Students who withdrew from the State University of New York at Oswego during academic year 1974-1975 were surveyed to study the differences between them and their classmates who persisted. A sample of 52 students responded to questionnaires inquiring why they had chosen to attend Oswego, why they left early, and what their present educational…

In order to facilitate efforts to evaluate the progress of black students currently enrolled in several selective colleges and/or to develop rationales for extending educational opportunity to racial minorities, a study was undertaken to focus on (1) selected characteristics of black female students entering several selective liberal arts…

In an effort to understand the dynamics of the status attainment process, the effects of significant-other influences were analyzed in terms of sexual and racial differences. Data were derived from a proportionate, stratified, random cluster sample of Louisiana high school seniors. High schools were stratified on the basis of residence…

The academic records of over 2,000 students who were required as a result of their national percentile scores on the Cooperative English Examination to take a remediation course in reading and writing skills during their first semester at Queensborough Community College (New York) were compared to the academic records achieved by an equal number…

A study at a university with strong mathematics/science curricula found that at matriculation, women and men had similar high school rank, women had lower mathematics test scores; most majored in science or engineering; women had higher undergraduate degree completion rates at four years; and grade point averages differed little. (MSE)

A study of 12,388 entering medical students investigated the predictive validity of the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) by comparing prediction errors for grade point average across racial/ethnic and gender groups. Results show no prediction errors for gender, overprediction of performance for racial/ethnic group, particularly Asians and…

Project Success (PS) at California's Grossmont College provides students with concurrent enrollment in linked courses, such as College Reading and English Fundamentals, to provide an environment of complementary learning. To determine the effectiveness of the program, a study was undertaken to compare the demographics, performance, and persistence…

This study describes trends in student-athletes' academic performance before and after the passage of National Collegiate Athletic Association Proposition 48 which reformed initial-eligibility rules for student athletes, requiring that they have achieved minimum high school grade point averages (at least a 2.0 on a 4.0 system) in core courses and…

The validity of assumptions that portfolios complement other assessment methods and yield more reliable and valid data than do traditional methods was studied. More specifically, focus was on examining whether: achievement level (characterized by scores, ranks, and group membership) varies significantly with differing definitions and usage of…

This report summarizes academic assessment data for Las Cruces (New Mexico) Public Schools bilingual students in 1996-97. It has eight sections: (1) results of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills for third, fifth, and eighth grade students; (2) results of the La Prueba tests for grades three, five, and eight; (3) results of the New Mexico High School…

The validity of American College Testing Program (ACT) test scores and self-reported high school grades for predicting grades in specific college freshman courses was studied. Specific course grades are typically used to place students in remedial, standard, or advanced classes. These placement decisions, in turn, have immediate implications for…

At Miami-Dade Community College's South Campus (SC), the Transition Center (TC) provides special advisement services for older students returning to school. In fall 1987, a study was conducted to develop a profile of the students served by the center and compare them with other South Campus students. Study findings, based on academic and…

A retrospective comparative analysis of data collected between 1975 and 1979 was undertaken at Westmoreland County Community College (WCCC) to quantitatively determine the impact of WCCC's developmental education program on: (1) the persistence and academic performance of underprepared students; (2) the college's financial situation; and (3) the…

Current research in the English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) field has not assessed the comparative ability of indirect and direct test scores to predict academic success. Work of this kind would inform practice in the area of testing and placement. This study investigates the practical problem of making appropriate placement decisions for students…

Part 1 of this study investigated possible causes of the observed decline in correlations between SAT scores and freshman grade-point average (FGPA). Working with a database of 38 colleges, the study found that the comparability of course grades received by entering freshmen declined in the 1980s. Three new measures of grade comparability-variety…