Although there is widespread agreement among academics that critical thinking is an important component to the college classroom, there is little empirical evidence to verify that it is being taught in courses. Using four sections of introductory sociology, we developed an experimental design using pretests and posttests to assess students'…

The current study examined the nature of parent-teen communication in college to re-evaluate the potential for parent inclusion in college success and risk prevention programs. During September 2006, 290 first-year college students were assessed for the frequency and form (e.g., cell phone, e-mail, text) of communication with their parents. Latent…

The ACT College Readiness Benchmarks are the ACT® College Readiness Assessment scores associated with a 50% chance of earning a B or higher grade in typical first-year credit-bearing college courses. The Benchmarks also correspond to an approximate 75% chance of earning a C or higher grade in these courses. There are four Benchmarks, corresponding…

This study examined the patterns of parental involvement and parenting styles of a particular sample of academically successful African American males who attended and graduated from historically Black colleges or universities. More specifically, investigated was the presence of any relationships between parental involvement, parenting styles,…

Purpose: The purpose of this investigation was to determine the extent to which differences were present in dual credit course enrollment. Specifically examined were whether differences were present in the first semester GPA and at the end of the first two semesters for students who enrolled in dual credit courses while in high school from…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not a significant difference existed in the overall academic performance of athletes when compared to non-athletes at one rural high school in Wisconsin. The study was important to the field of educational leadership because in the current environment of accountability, educational leaders need…

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between general course satisfaction, learner-instructor interaction, and the learner-social media interaction scores of participants. This study used an online survey with 60 questions to gather the participants' demographic data, learner-instructor interaction data, learner-social…

The current research examined the relationship between two non-academic factors associated with retention: emotional intelligence (EI) and spiritual formation. The primary goal of this research was to determine whether using a combination of academic and non-academic factors could increase the researcher's ability to identify students most at risk…

The student populations in colleges and universities in the United States have become more diverse in the students that they serve. It has been argued that disaggregation of student data would allow researchers to test the saliency of student development models. However, there is only a small body of research available on first-year Black male…

Many investigators have explored the relationship between success on high stakes testing and student motivation; however, little research has been done to discover the relationship between low academic achievement and student motivation. At the time of this publication, low academic achievement in a school in New Mexico had led to failed Adequate…

For the past 10 years, government reports have documented an increase in college developmental reading courses. However, a community college in the southeastern United States has experienced a decline in enrollment and attendance in these courses since they began in 1999. The purpose of this study was to determine (a) the impact of taking a…

There is a growing view that students who enroll in developmental courses are less successful in completing their programs than non-developmental students. Nevertheless, even though developmental students as a group ultimately might not be as academically successful as non-developmental students, many of them might still derive benefit from taking…

This study examined predictors of college-going self-efficacy and educational goals in a sample of Latina/o high school students (N = 119). Specifically, the study investigated the variance accounted for by school performance, ethnic identity, barriers, and family support in college-going self-efficacy and educational goals. Important findings…

The purpose of this study was to identify variables that influenced first-year retention at a small, private, and Midwestern liberal arts college. A survey was administered to first-year students; factor analysis of the data produced variables representing academic and social integration as well as perceptions of institutional support. Regression…

This quantitative study examined the relationships and effects of women's learning styles and achievement and success at a Midwestern, private, Catholic, liberal arts women's undergraduate program. The primary focus was on first-year female students' learning styles and how these learning styles may affect their GPAs and decisions to persist to…