Factors Affecting Student Academic Achievement at Community Colleges

• In Event: 26.081 - Poster Session 3
  In Poster Session: 26.081-5 - College Student Access Poster Session

Abstract

Student retention in higher education has always been an important research topic. Drawing from various theoretical perspectives, researchers have developed several student retention models to explain or predict student retention. Yet, most of these models were intended for traditional aged, full-time students at four-year institutions (Bailey & Alfonso, 2005). The rapid growth in undergraduate enrollment at two-year community colleges necessitates research studies concerning student retention at community colleges. Built upon prior studies, I develop a conceptual framework to understand student credential completion at two-year community colleges. Drawing data from Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS: 04/09), I utilize multilevel structural equation modeling to identify variables that explain students’ likelihood of credential completion.

Author

• Hongwei Yu, Baylor University