Undergraduate GPA Research Articles

Predicting Success: An Examination of the Predictive Validity of a Measure of Motivational-Developmental Dimensions in College Admissions.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, an unprecedented number of higher education institutions adopted test-optional admissions policies. The proliferation of these policies and the criticism of standardized admissions tests as unreliable predictors of applicants' postsecondary educational promise have prompted the reimagining of evaluative methodologies in college admissions. However, few institutions have designed and implemented new measures of applicants' potential for success, rather opting to redistribute the weight given to other variables such as high school course grades and high school GPA. We use multiple regression to investigate the predictive validity of a measure of non-cognitive, motivational-developmental dimensions implemented as part of a test-optional admissions policy at a large urban research university in the United States. The measure, composed of four short-answer essay questions, was developed based on the social-cognitive motivational and developmental-constructivist perspectives. Our findings suggest that scores derived from the measure make a statistically significant but small contribution to the prediction of undergraduate GPA and 4-year bachelor's degree completion. We also find that the measure does not make a statistically significant nor practical contribution to the prediction of 5-year graduation.

Hubungan Sistem Seleksi Masuk Perguruan Tinggi dengan Indeks Prestasi Kumulatif Lulusan Sarjana Kedokteran

Background: The Grade Point Average (GPA) is an essential factor in medical education, since it is used to evaluate the quality of graduates, with a correlation between a higher GPA and higher-quality doctors. College admission selection system, which is aimed at identifying prospective students who are most likely to succeed in completing education at Faculty of Medicine and has Predictive Validity for undergraduate GPA, is one of factors that can influence GPA.Objective: Knowing the connection between college admissions selection system and grade point average for medical graduates.Methods: This research is an analytic observational study using a Cross Sectional design conducting to utilize a questionnaire on medical graduates for 2020 and 2021 periods. Total Sampling was utilized with a total sample size of 125 people (57 medical graduates for 2020 period and 68 medical graduates for 2021 period) who matched the research criteria. The research was evaluated univariately and bivariately using Somers'd correlation and One Way ANOVA tests, respectively.Result: The bivariate analysis for medical graduates for 2020 period produced a p value = 0.349. For medical graduates, a value p = 0.001 and r = 0.280 were obtained for 2021 period. The value of p = 0.010 was achieved in the One Way ANOVA test.Conclusion: For 2020 period, there is no relationship to college admission selection system and GPA of medical graduates. However, for 2021 period, there is a significant relationship between college admission selection system and GPA of medical graduates, and relationship is included in a weakly positive correlation. In addition, the average GPA of medical graduates varies according on college admission selection system. Graduates who enter tertiary institutions by SNMPTN route have the highest average GPA, followed by those who enter through SBMPTN and SMMU.Keywords: College Admissions Selection System, GPA, Medical Graduate Graduates

Revisiting College Entry Testing to Increase Trained Deaf Teachers in the Classrooms.

Graduate Records Examinations (GRE) remain an important criterion for admission to the graduate program. This study explored the predictive role of the GRE for college success among deaf students because most deaf and hard-of-hearing students experience lifelong difficulties in English language and literacy because of their different language acquisition processes. Additionally, the study examined the students' undergraduate grade point average (UGPA), first-semester grade point average (FSGPA), and graduating graduate grade point average (GGPA) to understand D/HH students' performance in a graduate program. Additionally, the study examined the use of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) as a substitute for the GRE criterion for graduate admission. The findings' discussions offer suggestions for using GRE scores in admitting D/HH students to graduate academic programs across the United States.

Noncognitive Factors of Grit and Mindset Do Not Predict Performance on the National Physical Therapy Exam.

