High School GPA Research Articles

Development and Initial Validation of an Admission Test for Bachelor Psychology Studies

Extensive evidence clearly endorses the use of standardized reasoning ability tests and subject-specific knowledge tests as valid and useful tools for admission-restricted study programs. Yet, tests are still rarely applied for university admission in Germany. Instead, current admission practices are predominantly based on grade point average (GPA) achieved in high school. In the present study, we report the development and validation of a test battery for admission into bachelor’s degree programs in psychology for German universities. Its compilation is driven by evidence from international validity generalization, consensual models of cognitive abilities, and a taxonomy of the B.Sc. psychology degree in Germany. It consists of three subtests for reasoning ability, two tests that tap relevant declarative knowledge, and two psychology-specific text comprehension tests. N = 371 freshmen from five German universities completed the tests and university GPA was retrieved 2.5 years later. We use confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation modeling to investigate the construct and criterion validity of the test battery. The results indicate that individual tests, as well as the test battery, meet psychometric requirements. As expected, the test battery predicts university GPA substantially and incrementally beyond high school GPA. The results illustrate the substantial added value that standardized achievement tests provide in university admissions.

Early Indicators of Student Success

This paper reports the results of a four-state collaboration––Texas, New York, Virginia, and Illinois––that uses Student Unit Record Database Systems that track students from high school into college. The goal is to determine whether it is possible to accurately predict whether individual students will not graduate using very early indicators available at college entry or during the first semester. Using similar statistical models across four state university systems, we identify individual students at greatest risk of non-completion quite accurately at early stages, allowing college staff to prioritize interventions and supports aimed at improving completion for those at greatest risk. Our logistic regression models rely on variables available to university administrators at student entry, including high school GPA, standardized test scores, parental income, remediation requirements, declared major, and college credits attempted in the first semester. Our models do not use gender, race, or ethnicity in determining probability of non-completion, making them useful for public university administrators. The fact that the same factors accurately predict graduation and non-completion in four very different state contexts suggests that similar dynamics are at play across the country. Our findings suggest that current commercial products that require extensive effort from faculty to input data on student progress, to act as an early warning system, may be unnecessary. More easily obtainable data can accurately predict students at risk of non-completion.

Item Response Analysis, Invariance, and Validation of the Multicultural Personality Inventory

In a global community with increased immigration and rising sociocultural tensions, there is a need for psychometrically strong instruments that assess adjustment to increasingly culturally heterogeneous environments. The Multicultural Personality Inventory (MPI) is one such instrument, but previous studies have not reported the instrument’s invariance or item-level responses. The present study examined the psychometric properties of the MPI using item response theory, invariance analysis, and structural equation modeling with a sample of 1,194 participants. We found evidence for a 34-item instrument with a bifactor internal structure that demonstrated partial invariance across gender, race, and generational status. Evidence of concurrent and incremental validity of the MPI was established through predicted associations with acculturation, satisfaction with life, social dominance orientation, mental health, color-blind racial attitudes, and self-reported high school grade-point average, beyond any variance accounted for by Big Five variables.

Not feeling recognized as a physics person by instructors and teaching assistants is correlated with female students’ lower grades

Student motivational beliefs in introductory physics courses can influence their course outcomes as well as their retention in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines and future career aspirations. Prior research has shown that students’ perceived recognition by others as a physics person is important in predicting their physics identity and career choices. This study used validated survey data from 827 students in the first of two college algebra-based introductory physics courses primarily taken by bioscience majors, in which women make up approximately 67% of the class. We investigated how the students’ perceived recognition by instructors and teaching assistants (TAs) as a physics person predicts their grade at the end of a mandatory physics course for bioscience majors in which women are not outnumbered by men. We found that overall women had lower perceived recognition than men as a physics person and their perceived recognition played an important role in predicting course grades controlling for high school GPA and math SAT scores. Since physics as a discipline presents a barrier to women due to deep-rooted societal stereotypes and biases about who can excel in it, the numerical representation of women alone in these courses does not imply that they will feel recognized by their instructors and TAs as a physics person without an intentional effort to make the learning environment equitable and inclusive. These findings suggest that physics instructors and TAs should focus on changing the culture in their physics classes and create an equitable and inclusive learning environment in which students from traditionally marginalized demographic groups, e.g., women, feel recognized, and can excel.Received 2 November 2021Accepted 22 March 2022DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.18.010138Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.Published by the American Physical SocietyPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Research AreasDiversity & inclusionEpistemology, attitudes, & beliefsLearning environmentPhysics Education Research

