, high-impact service

model allowing colleges and

universities to improve access and

retention

• Expand on the body of research

surrounding next-generation student

supports and engagement

How it works

Aug - Dec:

students opt in

Jan: messages

begin

Mar: 1st college choice

prompt

Mar: campus

messages begin

May: students

graduate hs

May: 2nd college

choice prompt

July: final college

choice prompt

Aug: students enter

college

May: students finish

freshman year

June: messages

end

12th

gradeYear 2, college

= students have direct access to a counselor at their college= 12th grade

= summer transition

= 1st year of college

How it works

Students opt in

• College admissions applications

• Statewide merit-based scholarship

application

• State-level college access web portal

• Inquiry forms collected at community

events and college fairs

Opt-in modelPotential data collection points:• Applications

– College admissions

– Scholarship programs

• Events– During the event

– During pre-registration

• Online– Websites

– Social media pages

– Email blasts

• Text to join systems

Sign-up field

<<< Source: oregongoestocollege.org

How it works

Students receive scheduled messages

according to a pre-planned campaign.

Students can text our number at

any time for help.

A college counselor (a real person) responds!

How it worksState-level campaign:

• Messages are relevant to all

college-intending students.

• All students receive messages.

Example:

Did u know u can register 4 fall classes

now? Call 304-792-7098 & ask 4 a campus

counselor 2 make an appointment.

Example:

When reviewing your college schedule...

Remember '15 to finish.' On average, you have to

take 15 credit hours each semester to finish

college on time.

Campus campaigns:

• Messages provide information

specific to a particular college.

• Some students receive messages.

Six college partners:

• Bluefield State College (suburban public four-year, HBCU)

• Concord University (rural public four-year)

• New for 2015: Fairmont State University (suburban public

four-year)

• Marshall University (urban public four-year)

• Southern West Virginia Community and Technical

College (rural public two-year)

• New for 2015: West Virginia State University (urban

public four-year, HBCU)

How it works

How it works

Campus-level messagingAt various points in the campaign, students receive texts

asking if they’ve made a college selection…

• Students who select a partner college are added to

the campaign for that particular college.

• Students who select a non-partner college continue

receiving only state-level messaging.

• Students who do not respond or text back

“undecided” continue receiving state-level

messaging and are asked again about their college

choice later in the campaign.

HEPC commitments

• Provide text-messaging platform

• Provide technical support, training

and guidance

• Coordinate statewide messaging

Campus commitments

• Collect and share student data with

HEPC (name, cell number, email, high school,

and blind SSN)

• Align student supports to provide a

single point of contact

• Commit to following the statewide

schedule (with options of 2 custom

messages/month)

Campus commitments

• Provide staff to check messages

daily and within one hour of any

outgoing message

• Assist in the evaluation by providing

feedback and limited data

Campus staffing

Campus-level teams/supportConsider engaging…

• Admissions/recruitment officers

• Enrollment personnel

• Student affairs officers

• Student success/retention officers

• Academic/advising personnel

• Financial aid representatives

• Students (but only as mentors, not content experts!)

• Public information officers (keep them in the loop!)

Concord University

Campus case study:

Concord University

• Rural, regional public institution in southern WV

• ~2,900 enrollment (5-year average)

• 40% first-generation

• 53% Pell recipients

• 97% on financial aid

• 64% freshmen to sophomore retention rate

• 33% six-year graduation rate

Involve key stakeholders

Campus Team:

• Admissions, Financial Aid, Registrar,

Technology Services, Academic Success

Center, Advising, Student Affairs, etc.

• Student feedback

• Team lead and small team for refinement

What to include?

• What are important events, deadlines,

and information?

• How do we make students feel welcome

and excited about Concord (i.e. increased

sense of belonging)?

Responding to texts

• Reminder that text is going out

• Dedicated admissions and retention staff

members

• Timely, personalized responses

Next steps

• Expanding program

• Data analysis

• Utilizing text messaging in other areas

Early outcomes

1,000 +/- opt-ins

• Ten percent have since stopped

messaging (opted out).

Since January 2, 2014…

Early outcomes

1,800+/- student responses

• Questions about processesEx: When is the deadline to apply for WV financial aid?

• Requests for guidanceEx: I can’t decide on a college... Help!

Since January 2, 2014…

Early outcomes

Early outcomes

Early outcomes

Early outcomes

• Data pollution due to student error (e.g. students reporting the wrong grade level or

high school on sign up)

• Cell phone turnover (e.g. students change

numbers or pass the phone off to younger siblings)

• Lack of alignment with career and

technical pathways

• Fewer than expected responses

regarding college choice

• Declining engagement

Early challenges

Cell phone data can be

used to tailor Twitter

and Facebook

outreach

● Upload your cell phone list

to Twitter and/or

Facebook

● Automatically identify

individuals on your list for

targeting on these

platforms

● This works for email

addresses too!