National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE) performance is predicted to some degree by cognitive measures, such as grade point average (GPA) and the Graduate Record Exam scores. Researchers have begun to explore noncognitive measures, for example, grit and mindset, which could account for other potential determinants of student success in physical therapist (PT) education programs and the NPTE. There is a paucity of evidence that has explored non-cognitive factors related to academic performance compared to cognitive factors. Constructs such as grit and mindset have been identified as reliable measures; however, mixed results occur in the literature as how these scales predict NPTE performance. Cognitive factors continue to demonstrate stronger correlations to NPTE performance. Four PT student cohorts (n = 43, 45, 50, and 49) were enrolled in a prospective cohort study. Grit and mindset were measured by self-reported questionnaires. Cognitive measures were obtained, including undergraduate cumulative GPA (cGPA), undergraduate science GPA (sGPA), graduate GPA (gGPA), Academic Practice Exam and Assessment Tool (Academic PEAT) scores, and NPTE scores. Pairwise Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated for each cohort. National Physical Therapy Exam scores from 2 graduating cohorts were analyzed using multiple linear regression to identify variables that predicted successful outcomes. Neither grit nor mindset correlated with any cognitive measures. Furthermore, neither grit nor mindset were significantly associated with NPTE scores or outcomes in multivariate regression models. National Physical Therapy Exam scores were significantly associated with gGPA (β = 148.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 93.4-203.5) and Academic PEAT scores (β = 0.28, 95% CI = 0.08-0.49). Among PT students at a small liberal arts institution in the midwest, grit and mindset were not associated with any indicators of academic success (e.g., cGPA, sGPA, gGPA, Academic PEAT, or NPTE scores). NPTE outcomes were best predicted by gGPA and Academic PEAT scores. These findings conflict with previous reports that grit and mindset are potential markers for academic success and support monitoring gGPA and Academic PEAT scores to identify students who may require additional preparation before sitting for the NPTE.

The Impact of Academic, Sociodemographic, and Program Growth Factors on Admission Offers to U.S. Graduate Education Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders: National Trends in 2016-2020 Cycles.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of academic factors and sociodemographic factors on offers of admission to graduate education programs in communication sciences and disorders (speech-language pathology and audiology) in the United States. A retrospective analysis of extant data from undergraduate students applying to graduate education programs through the Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application Service (CSDCAS) was conducted. Descriptive, parametric, nonparametric, and multivariate hierarchical logistic modeling analyses were applied to data from 38,625 unique applicants across four consecutive application cycles from 2016 to 2020 to assess relationships between admission offers, and academic and sociodemographic factors. The academic factors included Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and grade point average (GPA; cumulative undergraduate GPA and cumulative communication sciences and disorders [CSD] GPA), and sociodemographic factors included race/ethnicity, age, disadvantaged socioeconomic status, first-generation status, and multilinguistic status. The rate of receiving an offer of admission continuously increased from 59.4% in the 2016-2017 cycle to 75.4% in the 2019-2020 cycle (p < .001). The significant predictors for admission offers across all four application cycles were GPA, GRE, and applicant age. While the odds ratios of GRE and age were relatively stable, the odds ratios of GPA had a decreasing trend. Bivariate analyses showed that students who were non-White, older, socioeconomically disadvantaged, first-generation, and nonmultilingual were significantly less likely to receive offers of admission than their counterparts, but the relationships between those sociodemographic factors, except for age, and admission offers diminished when all factors were considered in the logistic regression analyses. Academic and sociodemographic factors significantly affected the likelihood of obtaining at least one offer of admission to a graduate program in CSD at different levels. While the effect sizes were variable, these findings provide evidence-based guidance for admission committees seeking to improve the inclusiveness of admission processes and the realization of greater diversity across multidimensional domains (e.g., race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age).

An Assessment of Master's Degree Programs Pre and Post Pandemic

In this study, graduate “programs of strategic emphasis” at a state university in Florida, USA during the spring semesters of 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 were examined. The students’ application, enrollment, performance, and graduation data for the four semesters were collected and analyzed. Due to COVID-19, all courses had to be delivered purely online in the latter spring semester of 2020. Facing various challenges and uncertainties, the Graduate School worked with all programs to update their programs and remove admission barriers, including graduate record examination (GRE) requirements. After the onset of the pandemic, the number of applicants increased (p &lt; 0.001), the number of students enrolled increased (p &lt; 0.001), and the yield rate of enrolled new students compared to applicants decreased (p &lt; 0.001). Despite the removal of admission barriers, the undergraduate grade point averages (GPA) of new applicants did not decrease (p = 0.500), graduate GPA in the first semester increased (p &lt; 0.001), and overall graduate GPA increased (p &lt; 0.001). Finally, graduation rates increased after the onset of the pandemic (p &lt; 0.001). This study demonstrates that despite challenges due to the pandemic, removal of admission barriers did not adversely affect student outcomes.

The impact of holistic review on correlations between doctoral student outcomes, and GPA and GRE scores in the biomedical sciences.

