A study of 106 adult students in off-campus interactive television courses found that grade point average was the strongest predictor of performance. Student perceptions of the promptness of material delivery and their year in college contributed to the predictive power. No demographic variables were related to performance. (SK)

This study compared college women with a history of childhood sexual abuse to nonabused college women on three measures of academic performance. No evidence was found that sexually abused college women differ from nonabused women in terms of their likelihood of staying in college, overall grade point average, or progress toward degrees. (DB)

A longitudinal study of the retention and academic performance of college freshmen taking freshman seminars found that participating students with higher Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores were significantly less likely to leave college than nonparticipating controls, and participating students with lower SAT scores showed slightly better…

Among 121 Indonesian graduate agricultural students attending 27 U.S. universities, success in graduate school (defined by grade point average and degree completion) was positively associated with Indonesian undergraduate grade point average, English language proficiency, and presence of spouse and children in the United States. (SV)

Reports study results concerning the effects of peer tutoring, library assistance, and extra credit incentives upon student research paper quality. Indicates that students who sought help got better grades. Reveals a strong correlation between the number of consultations and final research paper grades. Concludes that grade point average also was…

The reliability and validity of E. D. Hirsch's (1988) Cultural Literacy Test (CLT) was studied with 150 first-year college students at the University of St. Thomas in Houston (Texas). The test appears reliable, with a split-half reliability estimate of 0.93, and the cultural literacy construct and the CLT are valid. (SLD)

Predictive validity of preadmissions measures may be understated because of correctable defects in freshman year and cumulative high school grade point averages (GPAs). A study used item response theory (IRT) to develop a more reliable measure of performance and test it using Stanford University data. Results showed increased predictability.…

Demonstrates that selection benefits of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) are minimal. Demonstrates that the Crosstabulation of Predicted Grades and the College Outcomes Tables would allow colleges to identify the level of redundancy in predicted admissions based on high school grade point average and to estimate the impact of the SAT on…

A stepwise discriminant function analysis provided the basis for comparison between the predictive capacity of admission committee votes to admit or not and the academic predictors (grade point average and Medical College Admission Test scores) of students from four consecutive classes at a midwestern medical school. (MLW)

Voluntary use of counseling increased, and, in turn, academic performance improved, after participation in brief required counseling intervention for at-risk second-year college students (n=131). Although persistence through graduation was related positively to voluntary help-seeking after the intervention, increment of improvement in grade point…

A study explored 97 college freshmen's perceived stress and persistence as a function of attachment style. Students with secure attachment reported significantly less perceived stress than those with insecure attachment. Fewer students with secure attachment quit college than did students with insecure attachment. Stress scores and grade point…

Results of two surveys completed by scholarship recipients revealed that ACT scores and class ranking were important predictor variables for success in college. This study also showed a strong correlation between high school grade point average and freshman grade point average. (MKA)

Examined the relationship between middle school students' exposure to a relaxation response curriculum and academic achievement over time. Teachers were trained to teach relaxation response exercises. Data on students' grade point average (GPA), work habits, cooperation, and attendance indicated that students exposed to more than two semesters of…

Examined social crowd construct among 489 white seventh-, ninth-, and eleventh-graders. Found that self- and peer-nominated crowds were reasonably congruent and related in the same way to delinquency, substance use, and grade point average. Adolescents were friendliest to their own crowd and had more than expected number of friends from their…

Assesses unique contributions of learning, study, and test-taking strategies; students' attitudes about college; and ACT scores, and linked them to college grade point average (GPA) and retention. Findings suggest that learning and study strategies and students' college attitudes affect attrition indirectly through GPA. (Author/MKA)