High School Students in Architecture and Construction Management University Summer Camp Program

Recruiting high school students to join undergraduate educational programs can be challenging for many universities. Alleviating the challenges may require approaches that attract and retain interested quality students. Some programs go through rigorous screening processes requiring students to take, pass and submit their Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores, high school Grade Point Average (GPA) scores, and/or even interviewing applicants to evaluate their capabilities before admission. Others have extension or specific programs that invite potential applicants to gain theoretical and practical aspects of certain educational programs thereby aiding students in making informed decisions before applying. This latter approach may prove better as it provides the platform for admission team to interact with students beforehand. Thus, an educational summer camp program was conducted targeting high school students who would be interested in pursuing Architecture and/or Construction Management (CM) undergraduate education. Survey questionnaire was administered to students at the beginning, middle and end of the program. The aim was to investigate the factors that made them choose the program, their prior knowledge of the two disciplines and how their interests in the disciplines changed over time after exposure to the summer program. All students were in the same environment from the beginning to the end where they had a chance to choose architecture or CM. Data were gathered and analyzed with MS Excel owing to the non-complexity of the data that did not require sophisticated analysis software. Results showed greater interest of students with clear understanding and distinction of architecture and CM, and demonstrating steadfast attitude to join the disciplines after high school. The research provided potential factors that recruiters and students may consider for undergraduate admissions as well as importance of active learning as a strategy for efficient educational mastery and excellence.

Academic and non-academic predictors of academic performance in medical school: an exploratory cohort study

BackgroundMedical schools should also evaluate applicants’ non-academic characteristics in the search for successful students and future physicians, but ideal non-academic criteria have not yet been found. We followed two successive generations of medical students at the University of Split School of Medicine (USSM) to assess both academic and non-academic constructs as predictors of academic performance, defined as medical school grade point average (GPA). We also interviewed some of the participants to gain additional insight for future studies.MethodsWe measured study GPA in first and last year, as well as attitudes towards science, motivation, emotional intelligence, self-esteem, and perceived personal incompetence in first year. We also obtained their scores on existing medical school enrollment criteria, the State Graduation Exam (SGE) and high-school GPA. Regression models were constructed for predictors of GPA in the last year of medical school. Four structured pilot interviews were conducted to explore participants’ perceptions of necessary traits for medical school and later practice.ResultsRegression analysis showed that only SGE predicted final academic performance in medical school (β=0.35, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.06-0.64), while none of the non-academic constructs we assessed predicted this outcome of education. The two generations did not significantly differ in any variable except that intrinsic motivation was higher in the generation that enrolled in 2011 (OR=1.47, 95%CI=1.12-1.93, P=0.005).DiscussionNone of the non-academic constructs predicted academic performance in medical school. Their use as selection criteria may not be warranted as they could impact the academic quality of enrolling medical students.

Social Media Usage Intensity and Academic Performance among Undergraduate Students in Saudi Arabia

As the statistics show, use of social media networks (SMNs) are very common among college students worldwide. According to a report by Hootsuite, Saudi Arabia was ranked as the number-one country in the growth of social media users. With the advancement of technology and internet speed, investigating how SMNs affect students has become an absolute necessity. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the influence of social media networks (SMNs) on the academic performance of undergraduate students across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, taking gender differences into account. An invitation email to participate in the online survey was sent to all undergraduate students at five public universities in Saudi Arabia. In total, 453 students from five public universities participated in this study. The results suggested that female students tend to spend more time on SMNs for general purposes and academic purposes than male students. In regard to multitasking with SMNs during schoolwork and social media usage intensity, the results showed no significant differences between male and female students. Finally, the regression analysis showed a positive relationship between students’ academic performance and SMNs usage intensity after gender and high school GPA were controlled for.