Graduate admissions committees throughout the United States examine both quantitative and qualitative data from applicants to make admissions determinations. A number of recent studies have examined the ability of commonly used quantitative metrics such as the GRE and undergraduate GPA to predict the likelihood of applicant success in graduate programs. We examined whether an admissions committee could predict applicant success at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences based on quantitative metrics. We analyzed the predictive validity of admissions scores, undergraduate GPA, and the GRE for student success. We observed nuanced differences based on gender, ethnicity, race, and citizenship status. The scores assigned to applicants by the admissions committee could not predict time to degree in PhD students regardless of demographic group. Undergraduate GPA was correlated with time to degree in some instances. Interestingly, while GRE scores could predict time to degree, GRE percentile scores could predict both time to degree and PhD candidacy examination results. These findings suggest that there is a level of nuance that is required for interpretation of these quantitative metrics by admissions committees.

A Longitudinal Study Identifying the Characteristics and Content Knowledge of Those Seeking Certification to Teach Secondary Biology in the United States.

Teacher content knowledge has been identified as a key prerequisite to effective instruction, and current educational policies require measurement of teacher content knowledge to assess candidacy for licensure. The primary instruments used in the United States are the Praxis Subject Assessment exams, which are designed to measure the subject-specific content knowledge needed to be a teacher. The Praxis Biology Subject Assessment exam, used by 42 U.S. states in the past decade, is the most common national measure used to determine biology content knowledge for teacher certification. Demographic and performance data from examinees (N = 43,798) who took the Praxis Biology Subject Assessment from 2006 to 2015 were compared to present a much-needed picture of who is seeking certification to teach biology, how different groups of aspiring biology teachers have performed, and how demographic makeup of prospective biology teachers compares with reports in previous studies describing the composition of the biology teacher workforce. Results indicate the majority of students self-reported as White (76%), female (66%), having undergraduate grade point averages (GPAs) at or above a 3.0 (76%) and majoring in biology (45%). Additionally, the demographic data were included in a linear regression model to determine the factors that explained the most variance in performance of the examinee. The model revealed substantial differences in average performance and pass rates between examinees of different genders, races, undergraduate majors, undergraduate GPAs, and census regions. This suggests that if the examinee is a White science, technology, engineering, and mathematics major, man with a 3.5 or higher undergraduate GPA, resides in the western United States, or plans to teach in a suburban school, the examinee will on average outperform their counterparts on the exam. From our analyses, we suggest several measures for the improvement of the biology teaching workforce and establish potential issues in the teacher pipeline that may impact the quality and diversity of U.S. biology teachers.

Attentional strategy choice is not predicted by cognitive ability or academic performance

ABSTRACT People exhibit vast individual variation in the degree to which they choose optimal attentional control strategies during visual search, although it is not well understood what predicts such variation. In the present study, we sought to determine whether markers of real-world achievement (assessed via undergraduate GPA) and cognitive ability (e.g., general fluid intelligence) could predict attentional strategy optimization (assessed via the Adaptive Choice Visual Search task; [Irons, J. L., & Leber, A. B. (2018). Characterizing individual variation in the strategic use of attentional control. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 44(10), 1637–1654]). Results showed that, while general cognitive ability predicted visual search response time and accuracy, neither achievement nor cognitive ability metrics could predict attentional strategy optimization. Thus, the determinants of attentional strategy remain elusive, and we discuss potential steps to shed light on this important research topic.

Removing the Graduate Record Examination as an Admissions Requirement Does Not Impact Student Success.

Background: The predictive validity of components of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) on student success is inconsistent, and the test itself has been shown to be a barrier for prospective students historically underrepresented in graduate programs. Policy Options and Recommendations: We analyzed three admissions cycles for the Master of Public Health degree at the Boston University School of Public Health before (2016, 2017, 2018) and after (2019, 2020, 2021) eliminating the GRE for diversity and quality of applications, student success, and employment outcomes. We observed increases in diversity (e.g., 7.1% and 7.0% self-identified as African American/Black and Hispanic before eliminating the GRE as compared to 8.5% and 8.2% after), but no loss of quality, as measured by undergraduate grade point averages (GPAs) (e.g., median undergraduate GPA before and after eliminating the GRE of 3.4). We also saw no difference in performance in required core courses (e.g., more than 93.5% of students earned passing grades in required courses before and 94.5% after eliminating the GRE) and graduate employment (i.e., 93.1% employed within 6 months of graduation before and 93.8% after eliminating the GRE). We recommend removing the GRE as an admission requirement for the MPH as a step toward diversifying the public health workforce. This change alone is necessary but insufficient. We also need to develop support programs, tailored specifically to the needs of our future students, to ensure their success. Conclusion: Eliminating the GRE as an admissions requirement for prospective students does not result in loss of student quality or worse program performance.

