Community colleges have utilized distance education to reach previously underserved populations. Considering the educational opportunities afforded by increased Internet access and the history of community colleges of providing open access to all individuals, it is no wonder that distance education has grown as a means of extending education in rural areas. Along with taking advantage of these opportunities, community colleges must also be committed to the success of students in the online environment. There is a need to identify individual student characteristics that predict success in the online environment in order to provide appropriate course enrollment advising. This study examines demographic and educational variables of online students at Bevill State Community College, with the goal of identifying the predictive ability of student characteristics on success in online courses. Online learners at Bevill State were mostly females and roughly half had completed an introductory computer course before enrolling in an online class. The average age of the participants was 25.57. These individuals had an average GPA of 3.07 and had completed an average of 4.56 semesters of college. Overall, 71.1% of the participants were successful in the online course in which they were enrolled, having achieved a grade of D or higher. The logistic regression model of five predictor variables was 72% accurate in predicting student success and non-success. Results show that the major factors influencing whether a person is successful in online classes are: age at the time of enrollment, overall GPA before enrollment, and the number of semesters of previous college experience. These findings indicate that students who are older, have more experience in college, and who have had more success in the traditional classroom may be more likely to be successful in the online environment. As online education continues its growth, identifying factors that help to distinguish between those who may be successful and those who may not will help students, advisors, and administrators make informed decisions about course enrollments. Future research should include a variety of methodologies to further explore the variables identified here as well as others that may influence student success in the online environment.

As the United States and Texas become increasingly dependent on the success of Hispanics in higher education based on degree attainment, decision-makers and policy-makers are looking for strategies for addressing the education attainment needs of the Hispanic population. The purpose of this naturalistic inquiry was to understand 1) the barriers experienced by successful first year (fall to fall) first-time-in-college Hispanic students at a predominately Hispanic student community college on the South Texas/Mexico Border Region, 2) the expertise/knowledge required to successfully overcome these barriers during the first year (fall to fall) in college, and 3) based on these findings, offer suggestions and recommendations for addressing the barriers experienced by Hispanic students enrolled in such community colleges. More specifically, the researcher examined the barriers experienced by students during the first year of college, and based on their experiences, the expertise required to overcome those barriers. The study utilized Padilla‘s (1991) Student Success Model as the primary theoretical framework for the study. The data analysis led to the identification of six barrier categories, which included: 1) transition from high school to college; 2) personal and family commitments; 3) institutional support; 4) student accountability; 5) instructor issues; and 6) developmental studies/college readiness. In the findings, I include the role of general college knowledge and academic college readiness in students successfully completing the first year (fall to fall) of college. The researcher utilized the results of the study to develop the Community College Student Success Model for First-Time-in-College Students, which was adapted from Padilla (1991, 2001) and Padilla, Treviño, Gonzalez, and Treviño (1996). The researcher recommends utilizing Lynham‘s (2002) General Method of Theory-Building to move towards the development of a theory for Hispanic student success in predominately Hispanic community colleges. The researcher also recommended the development and implementation of collaborative programs and services between the public school districts and the community college for facilitating the acquisition of general college knowledge by high school students before they graduate from high school.

