Measuring What Matters: Making College Success Systematic transforms how colleges turn strategic plans into student success. This comprehensive guide shows institutions how to build measurement systems that drive real change—connecting high-level graduation goals to the daily decisions that actually move students toward completion.
Most colleges have strong strategic plans filled with evidence-based strategies, but too often these carefully crafted plans fail to translate into action. The missing link? A systematic approach to measurement that connects institutional goals to leading indicators and real-time metrics. This publication provides a practical framework for building that system, showing institutions how to track what matters most at every level—from board meetings to advising sessions.
The guide introduces the metrics tree framework, a three-layer measurement system that helps institutions organize their data around what drives student success. At the top are Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as graduation rates and employment outcomes. The middle layer tracks leading indicators such as credit accumulation and gateway course completion. The foundation consists of real-time metrics—daily and weekly data points like registration patterns and course engagement—that enable immediate intervention when students veer off track.
Beyond metrics design, Measuring What Matters tackles the cultural shift needed to make data truly actionable. The publication details how to structure regular, data-driven conversations at every organizational level, from daily advisor huddles to quarterly executive reviews. It includes practical problem-solving techniques, sample meeting protocols, and guidance on building dashboards that inform rather than overwhelm.
Key features include:
- A comprehensive assessment tool to evaluate your institution’s current measurement maturity across metrics design, data conversations, and implementation practices
- Detailed guidance on selecting KPIs that align with strategic plans, proven best practices, and existing reporting requirements
- Sample dashboards organized around completion tracking, enrollment management, financial effectiveness, and economic mobility
- Protocols for structuring productive data conversations from frontline staff to governing boards
- Strategies for connecting daily operational metrics to semester-level reforms and long-term institutional goals
Whether you’re a provost developing institutional strategy, a dean managing student success initiatives, or an advisor working directly with students, this guide shows how your daily work connects to broader completion goals—and provides the tools to make that connection systematic rather than sporadic.