Bonus feature

Refined audience segmenting

Detailed in-platform analytics

“How to” toolkit

Counseling guide and service training

Evaluative study and white paper

New pathways/intervention models

In the works

Evaluative studyComparison groups:

• GEAR UP students who did not receive messages

• GEAR UP students who received messages (segmented by length of participation… e.g. four months, 12 months)

• Non-GU students who did not receive messages

• Non-GU students who received messages

Evaluative studyVariables:

• Demographic (gender, race/ethnicity, Pell eligibility, zip code, high

school)

• Academic (ACT scores, GPA, highest high school math course

completed)

• Process (FAFSA completion, ACT/SAT score submission, payment of

deposits)

• Outcomes (Fall and spring enrollment, course completion, course grades,

degree objective, persistence)

Questions?

Comments?

Let’s recharge!See you tomorrow!

Reflection

Day 2:

• Needs assessment

• Technology

• Messaging

• Implementation

Day 1:

• Research Review

• Case Studies

Needs assessment• Problem definition

• Goals and outcomes

• Texting intervention applications

Needs assessment • What ideas did yesterday’s session spark

about challenges you’d potentially target

with a text messaging program?

Let’s get to work!Work through sections one and two of

your worksheet.

Questions?

Comments?

Technology

Technology traps“You wouldn’t just get on a loudspeaker”

One-Way Alerts● A ‘Black Hole’ for communication

● No Support

● Reserve for Emergency Blasts

Download Required● Will not reach everyone

● Very difficult to scale

● Several steps to lose students

Mass Text● Same message for everyone

● Not relevant for many

● Quickly Ignored

Mobile Mass Marketing● Impersonal communications

● Toeing the FERPA line

● Not process & outcome driven

The Signal Vine DNARelevance = Engagement = Results

2-way messagingProvide students with direct

counseling; answer questions

SchedulingSchedule messages as part of a

campaign, or for an individual

student

PersonalizationEnable unique message content

and pathways

Case managementResponses are routed to the

appropriate counselor inbox;

Track histories and interactions

Message Intelligently

Why intelligent text messaging?“It’s becoming the modern communication platform”

• Email is not working–Only 3% of students check email daily

• Technology Advances–Mobile phone advances put inexpensive “computers” in everyone’s hands

• Messaging is Preferred –70%+ text daily with ‘Always On and Immediate’ communications

• Big Data–Allows for mass personalization and optimization of messaging

• Scale–Text allows for personalized interaction with thousands almost instantaneously

Text Messages Go Out• “Program” of scheduled messages

• Personalized for each student–Campus- and task- specific content & web links in messages

–Messages based on their data profile

Students reply

• Student Replies are routed to the appropriate Counselor Inbox• Each Counselor Portal allows texting with many students at once• Students reply when they need support

A text conversation starts

An interactive, two-way

text conversation

Send reply message

Demo: Setting the Stage“Design a Custom Program of Messages”

• Time & Date

• Personalized Messages

• Conditions & Filters

–“Message Branches”

• Auto Replies

• “Listen” for Responses

– Save or Act

Live DemoA tour of the Signal Vine platform

Dashboard reportingMeasure outcomes

Metrics

● Response Rates

● Engagement Rates

● Other Meta Data

Outcomes

● By any Variable

● Across Students

Other features “It’s becoming the modern communication platform”

• Parent & Mentor Messaging–Interact directly with parents and mentors

–Messaging can be driven by ‘Related Student Data’

• Multi-language Support–Language type driven by student/parent/mentor profile

•Data Capture via Text–Use to survey, get RSVP’s, ,etc.

Questions?

Comments?

Let’s recharge!We’ll start back in ten minutes…

Content and messaging• Anatomy of a text message

• Auto-responses, message pathways and

audience segmentation

• Style and tone

• Sample content

Best PracticesCredibility - Students need to recognize

and trust texting source

– Initial text is critical to establishing legitimacy

– Choose name carefully & explain program

– Personalize as much as possible

Best PracticesResponsiveness - Texting sets

expectation for immediate response

– Ensure texting schedule aligns with staff capacity

– Majority of text responses arrive within a few hours

– Let students know you’re standing by to respond

Best PracticesClarity - Conveying information in

160 characters requires thoughtful

content & phrasing

– Pilot texts with students when possible

– Recognize confusion in student responses

& remedy immediately

– Elevate to phone conversation if needed

Best Practices Frequency - Resist urge to text too

often or goals may be diluted – Tell students how often you’ll be texting

– Text enough to keep momentum, not so much

that students tune out or become annoyed

– Be prepared for candid feedback

Best Practices How often would you prefer to receive college planning text messages?

