An Analysis of Academic Assistance Programs on At-Risk Students at the United States Naval Academy

Abstract

Abstract : This research is designed to examine the impact of academic assistance programs at the United States Naval Academy on at-risk students. Each year, a percentage of students at the United States Naval Academy are enrolled in an academic assistance program known as the Plebe Intervention Program. This program is only offered to those students who are deemed at-risk and susceptible to academic difficulties. Another academic assistance program that is offered is known as the Midshipmen Group Study Program. This program, which is voluntary and is offered to all students at the Naval Academy, is based on the supplemental instruction model that was developed at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. The study analyzed the impact of each form of academic assistance in determining the likelihood of student progression beyond the freshman year. Students who represent the most at-risk students at the Naval Academy were compared to students with similar entrance characteristics. The study hypothesized that student participation in each of the academic assistance programs would correlate to persistence, and that student participation in the Midshipmen Group Study Program would lead to higher persistence rates among at-risk students than participation in the Plebe Intervention Program. Results of the study indicate that students who participated in the Midshipmen Group Study Program showed an increase in academic performance and higher persistence rates than students who did not participate. In addition, students enrolled in the Plebe Intervention Program were no less likely to drop out during their freshman year than students with similar entrance characteristics who were not enrolled in the Plebe Intervention Program.