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

  • Rush-Henrietta Central School District’s Sperry High School

    A New Perspective: Using Adaptive Reuse Concepts in K-12 Planning

    In the face of increasing pressures on construction timelines, budgets, and material availability, the renovation and reuse of pre-existing structures for new purposes can help bridge the gap between modern school programming and outdated school infrastructure.

  • Texas A&M Adds ALPR Technology to Parking Solutions

    Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, recently integrated automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) technology into its parking services and enforcement strategies, according to a news release. The university’s Transportation Services division deployed Genetec AutoVu ALPR to manage the campus’ 36,000+ parking spaces.

  • California High School Debuts $35M Performing Arts Center

    Irvine High School in Irvine, Calif., recently opened its new Performing Arts Center built in partnership with C.W. Driver Companies, according to a news release. The facility cost $35 million and covers about 25,000 square feet.

  • Kraus-Anderson Continues Work in Minnesota School District

    Maple River Schools in Mapleton, Minn., recently began construction on another project included in a district long-range facilities plan. Construction management firm Kraus-Anderson recently began work on two new classrooms and an outdoor track and field facility, according to a news release.

Digital Edition