Eastern Ohio Education Partnership: Helping Students Matriculate

Eastern Ohio Education Partnership (EOEP) is a network of organizations committed to providing students with a quality education. One of EOEP’s goals for their postsecondary work is to decrease the gap between FAFSA completion and matriculation by 5% by 2020 in local target school districts. EOEP works toward the goal of helping students matriculate by providing strategic text messages to high school seniors and first-year college students a minimum of twice per week, especially during the summer between high school and college. EOEP uses Signal Vine to reduce the gap between FAFSA submissions and matriculation.

Challenges

In partnership with local school districts, EOEP noticed a gap when they looked at the data on how many students were taking the ACT, completing the FAFSA, and matriculating to college. Students completed the steps that hinted at plans to attend college in the fall, yet they matriculated at a much lower rate. Staff saw a need in helping students matriculate to college. After researching evidence-based strategies to address this gap, EOEP partnered with Signal Vine to implement a texting program that not only showed the specific reasons why some students were not matriculating, but also provided an e-mentoring service to send reminder texts aimed at helping students matriculate to and get through their first year of college.

Implementation

EOEP partners with local school districts where they present information about joining the text messaging program to the district’s high school seniors. Staff recruited recent graduates to help give some of the presentations because staff find that high school seniors are more receptive to the program when it’s explained by a near-peer. During the presentations, EOEP collects student cell phone numbers and consent by sending a short online survey. In the future, EOEP plans to add an option for students to opt-in by texting the program phone number and answering a series of questions via text message.

Staff at EOEP put together a week-by-week schedule of topics to text students about. The topics and timing of text messages are based on nearing important deadlines. The Network Action Team Manager at EOEP responds to student text messages. When staff schedule outgoing text messages to students, the manager blocks off time on her calendar to be ready to reply to any text messages that students may send. When outgoing texts are not connecting with students at EOEP scheduled for the day, EOEP’s Network Action Team Manager turns on her Signal Vine notifications to alert her when there are unread text messages in her inbox.

Results: Helping students matriculate

EOEP has noticed certain texting trends now that the program is well-established. The most common questions students text about are related to application requirements, important dates and deadlines for events, and financial aid resources. Students are most open to texts that contain short questions that require a simple “yes” or “no” response. Students have texted EOEP looking for help with barriers that they have faced in getting to college. Some of these barriers have included transportation issues and admissions requirements.

For example, one student received her ACT scores and realized that her score was not high enough for admissions into her first college choice. EOEP provided the student with information on other options locally where the student could start her college career without needing a minimum ACT score. The student said that this wasn’t the path that she had envisioned, but she knew that it was the path that she needed to take to reach her goals. Students also feel comfortable texting EOEP with questions that aren’t tied to a deadline or requirement.

For example, one student texted EOEP to ask what he should and shouldn’t bring to his first day of college classes. He was used to getting a school supply list at the beginning of each school year and wasn’t sure how to prepare for his first day of college without one. After texting with EOEP staff, the student felt more comfortable and prepared to begin college. When creating the schedule of messages, EOEP staff are mindful of the days and times they’re sending text messages. Staff send high school seniors messages shortly after the school day is over, rather than during the school day. Staff don’t send text messages until mid-morning during the summer, giving students more time to sleep in.

Future plans

EOEP began texting students in two local school districts in 2016. Based on the success of the texting program, they expanded to three local school districts in 2017. EOEP has plans to expand to five local school districts in 2018. By offering support and providing resources to students through these text messages, EOEP is moving towards its goal of helping students matriculate and persist.