The purpose of this study was to identify if and how graduating seniors make meaning of their undergraduate education by exploring graduating seniors’ understanding of their undergraduate education, as well as what Texas A&M University was providing undergraduates during their senior year to help them synthesize and bring closure to their experiences. The researcher developed a research protocol that relied upon qualitative research data collection through interviews with a purposive sample of graduating seniors. Quantitative data was collected using the graduating student exit survey to provide a baseline of the population of graduating seniors from which the interview participants were selected. The descriptive baseline data were calculated from nearly 3,000 student records, and a total of 20 students were interviewed from this pool. This group included at least one student from each of the nine Texas A&M University academic colleges. The overall gender representation of 60% female and 40% male was nearly par with the graduating senior population, 15% were Black and 15% were Hispanic, 30% were 1st generation, and there was one member of the Corps of Cadets. The baseline data from the graduating senior exit survey were instrumental as a point of reference when examining the participants’ interview responses, particularly given that the interview participants’ survey response averages mirrored the baseline population almost identically. The interviews with these students provided a depth and a dimension of information that was not possible through the survey responses. As they reflected upon their experiences as college students, they described the experience as very positive and exciting. In essence, they loved being “Aggies.” However, the details of their academic experiences were not described as positively, and many were facing the realization that there were more questions at the end than when they began their journeys as undergraduate students.

With over two thirds of high school graduates going on to pursue postsecondary options after high school and over one fourth at 4-year institutions and nearly half at 2-year schools never reaching their sophomore year, it is evident that the transition from high school to college is a broken one for many students. There has been a nationwide call to redefine the senior year of high school and rethink the transition from secondary to postsecondary education. Aligned with this plea, Walters State Community College began an initiative, the Freshman Experience program, to ease some of the strains associated with the transition process and, in 1993, began offering this course to high school seniors. The program was expanded and offered to seniors at 23 high schools in a rural 10-county service delivery area in East Tennessee. The purpose of this study was to determine whether students who completed a freshman experience course while still in high school engaged in more actions that positively impact retention than did those who had not had such a course prior to college enrollment. The study included 1,391 students, 550 who completed the course at the high school level and 841 who completed the course during their 1st semester of college enrollment. Chi-square analysis of the data was conducted to investigate 6 variables. The major findings were that high school freshman experience completers (a) made application for college earlier, (b) earned significantly more advanced studies credits, (c) had significantly fewer absences during their 1st semester of college, (d) had significantly fewer course withdrawals, (e) had significantly fewer course failures, and (f) had significantly higher cumulative GPAs at the end of the 1st semester than did the postsecondary program completers. Based on the findings of this study, the implementation of a freshman experience course or similar program serves to positively impact the transition of high school seniors to the postsecondary environment. These results confirm the need for high schools and postsecondary institutions to work together to provide students with a seamless transition in an effort to increase student retention and program completion.

No description available.

As efforts to provide seamless transitions from high school to college grow, so do the numbers of high school students who concurrently enroll in college courses across the country. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of various aspects of the concurrent enrollment program at Collin County Community College District in Texas. Six research questions were designed to address student success and continuing enrollment patterns after high school graduation, as well as evaluate differences in the various models of dual credit classes offered by the college. Literature related to concurrent enrollment and dual credit programs, senior year of high school, and part-time faculty effectiveness was reviewed. Student issues addressed include: grade performance of concurrent enrollment students compared to the general college population; the percentage of concurrent enrollment students who continue at the college after high school graduation; and a comparison of continuing concurrent enrollment students with a matched sample (based on high school class rank), on the student success factors of fall-to-spring retention rates, fall-to-fall retention rates, grade point averages, and completion rates. Findings were generally positive related to the impact of concurrent enrollment on students and their subsequent success at the college. Various models of offering concurrent enrollment courses were also evaluated as measured by student performance in subsequent courses. Analysis of variance was used to determine differences based on the location at which the courses were taught (high school, college campus, or a college center); differences based on the mix of students in the class (all from one high school; all high school representing several schools; or a mix of high school and college students); and differences based on the employment status of the instructor (full-time college instructor; part-time college instructor; or high school teacher). Differences were examined for the entire sample, and for the academic disciplines of economics, English, and government.

In 2004, the Transition Mathematics Project (TMP), funded by the state of Washington and The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, was established to create projects to help high school students gain the necessary skills to become college and work-ready. Aligned to TMP's College Readiness Mathematics Standards, a fourth-year capstone mathematics course was developed and implemented, titled Applications in Mathematical Reasoning (AMR), a rigorous course option for students to take during their senior year of high school. The purpose of this study was to explore any relationship between taking the AMR course and preparation for college level mathematics. Using causal-comparative study design and matching participants in the sample, variables were examined based on the number of precollege courses taken; college level math course completed and grade earned; and placement test results for students who took the AMR course compared to those students who took no mathematics during their high school senior year. Though findings for precollege and college level course-taking were inconclusive, mathematics placement test scores were found to be significantly higher for those students who completed the AMR course. The placement test findings supported other research that links rigorous mathematics courses taken in high school with improved college placement and persistence. Based on the research examined and the study findings, there was support to consider the following: (a) creating alternate but rigorous math course offerings for the high school senior year; (b) striving toward a four-years of mathematics graduation requirement for all high schools; (c) enacting mandatory placement at the community college for students placing into precollege courses; and (d) reducing barriers to successful transition between high schools and post secondary institutions by fostering K-16 communication, aligning standards, and improving course alignment. / Graduation date: 2012