Maximizing Data Use: A Focus on the Completion Agenda

The completion agenda is in full force at the nation's community colleges. To maximize the impact colleges can have on improving completion, colleges must organize around using student progress and outcome data to monitor and track their efforts. Unfortunately, colleges are struggling to identify relevant data and to mobilize staff to review student information that can lead to action: changes in policy and practice that improve student completion. The authors present their model for engaging educational institutions in using data to make good decisions about increasing completion.