Perceptions of the Nursing Students and Academic Staff on College Recruitment Policies in the UAE

Background: Higher education in field of Nursing in the United Arab Emirates faces many challenges regarding the increasing number of nursing students at the Baccalaureate level in nursing programs, which in fact, is a similar situation in all parts of the world (Saifan et al., 2021; Wollin & Fairweather, 2012 & Torregosa et al., 2015). Method: This qualitative research is intended to discover the perceptions of UAE nursing undergraduate students, along with their teaching faculty, regarding the recruitment policies within the nursing colleges of the UAE. The grounded theory constructivist approach was followed. In addition, the “Conceptual Model of Academic Performance” has explained the data analysis of the responses. A focus group interview has been conducted with ten nursing students who were in their third year and five nursing lecturers. These students are attending nursing colleges in Abu Dhabi. In order to gain a clear understanding of their impressions, an open-ended interview has been conducted about current recruitment policy (in general), with a focus on the IELTS and GAP (tests) requirements, ie: minimum scores. Conclusion: The findings indicate that students were dissatisfied with the requirement of “Band (6)” for the IELTS test score. They suggested decreasing this requirement to a band of 5 - 5.5 for accepted college admission requirements. They were, however, happy with the high school GPA policy whereby more consideration was given to some students, which minimizes the expectations while simultaneously increasing their chances of becoming Emirati qualified nurses. Furthermore, by easing the requirements, the UAE has helped in reducing the current nursing shortage.

Investigating the impact of peer supplemental instruction on underprepared and historically underserved students in introductory STEM courses

BackgroundSupplemental instruction (SI) is a well-established mode of direct academic support, used in a wide variety of courses. Some reports have indicated that SI and similar peer-led academic support models particularly benefit students identifying with historically underserved racial/ethnic groups in STEM. However, these studies have not explicitly examined the role of prior academic experiences, an important consideration in college success. We report on the impact of a modified SI model, Peer Supplemental Instruction (PSI), on student success in introductory STEM courses at a diverse access institution. This study focuses on PSI’s impact on the academic performance of students identifying with historically underserved racial/ethnic groups, while also considering the effects of prior academic experiences.ResultsData were aggregated for nine courses over five semesters to produce a robust data set (n = 1789). PSI attendees were representative of the overall student population in terms of previous academic experiences/performance (as determined by high school GPA) and self-identified racial/ethnic demographics. Frequent PSI attendance was correlated with a significant increase in AB rates (average increase of 29.0 percentage points) and reduction in DFW rates (average decrease of 26.1 percentage points) when comparing students who attended 10 + vs. 1–2 PSI sessions. Overall, students identifying as Black/African American received the largest benefit from PSI. These students experienced a significant increase in their final course GPA when attending as few as 3–5 PSI sessions, and exhibited the largest increase in AB rates (from 28.7 to 60.5%) and decrease in DFW rates (from 47.1 to 14.8%) when comparing students who attended 10 + vs. 1–2 sessions. However, students with similar HS GPAs experienced similar benefits from PSI, regardless of self-identified race/ethnicity.ConclusionsThe data presented here suggest that PSI particularly benefitted underprepared students in their introductory STEM courses. Since students identifying with historically underserved racial/ethnic groups have traditionally had inequitable K–12 educational experiences, they enter college less prepared on average, and thus particularly benefit from PSI. PSI, in conjunction with additional strategies, may be a useful tool to help rectify the results of systemic educational inequities for students identifying with historically underserved racial/ethnic groups.

Self-Regulation Versus Self-Discipline in Predicting Achievement: A Replication Study With Secondary Data

Self-regulation is one of multiple noncognitive measures that have been found to relate to academic achievement. Zimmerman and Kitsantas (2014) have distinguished self-regulation from the construct of self-discipline and provided evidence that only the former is predictive of high-school GPA, while controlling for the latter. In this brief report we present a preregistered replication study of their finding using secondary data obtained from a published article by Jung et al. (2017). Despite minor differences in the sample, the measures and the analysis approach, the replication supported the original claim that self-regulation was predictive of academic achievement for undergraduate students, while self-discipline was unrelated to the outcome. The positive association for the self-regulation variable with academic achievement was smaller, but in the same direction as in the original study.

Predictors of Student Academic Success in the Corequisite Model

The purpose of this study was to determine predictors of community college student academic success in corequisite English and mathematics courses. Academic success was defined dichotomously on a pass or fail basis. The population included 1,934 students enrolled in at least one corequisite English and/or mathematics course at a community college between the fall semester of 2015 and summer semester of 2018. Binary logistic regression was used to examine the fol- lowing predictors: a student’s sex, race, age at time of enrollment, Pell Grant recipient status, first-generation college student status, high school grade point average (HSGPA), placement test scores, academic major, time spent receiving academic tutoring; and corequisite course faculty employment status. The two strongest predictors of student academic success in corequisite English courses were: (1) HSGPA and (2) being female. The three strongest predictors of student academic success in corequisite mathematics courses were: (1) HSGPA, (2) corequisite course faculty employment status, and (3) mathematics course based on major. The strongest predictor in both logistic regression analyses was HSGPA. It is recommended that educational leaders use HSGPA as a metric for placing students in the corequisite model. Additionally, it is recommended that institutions continue to invest in faculty professional development opportunities as it relates to teaching students who are non-female, minority, economically-disadvantaged, or first-generation.