Source: survey of students who

attended West Virginia’s 2014 College

Goal Sunday event

Anatomy of a text

Element of personalization

Relevant information

Timeliness/urgency

Call to action/next step

Hi! It’s Jess w/ GEARUP. Did u know WV 4year colleges require either

the ACT or SAT? Need to take the ACT? Reg. by Jan 10 for the Feb test

http://bit.ly/1bUHmOs

Message pathways

Message personalization:• Based on data fields (think MS mail merge!)

– Ex: Student first name

– Ex: Student’s advisor name

– Ex: Financial aid office phone number at the student’s

chosen college

Hi {first name}! Get free help completing your FAFSA during College

Goal Sunday on Feb. 15! There’s a location near you at {closest

College Goal Sunday site}. Register: http://samplelink.com

http://samplelink.com

Message pathways

Audience segmenting:• By campaign:

– Ex: FAFSA renewal campaign

– Ex: Junior year college-planning timeline

• By student variables:– Ex: Students on academic probation

– Ex: Students who haven’t yet registered for orientation

• Management tool: By group or caseload:– Ex: Marshall University students

– Ex: Scott High School students

Action automation• Types of automation:

– Generate a message response• Ex: “thanks” might trigger “you’re welcome!”

– Trigger a system action• Ex: Stop messaging

• Ex: Move to a group or add to a campaign

• Ex: Launch message series

• Ex: Change future message schedule

Action automationExample: When WV students say they’ve selected

a college, the system…

– Launches a series of response messages to gain more

information from the student.

– Automatically moves them to the appropriate caseload based on

their college choice.

– Automatically enrolls them in their particular college’s

supplementary messaging campaign.

– Automatically removes any further messages related to college

choice from their message schedule.

Style and tone considerations

Personality:

• Do you have a sense of humor?

• Are you informal or formal?


Counseling approach:

• Proactive or reactive?

• How would you respond to this exchange?

CFWV: Don’t forget to register for orientation!

Student: I’m not going to college.


Stop protocols:

• Honoring opt-outs

• Handling inappropriate messaging


Brand and communications strategies:

• Style and use of terms

• Integration of organizational goals and

complementary campaigns

• Integration of partnerships

• Managing “hot button” issues and conflicts

Questions?

Comments?

Measuring Engagement• In-system analytics

• External analytics

In-System analytics

External analytics

Link trackers

• Bitly

• Tiny url

• Google

Meeting tracking

• Program database

• Internal record system

• Google calendar

External analytics

Google analytics

External analytics

• Social views

– YouTube views

– Twitter follows

– Facebook likes

• Actions taken

– Call center calls

– Deposits or forms submitted

– Event registrations

• Surveys and polls

– How did you hear about us?

– Where do you get college planning information?

Questions?

Comments?

Policies and procedures• Legal requirements and responsibilities

• Partnership agreements

• Messaging and counseling guidelines

Legal requirements

• FCC rules prohibit SPAM and other

unwanted communications

– Nonprofit rules are more lenient than commercial

regulations

• Age limits

– COPPA restrictions require parental consent for

students under age 13

– School districts and other partners may have

individual policies

Legal requirements

• Student confidentiality and privacy

– FERPA regulations often apply

– Data sharing agreements should be in place

among partners and vendors

• Counseling policies

– Responsibilities to report

Legal requirements

• Purchasing

– Sole source justifications vs. bidding

processes

Policy considerations

• Formalizing partnerships

– Memoranda of understanding

• Organizational policies

– Communications standards and guidelines

– Counseling guidelines

– Data sharing policies and agreements

Questions?

Comments?

Conclusion• Key takeaways and next steps

• What else?

Questions?

Comments?

ContactSarah BeasleyDirector of Retention

Concord University

(304) 384-6298

[email protected]

www.concord.edu

@campusbeautiful

Alexandra ChewningVice President of Research and Evaluation

uAspire

(617) 778-7195 x125

[email protected]

www.uaspire.org

@uAspire

Brian KathmanCEO

Signal Vine, LLC

(703) 338-1046

[email protected]

www.signalvine.com

@signalvine

Jessica KennedyDirector of Communications and Outreach

WV Higher Education Policy Commission

(304) 558-0655

[email protected]

www.wvhepc.org

@jackennedy @cfwv @wvhepc

mailto:[email protected]

www.concord.edu


www.uaspire.org


www.signalvine.com


www.wvhepc.org

Txt 4 Success: Utilizing text messaging to shift students' college-going behaviors

Education

students college

college prior studies

students summer melt

college texting study

research reviewprior

study summer melt

summer melt study

subgroup prior studies