Add as a preferred source on Google

Nonprofit Launches Center to Boost Data-Driven Student Success Strategies

  • By Matt Jones
  • 04/16/25

National nonprofit Complete College America (CCA) recently launched the Center for Leadership, Institutional Metrics, and Best Practices (CLIMB), according to a news release. CLIMB’s ultimate purpose is to help higher-education institutions use data-driven strategies to improve student outcomes by providing tools, frameworks, and support.

CLIMB will allow institutions to address graduation-rate challenges with the ability to track, analyze, and act on student success data. A 2022 report from Complete College America indicated that while on-time college-completion rates were rising, gaps based on race and ethnicity still persisted, as well as broader trends toward fewer students pursuing higher education.

“Data in higher education has been abundant, but underutilized,” said CCA President Dr. Yolanda Watson Spiva. “With this new initiative, we’re helping institutions build capacity to move from data collection to data action—ensuring that the metrics colleges and universities track lead to the best outcomes for students and real, measurable progress in increasing college completion.”

According to the news release, CCA will gather colleges and universities to integrate performance metrics into strategic planning. It will provide them with the tools to track metrics like credit accumulation, retention, and gateway course performance while also providing guidance on how to use these metrics to improve student success.

“The last mile of data-driven decision-making is about ensuring that actionable insights reach those with the resources and influence to improve student outcomes,” said Charles Ansell, CCA’s vice president for research, policy, and advocacy. “This effort is not only about identifying the right metrics; it’s about integrating them into daily operations and the way that higher education professionals and educators do their work. Our ultimate goal is to use data to build campus systems that are both accountable and responsive to student needs.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • UNT Dallas Holds Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for $100M STEM Building

    The University of North Texas at Dallas in Dallas, Texas, recently celebrated the opening of its new, $100-million STEM Building, according to local news. The ceremony on Dec. 2 preceded the first day of classes in the facility on Jan. 12, 2026.

  • Niles West High School Natatorium Renovation

    Natatoriums are highly specialized spaces, and luminaires in this setting face several unique challenges. Perhaps the most significant is corrosion, which is exacerbated by high indoor humidity, condensation, and pool chemicals, often resulting in material degradation in luminaires not certified to perform in corrosive environments.

  • Upcoming University of Alabama Performing Arts Center Hits Construction Milestone

    The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala., recently celebrated the topping out of its new Smith Family Center for Performing Arts, according to a news release. The university is partnering with HPM for program and project management on the facility, which broke ground in 2023 and is scheduled for completion in November 2026.

  • Abstract tech network data connections with orange, blue glowing dots, lines

    3 Trends for Higher Education to Stay Ahead of in 2026

    As universities enter the new year, the question is no longer whether digital transformation is necessary, but how quickly institutions can convert technological potential into strategic advantage.

Digital Edition