ABSTRACT

This study assessed a localized academic readiness model that measures academic skills relevant to an occupational program and the institutional context. Enrollment in the program’s mandatory gateway course is contingent upon establishing academic readiness either: (1) possess an associate-level or higher degree; (2) achieve placement test scores that permit enrollment in college-level English composition/critical reading; or (3) complete developmental education prerequisites to permit enrollment in college-level English composition/critical reading. Using the gateway course performance for 112 students, the study explored whether any of the model’s criterions are significantly related to success in the gateway course and whether there is any significant difference across the three criterions in their relationship to success in the gateway course. The study examined whether there is a significant difference in gateway course success rates between students that had ever been identified as needing developmental education based on a placement test and those that never tested into a developmental education course. Finally, the study examined whether there is a significant difference in gateway course success rates based on age, gender, and race/ethnicity. Results showed that all of the model’s academic readiness criterions are significantly related to success in the gateway course and are statistically equivalent to each other in their relationship to success. The results showed that students succeeded at the same rate regardless of their developmental education placement history. Male, Black, and Hispanic students succeeded at a significantly lower rate regardless of how they established academic readiness. Implications and opportunities for future research are discussed.

摘要

本研究评估了一个本地化的学术准备模型，该模型衡量与职业计划和机构环境相关的学术技能。注册该计划的必修门户课程取决于建立学术准备：（1）拥有副学士学位或更高学位；(2) 达到允许参加大学水平的英语作文/批判性阅读的分班考试成绩；或 (3) 完成发展教育先决条件，以允许注册大学水平的英语作文/批判性阅读。使用 112 名学生的入门课程表现，该研究探讨了模型的任何标准是否与入门课程的成功显着相关，以及三个标准与入门课程成功的关系是否存在显着差异。该研究检查了根据分班考试被确定为需要发展教育的学生与从未参加过发展教育课程的学生之间的入门课程成功率是否存在显着差异。最后，该研究检查了基于年龄、性别和种族/民族的入门课程成功率是否存在显着差异。结果表明，该模型的所有学术准备标准都与入门课程的成功显着相关，并且在与成功的关系上彼此在统计上是等效的。结果表明，无论学生的发展教育安置历史如何，他们的成功率都是相同的。男性，黑色，西班牙裔学生的成功率要低得多，无论他们如何建立学术准备。讨论了未来研究的影响和机会。