The purposes of this study were to identify selected characteristics of American Indian entering freshman students and to identify selected factors related to the increasing number entering two- or four-year colleges or universities. In addition, the identified characteristics and factors were compared with a sample of Mexican American/Chicanos and in selected areas with other white/Caucasians to determine similarities and differences between the three groups. Six research questions were formulated and examined to achieve the purposes of this study. The data were extracted from the annual freshmen surveys for fall 1966, 1972, and 1978 of the Cooperative Institutional Research Project (CIRP), and the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 (NLS). The variables selected and analyzed from the annual freshmen surveys were sex, age, high-school rank, concern about finances, enrollment status, need for academic help, probable major field of study, probable careers, highest degree planned, type of institutions attended, control of institutions attended, regions of institutions attended, and reasons for selecting a particular institution. NLS variables used were community orientation, family orientation, work orientation, self-concept, locus of control, socioeconomic status, sources of planned and used financial aid, and information on continuing college students. The statistical procedures used to analyze the data were frequency counts, percentages, and the t-test of significance. The data indicated that changes had occurred between 1966 and 1978 on selected characteristics of American Indian entering freshman students. The comparisons of American Indian with Mexican American/Chicano and/or white/Caucasian entering freshman students showed more similarities than differences on selected characteristics, particularly in 1978. The findings showed community orientation, family orientation, and work orientation were not associated with entrance into college for the three groups studied. Whereas, self-concept, locus of control, and socioeconomic status were associated with entrance into college for the three groups. Sources of financial aid varied for each group, and at least 70 percent of all students from each group continued in college. Further study is recommended on American Indians at all levels of higher education because data is not plentiful.

No description available.

This research project explored levels of self-determination in transitioning first-year college students using the MAP-Works Fall Transition Survey. Competency in self-determination skills has been called the most important element for students’ successful postsecondary experiences. The purpose of this research was to investigate whether there were statistically significant differences in levels of self-determined behavior between students with and without disabilities; and within the students with disabilities (SWD) grouping, whether there were meaningful differences in levels of self-determined behavior between students who had and had not registered with the Disability Services office and sought assistance. Comparisons of levels of self-determination were also made among students with varying demographic and student characteristics (i.e., gender, race, and GPA) as well as between SWD with visible and non-apparent disabilities. Gaining an understanding of how levels of self-determination differ among different incoming student groups can help success and retention strategists directly target interventions to students at risk and most likely to benefit. Recommendations for practice and future research are provided. / Department of Educational Studies

A sample of 674 first-year student-athletes at Ball State University were examined for five consecutive years (2004-2008) to determine what combination of demographic, academic, and athletic variables best predicted first-year GPA and retention into the second year of college. The dependent variables of first-year GPA and retention were chosen because they are two primary components used to calculate the Academic Progress Rate, a semester by semester evaluation of team academic performance used by the NCAA (Christianson, 2004). Results revealed college student-athletes had a higher first-year GPA if they were female (r = .36), Caucasian (r = .36), attended college relatively close to their hometown (r = .09), scored well on standardized tests (r = .49), had a respectable high school GPA (r = .65), were ranked high in their graduating high school class (r = -.58), had a large high school graduating class (r = .15), declared a major upon entering college (r = -.11), were not a member of a revenue sport (r = .37), and earned a considerable amount of playing time (r = .15). Building on the relative strengths of those relationships, first-year GPA can be predicted by knowing gender (B = .16), race (B = -.26), standardized test scores (B = .03), high school GPA (B = .41), high school rank (B < -.01), and high school size (B < .01). The retention of student-athletes into their second year of college produced a slightly different set of relationships. Student-athletes were more likely to be retained if they were Caucasian (r = .16), attended college close to their hometown (r = .09), scored well on standardized tests (r = -.11), had a respectable high school GPA (r = -.14), were ranked high in their graduating high school class (r = .12), were not a member of a revenue sport (r = -.09), and earned a considerable amount of playing time (r = -.17). Predicting retention is possible with information about race (B = 1.09), distance from hometown (B = .4), type of sport (B = .82), and amount of playing time (B = -.70). / Department of Educational Leadership