First-year Grade Point Average Research Articles

Dental student success: The predictive value of first-year grades.

This study investigates the relationship between first-year grades and cumulative grades at the end of dental school to explore trends in academic performance in the predoctoral dental curriculum. The objective of this research is to provide information to inform student support efforts for predoctoral dental programs. Academic records for 156 students who completed their first year (D1) of predoctoral dental education in 2015/2016 were reviewed. The analysis reviews outcomes at the end of D1 and the end of the 4-year curriculum. The outcomes of this study are grade point average (GPA) at the end of the 4-year traditional dental school curriculum, grouped as basic science, preclinical, preclinical laboratory, translational, and clinical. Regression analyses were performed for each outcome. A GPA change of 0.5 was employed to demonstrate change, as it represented half a letter grade. The analysis found first-year grades to be related to 4-year academic outcomes. For example, a 0.5-grade point score increase in the first-year basic science GPA was associated with a 0.503 increase in basic science GPA. However, a 0.5-grade point increase in first-year annual GPA was associated with a 0.084 increase in the clinical science GPA. First-year annual GPA was the only significant predictor variable for overall 4-year GPA; a 0.5-grade point increase in the first-year annual GPA was associated with a 0.386 increase in overall GPA. The results of this study suggest that academic and personal support in the first year of dental school is paramount in supporting student success in predoctoral dental education.

First steps in the physician-scientist pipeline: a longitudinal study to examine the effects of an undergraduate extracurricular research programme

ObjectivesMedicine is facing a physician-scientist shortage. By offering extracurricular research programmes (ERPs), the physician-scientist training pipeline could already start in undergraduate phases of medical training. However, previous studies into the...

Identity-Conscious Strategies to Engage At-Promise Students in a Learning Community: Shared Courses in a Comprehensive College Transition Program

Background/Context: Low-income, racially minoritized, and first-generation college students (at-promise students) attending predominantly White, middle class institutions often face inequitable access to enriching educational opportunities, discrimination, and marginalization, creating barriers to their success. Institutions are increasingly designing comprehensive college transition programs (CCTPs) such as the Thompson Scholars Learning Community (TSLC) program to better support this population. Little research has examined how particular elements of CCTPs might foster students’ engagement and outcomes, and TSLC is one of a few existing CCTPs that includes a learning community component where students enroll in shared academic courses. Setting: TSLC operates on three campuses of the University of Nebraska system with different institutional contexts, including mission, size, student population, and geographic location. Study Participants: This study uses quantitative data from 791 first-year students in TSLC who began college in 2015 and 2016 and qualitative data from students and institutional agents who are directly involved with shared academic courses, including instructors and TSLC staff. Purpose: Using a framework of inclusive learning communities defined by Fink and Hummel (2015) , this study explores how and why shared courses may promote engagement and the development of several psychosocial and academic outcomes, including sense of belonging and grade point average (GPA), among at-promise students in their first year of college. Research Design: We use a multilevel mixed methods design, employing quantitative data to examine students’ engagement as well as the link between students’ engagement and several measures of psychosocial wellbeing and academic achievement and qualitative data from students and institutional agents to identify the structures and practices that likely contribute to students’ engagement and outcomes. Findings: We find no significant differences in students’ patterns of engagement in shared courses based on several characteristics related to their social identities, family backgrounds, and prior academic achievement. Engagement is positively linked to students’ sense of belonging and mattering to the institution, academic and social self-efficacy, and first-year GPA. Qualitative data provide insight into the mechanisms that foster these outcomes, including helping students develop connections in academic spaces, having a faculty coordinator who supports shared course instructors and students, and instructors’ use of active and relevant learning experiences. Conclusions: The loose-cohort shared courses model implemented in TSLC supports the success of at-promise students and provides evidence of scalability and adaptability across different institutional contexts, offering a model of inclusive learning community structures and practices that can inform efforts at other institutions.

Brief Communication: Predictive Value of Veterinary Student Application Data for Performance in Clinical Year 4.

Student application packages for admission to the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine currently include the following information: undergraduate grade point average (GPA), GPA in science courses, GPA in non-science courses, GPA for the last 45 hours (GPALast45hrs), Graduate Record Examination Quantitative and Verbal Reasoning (GRE-QV) score, GRE Analytical Writing (GRE-AW) score, and grades for 10 required prerequisite courses. From these data, an academics score of up to 70 points is calculated. Faculty reviewers also score each applicant up to a maximum of 30 points (FileScore), giving a total possible score of 100 points. Previous analyses demonstrated that the file score and academic variables are significantly related to first-year GPA of veterinary students; however, it is unknown how these variables relate to performance in clinical rotations. The present study pooled the two most recent graduating classes to compare each academic score component to student clinical rotation grades received during year 4 (CGrYr4) in the teaching hospital. Only one component of the student application packages-the pre-admission GRE-QV score-significantly correlated with CGrYr4.