Undergraduate GPA Predicts Biochemistry PhD Completion and Is Associated with Time to Degree.

There is interest in admission criteria that predict future success in biomedical graduate school programs, but identifying predictors of PhD attainment is inherently complex. In particular, high noncompletion rates of PhD programs have long been recognized as a major crisis. Here, we present a quantitative analysis of the PhD students enrolled in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at Texas A&M University between 1980 and 2010. The input variables included sex, country of citizenship, undergraduate grade point average (GPA), and Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores (Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning). Only GPA was a significant predictor of PhD completion based on logistic regression. We also examined associations involving nonbinary measures of success (PhD duration, first author, and total number of publications) among students who completed a PhD. GPA was again associated with the PhD duration. No enrollment variable was strongly associated with publication output. Despite potential limitations, this analysis is the first to suggest an undergraduate GPA association with PhD completion in life sciences. These results from a large state university in a predominantly rural area expand the range of programs from which such analyses have been reported.

The Validity of MCAT Scores in Predicting Students' Performance and Progress in Medical School: Results From a Multisite Study.

This is the first multisite investigation of the validity of scores from the current version of the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) in clerkship and licensure contexts. It examined the predictive validity of MCAT scores and undergraduate grade point averages (UGPAs) for performance in preclerkship and clerkship courses and on the United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 and Step 2 Clinical Knowledge examinations. It also studied students' progress in medical school. Researchers examined data from 17 U.S. and Canadian MD-granting medical schools for 2016 and 2017 entrants who volunteered for the research and applied with scores from the current MCAT exam. They also examined data for all U.S. medical schools for 2016 and 2017 entrants to regular-MD programs who applied with scores from the current exam. Researchers conducted linear and logistic regression analyses to determine whether MCAT total scores added value beyond UGPAs in predicting medical students' performance and progress. Importantly, they examined the comparability of prediction by sex, race and ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Researchers reported medium to large correlations between MCAT total scores and medical student outcomes. Correlations between total UGPAs and medical student outcomes were similar but slightly lower. When MCAT scores and UGPAs were used together, they predicted student performance and progress better than either alone. Despite differences in average MCAT scores and UGPAs between students who self-identified as White or Asian and those from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, predictive validity results were comparable. The same was true for students from different socioeconomic backgrounds, and for males and females. These data demonstrate that MCAT scores add value to the prediction of medical student performance and progress and that applicants from different backgrounds who enter medical school with similar ranges of MCAT scores and UGPAs perform similarly in the curriculum.

Associations between admissions factors and the need for remediation.

This study examines the way in which student characteristics and pre-admissions measures are statistically associated with the likelihood a student will require remediation for academic and professionalism offenses. We anchor our inquiry within Irby and Hamstra's (2016) conceptual framework of constructs of professionalism. Data from five graduating cohorts (2014-2018) from McMaster University (Hamilton, Canada) (N = 1,021) were retroactively collected and analyzed using traditional and multinominal logistic regression analyses. The relationship among student characteristics, pre-admissions variables, and referral for potential remediation both by occurrence (yes/no) as well as type (academic/professional/no referral) were examined separately. Findings indicate that gender (OR = 0.519, 95% CI 0.326-0.827, p < 0.01) and undergraduategrade point average (GPA) (OR = 0.245, 95% CI 0.070-0.855, p < 0.05) were significantly associated with instances of referral for potential professionalism and academic remediation, respectively. Women were less likely than men to require remediation for professionalism (OR = 0.332, 95% CI 0.174-0.602, p < 0.001). Undergraduate GPAs (OR = 0.826, 95% CI 0.021-0.539, p < 0.01) were significantly associated with remediation for academic reasons. Lower undergraduate GPAs were associated with ahigher likelihood of remediation. These findings point to the admissions variables that are associated with instances that prompt referral for potential remediation. Where associations are not significant, we consider the application of different conceptualizations of professionalism across periods of admissions and training. We encourage those involved in applicant selection and student remediation to emphasize the importance of the interactions that occur between personal and contextual factors to influence learner behaviour and professional identity formation.

Validity and Reliability of Pre-matriculation and Institutional Assessments in Predicting USMLE STEP 1 Success: Lessons From a Traditional 2 x 2 Curricular Model.

