Individual and school-level
effects of academic preparation
and socioeconomic factors on
retention of university students
in Puerto Rico
Sandra L. Dika, PhD, Assistant Professor
David R. González-Barreto, PhD, Professor
Office of Institutional Research and Planning
University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
2009 Association for Institutional Research Forum, Atlanta, GA
June 1, 2009
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
Introduction

Over two decades of research in United States on
factors associated with retention in college

Previous academic achievement



High school GPA
Standardized test scores, e.g., SAT
Socioeconomic factors


Family income
Parental education attainment (first generation)
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
Introduction


Research in K-12 education indicates effects of
school culture and environment on:
 High school achievement
 High school completion
 College attendance
Some studies looking at the effects of social and
cultural capital on college attendance, retention, and
achievement model “quality of school” (e.g., Perna,
2000; Wells, 2008)
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
Introduction


Research on college retention outside the US – in
different social, cultural, and economic contexts is limited
No published research on factors that influence
retention in Puerto Rico, however, institutional
research at largest public institution points to
possible relationships
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
N
Puerto Rico:
Dimensions: 180 km x 65 km
Population: 3.8 millions
Pop. Density: 325 p/km2
Population densities:
US: 31 p/km2
Mexico: 54.5 p/km2
Canada: 3.3 p/km2
Family Income in Puerto Rico
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
Connection Between UPR
Admission Index and Income
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
Connection Between Retention and
Income (UPRM)
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
Performance based on High School
of Origin

Five college level indicators (CI) to provide
feedback to high school personnel on the
performance of their students at our institution




First year retention rate
GPA in math, Spanish, and English courses
Graduation rate
Some surprises that counter common
perceptions about students from local high
schools
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
Filling the Gap


Need for a study to examine which academic
achievement and socioeconomic factors play a
role in retention for Puerto Rican college
students
Need for additional exploration of school level
factors (as social and cultural capital) in college
retention
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
Research Question

How well do individual and school-level academic
achievement and socioeconomic factors predict
retention of public college students in Puerto
Rico?
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
University of Puerto Rico
Mayaguez







Part of UPR system (11 campuses)
Over 12,000 students
Bilingual Hispanic Serving Institution
STEM focused (60% of undergraduates)
High female participation in STEM
71% receive financial aid
22% “first generation”
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
Sample and Instrumentation

All first-year, first time students entering UPRM
between 2000 and 2007 in two income
categories representing income extremes for our
population (N=5,408):



$15,000 and below
$40,000 and above
All variables obtained or created from data
available in institutional student information
system – admissions and enrollment data
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
Measuring Family Income

Family income measurement restricted due to
data available from UPR admissions form


Nine (9) categories from less than $7,500 to $50,000
or higher
We chose to include income “extremes” (bottom 2
and top 2 categories) to approximate low-income and
high-income families in the context of Puerto Rican
society (based on census data; median income for
family of four: $26,822)
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
Measuring “First Generation”


Most research operationalizes “First Generation”
college students as those for whom neither
parent has completed a four-year college degree
Our operationalization of “First Generation” is
slightly different based on local context: students
for whom neither parent has completed studies
after high school
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
Measuring School Level Effects



PR Department of Education and UPR in process
of developing comprehensive K-16 database for
public education
School level variables in this study are averages
or proportions for students admitted to UPRM
and are not representative of the entire high
school student body from those schools
May consider that these represent social and
cultural capital among peer groups of “college
goers”
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
Independent Variables –
Individual Level
Variable
Source
Possible Values
High school GPA
Admissions
2.00-4.00
Standardized English
achievement (PEAU)
Admissions
200-800
Standardized math
aptitude (PEAU)
Admissions
200-800
Family income and
education or FIE
(dummy)
Admissions
Low-income, First Generation (reference category)
Low-income, Not First Generation
High-income, First Generation
High-income, Not First Generation
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
Independent Variables –
School Level
Variable
Source
Possible Values
Average standardized
English achievement
(PEAU)
Admissions
200-800
Proportion first generation
Admissions
0.00-1.00
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
Dependent Variable

Retention

Full-time enrollment in second year of studies at
institution
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
Data Analysis

Descriptive statistics and correlations among
variables

Logistic regression

All statistical tests evaluated at the α=.05 level

All analyses conducted using Minitab
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
Descriptive Statistics
Level Variable
Mean
SD
Individual
High school GPA
3.56
0.40
Standardized English achievement (PEAU)
594.28
103.96
Standardized math aptitude (PEAU)
645.97
87.11
School
Average standardized English achievement (PEAU)
585.77
55.20
25.71
17.21
Proportion first generation
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
Differences between Family
Income-Education Groups

