The purpose of the study was to evaluate demographic, pre-admission, and academic variables of nursing students to identify the best predictors of success on the NCLEX-RN. A convenience sample of 237 students from Indiana Wesleyan University comprised the population for the study. User-oriented evaluation provided the conceptual framework for the study.Multiple regression analyses were used to determine relationships between the variables and success on the NCLEX-RN. Relationships were studied between variables and scores on the NCLEX-RN prior to 1988 (NCLEX 1) and success on the NCLEX-RN for the total sample (NCLEX 2).Demographic variables included age, race, marital status, and the number of semesters required to complete the program. The findings of the study evidenced no significant relationship between demographic variables and NCLEX-RN scores (NCLEX 1).Pre-admission variables included high school grade point average, Scholastic Aptitude Test math and verbal scores, advanced placement credit, and college credit prior to admission. Pre-admission variablesaverage, and scores on the National Comprehensive Nursing Achievementaccounted for 19% of the variance in scores on the NCLEX-RN.Academic variables included grade point averages in science courses, humanities courses, nursing courses, at the end of each year of study, scores on National League for Nursing Achievement Tests, and the Mosby Assess Test. Grade point averages in physical and biological sciences, in sophomore nursing courses, at the end of the freshman year, and scores on the Mosby Assess Test had a significant relationship with scores on the NCLEX-RN. Scores on the Mosby Assess Test accounted for 25% of the variance in NCLEX-RN scores. The highest prediction equation, accounting for 49% of the variance of NCLEX-RN scores, included a weighted linear composite of Scholastic Aptitude Test math scores, Mosby Assess Test scores, junior nursing course grade point League for Nursing Test.Multiple regression analyses of all variables with success on the NCLEX-RN for the total population (NCLEX 2) demonstrated no significant relationships. All findings were communicated to faculty at Indiana Wesleyan University applying the theoretical framework chosen for the study. / School of Nursing

Two primary purposes were attendant to the study. The first purpose was to identify(from a list of support elements for black student retention deemed important from a study of the literature) the support elements present at 400 predominantly white colleges as perceived by the directors of their minority affairs/student affairs departments. The population for the study was colleges and universities with at least 1000 students and at least a 2% and no more than a 12% black student population. From the population a random sample of 400 colleges were selected from the 48 states in the continental United States. The minority/student affairs personnel from this sample were polled.A secondary purpose was to have these same personnel give their opinions as to the effectiveness of each support element and to rank them as to their effectiveness. The following findings were noted:1.Eleven of the elements listed were represented as part of the retention program for black students at 50% or more of the respondent colleges and universities.2. Those retention elements which numbered in the top five in importance to black student retention, that received the most responses were presidential commitment, black faculty members at all levels, committment to multiculturalism, increased financial aid, faculty/peer counselling and deal quickly with racism. Presidential committment was listed as among the five most important elements 9ltimes or 55.4% of the returns.3.When the percentages of weight that these respondents gave to cultural vs academic support was averaged, academic support was considered more important (63.0272) thancultural support (36.1967).4. There was a significant correlation at the .003 level between the number of retention support elements utilized by each respondent college and the retention rate of black students at the end of the student's first year. / Department of Educational Leadership

Federal and state laws have mandated preschool educational screenings. However, these laws only specify that a screening measure must be incorporated in the school's procedures. The laws do not state what this screening measure should be or how it should be used. For example, Public Law 94-142 established that a school should focus on early identification and intervention of children with special needs, but did not specify how to identify these students. As a result, reliable, valid screening measures are needed. A review of the current literature indicates that there are numerous screening measures available, but there is conflicting evidence regarding how these measures should be used and their predictive validity. The purpose of this current study is to evaluate the ability of a school corporation's local kindergarten screening measure, known as SEEK, to predict school achievement by the end of third grade, and special education placement, Title I support services, and gifted services by the end of fifth grade for both Amish and English speaking students. School achievement was measured by the student's performance on the third grade ISTEP. Archival educational data was collected for 333 children who participated in SEEK in 1997 and 1998, and then later took the third grade ISTEP. Results of the multiple regression analyses revealed that the overall composite score of the SEEK significantly predicted third grade ISTEP scores, special education placement, Title I support services, and gifted support services for both Amish and English students. However, the significance of the different components of SEEK to predict ISTEP scores varied depending on the area of ISTEP measured. In addition, the sensory and the behavior components did not significantly predict variation on ISTEP scores for either.language or math. Overall, these findings help validate the predictive validity of using the overall SEEK score and the usefulness of kindergarten screening. In addition, this study has implications in developing preventative approaches to benefit students who may be likely to experience learning difficulties at school. A discussion of the limitations as well as the usefulness of this study is presented along with directions for future kindergarten screening research. / Department of Educational Psychology

