This study examined whether the educational practice of retaining students in junior first grade for a year between kindergarten and first grade enhanced their academic achievement and self-concept of academic ability. Subjects were 120 students randomly selected from a midwestern school district and divided equally into 4 groups: (1) recommended…

A study was conducted at San Diego City College (SDCC) in California to evaluate the college's Critical Thinking and Writing Center, one of the components of SDCC's comprehensive plan to improve student outcomes. Five indicators of student success were examined for two semesters using a student tracking system: retention, semester-to-semester…

This is a guide for minority group members who are considering entering law school and offers suggestions for success in the application process, in law school itself, and in choosing a career path. The first chapters guide the reader in self-assessment. Chapter 1 poses challenging questions about reasons for considering law school and chances for…

The relatively large number of students who perform poorly in freshman chemistry courses signals the need for the identification of criteria that will result in correct placement decisions for incoming college students. Research findings have generally reported placement criteria that correlate significantly with performance in college chemistry…

The changing nature of immigration, the job market, and the world economy preclude today's immigrants from full participation in the culture because they are without adequate education. This paper provides insights into one group of students that is most likely to have problems in school: immigrant pre-literate adolescents. It describes the…

American River College's (California) Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) project is a 2-year project initiated in 1992 to improve the retention and performance of minority students and others in math, biology, and chemistry through increased contact and involvement with their peers. PAL involves a cadre of 24 student Learning Assistants (LA's) who have…

Information gathered by the Maryland Higher Education Commission's (MHEC's) automated student tracking system is analyzed to assess the transfer rate and academic performance of Prince George's Community College (PGCC) transfers to four-year institutions in Maryland. The first section examines the number of transfers from PGCC, providing a…

A model was developed of the choice-making behavior of students participating in postsecondary occupational education. The model was estimated empirically with data from a national survey of public or nonprofit institutions that offer such education, conducted in spring 1987. The survey involved 432 institutions and 3,330 students. Data were…

This study used multiple discriminant analysis (MDA) to assess differences among subgroups defined in terms of sex and undergraduate major area, and ethnic group and undergraduate major area, with respect to patterns of performance on Graduate Record Examination (GRE) item-type part scores. Special subscores based on item types included in the…

In the nursing literature, many variables have been used in research to identify students at risk, predict program success, and to indicate the best time to identify at-risk students and how to predict success on the Nursing Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). In general, American College Testing Program (ACT) scores predicted…

Statistical trends in the characteristics of registrants for the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) are presented. Areas of focus are: registrations (registration volumes have increased dramatically over time); worldwide age distribution (the percentage of older test registrants has increased); world distribution (there has been a…

A longitudinal study was conducted at William Rainey Harper College (WRHC), in Illinois, to observe the performance and achievement of students entering the college each fall from 1967 through 1986. Academic and personal data from transcripts were analyzed for randomly selected samples of 200 full- and 200 part-time students from each fall's…

The relationship between declining scores on national standardized tests and grade inflation is explored. Grade inflation refers to the indicated measure of evaluation of student performance having higher placement than is usual based on the performances. Data for this study were taken from the American College Testing (ACT) Program Class Profile…

In 1988, a study was conducted at John Tyler Community College (JTCC) to investigate patterns in student retention during the 1987-88 academic year. A survey was mailed to 124 full-time and 237 part-time students who enrolled in the fall quarter but did not return for the winter or spring quarters. Study findings, based on a 50% response rate,…

In 1982-83, a study conducted at Mott Community College (MCC) identified 322 students, or 6% of the student body, as "grossly skill deficient," (i.e., achieving at the junior high school level or below in all basic skill areas). In November 1985, the transcripts of those 322 students were assembled and analyzed to determine enrollment patterns and…