An evaluation of traditional admission standards in predicting Kuwait University students' academic performance

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of the traditional admission standards utilized by Kuwait University in predicting students' academic performance. It was found that the established practice of using students' score in standardized secondary school examinations and branch of study (i.e. sciences or arts emphasis) to be highly predictive of their college cumulative grade point average. Moreover, it was established that students' secondary school scores reflect intellective as well as the non-intellective factors pertaining to students' background.     

Explaining the academic performance of community college students who transfer to a senior institution

The academic performance of 361 community college students was investigated after their transfer to a comprehensive university. The predictor variables included personal, environmental, demographic, and pretransfer academic measures. The criterion was grade point average (GPA) at the senior institution. Analyses included moderated linear regression and a branching algorithm which forms subgroups to best explain criterion scores (AID-3). The academic pattern and performance at the community college was found to be very important to the relevance of specific factors related to the curriculum selected at the senior institution.     

A Study of Academic and Nonacademic Predictors and Criteria of Success among Scholarship Recipients

This is an investigation of the relationships and differences among selected personality, demographic, and intellective variables in a sample of 267 Morehead Scholars, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, from the classes of 1965 through 1970 to determine the feasibility and practicality of their use as predictors and criteria of academic and nonacademic achievements. Analysis of variance was used to determine the differences among the various groups. Stepwise regression analysis was used to determine the association among the variables and to select the most efficient predictors of academic and nonacademic criteria.

There was a significant relationship between high school nonacademic achievements and (a) Opinion, Attitude, and Interest Survey (OAIS) scores, (b) high school rank in class and (c) Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores. High school nonacademic achievements and selected OAIS scales, when combined with SAT scores and high school rank in class, increase the efficiency of predicting subsequent college grade point average (GPA). The addition of high school nonacademic achievements to SAT scores increased the efficiency of predicting freshman and senior cumulative GPA for all groups. The OAIS scales, freshman GPA, and high school nonacademic achievements can be used to predict college nonacademic achievements.     

The Influence of Student Characteristics and the Community College on Bachelor’s Degree Attainment

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in baccalaureate degree attainment among transfer students with associate’s degrees, transfer students without associate’s degrees, and university-native students. The study also investigated if demographic characteristics or academic preparation characteristics (i.e., transfer cumulative grade point average [GPA], transfer hours earned, cumulative overall grade point average, and cumulative credit hours earned) predicted graduation rates. Participants included transfer students from all community colleges and native students from one university in one southeastern state. The study utilized a causal-comparative research design. The chi-square test of independence was used to determine if differences in graduation rates existed, and logistic regression was used to determine if demographic characteristics and academic preparation predicted graduation rates. Community college students graduated at higher rates than native students. The academic preparation variables made a significant contribution in the prediction of graduation, with the strongest predictor being the cumulative overall GPA.     

Gender Bias in Predicting College Academic Performance: A New Approach Using Item Response Theory

The possibility of differential prediction of college academic performance for men and women is, at present, an issue of concern both to measurement specialists and to the general public. In prior studies, the use of a single equation to predict grade point average (GPA) from preadmissions measures has generally led to the systematic underprediction of women's college grades. In the following study, Item Response Theory (IRT) was used to develop a form of adjusted cumulative GPA, called the IRT-based GPA. Significant underprediction for women occurred using a version of the cumulative GPA as the outcome measure. In contrast, the use of the IRT-based GPA indicated no significant underprediction for men or women. A single regression equation worked best in predicting both men's and women's IRT-based GPA. In addition, the IRT-based GPA was substantially more predictable from preadmissions measures than the cumulative GPA.     

Incidental Learning in Foreign Language Learning

Abstract

Students in a college course were given written criteria, divided into teams, and asked to score their own essay examination. Their pooled ratings correlated .922 with the instructor's ratings. Agreement between the ratings of students and instructor was not related to grade point or total test score. However, grade point and test scores were related negatively to the ambiguity of the students’ answers on the examination. The results support the generalization that subjective scoring standards are readily communicable. Theoretical and practical implications are examined.     

Adjusting the Cumulative GPA Using Item Response Theory

In college admissions, the predictive validity of preadmissions measures such as standardized test scores and high school grades is of wide interest. These measures are most often validated against the criterion of the first-year grade point average (GPA). However, neither the first-year GPA nor the four-year cumulative GPA is an adequate indicator of academic performance through four years of college. In this study, Item Response Theory (IRT) is used to develop a more reliable measure of performance, called an IRT-based GPA, which is used to estimate the validity of traditional preadmissions information. The data are preadmissions information and course grades for the Class of 1986 at Stanford University (N = 1564). Principal factor analysis is used as a precursor to determine the dimensionality of the course data and to partition courses into approximately unidimensional subsets, each of which is scaled independently. Results show a substantial increase in predictability when the IRT-based GPA is used instead of the usual GPA.     