Auswahlgespräche an der Medizinischen Hochschule Hannover: Determinanten der Studierendenauswahl im Studiengang Medizin

IntroductionIn order to incorporate social and communicative skills in its student admissions process, Hanover Medical School (MHH) has conducted selection interviews (in combination with the high-school GPA) to choose 60 % of its freshmen in medical studies. The present article analyses if applicants’ performances in the interviews were the determining criterion of student selection, despite a higher weighting of school grades in the admission process. Furthermore, this article checks whether the grading of the interviews was independent of the applicants’ gender, age, origin and educational background. MethodsFor a sample of more than 3,000 successful and unsuccessful participants in the MHH student admission process in the years 2010–2017, we employ variance analysis and logistic regression analysis to determine those factors that have contributed to the chances of being offered a place at the MHH after a successful interview. ResultsThe scores received in the selection interview were the sole determinant of being offered a place at the MHH; neither the applicants’age nor their gender or origin biased the decisions of the selection committees. The grading of the interview was also not affected by school GPAs. DiscussionThe selection interviews at the MHH have been costly in terms of both financial and human resources. However, this selection method has been popular among students and lecturers alike, not least because its elements fit the MHH's focus on early bedside teaching and social skills of prospective physicians. However, there is no evidence that selection interviews are effective in predicting academic success. ConclusionsThe present article has shown that the selection interviews acted up to the principles defined by the MHH: very homogenous high school GPAs were complemented by differentiated interview assessments that did not discriminate by sociodemographic characteristics. It is, however, unclear if the MHH will resume the interviews after the end of a federally mandated halt to stand-alone selection methods at medical schools in Germany.

Athletics and Admissions: The Impact of the Penn State Football Scandal on Student Quality

We ask whether a scandal in a university’s athletics department affects the quality of the incoming student body. To do so, we evaluate the child sex abuse scandal at Penn State University in 2011. The violations involved a former employee with the crimes occurring a decade prior. The plausibly-exogenous shock allows us to make a causal identification of the scandal's effect on the university. We use synthetic control methods establishing economically meaningful impacts. We find that the average high school GPA is 0.12 points less and the proportion of students with high SAT Math scores is down 4.8 percentage points.

Advising, gender, and performance: Evidence from a university with exogenous adviser–student gender match

AbstractThis paper provides the first causal evidence on the effects of gender match in the adviser–student relationship (as opposed to the well‐researched instructor–student relationship) on student outcomes along both the intensive and extensive margins. We analyze administrative data from a university with a faculty adviser assignment policy that makes gender pairing between advisers and students exogenous. We find that matching female students with female adviser has a positive and significant effect on retention and grade point average (GPA) upon graduation, particularly for students with academic challenges and non‐science, technology, engineering, and mathematics students. For female students with below‐median high school GPA, gender match is found to raise the odds of graduate school enrollments.

Comparing School Reports and Empirical Estimates of Relative Reliance on Tests Vs Grades in College Admissions

ABSTRACT The literature is replete with references to a disproportionate reliance on admission test scores (e.g., the ACT or SAT) in the college admissions process. School-reported reliance on test scores and grades has been used to study this question, generally indicating relatively equal reliance on the two, with a slightly higher endorsement of grades. As an alternative, we develop an empirical index of relative reliance on tests and grades, and compare school-reported estimates with empirical evidence of relative reliance. Using a dataset from 174 U.S. colleges and universities, we examine the degree to which applicants and enrolled students differ on the SAT and on high school GPA in each school, and develop an index of empirical relative reliance on test scores vs. grades. We find that schools tend to select on test scores and high school grades relatively equally, with the empirical reliance index showing slightly more reliance on test scores and school-reported reliance estimates showing slightly more reliance on grades.

