High-Impact Practice

Early Warning Systems: Overview

Description

Early alert warning systems (abbreviated commonly in the literature as EAWS) are typically described as systems to improve student retention, as across the United States, nearly 30 percent of first year students fail to return for a second year. However, more pertinent to MIT is that EAWS are intended to provide a ‘formal, proactive, feedback system through which students and student-support agents are alerted to early manifestations of poor academic performance’, typically at or before the midpoint of the first semester (Cuseo, 2003). EAWS programs vary across a variety of factors including whether all first-year students are screened vs. subgroup of students who are considered ‘at-risk’ are the major focus, and whether performance across all classes is tracked vs. a specific set of ‘gateway’ classes (i.e. core/introductory math, science courses, etc.). Most (60%) surveyed EAWS systems in the U.S. use a centralized reporting model in which the alert and response is coordinate by a specific unit/team (Simon, 2011).

Benefits for Students

Students with early struggles may benefit from proactive coaching and mentoring to improve study skills, address potential deficiencies in academic preparedness and/or personal/medical/social concerns which may be adversely impacting academic performance. There is data that EAWS may be particular effective at reducing/eliminating ‘achievement gaps’ for students who are at-risk for leaving STEM disciplines (US Department of Education, 2017).

Critical Components

Redundancy is considered a critical component of effective EAWS, and most experts favor the collection of multiple data points and processes to identify students experiencing difficulties (Kuh et al., 2005).

  1. Data collection software. Key academic data points typically include early semester grades on tests/quizzes/presentations, and, at some institutions, data on attendance patterns, tardiness, etc. Social data points from peer counselors, resident advisors, and even other students are sometimes incorporated into EAWS, while adhering to privacy regulations.
  2. Response and Resources. Most EAWS are coordinated by a central unit within a university, typically within a First Year Advising/Undergraduate Dean Office. The response must include an individualized assessment of the challenges facing the student, and an individualized plan to address these challenges. The first-year advisor may be best situated to meet with the student to help determine an action plan. In general, there should also be clear follow-up and re-evaluation at several points during the semester, and in-person interactions with the advisor and other mentors are strongly preferred.
  3. Assessment. The following questions can serve to evaluate the effectiveness of an EAWS program: 1) did the performance of students identified by EAWS improve over the year, 2) what percentage of students with academic difficulties in years 2-4 were not identified by the EAWS, and 3) can this data be used to more effectively target EAWS.