Examining Demographic and Preadmission Factors Predictive of First Year and Overall Program Success in a Public Physical Therapist Education Program

Introduction. Despite an increase in the rigor of entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program admission, programs still struggle with student retention and success. The purpose of this study was to examine demographic and preadmission factors predictive of first year and overall program success in an entry-level public physical therapist education program. Subjects. Retrospective data from 473 DPT students at the Texas Woman’s University in Houston, TX, who entered the program between 2010 and 2018. Methods. This study included the following predictor variables: last 60 hours undergraduate (UG) grade point average (GPA), UG math/science GPA, overall UG GPA, science/nonscience major, Graduate Record Examination (GRE) component scores, GRE summed score (GRE-S), size and type of UG institution (dichotomized), gender, age, and personal grit score. Success in the program was measured by first-semester GPA, cumulative third-semester GPA, final program GPA, three-tiered ranking of academic and clinical education (CE) standing, completion of first-year program, and completion of the entire 3-year program. Results. First-year program success (first-semester GPA, cumulative third-semester GPA, and first-year completion) was predicted by age, overall UG GPA, GRE-S, and all GRE components. GRE scores and UG GPA when entered together predicted 45.8% of the first-year GPA. Overall program success was predicted by UG GPA, GRE-S, and all GRE components. GRE-S and UG GPA when entered together predicted 34.8% of final program GPA. Academic standing was predicted by multiple predictors, whereas CE performance was only predicted by 2 components of the GRE and GRE-S. When comparing students who completed the program versus those who did not, significant differences were found in all GRE components and overall UG GPA. Receiver-operating-characteristics analysis was used to determine cutoff scores for the GRE and overall UG GPA, which best predict first-year and program retention. Conclusion. Admissions committees of DPT should analyze their program-specific data to better guide their admissions decisions. Overall UG GPA and GRE continue to be strong predictors of physical therapist program success. In order to increase retention rates, DPT programs should consider additional resources for students who may be at risk.

How Does the Psychological Well-being (PWB) in the First Year of College Studies Predict Community College Students’ Academic Performance in Hong Kong?

ABSTRACT Research showed that the college environment threatens the mental health development of students. The community college (CC) system is unique and the development of the psychological well-being (PWB) of students studying at CCs has not been extensively studied. It is also worth answering the question that how PWB relates to CC students’ academic performance. In this study, the development of the PWB of CC students in Hong Kong and its relationship with the first-year academic performance have been explored. Results indicated that CC students’ PWB decreased significantly after the first year of studies. Among the six constructs in PWB, only the change of Personal Growth, Self-Acceptance, and Purpose in Life significantly predicted students’ first-year Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA), in which Purpose in Life yielded the greatest relative importance. The Purpose in Life level at the time also mediated the relationship between students’ pre-college and first-year college academic performance, however, such mediation effect could only be observed in non-first-generation students. The findings of this study suggested that the mental health conditions of CC students should have gained more attention. CCs should also have put more efforts and resources to help freshmen students foster their purpose in life so that they could have better chances to achieve academic success.

The Road to Retention Passes through First Year Academic Performance: A Meta-Analytic Path Analysis of Academic Performance and Persistence

ABSTRACT This meta-analytic path analysis presents evidence that first-year academic performance (FYAP), measured by first-year grade point average (FYGPA) plays the major role in determining second-year student retention and that socioeconomic status (SES), measured by parental income, plays a negligible role. Based on large sample data used in a previous study, we conducted additional analyses that included corrections for measurement error and created path models using precollege academic achievement, measured by ACT Composite scores and high school GPA (HSGPA), and SES to predict FYAP and then second-year retention. Precollege academic performances had direct effects on FYAP, and FYAP fully mediated their effects on second-year retention. SES did not contribute to the prediction of FYAP, and it had only a trivial effect on second-year retention. The results of this study point to the criticality of FYAP, and supporting first-year student academic success may serve as the central vehicle for retention efforts.

