Predicting College Dropouts

In Steven Spielberg’s 2002 thriller Minority Report, based on the Phillip K. Dick story, Tom Cruise plays an officer in the District of Columbia Precrime Division. His job? To stop crimes from happening, with the aid of three PreCogs who can visualize murders before they occur. But the Attorney General’s office questions whether those predictions are always accurate.

It turns out that universities are implementing a similar program. No, they don’t have PreCogs. And they’re not trying to stop murders. Instead, they’re looking for indicators that predict whether students are at-risk of dropping out. That includes everything from SAT scores to financial-aid status, and even dining hall attendance. It’s an effort to increase retention, and reach out to faltering students before they themselves know they're in trouble. Catherine Rampell, technology reporter at The Chronicle of Higher Education, joins Word of Mouth to explain how these pre-emptive programs work.

(Photo by Ralph Nickens)