PASS (Predictors of Academic Success of Students)

• Traditional predictors of early academic success in college have shown limited success.  Standardized tests (SAT, ACT) and high school performance (high school GPA and rank) explain about 25% of the variation in first year college GPA.

• Continuing concerns of gender and racial bias in standardized tests, coupled with the changing demographics of incoming classes (more female and racial minority) create pressure on Admissions and Institutional Research Departments to improve the validity of their selection processes and ultimately student retention and graduation rates.

• The PASS was developed over six years. The purpose of the PASS is to identify and measure other, non-traditional factors that contribute to the prediction of early academic success.  Based on the business model of “biodata”, past behaviors, motivations, and attitudes were evaluated.  The resulting scoring key, a biographical inventory, correlates uniquely with early academic success.

Student researchers will participate in the following:

• Conduct literature reviews
• Collect and clean data
• Create new items for the PASS
• Statistically analyze items for validity, fairness, and reliability
• Disseminate results through papers or presentations