A Social-Belonging Intervention Benefits Higher Weight Students’ Weight Stability and Academic Achievement

Psychological interventions can narrow college achievement gaps between students from nonstigmatized and stigmatized groups. However, no intervention we know of has investigated effects for one highly stigmatized group: people of higher bodyweights. We analyzed data from a prematriculation social-belonging intervention trial at 22 colleges, which conveyed that adversity in the college transition is normative, temporary, and nondiagnostic of lack of belonging. Nine months postintervention, higher weight participants in a standard belonging treatment had higher first-year grade point averages (GPAs) than controls and maintained more stable weights, an indicator of physical well-being. Effects of a belonging treatment customized to specific colleges were directionally similar but nonsignificant. Exploratory analyses revealed that effects did not differ by race and that weight effects were driven by women. Together, results show that higher weight students contend with belonging concerns that contribute to a weight gap in GPA, but belonging interventions can raise GPA and promote healthy weight stability.

Factors Associated with Student Pharmacists’ Academic Progression and Performance on the National Licensure Examination

Objective. To examine predictors of Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students' on-time graduation, dismissal from pharmacy school, and scores on their first attempt at taking the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX). Methods. A retrospective review of student records for the graduating classes of 2015-2018 at a college of pharmacy was performed. Data on the following were collected: student demographics/characteristics (age, gender, race/ethnicity, financial need), having an undergraduate degree, undergraduate science grade point average (GPA), Pharmacy College Admission Test composite score percentile, pharmacy school GPAs for the didactic portion of the curriculum, Pre-NAPLEX score, on-time graduation from pharmacy school, dismissal from pharmacy school, and outcome (pass/fail) of first-attempt at taking the NAPLEX. Binary logistic regression analysis was conducted. Results. Of the 657 students whose records were included in the study, the majority were female (60%) and non-Hispanic white (70%). Higher first-year GPA was associated with increased likelihood of on-time graduation, while increased age and having an undergraduate degree were associated with a decreased likelihood of on-time graduation. A higher first-year GPA was associated with decreased likelihood of being dismissed from pharmacy school. Appearing before the Academic Standing and Promotion Review Committee for unsatisfactory academic performance was associated with decreased likelihood of passing the NAPLEX. Conclusion. First-year pharmacy school GPA is a critical predictor for student pharmacists in terms of on-time graduation and dismissal, and may have consequences for later NAPLEX outcome. Pharmacy schools should closely monitor students' performance during the first year and provide support to students experiencing academic difficulties.

Avoidance coping and academic locus of control as mediators of the relationship between posttraumatic stress and academic achievement among first-year college students

ABSTRACTBackground and Objectives: Posttraumatic stress (PTS) has been found to be associated with poor academic performance among college students. However, our understanding of the mechanisms underlying this relationship is limited to the results of a few recent studies. The present study is aimed at expanding the literature in this area by examining whether avoidance coping and external academic locus of control (LOC) mediate the relationship between PTS and academic achievement among first-year college students.Design: A correlational study design was used. Students completed a quantitative survey in their first semester of college. After they completed their first academic year, we obtained their grade point averages (GPAs) through the university.Method: Participants included 280 first-year college students with a history of potentially traumatic events. Data obtained from these participants were analyzed using path analysis.Results: Two indirect paths from PTS to first-year GPA were significant, suggesting that external academic LOC mediated the effects of both PTS and avoidance coping on first-year GPA.Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the interventions that target external academic LOC may help reduce the detrimental effects of PTS on academic achievement among trauma-exposed college students.

Predicting Students’ First-Year Academic Performance Using Entry Requirements for Faculty of Science in Kaduna State University, Kaduna – Nigeria

The study aimed to determine if any of the entry requirements such as Ordinary Level (OL) results, Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) scores or Post-UTME (PUTME) scores could predict an outstanding academic performance of first-year undergraduate students admitted into the Faculty of Science in the Kaduna State University, Kaduna. The study adopted the descriptive research design. A purposive sample of nine hundred and forty-three (943) first-year students constituted the population for the study were drawn from Computer Science, Mathematics and Physics undergraduate degree programmes from the Faculty of Science of the university who were admitted from the 2010/2011 to 2014/2015 academic sessions. The instruments for data collection were OL, UTME and first-year Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) results, which were coded and analysed with the aid of Computational Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) Coefficient and Multinomial Logistics Regression (MLR) were the statistics used to answer the four research questions used. The results revealed that with a weak correlation, OL is a good predictor on the CGPA, a dependent variable, for academic performance which holds true for students who are in the CGPA category of '1st class' and '2nd Class Lower' respectively. It concluded that the use of OL and UTME as instruments is not enough to select candidates for admission and therefore recommended that other instruments such as senior secondary school mock examinations need to be included as part of the entry requirements in the admission criteria.

