Assessing the Effectiveness of a Coaching Intervention for Students on Academic Probation

ABSTRACT Institutions of higher education develop probation policies for students struggling academically. Studies of academic probation programs have not investigated effects related to individualized academic coaching models designed to enhance student sense of belonging and self-efficacy. This study examines variation in attendance at coaching meetings using longitudinal administrative records of students on probation at a public institution in the Northeastern US. We estimated unbiased effects of this academic probation intervention on earned GPA using fixed effects regression methods. Findings demonstrated a moderate-to-large effect that was robust to various specifications of the intervention. We discuss recommendations for practice, including the need to be proactive, collaborative, and flexible to keep students accountable.