[Impact of Participation in a Remedial Program on First-Semester College GPA]

By

All rights reserved

INFORMATION TO ALL USERS

The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion.

Copyright 2011 by [University Name/Author Name] all rights reserved.

This edition of the work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code.

DECLARATION

I [type your full first names & surname here], declare that the following dissertation/thesis and its entire content has been an individual, unaided effort and has not been submitted or published before. Furthermore, it reflects my opinion and take on the topic and is does not represent the opinion of the University.

Signature:

Dated:

ABSTRACT

Many college students earn below-average grades and must complete remedial courses. Remediation costs are vast and grade point averages (GPA) below 2.0 are associated with decreased retention and graduation rates. Research indicated that remedial programs increased high school graduation rates and the likelihood of college enrollment. A gap in the literature existed regarding the potential of remedial programs to affect the first-semester college GPA. Based on social cognitive theory and functionalism, the purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if participation in a remedial program had an impact on first-semester college GPA.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would first like to express my gratitude for my research supervisor, colleagues, peers and family whose immense and constant support has been a source of continuous guidance and inspiration.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACTI

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTII

CHAPTER 01: INTRODUCTION4

Background4

Scope of the Study5

Limitations and Delimitations of the Study6

CHAPTER 02: LITERATURE REVIEW7

Current Trends in the Secondary Education System7

Necessity of Successful Transition from High School to College10

Successful Transition to Postsecondary11

Bridging the Gap between Secondary and Postsecondary Education12

CHAPTER 03: METHODOLOGY14

Research Design14

Participants15

Data Collection17

Instrumentation and Materials18

Data Analysis18

Protection of Participants22

Summary23

REFERENCES25

CHAPTER 01: INTRODUCTION

Background

Many college students earn below-average grades and must complete remedial courses. Remediation costs are vast and grade point averages (GPA) below 2.0 are associated with decreased retention and graduation rates. Research indicated that remedial programs increased high school graduation rates and the likelihood of college enrollment. A gap in the literature existed regarding the potential of remedial programs to affect the first-semester college GPA. Based on social cognitive theory and functionalism, the purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if participation in a remedial program had an impact on first-semester college GPA and if gender, race, socioeconomic status (SES), and the number of remedial courses completed were related to first-semester college GPA.

Remedial or developmental classes can use up a significant proportion of a student's financial aid (Attewell et al., 2006). The credit hours for remediation courses do not count toward the college degree (Attewell et al., 2006). In addition, students who are required to complete remedial or developmental courses are significantly less likely to complete a college degree (Attewell et al., 2006). Without a college degree, individuals experience difficulty finding ...