Date of Award
2-1-1986
Document Type
Practicum
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Center for the Advancement of Education
Keywords
Alaska, college planning, college preparatory courses, early college incentive program, grade point average, rural Alaskans, Sheldon Jackson College
Abstract
In order to address the problem of preparation that many rural Alaskans have when they first arrive at college. Sheldon Jackson College has developed a program, the Early College Incentive Program, designed to expose students to the learning and living requirements of college. The objective of this study was to determine whether participation in the Early College Incentive Program had a significant effect on participants preparation for college and attitude about college. The study compared the number of college preparatory courses taken, the grade point average for the college preparatory courses, and attitudes about college of participants with the same measures for two 9th grade control groups. The first null hypothesis was that there is no significant difference in the number if college preparatory courses taken by the participants and the two control groups. The second null hypothesis was that there is no significant difference in the grade point average of the participants and the control groups. The third null hypothesis was that there is no significant difference in attitudes about colleges of the participants and the two control groups. The study found that although there were no significant differences at the 0.05 level between the participants and the control groups in course selection or college planning, there was a significant difference at the 0.05 level in the Grade Point Average. The results warrant continuation of the program, and the study and evaluation are being used as guides in the development of future program.