Trajectories in quantitative and humanities self-efficacy during the first year of college

Although many studies have examined self-efficacy cross-sectionally, few have investigated how undergraduate students' self-efficacy changes over time, particularly during their first year of postsecondary education. The purpose of this study was to explore the trajectories of first-year college students' (N = 2167) self-efficacy in quantitative and humanities subjects and its relationship to academic achievement. A parallel process second-order latent growth model revealed that students' self-efficacy increased simultaneously in each broad domain. Whereas quantitative self-efficacy favored male students and STEM majors at baseline, the rate of change was slower for STEM majors than for non-STEM or undeclared majors. Humanities self-efficacy favored female students at baseline. Only the growth factors of quantitative self-efficacy were positively related to students' first-year cumulative GPA, controlling for gender, major, and high school GPA. Findings can help instructors know when, and to some extent, for whom to offer self-efficacy support during the first year of college.

Creating equitable access and opportunity: predictors of success for college freshmen who participate in a Living Learning Community

Abstract This study examines the relationship between student success measures on student achievement to inform our approach to mediating against potential barriers on persistence and retention for first generation and traditionally marginalized populations for students enrolled in a new Living Learning Community. Success measures examine those beyond the control of the university, including, but not limited to, High School GPA and ACT scores to determine where we should intervene and where we should build upon the strengths of our students. The theme of the PH LLC is Leadership Development and Career Exploration, a program that seeks to empower students by harnessing their individual strengths and capitalizing on them to be successful in college and beyond. The design of this program and its future prospects are also discussed.

What is at stake without high-stakes exams? Students’ evaluation and admission to college at the time of COVID-19

The outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 inhibited face-to-face education and constrained exam taking. In many countries worldwide, high-stakes exams happening at the end of the school year determine college admissions. This paper investigates the impact of using historical data of school and high-stakes exams results to train a model to predict high-stakes exams given the available data in the Spring. The most transparent and accurate model turns out to be a linear regression model with high school GPA as the main predictor. Further analysis of the predictions reflect how high-stakes exams relate to GPA in high school for different subgroups in the population. Predicted scores slightly advantage females and low SES individuals, who perform relatively worse in high-stakes exams than in high school. Our preferred model accounts for about 50% of the out-of-sample variation in the high-stakes exam. On average, the student rank using predicted scores differs from the actual rank by almost 17 percentiles. This suggests that either high-stakes exams capture individual skills that are not measured by high school grades or that high-stakes exams are a noisy measure of the same skill.

College Enrollment and STEM Major Choice in a Rural State

Rural students account for almost 20% of the US K-12 students, but rural context varies from state to state. This study uses a statewide longitudinal sample (N = 3,119) to analyze college enrollment and STEM major choice patterns of Montana’s public high school students in the academic years of 2013-2017. The binary logistic regressions showed that Montanan students are more likely to enroll into a 4-year institution than a 2-year institution. Also, students enrolled at a 4-year institution are more likely to consider STEM majors than students at a 2-year institution. Although high school GPA and ACT STEM scores are strong predictors for both college enrollment and STEM major choice, findings for race/ethnicity, gender, and free or reduced-price lunch status varied across the two outcomes. Specifically, race/ethnicity contributes to variation in college enrollment, but not STEM major choice. Similarly, free or reduced-price lunch status in high school is predictive of college enrollment, but not for STEM major choice. Although there was no difference in college enrollment type for gender, male students are more likely to select a STEM major, and this trend occurs at a rate of three times higher at a 4-year institution versus a 2-year institution. Our findings provide additional nuances of rural students, contributing to the understanding of their college enrollment and STEM major choices in the context of Montana - a large geographic, low populous state - which has received less attention than urban and high-density states.

The Importance of Peer Quality for Completion of Higher Education

Using detailed Danish administrative data covering the entire population of students entering higher education in the period 1985 to 2010, we investigate the importance of a student’s peers in higher education for the decision to drop out. We use high school GPA as a predetermined measure of student ability and idiosyncratic variation in peer composition across cohorts within the same education and institution. Our findings suggest that peer ability is an important determinant of students’ drop out decisions as well as later labor market outcomes. Overall, we find that a one standard deviation increase in peers’ high school GPA reduces the probability of dropping out by 4.6 percentage points. This number masks considerable heterogeneity by level and field of study. Allowing for a more flexible specification, we find that low quality peers have adverse effects on the probability of dropping out while high quality peers have beneficial effects. These effects are more pronounced for lower ability students.