Objective: Superiority experiments supply a critical lens to probe higher education interventions because they can dismantle the collective effect of a program and identify the relative contribution of the core components. However, such lines of inquiry are generally absent in higher education literature. We draw on experimental data to probe the…

Latinx undergraduate students on academic probation after their first semester of community college risk further course failure and dropping out. As the largest minority on college campuses, it is important to understand Latinx college students' experiences with academic probation during freshman year to develop strategies that can support them in…

The first year, first-semester community college students on academic probation and the factors affecting their academic success have been on the rise. As such, many students who are not making satisfactory academic progress (SAP) are at risk of losing their financial aid and, quite possibly, dropping out of school. The purpose of this study was…

The purpose of this study was to determine if retention of first-year college students was influenced by specific variables and programs at one Midwest community college. The study was focused on responses from the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) (Center for Community College Student Engagement, 2013) and peer mentoring…

We aimed to compare the findings of three research designs to bracket effect estimates of a strongly worded warning letter delivered by certified mail to students on academic probation. We embedded an experiment within a regression discontinuity design and calculated two achievement estimates, average GPA and percentage of students remaining on…

Despite efforts to improve college student success, such as through first-year initiatives, significant numbers of students at two- and four-year institutions still do not persist past the first year to graduation. The challenges only increase for community colleges serving diverse populations such as first generation, low income, and immigrant…

Community colleges across the United States face a difficult challenge. On the one hand, they are "open access" institutions, with a mission to serve students from all backgrounds and at varying levels of college readiness. On the other hand, they must uphold high academic standards in order to maintain accreditation and prepare students…

To assist campuses with accurately forecasting student retention, and to help with increasing it, this report identifies early indicators of students' progress toward completing a degree and establishes benchmarks that campuses can use to evaluate their performance. The report is based on a Web-based survey of college and university officials in…

Community colleges across the United States face a difficult challenge. On the one hand, they are "open access" institutions, with a mission to serve students from all backgrounds and at varying levels of college readiness. On the other hand, they must uphold high academic standards in order to maintain accreditation and prepare students…

The Federal Pell Grant Program is the nation's largest need-based grant program. While students' initial eligibility for the Pell is based on financial need, renewal of the award is contingent on their making satisfactory academic progress (SAP)--meeting minimum academic standards similar to those proposed in models of performance-based…

This issue of "Assessment Update" presents the following articles: (1) Mission Accomplished! The Development of a Competence-based E-portfolio Assessment Model (Shelley Schuurman, Scott Berlin, Jamie Langlois, and Julie Guevara); (2) The Third Rail of Assessment--Dangerous but Powerful (Dale L. Mort); (3) Video Killed the Radio…

As part of MDRC's multisite Opening Doors demonstration, Chaffey College, a large community college in Southern California, ran two versions of a program that was designed to improve outcomes among students who are on probation. Both versions offered a "College Success" course, taught by a college counselor, which provided basic…

The academic-standards policy of the community college is often inconsistent with the open-door admissions policy. A large number of community colleges still used a fixed Grade Point Average (GPA) standard when determining academic standing. Would it not be sounder educational policy to use a developmental system of GPA requirements in determining…

Describes a study of the educational background of University of Iowa students placed on academic probation over a two-year period. Finds community college transfer students more likely to be on academic probation than native university students, but no more likely to be on probation than any other transfers. (Author/AYC)

Factors to consider when studying attrition are: (1) the academic reasons students drop out or are suspended; (2) the institutional definitions of attrition; and (3) the procedures used to monitor the successes or failures of students. A recent University of Texas study of literacy developed at the community college included a mini-study of…