ERIC Number: EJ1106070
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Aug
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1521-0251
EISSN: N/A
Increasing Retention and Graduation Rates through a STEM Learning Community
Dagley, Melissa; Georgiopoulos, Michael; Reece, Amber; Young, Cynthia
Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, v18 n2 p167-182 Aug 2016
The EXCEL Program began as a National Science Foundation-sponsored STEM Talent Expansion Program in 2006 and, because of its significant impact on retention of STEM majors, has since become an institutionalized program at the University of Central Florida. The University of Central Florida EXCEL Program annually recruits approximately 200 first-year STEM students into a learning community with residential/social and curricular components. First-year retention, long-term retention, and graduation rates are all higher for the EXCEL cohorts than the comparison groups. Overall retention of students in a STEM major is 43% higher for the EXCEL Program than the comparison group. In particular, women, African Americans, and Hispanics in the EXCEL Program have demonstrated high retention (54%, 57%, and 67%) and graduation rates (35%, 27%, and 50%). The large cohort size and all-inclusive nature of the EXCEL Program makes it a unique model for addressing the current need for STEM graduates.
Descriptors: School Holding Power, Graduation Rate, STEM Education, College Students, Higher Education, Comparative Analysis, Student Recruitment, College Programs, Experimental Groups, High School Seniors, College Bound Students, College Entrance Examinations, Statistical Analysis, Control Groups, Disproportionate Representation, Females, African American Students, Hispanic American Students, College Curriculum
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Florida
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: SAT (College Admission Test)
Grant or Contract Numbers: 0525429
What Works Clearinghouse Reviewed: Does Not Meet Evidence Standards
WWC Study Page: https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Study/89515