The purpose of this study was to examine two commonly used kindergarten screening measures' ability to predict later academic achievement. Participants included 67 kindergarten children who were administered the Bracken Basic Concept Scale-Revised (BBCS-R) and the Early Prevention of School Failure (EPSF) screening battery upon initiation of their kindergarten year. The students' academic progress in the areas of reading, language, and mathematics was examined using the Terra Nova in the fall of first grade.Stepwise multiple regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between the BBCS-R, EPSF, and Terra Nova. Predictor variables included the BBCS-R total test score and its subtests (i.e., School Readiness, Direction/Position, Self-Social Awareness, Texture/Material, Quantity, and Time/Sequence), as well as the EPSF at-risk identification score and standard scores for the tests included in the EPSF screening battery (i.e., Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Third Edition (PPVT-III), Literacy and Language Assessment (LLA), Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration (VMI), Draw-A-Person (DAP), and the Motor Assessment Scale (MAS)). Criterion variables included the Terra Nova Total Test Composite, Reading Composite, Language Composite, and Mathematics Composite.Results suggested the BBCS-R total test score was a better predictor of reading and language achievement than the EPSF at-risk identification score and standard scores on the EPSF tests. The EPSF at-risk identification score, however, best predicted mathematics achievement at first grade. Although these results at a glance may support the utilization of both screening instruments in predicting later achievement, further analysis of the EPSF tests prediction of mathematics achievement indicated that of the five EPSF tests, the VMI and PPVT-III best predicted later mathematics performance. The remaining three EPSF tests added no value to the prediction of mathematics achievement beyond that of the VMI and PPVT-III. Thus, use of the entire EPSF screening battery to predict later achievement was not supported. Further analysis utilizing multiple regression with the BBCS-R total test score, VMI, and PPVT-III standard scores as the predictors, indicated the VMI and BBCS-R best predicted later mathematics achievement. These results support the use of the BBCS-R and VMI in the kindergarten screening process to predict later achievement in all academic areas. / Department of Educational Psychology

The aim of this study was to investigate study skills and its relationship to student attrition and retention. The participants for this research were comprised of students recruited from a small technical college located In Central Maine. All participants were first year, full-time students who were beginning their studies at the college. This study was initiated during the Incoming students' orientation program prior to the commencement of classes, and their progress was monitored for up to two academic years.The primary assessment instrument was the Learnlnq And Study Strategies Inventory (Weinstein et al., 1987). The Learning And Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) aids the student in becoming aware of their strengths and weaknesses in areas that have been causally related to success in higher education. It is a standardized measure of reading comprehension; a measure of self-concept and self-esteem; as well as a supplementary measure examining various aspects of cognition, anxiety and motivation.Initially, the students' learning and study -strategies were assessed utilizing the LASSI. Each student In the experimental group was then Individually provided with detailed feedback of the assessment results during their first semester. When appropriate, a personalized plan for needed support services or remediation was developed and strongly encouraged. The students In the waiting list control group received their assessment results later In the academic year and did not have the individual sessions.It was hypothesized that the study skills assessment, feedback process, and short-term intrusively delivered intervention would result in increases in students' cumulative grade point average, graduation, and retention, while producing a corresponding decrease in attrition.The data generated from this study suggests that the relationship among the previously mentioned factors are essentially unrelated to students' cumulative grade point average as well as graduation, retention, and attrition.Possible confounding variables are discussed. This discussion centers around a few methodological difficulties as well as an analysis of the unique Interaction of the student and Institutional factors which may have effected the study. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

During the Fall 1990 semester, a longitudinal qualitative study of fifteen first-semester conditionally admitted adult students was undertaken at Indiana University East (IU East) to gain insights into the college adjustment process of those students. Through a series of four interviews, the researcher studied factors affecting the college adjustment process of the participants in the study.Participants reported being motivated to enter college as a result of undergoing one or more life transitions. Each participant was attending college for vocational reasons, most seeking occupationally specific degrees. However, almost all reported anticipating personal growth through learning as providing the greatest satisfaction from the college experience.Participants reported having anxiety regarding academic ability to succeed in college. Yet, challenges reported by the participants were generally situational, reflecting financial concerns, unexpected health problems, and family concerns. Effective time management was essential in adjusting to college. Almost all cut back on involvement in community and social activities. At times, family members had difficulty understanding the personal transformation experienced by the participants.Fourteen of the fifteen participants successfully completed the Fall 1990 semester, each with a 2.0 or higher grade point average (on a 4.0 scale). All fourteen enrolled in classes spring semester. When asked to indicate ways in which IU East had assisted them with college adjustment, participants indicated a supportive, caring faculty was of key importance during their first semester. Those who were a part of a federally funded support services program (67% of the participants) frequently mentioned that having a support system upon which to rely made a positive difference.The primary factors found to affect the college adjustment process were determination to succeed and willingness to undergo personal changes in the learning process. Other positive factors included degree of faculty support, presence of institutional support for new students, and perceived caring attitude among faculty. Factors which aggravated the adjustment process included conflicts involving family, employment, finances and health. Although degree of academic preparedness could be assumed to affect the college adjustment process, no relationship was found between high-school graduation rank and first-semester grade point average or fall-to-spring retention / Department of Educational Leadership

