Free checklist
The Retention Checklist every martial arts school should run monthly.
A monthly routine for catching at-risk students before they're gone. At-risk signals, family conversations, and a cohort tracker so you actually know whether retention is improving.
- The four at-risk signals that predict drop-off.
- Three lines to use with a parent of an at-risk student.
- Why pause beats discount, every time.
- A simple cohort tracker so you know if you're improving.
The monthly routine
- 00
Pull the at-risk list
The three attendance signals that predict drop-off, and the threshold for each.
- 01
Check belt-test cadence
Why students who go too long without a promotion in sight are at higher churn risk.
- 02
Family-level review
Multi-kid households churn together. Spot the warning shape before one kid leaves.
- 03
Reach out (don't sell)
What to say to a parent of an at-risk student. Three lines that aren't pushy.
- 04
Pause vs cancel paths
Why offering a pause first saves more memberships than discounts do.
- 05
Exit interview, even when it's awkward
The one question to ask when a family cancels. Yes, ask it.
- 06
Cohort tracking
How to know whether the school's retention is actually improving, not just feeling better.
A taste of chapter 00
The four signals that predict who's about to leave
None of these are mysterious. The problem isn't knowing them, it's having a routine that surfaces them every month. The checklist gives you the routine.
3-week attendance gap
Highest predictor of drop-off across kids' and adult programs.
Missed two belt tests in a row
Often a sign the student feels stuck.
Payment failure unresolved 14+ days
Once it's an awkward conversation, families just leave.
No portal logins in 60 days
Engagement has already softened, even if attendance is okay.
Want at-risk surfacing without the spreadsheet?
The checklist works in any system. Rosterra surfaces at-risk students automatically on the staff inbox, pauses memberships in one click, and tracks retention by cohort. Book a 20-minute demo to see it.