An Individualized Approach to Student Transition: Developing a Success Coaching Model

Literature Review

College retention has long been a focus of research in education and a frequent topic in the literature. The academic literature has identified several barriers that could potentially reduce graduation rates. For example, one direction of research has focused largely on financial constraints (Deming & Dynarski, 2010). In addition, academic preparation has been acknowledged as a contributing factor to retention (Venezia & Jaeger, 2013). Further research indicates that students enter institutions of higher education underprepared for the academic rigor required in coursework. A final set of related research focuses on students’ feelings of separation and exclusion that can lead to dropout. Tinto (1975) articulated a theory of retention that suggests that feelings of separation can lead to students dropping out if they are not academically and socially integrated into the institutional setting. In all of these cases, having a success counselor can ease these issues and help students transition to the collegiate environment.

The use of college counselors is a common practice in higher education. Works by Tinto (1975, 1998) on the social and academic factors leading to dropout and recent studies highlight how personalized support and advising might bridge students’ informational gaps (Goldrick-Rab, 2010; Bettinger, 2004).