Date of Award
2002
Document Type
Practicum
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Programs for Higher Education
Advisor
Dr. Gail Johnson
Keywords
admissions testing, automotive technology, educational assessment, graduation, heating ventilation air conditioning and refrigeration, higher education, Lincoln Technical Institute, Maryland Higher Education Commission, persistence, predictive validity, student outcomes, t test, technical education, vocational education, withdrawal rates
Abstract
In 1999, the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) had called into question the admission of students in the automotive and the heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC) technology programs at Lincoln Technical Institute based on their admission scores. The problem under investigation was that it was unknown if there was a relationship between the minimum scores of those students in the automotive and HVAC technology programs who scored between 101-129 on the admissions test and their student outcomes (persistence and graduation versus withdrawal). The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of minimum admission scores on student outcomes.
There were two research questions for this study. "Was there a significant difference between the test scores of students who scored between 101-129 and the outcomes of automotive students?" and, "Was there a significant difference between the test scores of students who scored between 101-129 and the outcomes of HVAC students?"
A t-test was applied to the test scores of the HVAC and automotive students who scored between 101-129 on the entrance test based on their outcomes (successful or not successful) to determine if there was a relationship between the test scores and student outcomes. The results of both tests were not sufficient to reject the null hypothesis.
In conclusion, there was no significant difference between the student outcomes and admissions entrance scores for either the automotive nor HVAC students. The admissions test with scores between 101-129 in both programs was a valid predictor of student outcomes. It was recommended that the results of this study be used to appeal the decision and go before the MHEC Education Policy Committee for final resolution.