College Students' Experiences of Childhood Developmental Traumatic Stress: Resilience,First‐Year Academic Performance,and Substance Use

Developmental trauma—distressing childhood experiences that include mistreatment, interpersonal violence, abuse, assault, and neglect—is associated with substance use and poor academic performance. The authors investigated the links between developmental trauma, grade point average, substance use, and resilience among first‐year college students (N = 169). The results indicate there is a significant relationship between cumulative trauma and self‐reported substance use.     

Early Integration and Other Outcomes for Community College Transfer Students

The purpose of this study was to explore academic and social integration and other outcomes for community college transfer students. The study used Tinto’s (Leaving college: Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition, 1993) Longitudinal Model of Institutional Departure and Deil-Amen’s (J Higher Educ, 82:54–91, 2011) concept of “socio-academic integrative moments” to inform the selection and organization of potential predictors. We developed regression models for relationships between demographic and background variables of interest and perceived academic and social integration following the first six weeks at the receiving university. We also included these perceived integration scores in regression models for six outcomes (first and second semester grade point average, first and second semester earned hours ratios, and second and third semester persistence). Academic and previous college background explained the greatest amount of variance in predicting early integration and academic outcomes.     

Examining Person–Environment Fit and Academic Major Satisfaction

Decisions regarding college majors have the potential to affect a person's overall academic performance and long‐term career success. With Holland's ( 1997 ) trait‐and‐factor theory serving as a foundation, the authors examined relationships between person–environment fit, college major satisfaction, and grade point average of undergraduate students (N = 99). Results revealed that student–major congruence and academic major satisfaction were both significant predictors of grade point average.     

How Should Colleges Treat Multiple Admissions Test Scores?

The percentage of students retaking college admissions tests is rising. Researchers and college admissions offices currently use a variety of methods for summarizing these multiple scores. Testing organizations such as ACT and the College Board, interested in validity evidence like correlations with first‐year grade point average (FYGPA), often use the most recent test score available. In contrast, institutions report using a variety of composite scoring methods for applicants with multiple test records, including averaging and taking the maximum subtest score across test occasions (“superscoring”). We compare four scoring methods on two criteria. First, we compare correlations between scores and FYGPA by scoring method. We find them similar (). Second, we compare the extent to which test scores differentially predict FYGPA by scoring method and number of retakes. We find that retakes account for additional variance beyond standardized achievement and positively predict FYGPA across all scoring methods. Superscoring minimizes this differential prediction—although it may seem that superscoring should inflate scores across retakes, this inflation is “true” in that it accounts for the positive effects of retaking for predicting FYGPA. Future research should identity factors related to retesting and consider how they should be used in college admissions.     

Predicting Freshman Grade‐Point Average from Test Scores: Effects of Variation Within and Between High Schools

Most studies predicting college performance from high‐school grade point average (HSGPA) and college admissions test scores use single‐level regression models that conflate relationships within and between high schools. Because grading standards vary among high schools, these relationships are likely to differ within and between schools. We used two‐level regression models to predict freshman grade point average from HSGPA and scores on both college admissions and state tests. When HSGPA and scores are considered together, HSGPA predicts more strongly within high schools than between, as expected in the light of variations in grading standards. In contrast, test scores, particularly mathematics scores, predict more strongly between schools than within. Within‐school variation in mathematics scores has no net predictive value, but between‐school variation is substantially predictive. Whereas other studies have shown that adding test scores to HSGPA yields only a minor improvement in aggregate prediction, our findings suggest that a potentially more important effect of admissions tests is statistical moderation, that is, partially offsetting differences in grading standards across high schools.     

The use of Peer Nominations as a Predictor of Academic Success in College

The peer nomination technique was investigated as a predictor of academic success among members of a college freshman class. The technique provided scores which were reliable and which were valid against a grade point ratio criterion. The peer nomination scores were shown to tap variance independent of SAT scores and, therefore, their applicability was suggested in academic counseling as a predictor which can be used to identify students who may face academic difficulties.     

Predicting College Performance of Homeschooled Versus Traditional Students

The prevalence of homeschooling in the United States is increasing. Yet little is known about how commonly used predictors of postsecondary academic performance (SAT, high school grade point average [HSGPA]) perform for homeschooled students. Postsecondary performance at 140 colleges and universities was analyzed comparing a sample of traditional students matched to a sample of 732 homeschooled students on four demographic variables, HSGPA, and SAT scores. The matched sample was drawn from 824,940 traditional students attending the same institutions as the homeschooled students, which permitted a very precise level of matching. This comparison did not show a difference in first‐year college GPA (FGPA) or retention between homeschooled and traditional students. SAT scores predicted FGPA and retention equally well for both groups, but HSGPA was a weaker predictor for the homeschooled group. These results suggest that, among college students, those who were homeschooled perform similarly to traditionally educated students matched on demographics and academic preparedness, but there are practical implications for college admissions in the use of HSGPA versus standardized test scores for homeschooled students.     

