A substantial amount of research examines the benefits of high school college-credit attainment programs against non-participation. The growth in popularity of these programs, particularly Advanced Placement (AP) and dual enrollment (DE), has them competing against one another for student attention. However, students, schools, and policymakers do…

Overall, pretest-posttest results for achievement, behavior, and engagement for at-risk boys not eligible (n = 13) and eligible (n = 9) for participation in the free or reduced price lunch program who completed a school-year long academic support study center program were not statistically different over time and end of school year for cumulative…

Finding the key to success for high school students has long been the goal for both school personnel and parents. This study examined the impact of four-year participation in music and/or athletics activities in South Dakota public high schools on student GPA and ACT scores. The data in this study were collected from five Class A high schools…

The purpose of this study was to investigate--by utilizing data obtained from the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) PeopleSoft database-- whether the American College Testing (ACT) assessment was a predictor of student success for students who had graduated from respiratory, radiography, and nursing programs at Southeast…

This exercise aims to provide a hands-on, role-playing activity that requires students to evaluate the strengths and limitations of standardized tests in making admission decisions. Small groups pretend to be an admissions committee and review fictitious student applications containing both standardized test scores and other information admissions…

Accelerated programs, also referred to as dual enrollment and concurrent enrollment, provide an opportunity for high school students to earn both high school and college credit by enrolling in specified college courses. These programs provide high school students with the opportunity to experience the college atmosphere, get an early start on…

Improving college performance and retention is a daunting task for colleges and universities. Many institutions are taking action to increase retention rates by exploring their academic programs. Regression analysis was used to compare the effectiveness of ACT mathematics scores, high school grade point averages (HSGPA), and demographic factors…

Ample correlational evidence indicates that high school GPA is usually better than admission test scores in predicting first-year college GPA, although test scores have incremental predictive validity. Many people conclude that this correlational evidence translates directly to usefulness in making admission decisions. The issue of usefulness is…

Business schools across the nation, to meet the accreditation standards of the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), must incorporate results of certain outcomes assessments for evaluation of programs efficacy and continuous improvement purposes. The Educational Testing Service Major Field Test in Business Administration…

In 2001, the Louisiana Board of Regents adopted the "Louisiana Master Plan for Public Postsecondary Education: 2001" as a signal for new accountability standards in Louisiana institutions of higher education. The purpose of this study was to examine the power of the academic criteria utilized by the "Master Plan" to predict…

This study compared selected college/career readiness outcomes for students attending an urban high school who voluntarily participated in an academic support program, Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), to demographically similar/same school peers who completed the traditional academic program (TAP) of study. Grade point average,…

Tinto, Astin and countless others have researched the retention and attrition of students from college for more than thirty years. However, the six year graduation rate for all first-time full-time freshmen for the 2002 cohort was 57%. This study sought to determine the retention variables that predicted continued enrollment of entering freshmen…

The changing demographic situation in the U.S. creates paramount social problems as the population of immigrants grows. Because the higher education is the most effective tool for incorporating the immigrant populations into the society, the purpose of the proposed study was to determine what students' characteristics, parents' characteristics, as…

This dissertation study examines the impact of traditional and non-cognitive variables on the academic prediction model for a sample of collegiate student-athletes. Three hundred and fifty-nine NCAA Division IA male and female student-athletes, representing 13 sports, including football and Men's and Women's Basketball provided demographic…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that influence the retention and GPA of students in a college program designed for at-risk students. The study was conducted at a midsized private university in the Midwest. The sample consisted of 115 at-risk students enrolled in a Conditional Acceptance Program (CAP). Three years of CAP…