Higher education's ability to retain students through to graduation appears to be an international challenge. This is also the case in South Africa where only 27% of student complete their studies in minimum time and where 55% are unlikely to ever graduate. These challenges have meant that extended degree programmes, where degrees are formally…

The College-Level Examination Program® (CLEP®) is an exam program consisting of 33 exams in five subject areas that typically correspond to single-semester courses, but some correspond to full-year or two-year courses. CLEP exams offer students the opportunity to receive college course credit for learning that has already occurred outside of the…

In 2003, the Norwegian higher educational system was reformed. The reform, known as the 2003 Quality Reform, introduced changes in the teaching model and student assessment. The authors wished to study how these changes affected male and female students. Therefore, they addressed student learning outcomes, measured through examination results,…

One of the most pressing problems facing our nation is the large percentage of students who enroll in college but never complete a degree. The U.S. Department of Education estimates that only 57 percent of students who sought a bachelor's degree and enrolled in a four-year institution in the fall of 2002 completed that degree within six years. For…

Retention and matriculation are topics of heavy debate and inquiry in higher education as rising tuition costs, coupled with declining state support, have fueled the need for increased accountability. In Mississippi, few studies have been conducted that are unique to the public universities in the state in order to analyze success factors in…

This retrospective study was conducted to examine the relationship between selected variables and performance on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Data were collected from one hundred twenty graduates of a baccalaureate program; graduates completed either the traditional four-year track or an accelerated…

For 505 nursing graduates, significant relationships were found between C, D, and F grades and scores on the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurses. Those who passed the exam had significantly higher grade point averages, fewer grades below B, and higher Mosby AssessTest scores. Nontraditional-age students tended to have higher…

Investigated the validity of 3 American College Testing-Proficiency Examination Program tests for predicting the academic performance of registered nurses by studying scores of a sample of 2,600 enrolled in baccalaureate nursing programs. Results support the validity of the test scores. (JOW)

The performance of baccalaureate nursing school graduates on the new National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) was compared to graduates' performance on the old examination, the State Board Test Pool Examination (SBTPE). Data were gathered for 287 graduates who took the SBTPE between 1979-1981 and 175 graduates who took the NCLEX in 1982 and…

Data gathered from a sample of 188 freshmen, 141 sophomores, and 236 junior nursing students found that retained freshmen had higher American College Test Math and Composite subscores, high school grades, and class rank; perceived more institutional control; were enrolled full time; and felt more able to pay for their education. (SK)

A retrospective study was performed to determine whether graduates of a baccalaureate program in nursing who failed or were within a chance level of failure on the National Council Licensure Examination could have been identified as "risk" students during their undergraduate nursing program from data that are routinely collected.…

A retrospective study of the quantitative and qualitative variables that were the best predictors of successful completion of a bachelor's degree in physical therapy supports continued use of qualitative measures such as interviews and does not support certain traditional quantitative variables. (MSE)

A study determining the relationship between selected program characteristics, student enrollment patterns, and scores attained on the national certification examination in the field of cytotechnology is presented. Information is included on the type of program, teaching and testing methods employed, the difference between students entering the…

South Carolina State University, a historically black university, faces closure of its four-year nursing program if its passing rates of the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses does not improve significantly. A program to analyze and solve the problem is under way. Other black colleges with a similar experience are…

The 2012 edition of the "Digest of Education Statistics" is the 48th in a series of publications initiated in 1962. The "Digest" has been issued annually except for combined editions for the years 1977-78, 1983-84, and 1985-86. Its primary purpose is to provide a compilation of statistical information covering the broad field…