Ran an ANOVA to determine if differences in
academic achievement among the four FIE
groups


HSGPA: Significantly higher for low income students,
regardless of parent education level – GPA higher for
public school students
English achievement: Significantly higher for high
income students, regardless of parent education level;
and low income/not First Generation significantly
higher than low income/First Generation
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
Differences between Family
Income-Education Groups

For academic achievement (first year GPA)


Significantly higher for high income/not First
Generation students; no differences among the other
3 groups
FIE clearly seems to be a factor in college academic
achievement for this sample
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
Family Income and Education
Total FG = 22.5%
Total low income = 33.4%
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
Correlations
Level
Variable
Individual
HSGPA
School
Average English (AVENG)
HSGPA ENG
MATH
AVENG PFG
1.00
English (ENG)
0.11***
1.00
Math (MATH)
0.23***
0.46***
1.00
-0.11***
0.54***
0.40***
1.00
0.07***
-0.46***
-0.37***
-0.83***
Proportion first generation (PFG)
***p<.001
Results of particular interest:
HSGPA and PFG – explain this as higher GPAs for public school students
PFG and AVENG – shows marked school types, which we trace to public/private differences
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
1.00
GPA lower for private school
students, particularly for high
income
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
English achievement higher for
private school students, regardless
of income
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
Math achievement higher for
private school students, regardless
of income
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
Individual Level Predictors of
Retention

Three individual level factors were significant for
predicting retention


High school GPA (z=14.30, p<.001)
Family income and education


High-income/not First Generation students more likely to
persist to second year than low-income/First Generation
students (z=4.01, p<.001)
Standardized math aptitude (z=3.37, p<.01)
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
School Level Predictors of
Retention

Neither of the school level factors were
significant for predicting retention
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
Follow-Up Analysis - Achievement

After running the logistic regression for
retention, we decided to explore the predictive
value of these variables on achievement using
stepwise regression


College GPA – First year GPA
Alpha to enter and remove = .15
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
Predictors of Achievement

Final model explains 35% variance in college GPA

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High school GPA (25%)
Average standardized English achievement in school of
origin (8%)
Standardized math aptitude (1%)
Standardized English achievement (.5%)
Family income and education (each less than .25%)


HI-NFG> LI-FG students
HI-FG< LI-FG students
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
Interpretation and Discussion of
Results - Retention


High school GPA emerged as the most important
predictor (by far), and math aptitude was also
significant
These elements compose 75% of the UPR
admission index (HSGPA=50%, math
aptitude=25%) – verbal aptitude in Spanish
composes the other 25%
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
Interpretation and Discussion of
Results - Retention


Both family income and education level appear to
play a role in retention – the combination of lowincome and first generation puts students at a
disadvantage when compared to peers from
higher income homes where at least one parent
has an associate degree
None of the school level factors predict retention

Relative socioeconomic homogeneity of schools may
account for this
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
Interpretation and Discussion of
Results – Achievement

While the significance of high school GPA and
math aptitude not surprising given results for
retention, standardized English achievement –
both individual and school level - emerged as
factors

English achievement be acting as a proxy for income
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
Interpretation and Discussion of
Results – Achievement


Result that students from high income, First
Generation families perform significantly worse
than students from low income, First Generation
families suggest that parent education level may
be more important than income in predicting
achievement
Need to look closer at other characteristics of the
sub-group of high income, First Generation – who
are they? Do they come from particular schools
or neighborhoods?
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
Implications for Institutional
Practices

Institutions can create programs or target
additional resources toward students who might
be at risk of leaving after the first year or for poor
academic performance
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
Conclusions


Preliminary study indicates that certain academic
achievement and socioeconomic factors may be
important predictors of retention and academic
achievement for public college students in Puerto
Rico
Certain school level factors may influence
retention and achievement – more research must
be conducted
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
Limitations

Students at UPRM not representative of Puerto
Rican college students in general



Significantly higher retention and graduation rates
than all private four-year institutions; however, most
selective institution on island
Model not inclusive of important variables that
may predict retention
Measurement of income restricted by data
available from admissions process
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
Continuing Research




Continue refining measures of income at
individual and school levels
Include variables on high school course-taking e.g., advanced courses, number of math credits
Develop models to test school level effects using
global school data available from PR Department
of Education (limitation – public schools only)
Test model with other dependent variables – e.g.,
number of approved credits in first year
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum
Contact information:
Sandra Dika - sandra.dika@upr.edu
David González-Barreto – davidg@ece.uprm.edu
Paper and presentation available for download at
http://oiip.uprm.edu/pres1.html
Dika & González-Barreto, 2009 AIR Forum