Source: Press Release INDIANAPOLIS, IN–(Marketwired – May 08, 2017) – Strada Education Network℠, an innovative new nonprofit dedicated to improving students’ college success and connecting them to rewarding careers, announced today that InsideTrack®, the leading provider of student success coaching, will join its growing network of mission-driven companies.
“InsideTrack’s proven student coaching solutions expand our network’s ability to advance Completion With a Purpose®, our distinctive approach to enhancing student success in education and in careers following graduation,” said William D. Hansen, Strada Education president and CEO. “InsideTrack’s experienced team brings an unparalleled base of research, powerful technology and exceptional expertise to improve outcomes for all students.”
Since 2001, InsideTrack has coached over 1.5 million students across a broad range of educational institutions and systems, including rural high schools, community college systems, and traditional four-year universities. In addition, its Capacity Building programs and uCoach® Platform enable schools to implement and sustain their own coaching programs, to improve outcomes and generate insights into the student experience through predictive modeling, behavioral analysis and multichannel communication.
In recent months, the company has expanded its impact through partnerships with universities across the country, including the California State University System, the University of Central Florida, Boston College and Southern Methodist University, and received substantial grants to support its work from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, among others.
Over InsideTrack’s 16-year history, empirical research has established the organization’s methodology as a proven approach for improving student persistence and completion. A meta-analysis of randomized experiments by Stanford University professor Eric Bettinger found a 10- to 15-percent increase in retention and graduation rates among students who received InsideTrack coaching, compared with their peers. Today, InsideTrack coaching remains one of the only higher education interventions that has satisfied the rigorous standards of evidence established by the U.S. Department of Education for inclusion in the What Works Clearinghouse.
InsideTrack will become a wholly owned Strada Education company, but will continue to operate as an independent entity, under the leadership of current CEO Pete Wheelan. Tyton Partners served as exclusive advisor to InsideTrack.
“As student success has moved to the center of the national conversation on higher education, coaching has emerged as the lynchpin for improving outcomes — particularly with underrepresented student populations who often struggle to meet their education and career potential,” Wheelan said. “Strada Education’s alignment with our mission, strategic resources and broad network connections will enable us to accelerate progress on our efforts to empower students and institutions, bringing the transformative power of education to millions of additional people.”
In pursuit of its mission, Strada Education supports strategic philanthropy, research — including its partnership with Gallup — and innovative solutions delivered by its companies in addition to InsideTrack, including:
Access the press release here