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This research study was conducted to determine if there was a relationship between community college Leadership (LEA) courses and student success. This study compared students who took LEA courses to students who did not take LEA courses. This study employed a quantitative causal-comparative research design with one independent variable (leadership courses) and two dependent variables (GPA and completion). The research design was a between-subjects design. The grouping variables were ACT scores, race, and gender, and the groups consisted of students who took two LEA courses in two semesters and students who took at least two semesters but did not take LEA courses. A chi-square test was performed to determine the relationship between LEA courses and student completion. Results of this test indicated a statistically significant difference with students who completed LEA courses performing better across all categories. An independent samples t-test was conducted to determine the relationship between LEA courses and students’ GPA. Results for this test revealed that students who completed LEA courses had significantly higher GPAs across all groupings. The results of this study had implications that participation in leadership courses improve students’ GPAs and increase completion rates

acase@tulane.edu / 1 / SamanthaHoyt

Achieving the Dream (AtD) assumes that leadership is critical for student success. These Leader Colleges have been able to demonstrate innovation sustainability through specific practices leading to increased student outcomes, while others have not been able to sustain the same level of student success. Limited research exists which highlights specific leadership practices employed by Achieving the Dream colleges, particularly Leader Colleges, which are known for being successful in sustaining innovations. The purpose of this study was to ascertain leadership practices used to increase student success through sustained innovation at two Achieving the Dream Leader Colleges. This study may add to the knowledge base regarding Achieving the Dream colleges as well as sustainability practices leading to increased student success in community colleges. The research was guided by the following questions: What leadership practices were employed by the Chief Executive Officer, Board of Trustees, Leadership Team, and Faculty to sustain innovation that led to increased student success?; What was the perception of the AtD coach and data facilitator regarding the leadership practices that contributed to student success?; What obstacles to change were encountered by internal stakeholders during innovation sustainability? This qualitative study consisted of three components: interviews, focus group, and document reviews with purposeful sampling. The participants included Chief Executive Officers, Board of Trustees members, the Leadership Team, faculty, and Achieving the Dream coaches and data facilitators at two AtD Leader Colleges. Findings from the study indicated: (a) commitment and support must be priorities of the Chief Executive Officer and senior leaders of the institution; (b) using data to inform decisions illuminates achievement gaps; (c) communication between internal and external stakeholders is imperative to affect change; (d) the institutionalization of interventions is essential to sustain student success; and (e) leading with passion is a critical component of leadership. / text

Archived video of presentation given by Dr. George Kuh at UBC Vancouver, May 7, 2009. Explores factors for student success in university and National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) 2008 results for UBC-Vancouver.

The dilemma of accounting for race, class and equity in admission to university education is not a new one. And yet it remains a heated debate and an unsolved problem to this day. The grey areas surrounding this dilemma far outweigh the proverbial black and white. This study argues that the equity dilemma may have much to do with the way access is granted into university and aimed to offer actionable alternatives to the debate surrounding the equity dilemma: should access be granted – in attempt to redress past inequalities - on the basis of race or class? By focusing on race and/or class, we may misread the underlying signals of agency and resilience in students who work against disadvantage, even at times thrive in the face thereof, and transcend (or has the potential to transcend) all of these imposed restrictions and obstacles. In the field of education, the figure of the French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu looms large, and for this reason, amongst others, I mainly draw on his ideas to expand on how I came to understand this interplay between educational disadvantage as structure and the ability of some students to succeed, as agency. Yet, I did not find sociological notions of agency completely satisfactory in my attempts to understand why some students excel despite challenges and hence attempted to enrich the sociological notion of agency with a complimentary focus on the psychological concept of resilience. Consequently, my argument was that if resilience and agency is demonstrated by a student and can be perceived, it must be possible to assess it and to determine, before allowing a student access to university whether he/she is in possession of such traits. This was to be done by examining a biographical questionnaire (BQ) for its usefulness in identifying resilient-agency (R-A) and then, if it is found to be useful, implement such a BQ to augment placement at the University of Pretoria. The BQ was administered to two cohorts of students in 2012 (n=118) and 2013 (n=229) respectively. The data from the BQ was used to identify interview participants and interviews were consequently conducted with seven participants. A narrative analysis was done on the qualitative and quantitative data whereby the data was restoried into narratives. With the permission of the Registrar, the first-year marks of the students were added and organised into the narratives. A thematic analysis of the narrative was done and elucidated through the inclusion of the theoretical framework underpinning this study. Various questions arose in grappling with the positioning of the concepts resilience and agency in this study and specifically into the narratives. In wresting with them, a shift in my own theoretical understanding of these two concepts led to the investigation of a possible amalgamation of the two terms. As a result, a new conceptual language is introduced that builds on resilience and agency. The contribution of this study is found in the identification and discussion of the potential indicators for resilient-agency (R-A) as identified from the narratives presented and positioning them in such a way that they inform the future development of the BQ into an instrument that has the potential to identify R-A and therefore augment the process of university admissions and effectively address the equity dilemma. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2019. / Sociology / PhD / Unrestricted

The success of transfer students plays a critical role in improving the baccalaureate attainment rates of undergraduates attending 4-year higher education institutions in Texas; however, current indicators suggest transfer students have lower persistence and graduation rates relative to students who begin and complete their college education at one university (i.e., non-transfer students). Additionally, the research literature indicates a link between degree completion and engagement; however, transfer students are reported to be less engaged and less likely to persist than their counterparts. This quantitative study compared the engagement experiences of 2-year transfers, 4-year transfers, swirl transfer, and non-transfers by using National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) 2008 data to determine if there are any differences among these groups, and if these differences persist after controlling for individual and institutional covariates. the sample consisted of 2,000 seniors attending 4-year higher education institutions in Texas. the engagement scores of each group were compared using a multivariate analysis (MANOVA). This study found non-transfers were more engaged than each type of transfer student on Student-Faculty Interaction and Supportive Campus Environment factors; moreover, these differences generally persisted after controlling for residence, enrollment status, and institutional control (i.e., public vs. private).The data indicated no difference among the three transfer sub-groups for any of the engagement variables, which suggests their engagement experiences were similar. This research suggests that efforts to increase the participation and success rates of Texans, particularly those described as transfers, may be informed by how students perceive their engagement experiences; consequently, institutions may consider modifying and implementing policies that promote student participation in educationally purposeful activities leading to persistence and graduation.

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The purpose of this study was to examine achievement, retention, persistence, and success of Mississippi community college students who began in a developmental English course and eventually completed Composition I, a college-level course. This study examined the effects of utilizing online instruction via eLearning courses compared to traditional instructor-led instruction. The population of the study consisted of students enrolled in developmental English during the fall 2015 semester; and tracked their performance through the completion of Composition I. A Chi-Square test was utilized to address the each research question analyzing students’ use of a traditional face-toace instructional approach for developmental English and those using an online instructional approach for developmental English. The results show that students utilizing traditional instruction delivery for developmental English courses, out-performed students who took developmental English courses online in the areas of success, course retention and persistence rates. When measuring success in Composition I, the results were very close, however the online students had a higher percentage of passing grades 47.2%, when compared to traditional classroom students. Finally, when analyzing the results based on demographics, there was a higher percentage of students who passed the developmental course in the classroom when they are age 22 or younger, female, or black.