A study was conducted at Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC) to relate grade point average (GPA) at the college to subsequent performance on the College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST). In October 1983, 1,044 associate degree (AA) graduates took the CLAST. Of these, 431 had a GPA of 3.0 or higher at MDCC. An analysis of the CLAST scores of…

Two studies were conducted at Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC) to assess the academic performance of students who entered the college with low skill levels or test scores. The first study sought to assess the proportion of associate of arts (AA) graduates passing at least three of four of the College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) subtests…

Discusses how descriptive data collection and presentation can influence decision making, using an informal action research model. Uses examples of Miami-Dade Community College research on retention rate and first-term coursework, high school preparation, and existing quality control versus proposed new statewide testing requirements, showing…

A study was conducted at Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC) to assess the success of the college in offering a start for students who would not be accepted by institutions with more selective admissions policies. The study focused on all students who entered MDCC for the first time in the fall of 1981. Of the 7,097 fall 1981 freshmen, less than…

One promising avenue for increasing the utilization of institutional research data is the informal action research model. While formal action research stresses the involvement of researchers throughout the decision-making process, the informal model stresses participation in the later stages of decision making. Informal action research requires…

The impact of the reforms instituted at Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC) during the past 5 years is examined in this report. After noting the success of the Academic Alert program in providing earlier classroom assessment and feedback to students, the report looks at the influences of the reinstatement of placement testing for…

Proposed 1989 standards will raise the passing score on the College Level Academic Skills Test from 275 to 295 in computation, from 270 to 295 in reading and writing, and from 4 to 5 on the essay test. A study was conducted at Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC) to examine the impact of these proposed standards on the passing rates of students…

A follow-up study of a 10% (n=461) random sample of all persons who graduated from Miami-Dade Community College between July 1970 and June 1971 inclusive (n=4,620) was conducted in early 1976 in order to determine how many of the graduates entered the Florida State University System (SUS) and, of those who entered, how many graduated. Follow-up…

Offers examples of research efforts undertaken at Miami-Dade Community College to analyze the college preparatory program, considering early research using placement test scores, research using college-preparatory course enrollment data, and most recent research using a longitudinal database. Argues that the research process must proceed with…

Selected aspects of the remedial reading-writing program of Miami-Dade Junior College were evaluated. Placement in the program was designed as the independent variable. Grade point average, reading and writing test scores, continuation in college, and performance in regular college courses were dependent variables. Students earning a raw score of…

Describes the centralized research model used by Miami-Dade Community College. Explains that the district's central office assumes responsibility for conducting all phases of the institutional research program (e.g., determining the research agenda, carrying out projects, monitoring projects, and disseminating results). Highlights strengths and…

Assessment programs, which have recently been implemented in colleges around the country, have indirectly affected the quality of education in ways that are both researchable and measurable. Admissions and placement testing affect educational quality by separating high and low achievers, and making it possible for high-level texts to be used and…

Argues that rigorous assessment in the classroom is the only way to reduce outside interference in the assessment process. Sees instructors as poorly prepared to assume assessment roles, recommending an increased reliance on common examinations written by subject discipline experts. (DMM)

A study was conducted to examine patterns of persistence in student enrollments at Miami-Dade Community College (M-DCC) prior to and after the imposition of new Standards of Academic Progress in 1978. Students who enrolled for 3 of 4 consecutive semesters during a 2-year period were considered persisters, while those who enrolled for only 1 or 2…

A study was conducted at Miami-Dade Community Colleges (MDCC) to investigate whether a combination of freshman and sophomore grades and student scores on the College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) would be a better predictor of student academic success at the four-year level than CLAST scores alone. Since there were insufficient data to…