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Solution Offers Industry’s First Early Warning Functionality Tied to Institution’s e-Learning System
Arlington, VA – October 28, 2008– Starfish Retention Solutions, Inc., a leading provider of student success solutions, today announced the formal testing program (Beta) for its newest system Starfish EARLY ALERT™. Working in a unique way, the solution transforms the institution’s e-Learning system – the hub of online teaching, learning and collaboration – into a tool for identifying and helping students who are at-risk. The software as a service (SaaS) solution will be generally available in winter 2008.
Following a period of intense market research, evaluation and development, more than 15 institutions are participating in the Beta program, including:
- Arizona State University, Business School
- Gallaudet University
- George Washington University
- Kettering University
- Madison Area Technical Colleges
- South Arkansas Community College
- Utah State University
"In the state of Arkansas, the legislature once again looks at making major changes to the funding formula for higher education. These changes would reward retention and graduation rates, not how many students are in the classrooms," said Terry Patterson, director of distance learning, South Arkansas Community College. "I see Starfish EARLY ALERT as a major plus to increasing (and keeping) anyone's enrollment up and most importantly helping change and assist the educational lives of our students. We are excited to be part of the Beta program."
Many students are not even aware that they are at-risk. For some, they may know they are having trouble but cannot find the help they need. Sometimes the solutions are simple – solving accessibility issues for students with disabilities, or scheduling a few appointments with a tutor. Sometimes the answers are harder to find – requiring time with a counselor or a change in academic direction. Starfish EARLY ALERT will make these problems easier to solve by:
- Enabling the campus community to raise flags when a student is in trouble
- Connecting the student to the people and services that might help them
- Determining which services are helping students the most so an institution can optimize its offering.
Starfish EARLY ALERT automatically detects students who are at-risk by reviewing grades posted in the institution’s e-Learning system (e.g., Blackboard, WebCT, Angel), monitoring student participation in online portions of a course, and observing students who are not completing their course work by the assigned deadlines. The system also supports manual flag-raising by instructors, advisors, counselors and resident hall staff who observe poor attendance, academic trouble, social stresses, and even more serious concerns to a student’s well-being.
"Starfish is fortunate to be working with such a committed group of academic institutions, each representing a very diverse perspective in the higher education landscape," said David Yaskin, founder and CEO of Starfish Retention Solutions, Inc. "The Beta program for Starfish EARLY ALERT demonstrates our commitment to delivering quality solutions that enable institutions to improve student retention – an operational imperative in today’s economic climate. Leveraging technology to empower the campus community in support of student success is a win-win for everyone involved."
About Starfish Retention Solutions
Starfish Retention Solutions is a leading provider of student success solutions. The company offers a collection of software solutions that harness the power of the campus community to engage, motivate and graduate more students – securing valuable tuition revenue through student retention. Specifically, the solutions help institutions identify at-risk students, promote engagement with instructors, manage tutoring services, improve academic advising, and facilitate relationships with mentors. Starfish Retention Solutions, Inc. headquarters are in Arlington, Virginia. For more information, please call 866.782.7035 or visit www.starfishsolutions.com.
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