The predictive validity of the Comparative Guidance and Placement Program (CGP) tests for two diverse curricular groups was examined. Three methods for developing predictive equations were compared. The CGP was administered to 417 Liberal Studies and 316 Business Technical students at a New England community college. Principal component analyses…

This paper is a review of opinion and research concerning the objectivity and relevance of grades and grade averages as measures and as predictors of success. As measures they are ambiguous, reflecting differences in sex, basic temperament, instructors, departments, institutions, as much as levels of competence. And as a predictor of…

In 1968, a random sample of 70 Wesleyan University juniors participated in a study designed to: 1) determine the extent of drug usage among students; 2) investigate the social and psychological characteristics of users and non- users of marijuana; 3) investigate the attitudes and motivations of persons who had reacted differently to the increasing…

This document presents the annual Management by Objectives report of Mt. San Jacinto College. The first section, describing the college's long-range plan, provides for the college as a whole and for each administrative and instructional area an historical perspective, projected futures, and recommendations designed to meet future contingencies.…

Increasing cumulative grade point average at a public university was found to be caused not by a general relaxing of grading standards, but probably because students are moving away from traditional curricula into courses and degree programs with grading standards reflecting their abilities and/or interests. (Author/LBH)

Electronic portfolios represent an assessment measure with strong potential for providing feedback about student performance to improve curricula and pedagogy, determining individual students' mastery of learning and providing feedback for improvement, and actively involving students in the assessment process. This study examined the relationship…

This study addressed the factors of Graduate Record Examination scores (GRE), race, gender, and undergraduate grade point average (GPA) as predictors of success on the Texas state administrator certification examination. The paper was presented as the entry point for expected discussion of the effects of high stakes accountability policies on the…

Retention and graduation rates have been topics of concern for undergraduate institutions. These indicators are not as applicable for two-year institutions where students' goals are more varied. This study examined the retention over four semesters of 678 first-time, full-time community college students with respect to their initial educational…

Research has suggested that transfer students experience difficulty in many domains however limited research has examined the variables associated with transfer student success. The present study examined transfer student success using a sample of 163 first-year transfer students at a large mid-Atlantic university. The mean age of the participants…

This paper reports on a longitudinal study with results drawn from 7 years of data on a group of young women (N=42), following them from the ninth grade through the third year of college. The purpose of the study was to trace development of the participants' thinking about school, career, and women's roles while also tracking their grades,…

This report reviews a study to identify individual factors that affect adult learners' success and persistence in college programs. Part 1, a historical analysis, uses past records of students to analyze patterns of persistence and success. It examines how demographic variables relate to continuing enrollment, grade point average (GPA), and degree…

Based on a sample of eleventh grade students from different ethnic backgrounds, (1) a reading test was a more valid predictor of academic success than academic self-concept; (2) aspiration and academic interest were valid predictors of school achievements; and (3) a combination of cognitive and affective measures was the most valid predictor.…

A University of Toronto effort to develop an accurate measure of affective characteristics in pharmacy school applicants to replace the interview resulted in development of a self-assessment instrument. It was found that a combination of overall grade point average, pharmacy college entrance examination verbal and reading scores, problem-solving…

The classic ("status attainment") model of educational and occupational attainment suffers from three related shortcomings when used as a tool for comparative or policy-oriented research on social mobility: (1) ambiguity of model parameters as measures of opportunity for achievement vs. ascription; (2) vulnerability to incomplete specification of…

Three aspects of racial-ethnic identity (REI)--feeling connected to one's racial-ethnic group (Connectedness), being aware that others may not value the in-group (Awareness of Racism), and feeling that one's in-group is characterized by academic attainment (Embedded Achievement)--were hypothesized to promote academic achievement. Youth randomly…