KNOW YOUR LOW-INCOME STUDENTS

Question 1

This question addresses whether your college has a current, widely understood definition of “low-income” students.

• If you answered Yes, you are off to a solid start.
• If you answered No, defining “low-income” students at your institution will help all individuals, departments and programs gain a better understanding of the size of the low-income student population, student characteristics, and impact within the student population.

Questions 2-7

If you answered mostly C or D, the institution likely does not yet have a shared understanding of the institution’s low-income students, and has not yet established a system to examine data related to the population. To begin this process, we recommend the team work with the institutional research and effectiveness department to address the following questions:

• How is the population of low-income students defined at the institution?
•  What proportion of the overall student population do low-income students represent?
• Which items in the Self-Assessment does the institution already track? What additional data is needed? What other data points are collected that show how low-income students perform at the institution?
• What is the schedule for regularly collecting and analyzing these data? What will the schedule be moving forward?
• How and when will these data be shared, with whom, and in what venues?
• Who are the campus influencers who will ensure that the insights generated from the data are used to drive improvements?

If you answered mostly B, you have likely examined some data and have a preliminary understanding of the institution’s low-income student population.

At the same time, the institution has likely not yet created a system where specified data are collected and analyzed regularly. Work with your institutional research and effectiveness office to address the following questions:

• Which items in the Self-Assessment does the institution already track? What additional data are needed? What other data points are collected that show how low-income students perform at the institution?
• What is the schedule for regularly collecting and analyzing these data? What will the schedule be moving forward?
• How and when will these data be shared, with whom, and in what venues?
• Who are the campus influencers who will ensure that the insights generated from the data are used to drive improvements?
• Are faculty and staff members tasked with using the data to intervene with students in a timely fashion?
• Do established protocols for these interventions exist, including standards for timeliness and for measuring impact?

If you answered mostly A, the institution has an established system for examining data related to its low-income students. Next steps should include review of the processes for using data:

• How does the institution ensure that those who need to see low-income student data have access?
• Are there gaps between student outcomes for low-income students and those without financial need? What can help explain those gaps?
• How often are the data reviewed, and in what venues? What new opportunities exist for sharing data with additional stakeholders?
• How are the data being used for continuous improvement in service of low-income students?

Next: Interpretation Guide 2 »