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Discovering Strategies to Remove Barriers to Student Successful Retention and Successful Persistence

Received: 22 July 2023    Accepted: 14 August 2023    Published: 31 August 2023
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Abstract

This case study explores a Catholic, Jesuit high school’s efforts to systematize a long-term strategic process to explore student attrition, retention, and successful persistence. Schools tend to do an exemplary job of gathering data on these issues, but investing staffing, resources, and time to do a regular deep dive analysis of the data, identifying the barriers contributing to attrition, and then determining next action steps to improve on retention and successful persistence efforts can prove elusive. A long-term strategy for the school involves key constituents, offices, and departments in the school working in collaboration with one another to address issues of student attrition and retention. School mission, school finances, ideal student enrollment number, academic expectations/requirements, student support systems, student culture/climate, post high school experiences etc. are all linked to issues of student inclusion, attrition, retention, and successful persistence. While a case-by-case approach has been successful, a macro strategic approach is needed that addresses these efforts overall on a larger scale with equitable policies, resource allocation, and processes in place that are transparent and accessible to anyone in the community. This case study studied a school’s attempt for a more large-scale, mission centered strategic approach to gather data by exploring the barriers students face in their successful persistence at the school, data analysis models that can inform and address these barriers, and to determine an ongoing process for discussion, analysis, and action steps for the school to embark on. This includes schools looking at student attrition, retention, and successful persistence through a mission focus lens, the demographic trends of the clientele the school is serving, and its long-term sustainability.

Published in International Journal of Secondary Education (Volume 11, Issue 3)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijsedu.20231103.12
Page(s) 63-73
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Student Attrition, Student Retention, Student Successful Persistence, School Mission Focus, Class Profile, Collaborative Leadership, Strategic Leadership

References
[1] Armstrong, D., Gosling, A., Weinman, J., & Marteau, T. (1997). The place of inter-rater reliability in qualitative research: An empirical study. Sociology, 31 (3), 597-606.
[2] Berg, B. L. (2009). Qualitative research methods for the social sciences (7th ed.).
[3] Catholic Church., Catholic Church., & Catholic Church. (1991). (Contemporary Catholic social teaching. Washington, D. C: United States Catholic Conference.
[4] A Case Statement to the Jesuit Provincial and Jesuit Superior General in Rome. (2001). Aurora, Colorado: Regis Jesuit High School.
[5] Colorado Education Statistics, 2020. (2021), Colorado Department of Education from https://www.cde.state.co.us/cdereval
[6] Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan, 2016. (2021), from https://www.regisjesuit.com/mission/diversity-equity-and-inclusion.
[7] Mission: We are Regis Jesuit, 2021. (2023), from https://www.regisjesuit.com/mission
[8] ElevateEd Consulting (2023). Market Research Study, Regis Jesuit High School, Aurora Colorado. Internal Regis Jesuit Report; unpublished.
[9] Jesuit Annual Report, 2020. (2021), from https://jesuitschoolsnetwork.org/
[10] Marques, J. F. & McCall, C. (2005). The applications of interrater reliability as a solidification.
[11] Meitler (2019). Comprehensive Data Study, Regis Jesuit High School, Aurora Colorado. Internal Regis Jesuit Report: unpublished.
[12] McDonald, D., & Schultz, M. (2021). US Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools 2020-2021. National Catholic Educational Association.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Sajit Kabadi. (2023). Discovering Strategies to Remove Barriers to Student Successful Retention and Successful Persistence. International Journal of Secondary Education, 11(3), 63-73. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsedu.20231103.12

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    ACS Style

    Sajit Kabadi. Discovering Strategies to Remove Barriers to Student Successful Retention and Successful Persistence. Int. J. Second. Educ. 2023, 11(3), 63-73. doi: 10.11648/j.ijsedu.20231103.12

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    AMA Style

    Sajit Kabadi. Discovering Strategies to Remove Barriers to Student Successful Retention and Successful Persistence. Int J Second Educ. 2023;11(3):63-73. doi: 10.11648/j.ijsedu.20231103.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijsedu.20231103.12,
      author = {Sajit Kabadi},
      title = {Discovering Strategies to Remove Barriers to Student Successful Retention and Successful Persistence},
      journal = {International Journal of Secondary Education},
      volume = {11},
      number = {3},
      pages = {63-73},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijsedu.20231103.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsedu.20231103.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijsedu.20231103.12},
      abstract = {This case study explores a Catholic, Jesuit high school’s efforts to systematize a long-term strategic process to explore student attrition, retention, and successful persistence. Schools tend to do an exemplary job of gathering data on these issues, but investing staffing, resources, and time to do a regular deep dive analysis of the data, identifying the barriers contributing to attrition, and then determining next action steps to improve on retention and successful persistence efforts can prove elusive. A long-term strategy for the school involves key constituents, offices, and departments in the school working in collaboration with one another to address issues of student attrition and retention. School mission, school finances, ideal student enrollment number, academic expectations/requirements, student support systems, student culture/climate, post high school experiences etc. are all linked to issues of student inclusion, attrition, retention, and successful persistence. While a case-by-case approach has been successful, a macro strategic approach is needed that addresses these efforts overall on a larger scale with equitable policies, resource allocation, and processes in place that are transparent and accessible to anyone in the community. This case study studied a school’s attempt for a more large-scale, mission centered strategic approach to gather data by exploring the barriers students face in their successful persistence at the school, data analysis models that can inform and address these barriers, and to determine an ongoing process for discussion, analysis, and action steps for the school to embark on. This includes schools looking at student attrition, retention, and successful persistence through a mission focus lens, the demographic trends of the clientele the school is serving, and its long-term sustainability.},
     year = {2023}
    }
    

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    AB  - This case study explores a Catholic, Jesuit high school’s efforts to systematize a long-term strategic process to explore student attrition, retention, and successful persistence. Schools tend to do an exemplary job of gathering data on these issues, but investing staffing, resources, and time to do a regular deep dive analysis of the data, identifying the barriers contributing to attrition, and then determining next action steps to improve on retention and successful persistence efforts can prove elusive. A long-term strategy for the school involves key constituents, offices, and departments in the school working in collaboration with one another to address issues of student attrition and retention. School mission, school finances, ideal student enrollment number, academic expectations/requirements, student support systems, student culture/climate, post high school experiences etc. are all linked to issues of student inclusion, attrition, retention, and successful persistence. While a case-by-case approach has been successful, a macro strategic approach is needed that addresses these efforts overall on a larger scale with equitable policies, resource allocation, and processes in place that are transparent and accessible to anyone in the community. This case study studied a school’s attempt for a more large-scale, mission centered strategic approach to gather data by exploring the barriers students face in their successful persistence at the school, data analysis models that can inform and address these barriers, and to determine an ongoing process for discussion, analysis, and action steps for the school to embark on. This includes schools looking at student attrition, retention, and successful persistence through a mission focus lens, the demographic trends of the clientele the school is serving, and its long-term sustainability.
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Author Information
  • Mission, Ministry, and Diversity Office, Regis Jesuit High School, Aurora, US

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