The first set of National Longitudinal Study (NLS) data was analyzed to derive composite scores to be used in subsequent analyses. The composites include a general ability measure, a socioeconomic status (SES) index, and factor scores from factor analyses of sets of question items measuring goals, attitudes, and other psychological attributes. The…

Nineteen research reports and summaries of projects studying law school admission and the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) are presented. These research projects were supported by the Law School Admission Council between 1975 and 1977. A subject and an author index, covering this and the previous two volumes (including research conducted from 1949…

The 4,987 freshmen who entered the Bloomington campus of Indiana University in the fall of 1977 were used to establish two schemes for predicting first-semester grade point averages. Three sets of prediction equations and a graphic scheme for determining probable grade point averages were provided. Entering freshmen norms were included for SAT…

The use of a modified training opportunities approach for predicting the number of graduate enrollments and degrees at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is considered. Data concerning graduate assistantships and faculty staffing levels were used to predict, with a high level of accuracy, the number of graduate enrollments and degrees.…

Preliminary retention data on regular freshmen at the University of North Dakota (UND) are analyzed for 1976-80. It is shown that at the end of the freshmen year, approximately 25 percent of an entering class has left the university, with an additional 13 percent leaving by the end of their sophomore year. Data on freshmen attrition is provided by…

Interviews with the day teaching faculty at American River College were conducted to determine which variables most affect class withdrawal and retention rates. During the interviews, each instructor was asked to think of any one of his/her day classes taught during the preceding semester and to answer 30 questions concerning, among other items,…

Questions are examined concerning the effectiveness and efficiency of the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant financial aid program in providing equality of choice between public and private institutions. The research question is: given the initial preferences for either public or private institutions, what is the probability that a student will…

The records of 53 students in an introductory biology class at Fulton-Montgomery Community College were examined to determine the effect of selected variables on success in the course. The independent variables tested were age, sex, vocabulary and comprehensive grade placement levels (GPL) on the Nelson-Denny Reading Test, and whether or not the…

Prior to attending Mount Wachusett Community College, Massachusetts, all freshmen are required to undertake a Comparative Guidance and Placement (CGP) test which yields raw scores in reading, sentences, math, and academic motivation. Based on the scores on the continuous independent variables measured by the CGP test and the dichotomous…

As part of the Competency Based Teacher Certification Project in Carroll County, Georgia, large samples of elementary and secondary school teachers and students were observed during a two-year period. Four low-inference observation measures were used to record teacher behaviors and student-teacher interactions: (1) Teacher Practices Observation…

Three alternative strategies for college selection, their associated cost and benefits are described in this study. These include a strict meritocratic procedure, a minority quota procedure and a disadvantaged quota procedure. The strict meritocratic procedure was operationalized in terms of predicted probability of success; the minority quota…

The report presents information on intellectual development and school achievement of youths in relation to selected socioeconomic and demographic factors. Estimates were based on data collected by the National Center for Health Statistics from 1966-70. The survey sample consisted of 6,768 adolescents aged 12-17 years. Measurement instruments were…

This study compared the ability of the ACT Assessment Battery (ACT), the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), and six other variables to predict first semester Grade Point Average (GPA) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a "highly selective midwestern university". Additional purposes were to determine: (1) the effect of using…

To help predict physical, mental, and social behavior problems in school age children, this longitudinal study intended to identify the origins of dysfunction and the characteristics which put infants at high risk for future problems. The study provided background data for the development of an operational screening and assessment method. The…

To test Tinto's theory of college attrition, a longitudinal study involving 766 students enrolled in Syracuse University in September 1975 was conducted to determine whether freshmen persisters and voluntary dropouts differed on certain attitudinal and behavioral measures of academic and social integration once selected background characteristics…