Educational Administration and Supervision Commons^™

You Belong Here: Residence Halls As Disparate Predictors Of Sophomore Year Persistence At Predominantly White Institutions, James Raymond Neville

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study is to compare the influence of residence hall living on student persistence between white and nonwhite students at predominantly white institutions. The Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS) 2012/2014 longitudinal study dataset was acquired from the National Center for Education Statistics. A logistic regression was run to determine the predictive value of residence on student persistence by census race group. The findings of this study reveal that residence halls are not accomplishing as much for Black and Latino students as they are for White students. The results of this study challenge PWIs to take additional steps to …

A Review Of Some Diverse Models Of Summer Bridge Programs For First-Generation And At-Risk College Students, Berverlyn Grace-Odeleye, Jessica Santiago

Administrative Issues Journal

Many colleges are pursuing innovative alternative approaches for the development of education I that aims to accelerate students’ progress in gaining important academic competencies. Summer bridge programs are one such approach. These bridge programs offer underprepared and at-risk students the opportunity to advance toward college-level coursework during the summer before their freshman year. These summer bridge programs have grown increasingly popular, as a strategy for providing students with the foundational college courses, knowledge and skills required for college success. Many integrated programmatic approaches and resources have been developed to address this issue, including general education freshman courses in reading, writing, …

A Qualitative Case Study Of Student Persistence In A Bachelor Of Science In Forestry Program, Maxwell Holmes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Educational leaders in forestry have been challenged to increase and diversify the pipeline of ‘society ready’ foresters. To meet these challenges, leaders must shift their focus to student retention. By understanding the factors that influence student engagement and persistence, these leaders will be better positioned to support students in forestry programs, thus positively impacting retention. This qualitative case study investigated student persistence of second-year forestry students in an undergraduate forestry program. The study was guided by Social Cognitive Theory and Social Capital Theory and explored the malleable psychosocial mechanisms of self-efficacy, sense of belonging, emotion, and well-being proposed by Kahu …

Responding To The College Completion Crisis In New Mexico: A Case Study Of The University Of New Mexico, Kalith Smith

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

New Mexico’s funding of higher education has facilitated student access to college and helped the state rank fourth nationally in college attendance rates. However, the state ranks 47^th in the country in college completion rates. A majority of students who enter college in New Mexico do not complete their degrees, a situation which deprives the state of the highly skilled workforce that is necessary to attract and retain business and industry. While low-cost or free college has increased attendance rates, the low college completion rate has incited an economic crisis for the state. The state’s flagship institution, the University …

Different And The Same: A Comparison Of Vertical And Lateral Transfer Students., Joshua Harris Mckee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As more students evaluate their choice for higher education, the rate of transfer students continues to grow. The transfer population is often addressed broadly in research studies, and few examine differences among the population. This study was designed to analyze the differences in transfer shock and retention rates between students who transferred from a community college to a four-year institution (vertical) versus those who transferred from one four-year institution to another (lateral). Participants of this study consisted of 1,032 students who transferred to the University of Louisville during the fall 2014, 2015, and 2016 semesters. Results indicated, when controlling for …

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of Persistence Among National Junior College Athletic Association Division Iii Student Athletes, Carlton Hartsell Bryan Jr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of Division III National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) student athletes in central North Carolina who successfully persist to a four-year institution. The theory that guided this study was Vincent Tinto’s Theory of Student Integration (1975) as it established the principle that student’s personal commitment or determination to earn a degree and their commitment to their college or university determines whether they will complete their educational goals. The central research question guiding this study is: What are the experiences of the Division III NJCAA student-athlete in central North …

Understanding The Development Of Honors Students’ Connections With Faculty, Shannon R. Dean

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive

Nearly 40% of full-time students enrolled at four-year institutions depart within the first year. Previous research has shown college students are more likely to graduate if they have meaningful interactions with faculty. Honors students provide unique perspectives because of their high levels of interaction with faculty, yet not much is known about how these connections develop. The purpose of this study was to understand how honors students develop connections with faculty. Six upper-division students were interviewed, and participants reflected on meaningful connections made with faculty during their first year. Two themes were identified as influential in developing connections: approachability of …

Parenthood And Persistence Of Adult Learners In The Western Region Of The United States, Emetrude Lewis, Alexia Bailey-Webb

Journal of Research Initiatives

This study explored the role of parenthood on adult learners who were parents of minor children and gaining an understanding of their needs while attending a college or university. A qualitative phenomenological approach and purposive techniques were used to identify and recruit adult learners who were parents of minor children located in the general area in the Western Region of the United States. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and Yüksel and Yıldırım (2015) guide used for phenomenological narrative data analysis. Recorded interviews were transcribed into text and NVIVO software was then used to organize the interview data and uncover …

2018-2019 Berklee Factbook, Office Of Institutional Research And Assessment

Berklee Factbook

Welcome to the 2018–2019 Berklee Factbook. This factbook has been designed by the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment as an accessible resource for official Berklee statistics.

