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How You Say It Matters

Communicating Predictive Analytics Findings to Students

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Abstract

This report provides guidelines on how to effectively, ethically, and equitably communicate predictive analytics findings to students. It explains the science behind effective messaging, outlines how institutions should prepare for messaging students, and highlights what a successful message should, and should not, include. Administrators and predictive analytics end users, such as academic advisers, should follow these guidelines to inform university communication and predictive analytics strategy and practice.

Acknowledgments

This report was made possible by the contributions of many. Thank you to the interviewees listed in the appendix for sharing their time and knowledge with me. I am grateful to Andrew Magliozzi of AdmitHub and Benjamin Castleman of the University of Virginia for reviewing the report and sharing their feedback. Thank you to New America colleagues Steve Burd and Sabrina Detlef for editorial support, as well as Riker Pasterkiewicz, Julie Brosnan and Fabio Murgia for graphics and communications support. Special thanks to my colleague Iris Palmer for her guidance, edits, and support. Thank you to The Kresge Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, whose generous support made this work possible. The views in this report are mine alone.

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Alejandra Acosta

Policy Analyst, Higher Education

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