Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of high school students to calculate the actual improvement in freshman grade point average, college completion, and total years of schooling from colleges' use of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), Crouse compares predictions based on high school rank to argue that the SAT's costs do not justify…

Validity coefficients of the Descriptive Tests of Language Skills, the Academic Tests of the ACT Assessment Program (ACT), and high school percentile rank were calculated with cumulative grade point average (CGPA) at end of each of four years of college for 496 students entering through a special admissions program. The most valid predictor of…

This study analyzes longitudinal National Center for Education Statistics data, including individualized high school records, college entrance exams, and socioeconomic background. It looks at how admissions officers currently make decisions and trends in admissions decisions between 1979-2000. Reports findings of an Educational Testing Service…

This study sought to determine which, if any, of the possible predictor variables based on relationships with college performance available at freshman entry would prove useful in selecting students for admission. A study of the relationships between four college performance variables and eight admission variables was conducted using seven…

Higher education, it is suggested, has lost much public confidence because of the problem of overinflated grading standards. Relative performance standings of all students in a course could correct the inconsistencies. "Extra academic record" evaluations are seen as expensive, draining faculty time and university resources. (Author/MLW)

Data from new first-quarter students from 1982-88 (n=288) showed that (1) numbers of rural, semirural, urban, and suburban youth were relatively equal; (2) American College Test scores, unconditional admission, and class rank increased over the years; and (3) rural/semirural students took more high school vocational agriculture, but number of…

The first-year performance of freshmen between 1987 and 1992 was investigated for evidence of grade inflation. Grade inflation is defined as "when a grade is viewed as being less rigorous than it ought to be". Performance data were analyzed for fall semester admissions of full-time, first-time freshmen at the University of Missouri…

In this paper the bootstrap technique was applied to the evaluation of potential predictive bias for different ethnic groups using the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and high school ranks to predict college grade point averages (GPAs). Data of three ethnic groups were used; the total number of subjects was close to 5,000. Both conventional…

This study examined the quality of students who continue in teacher education programs after completing the introductory courses. The purpose was to compare their academic proficiency with a group of students who had completed the same courses but did not continue on to teacher certification. Subjects were 74 graduates who went on to complete…

At the request of the Faculty Council on Academic Standards, a survey of university-wide admissions and graduation standards of 14 public and 6 private American institutions was undertaken. This report summarizes the university-wide admissions standards for freshmen and transfer students. Five specific requirements are dealt with and presented in…

Examined the degree to which the perceptions of 13 higher- and lower-achieving third-grade students regarding academic standing and interactions with teachers were consistent with other, presumably more objective, measures. Overall, student perceptions were consistent with other measures, but teacher emphasis on academic performance affected…

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 study of 424 allied health students (259 dental hygiene, 104 radiologic technology, and 61 respiratory therapy) found that the greater predictors of their academic success were the natural science subscore on the American College Test (ACT), high school grade point average, and class rank, age, and composite ACT score. (SK)

The ability of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), average achievement test scores, and high school class rank to predict students' grades was examined for 3,816 undergraduate students entering the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) in 1983 and 1984. Results suggest that the SAT makes a relatively small contribution to prediction. (SLD)

Explores one school district's reconsideration of a revised grading policy assigning differential point values to letter grades earned, based on course difficulty. A grading system called "Windows" was designed to preserve the advantages of a pass/fail system. Transcript analyses disclosed unpredictable shifts in class rank, penalties for…