On the following pages, you will find valuable data on student enrollment, retention and graduation rates, faculty, staff, programming, tuition, and more. Gathered from many areas throughout the institution, data are shown for Berklee as a whole as well as for each legacy institution, where applicable and available. These data reflect information as of the fall 2018 semester, unless otherwise noted. Data and trends from previous years are also available.

Institutional Factors That Affect Transfer Student Sucess At A University In The Mid-South Region Of The U.S., Patricia Ann Coats

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

At a four-year university located in the Mid-South region of the United States, students who transfer do so with the likelihood of spending more time and money completing a baccalaureate degree than non-transfer students. This is what research scholar Kevin Dougherty (1992) entitled the Baccalaureate Attainment Gap or the transfer gap. In this companion dissertation, using a multi-method approach, we use the quantitative data of transfer student graduation and retention rates along with qualitative data from interviews conducted with administrative staff about transfer student success. We consider these selected outcomes and administrative staff interviews to be institutional factors that help …

Improving The General Education Development (Ged): Retention And Completion Rates Of Low Income Adults, Kimberly Mashaun Rice

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Retaining adult education students has been a growing concern. The new GED requirements have generated low completion rates for a free GED program in a 3-year period, in a non-profit agency in a Southeastern state. Instructors are concerned about this problem and need to understand the factors that are inhibiting adult learners from successfully attaining their GED. This qualitative research design was the most appropriate to answer the research questions to determine the experiences that caused the adult learners to not complete the program and identify potential educational strategies needed to improve retention. Sticht's functional context theory was the conceptual …

What Works? Supporting Students From Urban School Districts At A Midwestern University, Eric Reed

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Postsecondary administrators across the nation are in search for effective policies and practices that lead to higher rates of student academic performance, persistence, and completion rates. In a time of increased accountability and diminished resources, the empirical findings of this study help administrators by demonstrating that resources invested in retention yield long-term benefits to the institution. At a large, public, 4-year university in the Midwest, the average 6-year graduation rate of students from urban school districts was 24% compared to the overall 40% graduation rate for the institution. Historically, students from urban school districts enter postsecondary institutions after persevering through …

Compass Placement Assessment And Student Attrition At A Community College, Leslie Morris Samuel Griffiths Ii

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Considerable research has been conducted regarding the usefulness of placement testing in community colleges. Many stuides show that using the COMPASS exam may lead to students' unsuccessful course completion. To better identify the factors that may result in reduced attrition, the relationship between attrition and placement testing was studied. Using Tinto's student retention model and employing qualitative methodology, this study explored the perceptions of students and faculty regarding whether COMPASS placement assessment predicted future student success in first year courses at a community college that reports higher rates of attrition when compared to other area community colleges. After completing interviews …

It’S Not The Programs; It’S The People: Building Human Levers Of Retention In Community Colleges, Kyle Barron

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

Student attrition prior to the completion of a credential is an issue that has increasingly demanded the attention of stakeholders in higher education, particularly in the community college sector, in which less than half of all students complete a credential after six years. The costs of student attrition are high and widespread, ranging from the financial costs for institutions and federal and state governments to the personal and monetary costs paid by those students whose personal and professional goals are not achieved. With the ever-increasing focus on accountability for institutions of higher education and the growing movement toward performance-based funding, …

Perspectives Of High School And Community College Instructors On College Readiness, Cynthia M. Scheuer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The preparation students need to complete college successfully is important to many stakeholders, including students, educators, and the community. Colleges struggle with enrollment and retention while high school teachers and community college instructors focus on the preparation of students to succeed in college. High school teachers and community college instructors are uniquely qualified to inform the determinants of college readiness across the continuum of education. This research study explored the perceptions of high school teachers and college instructors on the skills and behaviors required of students to be successful in college. This qualitative descriptive study was based on the conceptual …

The Relationship Between First Year Student Expectations And Persistence Into The Second Year Of College, Ashley Baltuch Dees

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Incoming first year students have varying expectations for their college experience. As Florida public education budgets are more closely aligned with student persistence and graduation rates, it is vital institutions retain more first time in college students. The purpose of this study was to better understand how first year student college expectations on academic preparation, co-curricular involvement, socializing, and institutional commitment relate to persistence into the second year of college at one of Florida’s large, preeminent public research universities.

