Tác động của Chương trình Mountaineer Success Academy tại West Virginia University (2012-2015)

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports 2020 Impact of the West Virginia University Mountaineer Success Academy Program from 2012-2015 Ashley D. Watts West Virginia University, ashley.edu Follow this and additional works at: https://researchrepository.edu/etd Part of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Commons Recommended Citation Watts, Ashley D., "Impact of the West Virginia University Mountaineer Success Academy Program from 2012-2015" (2020). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports.edu/etd/7627 This Dissertation is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by the The Research Repository @ WVU with permission from the rights-holder(s).

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Impact of the West Virginia University Mountaineer Success Academy Program from 2012-2015 Ashley Dawn Watts Dissertation submitted to the College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design at West Virginia University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Human and Community Development Harry N. School of Design and Community Development Morgantown, WV 2020 Keywords: student success, retention, success programs, undecided students, at- risk, graduation rates, academic performance Copyright 2020 Ashley Dawn Watts ABSTRACT Impact of the West Virginia University Mountaineer Success Academy Program from 2012-2015 Ashley Dawn Watts As state funding for universities decline and funding becomes based more on outcomes like retention and graduation rates, universities must focus their efforts on assessment and delve deeper into uncovering issues that prevent students from graduating. Once issues are identified, it is in the best interest of the university to develop, implement, and assess support services that may provide students with resources that could lead to their success, thus improving graduation rates. At West Virginia University, the Mountaineer Success Academy (MSA) was created to serve eligible students who were undecided or did not meet the requirements for their desired major.

Participation in the program was voluntary and nearly all the students who were invited to participate and who participated encompassed WVU’s two lowest levels of academic preparation and achievement which is measured by high school GPA and ACT/SAT scores. The purpose of this study was to examine the West Virginia University Mountaineer Success Academy participants’ graduation rates and academic performance (GPA) upon graduation in comparison to eligible non-participants and non-eligible students entering as first-time, full-time freshen at West Virginia University during the fall semester of 2012 through 2015. This study also examined if attributes identified including ethnicity, gender, high school GPA, state residency, and SAT/ACT scores appeared to have an impact on graduation rates or academic performance (GPA) upon graduation. The data collected in collaboration with the Office of Institutional Research using the identified boundaries were analyzed by the researcher using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).

Descriptive statistics were used to report the profile and demographics of participants. Chi square was used to analyze the difference in graduation rates among the groups. Analysis of covariance was used to partially adjust for pre- existing differences between groups in an ex post facto design. ANCOVA adjusts scores on the dependent variable for any initial differences on the extraneous variable.05 alpha level of significance was used for all data analysis.

There were significant differences found within 4 year and more than 4-year graduation rates among the groups. The MSA non-eligible participants who graduated in 4 years (40.2%) completed their degree at a higher percentage than their MSA (25.5%) and MSA eligible non-participant counter parts (25. Participants in three groups who graduated in “more than 4 years,” did so at a similar rate.0% for MSA participants, MSA eligible non-participants, and MSA non-eligible participants, respectively) There was a significant difference found in academic performance (GPA) upon graduation among the groups. An analysis of covariance that used high school GPA as a covariant, revealed that MSA non-eligible participants who graduated in 4 years (3.36) had a higher college GPA than their MSA (3.13) and MSA eligible non-participant counter parts (3.

There were also differences in participants in three groups who graduated in “more than 4 years” (2.91 for MSA participants, MSA eligible non-participants, and MSA non-eligible participants, respectively). While statistical differences existed in the college GPAs, the researcher stopped short of deciding if the differences had practical significances. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to sincerely thank my committee members for guiding me through this process, Dr. Harry Boone, my chair, Dr.

Debby Boone, Dr. Ann Richards, Dr. Nathan Sorber, and Dr. Each member has brought their own expertise and strengths to this endeavor and have provided excellent guidance and support through this process.

I would like to especially thank Dr. Harry Boone for his guidance. I am eternally grateful for your support. I would also like to thank everyone who helped me collect the data for this research: the WVU Institutional Research staff, Donielle Maust and Liz Reynolds; the WVU Office of the Provost; Dr.

Kenneth Blemings; Dr. Todd Petty; Dr. Matthew Wilson; and a special thank you to Vickie Sigley. I would also like to thank everyone who worked beside me during the Mountaineer Success Academy’s tenure.

A special thank you to Dr. Jacob Sanwidi and Dr. I would especially like to thank the family that is the Honors College. I have been blessed with wonderful colleagues in such a positive and supportive environment.

It has truly been an honor to work with all of you. I would especially like to thank Dr. Damien Clement for taking time out of his schedule to write with me and help me keep a timeline for this project. For all of you, I am grateful.

iv DEDICATION This work is dedicated to those who have been taught to believe they should not or could not. May you freely pursue the God given purpose for your life. I also dedicate this work to my beloved Benson Dakota. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT.

v TABLE OF CONTENTS. vi LIST OF TABLES. xi CHAPTER I : Introduction. 1 Statement of the Problem.

4 Purpose of the Study. 9 Definitions of Terms. 10 Limitations of the Study. 12 CHAPTER II: Review of Literature.

13 Summer Bridge Programs. 13 Live Learn Communities. 20 First-Year Seminar. 32 Academic Success Coaching.

36 Resources for Career Exploration. 43 CHAPTER III: Methodology. 53 Date Collection Procedures. 56 CHAPTER IV: Findings.

