In the current postindustrial era, increasing the number of minorities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is critically important for the United States' economic growth and its position in the global marketplace. Given the U.S. Census Bureau's 2008 projection that the population of minorities is expected to increase by…

In 1985, the California legislature directed the California Postsecondary Education Commission to study the attrition rate of students in engineering education in order to learn if ethnic minority and women students had a higher drop-out rate than all engineering students and, if so, to determine the reasons for their high attrition. In that…

Analyzes five intellective and nine non-intellective variables to develop mathematical models to predict freshman success and persistence. Lists and describes the variables. Explores the model's attempts in predicting grade point average and chance of success in an engineering school. (MVL)

A study (n=510) investigated students' cognitive and noncognitive variables predicting success and persistence in an undergraduate engineering program. Students performing well in science and mathematics and genuinely interested in engineering were more likely to persist and succeed. Predictor variables changed over the students' first two years.…