This study investigated differences in college grading practices (first-year grade point average and course grades) by student and institutional characteristics and by academic discipline to inform and improve our understanding and use as among the most commonly employed criteria in validity and college readiness research. In addition, trends in…

The focus of this study is to explore college outcomes for students who come from traditionally lower-income backgrounds, reporting a household income of $30,000 or less, and who were awarded a fee reduction to take one or more Advanced Placement® (AP®) Exams, compared to students with a similar background and ability who did not participate in an…

When educators see that two students received a B in a particular course in two different schools and/or years, does it indicate the same level of understanding and achievement for both students? This paper addresses the assumption that grades are equivalent within subjects across schools and years. By comparing course grades to a standardized…

The College Board formed a research consortium with four-year colleges and universities to build a national higher education database with the primary goal of validating the SAT® for use in college admission. The first sample included first-time, first-year students entering college in fall 2006, with 110 institutions providing students'…

Results show that SAT performance is related to third year retention rates. Even after controlling for student and institutional characteristics, returners had higher SAT total scores than non-returners, and the performance gap is not due to differences in the demographic makeup of the two groups. Furthermore, while differences in retention can be…