Odessa College, a junior college in Texas, conducted a Drop Rate Improvement program where they spent time investigating what made the most difference in improving student success rates. A lot of typical things we expect to make a difference (like type of course/subject, time of day, rigor, preparedness, and even teaching methods) actually made little or NO impact at all. The one thing that had the most effect on student success and retention was CONNECTION! Building solid relationships with students has a greater impact on their success than any other instructional intervention!

4 Connections - Teaching Through Relationships: SSC Faculty Professional Development

Based on this research, Lake Washington Technical College identified four relational practices faculty can (and might already!) do to foster constructive relationships with students and enhance their success. Those practices are called The Four Connections, and they include:

Interact with students by name: Invest time on the first day in getting to know your students, and use their names throughout the quarter. Icebreakers can be great way to start!
Check in regularly: Pay attention to student behavior and track student progress. Empathize with students. When a student is struggling, intervene by referring students to campus resources and submitting early alerts.
Schedule one-on-one meetings: Meet at least once with each student early in the quarter, and encourage or even require regular meetings for struggling students.
Practice paradox: Structure your course clearly. Communicate your expectations regularly. Then, be reasonably flexible when students come to you with concerns.

For more information on how various WA state technical colleges have implemented The Four Connections, take a look at this PPT Slide Deck from Lake Washington Institute of Technology.