'Wise interventions' delivered by text message can keep STEM students enrolled
JFF and Persistence Plus leverage behavioral science and mobile technology to increase community college completion by texting personalized supports to low-income students. Ross E. O'Hara, Ph.D. outlines the key take aways from his time with JFF and P+ in three simple statements; "fit" matters, context matters, and summer matters.
STEM students who received nudges at four community colleges persisted at a 16-percentage-point-higher rate after their first semester than those who opted not to receive the nudges.
A little nudge goes a long way. JFF and Persistence Plus leverage behavioral science and mobile technology to increase community college completion by texting personalized supports to low-income students.
Over 21 million Americans enrolled in college in the fall of 2011. Six years later, only about 12.6 million had attained a degree.