InsideTrack Coaching
Local governments can invest in this strategy using State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
- This strategy can help address educational disparities. The U.S. Department of Treasury has indicated that strategies that help achieve this outcome are eligible for the use of Fiscal Recovery Funds.
Investments in this strategy are SLFRF-eligible as long as they are made in qualified census tracts or are designed to assist populations or communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
Program basics
- Provides individualized coaching for students to address academic and nonacademic barriers to remaining in college through graduation
- Coaching provided through diverse media such as phone, video, email, text, and mobile apps
- Partners directly with the university in order to provide relevant course and resource information
Strength of evidence
Evidence level: Promising (Third-highest tier)
?
Promising (Third-highest tier)
Ranked as having the second-highest level of evidence by Social Programs That Work
Target population
Students enrolled in post-secondary education
Program cost
Approximately $390 per student per semester
Implementation locations
- Nationwide
Dates active
2001-Present
Outcomes and impact
- No discernible effect on degree attainment
- Increased credit accumulation and persistence
Keys to successful implementation
- Note: This content is under review.
- Cast a wide net when recruiting participants, shifting away from a deficit-model mindset and towards a goal-setting method. Still, prioritize serving high-risk students first.
- Hire enough staff for initial one-on-one counseling sessions with participants. Initial personalization of services yields higher retention.
- Train coaches on other available institutional resources, allowing them to provide actionable guidance for students on everything from financial assistance to mental health services.
- Leverage coaches for feedback on the success of the program and the student experience – in addition to counseling, coaches can be deployed as gatherers of general information about what students face.
- Offer counselors peer training programs and information exchanges to help ensure a more uniform experience from both the coach and student perspective.
- Establish an ongoing quality assurance plan, including refresher courses and formalized feedback system for coaches.
- Encourage counselors to split their time equally across three different areas: academics, finances, and non-academic commitments.
