Encouraging Best Practices for College Completion: The Efficacy of Ancillary Supports on Student Preparedness in Short Term Training Programs and Student Perspectives on Program Completion

College completion is at the pinnacle of issues of contemporary concern in post-secondary education, and impacts community colleges to a greater degree than universities since lower rates of completion are reported for these institutions. Evaluating the Job Training courses at a large urban community college in the State of Michigan permits a different perspective: what factors contribute to the high completion rates of this program, which enrolls a significant percentage of disadvantaged, low income, minority adult learners?

Quantitative analysis of completion rates permit the researcher to examine the effects of two ancillary supports for Job Training: WorkKeys® testing to ensure preparedness, and mandatory orientation. Examining completion rates prior to and subsequent to implementing these processes will provide data regarding their effectiveness; this is accomplished through analysis of three years of institutional completion data for the Job Training program.

Student narratives regarding the obstacles and that which facilitates completion are examined first-hand in video format. This first-person discussion from students about what they believe to be important in obtaining their credential for workforce access provides data for comparison to what educators think leads to academic success. The video is useful in the education and training of future researchers and practitioners in ensuing efforts to increase student completion within the community college.

Exploration of completion, using the student perspective and a psychosocial framework is undertaken, with scrutiny of the differences in the completion rates before and after institutional intervention. Implications for improvement and conclusions about outcomes are examined to inform further research when considering the question of completion.