Establishing empirical links between high school assessments and college outcomes: An essential requirement for college readiness interpretations

ABSTRACTAs states evaluate whether they should continue with their current assessment program or adopt next-generation college readiness assessments, it is important to ascertain the degree to which current high school assessments can be used for college readiness interpretations. In this study, we examined the ability of a state assessment to serve as an indicator of college readiness. Empirical evidence is presented summarizing relationships between performance on the standards-based high school assessment and performance in college. Benchmarks were set on the Reading, Mathematics, and Science tests by linking assessment scores directly to grades in college courses. The accuracy of the benchmarks was similar to that of a traditional college admission test. Students who met the college readiness benchmarks earned higher grades in general education college courses and had higher first-year college grade point averages. Implications for states and other stakeholders are discussed.

How Should Colleges Treat Multiple Admissions Test Scores?

AbstractThe percentage of students retaking college admissions tests is rising. Researchers and college admissions offices currently use a variety of methods for summarizing these multiple scores. Testing organizations such as ACT and the College Board, interested in validity evidence like correlations with first‐year grade point average (FYGPA), often use the most recent test score available. In contrast, institutions report using a variety of composite scoring methods for applicants with multiple test records, including averaging and taking the maximum subtest score across test occasions (“superscoring”). We compare four scoring methods on two criteria. First, we compare correlations between scores and FYGPA by scoring method. We find them similar (). Second, we compare the extent to which test scores differentially predict FYGPA by scoring method and number of retakes. We find that retakes account for additional variance beyond standardized achievement and positively predict FYGPA across all scoring methods. Superscoring minimizes this differential prediction—although it may seem that superscoring should inflate scores across retakes, this inflation is “true” in that it accounts for the positive effects of retaking for predicting FYGPA. Future research should identity factors related to retesting and consider how they should be used in college admissions.

Reducing Gaps in First-Year Outcomes Between Hispanic First-Generation College Students and Their Peers: The Role of Accelerated Learning and Financial Aid

Hispanic students are the most likely out of all racial or ethnic groups to be first-generation college students (FGCS). Hispanic FGCS have been shown to be the least likely to persist out of all racial or ethnic backgrounds. However, there is little literature on this population. To address this, the present study investigated the association of accelerated learning in high school (e.g., Advanced Placement courses and dual enrollment) and financial aid on academic outcomes for Hispanic FGCS and Hispanic non-FGCS at a 4-year postsecondary institution ( n = 2,499). Hispanic FGCS fared worse in first-year grade point average (GPA) and first- to second-year retention than Hispanic non-FGCS. After controlling for academic, nonacademic, and demographic variables, results suggested that accelerated learning reduced achievement gaps in first-year GPA and financial aid reduced achievement gaps in retention rates for Hispanic FGCS. These results suggest that environmental supports (i.e., accelerated learning and financial aid) may be able to improve GPA and retention for Hispanic FGCS.

Rethinking Dental School Admission Criteria: Correlation Between Pre-Admission Variables and First-Year Performance for Six Classes at One Dental School.

Admissions committees in dental schools are charged with the responsibility of selecting candidates who will succeed in school and become successful members of the profession. Identifying students who will have academic difficulty is challenging. The aim of this study was to determine the predictive value of pre-admission variables for the first-year performance of six classes at one U.S. dental school. The authors hypothesized that the variables undergraduate grade point average (GPA), undergraduate science GPA (biology, chemistry, and physics), and Dental Admission Test (DAT) scores would predict the level of performance achieved in the first year of dental school, measured by year-end GPA. Data were collected in 2015 from school records for all 297 students in the six cohorts who completed the first year (Classes of 2007 through 2013). In the results, statistically significant correlations existed between all pre-admission variables and first-year GPA, but the associations were only weak to moderate. Lower performing students at the end of the first year (lowest 10% of GPA) had, on average, lower pre-admission variables than the other students, but the differences were small (≤10.8% in all categories). When all the pre-admission variables were considered together in a multiple regression analysis, a significant association was found between pre-admission variables and first-year GPA, but the association was weak (adjusted R2=0.238). This weak association suggests that these students' first-year dental school GPAs were mostly determined by factors other than the pre-admission variables studied and has resulted in the school's placing greater emphasis on other factors for admission decisions.

