Assessment of the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program at Iowa State University

Abstract

<p>This assessment evaluates the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Program at Iowa State University. The program is a federal outreach initiative intended to prepare well performing low-income first generation college students and well performing underrepresented students who may be women, ethnic minority, or disabled for graduate doctoral education. Academic success is measured by the attainment of the degree, the time to graduation, the average number of credits carried through to graduation, the continuation to graduate school, the final cumulative grade point average, and the change in the cumulative grade point averages. The assessment compares Iowa State University students that chose to participate in the program and students that qualified for the program but chose not to participate. This assessment indicates that the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Program at ISU does not affect the attainment of an undergraduate degree, the time to graduation, the average number of credits carried and the cumulative grade point average. Despite this, the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Program at ISU does statistically affect the continuation to graduate school. Interestingly, the program effect on the participants that do not satisfy the federal minimum cumulative grade point average guideline is not different from the effect on those program participants that do satisfy the federal grade minimum. Thus, participation in the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Program at Iowa State University effectively increases the likelihood of continuation to graduate education for well-performing students.</p>