72 High School GPA. 75 ACT/SAT Scores. 77 In-State/Out of-State Residency. 106 Academic Performance (GPA) Upon Graduation.

128 Graduation Rates Within The Mountaineer Success Academy Participant Group. 133 Academic Performance (GPA) Upon Graduation Within The Mountaineer Success Academy Participant Group. 138 Attributes Contributing to the Successful Completion of College Degrees for Mountaineer Success Academy Participants. 141 Summary of Findings.

141 Chapter V: Summary, Conclusions, Implications and Recommendations. 146 Summary and Conclusions. 151 Academic Performance (GPA) Upon Graduation. 153 vii Attributes Impacting Graduation Rates.

160 APPENDIX A: Mountaineer Success Academy Frequently Asked Questions. 161 APPENDIX B: Conversion Tables from SAT Scores to ACT Scores. 166 APPENDIX C: Data Request. 170 viii LIST OF TABLES 1.

Enrollment of Mountaineer Success Academy participants, Eligible Non- Participants, and Non-Eligible Student Groups for the 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 Cohorts. Number of Participants in the Mountaineer Success Academy, Eligible Non-Participants and Non-Eligible Students for the 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 Cohorts. Number of Mountaineer Success Academy Participants who participated in MSA Links for the 2014 and 2015 Cohorts. Ethnicity of Mountaineer Success Academy Participants, Eligible Non- Participants and Non-Eligible Students for the 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 Cohorts.

Ethnicity of Mountaineer Success Academy Participants who participated in MSA Links. Gender of Mountaineer Success Academy Participants, Eligible Non- Participants, and Non-Eligible Students for Cohorts 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. Gender of Mountaineer Success Academy Participants who participated in MSA Links. Mean High School GPA of Mountaineer Success Academy Participants, Eligible Non-Participants and Non-Eligible Students for the 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 Cohorts.

High School GPA of Mountaineer Success Academy participants who participated in MSA Links. ACT scores of Mountaineer Success Academy Participants, Eligible Non- Participants, and Non-Eligible Students for the 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 Cohorts. ACT/SAT Scores of Mountaineer Success Academy Participants Who Participated in MSA Links. Residency of Mountaineer Success Academy participants, Eligible Non- Participants and Non-Eligible Students for the 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 Cohorts.

Residency of Mountaineer Success Academy Participants who participated in MSA Links. Residency by State of Mountaineer Success Academy Participants, Eligible Non-Participants and Non-Eligible Students for the 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 Cohorts. Residency by State of Mountaineer Success Academy Participants Who Participated in MSA Links. Citizenship of Mountaineer Success Academy Participants, Eligible Non- Participants and Non-Eligible Students for the 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 Cohorts.

Citizenship of Mountaineer Success Academy Participants who Participated in MSA Links. Graduation Rates of Mountaineer Success Academy Participants, Eligible Non-Participants, and Non-Eligible Student Groups for the 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 Cohorts. Graduation Rates of Mountaineer Success Academy Participants, Eligible Non-Participants, and Non-Eligible Student Groups for the 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 Cohorts by Year. Graduation Rates of First-Generation Mountaineer Success Academy Participants, Eligible Non-Participants and Non-Eligible Students for the 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 Cohorts.

Graduation Rates of First-Generation Mountaineer Success Academy Participants who participated in MSA Links. Graduation Rates by Ethnicity. Chi Square Analysis- Graduation Rates of Mountaineer Success Academy Participants, Eligible Non-Participants, and Non-Eligible Student Groups- Cross Tabulations. Chi-Square Analysis- Graduation Rates of Mountaineer Success Academy Participants and Eligible Non-Participants- Cross Tabulations.

Academic Performance (GPA) Upon Graduation of Mountaineer Success Academy Participants, Eligible Non-Participants and Non-Eligible Students for the 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 Cohorts. Descriptive Data for Analysis of Covariance for Academic Performance (GPA) Based on Participation and time of graduation Mountaineer Success Academy Participants, Eligible Non-Participants and Non- Eligible Students. Summary Data: Analysis of Covariance for Academic Performance (GPA) Based on Participation and time of graduation Mountaineer Success Academy Participants, Eligible Non-Participants and Non-Eligible Students. Graduation Rates of Mountaineer Success Academy Students who also Participated in MSA Links for the 2014 and 2015 Cohorts.

Chi-Square Analysis- Graduation Rates of Mountaineer Success Academy Participants who also Participated in MSA Links and Mountaineer Success Academy Participants who did not Participate in MSA Links. GPA Upon Graduation of Mountaineer Success Academy Participants who also Participated in MSA Links for the 2014 and 2015 Cohorts. Categories of first-year students who were eligible or not eligible for the Mountaineer Success Academy. 4 xi CHAPTER I Introduction In 2011, the four-year graduation rate at West Virginia University was 33.

Students who were first-time, full-time freshmen entering college in 2007 were included in this graduation rate. The six-year graduation rate in 2013 was 57. (The Chronicle of Higher Education College Completion, n.) Comparatively, the average four-year graduation rates in the United States for four-year public institutions were 33.3% while the six-year graduation rates were 57.6% (The Chronicle of Higher Education College Completion, n. Compared to other institutions in West Virginia, WVU’s six-year graduation rates were significantly higher than Marshall University (44.6%) and West Liberty University (41.

Six-year graduation rates at WVU were also higher than Shepherd University (37.8%), Fairmont State University (34.2%), Glenville State College (30.3%), and Bluefield State College (17.7%) (The Chronicle of Higher Education College Completion, n.