Factors influencing the achievement and retention of ethnic minority students were studied, focusing on 38 ethnic minority students in a college engineering program. Of the 38 students, 12 were African American, and 26 were Hispanic of Mexican American origin. Students were participants in the university's Equal Opportunity in Engineering program,…

Students on varying degrees of academic probation were randomly assigned to one of three intervention strategies that incorporated controlled content but divergent levels of intrusiveness. The most intrusive intervention resulted in higher cumulative grade point averages and higher retention rates. Students with the highest risk of dismissal were…

College students who transfer from a two-year or community college to a four-year institution must make many adjustments to the new institution and frequently suffer "transfer shock," evidenced by a (usually temporary) drop in grade point average. A student who is unprepared for transfer shock may become discouraged and drop out before…

A study was conducted at Eastfield College, Texas, to assess the impact of remedial reading instruction on the academic achievement of students with reading skill deficiencies. The study involved all students whose basic skills were assessed at Eastfield College and who received academic advisement between April 1978 and August 1978 (N=898). Of…

This report examines the high school preparation and postsecondary persistence of first-generation students, those whose parents had no education beyond high school, and compares them with students whose parents went to college. The purpose of the study was to examine whether first-generation students who were otherwise equally prepared…

An analysis of 47 nursing research studies from 1981-90 related to predicting student success was conducted. Grade point average in nursing and science courses was the greatest cognitive predictor, parental education and age the greatest demographic predictors. Meta-analysis of four studies showed the significant effectiveness of interventions…

Descibes a study that identifies student academic behavior prior to transfer and the relationship of this behavior to academic persistence. Results indicated that the completion of the associate degree with a GPA of 3.0 or higher increased persistence rate to an equal level with students native to a university. (Contains 33 references.) (KC)

Analyzed the effects of family income and financial aid on college students' persistence at Iona College, New York. Institutional data on family demographics, academic achievement, and financial variables indicated that financial aid did not significantly affect persistence. Although students from families with greater incomes tended to persist,…

This study examines the relationship between psychosocial and study skill factors (PSFs) and college outcomes by meta-analyzing 109 studies. On the basis of educational persistence and motivational theory models, the PSFs were categorized into 9 broad constructs: achievement motivation, academic goals, institutional commitment, perceived social…

This mixed method study examined secondary student matriculation to two selected community colleges offering career and technical education (CTE) transition programs through partnerships with K-12 and secondary districts having numerous high schools. The study had two distinct components: (1) a secondary study that compared CTE and non-CTE…

The effectiveness of noncognitive variables in predicting college grades and persistence for international students over 8 semesters was studied at the University of Maryland, College Park. The Noncognitive Questionnaire (NCQ), an instrument designed to assess eight noncognitive variables found to be related to academic success for U.S. minority…

This study explored the moderating effects of academic self-efficacy beliefs on the relationship of scholastic aptitude to academic performance (grade point average) and academic persistence (retention). Subjects, 105 students enrolled in a career planning course for science and engineering majors, were administered two measures of self-efficacy…

A study of attrition after the first year of college was conducted with the 1984 entry class (N=233) of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID). A path-analytic model of nine factors affecting student persistence was tested. The nine factors were: cumulative grade point average, a composite academic performance index, ability in oral…

Predictive models of persistence and success in baccalaureate engineering programs were developed by analyzing five intellective and nine nonintellective variables. The 1984 entering freshman class in the College of Engineering at the Pennsylvania State University was studied. Usable data were obtained from 1,044 students, or 65% of the…

The relationship of Scholastic Aptitude Test scores and noncognitive variables to academic success (Grade Point Average and persistence) over 4 years was examined for Black university students and compared to that of White students. (Author)