Assessing the Effectiveness of a College Freshman Seminar Using Propensity Score Adjustments

M. H. Clark, Nicole L. Cundiff

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

45 Scopus citations

Abstract

Researchers investigated the impact that a first-year college experience course had on students' first-year grade point averages (GPAs) and retention rates. A sample of 109 first-year students enrolled in the course was compared to a sample of 326 students from the same university who had not taken the course. The goals of the experience course were to reduce attrition, increase grade point averages, and enhance academic skills. Without accounting for selection bias, those who took the course had similar retention rates and lower GPAs than those who did not take the course. After matching on propensity scores, the negative effects of the program on GPA were nullified and those in the program were more likely to enroll for a second year. Although the benefits from the course were weak, the positive impact of the program was more apparent after accounting for individual differences.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)616-639
Number of pages24
JournalResearch in Higher Education
Volume52
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2011

Keywords

  • Academic success
  • College retention
  • First-year seminar
  • Propensity scores
  • Selection bias

EGS Disciplines

  • Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research
  • Higher Education

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