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Virginia Tech

An Examination of Non-Cognitive Predictors of Six-Year Graduation Rates for African American Students at a Predominately White Institution Using the Annual Freshman Survey

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify questions from the Annual Freshman Survey (AFS) that may predict academic success, in the form of six-year graduation, for African American students at a predominately White institution. Previous research has reported the relevance of non-cognitive variables in predicting college grades, persistence, and graduation. This study extends that literature by focusing on variables from the AFS that may be used as non-cognitive predictors, specifically related to eight variables established in previous literature. The study used existing data from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program AFS. The Academic Assessment Office at the selected institution provided data for the sample consisting of 249 African American students, who enrolled in the fall of 1992, 1993, and 1994. Out of the variables analyzed, only one proved statistically significant. Contrary to expectation, students who indicated a high intellectual self-confidence at matriculation were less likely to graduate within six years than those who did not. No other variables were significant predictors of graduation. The results of this study suggest that the AFS items are not good predictors for African American graduation.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Arts
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
Department dc:contributor.department
Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
2001

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Gray, Jone Kala
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Creamer, Donald G.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Hyer, Patricia B.
  • Turrentine, Cathryn G.

Subjects

dc:subject × 4

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright
Language dc:language.iso
en_US

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
etd-05032001-110242
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/78095

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Gray, Jone Kala. An Examination of Non-Cognitive Predictors of Six-Year Graduation Rates for African American Students at a Predominately White Institution Using the Annual Freshman Survey. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/78095