Factors affecting college choice of beginning college freshmen were studied. The influence of academic background and performance of students residing in a metropolitan area was assessed from 1983 to 1986 with 33 institutions of a statewide university system. Using multivariate discriminant analysis, institutions attended were predicted using the…

A method was developed for identifying students who may be at high risk for failing the State Board Licensing Examination (SBE) for registered nurses. The subjects used in developing prediction equations included 50 students who graduated from the nursing program at Saint Joseph's College (SJC) in North Windham (Maine) during the years 1983-84.…

In an effort to validate dynamic assessment methods influenced by Vygotsky's (1978) definition of zones of proximal development (an indicator of readiness), three sets of experiments addressed two goals: the development of diagnostic assessment methods and the use of diagnostic results to guide the design of instructional programs. The first two…

A 2-year study of 206 college students at an urban research university in a southern state examined personal, environmental, academic, and non-academic predictors of: (1) course grade performance; and (2) academic retention. Of particular interest were "high-risk" or "disadvantaged" students and how they compensated for their…

The Advanced Placement Program reports grades to students and colleges on a 1 to 5 point scale derived from combining the separate scores on the multiple-choice and free-response sections of Advanced Placement Examinations (ADPEs). In this study, predictions of grades in first-semester college biology courses were made based on students' separate…

Developed for application in Air Force weapons systems training programs, a research project investigated the methods, procedures, and data available for conducting cost and training effectiveness analyses (CTEA). The primary objective of the project was to develop a user-oriented procedure for early formulation of training programs that can be…

This study investigated the relationship of standardized test scores and locally developed test scores to course placement and academic success in a developmental program. The sample consisted of 281 students who matriculated in the Division of Developmental Studies at a southern university. Eligible students for enrollment in Developmental…

A major concern for those in higher education is whether the instruments they use for screening students are valid and predictive. Of particular interest is whether a grammar test, used in many institutions to screen students for developmental English, and a reading comprehension test, used to screen students for developmental reading, truly…

Technical considerations in the development of a salary equity model based upon regression analysis are reviewed, and a simplified salary prediction equation is examined. Application and communication of the results of the analysis within the existing operational context of a postsecondary institution are also addressed. The literature is…

Two studies are combined with an introductory section: one is "Persistence to Graduation for Freshmen Entering the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1967-75," by Timothy Sanford, and the second is "Freshman, Transfer, Professional, Masters, and Doctoral Student Retention at the University of North Carolina at Chapel…

Five articles concerning college reading instruction are included in this special interest journal. Karen L. Pelz, William E. Pelz, and David L. Stritmater present a study of input sequence, exposure, and modality effects on recognition memory, which revealed that students who read assignments and attended lectures performed better on tests on the…

First-year graduate students were asked to respond to a biographical questionnaire which emphasized motivational variables in addition to the usual demographic variables. It was hypothesized that the students could select from a group of ability measures the one best indicator of how well they would do in graduate school. To test this hypothesis…

Long term criteria of college performance, i.e., graduation in four years, cumulative GPA, credits earned, and graduating major, were studied in relation to a comprehensive pre-college battery administered in the high school (HS) junior year. Despite restricting the sample to 1,633 university students who had progressed to junior standing in three…

The relationships between teacher ratings and standardized achievement tests as measures of student progress are investigated. Initial teacher ratings of pupils in grade 3 and subsequently in grade 6, were contrasted to scores obtained on the Metropolitan Achievement Test (MAT). It was found that a teacher's rating does not provide the same…

Data from the National Science Foundation Fellowship applicant records and the NRC Office of Scientific Personnel Doctorate Records File were utilized to evaluate the potential of GRE Aptitude and Advanced Tests as predictors of whether or not the candidate attained the doctorate within a period of from seven to ten years. In addition, the study…