The objective of this correlation study was to describe the association between the self-directed learning readiness (SDLR) and academic achievement among community college students enrolled in student success courses. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 35 community college students enrolled in student success seminar courses in central New Jersey. Total scores obtained from the administration of the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS) were used to measure participants’ degree of SDLR. Participants’ GPA and final student success course grade was used as metrics of academic achievement. Additional analyses were conducted to determine if participants’ age and gender changed the association between SDLRS score and academic achievement. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2020. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Relevant literature in higher education indicates that the higher education scene is changing fast and that higher education providers and their educators are at the centre of such change. The changing student body is of particular interest to higher education providers as the changing needs of students result in new inquiries into how current students learn and perform. Student engagement is widely suggested as a means of addressing the changing nature of the current generation of students and enhancing student success. Student engagement may be defined as the time and effort students devote to activities that are empirically linked to the desired higher education outcomes. Student success is no longer considered merely as cognitive competence as there is a greater understanding today of what makes up the entire student and his or her learning needs. This study was aimed at determining to what extent student engagement is being promoted at a private higher education institution in the Western Cape, South Africa. A mixed method research design was applied. Self-constructed questionnaires were distributed to staff members and students at the institution and semi-structured interviews with individual staff members and focus group interviews with students were also conducted. Both quantitative and qualitative data were generated and appropriately analysed. From the findings of this study a number of issues emerged. Firstly, it was revealed that the institution as a private provider in the field of culinary arts and hospitality and its educators recognise the changing nature of their students. Secondly, staff seem committed to the concept of student engagement and related practices to foster student success. Thirdly, students acknowledge engagement in their own learning as a favourable feature, but indicate further engagement opportunities to be created by their lecturing staff and the institution. A number of implications also emerged from the study. It is evident that lecturers at The Private Hotel School may aim to gain a better understanding of the current generation of students and they may also focus on determining more ways to facilitate engagement. Furthermore, it is evident that students at this institution may be made more aware of their role in engaging in their own learning. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die relevante literatuur in hoër onderwys dui daarop dat die hoëronderwysomgewing besig is om vinnig te verander en dat die verskaffers van hoër onderwys en hul opvoeders sentraal staan in sulke verandering. Die veranderende behoeftes van studente dien as aansporing vir nuwe navorsing oor hoe teenswoordige studente leer en presteer; gevolglik is die veranderende studenteliggaam van besondere belang vir die verskaffers van hoër onderwys. Daar word algemeen aanbeveel dat studentebetrokkenheid ondersoek word om die veranderende aard van die huidige geslag studente te verken en studentesukses te verhoog. Studentebetrokkenheid kan gedefinieer word as die tyd en moeite wat studente aan aktiwiteite wy wat empiries verbind kan word met verlangde uitkomste in hoër onderwys. Studentesukses word nie meer gesien as slegs kognitiewe bevoegdheid nie aangesien daar tans meer begrip is van wat die hele student en sy of haar leerbehoeftes behels. Die doel van hierdie navorsing was om te bepaal tot watter mate studentebetrokkenheid bevorder word by ʼn private hoëronderwysinstelling in die Wes-Kaap, Suid-Afrika. ʼn Gemengde-metode navorsingsontwerp is gebruik, en self-opgestelde vraelyste is aan personeellede en studente by die instelling uitgedeel. Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is gevoer met individuele personeellede en fokusgroep-onderhoude is met studente gedoen. Beide kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe data is gegenereer en toepaslik ontleed. ʼn Aantal kwessies het vanuit die bevindinge van hierdie studie aan die lig gekom: Eerstens, dat die opvoeders van die instelling as ʼn private verskaffer op die terrein van kulinêre kuns en gasvryheid die veranderende aard van hul studente herken; tweedens, dat die personeel verbind is tot die bevordering van studentebetrokkenheid en verwante praktyke om studentesukses te bevorder; en derdens, dat studente betrokkenheid in hul eie leerproses as ʼn positiewe doelstelling beskou, maar dat verdere geleenthede tot betrokkenheid geskep kan word deur hul doserende personeel en die instelling. ʼn Aantal verdere implikasies het ook vanuit hierdie studie aan die lig gekom. Dit is duidelik dat dosente by The Private Hotel School nog ʼn groter poging kan aanwend om die huidige geslag studente beter te begryp en dat hulle ook kan probeer om meer maniere te vind om studentebetrokkenheid te fasiliteer. Dit blyk verder dat studente by hierdie instelling nog meer bewus kan raak van hoe hulle self tot groter betrokkenheid by hulle eie leerproses kan bydra.

The overarching goals of this study were twofold: first, to learn how community colleges are preparing students to flourish and contribute to a changing and global economy, and second, how they address those students that do not make it through the community college. Within this context, the researcher elected to perform a case study of Tallahassee Community College (TCC), a college identified as focused on improving student success and empowering students to reach their goals; and, committed to sharing data and information across and throughout the institution. To achieve its ultimate goals, this study had four specific purposes. First, it provided an in-depth account of the development and implementation of the organizational vision and student success (learning and attainment) focus at TCC. Second, the study examined how the use of data provided transparency and redirected the focus of TCC. Third, it examined how TCC’s student learning portal is used by students, faculty, staff, administrators, and the board of trustees. Finally, it considered how the findings may inform policy makers, institutional leaders, and researchers about key factors impacting a student success focus. Taken in concert, the study was designed to provide a contextual framework for implementing an organizational vision focused on improving student success. The study is a qualitative research designed case study informed by quantitative data. The study included TCC serving as the unit of analysis for the entire case, and the student learning portal serving as the unit of analysis for an embedded case study. Qualitative methods employed included documents, archival records, interviews, focus groups, and direct observations. Multiple approaches were used to present the case study including a chronology of key historical events and a categorical or topical format based on an inductive analysis of data. Eight themes emerged as contributing to the work of the student success agenda: 1) leadership style of the president and the board relationship, 2) the vision for student success, 3) transparency and open communications, 4) strategic plan, 5) budget, 6) data and information technology, 7) people and development, and 8) sustainability of the shared vision. / text

Community colleges across the nation have struggled with retention issues for decades. Questions of why students drop out and what factors influence the decision to remain or leave college prior to completion persist. Research has uncovered some of the influences on student persistence in higher education; however, community colleges, and to an even lesser degree, vocational programs, have received little attention. This case study examined the influences on student retention in a rural community college vocational education program which has a record of high retention and persistence to graduation rates. The qualitative research methodology employed examined the perceptions of seven current program students, nine program graduates, the sole program faculty member, and nine program advisory committee members. The results of the study yielded the following themes as factors which influence retention in this particular setting: program design, faculty, cohort, social aspects, the instructional environment, institutional support/programs, industry-sponsored events, and industry contributions. The findings suggest that community college student retention in vocational settings is a multi-dimensional phenomenon affected by a host of factors which collectively influence a student’s ability to persist to graduation. Future research regarding this topic may be able to utilize the results of this study to further advance the knowledge of student retention strategies in community college vocational settings. / text

The fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) have long been the bastions of the white male elite. Recently, academia has begun to recognize gender and ethnic disparities. In an effort to expand the recruitment pool for these STEM fields in college, various efforts have been employed nationally at the secondary level. In California, the latest of these efforts is referred to as Linked Learning, a pedagogy that combines college preparation with career preparation. The current study is investigating the connection between what has been referred to in current scholarship as "Geeking Out" with higher academic performance. The phenomenon of “Geeking Out” includes a variety of non-school related activities that range from participating in robotics competitions to a simple game of Dungeons & Dragons. The current project investigates the relationship between long term success in STEM fields and current informal behaviors of secondary students. This particular circumstance where Linked Learning happens to combine with "Geeking Out" is successful due to the associated inclusionary environment. Methods included a yearlong ethnographic study of the Center for Advanced Research and Technology, a Central Valley school with a diverse student body. Through participant observation and interviews, the main goal of this research is to examine the circumstances that influence the effectiveness found in the environment of the Center for Advanced Research and Technology.

This project responds to increasing efforts in higher education to retain students, i.e., keep them enrolled until graduation, through various initiatives. Building upon the arguments of composition scholars Matthew McCurrie (2009), Sara Webb-Sunderhaus (2010), and Pegeen Reichert Powell (2013), who propose that retention efforts can overlook students’ needs, goals, and lived experiences, this study evaluates whether retention initiatives communicate a definition of success that ignores and/or aligns with how students value success. This project draws on an historical overview of US success ideology to contextualize a case study of Georgia State University, a leading institution in the country for raising its retention rates. Georgia State’s Strategic Plan and celebrated retention initiatives are then analyzed to determine how the institution defines success; that analysis is compared with data gathered from focus groups and interviews. Ultimately, this study suggests that the definition of success is not necessarily where students and universities diverge; rather, the data gathered has revealed that far more conflicting are the ideas students and universities possess for how to achieve success. This project argues that while historically success has been valued as the achievement of social and financial upward mobility, Georgia State’s framing of student success communicates, more narrowly, the value of efficient mobility. From the analysis of students’ perspectives, a framework is provided to show how a focus on efficiency provokes a shift in methods for how universities support students’ pursuit of success, a shift from what this author terms facilitative methods to methods that can be more dictative of students’ college experiences. This framework is used to argue that dictative methods of support risk removing agency from and present new challenges for students whose lifestyles and responsibilities conflict with their universities’ preferred path towards graduation; often these students are commuters, non-traditional and/or are students from low-income households. This dissertation concludes by providing a model for writing program administrators to consider how they can work toward promoting more facilitative, and thus more inclusive, retention practices.

The purpose of the current outcome study was to determine the effects of the Ready for Success (RFS) classroom guidance program (Brigman & Webb, 2012) on the social-emotional skills and competence, reading proficiency, and promotion between third-grade students who received the RFS intervention (treatment group; n = 104), and third-grade students who did not receive the intervention (comparison group; n=91). Following training in the manualized RFS curriculum, certified school counselors in the treatment group implemented five, weekly, 30-minute lessons followed by three monthly booster lessons. This study followed a quasi-experimental, non-equivalent group design. The study employed a teacher report measure of social-emotional skills and competence (i.e., Devereux Student Strengths Assessment) and a standardized formative assessment of reading proficiency (i.e., Reading Running Record). Furthermore, retention data was provided by the participating school district’s data source. Statistical significance between the groups was measured by a series of MANCOVA analyses and a Pearson’s chi-square analysis. A partial eta-squared ηp2 effect size was reported for each dependent variable. The data supported the RFS classroom guidance program as an effective Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) intervention for promoting student social-emotional skill development (i.e. selfawareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making) and overall social-emotional competence (SEC). This study provided support for the use of school counselor-led SEL classroom programs to promote the social-emotional development of students in the school setting. Furthermore, the study further supports the value of school counseling interventions for students in the domain of social-emotional development. Finally, the findings of this study provided empirical support for the RFS classroom guidance program as an effective SEL intervention. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2018. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

As the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is often used as a determiner for university admissions, this study observes the effect on the international student population at a large private university through the examination of the international student admissions data including TOEFL and first-year GPA from 2005-2015. With the anonymous data of 9,837 students, researchers analyzed the result of a cut-score change at the university. Results indicated that the number of international students decreased at the university. As expected, the TOEFL data revealed a normal distribution for the overall (combined) score and subsection scores, while the GPA data did not. The ANOVA for the TOEFL revealed that the change in cut-scores was not completely implemented in 2010. The GPA results from the ANOVA did not appear to be increasing. Correlation analysis reflected a decrease in the correlation coefficient when comparing results from before and after the cut-score change. Correlations of the subsection TOEFL score presented interesting findings. Multiple regression analysis indicated similar conclusions.