This quantitative study utilized the Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE) in order to better understand incoming student expectations. The …

Evaluating An Academic Bridge Program Using A Mixed Methods Approach, Leslie May Yingling

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As the demand for college degrees has increased, college enrollment has grown significantly, and economic forces have applied greater pressure on the higher education environment to produce more degrees and better post-graduation outcomes. Many public colleges and universities have felt these pressures distinctly because of their state funding environments and the specific expectations that exist within them. While college aspirations and attendance have broadly improved, achievement gaps persist along cultural, generational, and socioeconomic lines. In an effort to navigate and negotiate institutional goals, public expectations, economic needs, and educational ideals, institutions engage in diverse approaches to recruitment and retention. Academic …

The Relationship Between Financial Literacy, Financial Status, And Academic Success In College Students, Brian Douglas Brausch

Dissertations

As the cost of college continues to rise, an increasing number of students are relying on loans and credit cards to fund their postsecondary education. In an effort to curb student debt and increase retention and graduation rates, many universities have begun to offer financial literacy initiatives to stimulate financial knowledge and promote positive money management behaviors.

This study examines the relationship between a for-credit personal financial literacy course and student academic success and economic status. Students who took a personal finance course during their first or second year of college are compared to a random sampling of students who …

Advanced Placement And Dual Enrollment As Related To College Readiness And Retention At A Tennessee University, Diana Bowers, Virginia P. Foley

ETSU Faculty Works

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a significant relationship between students who entered a Tennessee university for the first time in the fall of 2014 who had earned either Advanced Placement (AP) or dual enrollment credit and their college readiness and 1-year college retention. College readiness was defined by students’ American College Testing (ACT) sub scores in English, reading, and mathematics. The Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) regulates the minimum sub score for each sub section that a student must obtain to be college ready. College retention was defined by students who enrolled at the …

Factors That Contribute To Job Satisfaction And Teacher Retention In Title I Versus Non-Title I Elementary Schools, Janice Tolliver

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The public school systems in the United States are facing a major teacher shortage in the near future due to the fact that teachers are leaving the profession by the thousands each year. It is imperative that this trend is stopped and reversed to ensure that quality teachers remain in schools. The current study employed a causal-comparative design to determine if working conditions in Title I schools versus non-Title I schools were associated with teacher job satisfaction and teacher retention using the North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions (NC TWC) Survey. The qualifications of the selected participants were that they were …

2017-2018 Berklee Factbook, Office Of Institutional Research And Assessment

Berklee Factbook

Welcome to the 2017–18 Berklee Factbook. This factbook has been designed by the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment as an accessible resource for official Berklee statistics.

In the following pages, you will find valuable data on students, faculty, staff, programming, and tuition. Gathered from many areas throughout the institution, data is shown for Berklee as a whole, as well as for each legacy institution where applicable and available. This data reflects information as of the fall 2017 semester, unless otherwise noted. Data and trends from previous years are available in the appendix.

Facts of particular note include a total …

Examining Attrition Among Bahamian Special Education Teachers And Implications For Special Education Reform, Norrisa Newton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Increasing levels of teacher attrition in special education within Bahamian public schools are preventing students with learning disabilities from achieving their learning goals within inclusive classroom settings. Addressing factors that influence attrition is vital to enhance the quality of education and the efficacy of educators while supporting positive social change. The purpose of this general qualitative study was to ascertain why Bahamian educators leave special education. This was achieved by exploring the influencing factors that have incited the decisions of public special education teachers within The Bahamas to resign or request premature retirement from the teaching profession, as well as …

Perceptions And Experiences Of Students Who Withdrew From College Prior To Degree Attainment, Enedine B. Andre