PurposeWe have observed that students' performance in our pre-clerkship curriculum does not align well with their United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) STEP1 scores. Students at-risk of failing or underperforming on STEP1 have often excelled on our institutional assessments. We sought to test the validity and reliability of our course assessments in predicting STEP1 scores, and in the process, generate and validate a more accurate prediction model for STEP1 performance.MethodsStudent pre-matriculation and course assessment data of the Class of 2020 (n = 76) is used to generate a stepwise STEP1 prediction model, which is tested with the students of the Class of 2021 (n = 71). Predictions are developed at the time of matriculation and subsequently at the end of each course in the programing language R. For the Class of 2021, the predicted STEP1 score is correlated with their actual STEP1 scores, and data agreement is tested with means-difference plots. A similar model is generated and tested for the Class of 2022.ResultsSTEP1 predictions based on pre-matriculation data are unreliable and fail to identify at-risk students (R2 = 0.02). STEP1 predictions for most year one courses (anatomy, biochemistry, physiology) correlate poorly with students' actual STEP1 scores (R2 = 0.30). STEP1 predictions improve for year two courses (microbiology, pathology, and pharmacology). But integrated courses with customized NBMEs provide more reliable predictions (R2 = 0.66). Predictions based on these integrated courses are reproducible for the Class of 2022.ConclusionMCAT and undergraduate GPA are poor predictors of student's STEP1 scores. Partially integrated courses with biweekly assessments do not promote problem-solving skills and leave students' at-risk of failing STEP1. Only courses with integrated and comprehensive assessments are reliable indicators of students' STEP1 preparation.

Using third-party evaluations to assess socioemotional skills in graduate and professional school admissions

Consideration of socioemotional skills in admissions potentially can increase representation of racial and ethnic minorities and women in graduate and professional education as well as identify candidates more likely to succeed in graduate and professional school. Research on one such assessment, the ETS Personal Potential Index (PPI), showed that the PPI produced much smaller racial/ethnic-gender group mean score differences than undergraduate grade point average (UGPA) and the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) did. Across levels of institutional selectivity, the PPI can promote racial/ethnic and gender diversity in graduate and professional school in ways that UGPA and GRE scores do not. Predictive validity analyses showed that for doctoral STEM programs the PPI dimensions of (1) Planning and Organization and (2) Communication Skills positively predict school grade point average as well as a lower risk of academic probation, a determinant of degree progress, both alone and incrementally over UGPA and GRE scores. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/15305058.2021.2019748 .

Examination of Similarities and Quantitative Analysis of Trends Between Admissions Variables and Academic Outcomes.

The purpose of this study was to analyze similarities and trends between admissions variables and academic outcomes of physician assistant (PA) graduate programs to better understand the correlations between them. First, multiple admissions variables were examined individually to determine whether and, if so, why they were similar to each of the following 3 academic outcomes: students' first-time Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam scores and overall and first-term graduate school grade point averages (GPAs). Afterward, trends between those individual academic outcome variables and the independent variables associated with any admissions criteria found to share similarities with individual academic outcomes were analyzed using simultaneous multiple linear regression models. Each model used at least 562 students from a sample set of 566 across 3 different PA graduate school programs. Undergraduate GPAs and Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning scores shared similarities with each academic outcome, and those similarities were included in each regression model. In each model, the undergraduate GPA beta coefficient was greater than the value of the GRE beta coefficients. Based on the beta coefficient values, the undergraduate GPA variable appeared to be the nonbinary and non-age-independent variable that trended upward the strongest alongside increases in each academic outcome when other variables were controlled for.

Growing future clinicians: Can the seeds of admission data determine success?

Most students entering dental school have outstanding academic credentials. Despite this, some students face academic difficulties throughout their dental education. The study investigates outcomes at the end of the first-year and the end of the 4-year curriculum. This study reviewed data from 177 students in the entering classes of 2015 and 2016. The regression models included 156 students who completed the 4-year curriculum on the traditional timeline. Undergraduate cumulative GPA had a significant association with dental school outcomes in 4-year biomedical science GPA, translational science GPA, and clinical science GPA (increase of 0.31, 0.31, and 0.08 for a one-unit increase in undergraduate GPA). A one-unit increase in DAT was reflected in increased in first-year biomedical science GPA, preclinical science GPA, and cumulative GPA (0.04, 0.06, and 0.10, respectively). Conversely, a one-unit increase in failure or withdrawal from undergraduate courses was associated with decreases in first-year biomedical science GPA, preclinical science GPA, and cumulative GPA (0.08, 0.09, and 0.08, respectively). The only significant relationship for clinical science (patient care) GPA was cumulative undergraduate GPA (0.08 increase per unit). The results of this study suggest students who are extremely strong academically in college will be strong throughout dental school and suggest benefits of targeted services for academically at-risk students. Due to the limited association of admission records to clinical grades, the results support holistic admission processes.