A retrospective study was conducted to investigate the relationship between achievement in specific nursing courses and subsequent performance on the NCLEX-RN of students identified as at-risk. A sample of 236 graduates from a baccalaureate degree nursing program in a large midwestern university were divided into two groups, students at-risk and students not-at-risk. Answers to six research questions were sought. Multivariate and univariate analyses of variance and two-tailed t tests at the .05 level of significance were utilized to test the data.Findings indicated that: (1) There was a significant difference in the performance in the first two major nursing courses between not-at-risk students and at-risk students with not-at-risk students scoring higher. (2) There was no significant difference between the grades received by at-risk students with transfer credit and at-risk students without transfer credit in the first two major nursing courses. (3) There was a significant difference in the performance in the first two major nursing courses with not-at-risk students with transfer credit achieving higher grades than not-at-risk students without transfer credit. (4) There was a significant difference in the NCLEX-RN scores between the two groups, with not-at-risk students scoring higher than at-risk students. (5) There was no significant difference in the scores on the NCLEX-RN between the two groups, at-risk students without transfer credit and at-risk students with transfer credit. (6) Not-at-risk students with transfer credit scored significantly higher on the NCLEX-RN than not-at-risk students without transfer credit. / Department of Educational Leadership

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship among locality of school, type of school, gender of student, school GPA (GPA), aptitude (MEANAPT), Cambridge English Language (CAMENG), Cambridge class (CAMCLASS), and Cambridge aggregate (CAMAGGR). A second purpose of this research was to determine the relationship among GPA, MEANAPT, CAMENG, CAMCLASS, CAMAGGR, university registration status (STATUS), and average university grade (UNIMEAN) after 2 years at the University of Swaziland (UNISWA). The study was divided into two parts. In the first part, locality of school, type of school, and gender of student were the independent variables; GPA, MEANAPT, CAMENG, CAMCLASS, and CAMAGGR were the dependent variables. In the second part, performance at UNISWA, as measured by either STATUS or UNIMEAN, was the dependent variable; CAMENG, CAMCLASS, CAMAGGR, GPA, and MEANAPT were the independent variables.Answers to questions on Part 1 of the study were determined by computing means, standard deviations, and F-tests for differences between means for GPA, MEANAPT, CAMENG, CAMCLASS, and CAMAGGR for each of the general questions. Data were analyzed using Pearson r and multiple regression to answer Part 2 questions.The results of this study indicate that students enrolled in rural and government schools were outperformed by those attending urban and government-aided schools on all the measures. Although males outperformed females on the local Swaziland measures, school GPA and aptitude, there were no significant differences between males and females when the Cambridge examination scores were considered. The Cambridge examination appears to be neither efficient nor economical when used to identify the successful African student once he or she has been admitted to a local university. The same is true for the measures designed and currently used by local Swaziland educators. Swaziland officials may have to look elsewhere for predictors of university performance. / Department of Educational Psychology

The purpose of this study was to examine whether the relationship between a kindergarten screening battery (KSB) and two criterion variables (academic achievement and educational placement) varied as a function of race. The subjects were 702 elementary school students, approximately 176 per grade, in kindergarten, first, third, and fourth grade. Approximately 45 students per grade were American Indian, with the remainder Caucasian.Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between the KSB, race, and its interaction with each criterion variable. The predictor variables were the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R), the Kindergarten Language Screening Test (KLST), the Developmental Visual-Motor Integration Test (VMI), the Draw-A-Child (DAC), race, and the four race x KSB test vectors. Criterion variables were the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT) total battery, and educational placement (special education vs. regular education status).The KSB predictor variables were entered into the multiple regression equations as a block. Race was then entered as a coded group vector, followed by the four race x KSB test interaction vectors. The increment in R2 due uniquely to the interaction was nonsignificant (slopes were homogeneous) in all analyses. Both the effects of race and the KSB were significant for all grades with achievement as the criterion (p < .01).Bias in predicting educational placement was tested using all subjects combined. Both the interaction and race effects were nonsignificant. The main effect of the KSB was significant (p < .01). An improvement over chance analysis showed that the KSB increased predictive accuracy of the at-risk determination over chance.The weighted composites which best predicted achievement consisted primarily of the language instrument, the PPVT-R, and race. The two psychomotor tests (the DAC and VMI) contributed useful information at the two earlier grades. The composite which best predicted educational placement was made up primarily of the expressive language measure, the KLST.Results of the study supported continued use of the KSB. However, race should be used as a variable when predicting achievement from the KSB, so as not to overpredict American Indian achievement or underpredict Caucasian achievement. Results also indicated the potential utility of early language enrichment for improving achievement of high risk children. / Department of Educational Psychology

There is no abstract available for this dissertation.