Purpose: To determine the differences between PT program NPTE 3-year ultimate pass rates (3YUPR) based on program length and faculty scholarship. To explore relationships between 3YUPR and quality faculty behaviors. Subjects: A total of 112 CAPTE accredited PT educational programs in the United States and Puerto Rico during 2013. Method: A quantitative design method was used to retrospectively test differences between program and faculty traits and student NPTE 3YUPR using data from the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), PT Annual Accreditation Reports (AAR) and Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) score reports. A self-generated faculty survey was used to prospectively obtain faculty behavior data in programs with high versus low NPTE outcomes. Results: The final survey had an acceptable Cronbach alpha score of 0.701. All survey items yielded a high percentage of correct classification above 75%. Eighteen faculty behaviors were consistent with high rated NPTE PT programs (p-values between >0.001 to 0.034 α level 0.05). Use of Independent t-tests found a significant difference between means of scholarly activity performed by faculty at high (22.54 ± 11.63) and low (14.77 ±8.47) ranked schools, t (70) = 2.99. p = 0.004. No statistically significant difference was found between PT program lengths in higher ranked programs (121.52 ± 12.16) compared to low ranked programs (123.96 ±18.80), t (37) = - 0.595. p = 0.555. Conclusions: This study found the sum of scholarly activity performed by faculty differs between high and low 3YUPR. No differences found in total program lengths when assessing by program 3YUPR. A survey tool was created that tested faculty behaviors consistent with programs that score high on the NPTE. Recommendations: Testing should be performed on a greater number of constructs representing faculty behaviors of quality programs for survey development. Correlations should be performed with faculty data from the same year and NPTE first time pass rates for an assessment of predictive relationships. Also, a repeated longitudinal design study is recommended for PT educational programs with high versus low NPTE scores using the self-generated survey to see how faculty behaviors impact student first time pass rates.

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was any relationship between student success as defined by grades in earned in basic sciences of anatomy and physiology as well as overall college grade point average with the score on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) for Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) students. This pilot study examined the first two cohorts of PTA students at the College of the Sequoias from 2012 and 2013. Correlations and multiples regressions were the primary quantitative methods used to determine which prerequisites were most likely to predict passing the NPTE. Demographic information of ethnicity and age, did not show any significant correlation with score on the NPTE-PTA. Further analysis determined that both anatomy and overall grade point average had statistical correlations. However, overall college grade point average was the only variable that contributed significantly to the NPTE score. Therefore, overall grade point average was used to develop a predictive admission formula that can be used for further research and analysis. The procedures for this pilot study can be used to duplicate the study on a larger scale and continue to build a predictive admission formula that has the potential for establishing a consistent admission criterion for PTA programs. The long range goal of this study has been to help identify students who have the greatest potential to pass the NPTE and become employed as a PTA.