Motivation and Self-regulation in Community College Transfer Students at a Four-year Online University

ABSTRACT

Motivation and self-regulation were examined in a sample of community college transfer students enrolled in a 4-year, online university. The relation between motivation and self-regulation and students’ performance was examined, as was the association between these learner characteristics (i.e., motivation and self-regulation) and sociodemographic factors (e.g., marital status, employment status). Motivation was found to be significantly correlated with both semester and cumulative grade point average (GPA), while associations between self-regulation and performance were more limited. Further, motivation was found to be a significant predictor of semester GPA in a model controlling for sociodemographic factors and prior achievement. Motivation and self-regulation were also found to differ according to students’ sociodemographic status. For instance, transfer students with children under 18 were found to have significantly higher levels of motivation than nonparents. Those employed full-time had lower levels of self-regulation than did their nonemployed peers. Implications for further research on community college transfer students and online learning are discussed.     

Factors Influencing Completion and Noncompletion of Community College Online Courses

Abstract

This study investigated the differences between demographic, enrollment, academic, and self-directed learning characteristics of completers and noncompleters in online courses at one community college. The study also obtained students' self-reported reasons for not completing their coursework. No significant differences were found in the characteristics of age, gender, ethnicity, financial aid eligibility, grade point average, and total hours enrolled; significant differences were found in gender, academic readiness, and completers enrolled in more online courses than noncompleters.     

Students classified as LD who received course substitutions for the college foreign language requirement: a replication study

This replication study examined whether 158 college students classified as learning disabled (LD) who were granted course substitutions for the foreign language (FL) requirement would display significant cognitive and academic achievement differences when grouped by levels of IQ-achievement and achievement-achievement discrepancy and by level of performance on an FL aptitude test (Modern Language Aptitude Test; MLAT), phonological/orthographic processing measures, and in FL courses. The results showed that there were few differences among groups with differing levels of IQ-achievement or achievement-achievement discrepancy (i.e., < 1.0 SD, 1.0-1.49 SD, and > 1.50 SD) on MLAT and American College Testing (ACT) scores, graduating grade point average (GPA), or college FL GPA. The results also showed that between groups who scored at or above versus below the 15th percentile (i.e., < 1.0 SD) on the MLAT, there were no differences on measures of graduating GPA, college FL GPA, native language skill, ACT score, and Verbal IQ. Demographic findings showed that 44% of these petition students met a minimum IQ-achievement discrepancy criterion (> or = 1.0 SD) for classification as LD. These findings suggest that many traditional assumptions about LD and FL learning are likely to be false.     

Discrepant SAT Critical Reading and Writing Scores: Implications for College Performance

Despite the similarities that researchers note between the cognitive processes and knowledge involved in reading and writing, there are students who are much stronger readers than writers and those who are much stronger writers than readers. The addition of the writing section to the SAT provides an opportunity to examine whether certain groups of students are more likely to exhibit stronger performance in reading versus writing and the academic consequences of this discrepant performance. Results of this study, based on hierarchical linear models of student performance, showed that even after controlling for relevant student characteristics and prior academic performance, an SAT critical reading–writing discrepancy had a small effect on 1st-year grade point average as well as English course grades in college. Specifically, students who had relatively higher writing scores as compared to their critical reading scores earned higher grades in their 1st year of college as well as in their 1st-year English course(s).     

Work ethic and academic performance: Predicting citizenship and counterproductive behavior

In this study, work ethic was examined as a predictor of academic performance, compared with standardized test scores and high school grade point average (GPA). Academic performance was expanded to include student organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and student counterproductive behavior, comprised of cheating and disengagement, in addition to college GPA. Results indicated that work ethic explained incremental variance in student OCB, cheating and disengagement beyond standardized test scores or high school GPA. However, work ethic did not explain incremental variance in college GPA. Specific work ethic dimensions were related to each outcome. These findings provide support for the importance of non-cognitive variables in academic contexts, particularly when considering an expanded performance domain. In addition, results provide additional validity evidence for the nature of work ethic as a multidimensional construct.     

Analyzing the long-term performance of minority and nonminority students: A tale of two studies

This is a comparative longitudinal analysis of the performance of minority and nonminority students in four successive entering classes at a highly selective college. Graduation rates were comparable, but the two groups were found to be as sharply differentiated with respect to cumulative grade point average (GPA) at the end of 4 years as they were at the end of the first year. Unanticipated across-class increases in mean GPA relative to ability, greater for minority than for nonminority students, were found and their implications considered. The validity of admissions tests with respect to long-term cumulative GPA was comparable to that obtained when first-year GPA was used. Questions are raised regarding the possible effect on minority students of persistent minority-nonminority differences in academic performance, especially in settings in which the two groups are sharply differentiated on academic ability measures. Findings of a similarly designed study in a less selective setting are also considered.