Synthetic control methods are an innovative matching technique first introduced within the economics and political science literature that have begun to find application in educational research as well. Synthetic controls create an aggregate-level, time-series comparison for a single treated unit of interest for causal inference with observational…

Bayesian statistical inference within structural equation modeling was used to examine the influence of hypothetical constructs on the successful persistence of college freshmen to degree completion. The affects of three latent variables: (a) academic capital; (b) cultural capital; and, (c) social capital were compared between White/Caucasian…