In 2015 The Helmsley Charitable Trust provided grants to four Achieving the Dream (ATD) Leader Colleges to engage in STEM-specific iPASS reform beginning in fall 2016. iPASS, or Integrated Planning and Advising for Student Success, is a whole-school reform approach that uses technology to promote, support, and sustain long-term, intrusive advising relationships with students.
As part of an evaluation of the colleges’ work, CCRC has conducted pre-implementation site visits and will conduct post-implementation visits at each of the four colleges. The primary goals of CCRC’s fieldwork are to understand:
- how iPASS is being implemented within the institutional context of each college,
- how colleges are tailoring iPASS to meet the needs of STEM students,
- whether colleges are experiencing transformative change over time, and
- what effect iPASS appears to be having on student outcomes.
This brief presents preliminary findings from the first round of site visits on how these four institutions are approaching STEM-focused iPASS, their rationale for selecting STEM students and programs as a focus for the reform, and their implementation plans. It also discusses early evidence of transformative change.
