Despite lack of standardization, high school grade-point average (HSGPA) is frequently the best single predictor of first-year postsecondary GPA (FYGPA). This study evaluated the extent to which HSGPA reflected standardized test scores, social-emotional learning (SEL) competencies, demographics, and high-school characteristics. Dominance analysis…

Dropout is a global crisis and an affliction in the United States. This study analyzes graduation rates based on prior academic achievement, attendance, and behavior at an urban American high school in Virginia over 4 years to identify who is (not) graduating and why. Using a correlational, nonexperimental design, four cohorts of graduates were…

Teacher candidates in California are required to pass four standardized tests: the California Basic Educational Skills Test, the California Subject Examinations for Teachers, the Teacher Performance Assessment, and the Reading Instruction Competence Assessment. Many underrepresented minority teacher candidates fail to pass these required tests in…

According to teaching-learning theories, interventions in educational practice require a valid diagnosis of students' learning preconditions. Cognitive dispositions at the beginning of studies are the strongest predictor of knowledge acquisition. In the context of increasing numbers of beginning students with heterogeneous preconditions, valid…

Each year many students take college admissions exams (i.e., SAT® and ACT®), hoping to demonstrate their ability to perform at a collegiate level and gain admission to desired universities. However, a growing movement encourages colleges and universities to abandon this practice in their admissions protocol and instead consider alternative…

More students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are pursuing higher education. Existing studies have investigated the postsecondary educational outcomes of college students with ADHD, finding that these students typically have lower academic performance and higher dropout rates than their non-ADHD peers. Far fewer studies…

We investigate factors influencing student sign-ups for Washington State's College Bound Scholarship (CBS) program and consider whether there is scope for the program to change college enrollment expectations. We find that student characteristics associated with signing the scholarship closely parallel characteristics of low-income students who…

In this study, we examine the extent to which the discrepancy between teacher-reported and student-reported self-regulatory behaviours during writing were associated with students' end-of-year writing grades after controlling for student writing ability and other demographic characteristics. Results of our study, conducted with a sample of 201…

Each year, roughly 30% of first-year students at US baccalaureate institutions do not return for their second year and billions of dollars are spent educating these students. Yet, little quantitative research has analyzed the causes and possible remedies for student attrition. What's more, most of the previous attempts to model attrition at…

Students' intelligence and self-concept of ability are critical predictors of school achievement. However, studies focusing on the relative importance of both achievement predictors have produced mixed results. To clarify these inconsistencies, the present study investigated whether the relative predictive power of students' intelligence and…

Teacher preparation programmes (TPPs) find many ways to shape the development of their teacher candidates while bridging the research to practice gap in university and school partnerships. Recently, accountability models built on high-stakes standardised student assessments (Value-Added Models [VAM]) have been mandated as a way to evaluate the…

Many adolescents struggle with reading comprehension, despite an emphasis on reading instruction over recent decades. Evidence suggests that informational text is particularly challenging for students. To implement assessments within a multi-tiered framework, schools must have psychometrically adequate tools. Using data of 473 students in Grades 6…

This study examined the benefit of utilizing one-item academic and one-item behavior readiness teacher-rated screeners at the beginning of the school year to predict end-of-school year outcomes for middle school students. The Middle School Academic and Behavior Readiness (M-ABR) screeners were developed to provide an efficient and effective way to…

Academic advising satisfaction is highly correlated with retention in higher education. Thriving Quotient survey responses were collected from undergraduate students at a private, liberal arts college in the Pacific Northwest. Using a multiple regression analysis, this study examined what "student characteristics" and "collegiate…

In explaining academic achievement, school climate and social belonging (connectedness, identification) emerge as important variables. However, both constructs are rarely explored in one model. In the current study, a social psychological framework based on the social identity perspective (Turner, Hogg, Oakes, Reicher, & Wetherell, 1987) is…