NC Reconnect: Re-enrollment coaching gives stopped-out learners the tools to return to college and complete their degrees
The Opportunity
To address North Carolina’s ambitious college-attainment goal for two million residents to become college-degreed workers by 2030, a statewide initiative called NC Reconnect was formed to support the over one million adults in the state with some college but no credential to return and finish what they started. Understanding that returning to school often comes with added complexities, the initiative sought to provide direct coaching to stopped-out learners to help them successfully reconnect to their education.
The Opportunity
To address North Carolina’s ambitious college-attainment goal for two million residents to become college-degreed workers by 2030, a statewide initiative called NC Reconnect was formed to support the over one million adults in the state with some college but no credential to return and finish what they started. Understanding that returning to school often comes with added complexities, the initiative sought to provide direct coaching to stopped-out learners to help them successfully reconnect to their education.
The Solution
Strada Education Foundation and the John M. Belk Endowment funded a pilot program partnering InsideTrack re-enrollment coaching with five North Carolina community colleges to re-engage 12,000 stopped-out students. After success at that level, a second cohort of five additional community colleges was added to the initiative. Every student that connected with an InsideTrack coach created a customized plan to address the difficulties they faced in returning to school and the potential challenges they would endure advancing toward their degree.
The Solution
Strada Education Foundation and the John M. Belk Endowment funded a pilot program partnering InsideTrack re-enrollment coaching with five North Carolina community colleges to re-engage 12,000 stopped-out students. After success at that level, a second cohort of five additional community colleges was added to the initiative. Every student that connected with an InsideTrack coach created a customized plan to address the difficulties they faced in returning to school and the potential challenges they would endure advancing toward their degree.
Proven Results
The Impact
During the first year of the re-enrollment program, 978 former students who worked with an InsideTrack coach were able to reconnect with their original goal and re-enroll at their institution. Within a year, 68 percent of these re-enrolled students either completed their program or enrolled in the following term.
To double-down on the impact of coaching for re-enrolled students, the program expanded to include more focused retention coaching — allowing coaches to collaborate with enrolled students and support them to leverage their strengths in the face of challenges and persist through their education. Coaches get to know each student’s reason for committing to college and are able to reflect that back throughout the student’s educational journey, enhancing motivation for completing their degrees.
As a next step to advance the NC Reconnect initiative, stakeholders have committed to scaling the program by training college staff in the InsideTrack methodology for sustainable re-enrollment and retention programs — embedding coaching into institutional processes to create sustainable student-support impact.
The Impact
During the first year of the re-enrollment program, 978 former students who worked with an InsideTrack coach were able to reconnect with their original goal and re-enroll at their institution. Within a year, 68 percent of these re-enrolled students either completed their program or enrolled in the following term.
To double-down on the impact of coaching for re-enrolled students, the program expanded to include more focused retention coaching — allowing coaches to collaborate with enrolled students and support them to leverage their strengths in the face of challenges and persist through their education. Coaches get to know each student’s reason for committing to college and are able to reflect that back throughout the student’s educational journey, enhancing motivation for completing their degrees.
As a next step to advance the NC Reconnect initiative, stakeholders have committed to scaling the program by training college staff in the InsideTrack methodology for sustainable re-enrollment and retention programs — embedding coaching into institutional processes to create sustainable student-support impact.
MC Belk Pilon
President and Board Chair at John M. Belk Endowment
Learn more about how funders, colleges and coaches joined forces to re-enroll adult learners and fuel degree attainment across the state.
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