Learning improvement programs for underprepared postsecondary students are reviewed, and a Decision Guide for Effective Programs, which summarizes knowledge needed for decision making, is presented. Research data are analyzed to identify features of learning improvement programs associated with improved grade point average and retention.…

A 3-year followup evaluation of the Personalized Education Program (PEP) of the General College, University of Minnesota, is presented. The program, which is designed to improve the academic retention and achievement of underprepared, freshman minority students, has served 273 students since the fall 1979 quarter, including 86 American Indians, 72…

The way public college students finance college was studied, based on student resource and expenditure surveys from four states: Arizona, California, New York, and Wisconsin. Comparisons were made of demographic and academic variables, as well as expenditure patterns of students receiving different kinds of aid. The following four aid recipient…

As part of an effort by William Rainey Harper College (WRHC) to determine the educational needs of minorities on campus and in the community, a study was conducted of the academic performance of different ethnic groups. Using student transcripts, the longitudinal performances of 100-student samples each of Blacks, Asians, and Hispanics were…

National normative data on characteristics of students entering college as first-time, full-time freshmen are presented, based on results of the fall 1985 Cooperative Research Program survey. The data are weighted to represent the population of freshmen. Extensive statistical data are reported separately for women and men, and for 37 institutional…

A survey was conducted of 1,343 community college students who transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), in fall 1977 to determine the major factors influencing student withdrawal or persistence. In addition to requesting information on students' background, the survey questionnaire asked the students to contrast their…

In this review of college admission practices, four areas are analyzed: (1) changing patterns of admission standards and practices and factors that have influenced those changes during the past 25 years; (2) importance assigned to high school achievement, test scores, and other criteria in arriving at admission decisions; (3) influence of college…

The Experimental Intensive Freshmen Advising Program, which was developed to help high-risk freshmen succeed at a small, four-year liberal arts college, was evaluated. The voluntary, one-semester program is based on humanistic and behavioral principles and incorporates weekly, group meetings with a freshman peer advisor and a faculty adviser, test…

This paper summarizes the findings of a ten year study on a Pre-Engineering program aimed at dramatically improving both the recruitment and retention of under-represented students pursuing careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) at The University of Akron. The primary goal of this study was to evaluate The University of…

Faced with the need to replace a "waiting list" system of nursing program admissions with a more equitable selection process, Prince George's Community College examined the criteria leading to successful completion of the five-part State Board Examinations (SBE). Resultant criteria would then be used to place applicants into a…

In fall 1979, a study was conducted at William Rainey Harper College (WRHC) to determine the characteristics, attitudes, and activities of former and present students in the Legal Technology Program. All students enrolled in a selected Legal Technology course between fall 1974 and fall 1979 were included in the survey. The questionnaire solicited…

A survey was conducted in Spring 1981 of the 1,534 continuing Kapiolani Community College students who had entered the college during Fall 1980. The survey instrument solicited information concerning: (1) student employment; (2) knowledge of procedures and requirements; (3) evaluation of students' college experiences; (4) evaluation of student…

In 1979-80, a study was conducted at Dundalk Community College (DCC) to assess the procedures and instruments used to place students in the three options of its developmental education program: Option A (for students with the lowest assessment scores), Option B (for those with low assessment scores), and regular developmental courses. The study…

A sample of 260 colleges was surveyed during the years 1972-1976 to determine the validity of predicting college freshmen grades from standardized test scores and high school grades using the American College Testing (ACT) Assessment Program, an evaluative and placement service for students and educators involved in the transition from high school…

A survey was conducted at Mercer County Community College to determine the demographic characteristics, number of credits, grade point average (GPA), academic program, reasons for not returning, current working and educational status, and opinions of the college of part- and full-time students who enrolled for the fall 1977 semester and did not…