To take stock of what we know about successful strategies to improve college completion and where gaps exist between research and current policy and practice, the College Completion Network Lead team is conducting a three-part study focused on interventions related to information and advising.

1. Systematic review: The team is conducting a systematic review of the research literature, documenting evidence of the effect of information and advising policies, practices, and programs on student outcomes. The team will determine whether this evidence is strong, moderate, or promising according to the levels of evidence defined in the Every Student Succeeds Act.

2. Scan: Drawing on the systematic review findings, the team is conducting a scan of information and advising policies, practices, and programs that colleges use to improve student outcomes. The scan incorporates a combination of Web searches and focus groups with key informants to form a holistic understanding of current information and advising policies, practices, and programs in place at colleges.

3. Gap analysis: The team is conducting a gap analysis, which involves comparing the findings from the scan to the findings from the systematic review to identify gaps in the research evidence.

The team will report findings from the systematic review, scan, and gap analysis in a series of communication activities tailored to different audiences.

Study period: March 2020 to December 2021

This project is supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through Grant R305N170003 to the American Institutes for Research.