LUMINA ISSUE PAPER - HIGH-IMPACT PRACTICES AND GAINS IN STUDENT LEARNING - Evidence from Georgia, Montana, and Wisconsin

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Damian

Report examining the relationship between students’ participation in high-impact practices (HIP) and their perceived learning gains, with attention to differences for Black and Hispanic students and for learners aged 25 and older. Using National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) data from more than 28,000 students at 15 institutions across three states within the Lumina–NASH initiative, the analysis evaluates academic and practical learning benefits. Results indicate higher perceived learning gains for HIP participants, especially in service-learning courses with community-based projects.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time33 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Background

Data and Methods

Results

All Students

Black Students, Hispanic Students, Students 25 and Older

Conclusion

Endnotes

About the Authors

LUMINA ISSUE PAPER HIGH-IMPACT PRACTICES AND GAINS IN STUDENT LEARNING: Evidence from Georgia, Montana, and Wisconsin By Jessa Valentine, Ph. D. , Derek Price, Ph. D. , and Haisheng Yang, M.A. , DVP-PRAXIS LTD February 2021 Introduction This report examines the relationship between students’participation in high-impact practices (HIP) and their perceived learning gains, with special attention paid to the nature of these relationships among Black and Hispanic students and among students 25 years or older. In 2018, with support from Lumina Foundation, the National Association of System Heads (NASH) launched an effort with four public college and university systems to demonstrate how a coordinated approach could expand and improve quality implementation of high-impact practices in an equitable manner. In addition to expanding HIP participation for traditionally underserved student groups, a key goal of this effort was to better understand and measure the gains in student learning that can result from participation in well-designed high-impact practices and the extent to which this learning also occurs equitably. Drawing on National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) data involving more than 28,000 students from 15 institutions across three states participating in the Lumina-NASH initiative, this report assesses the beneﬁts associated with participation in various HIPs in terms of students’ academic and practical learning. Overall, analyses point to a substantial boost in perceived learning gains for students participating in HIPs, with an especially large beneﬁt associated with participating in service-learning courses involving a communitybased project. Participation in HIPs is strongly associated with learning gains for Black and Hispanic students as well as for students 25 years and older. However, analyses suggest that these relationships vary among the different HIPs measured by NSSE. Table of Contents Introduction............................. 2 | Background............................. 3 | | --- | | Data and Methods............... 3
Measures of HIP Participation ... 4 Measures of Gains in
Student Learning .................... 6
Estimation Strategy ..................... 7 | | Results ........................................ 7
All Students ................................. 7
Black Students, Hispanic Students,
Students 25 and Older.......... 9 | Conclusion .............................. 12 Endnotes..................................... 13 About the Authors Jessa Valentine is managing director, and Derek Price is principal and founder of DVP-PRAXIS LTD. Haisheng Yang is a doctoral student in education policy at the University of Pennsylvania. DVP-PRAXIS provides culturally responsive and equity-focused formative and summative evaluation services, strategic facilitation and advising, and technical assistance and training to support efforts to inform implementation and measure impact across the postsecondary education and workforce training systems. Background “High-Impact Practices”—a term popularized by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) through its Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP) initiative and researched overtime by many researchers using data from NSSE and elsewhere—are a set of educational practices that result in higher student engagement. 1 The most well-known HIPs are those promoted by AAC&U that include ﬁrst-year seminars, common intellectual experiences, learning communities, writing-intensive courses, collaborative assignments and projects, undergraduate research, diversity and global learning, e-portfolios, service learning or community-based learning, internships, and culminating senior experiences or capstone projects.2 For over a decade, researchers have developed a robust evidence base on the beneﬁts of high-impact practices for students in terms of their academic engagement, attainment, and learning outcomes,3 leading man

FAQs

What is the main purpose of this report?

The report studies how participation in high-impact practices (HIP) relates to students’ perceived learning gains, including how those relationships differ for Black and Hispanic students and for students aged 25 or older.

What data and scope does the report use?

Analyses draw on NSSE survey data covering 2014–2020 from 15 four-year institutions in Georgia, Wisconsin, and Montana, including approximately 28,500 students.

Which type of HIP shows particularly large benefits?

The report finds an especially large benefit for students participating in service-learning courses that involve a community-based project.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Damian