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nationally an estimated 41% of traditional students who begin seeking an undergraduate degree do not persist through degree attainment. Guided by Tinto's theory of student departure and the theory of social integration, the purpose of this study was to identify the reasons students withdrew from college prior to degree completion. A qualitative case-study design was implemented, and 13 former college enrollees were purposefully selected for individual semistructured interviews. The students graduated from one high school in the Southeastern United States. Data analysis was conducted using open coding procedures with iterative recategorization to identify key themes. Findings indicated that inadequate preparation, …

Exploring Value Of Perceived Problem Resolution In Success Of Online Doctoral Students, Vanessa S. O'Neal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

How doctoral students view their institution's ability to resolve problems may be directly related to their overall satisfaction of the institution. Challenges such as barriers to communication could have a negative effect on the students' ability to be retained by the institution. Policies to address issues relating to retention; high default rates on student loans and student services are increasing and more constraining. While the literature indicates the formation of federal policies to monitor recruitment practices of for-profit online institutions, it is not known to what extent these policies have influenced the quality of postrecruitment services. Using the theoretical framework …

Impact Of Retention Initiatives On The Levels Of Self-Efficacy And Hope In African American Students On A Historically Black College And University Campus In Kentucky, George Maurice White

Online Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the levels of self-efficacy and hope of the students at-risk that participated in a college program with multiple retention initiatives. The students selected were identified as students at-risk due to their high school GPAs and standardized test scores. The initiative focused on enhancing their self-efficacy and hope through additional resources that assisted with a student's academic and social life. The development of self-efficacy has been proven important to a student's academic, cognitive, and personal development. Hope has been proven to be important in finding different routes to success and the motivation a person has to take those …

Texas Success Initiative Test Scores As A Predictor Of College Mathematics Success, Brooke Lee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Advisors use placement test scores as a means of predicting students' proficiency in mathematics; however, there is a debate about how accurately these scores predict students' success. This nonexperimental quantitative study focused on one test, the Texas Success Initiative (TSI). The purpose of the study was to determine whether the test is an accurate predictor of students' success in college algebra for students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors, and whether students who took the test continued pursuing a STEM major. The theoretical framework for this study was Tinto's theory of retention. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences …

Principal Leadership Style, Teacher Motivation, And Teacher Retention, Willie E. Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem of teacher turnover in the United States has received significant attention from policymakers and district leaders. Improving teacher motivation is a concern and challenge for principals because they are faced with retaining highly qualified and capable teachers in the classroom. Researchers have indicated that principals can play a crucial role in motivating teachers. This nonexperimental correlational study used Deci and Ryan's self-determination theory and the leadership theories of Burns, Avolio, and Bass as a framework to address 2 research questions. The first research question examined the relationship between principal leadership style and teacher motivation, and the second question …

Engagement Factors Impacting First-Year Persistence Of Hispanic And Non-Hispanic Students In Idaho Community Colleges, Kimberly May Scheffer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although minority students are enrolling in community colleges at increasing rates, these students also leave at higher rates than their non-minority counterparts. The purpose of this quantitative study was to understand the relationship between selected antecedents of educational engagement and student persistence and to examine how persistence varied for first-year Hispanic and non-Hispanic students in Idaho community colleges. Drawing from Kahu's holistic approach, which conceptualizes students' engagement as arising from an interrelationship between institutional and student characteristics, this study surveyed 132 first-semester Idaho community college students. A MANOVA was used to identify the relationship between variables representing aspects of student …

Challenges To Student Success In An Introductory Music Theory I Course, Megan Darby

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A state college in the mid-Atlantic United States requires a music theory course for 4 of its undergraduate music programs. In the 6 years prior to this study, students had difficulty with the course, with many failing or withdrawing. Tinto's theory of student retention served as the foundation of the conceptual framework for this study, the purpose of which was to identify challenges to successfully completing the course. This purpose was reflected in the study's driving research question focused on students' experiences regarding challenges to success. In this instrumental case study, 12 students and 2 instructors participated in individual interviews, …

Instructional Behavior And Its Impact On Student Engagement, Debra Joan Crumpton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this quantitative study was to expand understanding of leadership behaviors and their influence on follower engagement. Researchers have shown that engagement is a predictor of retention and organizational performance. Leadership theory and the conceptual framework of worker engagement were the study's theoretical anchors. Despite a proliferation of leadership studies, engagement antecedents are largely unknown. The aim of this study was to narrow the gap in the literature by examining the extent to which there may be a relationship between college instructors' behaviors and student engagement. Although not traditionally regarded as frontline leaders, extant leadership literature affirmed college …