Imposter Syndrome Relation to Gender Across Osteopathic Medical Schools.

This study explores the rate of Imposter Syndrome (IS) in osteopathic medical students specifically in regard to gender. Additionally, we compare IS with previous performance on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and undergraduate science GPA. IS has been described as a psychological term that refers to a pattern of behavior wherein people doubt their abilities and have a persistent fear of being exposed as a fraud regardless of adequate external evidence of success. Females in professional fields have been shown to experience IS at a significantly higher rate than their male counterparts, the cause of which is unknown. We performed an anonymous survey distributed to osteopathic medical students in the USA from the classes of 2020-2023. The final data included information from 23 classes across 9 osteopathic medical schools. Students were asked eight questions from the Young Imposter Scale questionnaire to determine if a student had IS. Students were also asked to provide MCAT scores and undergraduate science GPA information. This study confirms that female osteopathic medical students experience IS at a higher rate than their male counterparts. This phenomenon is not dependent on gender ratios in medical school classes, nor is it dependent on previous student success on the MCAT or undergraduate science GPA. This indicates that medical schools need to be aware of IS throughout the student population, not just high-achieving individuals. IS is a significant problem in medical education, which can lead to physician burnout and deteriorating well-being.

Examining the Bar Exam: An Empirical Analysis of Racial Bias in the Uniform Bar Examination

The legal profession is among the least diverse in the United States. Given continuing issues of systemic racism, the central position that the justice system occupies in society, and the vital role that lawyers play in that system, it is incumbent upon legal professionals to identify and remedy the causes of this lack of diversity. This Article seeks to understand how the bar examination—the final hurdle to entering the profession— contributes to this dearth of diversity. Using publicly available data, we analyze whether the ethnic makeup of a law school’s entering class correlates to the school’s first-time bar passage rates on the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE). We find that higher proportions of Black and Hispanic students in a law school’s entering class are associated with lower first-time bar passage rates for that school in its reported UBE jurisdictions three years later. This effect persists after controlling for other potentially causal factors like undergraduate grade-point average (UGPA), law school admission test (LSAT) score, geographic region, or law school tier. Moreover, the results are statistically robust at a p-value of 0.01 (indicating just a 1% chance that the results are due to random variation in the data). Because these are school-level results, they may not fully account for relevant factors identifiable only in student-level data. As a result, we argue that follow-up study using data relating to individual students is necessary to fully understand why the UBE produces racially and ethnically disparate results.

Admission Variables Predict Success in a Hybrid-online Physical Therapist Education Program

Purpose: Screening student applicants can be a valuable measure for hybrid-online Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs.Institutions embrace a wide variety of measurements that drive admissions decisions. However, uncertainties exist regarding the most accurate admission predictors of academic outcomes, especially among hybrid-online DPT programs. The purpose of this study was to examine predictive relationships between applicants’ admission variables and program grade point average and National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) performance in a cohort of entry-level hybrid-online DPT students. Methods: A retrospective cohort design and convenience sampling method was used across two entry-level hybrid-online DPT programs in the Southeastern US. Hybrid-online DPT programs utilized ≥51% online instructional delivery. Applicants’ undergraduate admissions records, DPT program academic records, and NPTE scores were collected. Multiple linear regression analyses tested the hypotheses. Cross-tabulations and McNemar’s test were used to identify cut-off scores for variables and odds-ratios of passing the NPTE. Results: N=377 were collected and analyzed from two hybrid-online DPT programs (N=143 [38%] Program A; N=234 [62%] Program B) between Fall of 2018 and Spring of 2020. Applicant undergraduate (uGPA) and trending (tGPA)(final 60 credits) predicted first-time NPTE pass rate (r2 = 0.30, p2 = 0.18, p2 = 0.26, p = 0.02), F(6, 370). Applicant uGPA and tGPA were associated with 3-fold and 2-fold increase odds of passing NPTE on the first attempt, respectively. Conclusions: This study suggests certain applicant variables may be more indicative of success and could be weighted more heavily during the application process. Cumulative and trending undergraduate GPA accurately predict academic performance in hybrid-online DPT education, and NPTE scores. Notably, GRE and undergraduate science GPA were unremarkable. Hybrid-online DPT program GPA strongly predicts outcomes in NPTE scores.