Student retention refers to the process of guaranteeing student success, or even graduation in an Indian high school. Student retention is the overall result.
It often gets confused with grade retention which is when a student has to repeat a grade due to reasons like ill health, bad marks, etc.
Why is student retention a big thing?
Student retention is a major topic of conversation, and has been so for a while. It is essential to know about student retention because it has become the unit for measuring the overall success rate of an Indian high school. Everyone, including parents, policymakers, stakeholders of the school, considers student retention rate as the big thing. A study in 2011 made a lot of parents move their kids from public schools to private schools because it showed the student retention rate of the latter as around 10% higher than that of the former.
Student retention is important not only for high schools, but also for colleges and universities. Most youths will prefer to attend an educational institution that has a higher student retention rate. This is because that institution draws on the fact that they have a higher student success rate. This also illustrates more academic support from that particular Indian high school.
Steps that will help to increase student retention
1. Teach students how to succeed
Many students bail out of attending an Indian high school mid way because they believe that getting through is a task that requires a Herculean effort. It is necessary to offer them lots of opportunities to prove themselves. Set high but manageable standards. This not only makes the students feel valuable, but also gives their confidence a nice boost.
Students of an Indian high school could also be taught small habits that show them how to achieve success. These habits could be as simple as making schedules, following routines, being part of at least one extracurricular activity, etc.
2. Develop smaller goals
Indian high schools that don’t set goals for teachers and students are known to have a lower student retention rate. These goals should teach them how to be effective workers, measure success, be good sports, etc. These goals can be split between different departments of an Indian high school to ensure proper implementation and achievement.
3. Mandatory attendance
Mandatory attendance is a must to strengthen the student retention rates in an Indian high school. If students cut class too often, they end up behind in their course work. High school is a time where students can’t afford to be even a few days behind in lessons because it makes catching up much harder. Students who do not attend classes in succession can be spoken to by a staff member. They could have issues that need to be sorted out. Once this happens, they can go back to attending classes at the Indian high school as they did. It can be explained to students that having a lower attendance rate can reflect negatively on their college admissions or job applications.
4. Attention to first years
A lot of students often quit because their experience in the very first year of college of an Indian high school has not been satisfactory. These students never feel like a part of the school community, they feel like outsiders. Often students feel that if they can’t match the environment of a school, they do not belong there. High school is that time in the life of a student when they are trying to figure themselves out. They simultaneously want to stand out, be unique, and blend in with the crowd. Some extra attention should be given to students entering their first year at an Indian high school. This can be done by encouraging students to join clubs, attend events, and do projects and exercises that require them to talk to others.
5. Connection with advisors
Students at Indian high schools or colleges who connect with advisors and teachers, tend not to drop out. Often, it is the matter of meeting an adult who they can trust and confide in. Most teenagers are not comfortable talking to their parents or counsellors about problems that they may be facing in school. They do open up to the teachers they trust though, since those teachers are familiar with the students and environment. Many Indian high school teachers meet with students individually or in small groups in their first-years to get to know them well and to impart their wisdom.
6. Support
Support can be offered to students in many different ways. Often, it is necessary to look out for Indian high school students who come from low-income backgrounds. It is these students who dropout out of high school the most to help out with their family. Additional support should be offered to them. If not in monetary terms, they can be allowed some leniency when it comes to handing in their assignments.
At the very least, all students should be comfortable talking to each other and some adult members of the Indian high school administration about any and all issues that they may be facing. Support can also be provided in an emotionally or mentally enriching manner, like a heart-to-heart conversation.
7. Proper use of data collection
A good student management system is of utmost importance at an Indian high school. Schools should gather data on the allocation of resources, effectiveness of their staff, systems, and student achievements. This data can be used to address student retention issues, and also to enhance the efforts put in by an Indian high school and its administration.
8. Good intervention programs
An efficient way to ensure high student retention rates is by reaching out to students who are at a higher risk of dropping out of an Indian high school. Some institutions have referral programs for students. Others have programs that provide social academic, financial, and personal support to students.
Workshops can be set up to help out weak students or those who seem to have lost interest. The Indian high school should also employ a good counsellor who the students can feel comfortable reaching out to in times of need or worry. Teachers should have to attend mandatory training sessions where they are taught to identify behavioural triggers before it is too late to intervene and help out a student.
9. Combining available resources
Student retention will be an issue for an Indian high school unless they pool in all their available resources and put them to good use. Faculty members who notice absences of students, or behaviour changes which seem suspicious and cannot be attributed to their “teenage years and changing phases” can be extremely viable resources. Student affairs professionals, financial aid officers, and counsellors can reach out to students and put them through to people who can help them out properly.
Indian high schools can increase their overall work effectiveness and let students reap the benefits of their achievements when these resources are used correctly with appropriate technology.
10. Student made surveys
One of the most beneficial methods of increasing student retention rates in an Indian high school is by conducting surveys and polls. These can be designed by a member of a students committee who knows the problems and issues faced by students. When these surveys are filled, they can be attended to the faculty and administration. This allows them to deal with issues as well as address enquiries and respond to all feedback in a manner that is helpful to the students of an Indian high school.
11. Community building
The various communities offered by an Indian high school can be social or academic. Students who participate in academic communities have a greater rate of success when it comes to classwork. Academic communities could include debate teams, math clubs, etc. Social communities include clubs, sports teams, art or music societies, etc. It is also viable for students to become more socially active when they join academic clubs and meet other like-minded individuals. This makes them form close bonds with the other members of that club or team. These communities offer students of an indian high school the support and encouragement that they require.
12. Added resources for career advice
Resources to give students proper advice are a must in an Indian high school. Students require these resources mostly for academic queries. Schools can hire professionals who are helpful and provide all the necessary information to students regarding their questions about various careers. A career-counselling session can be provided for all high school students at some point. SInce students are currently learning by a melange of traditional and modern methods, professional help for their academic issues is of more importance to them. An indian high school should be well prepared with all these resources to aid the students well.
These are some extremely useful pointers and strategies that help Indian high schools increase their student retention rates. They also help students become more confident in their own skin. Students learn to trust the people around them and form unbreakable bonds with their peers as well. They will also help the students enhance their life and learning in an Indian high school.