The Impact of Motivational Types on First-Year GPA Among Military Spouses in College

ABSTRACTIn this study, military spouse students attending an online university were sampled. The authors looked at whether life satisfaction and motivation can predict grade point average (GPA) and found some evidence that individuals who are oriented toward enjoyment tended to have higher first-year GPAs. They also found that the relationship between extrinsic motivation and first-year GPA was moderated by military spouses' satisfaction with life. Those military spouses that were high in extrinsic motivation performed more poorly on first-year GPA when they had higher levels of life satisfaction. Future studies should continue to explore predictors for academic success among military spouses to aid colleges and universities with establishing policies, procedures, and programs to better assist this unique population.

Moderating Effects of Campus Recreation Participation in the Relationship between Grade Point Average and First-Year Student Engagement: An Exploratory Study

Health and student success outcomes are often thought to be associated with campus recreation participation. Thus, decision makers at the university level are interested in the relationship between campus recreation participation, grade point average (GPA), and student engagement. Previous research has called for a clearer understanding of how campus recreation is meaningful for first-year university students and its potential influences on GPA. This study explored the influence of first-year students' campus recreation participation, GPA, and facets of student engagement. First-year university students ( N = 171) were surveyed. Demographic characteristics, GPA, and level of engagement on five scales were assessed. Results showed that GPA positively influenced those who participated in campus recreation on four facets of engagement. Results may help academic administrators to target efforts toward making the transition from high school to university easier. Promoting campus recreation participation may be effective for strengthening students' level of engagement and result in positive success outcomes.

Evidence-based selection process to the Master of Public Health program at Medical University

BackgroundEvaluation of the predictive validity of selected sociodemographic factors and admission criteria for Master’s studies in Public Health at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw (MUW).MethodsFor the evaluation purposes recruitment data and learning results of students enrolled between 2008 and 2012 were used (N = 605, average age 22.9 ± 3.01). The predictive analysis was performed using the multiple linear regression method. In the proposed regression model 12 predictors were selected, including: sex, age, professional degree (BA), the Bachelor’s studies grade point average (GPA), total score of the preliminary examination broken down into five thematic areas. Depending on the tested model, one of two dependent variables was used: first-year GPA or cumulative GPA in the Master program.ResultsThe regression model based on the result variable of Master’s GPA program was better matched to data in comparison to the model based on the first year GPA (adjusted R2 0.413 versus 0.476 respectively). The Bachelor’s studies GPA and each of the five subtests comprising the test entrance exam were significant predictors of success achieved by a student both after the first year and at the end of the course of studies.ConclusionsCriteria of admissions with total score of MCQs exam and Bachelor’s studies GPA can be successfully used for selection of the candidates for Master’s degree studies in Public Health. The high predictive validity of the recruitment system confirms the validity of the adopted admission policy at MUW.

Disentangling the predictive validity of high school grades for academic success in university

To refine selective admission models, we investigate which measure of prior achievement has the best predictive validity for academic success in university. We compare the predictive validity of three core high school subjects to the predictive validity of high school grade point average (GPA) for academic achievement in a liberal arts university programme. Predictive validity is compared between the Dutch pre-university (VWO) and the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma. Moreover, we study how final GPA is predicted by prior achievement after students complete their first year. Path models were separately run for VWO (n = 314) and IB (n = 113) graduates. For VWO graduates, high school GPA explained more variance than core subject grades in first-year GPA and final GPA. For IB graduates, we found the opposite. Subsequent path models showed that after students’ completion of the first year, final GPA is best predicted by a combination of first-year GPA and high school GPA. Based on our small-scale results, we cautiously challenge the use of high school GPA as the norm for measuring prior achievement. Which measure of prior achievement best predicts academic success in university may depend on the diploma students enter with.

Introductory anatomy and physiology in an undergraduate nursing curriculum.

Using an educational data mining approach, first-year academic achievement of undergraduate nursing students, which included two compulsory courses in introductory human anatomy and physiology, was compared with achievement in a final semester course that transitioned students into the workplace. We hypothesized that students could be grouped according to their first-year academic achievement using a two-step cluster analysis method and that grades achieved in the human anatomy and physiology courses would be strong predictors of overall achievement. One cohort that graduated in 2014 (n = 105) and one that graduated in 2015 (n = 94) were analyzed separately, and for both cohorts, two groups were identified, these being "high achievers" (HIGH) and "low achievers" (LOW). Consistently, the anatomy and physiology courses were the strongest predictors of group assignment, such that a good grade in these was much more likely to put a student into a high-achieving group. Students in the HIGH groups also scored higher in the Transition to Nursing course when compared with students in the LOW groups. The higher predictor importance of the anatomy and physiology courses suggested that if a first-year grade-point average was calculated for students, an increased weighting should be attributed to these courses. Identifying high-achieving students based on first-year academic scores may be a useful method to predict future academic performance.