This article from Contact North looks at ways that colleges and universities can effectively use predictive analytics. According to the article, analytics can help higher education institutions improve recruitment, retention, completion, and student engagement. To effectively use analytics, the article suggests connecting all available data about students and their behaviour, from demographics to performance on assessments. Once a prediction is made, the strategy for action should be value-driven and “needs to reflect the values, culture and supports available from the college or university.” The article also calls for investment in professional development for staff to develop institution-specific best practices. According to the article, “using our intelligence and compassion together with the predictive power of analytics can make a real difference to students and their learning.”