Degree Name

EdD (Doctor of Education)

Program

Educational Leadership

Date of Award

12-2013

Committee Chair or Co-Chairs

Catherine Glascock

Committee Members

Paul Kamolnick, James Lampley, Jasmine Renner

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the academic performance of the first-time, full-time, traditional-aged students in the Student Support Services program at East Tennessee State University. This was accomplished by comparing their academic performance with the academic performance of first-time, full-time, traditional-aged non-SSS participants, including students in both the SSS eligible and SSS ineligible study groups. Incoming freshman cohorts from 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004 were used to create the 3 distinct study groups. Demographic and performance outcome variables were used for comparison among the 3 groups. The cumulative college GPA, fall-to-fall retention, and 6-year graduation status of the 3 study groups were of primary interest in this study. Prediction models for these 3 variables were a secondary consideration. Thirteen research questions guided this study and were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance, two-way contingency tables, multivariate linear regressions, and binary logistic regressions. Results indicated that there were significant differences in demographic and performance outcomes among the 3 study groups. SSS participants were found to have a significantly lower cumulative GPA at graduation than their peers, but exceeded them in fall-to-fall retention status and 6-year graduation status. The prediction models showed that the first-year cumulative college GPA was a powerful predictor of fall-to-fall retention status and 6-year graduation status for first-time, full-time traditional-aged freshman students.

Document Type

Dissertation - unrestricted

Copyright

Copyright by the authors.

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